Here is the last day of training, with the 8 tributes who haven't gotten training POVs yet. Also, this update took a while because I was a little out of ideas for some characters, and I had to rewrite some portions. Enjoy!
...
Theodore Anderson, District 11
Wake up, get dressed, I told myself. Fall into the rhythm, the monotonous rhythm, of this terribly excessive life. Pull on the baggy black pants over your long, slim legs. Pull on the tight black shirt, with the silver number 11's everywhere. Lace up the black tennis shoes that you've slept in for some reason. They were much fancier than my ratty brown boots from back home. Brush your teeth and hair, wash your face, and put a new bandage on the cut you got from knives during training. An Avox would do half of these tasks for me if I wanted her to, but I didn't. I wanted to retain some form of my independent self. I needed to.
When I was fully prepared, I walked out of my room, taking deep breaths. Our escort, Mina, was awake, glaring at our Mentor, Discus. They apparently had some rough history, but I didn't want to know about it. Asking would probably ignite a verbal brawl akin to the one that happened on the train ride to the Capitol.
Hailea entered soon after I sat down, next to Discus. Our stylists and prep teams sat, too, and then we dug into our meals.
As I ate strips of crispy bacon, I thought of my little brother, Brett, who I'd volunteered for. Brett loved his bacon crispy. The thought made tears pool in my eyes, and I almost choked on my food.
After consuming only the amount of food I needed (Mina didn't want either of us to repeat a Calix retch scene today), Hailea and I were escorted down to training by a ticked off Discus. Mina had been berating him the entire meal, and it had been quite annoying.
We arrived to the sight of several other tributes gathered around Rhesus, who stood tall in the middle of the room, dressed in a stretchy silver outfit that flashed underneath the florescent lights of the training room. Hailea and I trotted over to him. Over the next 5 minutes, the other tributes arrived, and then Rhesus began to speak.
"Training will be cut in half, and lunch will come early today. For the latter half of the day, we will be having the private sessions with the Gamemakers where you will show of your skills to earn a score from 1 to 12, as we talked about on the first day. Now, go, before you run out of time on your last day to train before the Games begin. Today will go by exceptionally quick."
We all raced forward. I went to tridents. They were similar to pitchforks, which I had to use back home. They were heavier, though, and this one had a strangely curved shaft with barbed prongs. The instructor showed me how to properly hold and stab with the trident. While I practiced, something happened at spears, but I ignored it. Before I knew it, Rhesus was calling lunch. He had been right; today would go by fast. I walked into the lunch room, where I spotted someone I'd been sitting with at lunch; Christopher.
I sat down besides him. He was anxious, and he looked at me worriedly.
"There's such big alliances this year, Theo," he said. "Do you think we could..." he trailed off.
"Pair up?" I said.
"Yeah," he replied, biting his lip. "Yeah."
I nodded slowly. I had a new ally, I guess.
At least I wouldn't be alone.
...
Camillie Montegro, District 12
I've been all over the map with my stations. Survival? I'd done four of the most important: Hunting, shelter making, fire making, and snares. Weapons? Sickles, throwing knives, axes, and awls had all occupied my time. Other? I qualified on the Gauntlet, and, damn, I even wrestled some big, muscly Capitol guy at wrestling.
I took a deep breath. Edible plants called my name, but everyone else in my alliance had spent time there, so I decided to focus on weaponry. I'd done the best at throwing knives, but it was fully occupied, so I trotted over to sickles.
Catherine was there, working hard with the weapon. I was impressed. At the beginning, she seemed to lack the drive to win, like pretty much all of my allies. But now, something had awakened within her, and she was trying her hardest to prepare for the private sessions. I could tell that she wanted a higher score than what the Capitol had already pinned on her in the magazines; a 4 or 5. She smiled at me, wiping her perspiring brow.
The instructor gave me some more pointers on how to fight with a sickle. Stabbing hard, I also punched the mannequin in the face. There was a crack; I'd broken its false nose. My knuckles stung, but I quickly sliced my sickle across the mannequin's throat, "killing" it with a single swipe.
The instructor applauded, and Catherine gave me a thumbs up before similarly disemboweling a mannequin.
Serephina did something characteristically awesome and goddess-like, but I didn't pay attention to it, though I was silent as people stared.
Rhesus was calling us all over for lunch soon enough. Catherine and I returned our sickles, and we smiled at each other, mutual sickle wielders. Catherine, though she was years older and didn't look like her at all, reminded me of Wendie. She seemed like a piece of home, even though our Districts were so far apart. She was like Wendie, and she could defend herself.
I knew who I'd be siding with if our alliance ever split.
...
Serephina Manchas, District 2
I strode across the hard cement floor of the training room, my sleek black tennis shoes squeaking loudly as I pranced forward. Emmer and Natalia flanked me like an entourage. I sadly knew that they'd be the first to go in our alliance.
I walked over to spears. Spears were my favored weapon, favored above even the bow and arrows I showed off often during training. I had been keeping the talent hidden, but I needed to practice. More than 3 days out of practice with a weapon meant that your skills would fade and atrophy, at least according to a physical training manual Garry used to read. And, anyway, I needed to get warmed up for the private sessions.
Natalia left to go to a survival station, but Emmer stayed by my side, loyal, like a lapdog. I wasn't naive. He was only sticking with me because strong allies meant survival. He was also smart. I knew he'd try to back stab me, probably literally, sometime down the road of the Games, probably towards the end. He thought I was naive, over confident. I was confident, but I knew I had my flaws, my limitations. I pushed my thoughts away as I focused on the station and the task at hand.
I picked up a sleek, thin, and light spear with a menacingly barbed tip. I licked my lips and got into perfect position. The trainer was startled, but he put out a target. I smiled, growling loudly from the extertion as I chucked the spear with all of my might. It soared in a tight arc through the air, smacking home into the dummy's plastic chest.
The training center fell half-quiet as the trainer slowly righted the speared mannequin. The spear had cut all the way through the mannequin and was laying, discarded, on the floor, its tip bent. A giant, gaping hole, big as a human heart, was left behind in the dummy's torn, disfigured chest.
Emmer threw his. It didn't even reach his mannequin. The second his spear clattered to the floor, the room burst back into life, turning away from the destroyed mannequin and the one who had brutalized it; me.
I felt that feeling rushing through me, the one I'd felt when standing in the chariots with Dameon. The feeling of adoration, of pride, of...respect. I wanted to be respected. I didn't want to be another Garry, a strong, strong tribute who deserved to win, only to be killed off by a piece of scum. The anger welled up within me, and I threw another spear, watching as it struck right into the mannequin's forehead. I imagined Miss Victor Calla Espenson's face glued to it.
A few more throws, and my anger faded. I finally knew what I wanted, then and there. I didn't want respect, truly. Respect could be earned in a variety of ways that didn't require what I was doing now. I knew exactly what I wanted.
I wanted to be remembered.
...
Chen Evoncurst, District 7
As soon as Rhesus released us, I rushed over to snares. I needed to get a survival skill down before we entered the Games.
The instructor, a kind looking woman named Bactria, smiled up at me. This station had been abandoned for most of yesterday, and I'd seen this kind lady twiddling her thumbs awkwardly, waiting for some to instructor, to teach.
I sat down on the faux forest floor and watched as she constructed a twitch up snare. It took me about twenty minutes to set my first one, and it fell apart after I'd finished. Bactria smiled, and helped me work through the steps again. I made a second one, and then a third, and then a fourth. After I'd perfected the snare, I quickly dashed over to axes. Bactria was nice, and snares were interesting, but I needed to get more axe practice down.
"At axes again, huh?" Bethany said as I jogged up. She was trying something new; throwing axes. She was pretty decent, and every throw dug deep into the three inch thick wood targets, bolted to the wall behind the axe station.
I stuck to normal axes, and chopped apart three mannequins at my own leisure until lunch was announced. I just pretended the mannequins were trees, saplings, really, that needed to be cleared. I set down my axe, gathering the scraps of the mannequins together in one pile so the Avoxes would have an easier time cleaning up the station.
I was the last to arrive at lunch. Bethany, Holly, and Andi greeted me, and we chatted about the private sessions as our lunches were served and we ate.
I was happy to have people I could rely on.
...
Walter Inlaen, District 12
I had no idea why I was doing it, but I walked over to the spear station. Zachary, my brother who'd died in the 4th Hunger Games, had gutted a small girl from 9 with a spear in the bloodbath. He had gotten a decent score, a 7. The only thing; after he killed the girl from 9, her hulking District partner smashed Zachary's head in with a nail studded mace.
Still, I walked over to spears, picking one up and lobbing it at a target. It clipped the target's shoulder, and the instructor smiled and corrected my throwing form before handing me a different spear, saying it would be better suited to my physical strength. After a few throws, I was hitting the target every time straight on. This gave me a small sliver of hope deep down. Maybe I wouldn't be one of the first slaughtered like Zachary. And even if I was a bloodbath kill, at least I'd be able to put up a fight.
After I'd practiced for a bit, Serephina and Emmer walked up, and I departed, letting them take the station. Serephina was a goddess with spears; I was thoroughly impressed by her skill and precision.
I trotted over to edible insects for the rest of the day. It was sort of disgusting, eating bugs and all, but there'd been a Games, the 2nd or 3rd, where the Victor outlasted the others in an arena without food by eating purely insects. Disgusting, but helpful.
Soon lunch was called, and I walked over there. I sat with no one. Alliances seemed weird to me. Why make friends with people you'd have to kill? And, when your allies died, you would feel more pain and loss than necessary. They seemed stupid to me.
I ate and consumed myself in my thoughts, counting down the minutes until the private sessions would begin.
...
Burlap Thomasson, District 8
Rhesus released us to do whatever we wanted for the last hours of training. I rushed around quickly, trying to find a good station. I'd focused on survival, and I knew how to set a fire, find water, detect edible plants and insects, and set snares. I'd only practiced with daggers for half an hour, and it had been a nightmare. I'd been practicing with Theodore from 11, and the boy cut himself because he was too clumsy to handle the sharp blades well, too.
I strode quickly over to maces. A boy, Bison from District 10, was trying to lift a mace and was failing. The instructor handed him a smaller weapon, a hammer-like weapon about a foot and a half long, with a large, rounded end with spikes protruding. Bison attacked a mannequin with the strange baton as I heaved a mace into my hands. It was heavy, but not terribly so. I lifted and swung it like a baseball bat, obliterating the head of the nearest mannequin.
I found solace from my worries and fears about the Games by smashing apart the mannequins with the mace. I was decent, not good. The only reason I did damage, the instructor said, was because of the brute force I put behind my weapon. My hands were chaffed and my long, muscled arms were sore by the time lunch was called by Rhesus.
I shuffled into the lunch room and sat down alone. I glanced at the other loners; Steale from 6, Calix from 9, and Walter from 12. Christopher and Theodore had teamed up today, the last day. I thought about doing the same thing, but before I could make a decision of what boy to sit with, lunch was declared over. I gulped as we were brought to another room to wait for the private sessions to begin. What was a I going to do?! My mind started to freak out. What was I going to show? Maces? Edible insects? Swords? Shelters? Fire making? Tears rolling down my confused face? I took in a shaky breath as Cephas from 1 was called into the room.
All I knew was that I just had to try to be me.
...
Cameron Spark, District 3
As soon as Rhesus told us to go train, I watched Catherine march over to sickles with Camillie by her side. They tore apart the mannequins. They were able, fit, possible Victors, even. I was not.
Catherine had drifted away from me ever since the Young and Free alliance had been formed. The rift, invisible to her, had widened exponentially when she made it across the agility course and I did not. I was always the stronger sibling, the more physical half, the more outgoing half, the more extroverted half. I was the better half. That was not so anymore. All I wanted was to keep my sister safe. Now she would be the one keeping me safe.
I ambled over to edible plants, where Hailea was studying a bit more. We'd both spent a long time at these stations in previous days of training, and Hailea was reviewing before she showed off her skills for the Gamemakers at the Private Sessions. I followed suit, and turned on the interactive game. You had to match plants that looked the same. If you got a match that was an edible plant, it would light up green and take up the entire screen and state its uses. If you got a match that was a non edible plant, it would light up red and take up the entire screen and state why it was harmful. If you didn't get a match, the screen would light up yellow.
My fingers flew across the control pad, matching plants and memorizing facts. If there was one thing I was good at in this entire training room, it was this. Learning pure, cold hard fact, not ways to disembowel another person or light a fire or trap an innocent animal. This was my forte. Yellow, red, and green flashed across the screen, and I became immersed in the activity.
"Cameron!" I heard someone calling far behind me. I ignored the voice, watching as a matched a large, white bulb with a small green tuft of leaves on top. The screen lit up green, and I read its name and uses.
Fennel. Usually found near oceans. Edible. Part of the carrot family.
The fennel faded from the screen, and my fingers were about to clack down to match a pair of chestnut like things when someone pulled me away. It was Hailea.
"Cameron!" she bellowed. "It's lunch! They called it ten minutes ago! The trainers are freaking out. They were going to call the Peacekeepers, Cam!"
I shook my head, blinking slowly. Peacekeepers? For me? I started suddenly and jogged over to lunch, Hailea on my heels.
"Cam, are you okay?" Hailea asked, folding her arms across her chest. She was worried.
"Sure," I murmured as we arrived at our lunch table. Olivanna and Camillie were fine, but Catherine seemed genuinely distressed. I guess I still did have my sister. I hadn't lost her yet.
...
Natalia General, District 1
I realized, after Rhesus told us to go start training again, that I hadn't spent a moment of training at a survival station. The past two days I'd been at throwing knives, where I excelled, and following Serephina and Emmer around to a few other weapons stations. They were heading over to spears, in fact, and I was walking right behind them. I shook my head, clearing it. Why was I following them around blindly? Why wasn't I thinking for myself?
"I...I'm gonna head over to shelter making," I told Serephina and Emmer. They barely acknowledged my words, just quickly nodding before marching the rest of the way over to spears. Serephina picked one up, smiled, and threw it. The entire training room froze, watching as the spear sliced perfectly through the mannequin, leaving a giant, lopsided tear in its chest. I shuddered. Everyone's attention to their stations resumed after Emmer attempted to throw a spear and it didn't even reach the target.
I turned away and slowly walked over to shelter making. No one was there besides the trainer, a preppy looking woman with butter yellow hair and at least three dozen visible piercings. I knelt down beside her, and she smiled at me, gathering supplies so we could begin learning.
"My name is Randasha," she said, and we shook hands loosely before she began her lesson.
"Today we are going to be building a simple tent from tree branches, leaves, and twine," she told me. "It will protect against mild weather, though severe weather will probably tear it apart. This type of tent is about the best you can do with all natural materials and no supplies from the Cornucopia. Of course, there are tent kits and the like at the Cornucopia, but this station is about how to build shelters from scratch."
I nodded, urging her on, and then she assembled a tent, just big enough for one person the worm their way into. I tried to copy it and failed miserably. A few more tries, and it was obvious I was more adept with knives than tents.
"Just keep trying!" Randasha urged, her butter yellow hair shimmering in the florescent lights.
"I...I think I'm going to go over to throwing knives," I muttered. Randasha seemed disappointed, but I walked away, rolling my eyes. Why should she be worried or feel shame? Why should she feel anything negative? She was a Capitol. She was free of the Games. They were a reality show, something enjoyed, to her. She was not a tribute, days away from entering the Games with nothing but their bare skills and knowledge and a couple of allies. She was not facing death in the perceivable future. She was free. I was not.
I arrived at throwing knives. By now, me and the trainer, Simmond, we good friends. He smiled as I arrived, but I was not in a joking mood. I swept a couple of small, serrated blades into my hand. One, two, three, they all sunk deep into the target. Simmond clapped, but that just made me even more frustrated. They should not be clapping. They should be pitying us, not urging us to become killers. I gritted my teeth and threw another, and another. I almost threw one at Simmond, just so he could feel the pain on the inside. I felt like I was bled out, yet somehow still alive. I felt utterly empty.
Rhesus called out that lunch was ready. At least two dozen knives peppered the wooden target in front of me. Simmond, who had seemed jovial before, seemed frightened. I looked down to see my hands bleeding from the blades.
I shakily walked to lunch and grabbed some napkins to press against my bloody hands. An Avox delivered some bandages, which I wrapped around my hands. Serephina and Emmer were the next to arrive. Kiera came separately from the boys, who were some of the last in. We began to eat.
"So, we should talk strategy," Kiera finally said.
"Rush to the Cornucopia, get weapons, kill as many others outside of the alliance as possible. Simple," Cephas said. We all agreed.
Ten minutes in, a shaken Cameron and a frantic Hailea entered. I wondered what that was all about.
Then, lunch was over, and it was time for the daunting private sessions.
...
Cevir Nadeem, Capitol Trainer (Scythes Station), Age 38
As soon as Cameron and Hailea were escorted out of the room, all of the trainers leaped into a frenzy. Those two tributes had been holding back on us re-arranging the training room for the sessions. Bactria, the snares trainer, and I helped pull away all of the mats along with several others. One of each weapon was arranged on a large silver rack, and miniature versions of the survival stations were set up on the outskirts of the room. The gauntlet and the ropes course remained in their spots, and a single mat for wrestling was dragged into one corner.
"District 1's coming in in 5!" Rhesus boomed over his microphone. "Hurry up with the finishing touches!"
The Gamemakers strode into the Loft, the large room that overlooked the training room. They readied their evaluation sheets as the room was finished being assembled. We all scurried into the corners and into smaller viewing rooms as the first tribute strode into the training room.
"Cephas Gold, District 1 Male!" Rhesus cried, and then the private sessions had begun.
...
A/N: Private sessions up next! YAY! After those, the interviews, and then the BLOODBATH! Sorry, I'm getting excited for the Games to start.
As always:
1. Favorite POV
2. Least favorite POV
3. Who do you think will get the highest training score?
4. Who do you think will get the lowest training score?
Alliances Reminder:
Strong and Mighty (Career-ish): Natalia, Cephas, Serephina, Dameon, Kiera, and Emmer
The Fabulous 4: Bethany, Chen, Holly, and Andrea
Ferocity: Caitlin and Bianca
Young and Free: Catherine, Cameron, Olivanna, Bison, Hailea, and Camillie
And the new one!
Water and Apples (new!): Christopher and Theodore
Also this is how the private sessions will work. There will be a POV for each tribute. The males for the odd Districts and the females for the even Districts' POVs will be at the Private sessions. The females for the odd Districts and the males for the even Districts' POVs will be watching as the score airs. At the end, I'll post a comprehensive list of all the scores. That chapter should be out quickly (I hope). Soon, I'll have a lot more free time, so chapters will gradually come out quicker.
One more thing: I've been thinking about adding quotes for each tribute during the Games. The quotes will be something they said Pre-Games. Example:
Serephina Manchas, District 2
"I wanted to be remembered."
or
Steale Boeing, District 6
"Boys who tie knots do not win the Hunger Games."
or
Cameron Spark, District 3
"All I wanted was to keep my sister safe."
Just some ideas. If you guys don't want me to do quotes, that's fine, just say so.
Until next time!
-Tracee