I redid the first chapter, in case anyone cares. I hope it's a bit easier to understand now.
Chapter 1
The sun beamed down intensely, gusts of warm wind blew past almost in a sequence. My shirt stuck like second skin, feeling damp and hot from my sweat. This place was the previous area of the state known formally as California, or, more recently, District 13. Summers around here normally turned sweltering, so this type of weather was expected.
"Keep together," an order. There were a few strangled breaths as a small group of kids pushed forward. Not many people understand my method of training. Forcing everyone to stay at an equal, yet swift pace is more than just a test of endurance, it's a tool for observing. With this I can tell who are naturally gifted apart from those who're just plain cocky and/or has a sort of superiority complex; each one needing a different form of guidance. From there it breaks down into different branches of specialties. Who can fire with deadly aim? Who knows best about plants? Which one can strategize? These are critical pieces of information any good mentor should know to help their students gain strength.
We were currently stationed on an open prairie where some architects built a small, modest training field. They'd cut a perfectly measured track that had evenly silted dirt (perfect for running) with trimmed grass surrounding it. Thankfully, they'd also stationed us near the very edge of a man-made forest, close to where a generous clump of trees sat in case I felt they needed to practice their camouflaging. Oh, how sharp that planner must have been.
"We've got a bunch of saplings this year, huh, Katniss?" a voice remarked from behind me. It was low and playful, a bit gravelly and much too familiar. I could never make up my mind when it came to my response. Should I have been happy to greet him, or annoyed that he found where I hid? Maybe I ought to feel some contempt. I knew I didn't consider shame as an option (to be honest, there isn't much to be shameful about) but it may not have been far from it. I thought for a while, weighing different options, and settled with a friendly, neutral welcome (of sorts). I didn't look up before responding.
"Aren't you supposed to be at work… over by your home… hundreds of miles away from me, Finnick?" I asked, distracted. Sure he and I made a respectable friendship over the past few years, but it wasn't as if I had to completely acknowledged his presence. He grinned and sat next to me.
"Johanna and little junior weren't seeing eye to eye this morning. She asked me to fill in. And considering The fact that I was here for a visit, I accepted. Haven't seen you in a while." I lifted an eyebrow, "How far along is she again?" He took up an exaggerated thinking pose, waiting a while to draw out my patience, and, after my hand began to twice from irritation, he answered my simple questionwith a quick, "Almost eight months." Safe to say my mood turned from passive to sour in an instance. He began to chuckle lightly and leaned back on his elbows, letting my annoyance simmer down a bit. I never understood why he loved to tease me. He knew my anger wasn't something anyone wanted, and it certainly took a lot of energy on my part to let it pass.
Silence hung gratefully between us and I felt apathy serge back into my veins. This heat triggered more unwelcome mood swings than I felt was necessary.
The kids were almost done with their last lap when he randomly said, "Katniss, I do believe you're the one person every little kid wants to grow up as."
Sigh. I knew exactly where he was going with this.
"No, Finnick, I'm not going to profit off of this." He looked appalled. "That wasn't what I was-" "You've used that line before, and it always ends the same." There was a pause before he smiled and leaned backwards more. "I'm just saying, you could live a cushier life than this."
He nodded his head towards my lone house, normal and plane, surrounded by tall grass and a single Oak Tree. I put on a 'What of it?' expression and he shrugged, laying flat on his back with his head resting in his laced hands. "I know I could," I replied, "I've thought about it before. But it wouldn't seem right. I get enough alimony from the government. It's not like I'm poor. And besides, what of the children who can't afford it? I don't want their parents to go through pointless trouble."
Finnick remained quiet. Then he said, "You're different from the rest of us." He stared straight at me. I frowned, both of us knowing what he meant, and answered, "No, I'm similar. Maybe not as categorized as others, but closer than any normal person can get." His attention returned to the clouds, taking in my words. "Ever since the resistance won, things have been… boring." "Settled," I corrected, "But uneventful I suppose." "Do you think 'Panem' is killed off already, or still at a stage of starvation?" I watched as my students came to final turn. "Dead," I said simply. Finnick 'hm'ed in agreement.
The kids came up, one by one, some struggling to regain their breath more than others. "We're finished," said one of the older boys. He had a habit of puffing out has chest to make him look tougher and kept his long black hair tangled and unruly. "I can see that," I said, getting up. I knew all I needed to know.
"Here's the schedule. Marie and Dawn," I waited until two small twins scuttled forward, "Meet me here on training days from eight to eleven. Bring green and brown cloths only." Both faces stretched out into identical grins, happy I was interested in them. The little girl pulled on her blond bob cut before linking arms with her brother and sinking back into the background.
"Kent," again I waited from the two kids, no more than thirteen, walk up before me. "Meet here on training days from twelve to three. Bring only one thingyou find that you may need." He nodded and returned to his places, smiling brightly.
"Thief." A girl, maybe around fourteen, stepped into view. "You train from four to eight. I've got your materials. Just be sure not to drag along anything avoidable." She gave a curt nod and stepped back, her expression solid and strong.
"And what about me, doc?" someone asked. I peered at the two remaining boys to my right, each standing tall and proud. "You? You report to me every morning, seven a.m. sharp. Being tardy is unacceptable and you leave when I say you leave. Colors on attire that go above neutral greens and such will be discarded and any complaints will end your lessons from me. Understood?" He smirked, "Completely."
"You know Liam, you shouldn't make any trouble. Not like you usually do," Kent warned. He had a sly, deliberate gleam in his eye. "Shut up, shrimpy," Liam threatened. "Oh, I'm so scared," Kent mocked with a dry sense of sarcasm. "Hey you little dweeb, come over here so I can teach you about respect," the older of the two growled. "Learn what you preach, blockhead," was his response. "So baby Kent's got guts, huh? Not for long," Liam said, lunging to tackle the boy.
Everything else burst out into a chaotic jumble after that.
Finnick came to stand beside me. "Aren't you going to do anything about that?" he asked, looking worried. I shrugged, "Observation is a key part of survival." I looked at him, noticing his unease, "Plus, it seems like a lot of trouble." He smiled, "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Ok, this chapter isn't much else than an introduction. If you don't like it, then don't continue. I just posted this because I didn't see anything like this when I was skimming. I'll update soon, when I get my laptop back from my cousin. Okay, thank you for reading!
Se7en