I shot out of bed as soon as their hand touched the doorknob. It has been like this all night. Jump scares at the slightest sound, waking me from the deepest depths of sleep instantly. My eyes immediately zeroed in on the hand pulling the large door open. Abesthine walks in and looks surprised to see me awake.
"Oh," she begins in an almost motherly tone, "Dear, did you not get a good nights sleep?"
She brought in some leggings and a shirt made with similar material. while holding idle conversations. She said something about giving me more powerful sedatives before I go to sleep. Both of the articles of clothing were grey but had blue and green pinstriped going down the sides. I thanked her and quickly changed into the outfit. It fit like a second skin. I opened the generous doors to the bathroom to wash the sleep out of my eyes before it jammed on some shoes. Tough looking tennis shoes that had an extremely grippy bottom, weighs virtually nothing, and had a padded insole was what was blocking the entry way. I shrugged and slipped on the black and blue shoes with some white socks. I washed my face and braided my hair over my shoulder before flicking it back and finishing getting ready I strolled into the dining room where I sat down while being served coffee. The spread of food was as luxurious as it was last night and I started spooning some balled melons onto my plate.
"I heard you've been jumpy all morning," Johannes said and placed a large hand on my shoulder while I hummed a confirmation. "Save it for the games." I placed some raisin toast onto my plate and spread some cream cheese on top of it and taking ravenous bites into before filling my cup with coffee, thick milk, and sugar.
I swallowed. "Good morning to you, sunshine." This early it was hard not to keep the sarcasm out of my voice as Levi approached the table, grey rings under his eyes and a hunched posture. I earned a glare. "Looks like you had a swell night." I snarked back and flicked an orange peel at him, where it hit him in the face
"Lily," Abesthines voice held a warning tone and I looked down in embarrassment, unwilling to meet her creepy, now pink, eyes. "Behave."
I nodded and poured a sweet cereal into my bowl and began to eat. The crunching drowned out their speaking and I felt a little more tired than I should have been.
When I tuned back into their speaking they were talking about training and those Caesar Flickerman interviews tomorrow. I internally groaned and focused on a camera in the corner of the room and watched it focus on certain aspects and then continue to swivel around around the room. I looked slowly and gazed at Levi.
I should kill him first.
My eyes widen at the sudden, disturbed thought. I shake my head to rid myself of it and frown deeply. I look down at my cereal, no longer hungry. I scrape my chair against the wooden floors, slightly jumping at the loud sound.
They all turn to me.
There is a moment of silence before I mutter that I am going to go train. When Abesthine offers to escort me I tell her that I can find it on my own. It comes out sharper and more commanding than I want it to but refuse to wince. I stride out of the room and try not let on that I regret my sharp tone.
Of course, it doesn't take long for me to get lost. Stubbornness soon loses and made me decide to try to go down to the main floor to ask for instructions. When the door opens, its quiet. Too quiet. Where there should be the soft padding, or even slapping, of feet on the floor: there isnt a single noise. Not even a tell tale buzzing of electricity that's been floating around like mist resonates in the brightly lit, surprisingly empty area. Well, almost empty, anyways. Fancy, fantastically confusing pieces of furniture sit in waiting for someone to lounge on them. They're obviously new, from the resistance the cushion provides when I run my fingers over the fine seams. There is a person at the counter, staring into space- or what seems like it until I notice their strangely metallic eyes shifting back and forth, glinting like pieces of faceted aluminum in the strangely white light. A closer glimpse tells of images, reversed that skitter by over their iris, and eyes so focused on what's superimposed really in front of them, that they can't seem to really see. It's like they're blind. The thought causes me to crinkle my nose in disgust as I remember how there was a blind kid from what I think was district 7 and how he almost made it through the games by hiding, an amazing feat for someone without one of their senses, before they were found by someone from what I think was district one. It evades me whether their death was quick or not.
It doesnt make sense why I'm thinking about that and for a hot second I forget why I am even down there when the person fixates me with their illuminated gaze. I feel my heart beat faster with a strange fear and I have to stop myself from shaking by dragging my feet forward.
I am about to bluntly ask how to find the training room when they greet me and ask me how my morning has been so far. I consider ignoring their pleasantries because there isn't any need for chit chat and pleasantries for someone who more than likely is going to place bets on my survival. But then again, they can help contribute to my survival so I suck up my dislike for the capitals and smile.
"It has been doing well so far, thank you." I say, trying to appear relaxed. "And yours?" I respond and they give a positive response back. I nod along but I, once again, am not listening.I decide to cut to the chase. "Can you tell me how to find the training room?" They nod and what seems to be freckles made out of something blue and reflective glint and wink at me.
"Just go to the 13th floor." She says cheerfully. "It's not open yet but I can unlock it for you and get a trainer or two up there for you as well as a sponsor." She grins and her unnaturally white teeth glare at me. "It is a good thing that you are going up there before everyone else. One on one is very important if you want to learn something important and get attention from the sponsors and judges." Her strangely defined eyebrows narrowed. "Getting noticed for working hard and being good at what you do is important. Make sure you learn some new skills."
Suddenly, her oddly musical voice dropped to a low whisper as she leaned forward. "I would put emphasis on learning the different poisons and how to treat them. Dont forget camouflage and tracking. Do not forget how to fish and set traps. I would probably learn how to defend yourself against large beasts and build up my muscle mass if I were you. Its going to be something out of a fairy tale that's going to be trying to kill you in there." Her talon-like nails clicked against the glass screen as she set up the training room and at the same time, spoke in the same hushed whisper. The thin lips relaying this information barely moving as they continued to murmur. "Make sure you learn how to be quiet and fight without looking directly at your opponent." I nod as she bites her lips. "Swords, spears, and bows are your favored weapons. Try to grab both bows- metal arrows are important. Sheilds. The shinier the better. The thicker the stripes, the better. Thin stripes are bad."
She smiles and looks up, a playful look returning on her sculpted face. I don't nod until she tells me that I can go up there. Floor 13 is for training. I thank her, relaying all of the new information back to myself and want to write it down before I remember that if you don't want someone to find out about something, then don't leave a trace of it. If there isn't any proof- then it didn't happen. I stand alone as I watch the illuminated number climb as I reach where I want to go. I worry as I press the 13 that I might have heard wrong but I cease to fret when the last ding that signaled the passing of each floor let way to a chime that let me know I was about to get off. The metallic doors opened and led me down a hallway that let into the training room.
I make a mental list of what the person told me and try to weigh whether I should rely on that information or not. Doubt is heavy on my mind before I remember that it is a capital offence to tell the tributes what the arena will be, by hints or outright, before they are about to enter the arena- whether its wrong or not. Punishable by death. Thats the punishment. The thought sends chills that dispel all doubt and gives me razor clarity.
When I take in the training room, i'm stunned at how precise and sharp the room itself looks. The plethora of weapons catch my eye with a dull glint. Weights wait to be tested and used. Paints and different looking muds are smooth in their jars, soon to be smeared on skin. Different kinds of structures that beg to be climbed loom over mats that are waiting to catch you. A large screen that sits with options that I don't look at hums. Its still big. Very spacious.
It doesn't take long before I grab a mean looking sword and roll it in both of my hands. It's nothing but my heartbeat, even breathing, and the hum of the lights that register in my ears. I hold it one hand and slash it around with my arm extended in one line from the end of the sword to my left shoulder. I take turns on both sides in the same way. The swishing of the blade cutting through the air now accompanies my heavy breathing. I stop for a moment and stretch as I feel the strain on my arms and shoulders and abdomen. The memory of Michael teaching me how to relieve soreness comes back to me and I plop on a thin mat.
I can hear his deep voice in my head telling me to straighten my legs and to touch my toes. My fingers strain to touch my feet that are bent to me. When I start to lean to the right, I remember what he did. 'Here', he held me straight and pressed on the middle of my back, easing me down. 'If it hurts too much, let up. No use in hurting yourself while you're trying to prevent it.' The weight shifted itself at the memory and I rolled down before I felt a slight pain and slowly rolled back into where I was laying down. 'Stretch the front, Lily. Your muscles work in a balance of push and pull' I arch my back and hear the satisfying pop as well as the straining of the front. 'Do your legs last. Arms go first.' Bend, lift, hold. Repeat. Heels hang off a ledge as the backs of my legs stretch. I hold my arms over my head and then stretch them down. Repeat.
The door opens and someone walks in causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. Looks like a trainer. Built lithe and well muscled. Air of superiority. Light grey clothing similar to mine. Their footsteps make a significant amount of sound as they thud on the ground with a milllitary-esque quality. He greets my with a voice that sounds heart-twistingly like Gabriel's. I return the hello, reluctantly to converse with such a familliar voice.
"I am here to help you train, you know. No need to be so reluctant." He spoke and grabbed the sword that I had earlier and another one that was for him. "You need to learn how to at least hold this correctly if youre going to try to use it as a weapon." He grabs my hands and make it so the palms are facing up. "You see, here," he traced the upper palm of my right hand. "And here," this time it was the heel of my palm."Will be where most of your grip comes from. Make sure that you always keep your hands tight and wrists loose." I nodded along as he invited me to try. "You on most occasions will have the opportunity to use both hands so I will teach you that first." He grabbed a sword in his own hand and looked directly at me with darkly intense brown eyes. "So lets get started."