Chapter Eight: Training Day One pt. 1

District Four

Caleb Depths, 18

I dream of the ocean, I dream of it washing over me. Tangling itself around me and pulling me away into the darkness. Locking me in. The sound of the crashing waves rushing in my ears as I panic for air.

A tribute from District Four with a fear of water, that will do me good. I use to love it, crave every moment I could have the smooth water over my skin. Now it just pushes all those memories back into my thoughts. It makes me cold and dark, like the sea has swept up all the light.

I guess being in this place brings out the worse of it from me. All the ghost of tributes who came in so confidently after so long of training just to be killed. Or a Victor, but I have known stories of all the light taken away from the Victors. The price of Victory not worth it and most definitely not what they expected. I knew that for a while but it never mattered; now I recognize it. But my light is all gone anyway; they can't take that away from me. That is why I am here, that security of having little to loose is so comforting. It pushes and fuels me.

Once I am fully awake I manage to get out of the comforting bed and answer the door to my escort who stands with folded clothes that she shoves into my hands before turning away with the fleeting words of, "Breakfast in five, be ready."

I sigh tiredly and shake my head to get myself moving. The clothes she gave me are nothing special. A black form fitting shirt and black pants that allow just the right amount of movement and finally sneakers. The morning moves fast, pausing every now and then to allow me to think. Between those moments I just watch it go by. I get ready, I eat breakfast, and then I prepare to go downstairs. Monica throws me flirtatious looks and comments, pushing herself as close to me as possible. She is beautiful no doubt, but she is rather annoying. Even if she wasn't I am not interested, I don't feel like getting close to a girl just for her to die or stab me in the back in my sleep. It just wouldn't end up well.

"Caleb do you just not like to talk or something?" Monica asks me folding her arms as the elevator shoots down. In a matter of seconds we reach the training floor.

"What made you think that?" I say before walking out of the elevator into the training center. It is astonishing really, so sleek and beyond what you could imagine. I say that coming from training too, but District Four's training center doesn't compare. I guess the Capitol would never let itself be outdone. I see a few tributes already here. They all seem so rushed. Like if they slow done training will just slip away with them knowing nothing and basically left to just rot in the Arena. I don't blame them, I can't imagine going into this with nothing. I guess I have my mom to thank for forcing me to train. Well not exactly forcing more like encouraging. She isn't too bad of a mother, she always accepted me. Accepted all the late nights when I enjoy partying and having fun drinking. Then she accepted when I spent all my days in my room or training.

Monica links her arm with mine, she is persistent I must say. I doubt she really is looking for anything more than someone to flirt with and get some attention from before the Game. Which is why I cannot become too close to her.

"Too bad they don't have a pool in here for swimming, I could really go for a swim." Monica stats, twirling her hair as we look around the room.

"Yeah," I say wanting the subject to be over with.

"He is even better looking in person." Monica suddenly says with a smirk. I turn around to follow her line of vision to the male of District Two.

"Ok, why don't you talk to him?" I say as I remove myself from her and start towards the spear section of the training center where the only person there is just that girl from Twelve who just stands motionlessly looking at the spear's tip.

I give a glance to the tributes from the Career Districts. District Two had just arrived as Monica had noticed, but Monica just places herself near the male not speaking. The female is already heading towards the weapons. She worries me; she looks as intimidating as the male. Well not intimidating, more like a potential obstacle. The tributes from One are together but don't look interested in each other. They are making fires.

Just as I turn back to the spears I see Monica blocking my way. I swear to god does she plan on doing this the entire time?


District One

Ecstasy, 17

I twirl a strand of hair that was loose from the tight braid my stylist gave me and watch from a distance as Monica from District Four wraps her arm around her district partner's neck with a smirk. He doesn't seem too interested and just looks bluntly ahead.

"So how are you two little District Partners doing?" A voice says from behind Burgundy and I. Turning around I see the District Two male, Malice standing with his hands on the table behind us looking straight ahead to Monica and Caleb. In the background I can see his District Partner, Alexis, warming up with the weapons. So is this it? This is where we all get together and become Careers? So early on in the day too. I figured it would happen, especially since everyone from those District seem willing to join the Careers but I just couldn't really imagine how it would go.

"Fine," Burgundy says for the both of us. I don't think we are friends, but he reminds me of home and all so we just stick around each other. We haven't even really talked much since the Train Rides.

"Didn't think you could just start making alliances without District Four did you?" Turning back to where we were looking before I see Monica standing with her head held high and her hands on her hip. She is a spoiled brat yes, but it isn't anything I haven't seen before or anything I haven't had to deal with before. Caleb trails behind her.

"Just introducing myself sweetheart." Malice spits almost coldly.

"Ugh we have only three days of Training, lets get past that shall we?" She says folding her arms. "We all know who each others names so lets just keep it at that okay?" She paces over to the other side of the table to Malice. Burgundy and I were just sitting down to take a little rest before we get back to training but it looks like our plans are going to be shifted just a bit. "Now is that okay with you?" Monica says resting her polished hand on Malice's shoulder flirtatiously. Much to my pleasure I see the zero effect it has on Malice as he shrugs her hand off and stands up straight as Caleb approaches.

"So are we all going to be allying then?" Malice says.

No one says anything to reject the ideas, so of course Monica speaks up. I have a feeling that will be happening a lot. Maybe if it wasn't for the fact I had gotten so focused with what I could do to give myself a little kick I would've ended up like her, but I choose the path of a hollowed out druggie and she choose the path of a spoiled brat. We really weren't given too much of different lives, both of our father's being Victors. But we are two complete different people.

"Sounds great, sweetheart." Monica says with a rather annoying drawl.

"What about Alexis then?" I ask glancing at her still focusing on hitting each and every one of her targets.

"Don't worry she is going to be with us, we are going to have a full six person group this year, and to avoid any annoyances if you all don't mind I would prefer if we kept things to the classics." He says referring to the usual Career Districts.

"Whatever you say darling." Monica says flipping her hair as Caleb tries to avoid her flying golden hair from hitting him square in the face. Such a lovely group of people.


District Eight

Than, 18

I never really had too much of an understanding why I take a liking to certain people or an interest, suddenly I can just feel a little emotion at the pit of my stomach. Curiosity. Usually when that happens it means the person has a dark tendency of sorts, whatever that means. I just define it as someone with similarities to my friends and me. In a way it is almost as if it is just my basic instinct to find someone like me. Isn't that how humans like it? We don't want clones of ourselves no that would be too strange.

But we take comfort in similarities. That is how it always has been; it isn't something you can really change.

For some reason I have taken an interest in Cara, which fills me with even more interest because I have trouble seeing where our similarities lye. She seems strange, in a slight unsettling way. But I can tell just slightly what her personality is like from last night. She and Elian didn't smile on their Chariots, and when she was yelled at. She is independent and maybe a bit of anger issue but she doesn't frighten me. I want to see if I am right, if she is all the things I think she is and if there is something beneath the cover. I want to know. I need to know.

I walk over from the fire starting station leaving the District Ten girl by herself. Cara is handling a knife, looking at it from each and every angle.

"Hello," I say once I reach her. I stand behind her, in her blind spot. She jumps and drops the knife in her hands. It clatters against the tile and a few eyes direct themselves to us, so I just stand there with one hand on the table next to Cara as she just continues to twist her body to look up at me in shock.

"Who are you?" She asks.

"Than," I say moving around to stand in front of her. Soon everyone goes back to what they are doing.

"From Eight." She says. She tries to be discreet as she steps backs trying to put a little distance between us.

I nod, "And you are Cara from Distirct Six." I say allowing her to have her distance; I don't want to throw her off.

"So Than didn't your mother ever tell you it isn't good to sneak up on people like that?" She asks sarcastically.

"I don't have a mother." I say and she gives a nod looking unsure of what to say back to that.

Before she has time to say anything the alarm goes off signaling it is time for lunch. We both glance towards the door that leads toward the cafeteria. "How about we eat lunch together then?" I ask.

She pauses momentarily before taking in a breath and stepping in the direction of the cafeteria. "Sorry but I think it would be best if I ate alone." She says before turning around and starts walking for a second before turning back around. "And I am sorry about your mother." She says awkwardly before turning around once more to walk towards the cafeteria. She leaves me standing here. I guess this should be expected. She reeks of a need to be independent. Naturally she would turn down my offer.

But it would be a shame to give up so easily, forcing her into an alliance no. But I will just have to get her to trust me. I didn't want an ally at first, if anything someone I could keep around just for a little while before slitting their throat in their sleep but maybe a partner in crime would work best. I don't know how the others at the orphanage would react to Cara, if she was at the orphanage back long ago when there were others, but I don't think we would've killed her.

That just has to be enough now to forge some kind of alliance here, even if in the end not both of us will be getting out of that Arena alive.


District Ten

Cavallo, 18

"I still can't believe this." I say pacing back and forth as Rosie sits giving her best attempts for tying a knot. My long lost sister sits in front of me. Well not full sister, which luckily enough separates our last names just by the slightest. I already told Rosie they can't know we are siblings yet, maybe later on but for now it needs to be a mystery.

"It sure is unexpected, but I knew I would see you again. I was so happy to see your face on that screen… I just knew it was you. Then it settled in what it meant." She says her wide smile turning into a frown. I don't want her to cry, she cried the other night when we first said hello. I waited though so the other tributes didn't see us reuniting. I just went with Rosie to her floor. I didn't really care if Micah knew. He seems cool enough.

"I know but this has to be good! I can protect you from them now Rosie, I am older and stronger than a lot of them. I will keep you safe." I don't know exactly what will happen when the numbers get smaller, or if I need to make a decision between my life and hers. I don't need to yet, for now I am just going to do my best to give her a chance she would have never had without me.

She smiles at me, "I just wish two people could win." She is too naïve to think that way though. She must realize she has little chance on her own but like back then before she and her mother moved away she was just so naïve and I guess not much has changed since then. For now that will be best, I can shield her from things. I want her to stay as innocent as possible. Even if that is just as naïve of thinking.

I see Rosie readjust her eyes to something behind me and turn around to see the male tribute from Eleven walks past us to join us at the knotting station. He glances at us and gives a small nod and neutral smile before turning to the knots instructor. I watch him for a little while as Rosie continues to knot. He doesn't seem too bad, like a good enough of a guy. Can I trust him though? As much as I like to think I can do this with just Rosie and I, an alliance would do me good. I have people skills and sadly watching over Rosie will only make things harder in the Arena. An extra pair of able eyes would be perfect.

He talks to the instructor for a while and I half work on learning to build a knot that can trap tributes while I watch him from the corner of my eye. He talks to the instructor for a bit before taking his rope and turning away and moving a small distance to sit on the floor and work. Then I just wait for an opportunity.

He gives a little bit of a frustrated look as he works. "They look so much easier than they really are right?" I say to him and he looks up at the two of us and nods.

"Yeah," he says.

"Which one are you working on?" Rosie asks, thank goodness for her bubbly nature.

"The snare," he says. He glances down at our own hands preoccupied with the knots. "And you two?"

Human interaction, regular awkward human interaction. I guess it is hard to imagine. Hard to imagine all sorts of people from different Districts, different lives all that are going through the same thing who are destined to kill each other talking like normal human beings.

"Fishing net." Rosie says brightly. "But it isn't going to good." She says looking down with slight disappointment.

"I guess that is why we are here though, what would be the point of Training if we were all already expert assassins and skilled survivalist?" He says, definitely glad I talked to him. Lets just hope he has some sense of loyalty. I don't want to be killed in my sleep.

"Unlike a few…" I say jokingly slowly glancing to where the Careers are starting to gather together. They both chuckle a little bit.

Harsh smiles, "Yeah."


District Five

Fennec Gray, 14

I stare down at all the options of food near drooling at all the wonderful smells.

It wasn't like I ever was starving, withering away to bones. But it wasn't like I ever got three full meals everyday of the week, and none is this good. It is hard not to indulge myself. I guess that is best though, get some fat on me before I go into the Arena. That is what my mentor suggested, and she won not so long ago. I like her better than the male mentor, not like I don't dislike him but I get along better with the female mentor. Her name is Ada, she won the 60th Hunger Games.

I think why I like her so much is because she is someone I can look up to, in a strange way. She is smart and witty, that is how she won. That is how I plan to win. Because I know that even though I am just fourteen I am sure as hell much smarter than some of the people here. And wittier. Ada made the bomb that blew up the careers, and even then no one expected her to win. But she did.

I need to use that as proof that this is possible.

Sitting down from getting my second helping of food I start eating again, I spent the morning doing what I basically would be doing back home. Reading. Except now I read about different methods of starting fires, different plants and their uses, and all sorts of traps I could make. But I know just reading won't do me much good. I have soaked up the information and after lunch I will see what is has done for me. I don't plan on spending much time with weapons. What is the point? I don't plan to be getting in many battles and even if I do waste my time with weapons if someone tries to kill me and I try to fight back I will still get slaughtered.

"Mind if I sit here?" A voice says and I look up from my plate, Aeron is standing in front of me with a plate of food in his hands.

"Uh…" I say not wanting much to do with him. I might have an easier time talking to someone else but Aeron and I don't get along much even though we are from the same District, he is creepy. And it is almost like I can see him staring at me out of the corner of my eye constantly. I need to push him away, it is what I did home. I am almost professional by now. Not many people want anything to do with me anyway, but that is okay. I invent, I calculate, and do any sort of thing involving thinking to waste my time. I do fine without many friends.

"Is someone sitting here?" He asks me not even flinching by the fact all I said wasn't even a real word.

"Yes," I respond. I know it won't do much good, but maybe he will just give up and I walk away. I don't want to rude, don't want to make an enemy with this guy. Especially since he is probably a psychopath.

The strange thing when I see him around other people, he acts normal. Then around me he is freaky.

"Well then how about I pull up a chair so whoever is sitting here can keep their chair?" He says and retrieves a chair from the table over. I let him, I won't push this any further. I need to be smart about this.

"So how has you day been going?" He asks with a charming smile, which does not suit him well. I am sure some people would think it does, but no matter what he does he gives me this icy feeling.

"Fine." I say looking down at my plate to start eating again.

"Made any friends?"

"Not really."

"I think I did, the girl from District Three I talked to for a bit. Along with the one from Twelve." He says and I glance at them from behind us. Twelve is on her own, I wonder what Aeron was talking to her about. The girl from Three is sitting with the male tribute from Nine who looks rather uninterested in her. I don't think they will make an alliance.

"Nice," I say quietly as I look back to my plate. Even if Aeron and I weren't in the Hunger Games and he wasn't really creepy I can't imagine our conversation going much further. I am deadly shy, and awkward. Which probably isn't going to help for Sponsors, but if I spend my time here well then I can make my own supplies.

"I think the girl from Three, Mae, might be a possible ally but I don't think Ash from Twelve likes me much. She sort of pushed me away." Aeron says.

I am silent, debating what to respond with. Finally I just say what is itching me away at the back of my head. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to be in an alliance, we both are from Five why not?" He asks.

No way in hell.

"Um, sorry but I just think… I just think it would be best if I did this on my own." I say looking down. I can see him frown and get up; his charming aura replaced with once again the unsettling one I have seen for the last day.

"Fine," he says walking away. I don't watch him leave to see where he goes. I just let out a groan holding my head in my hands and try not to worry about the fact I think I just made an enemy.


District Five Mentor

Ada Linus, 20

I see Isaac finish off Beth, he isn't evil. He has a conscious. He will feel remorse for killing a girl who is just 14, this is when I need to move in, Coraline has died. I hear her cannon. Now Beth's cannon has erupted through the Arena. Just Isaac and me. I don't even take a second to consider what things would have been like if I hadn't gotten the Careers all to die in the bomb. Or if I had gotten captured, but luckily I planted the bomb and escapes in enough time.

I have my dagger in my fingers; I found it in the leftovers from the explosion. It was disturbing to be there on the dark ground where so many teenagers had died and know that it was my doing, but I got over it. I moved on. I need to move, it is what I have been doing ever since I got into this hellhole.

Approaching up the hill I try to be as stealthy as possible. I am going to become a killer, not just setting off a bomb to kill people but actually using a weapon to kill someone. To feel them die as I hold this dagger in their back.

I take a breath and approach behind Isaac, he is on the ground. He looks like his mental stability has been demolished. He will be up again in a second and looking for me. So I run forward and stab the dagger into his back and kick him with all the force I have back so I have enough time to run as far as I can from him. He will die soon, but until then. Until I hear his cannon and am told I am the new Victor I will keep alert. It is what he didn't do and in the end what killed him.

He doesn't try to come and kill me. I am behind the Cornucopia, which survived the explosion, and after what seems like ages I hear the cannon and the three teenagers faces in the sky that just died as I am announced the Victor of the 60th Hunger Games.

I am the Victor, I won.

I won.

I wait until the Elevator doors open to get into the Elevator. I have so much to do. My head is swirling with activity. Memories flushing back in. This is where my life was destroyed after all. Now I get to go to the area where I watched both Leon and Theresa die.

Life as a Victor never seems to let me down with the new types of unfortunate things that can happen to me. I was supposed to be happy when I got back to District Five. I had Herman. My best friend who I had to realize I had feelings for a little too late. I had my father. I had my life. But in my head I knew that was all too good to be true, it was all a fairytale. I had those things but I had baggage. I am a murderer and I couldn't get over my time in the Arena. They gave me those stupid extensions that I just couldn't stand. I had nightmares, as much as I was glad to be with Herman I couldn't see how he would want a killer. Just when I was starting to get comfortable, allowing our relationship to grow stronger and things were getting better (I even had Herman cut out those awful extensions, though he did give me a rather choppier haircut than I wanted but that didn't bother me) my father died of heart problems.

I didn't even know he was sick.

Seven more months after I had become Victor he died.

Then I was a mentor and both of my tributes did awful, not even making it past the first night. I got lost.

I almost committed suicide a few times, well had thoughts of it. But that would be cowardly. I didn't take Isaac's life just to waste my own.

Now I am here. I have a group of tributes I think could actually go past the first night, an older capable looking male and a smart fourteen-year-old girl. I don't think my fellow mentor was happy to see someone so young, but I don't doubt her. Beth came so close to Victory and so did Siva last year, and Siva was just twelve.

Once I am downstairs in the "mentor" room I begin to start working. It isn't anything special, a lounge room with computers and other technology. This is where mentor can watch their tributes once the Games starts and for today while Fennec and Aeron are training I am going to be doing a little research on what the public thinks of them.

The only other group here is the mentors from District Eight. Rhett Evers. She won last year. I don't know why her parents named her Rhett, since that is a boy name and all. But in a way I can sympathize with her. We are both recent Victors, I was her a year ago. And in a way we both have something the other doesn't. I have Herman, who I confessed to liking in my Interviews and she lost Roman. They were never together really, but it is obvious she had feelings for him. And she still has her dad Tom Evers, who suffered from a heart attack. Heart problems also, he would be dead if it weren't for the fact he is a Victor. My father is dead because he is just a simple man from District Five no one cared about.

She is with the new male mentor, one replacing her father who still is suffering from heart issues. Cyrus I believe is his name. He is the same age as me, he won so young.

For a moment I am tempted to talk to her, but I don't need to think much about it because when she sees me she gets up and starts walking in my direction leaving Cyrus sitting down by himself.

"Hey," she says when she reaches me. She looks tired.

I nod, "hello."

"I know we are sort of competing against each other, since we both want our own tributes to do best but I felt like it would be appropriate to talk. Since we won after each other and all." She says. I am unsure what she wants to talk about, but as shy as I am I will try to have some kind of conversation with her. "I just guess I want to know how to survive this, I guess." She says.

So I guess that is why, she wants to know how I got through it last year. She is different than the girl I saw on the screen. It is like her pride and dignity has been taken away, in a way I guess it has.

"Sure but to be honest I haven't figured it out yet." I say.

"That is why I want to talk."


So that is part one of Training Day One :) Right on time as always! … okay more like a month late. I am sorry. I just don't know what happened to be honest, I guess Fanfiction just wasn't important for me over the last month and so much has happened I just want to go back to how things were a year ago when I could update every single day. Hopefully you guys haven't given up on me. For those who haven't feel free to vote in the poll for your favorite tribute so far if you haven't already. Okay more like favorite five tributes XD