Pax: Second update! Woot woot! Here's newbie11's story! District 4! Enjoy! Remember to vote for your favorite on the forum!
I'm swimming, the sun bright in the sky. I have a backpack on my back, and a Hunger Games uniform on. There's a spear strapped to my back, and an enemy pursuing. This is the final two, me verses whatever-their-name-is, and I'm leading him into water. A place of my strength, I am born and bred of District 4 after all. He throws a dart at me; I quickly dive under and hold my breath. I swim closer, closer, he's a non-swimmer. He's afraid to come deeper, and he's trapped. The rocks are right behind him, forming a wall. Escape is hopeless. I go faster, and bring my head up, lunging my spear into his heart. BOOM! I win, game over.
Light dances across my eyelids, waking me from the wonderful dream. It's my usual dream, of winning the Hunger Games. I'm only 12, but if I were thrown in right now I would so win. No doubt about it.
But I very well could be tossed in right now. The reaping is a different kind than the older kind; the tributes are reaped without knowing it. Then abducted. I hope that I'm picked…
"Acqua get up already! You're going to be late for 6 o'clock training!" That would be my mom. She's a great mom, not too happy with my choice of being a career. But she supports it anyway. But, she is happy with my choice of swimming. By 6 o'clock training she means my swim training. Competitive of course. I passed the lessons too quickly. Fastest on the team.
Second best is never good enough. I've been raised that way by my dad, he's not career material but he loves it. He brings me to career training, and even pays for over-time training. Don't get the wrong idea; we aren't rich, just smart.
My younger sister is no career, and she's pointed that out multiple times. She highly detests the games –and me for that matter. She thinks that I'm a horrible creature, and should go to the games to die. I'll go to the games, but I won't die. Guaranteed.
I don't reply, she already knows that I'll be ready soon. I jump out of bed and zoom around my room, slipping my bathing suit on, and putting some shorts and a t-shirt over top.
Before she can yell again I'm down the stairs, and out the door. I always walk there, or run there. Depends on how late I am. I'm quite late, so I sprint the 3 blocks to the beach. I like to be on time, never been late once. Not about to break that streak now.
I arrive on the beach, and find the coach. "'Bout time, little Acqua." He's intent on calling me 'Little Acqua' since I'm the youngest on the team.
"I'm 5 minutes early, sir." He nods, grinning cheekily.
"Since you're so early, give me a deep dive and 500m of freestyle! Move, move, move!" He yells, this is normal. Oh well, time to train.
I hop into the cold water, feeling all at home. Best to do the 500m first, just to get it over with. I swim, all the way out to the pillar of stone marked 500. It marks that it's 500 meters from shore. I wave to the beach, then give my all on the way back.
"Great job Acqua, time for your deep dives practice." I get up to the beach, then to the special section for deep dives. It's the top of a low cliff, made entirely of stone. The water below it goes to about 50 feet down. It's perfect.
I get into position, and raise my arms into the perfect form, then, I bend my knees, and push up, then I make myself soar through the air, turning to a straight way down. Then my extended arms meet the cool water, followed by my face, and the rest of me.
I make my legs kick as hard as they can, then I'm at the surface. Perfect. I make my way back to the beach. "Hey, Coach Eauric, do you think I could camp out on the beach tonight? For overnight training, of course."
"Why, of course dearie!" He winks "And the training center's right up the beach too! You might want to dry off and get there, shorty." I smile and wave to him as I run off of the beach, drying as I go. Eventually I'm dry enough, and slip back into my shorts and t-shirt.
The Training Center is one of the best places in the district! Well, to me anyway, my sister finds it "the center of evil and barbarianism"
I enter through the door, and head to the spears area. It's my preferred weapon, so of course, it's my best. Most here use a trident, but a spear is almost similar. But not.
I pick one of the few spears, and throw it at the farthest dummy. Dead center. Perfect, take that! I throw more, each the exact same place. Bulls-eye.
"You better get going young lady! Today's a holiday, you're lucky I let you train. I kicked out all the others." I nod, and scurry back to the beach.
"Aye, shorty, did he kick you out?" My coach inquires jokingly.
"Yeah, I was the only one he let in." I reply, my coach knows how intense I can get.
I walk over to the edge of the water. "How many meters, coach?"
"Training isn't just for weapons. It's about survival too." He pauses for a moment "I'm talking about your career training, silly. There's more to it than fighting." He grins, and I know that today will be harder than usual.
/O/O/O/O/O/
He brings two spears out of his little shed, he also brought some nets. "I'm teaching you how to fish." He grins his sailor grin, I'm in good hands.
Eauric wades into the water, and he stands as still as can be. He waits, and waits in silence. "How long will this be, coach?" I yell out to him. Patience is not of my strengths.
"Be patient, shorty." He chides. All I do is groan. He chuckles in response.
Finally he drops the net in the water, and stabs what's inside with his spear. "Why do you use the net?" I ask, he could've nailed the fish without it.
"Going without the net is the way of the arrogant, soon they become careless, and miss. What would become of them then? They starve." I nod. Arrogance is a weakness, it needs to be quashed. The other careers are arrogant killers, who will most likely grow careless. I might grow careless as well. Only time will tell…
"Acqua, you're my best swimmer. I've seen you grow. I want to make sure that you learn this, this is an important lesson, though you may not realize it now." He says.
"Yeah, I know patience is important. And never grow arrogant." I say.
"You don't get the lesson quite yet, shorty. Someday soon perhaps…" I stand puzzled, what kind of a lesson is that?
"Thanks, coach. May I please try fishing now?"
"Aye, shorty. Go on ahead." I smile and wade in, this can't be too hard.
I stand next to coach, ready for anything. I hold my spear ready for the attack, and my net loosely. A fish comes over and I drop the net on them. Then I let my spear stab where the fish is. I lift my net carefully, and inside is my fish.
"Was that good?" I ask excitedly.
"It was the way most would do, aye, it was fine for now." I grin, I did it! He pats my back, and tells me to swim 600 meters. The warm moment is now over.
/O/O/O/O/O/
I finished the 600 in record time, and got back to the beach. I smelled fish cooking, and I saw coach tending a bonfire.
"Dinner soon. Set up yer tent, shorty." I giggle lightly, and get to the shed for the tent. I peer inside, easily finding the tent. Pulling it out, I race back to the beach, and set it up. About 10 meters away from the bonfire is good.
"Dinner shorty!" coach calls.
I zoom away from my completed tent, and race to coach. He hands me a plate of fish, and we eat in silence.
Shortly we're both done, and I'm sent to my tent for the night. But I won't sleep for a while. I have this day to remember, and a little note-to-self of never becoming an arrogant loser.
/O/O/O/O/O/
I slowly let my head hit the pillow, and close my eyes. Sweet dreams await me. I wonder what my victory will be like tonight.
I run, I run as fast as I can. Right into the mouth of the Cornucopia. I need weapons, so I can own here in the bloodbath. I pick up two spears, just in case. I go around, killing all who come close, none from my alliance of course, that would be unnecessary—What was that? I hear people coming, edging closer to my tent. I continue to keep my eyes shut, and my breathing calm. If they think that I'm easy to take, then let them. If they aren't from the Capitol, then I'll whoop their butts.
A man in white enters my tent, and lifts me from my bed."We know you're awake, Acqua Jacenthe." I start to struggle, though I probably shouldn't. A few more enter, they tie my hands, and carry me off. They inject something in my arm. Who am I? Where am I going? These questions plague my mind as I fall back asleep and they carry me away.
/O/O/O/O/O/
I awake to a bright white room. I'm chained to a chair, and a peacekeeper is standing in front of me.
Click!
"You are in the Capitol." That explains everything "You were picked for the 76th Hunger Games, you will be thrown into the arena when the hover craft lands. You will immediately start the fight for survival, or die. May the odds be ever in your favor." With that I heard another click, and I fell back to sleep. Sweet dreams of the games in mind…
