Altaïr Muhammed, 12, District 9 Male
I'm becoming a little overwhelmed by how many things there are to do here. Part of me just wants to goof off and play around at some of the easier stations, but the thought of dying a preventable death because I didn't have the right skills terrifies me. This isn't just something I can cruise through, unless I have a deathwish. If I genuinely wanted to survive, I had to focus and take advantage of these precious few days of training.
So far, most of the outlier tributes have steered clear of the weapons stations, because they're overtaken by the Careers. I've always wondered why they never even bother to try a survival station. Were they already taught those things at their Academy? I honestly doubt it, because the moment the Careers' supplies got blown up in the 74th, they were dumbfounded. Guess things get a bit more challenging when a competition isn't played on Easy Mode. I, for one, know I will probably be playing these Games on the highest possible difficulty because I have literally no survival skills aside from parkouring. Reading and playing video games has no use in the arena, sadly.
Finally, after almost all day and with only an hour or so left training, the Careers migrated to the gauntlet. Seizing the opportunity, I slink over to the weapons before somebody could beat me there.
There are more weapons in this Training Center than I've seen in real life, but much to my disappointment, not a lot of them come close to the weapons in my favorite video game. They're all sleek and shiny, perfect to the last detail. There's no wear in the metal, scratches on the hilts, or any kind of old-world feel whatsoever.
I finally settle for a simple machete blade that's light enough for me to carry, and although it's not my hidden blade, it will have to do.
I aggressively slice through the paper skin of the dummies, their purple blood splashing onto my face and the ground. I aim for the neck of another one, trying to saw its head off but only succeeding in slicing the carotid artery. After a few minutes I grow bored and put the weapon back.
Nerezza is atop the rock wall, grinning below at training tributes. I wave up at her and she doesn't respond. I'm sure she feels like she is a goddess looking down on us weakling humans. I wonder if her supernatural powers will do her any good in the arena. That's the only place where things really matter.
Just the thought of the arena is enough to make my stomach turn, so I sit at a nearby bench, observing my surroundings.
Nerezza finally notices me and looks down, cackling. I just smile back at her, amused by her behavior. She is not what one would call a normal girl, whatever normal means, she is far from it. She isn't even weird, because that would be an understatement. My partner looks typical enough, her youthful black curls and delicate face making her appear as any other teenager from 9, but her declarations of not being human were enough to convince me Nerezza was not just 'any other teenager'.
"Soon, I'll be returning to my home realm," Nerezza said listlessly at breakfast one day, out of nowhere when silence was beginning to overtake the meal.
"What does that mean?" Jennetta demanded to know, just as confused as the rest of us. When Nerezza just returned a calculating grin, we didn't know whether to be amused or scared.
I personally find it funny to be partnered with a girl that has a goddess complex. She makes me feel a little less strange by comparison. While Nerezza has not proposed an alliance yet, I'm not sure how willing I'd be to take it. I think the both of us are better off going it alone, even though a twelve-year-old loner probably has horrifically low chances of making it far.
Do I even want to make it far? I'm not going to win, obviously, so what's the point in making it so far in such a crappy contest?
As I'm beginning to doze off, the girl from 8, Esther, sees me sitting by myself and waves at me. I wave back, momentarily questioning if she was even waving to me at all, but then she begins to approach.
"Hi! Are you training alone?" Esther asks me. I nod, chuckling.
"Yep, I'm a loner."
Esther giggles. "I'm training with Garrett, if you want to come join us. I hate to see someone by themselves." Shrugging, I take Esther up on her offer and join her and Garrett at the shelter building station.
Garrett introduces himself to me, and although he is a year older than me, he looks no older than eleven.
"As you can see, we are building our dream home," Garrett jokes as he points to a rather pathetic-looking twig and moss hut that probably wouldn't hold against a slight breeze.
"Go ahead, make yourself at home," Esther offers. "I did the interior. I'm kind of a designer, as you can see."
I grimace as I try to fit myself into the awkwardly tight space, and even my smaller self is having to curl up in order to not kick down the structure. I give Esther and Garrett a thumbs up before Esther leaves and comes back with a bucket of water.
"What's that for?" I question, already feeling nervous. Esther gives a giddy smile.
"We have to test if it will hold in a storm!" she answers. Garrett nods in agreement, folding his arms.
"Wait! I'm not-"
Before I can protest I'm splashed with a torrent of water, the shelter offering no protection whatsoever from the 'storm' Esther has thrown onto me. I shriek the shock from the coldness, my clothes already soaked. I scramble to my feet, destroying the roof of the shelter in the process.
Esther and Garrett are bellowing with laughter, and soon I find myself joining in with them, not finding the point in taking this situation too seriously. During these last few days, laughter might be the only way to stop myself from crying about the fact that I'll probably be in a coffin soon.
Alysanne Audren, 17, District 6 Victor
I have never liked the feeling of being stared at by strangers, but it's something I'll have to grow accustomed to as a Victor. People whisper and smile, even wave when they pass by me. Some ask for a picture but their request is usually denied. It's not unheard of to see Victors at a place like this, trying to pull as many sponsors as they can for their desperate tributes. However, as the Games haven't started yet, people are here for a different purpose.
All the Capitolites who pack the betting stands are desperate to fork over their probably not hard-earned money to see if they can cash out on which poor kid survives the slaughter. Although most save their bets until the private sessions scores are posted, a few early birds eagerly line up to get their picks in.
Lancia and I are sitting near a fountain with my mother, with a few people surrounding us, watching with admiration. Thankfully, they are not bothering us too much, probably afraid of being told to go away.
"People are really liking Indy," Lancia informs me as we sit casually near the center of the hall, observing the scenery. "They're thinking he's going to give District 6 a back-to-back win."
"Have we ever had that?" I question, searching in my mind for all the times District 6 has won. In the first century, it was not many, but getting the entire district cleaner and less plagued by drugs has ensured more Victors.
Lancia shakes her head. "I don't think so."
"People shouldn't forget about Aston," I point out, triggering a few nods of agreement from the curious Capitolites sitting nearby. They begin to refer to Aston as a 'dark horse' and say she could probably get very far if she played her cards right.
"She's tiny and mysterious!" Mother chirps. "As long as she avoids those nasty Careers, she will be just fine."
"Aston will need sponsors, though," Lancia points out. "She won't be able to rely on just luck."
"I probably wouldn't have survived without the matches you sent me," I say to Mother in a nearly inaudible voice. My mind flashes back to those woods, with its overpowering trees and powerful breezes. I had been spooked and afraid since Carson's neck was snapped right in front of me, Ethen's cold eyes staring at me as he cackled. I'm glad my body shook off the complete shock washing through my veins at seeing my friend die, and gave me just enough adrenaline to flee to the cabins.
Locking myself in a cabin for two days was pretty damaging to my mental health, as all I had to do was marinate in the memories of what I'd experienced in the Games so far. Finally, when the Beta-Careers had finished battling bear mutts, they decided to come back for me.
As I watched them approach through the window of the cabin, something suddenly appeared in the fireplace in a large puff of smoke. A silver box that is usually attached to a parachute from the sky, but as to not give up my location, they had kindly sent it to the fireplace inside my shelter.
Wood burns fast, especially here. Come home, sweet child!
-Your Mother
I was surprised that the note in the sponsor gift was from Alyssa and not Lancia. I knew what she meant when she said wood burned. My cabin was made of wood, and so were the many trees that nestled it.
"Break down the door!"
My entire body was wracked with fear when Andover kicked down the door with little effort, although I had already snuck out of the cabin through breaking the skylight. Gasoline, which I siphoned from an abandoned trailer nearby, soaked the planks. It was all too easy to toss the match back inside, and the blast threw me several feet forward and deafened me for several seconds. The hearing in my right ear never came back at all.
Although I couldn't hear them, I could still feel the cannons of Phoenix, Amber, Andover and Larissa. What I could also feel was the flames that spread from my explosion throughout the entire forest.
All I could give was a silent apology to the trees and any other tributes still in the woods as I ran. I probably could have been spared from the worst of the nightmares of that day, if not for the fact that Ethen, the only survivor of the explosion, has his horribly burned face permanently etched into my mind.
A notification from my cell phone snaps me from my thoughts. It's from Lacey.
'Hey you won't believe this, meet me on the roof I have something to tell you!'
Sighing, I excuse myself to make my way to the top floor garden that I've been taking a lot of refuge in these past few days.
Lacey is waiting for me, holding something behind her back.
"Look what was found in Esther's room." Lacey shows me a glittery medallion with a moon emblem. I gasp at the sight, instantly fascinated by the object.
"What is it?" I whisper as I hold it in my hands. Lacey shrugs.
"An Avox found it while making her bed. That's just like the half moon images that the leaker sent me. I think I'm beginning to sense a theme..." I try to hand it back to Lacey and she shakes her head in refusal.
"I don't want that thing, it's probably bad luck!" Lacey cries. I stare back down at it, still entranced.
Lacey goes on to explain that she thinks the medal and the moon images from the Gamemaker's files has to do with an element of the Games, also pointing out the moon symbols on the tribute's training clothing.
"That doesn't mean this thing is bad news," I point out to her. "In fact, it might be a good thing." I tell Lacey. She still begs me to take the medal, and I tell her I'll keep it.
"I told you these Games were going to be weird. We have only a few days, Aly, we have to figure out how we can help our kids, because between you and me, I think this year is going to suck even more than usual." Her voice is wracked with fear, even though neither of us know the severity of the strangeness these Games could ensue.
"I mean, what's a couple of moons?" I assure her. "It might just mean the arena is an eternal night time. We don't know for sure."
As if on cue, the painted colors across the sky begin to fade as the moon and stars begin to slowly light up. I begin to pity the poor tributes, who are already down to only a few more sunsets in their entire life.
I was going to post yesterday but it was my little brother's birthday! Lucky duck got a new car.