Chapter Twenty-Nine.
Private Sessions.
The final day of training ends with our private sessions. We each get fifteen minutes before the Gamemakers to amaze them with our skills, but I don't know what any of us might have to show them. There's a lot of kidding about it at lunch. What we might do. Sing, dance, strip or tell jokes. The female morphling decides she's just going to take a nap. I don't know what I'm going to do. Throw some knifes, I guess. Finnick said to surprise them if we could but I'm fresh out of ideas.
As the female from District 4, I'm scheduled to go eighth. The dinning room slowly gets quieter, many tribute simply chat to each other before their names are called. I wish Wiress good luck after she is called. And then it's Finnick who rubs the back of my neck before exiting the room leaving me alone. Non of the victors who leave don't return. All I can think of is how they only have a matter of days to live but then on glancing around, I wonder how the hell am I going to kill these people.
"Anastasia Hollern, report for individual assessment." a formal high-pitched males voice spoke over the speaks. I remove myself from my seat to walk through the room to the exit, on my way several tributes call to wish me good luck. A male Avox escorts me into the gymnasium before crossing the room to stand at the exit elevator I will take to leave once I am finished or dismissed.
The energy in the room is completely different to last year where the Gamemakers actually looked interested in me whereas this time, most are half way to being completely drunk and more interested in the display of food than me. I try to catch Plutarch Heavensbee's eye, but he seems intentionally ignoring me as he has the entire training period. I remember how he sought me out for a dance, how pleased he was to show me the mockingjay on his watch. His friend manner has no place here. How could it, when I'm a mere tribute and he's Head Gamemaker? So powerful, so removed, so safe...
Suddenly, I am enraged by him and decide what I'm going to do which will blow anything the other tributes have and will do out of the water. I dash over to the knot-tying station and get a length of rope. I start to manipulate it but it's hard because I've never made this actual knot before, I have only watched Finnick's clever fingers and they moved so fast. After about ten minutes, I've come up with a respectable noose. I drag one of the target dummies out into the middle of the room and using some chinning bars, hang it so it dangles by the neck. Tying its hands behind it's back would be a nice touch but I think I might be running out of time. I hurry over to the camouflage station, where some of the other tributes will no doubt be visiting in these sessions. I find a container of blood-red berry juice that will serve my needs. The flesh-coloured fabric of the dummy's skin makes a good, absorbent canvas. I carefully finger-paint the words on it's body, concealing the Gamemakers from view. Then I step away quickly to watch the reaction on the Gamemakers' faces as they read the name on the dummy.
Seneca Crane.
The effect on the Gamemakers is immediate and so much more satisfying then I originally thought. Several let out small shrieks. Others lose their grips on their wine glasses, which shatter musically against the ground. Two seem to be considering fainting but the look of shock is unanimous. Now I have Plutarch Heavensbee's attention. He stares steadily at me as the juice from the peach he crushed in his hand runs through his fingers. Finally, the man clears his throat, "You may go now, Miss Hollern."
I give a very respectful bow before looking up at Plutarch once last time and he appears to be holding back a grin. Without giving him any more of my time, I turn and go out but at the last moment I cannot resist the urge to toss the container of berry juice over my shoulder. I can hear the contents splatter against the floor and hear a few more wine glasses break. As the elevator doors close before me, I see no one has moved.
That surprised them, I think. It was rash and dangerous and no doubt I will pay for it ten times over. But for a moment, I couldn't care less and I feel something close to happiness and I let myself savour it.
A/N: Anastasia has always been prone to acting before she thinks. Punching Iris during the training sessions of her first Games and now this, do you think her actions where childish and stupid? Review!
