Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.

Training is really pushed up an amp then the day before. Instead of just the normal targets, they're suddenly moving at every station, just creating more of a challenge for the tributes.

Some greet it happily, mostly the Careers, while others shy away from it, suddenly not all that interested in making a fool of themselves.

And neither am I.

But I still do, just not with the weapon stations. Mostly with the survival one's. It's pitiful, really. Even the weakest tributes cast me sorrow filled glances.

They should be feeling sorry for themselves; they're the ones that are probably going to die the first minute into the games.

Immediately after I think that thought, I grimace. Maybe that was a little too harsh, but I just despised pity and them underestimating me constantly.

I wasn't weak, and I wanted to show that, yet it wouldn't really be all that smart. I had the Careers after me and I wasn't about to show them I was a walking target.

I'd really show them what I was made of when we got into the arena.

Another sadistic thought. Gosh, I think Kai was really rubbing off on me.

Nonetheless, whether I showed my strength or not, Kai was probably going to come after me. I knew she wanted me dead just by the looks she shot me the whole time.

Each time she'd glance over at me while practicing with her spear. She'd throw them extra hard, just empathizing her strength.

I never once gave her the chance to see me scared or such; instead I stared at her blankly. That she just seemed to anger her more.

I spent my time at the fire starting station, still trying to grasp on how to light a stupid fire. It's not that I was really eager to learn, and I probably would never light a fire in the arena, I was just frustrated. And I always got like that when I couldn't do something.

It's not like I was a perfectionist, I really wasn't. I just got so angry to a point where I was determined to do it.

But this time around, instead of carrying on and being determined to finish what I started, all I want to do is give up.

By what feels like the 100th time I've failed, I throw the sticks down angrily, mumbling to myself how the whole point of this is useless, completely unaware of the presence that's beside me.

It's until they laugh that I whip my head around and come to face Talon, who stares down at me with amusement clear in his eyes.

I narrow my eyes at him, "What's so funny?"

"You failing," He states, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. "You're not even close to doing it correctly."

"Thank you for stating the obvious," I mutter and push myself up from my seat on the ground. "And I don't need your useless comment to let me know I'm doing it wrong. I can clearly see that."

His eyebrows shoot up, probably surprised at my new attitude. "I was actually going to help you, but now I might not."

"Why would you help me, anyway?"

"Because when you decide to light a fire in the arena, I can find you easier." He says casually and utterly composed.

And I don't find it one bit amusing that Talon is saying that if I light a fire in the arena, he can find me and kill me.

His words remind me that just a matter of days I'll be going into the arena. And that Talon possibly may be my murderer.

But how could he? He had talked to me, known my face, known my name. How can you kill someone who you saw breathing just days ago?

He couldn't be that heartless, right?

Of course he was. He was a Career. Most of them must have been brought up to show no mercy. Kai certainly didn't and from what I saw in the past games, they really didn't care for anyone else's life but their own.

And that's why the Career pack only lasted so long.

I frown at Talon and make a move to turn away when he reaches out and grasps my arm, "Let me help you."

"How can I when you just said that?" I drawl with a shake of my head.

"I was kidding," He says, "You know what that is, don't you?"

I can't help but think of Chandi and how she asked me if I really knew what smiling was. "I do," I nod, "I just don't find jokes about my potential death funny."

He frowns, "Well, maybe I can make it up to you by helping you?"

"I don't want your help." I say dryly and tug my arm out of his, letting it fall limp to my side. "But thanks for the offer."

I fall back into my place, picking up the two sticks and trying to work them. It's no surprise when I fail again.

"Put a little more friction." Talon says and I glare at him under my lashes before I obediently do so. Still, no luck.

"Yeah, you're a real expert." I drawl sarcastically.

"I am, you're just horrible at this." He murmurs, before he sits down next to me and grabs the sticks from me. Slowly, he shows me how to do it and I keep quiet the whole time, never objecting.

And by the time he's done explaining, I give it a shot and this time, I actually succeed. Even the trainer, (The same one who had called me a bloodbath tribute) is seemingly shocked.

At least I showed I could manage to light a fire.

Though I could probably never really start a fire in the arena. I'm sure someone would find me easily and I'd be dead within minutes.

But I still feel a tiny bit accomplished.

"Told you it wasn't that hard," Talon murmurs, staring into the flames.

"At least I show I'm capable of doing something." I say, echoing my thoughts from earlier. And to my dismay, the trainer quickly puts out the fire once it starts to get a little out of control.

"If you call me helping you the whole time capable, than sure." He replies.

I shrug, "It's good enough for me. Thanks."

Talon gives me a curt nod and I walk off to the next station, it's not even two minutes that I'm alone that Carden comes running over to me and grasps my arm roughly, pushing me into his side. "What are you doing talking to Talon Rellant?"

I make a face at him and pry my arm from his death grip, "Nothing. Does it matter?"

"Yes," He practically shouts, "He's a Career."

"I've noticed."

"This is serious, Evelyn," He screeches, "Remember what Ace said. Keep away from them."

"I know that Carden," I reply with an edge to my tone, "And I know what I'm doing."

Carden frowns at my hostile attitude, but what did he really expect? I really tired of everyone telling me what to do.

I was just tired over all. My mind seemed to be stuck solely on going into the arena. And my possible death that will happen perhaps in a day's matter.

I also think of training session with the Gamemakers that will either break me or make me. Though I'm not really objecting on getting a low score.

Maybe it'd take most of the attention off of me and people will write me off as just a bloodbath tribute. But then I really wanted to get a high score just to show people I wasn't weak. Nor useless.

I quickly shake off the thought and decide not to ponder it any longer. I manage to get away from Carden and find my way to the next station.

I end up testing my knowledge on if the plants or poison-ness or not. For the most part, I get most of them right, which is a shock since last time I hadn't even gotten one correct. I felt as if I was making progress.

I moved on soon later and stopped by the camouflage station where Quinn was and Hollyn. Though I don't dive deeply into a conversation with any of them, I simply nod and give brief answers. And they don't seem to find it suspicious or weird. They just think I'm contrasting on what's before me.

"Why was Talon helping you?" Quinn asks abruptly, 'causing my head to shoot right up, practically giving me whip lash.

"What are you talking about?" I say and decide to play dumb. I don't want her to annoy me about it like Carden had.

And still, I didn't even know why Carden cared. It wasn't his life on the line, but mine. If anything, he should encourage me to talk to Talon so it'll give me the higher possibility of displaying I'm actually a threat and get myself killed off.

Maybe he was just genuinely trying to help me. Maybe he just wanted to be my friend.

I wasn't sure, and I didn't think I'd really be finding out anytime soon.

"I mean back at the fire station," Quinn says slowly, "I saw him teaching you on how to light a fire."

"It was nothing," I mutter. Quinn doesn't buy it since she scoffs.

"That was not 'nothing,'" She argues, "Why would he help you? He's a career." She frowns, her eyebrows furrowing and I can just see the wheels turning in her head.

"I don't know," I say honestly, "I don't seem to understand anything fully when it comes to the games and tributes. Like I don't even know why you're making the effort to chat with someone who might be dead in a few days."

"It's nice to talk to someone who isn't full of themselves," Quinn replies, "I can't seem to have a normal conversation without someone threatening to kill me."

"Well, it is the Hunger Games." I drawl. Quinn laughs.

"That's true," She murmurs, "And I talk to you also because you're different."

"Different?" I prompt, my eyebrows furrowing. Though this conversation is slightly weird, I'm glad it drifted away from Quinn's questioning of why Talon was helping me.

"Yeah," She says with a nod, "I can tell you're not going to be fighting in the arena because you think of the fame or fortune, you're thinking of something else to fight for."

"My life might be one of them," I say with a dry laugh, "You're really smart Quinn. I don't know how you read people so easily."

"It's a gift." She says with a smile and tucks back a lock of brown hair. "Plus, just by the way you speak it's evident."

"You're right. I am going into the arena to fight. To fight to go home to my family and be free."

"I figured," She retorts and then we fall into a comfortable silence. And that's how it remains for most of the time.

That is till we hear a mass amount of commotion directly next to us.

"What's going on?" Quinn questions, and I don't reply, mainly because I'm already up and walking over to see what's going on.

All the tributes are in one circle surrounding the spear station. Kai's domain.

I don't have to fight my way through the crowd; instead they all part and let me see what's going on. I'm shocked by what I see.

All the targets have my name – More like they have Nine – on them painted in red. Kai is there, twirling a spear between her fingers. She gazes at me briefly, enough to let me know there's a look of hatred on her face before she turns and hurls the spear towards the target. It pierces wooden dummy's heart exactly.

"You thought it was so funny to taunt me yesterday, huh?" Kai glares at me and picks up another spear. "I hope you find this hilarious."

She throws it with a grunt and again, it hits the bull's eye, just reminding me that the dummy's supposed to be me. It's a warning.

"All these targets are supposed to be you, did you notice that?" She asks, her eyes gleaming. "This is just a preview of what's to come in the arena. I'm going to give the audience a real show."

I glance around briefly to see Kai's scene has even caught some of – what I presume – to be the Gamemakers attention.

They sit at the balcony, watching with amusement clear in their eyes. It's not Kai's words that anger me really, it's them. How they find it funny how a Career is gloating about being able to take my life.

My blood boils and before I know what I'm doing, I'm shoving people aside and walking to the archery station that's just three rows over, a clear view for all of them to see.

I glance at the moving targets and pick up the wooden bow that I've been meaning to get my hand for a while. It's even more amazing then I thought, but I don't marvel in it for long. I'm too pumped up on angry to examine it closely.

I fetch an arrow from the many that lay spread across the table and notch it, drawing back the taught bowstring and aim at one of the five targets that move from side to side.

I release, watching the arrow fly through the air before impaling the red dot in the center of the dummy. But I don't stop there.

I quickly notch another arrow on the bow and draw it back, letting it go and again, hitting the target. I continue on like that for the next three targets, always hitting the bull's eye.

When there are none left to shoot, I raise the bow down and glance at Kai. Who stares stunned, probably still trying to process what's just happened.

And so is everyone else since they hold the same expression.

"All those targets are supposed to be you, did you notice that?" I mimic her words from earlier and place the bow back down where I got it, though I'm reluctant.

I turn away from the cluster of people, but not before catching a glimpse of Talon, who looks just as shocked as Kai.

Lucky for me, its lunch time, so I got the chance to run right out of that training room. And away from everyone's questioning gazes.

I wonder how I'm going to get out of this.

Ace isn't the least bit pleased. And I discover that when I return back to my room. He lectures me for a while, telling me how I'm now a major target.

I don't say anything. Mainly because I know it's true. I'm a complete idiot and I know it. I shouldn't have shown my skill to the other tributes, but Kai's words and the Gamemakers had made me so angry... and I snapped before I could contain it.

But the plus side of it all was that Kai didn't bug me once after lunch was over and we returned back to training.

No one really did seem to talk to me. I think they all really just avoided. Not that I was complaining.

I was still processing at the time of what I had done. About how stupid it was of me to show my strength. I was as good as dead now.

And by the time I know, it's time for training session with the Gamemakers.

Now I couldn't even aim for a low score seeing as people already knew I could use a bow and arrow. We line up awkwardly in front of one another and wait our turn to go in. Going in order, District 1 is first. It's a long wait before I go in, but I'm grateful, since I still have no clue what I'm going to do yet.

I sigh, watching one by one as they go in. They all come out looking nervous and uncertain, except for Talon, who walks out confidently.

I meet his eyes for a minute, it's brief, but I catch the words that he mouths: good luck.

My eyebrows furrow, I don't know if it's sarcastic or not, but either way, I'll need it.

When they call up District 8, I begin to squirm around uncontrollably.

A good thirty minutes past before someone calls, "Evelyn Ainsworth!"

I suck in a breath, forcing my feet to move and think silently, here goes nothing.