Hi readers! I changed the end of the last chapter to build this one up a little more (plus I could build it up more in this chapter). I have to admit, I love this chapter in so many ways. It's a pretty good title for this chapter too, if I do say so myself. Let me know what YOU think! Xo-prettypinkcheer5

Unexpected Surprises

"I need to throw a knife at something." I stated, sighing. I was getting really tired. They set up a dummy for me. Raven and Gage moved it at different angles, lengths and had me aim for it. At one point fastened wheels to it, and pushed it to and from one another, making me throw at a moving target. The four of us enjoyed this game for half an hour. The last thing that they covered was climbing. I already knew how to climb because of being on boats, but it wasn't the same as trying to climb a tree. Since we didn't exactly have a tree in the middle of the room, they made me try to climb a pole. It didn't go well and it was frustrating to all of us.

"That's it, I'm done!" I declared marching out of the room. That was after I had finally managed to breathe again. I had been about half way up the pole and slipped and fell. I had landed on my back and it instantly knocked the wind right out of me. I was tired, sore and now cranky.

"We are not done here." Damien stated. I grabbed I knife and launched it near him. I say near because even though I wanted to kill him, right then, I couldn't. Instead, the knife found its way into the wall.

"We are done." I said walking away.

"You'll never win these Games with that attitude." Damien screamed at me. I had never him yell before, but I was tired, sore and hurt at this point.

"There's no such thing." I said, stopping by the door. Then, I thought about it for a split second. It was me going into the arena. Me against twenty-three other kids. Me getting my ass kicked by these three guys. It was me that was taken away from my family and my home, everything I knew. I cracked. There were twenty-three other kids that were in the same situation, some more trained and prepared than others. Twenty-four of us total. Twenty-four going in. Only one comes out of that arena. I've seen the toll it takes on a victor. I had two shining examples right in front of me. I snapped.

"Don't you get it? The Hunger Games are a game to everybody that's not in it. The only way to win, is to kill everyone else. There is no winner!" I exploded. I stormed out with a rage that I had never felt before.

Nobody came after me. I marched around corridor after corridor. Since I wasn't a Capitol citizen and I had never been to this place, I was lost almost instantly. Every hallway looked the same; each was painted a gold color. I didn't even care that I had no idea where I was, I was still angry and that led me through the maze of hallways. Why did everything have to look the same?

I continued to wonder around the halls, letting the anger leave my body. I guess I understood why Gage, Damien and Raven were pushing me so hard but if they kept this up I would be useless come the day of the Games. If they kept running me like this I'd be one of the first tributes dead. I meant what I said, well, yelled at them. I really believed that there was no winner to this game. On the outside, Gage was calm, cool and collected, on the inside, he was a raging mess. Winning only meant you were at the Capitol's beck and call.

I needed to go home. I needed to get back to my mother, and most of all, to my sisters. With mom slightly delusional in her current relationship it's been up to Moira and me to take care of our sisters. They need me back home. I have to get back home. I will go back home.

After fifteen minutes of wondering around (seriously, how big is this place?), I admitted defeat and started to look for someone that could point me back to my room. I turned a corner and saw a bunch of people gathered towards the end of the hall. Everyone was dressed in all white. I opened my mouth to call for them to help me when I saw one of them fall to the ground.

This person wasn't dressed in white, as all the other ones were, but dressed in a blue shirt and black pants. It was a boy with red hair. As he tried to stand up, he screamed as they shoved him down, kicking and punching him in the process. They were openly beating him. I was in shock. He couldn't have been any more than a few months older than me. I watched in horror as they grabbed some kind of equipment or tool, and clamped down on him. They put something over his mouth. I realized what I was witnessing a little too late. These were more Peacekeepers. They were making this poor boy an Avox.

I quickly turned around and started down the hall. That guy was being dragged somewhere to have his tongue ripped out. My heart was racing, I felt like I might throw up. Should I have tried to stop them? What did that guy do to deserve that? My mind was racing with more and more questions as I turned the corner, not paying attention to where I was going. I don't think I was even blinking. I ran into a huge, solid figure. The person that I had barreled into staggered a few steps back and I fell hard on the floor.

"I… uh," I stammered to find words. Normally, I'd be enraged by the person that he/she completely ran into me without even paying attention. Mind you, I was aware that I was moving but I was still in shock from what I had just seen. I still couldn't find the words. I looked up to the person I ran into.

He had a black suit on with tiny white pinstripes on it. His shoes were expensive; they were black, glossy leather. His hands were large and surprisingly tan. He had on a white button down shirt and a black vest under a black suit jacket. His face was tan too, but it had an alarmingly orange tint to it. His green eyes were large. He had rosy cheeks. His mahogany hair was styled perfectly, not a hair out of place. He looked surprisingly younger than what I had seen before. He was actually my father's age when he had died, but looked younger somehow.

"You," I said dumbfounded. I finally blinked, reminding myself that I was still on the floor.

"Ah, Miss Starbourne," He said. I pushed myself off the floor. I didn't know how to react.

"Sir, Mr. President, uh," I had no idea what to call him. I was confused in so many different ways. I was trying to figure out what I had just seen in the hallway to the boy, I had literally just run into the President of Panham, and now I was just shocked and didn't know how to act, say or do.

"President Cromwell," Another man said. There were two other people with him; this guy and a tiny looking woman.

"Miss Starborne, it's nice to meet you." He said. I stuck out my hand, unsure if I should address him, curtsey or runaway. Naturally, I decided on the stupidest thing, a handshake. He shook my hand. I was still flabbergasted.

"You can go on, ahead." He told his, what I'm going to call assistants. The girl looked irritated but both of them walked down the hall. Once they were a solidly half way down the hall, he finally looked at me.

"Walk with me Tatum," He stated. It wasn't a request. I had never really liked being called Tatum, it always made me feel like I was getting in trouble for something. In my house, I usually was. But, when he said it, it sent chills down my spine. He looked like an ordinary man, extremely polished but ordinary nonetheless. I followed him down the hall.

"How was your trip here?" He asked. Crap, crap! How was I going to play this? I needed to make a split second decision.

"It was splendid. Everyone has been so nice, and so helpful." I beamed, smiling, ear-to-ear. If Moira were here, she'd be laughing at me, knowing I was lying through my teeth. He studied me.

"Where exactly, were you heading to?" He asked.

"I was trying to find the training room. I know we're not 'technically' supposed to start training but I just really hoping I could at least get to look around." I said smiling like an idiot. I was purposely trying to act like the stupid, silly girls in my classes.

"I'm not really good with direction and I kind of got lost. Oh gosh, please, please don't let that get out. I was trying to find someone to help me." I poured it on for good measure. He seemed to think this through. He kept walking. 'He bought it,' I said to myself. Then, he stopped abruptly.

"Tatum, it's not wise to lie to me. I know all about you, and your family. You're a lot smarter than that." I swallowed the water building up in my throat. I creased the skin in between my eyes, confused at what he was saying. He leaned in closer to me, making me take a step back, towards the wall. If I wasn't creeped out before, I certainly was now. I was getting in a defensive position, as if in attack.

"I'm assuming, by that flummoxed look on your face when you ran into me, you saw what was going on. It would be intelligent for you, to forget that scene entirely. It also shows you, what can happen if you pay no heed to or deviate orders of Panham." He knew what I had seen. My heart skipped a beat.

"You're a beautiful girl, Tatum. You can put on that act of yours for the citizens of Panham, but like I said, it is foolish to lie to me. It would be a shame for anyone, no matter what their stature, status, or role to meet that fate as that man back there, or worse. Don't you think?" He asked, straightening himself backup. The skin on his face was definitely more orange than I had originally thought. His breath smelled like peppermints.

"Yes," I said meakly. Who was he threatening exactly? He started to walk again.

"Follow me," He stated. I followed him, attempting to process exactly what he had said. He knew I had seen the man being dragged and beaten, that he was going to become an Avox, never to speak again. He knew about my family, my sisters. He had mentioned stature- was that directed towards Gage? Did he know? My heart beat sped up. He had met up with his two assistants and together, we went down another series of hallways.

Raven, Gage, Damien, Bryson and his team were all gathered together near a door. We walked towards him. I could see President Cromwell start to put on his own act. His posture changed and the evil glare in his eyes disappeared.

"Ah, here we are! I believe you lost one of your tributes." He said. Damien, Gage and Cordelia tightened their jaws. Cordelia tightened her fists, I thought she was going to attack him. I actually kind of wish she would. It took everything in me not to shake with rage and fear.

"Here you are Tatum. Remember, we must'n't go gallivanting about unescorted. Mr. Fireside, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm afraid I must run, important meetings and such." He said while starting down the hall with his two mignons.

"And remember, may the odds be ever in your favor." He turned around and called to us.

Our group was silent until we couldn't see them and their footsteps were replaced with silence.

"Let's get into the room." Raven stated. His voice was at a normal level but it was booming in my ear. I was shuffled into the room. I sat down on the floor. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. My arms still had goosebumps from witnessing the boy being beaten and realizing his fate.

"Wow, so that was President Cromwell." Bryson stated. My eyes were still wide; I was in shock about everything. I had to replay everything in my mind that had just happened:

1. I had stormed out of a training session.

2. I had gotten myself lost.

3. I saw a man being beaten; he was going to become an Avox.

4. While fleeing from that scene, I ran smack-dab into the President.

5. He had threatened me, and quite possibly those closest to me.

6. He delivered me back here.

"What's wrong with you?" Damien asked. I was staring at a crack in the floor. Damien smacked my arm. I came out of my trance.

"What did he say?" Cordelia of all people asked.

"He didn't say anything. He helped me get back here." I said, creasing my brow.

"If you want to play this sweet little innocent girl bit, you're lying really needs work." She replied. How had she known he said something?

"Sorry, I wasn't really trying." The truth was, the words just kind of spilled out of my mouth.

"So what did he tell you?" Gage asked. Everyone seemed intrigued.

"Um," I thought it over. Honesty was probably the best policy with them, considering they may know what he meant, or at least what I can do to protect my family and whoever else he had threatened.

"I saw something I shouldn't have." I admitted. I took a deep breath.

"I was in shock, and I was just walking, actually it was closer to running, just away from what I saw. I ran into him, literally smacked into him. He asked what I was doing. I made up some lie and he called me on it, like you did." I said looking at Cordelia.

"He told me that I could put on an act for all of Panham, but he knew me, or something like that. He said I was too smart for that, and that I shouldn't lie to him. No, how did he put it? It would be unwise to lie to him." I paused.

"He threatened me, and I think my family. But, I think it was more of a warning than a real threat." I told them, figuring it out myself. The Victors all exchanged looks

"What do you mean he threatened your family?" Damien asked, cautiously.

"He was referring to what I saw, or was about to see. He asked what a shame it would be to end up like that. But it served as a type of lesson. Like if you defied the Capitol and Panham you'd meet some horrible fate." I paraphrased.

"What did you see?" Gage asked.

"I saw a boy being dragged and beaten. They were taking him to make him an Avox." My statement filled the room.

"He said that it doesn't matter what your status or stature are, that it's an awful fate to meet. I think it was a warning to me, but what does that mean?" I asked confused and scared. The Victors exchanged more glances, as did our training crews. Everyone seemed to run about all at the same time. Some looked terrified, others were talking, mostly there was arguing. It was like I had instantly turned invisible; no one paid any attention to me.

"He knows she's powerful."

"You have to be careful."

"Does that mean he'll go after her?"

"What about the girl's family?" Everyone was talking all at once. They ignored me, talking over one another, trying to figure out what the President had meant by what he had said. I continued to sit on the floor, staring at the crack again. Bryson came over and sat next to me.

"Did he really say that to you?" He asked. I nodded my head.

"Yeah," I said.

"Bryson, maybe it would be best for you if we didn't team up. If he's going to come after me, you'd be so much better off if you weren't with me." I told him.

"Not a chance."

"Bryson, I'm being serious. I don't want you to die because of me." I told him, meaning it. I did not want his blood on my hands.

"We made a plan to stick together, and I'm sticking with that plan."

"Under the circumstances, I'm giving you full permission to back out on that. It'd be smart for you to just not be attached to me." I told him.

"You're stuck with me Tatum." He said. He was younger than me, but was acting a lot older.

"Plus, if he does go after you, you have a better chance of surviving it with me by your side." He said. I actually smiled at his joke. What had I gotten myself into?