Descent
Chapter 1:
P.O.V Clove
My name is Clove. It means to cleave, ironic considering how I have always been talented with a knife, whether I'm cutting up my dinner or even playing darts (knives) down at the local bar. The men down there always think that I'm just a helpless little girl, but what they don't know is that I'm a trainee at the career academy. They don't know that I can hit a moving target in the dead centre at 50 yards away with ease. Most of the other trainees go there as well, but the only competition I have ever had, is my mentor and best friend, Enobaria. Enobaria has been like a mother to me, ever since my own parents died in a mine cave-in when I was just a baby. Enobaria found me, took me in and taught me everything she knew about surviving in the games. She enrolled me in the academy and I quickly rose up the ranks until I was in a class of older students. Soon enough, I was at the top of the class and was to be volunteered for next year's games. And that brings me to now.
I woke up rubbing the morning out of my eyes, still half asleep. It was only 6:00 in the morning and I wanted to sleep in, but the smell of Enobaria making bacon and eggs (not with her teeth) dragged me out of bed. I got up, had a shower, got dressed and walked downstairs. "Morning hon" said Enobaria from the kitchen. "Morning" I say in my usual pleasant demeanour. I run up to Enobaria and give her a big hug from behind "Well someone sure is affectionate today" she says. I was feeling good today to, mainly because the reaping is only 6 months away now, that means that I really have to start working hard on all my skills and techniques. We sit down to eat breakfast whilst talking about the current affairs, which is usually next to nothing, and also about some of the finer points about surviving in the games. Once breakfast is done, I help her clean up and then run up to the bathroom and brush my teeth, then pull on my shoes, say goodbye to Enobaria, and head off to the train station. It's about a 5 block walk to the station, but I do get to see a lot of my home district along the way. District 2 is not a poverty-stricken one like the outlying districts, but it's no Capitol either. The houses are usually nice, single story homes, and the people that live in them are kept in good condition by the Capitol. The people who live here usually end up either working as miners, or becoming Peacekeepers. I can see the mines off in the mountains in the distance along with the various outlooks and picnic locations up there to. I shake my head and come back to reality and I realise that I'm already at the station. I show the lady who works there my Career identification card, and she gives me a ticket for the train. I walk up the stairs, and sit down on one of the empty benches. I don't really like socialising with other people; I'm a bit of an introvert and an outcast. I don't have any friends to talk to, apart from Enobaria. But after a while I notice a strange boy, about my age, staring at me on the other side of the platform amongst many other people. He looks to be a little taller than me, with brown, curly hair but the most distinguishing feature about him was his eyes. They were a stone grey, but I could barely make out flecks of deep green throughout the entire iris, and they were aimed straight at me. I look away and try not to blush. He looks kinda cute, though I've never seen him around before. The train arrives, whooshing past my face as I lost sight of the boy.
I hate crowds, all the sweaty, smelly, droves of people all going about their daily lives. The image of the boy still stuck in my head, I try and search for his head over the sea of others, but no luck. I try and push him out of my mind as I focus on my studies at the academy. I can't afford to lose focus, not this close to the games. The ride is as bumpy as usual, but I get to the academy fast enough. Before I know it, the train has stopped and people are already filing out. I move them, still trying to find his face in the crowd. Stop it Clove, I think to myself as I head to the academy. It is a semi-replica of the training centre in the Capitol, but it's slightly bigger. It's one of four identical academies in our district; North, South, East and West. It's where kids go to get an education, and to learn how to survive in the Games. A boy and a girl are selected each year to compete, based on what they score in a series of tests. I enter the building and head straight for my locker. As per usual all the other students are talking about their weekend or other such trivial topics whilst some of the more popular girls in my grade are giving me a dirty look. They don't like me because they think I took their place as tribute for the games this year, even though there was an exam for that, and I scored highest girl in my grade. They want to hurt me, but they're too afraid. The popular guys are talking with Cato, the male tribute for this year. I don't like him that much, one time though, he did try and hit on me, but I still think he is a pig. I continue walking to my first class: Survival.
"Okay class" our survival teacher, Mr Edwards says in his usual unintelligible drawl. "We have a new student today" I glance at the door to see who it is. I have to contain my laughter whilst the rest of the class breaks out in a hysteric fit of laughter. The new student has tripped and fell through the door. Now interested in who the clumsy figure is, my casual glance turns into an intent gaze as I realise-
It's the boy from the train station.