An Artfully Misleading Interpretation
Authors Note: So, this is my first story, and probably my last, so I'm really excited. It's about a boy from District 9 volunteering for the Hunger Games and making a strange alliance with one of the other competitors, Gloss. (Gloss is obviously going to win, but I promise I have a plan to make it interesting.) I honestly worked really hard on this and I hope you like it. NOW TO START!
THE PROCESS
"Welcome, welcome, to the tribute selection for the 68th annual Hunger Games!" announced Karlyn Fatisse, the escort of the District 9 tributes. Despite having the second worst district, only being beaten by District 12, she seems rather cheery. Her sea foam green curls bounce around as she prances around the stage, hovering over the glass bowls that contained the name of every 12 to 18 year old in District 9.
"Let's get down to it, shall we? Ladies first!" She reached down into the glass bowl, fishing around for a while before she latched on to one of the slips of paper, swiftly swinging it into the air. "Our female tribute will be... Katalina Rhymer!"
There was utter silence as Katalina made her way to the stage. We could possibly have a winner this year, you could practically see everyone thinking it. Katalina was District 9's very own nutcase. When she was a child, she seemed normal enough, but when her father and mother were publicly executed for stealing grain, Katalina lost it. Completely. She had to be arrested twice. Once for plotting the deaths of four of the Peacekeepers when she was only 12 and the other detainment was for the attempted assassination of our mayor. I really have no idea how or why she hasn't been executed yet. She's committed so many crimes and she's only 18. Maybe the bowl is just entirely her name, so they could get rid of her for good.
She had the regular look of District 9, a completely normal shade of brown hair and piercing green eyes. Katalina, however, had one distinct feature that separated her from the rest of the 9 girls: her hair came down to her knees. Many of the other girls had hair shorter than mine, coming only to their shoulders or mid-neck, to keep them cool from the intense heat of the sun during grain harvesting.
When she finally made it to the stage, there was very light applause. Karlyn shook her hand and congratulated her, giving the 'may the odds be ever in your favor' speech. Karlyn finally took her attention away from Katalina to go to the glass bowl that contained the males names.
"Now for our male tribute," Fatisse began, "Byron Kozlow! Come on up, Byron!" You could see the fear in his eyes, despite his passive facial features. I honestly believe he could burst into tears at any minute, but he held it together. I looked over to his family and that's when I realized... He was apart of the wealthiest family in District 9, and he was only 12 years old. I instantly felt bad for them, losing the heir to their fortune.
Seeing his mother break down made me feel horrible. He has so much potential, so much to live for. He won't have to work in the grain fields for the rest of his life, he won't struggle to provide for his family, he won't have to worry if he'll have to steal to get food for the next day, unlike me.
I'm 17. Once I turn 18, I'm out of the Community Home, and I won't provide anything to society. I'll just be another field worker, harvesting grain, only caring for myself. No matter how I slice it, I will never amount to even a tenth of what little Byron could. The thought even crossed my mind that it would be better to die a fast death in the arena rather than feeling my body break down as it eats away at itself from starvation.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost missed Karlyn's call for volunteers. "Volunteers! Going once! Going twice! And that's-"
"I volunteer for tribute." I immediately made my way to the stage and replaced Byron Kozlow. I knew it was a death sentence, but staying here is one, too.
The shock on Karlyn Fatisse's face was evident. I was the first volunteer in the history of District 9. I stood on the stage, concealing all emotion, glaring at the cameras that broadcast to the Capitol. I could see my harsh expression on one of the screens that broadcasts the reaping. I looked rather dramatic, actually. My mid-back length brown hair flowing freely in the breeze, headband concealing my forehead and bangs hanging down on either side of my face.
"And what might your name be, young man?" asked Fatisse, not yet having recovered from the shock of having a volunteer.
"Varin Terill." I say coldly, not giving Fatisse a glance, holding my glare at the cameras. I hope President Snow can feel my rage. I don't plan on winning, but I do plan on humiliating the Capitol anyway I can. I've always considered these 'games' barbaric, brutal. Why not just execute 24 children? It would honestly be the equivalent. One goes crazy and 23 die.
"Well, Varin, it was very valiant of you to volunteer, may the odds be ever in your favor!" The constant emphasis of that phrase irritates me. The odds were in no one's favor. Ever. Everyone in the districts suffer from these games in some way, shape, or form.
Katalina and I stood as Fatisse finished up the Reaping ceremonies. After they were over, we were rushed to the train station and put in separate rooms guarded by Peacekeepers for the hour of visitation. I really didn't expect Katalina or myself to have any visitors. We were both orphans, both worked in the grain fields, and both excluded ourselves from society as much as possible.
The end of the hour was approaching when I heard the door creak open. In the doorway stood Byron Kozlow's mother, tears streaming down her face. She ran over, pulled me up off of the couch, and gave me the tightest hug I think I have ever received. She whispered a quick 'thank you' in my ear and then left.
Even if it was just one woman that I had never met, it meant so much that she cared enough to come in. She just made me feel so much better about my decision, letting me know that I wouldn't go forgotten.
Soon after, Katalina and I were taken out of the isolation rooms and put on the train. Karlyn Fatisse showed us around and told us that dinner would be served at 7:00, and it was mandatory. We would be watching the Reaping from all of the other districts while we ate.
I decided to sit in my room alone and try to accept the fact that I will probably die within the next month. It's not an easy thing to swallow, so I start to imagine how the arena might be. Thoughts of the previous Hunger Games consume my mind. One thought that keeps coming back is the Career Alliance. They always brake apart when there are only a few tributes left. I think that if I survive that long, I might have a chance at winning. And that's what I decided to do. Survive, not fight. Almost every winner that had not been from District 1, 2, or 4 only had one or two kills.
It was 7:00 as I made my way to the dining car. Katalina and Karlyn had already taken their seat at the table and were having a seemingly normal conversation, which I find hard to believe, with Katalina being the fruitcake that she is.
That's when I realize, there are no mentors here. District 9 has had five winners. The winners of the 2st and 4th Hunger Games were both from 9, but they have both died. The winner of the first Quarter Quell was from 9, but she has died, also. The winner of the 43rd Games was from 9, but he went mental and hung himself from the mayor's office. The 59th Hunger Games winner was from 9, but I haven't seen her anywhere. I'm almost absolutely sure she isn't dead. If we have no mentor, we're both going to lose. Without a doubt.
Fortunately, I was wrong. Twenty minutes late, our mentor, Lucille Theron, struts in the room. She takes her seat beside Karlyn and acts like it is perfectly normal that she was late, like we were supposed to arrive at 7:20 instead of 7:00.
"Katalina, Varin, nice to meet you. I'm Lucille Theron, I'll be your mentor." She said in a rather depressed tone. It must be sad to see tribute after tribute die after all of your hard work. She remained silent throughout the rest of dinner. Only when we started watching the Reapings did she speak up.
District 1 starts us off, their tributes being Velvet Trufas and Gloss Melrose. The other Melrose sibling, Cashmere, won the year before. I expect he believes he can do the same. The Velvet girl didn't seem like anything special, just the typical District 1 female career. Gloss, however, seemed different. He doesn't look trained at all, neither did his sister, but she still showed incredible skill in the arena. Another trait he shares with Cashmere is his good looks. It must run in the Melrose family. His blond hair moving all in one direction, blue eyes staring down the crowd, and that trademark Melrose smirk. Cashmere had shown that smile many times before. It's quite scary, like he has already planned how he will kill every tribute in the arena.
Next was District 2, Iris Carroll and Blair Gwynn. They had the 2 look – intimidating, scary, and strong. District 3 provided the usual scrawny tributes that sometimes proved themselves by creating their own weapons. District 4 added two more careers to the list, Aletha and Barron. I didn't catch their last names. No more stood out to me, until we got to our very own District 9. I hadn't noticed it when we were standing on the stage, but Katalina had been giving the cameras the same glare I had. The rest of the Districts passed by, none looking too intimidating.
Putting the careers behind us, Katalina and I look the most intimidating. I don't know how or why, but I have a strong feeling that we will get some sponsors. It isn't like either one of us is ugly, and Katalina played it off as though she was a normal girl. I just glared, but my looks should get me through.
Unknown to Katalina, Karlyn, or myself, Lucille had been taking notes throughout the entire playback of the Reapings. She stood up, turned the TV off, and started her lecture. "Obviously, Districts 1, 2, and 4 are going to join up as a career alliance. Avoid them at all costs. If you can survive until they break their alliance, you certainly have a chance at winning. Watch out for the Melrose boy, though. His sister won last year, if he survives the break of the career alliance, he'll probably win this year." She took a short breath and continued.
"You probably didn't think much of it, but the girl from 3 had a devious look on her face. Although training in 3 is very uncommon, don't underestimate her, she could create a machine that could annihilate the competition. It's happened before, Wiress did it. Both tributes from 5 volunteered, as you probably know, that usually doesn't happen. They probably have a plan of some sort and will most likely form an alliance. Avoid them too." I was blown away by how fast she had gathered all of this, they only showed the tributes for around 30 seconds each, and none of them even talk!
"None of the other tributes stood out to me as a threat. When we get to the Capitol, I'll start teaching you strategy. I'll wait until your first day of training so you can decide how you want to 'play the games.' I'll see you then." With that, Lucille left the room and disappeared one of the various corridors of the train.
Karlyn looked stupefied as she says, "I've never even seen her speak to tributes on the train before, she must think you have potential!" A ghost of a smile appeared on Katalina's face, I tried to look as indifferent as ever, but it wasn't working. "Well, it's getting late, we should probably get to bed. We'll be arriving in the Capitol midday tomorrow!" Said Karlyn as she excused herself from the table. After a few moments of silence, Katalina made her way to her room, and I soon followed the trend.
Stepping into my room, I strip my clothes and prepare to get into the shower. We had a shower room in the community home, but the water was always cold and it smelled of mold and mildew. This shower was amazing, various temperature controls, I could even change the direction the water came out and how fast.
I stood in there for around 30 minutes, doing nothing, just enjoying the water. I decided to wash my hair, selecting the mint shampoo. A nozzle came out and dispensed the proper amount for my hair length and volume. It was completely amazing.
I take my time, making sure my hair is thoroughly clean. Appearance is everything in the capital, I'm not about to have my chances for sponsors reduced because I don't look good enough.
After getting out of the shower and drying off, I just fling myself on the bed, not bothering with clothes. What's the point? No one should be coming in here anyway. If they do, they see me naked. Who cares?
Almost as soon as I hit the plush, fluffy bed, I'm asleep. I wake up the next morning to Karlyn Fatisse's horrified gasp. She must have been my wake up call, the gasp did the trick. She practically flew out of the room. It brought a smile to my face, it will probably be the last one for a very long while.
"Come out when you're good and ready!" I heard Karlyn yell from the hallway. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a plain shirt. We won't be in the Capitol until noon, I have no one to impress until then. Pulling my hair into a loose pony tail, I drag myself to the dining cart, hoping that Karlyn wasn't the only one at the table.
Luckily, my wish came true, everyone else except Lucille had arrived. She said she would see us after the first day of training, that's tomorrow. I guess we won't be seeing her until then.
Breakfast is eaten in silence, other than the times Karlyn tells us things about the other tributes she has learned about. To be from the Capitol, she isn't that bad. Her hair color is really the only thing abnormal about her, really. Compared to Katalina and myself, she is the epitome of normal-ness.
After breakfast, Karlyn announced that Katalina and I could do whatever we pleased, as long as it didn't involve killing or escaping of any kind. She put an emphasis on escaping, I assume that had been a past problem. Karlyn gave each of us a map of the train, telling us to meet back at the dining cart at 12:00, looking appropriate for television.
While looking over the map, I noticed a place called the glass car. I had no idea what it could be, so I made my way there. I could see sunlight pouring through the cracks of the door that led into this glass room. After working with the doorknob a bit, I made my way into the room, astounded by what I was seeing.
The whole car, other than the floor and ceiling, was glass. Where we were at, you could see for miles in every direction. It was absolutely beautiful. Only after five minutes of staring in awe did I realize I wasn't alone in the room. In a lounge chair in the corner sat Lucille Theron, watching my every move.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" She said, barley above a whisper. "It is, I've never seen anything like it." She patted the seat of the couch beside her, motioning for me to come and sit. I took a seat, just staring out all the windows for a while before I broke the silence again.
"So..." I started carefully, "How did you win your games?" This question had been eating away at me since I met her yesterday. A range of emotions flashed across Lucille's face. Anger, sadness, fear, they were all there. She took a deep sigh before she started.
"Me and a few other tributes decided that the Careers weren't going to be the only ones with an alliance. Districts 5, 7, 8, and 9 teamed up." She wiped the tears starting to form away as she continued. "There was no neutrality. You were either with us, with the Careers, or dead. The Careers took the Cornucopia and the lives of the tributes from 7 in the bloodbath, but we killed both from 4 and the girl from 1 on the first day." Lucille got up and started to walk around to avoid showing emotion, it was working.
"When the Careers and our alliance had eliminated the neutral tributes, we went after each other, meeting at the Cornucopia for our final battle. At the end, it came down to the girl from 2, the boy from 1, Benley, who was the boy from 8, and myself. The boy from 1 snapped and killed the 2 girl and Benley." Tears were pouring out of her eyes now, she clearly had an attachment to this boy. "Benley, however, was able to wound the boy enough to where he couldn't run as fast as me."
"I sprinted around the arena until I found myself behind the boy, and I ripped open his back with my sickle, parallel with his spine. His cannon sounded, and I was announced winner." She practically collapsed on the couch after she was done. It was true what everyone said, you lose one of two things in the Hunger Games – your life or your sanity. Silence dominated the room until we saw the Capitol in the distance.
"It's not a pretty thing, Terill. Not at all." Lucille exited the room to, I presume, get ready. I make my way out too, not wanting to disappoint Fatisse on arrival in the Capitol. I make good time getting back to my room, it's 11:40, giving me just enough time to change and make it to the car that we would exit on. I pulled on a white button-up shirt, a blue tie, and khaki pants. I leave my hair the way it is, in a messy pony tail. Nothing too snazzy, but TV appropriate.
The crowds are cheering like crazy as we are escorted from the train. It's almost deafening, they've been going for eight districts before us, and there are no signs of quieting down. We make it into the styling building shortly after our arrival, and Katalina and I are separated.
I'm taken in a room and laid on a cold, metal table. It feels like they're about to do some major operation, but it's just my stylists. The prep team comes in and immediately gets to work. They strip me of my clothes and start with a bath. The second time today someone has seen me naked, how nice. My hair is the center of attention after the bath, as they focus on getting every last split end, knot, and tangle out. It's probably the most painful experience I've ever had. The prep team quickly leaves, leaving me alone in this strange room.
My stylist walks in and starts to explain who she is and what District 9 would be dressed like this year. She seems like she has a superiority complex. "My name is Venicia, I've been told to make you presentable this year, and that's exactly what I'll do. With you being District 9, your theme will be grain."
She struts around the table, taking in every bit of me she can. "You should do fine, you're attractive enough. The outfit we're going with should work well with your hair and eye color." Venicia walks over and presses a button on the wall, making an outfit shoot out.
Black pants with what appears to be roots shooting down the legs, a tan shirt with a collar of fake grain. That's all. It looks nice and all, but it isn't that special. She points to the clothes, motioning for me to get dressed, which I do without hesitation.
Venicia then starts on my hair, working feverishly. Not even ten minutes later, she takes me to a mirror to show off her finished project. My hair looks amazing, the best thing about this whole ensemble. My bangs, falling on each side of my face like normal, have been reshaped to look like pieces of grain. The rest of my hair is arranged in some kind of crown on my head, looking a lot like a cloud, but more defined. It's essentially an intricate bun. Braids hang form the cloud of hair half-way down my back. I really feel good about my appearance, and clearly Venicia does, too.
"It's time, Varin. Show them that you can work an outfit." She says as she walks me out of the room and to the chariot. Katalina is standing by, looking stunning also. She has the same cloud of hair, but coming out of it is one huge braid, hanging nearly to the floor. It looks like three braids braided together, something I have never thought of, but it works very well for her.
The Capitol anthem starts booming through the stadium as we board the chariots. District 1 starts moving and shortly after the rest follow. We wave and smile, earning many cheers from the Capitol crowd, more than 7 and 8 who precede us.
Once we reach a stop, President Snow begins his speech, shows the reused clip of why the Hunger Games are so necessary in our society, and finishes with "May the odds be ever in your favor."
With that being said, the chariots are withdrawn and we're returned to the Training Center where we'll be staying for the next four days. Katalina's stylist is clapping like a madman and Venicia has a triumphant smile on her face. Apparently, we did good. Lucille and Karlyn arrive shortly thereafter to congratulate us.
The Training Center is very nice, the rooms are filled with huge, plush furniture and the kitchen table awaits us with a feast of food. We all sit down and start eating, Karlyn reminding us of our manners every chance she gets. Many compliments are thrown towards Katalina and I, saying we handled things very professionally. Lucille reminded us to choose whatever we would like to train with tomorrow, and she would base our strategy off of our choice. "Remember, analyze your opponents. Pay close attention to what they choose to do, it could be the difference between life and death." Lucille said sternly. Analyze the opponents. That's what I have to do.
After dinner, we are excused to our rooms. I take a quick shower and lay in bed naked, like the day on the train. What's the point of putting on clothes when you sleep? Everyone says you have trouble sleeping, but I'm out in an instant, and the next thing I know, there is a training uniform hanging on the doorknob and an note that says 'Training at 9:00, don't be late.' I look over at the clock, it is 8:35.
I pull on the uniform and head out into the living area, putting my hair in a loose ponytail in the process. Katalina awaits in her uniform, hair in a bun to keep it from getting in the way of her training. "It's 8:40, want to just go down there now?" She asks. "Sure, it can't hurt to be early."
The elevator ride is a short one, and we arrive in the small waiting area, the actual training center not being open yet. The only other tributes are the pairs from 1, 2, 3, and 4, the boy from 8 and the girl from 10. Everyone else arrives on the next elevator load, and the doors to the training center open. Many stations surround the room, the center is made up of targets and training dummies for weapons practice.
The man in charge explains the rules of the training center, and we are allowed to start. One station catches my eye, acrobatics. The woman there seems excited to have a student as I walk over. "Welcome to the acrobatics station, I'm Seriah!" The woman said excitedly. I gave a quiet hello and she started her lecture. We did some practice, and I discovered that I'm actually quite flexible and strong, so I can do a number of the techniques she is showing.
As I'm observing Seriah, I'm keeping a close eye on the other tributes. The careers seem to have gathered together. Velvet, the girl from 1, is doing target practice with shuriken, and hitting every mark. The Melrose boy is stabbing some dummies with a dagger, nothing too impressive. Iris is slaughtering training dummies like they are real competitors. The sickle she's wielding makes it's way into torso after torso, every hit being a kill. Blair is practicing throwing his axes, almost with as much accuracy as Velvet's shuriken.
The pair from 3 are focused on knot tying, along with Aletha, the girl from 4. Barron, her male counterpart, is practicing with his sword, doing almost as good as Iris with her sickle. The pair from 5 are intensely listening to the camouflage mentor, probably planning to hide it out until they can kill without worrying about being killed. Katalina is busying herself with throwing knives, doing fairly well for someone who is mentally unstable. No one else is doing anything of importance.
After my training session with Seriah, the servants set up tables and bring in lunch. I sit alone and eat on my own, Katalina is sitting with the girls from 3 and 10, the pair from 5 are sitting together, and of course, the careers are eating together. The food here is as good as in the room or on the train.
As I am taking the last bites of my food, I notice that the career table has dispersed, leaving to go to different tables, probably to try and intimidate the other tributes. Iris is with the pairs from 11 and 12, Aletha is harassing the boy from 6, and both from 7. Blair goes to the boy from 3 and the pair from 8, and I have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Melrose in the flesh. At my table, invading my personal space. Velvet seems to be the only one not harassing people and wears a bored look on her face.
Gloss sits in silence, almost as if he's waiting for me to speak first, which I do not plan on doing. It's clear that the silence grows uncomfortable for him, so he starts to speak. "You know the careers are going to win anyway, why not just join our alliance?" Is this what this whole thing is about? Getting people to join the career alliance? I still don't speak.
"You'll have a better chance of surviving if you're with us!" He tries to say in a persuasive voice. It isn't working. I finally speak. "If I join you, the first time I turn my back, I'll be dead. You know it, I know it, everyone that you're trying to 'recruit' knows it. So why even bother?" Gloss is about to speak again when we hear a scream of rage, a manly yell, and guards trying to break up a fight.
Barron had obviously chosen to try and recruit Katalina's table. She was obviously not having any of that. When I looked over, Barron had a bloody nose, his face already starting to swell. He's holding Katalina by her neck when she kicks him in his private parts. He doubles over in pain, and before he can react, her knee is in his face. Guards pull them off of each other and give the announcement that both of them will not be allowed to train tomorrow. Katalina and Barron were both sent back to their respective floors, and Gloss continued on with the conversation.
"Eh, you're right. Velvet was the only one who didn't want to do this, she thought it was cruel to trick them into their deaths. It doesn't even really matter to me, I'm not staying with them, anyways." Gloss said in a monotone voice. This caught me off guard. 4 didn't always stay with the careers, but 1 and 2 were pretty much inseparable. "Why aren't you staying with them? You are from a career district."
"They're just going to try and kill me eventually, why take a chance? I'm staying with them during the bloodbath so I can get weapons and supplies, and then I'm gone." He said with a bored tone, like it was the most simple concept in the world. Gloss left after he presented that information to me. I let this information set in through the rest of lunch.
The last hour of training went by smoothly, learning about edible plants and knot tying. We were dismissed and I got stuck on an elevator with all of the careers, everyone else piled onto one before anyone could get to it. Aletha was holding up a conversation about how many people she thought she could kill with Blair, Iris and Velvet were gossiping about drama back in their own Districts. I stood silently in a corner, Gloss had his eyes set on me the brief time we were in the elevator, but that wasn't long, seeing that he had to get off on the 1st floor.
Lucille was waiting on me as I exited the elevator, a notepad and pen in her hand. I could see that it already had notes on it, probably from what Katalina had told her. She is staring at me intensely, waiting for me to speak. "It went well."
"Well that's a relief, I thought training had ended when she returned, but it turns out that she got," Lucille emphasized the next words, "KICKED OUT OF TRAINING." Katalina's rebuttal came through a closed door. "It wasn't my fault that dumbass from 4 is already trying to kill me!"
I couldn't help but smile, despite the seriousness of the situation. They were fighting like a mother and daughter. Their argument continued for some time, and I made my way to the living room so they could fight it out however they pleased.
Karlyn was also in the living room, watching Ceaser Flickerman and the head game maker discuss this years tributes and who they thought would do well. Both bet that if one of the pair from two didn't win, Gloss would take home the prize. As they were discussing the Districts that didn't have career tributes, 9 came up a lot. It was either '9 looks intimidating this year,' or 'That girl from 9 has a criminal record.' Nothing specifically about me, but it was nice to know that we were getting some publicity, unlike 8, 11, and 12. They hardly ever got anything sponsor related.
Lucille entered the room, mentally exhausted from her outburst with Katalina. "So, Varin, tell me about the other tributes. I already have from Miss Rhymer that 1, 2, and 4 are focusing solely on weapons." I decided to talk about the pair from 5. "The pair from 5 are focusing on camouflage, if that's anything of importance. And the careers tried to recruit people for their alliance, just so they could kill them when they turned their backs."
"Ah, they tried that trick when I was in the games. No one fell for it then, either. So 5 is camouflage, and will most likely form an alliance with each other. Anything else?" Lucille looked back up at me from her notepad. "Well, Gloss told me he was going to abandon the careers after the bloodbath..." Lucille's eyes widened. "Did he say why? He'll be their number one target." I continued the story of what he had told me. Lucille thought it was very suspicious, and Karlyn said to not trust him. Karlyn also said her work trying to get sponsors was going very well, and if we did good on our interviews, we would be guaranteed at least 4 gifts in the arena each. Today is looking up.
Nothing much happened the rest of the day, dinner was entertaining with Katalina and Lucille keeping up their fight. Karlyn and I conversed about life in the Capitol. Apparently it's all it looks like, people with freaky hair and bodies living to watch these games. I think it's horrible, Karlyn seems to have that mentality too, but she's not saying it. I don't blame her, either. We're probably being closely watched all the time
I went to bed early tonight, ready for the next day of training without Katalina. Nightmares haunted my sleep. I kept seeing everyone dying, some were killed by their own weapons. Katalina had multiple knives in her body, Velvet was covered in shuriken, Blair had an ax blade buried in his head and chest. The pair from 5 were drowning in paint when I finally woke from the hellish nightmares.
It was only 6:00, but I got up and dressed for training, and sat at the kitchen table. Lucille arrived in the kitchen next. "Couldn't sleep? I bet it was nightmares. They plague everyone before the games, I bet Karlyn even had some." Lucille said as she started rummaging through the cabinets. I just nodded in response to her question. "The day after tomorrow, you'll be in the arena. I hope you're ready." She said as she found a bag of butterscotch candies, popping three in her mouth, handing the rest of the bag to me. I put one in my mouth, too.
She was right, only two more days of civilization. Then the arena and the games and the deaths. I'm not prepared. It's hard to think about the fact that I will probably be dead within the next week. Twenty-three people are about to die. The odds that I'll survive is 1 in 24. That's about a four percent chance that I'll live. Hopefully the odds will be in my favor in this years annual Hunger Games. I find myself eating more and more of the butterscotch. Like a nervous habit is forming right in front of my eyes.
Apparently thinking takes up a lot of time, because Karlyn is rushing me out of our room, mumbling something about how she doesn't like babysitting. I stuff the bag of butterscotch in my pocket and head to the last day of training together. The elevator ride is extremely quick, and I practically sprint to the training room, the reality of me not wanting to be late setting in.
I make it only four minutes late, but that's too much. The girl from 10 is already at the acrobatics station. Seriah, however, motions me over. I guess she'll teach both of us at the same time. "Good job being late, Varin." Seriah says sarcastically. The girl from 10 smirks, and continues her work on back hand springs, something I had just started learning at the end of the session yesterday.
I try to perform a back hand spring, like the other girl is doing, but I fall, and almost break my neck in the process. The girl laughs hysterically as Seriah helps me up and shoots a stern look at the girl. "Mira, it isn't polite to laugh when people mess up." Mira quickly stops laughing and apologizes. "I'm sorry, it's the first funny thing that has happened in this hell hole." I can't blame her for laughing, I practically flailed myself backwards and then got scared and forgot to use my arms. I would have laughed too. "You're fine, I would've laughed too." I said as I pulled myself off of the ground.
Mira continued her lessons, mastering everything Seriah goes over in a matter of minutes. If I have to go up against her in the arena, I will probably die. The first horrible thought enters my head. I hope she dies in the bloodbath. I'm appalled with myself for thinking that, but it would be better for me if she did.
I go back to the edible plants station and do more work there, memorizing every detail that I can. Fire starting is relatively easy, I got a fire started within a minute with and without a flint. Some of the other tributes were struggling, but that isn't my problem. The worse they do, the better.
Lunch comes and goes quickly, being not anywhere near as exciting as yesterday. I ate alone again, Gloss stared at me again, too. He's a weird one. I hope he doesn't try anything stupid in the arena. I still can't get over the fact that he's separating from the careers. Maybe I should just tell them now, then they'll kill him in the bloodbath like everyone else.
Lunch ends before I can tell them, so I decide not to do it. I spend my last hour of training at the acrobatics station again, Mira is there too. I perfect my back hand springs just as the last session of training ends. Seriah bids us a farewell and says she hopes one of us wins. She must not get a lot of students.
I make it back to the room quickly. Lucille doesn't harass me anymore about the other tributes, Karlyn is talking on the phone to who I assume are people who are interested in sponsoring us. Katalina is locked in her room, and I decide to do the same. I take a shower, cleansing myself of the sweat and blood obtained from the intense acrobatics training.
After the shower, I take a nap, only to find myself dealing with awful nightmares again. This time, all the careers had ganged up on me, each wounding me with their weapon of choice, before Barron finished me off with his sword. The pain was unreal, like it was actually happening.
I woke myself up yelling, Karlyn knocking on the door to make sure I was alright. "Varin, Varin! Are you alright in there?" She said in a panicked voice, she probably thought I was trying to kill myself. "Yes, I'm fine. Just bad dreams." I said in a bored tone. "Okay, I was just making sure." She walked away after that. It was 11:35, I had missed dinner, fantastic.
Dragging myself out of bed, I made it to the living area, where Karlyn and Lucille were sitting. I took a seat on the seat near the window and looked out on the Capitol. It was so happy and cheerful, the complete opposite of what I was feeling. They should have to send tributes into the arena, too. See how they would feel about sacrificing their own children. I bet they wouldn't be having parties then.
Lucille must have picked up on my emotions, because she handed me a map and stared at me like she thought I knew what to do. "Go look around, Varin. It'll be good for you." She said in a comforting voice. "We can leave our rooms?" This was news to me, I thought we were locked in here until the games. "Of course, the only real rule you have is you can't kill the other tributes. The Capitol is cruel, but they won't deny you of death wishes. Everything you can imagine is in this God-forsaken building." Lucille said, pointing at the map. "There's something different on every floor. We have the lounge, you should go check it out."
With her advice, I leave. My hair is loose, I'm wearing a shirt that's two sizes to small, and I'm not wearing pants. But who cares. I grab the bag of butterscotch and head across the hall to the lounge. I hear talking through the open doorway, and wait before I barge in the room.
"Ya know, sponsors love a good relationship, do you have your eye on anyone?" A familiar female voice says. "Well... there is one person here that I could tolerate long enough to get gifts." A voice that I recognize as Gloss' says. "Ooooh, Glossy, spill it. Who is it?" The female voice must be Cashmere. There was a long pause before he continued, "The boy from 9 seems as good as any. He's not unattractive, either." Gloss said in a monotone voice.
I was practically seething. I'm just going to be a pawn in Gloss' games until my usefulness has run its course. Then he'll kill me like I was never there. That is just dandy. He'll regret this in the arena. But I can benefit from this, too. I throw four pieces of butterscotch in my mouth and keep eavesdropping.
"Scandalous, the Capitol people will eat that up. Good thinking. We can talk more later, I have to go save Velvet from your other mentor. Poor girl won't have a brain by the time he's done babbling on about everything that comes to his mind." Cashmere said as she stood. "Okay, see ya later, Cash. Make sure to keep this on the down low, I don't want Velvet to kill me before I can put my plan into action." Gloss said while laughing. "Okay, I promise." Cashmere laughed too and made her way to the door.
I took a few steps back towards the door leading to my room, and grabbed the doorknob, making it look like I had just exited. Cashmere gave me the smirk as she walked to the elevator. They won't know what hits them when we get into the arena. I walk into the lounge and take a seat on the love seat across the room from Gloss, who must have thought it was okay to go out in public in just your underwear, but I'm only wearing a shirt and underware, so I don't have much room to talk. It has a lovely view of the Capitol and the mountains that surround it. Within seconds, he is sitting on the love seat too.
He just sits for a while, staring out the window. The dark lounge causes our reflections to be in the window. I finally figure out he's not looking at the city or the mountains, he's looking straight at my reflection. I glare harshly at his, and he clearly sees it.
"If looks could kill..." Gloss says, looking away nervously. "They might, in the arena." I say back, words like acid. "No need to be rude, doll face." He says, flashing the Melrose smirk. "Why fake it, we're going to be killing each other the day after tomorrow." I say, keeping up the harshness in my voice. "Not necessarily," He says as he scoots closer to me, his finger tilting my chin to look at him, "We could team up." His voice took a seductive tone, his eyes grew softer, and he put on his best seductive look.
And I hate myself for saying this, but it's working. But this could be the opportunity to play him for the fool he is. I shift my body so I'm fully facing him and lean onto the warm, bare skin that is his shoulder, keeping eye contact the whole time, all the while thinking how much he'll regret trying to seduce me into an alliance.
"I didn't think of that," I said in the best seductive voice I could muster. I started tracing shapes into the muscles on his arms. It wasn't very good, but I kept going, "Maybe we can 'play' together." The emphasis on the word play, and the wink that accompanied it got quite the reaction of Mr. Melrose. He pulled me closer and flung my legs over top of his, blue eyes looking intensely into my green. "Sounds like a plan."
That's when it happens. Something I was totally unprepared for. Gloss' lips are pressed against mine, waiting for a reaction. There's a war going on in my mind, whether to just drop the act now and leave, or to keep it up and kiss him back. I decide the latter would be better in the long run, so that's what I do. His lips work against mine like no one before. He's certainly a good kisser. It was over almost as soon as it started. "You taste good," said Gloss, the seductive look back in full force. "Make sure you keep that up in the arena, and our 'teamwork' will last a long time." He winked at the end of that statement.
It was my turn to have a reaction. I looked away, pretending to blush. Soon after, I stood up and announced that I had to go back to my room because I was tired. Gloss seemed to buy into this, and he let me up. "I think it's time I go back, too." He said as he walked towards the doorway. Before I could make it out of the room, he pushed me up against the wall, using both of his hands to hold mine, and pushing his knee in between my legs. I push my hands against his chest, he wasn't budging, so I decided to trace the muscles on his torso, starting with his abs an going up. This clearly is throwing him off guard, because it takes him a while to start speaking.
"Let's keep this little alliance on the down low. Okay, doll face?" He said using the seductive look again, regaining his composure. I lean in, making my mouth right next to his ear. "You don't have to worry about that, sweetheart." I whispered. To top it all off, I licked the shell of his ear. His limbs turned to jelly, and I knew my plan was complete. My tracing had just brought me to his pectorals as I pushed him gently off of me and made my way back to the room. "See ya in the arena, big boy." I said as I unlocked the door. "B-bye..." He stammered. Gloss Melrose is mine. A triumphant smile spread across my face.
Karlyn and Lucille have retired to their rooms by the time I get back, and Katalina's room is still locked up tight. I don't have any idea what she could be doing in there, so I just head back into my room. Tonight has been successful, is my only thought as I enter bed and drift off into a relatively peaceful slumber.
Karlyn barges into my room the next morning and practically pulls me out of bed. "Varin Terill it is 8:56, you are required to be at individual training at 9:00! Get out of bed now!" She threw clothes at me and pushed me into the living room where some kind of breakfast bar-thing was waiting for me. "Eat this while you're on the elevator, it'll wake you up! Now go!"
I look over and notice Katalina is receiving the same treatment from Lucille. She is also handed the bar and we are both shoved out of the door at 8:58. The elevator arrives right at 9:00, just on time. Katalina and I are the last ones to arrive. I take a seat near the back of the room and Katalina goes back to her group of girlfriends from 3 and 10. Gloss quickly claims the seat beside me and starts telling me what I missed. Apparently, Lotus, the boy from 5, and Leucine, the boy from 6, got into a fight. They had to be put in handcuffs and brought to opposite sides of the room. He was also talking about various death threats that were going throughout the group of 24 tributes. Apparently, Aletha and Barron had quite the hit list. The animosity has already started, splendid.
Gloss' name was quickly called to go for individual training, I wished him luck, trying to keep up the act. He winked and told me he would do his best for me. Velvet was next, then Blair and Iris. The time seemed to be flying by, and before I could register, it was my turn.
The game makers were looking down on me as I entered the room. Some of them were slightly tipsy, but that was just fine. I really haven't planned on anything that I was going to do, so I just started an acrobatics routine. First some cartwheels, then some flips, and finally back hand springs. I completed the ropes course with relative ease, earning some good looks from the game makers. I hadn't done anything with weapons, so I picked up two daggers and started assaulting the dummies. My knife skills weren't that good alone, so I combined them with the acrobatics. The combination went well, and some of the game makers even clapped as I was excused.
I was sent back to my room to observe the decisions of the game makers. It seemed like they made the decision so fast. First up was Velvet with an eleven. I wasn't surprised, her shuriken skills were above par. Gloss managed to earn a ten, I don't know what he did though. The only thing I saw him do in training was stab things. Blair and Iris both earned an eleven, too. No surprise there. The girl from 3 earned an eight and her male counterpart earned a six. It was shocking, some of the lowest scores usually come from District 3.
Aletha earned a nine and Barron an eight. The pair from 5 each earned a seven, and the boy from 6, a seven also. Sixes, sevens, and eights were all earned from Districts 7 and 8. Katalina was the first tribute from 9 presented, earning a nine. Claps and cheers were shared around the room. I was next, the moment was tense. The score that appeared on the screen was a nine. I was ecstatic. They say it's good luck to earn a score that's the same as your district number. Mira earned an eight. The rest of the tributes got seven or above.
"Well this is just fantastic," Karlyn announced to us. "You each got your district number as your training score! They say that's good luck!" She said as she came around to give both of us hugs. "Yes, very well done. Almost as good as my score." Lucille said from her place on the couch. "Well, Theron, what did you score?" Katalina asked, words harsh. "I scored a ten, thanks for asking." Lucille threw up a fake smile that enraged Katalina. I'm surprised she hasn't tried to kill her yet.
"The only reason I haven't tried to kill you yet is because I'm actually taking my medicine!" Katalina yelled. She quickly covered her mouth, like she had revealed some huge secret. "What did you just say?" Lucille asked. "Is that your plan, Katalina?" I said from the couch. Katalina sighed and spilled the beans. "Yes, I have medicine all the time, but I just never take it; however, I always take it near the time of the reaping, just in case I'm chosen. I'll be sane enough during the interviews and training to get sponsors, but once I run out, I'll turn into a killing machine." She said, not making eye contact with any of us.
Lucille stood up and did something unexpected to everyone in the room: she hugged Katalina. "Katalina that is brilliant! Why didn't you tell me!" Pure excitement was coming from Lucille's face. "Because I didn't want Varin to know, obviously. I really don't know how someone as dense as you could have won the Hunger Games." Lucille shoved Katalina off of her and her look changed dramatically. "You are such a bitch. I hope you fail your interview." Lucille spat. They continued their argument, the insults getting more immature as they went on.
Karlyn motioned me over to her, beginning to start her part of training. "Well, the interviews are tonight, I guess I should train you while they finish their little spat with each other." The victors always say this is one of the worst parts of training throughout the entire process, so I'm eager to see how this goes.
The next three hours I spend working on posture, attitude, and etiquette. How the residents of the Capitol do this everyday I will never know. My back aches from the thirty minute session of straight standing that Karlyn makes me do. Katalina joins us sometime in the training, complaining about most of the things we have to do, specifically the attitude part.
Venicia and Katalina's stylist come into our room once our training with Karlyn is done. Venicia practically shoves me into my room and throws an outfit at me. "Put it on." She commands, staring me down. I pull off my current, bummy clothes and put on the new ones Venicia had created for me. A gray suit with a purple undershirt and a purple and gray striped tie. Snazzy. "Fantastic." Venicia says as she opens the door and motions for me to exit the room.
Karlyn and Lucille are waiting in the living area when we come out. "Sit on the couch, please." Venicia demands more than asks. I do as she says and she starts working on my hair. In a matter of minutes, my hair was complete. My bangs fell on both sides of my face, one strand of hair came straight down the middle, curving to the right of my head. The rest was pulled into three ponytails, which were then braided together. Once again, the my was the best thing about me.
Katalina walked into the room shortly after, wearing a revealing purple and gray dress with ruffles that started at her waist. Her impossibly long brown hair was curled and pulled into two huge ponytails. Metallic gray stripes were coming out from her eyes, completing the look of the Capitol. Her appearance was sure to be a hit.
"Well, it looks like we're ready to go." Katalina's stylist says. "Yes, it seems to be that time." Venicia leads the way to the auditorium in the Training Center. Most of the other tributes have already arrived, and are looking fantastic in their clothes. Velvet is wearing a long, flowing silver dress and her waist length blonde hair is pin straight, showing off her slender figure. Gloss is wearing a matching gold suit, with a white tie. His blond hair is spiked up to the max, but still retaining its natural look.
The interviews begin shortly after we arrive, with Velvet being up first. Unlike most females from District 1, she did not count only on looks to carry her through the interview. When the topics of the games came up, she said she truly did not want to kill anyone, but she would if it meant her winning. Gloss was up next, taking the funny approach. Caeser Flickerman made this easy, their banter easily entertaining the crowd.
Iris and Blair followed the standard 'We're District 2, and if you get in our way, you're dead' approach. Celeste, the girl from District 3 wowed the crowd with her intellect. She was also very kind, keeping a friendly relationship with Caeser. Barron and Aletha were cruel, like the tributes from 2.
Lotus and Sabrina, the boy and girl from 5, practically told everyone their plan. They were daring, but not cocky. Leucine, the boy from 6, was very cold and calculating. He literally had come up with equations of how long he could live without food and water by knowing how much he had eaten before he entered the arena. He also informed the crowd about his knowledge of poisons, and how to make people suffer. No one was left unaffected by his coldness.
Districts 7 and 8 took the family approach and how they were so unlucky for being reaped. Everyone is unlucky, except for Gloss, Iris, Blair, Aletha, and myself. We all volunteered. Katalina was next in line, and she strutted onto the stage, impressing everyone with her looks. The pretty girl from District 9 went on and on about how everyone hated her back home, which they did. It worked well for her. Caeser didn't ask about her criminal record, which was probably a good thing.
My name was being called before I could register it and Mira had to push me so I would begin walking. "Well everybody, it's time to meet our male tribute from District 9, Varin Terill!" Caeser said to the crowd, which was cheering wildly. He shook my hand and motioned for me to sit. "So, Varin, a 9 in training! That's the same as your district number, they say that's good luck!" He says, elbowing my arm. "That's what I've heard, I hope it's true." I say nervously. "So, any fears going into the arena?" He continues. "Well, crowds and public speaking are really the only things that scare me, so if I can do this, I should do amazing in the arena." The crowd laughs a little and I start to relax, not forgetting my posture rules.
Caeser lets out a hardy laugh before continuing on with the interview. "Varin, you're District 9's very first volunteer. Why did you do it?" That was the question I was waiting on. I can elaborate on it until my time is up.
"Well," I start off slowly. "When they called Byron Kozlow's name, I didn't think twice about it. Better him than me, but then I actually looked up to see who it was. He was a member of the wealthiest family in District 9. I work in the fields and live in the community home." I took a brief pause to make myself look sad. "I realized that I could never amount to anything near what he could, I wouldn't contribute to the District like he could. So I volunteered, and I don't regret it one bit." I finished strongly.
"Varin, that is very valiant of you. Panem needs more people like this young man right here." Caeser said while scanning the crowd. "Well, it looks like your time is up Varin, I hope you do well in the arena." He stood up and I did too. We shook hands one last time, and then I was off, the crowd now cheering for Mira, who was being called up. I didn't pay attention to any of the other interviews, too relieved that I got my own over with.
"Great job guys," Karlyn said as we made our way back to the room. "I should be able to arrange for at least 4 gifts each in the arena for you two!" She was very excited. District 9 didn't have very good tributes. "It really was an excellent display on both of your parts. Well done." Lucille continued. "Now, try and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be rough, I can assure you of that." She was frowning now as we made our way into the room.
My death could occur tomorrow. Katalina's death could occur tomorrow. Anyone of the 24 tributes deaths could occur tomorrow. Those thoughts haunted me as I sat in my room, alone. It is awful. Tomorrow could be my last meal, my last sunrise, my last everything. Needless to say, I was not able to sleep. This is probably going to hinder my abilities in the arena, but oh well.
Breakfast was served as normal, Lucille advised us to eat everything we could, as it would be our last meal for a very long while. I drank probably a half gallon of water at breakfast, Katalina probably did the same. The time flew by as Karlyn gave her teary goodbyes, saying we were some of the best tributes she had ever been presented. Lucille took us to the elevator to board the hovercraft.
"Now remember, get a weapon, find water, and steer clear of other people unless you know they won't kill you. Try to stay alive, for me." Lucille said, the tears welling up in her eyes. A simple 'okay' was all I could spit out. Katalina hugged Lucille and began to speak. "I'll do my best, I promise. To make up for the hell I put you through here." Tears began pouring down Lucille's face as the ladders from the hovercrafts appeared. I grabbed on and was instantly frozen in place, as was Katalina.
The ladders start to go up as Lucille waves goodbye and makes her way back into the building. Our tracking devices are inserted into our arms, the sharp pain is almost unbearable. The next hour I spend rubbing my arm and looking out the window of the hovercraft. Everyone is silent. No one has anything to say to anyone now. The death threats from the training center will no longer just be threats, they will be actions.
The hovercraft lands and we are separated, taken into rooms deep below the ground where our stylists are waiting. Venicia is holding the outfit in her hands when I arrive. "The material is very durable, it won't rip unless it is cut open. It seems as though it is made to contain heat, but I cannot tell." She hands me a tight black shirt and something that resembles black leggings to put on. "They also have this extra pair of shorts for you, they are made out of the same material as everything else."
I pull on the pair of white shorts, the white boots, and white coat, and wait. Venicia says nothing, and the call is made for the tributes to enter the tubes. Once I am in, she walks over and says her goodbye, watching me ascend from this subterranean prison.
Ooh, guys, the Games are gonna start soon! Yayayayayay! Please review, it would make me a happy camper. And if you made it this far, thank you so much for giving this story a chance!