"I wanted to spend more time learning things that would be useful while I'm in the arena. Weapons training wasn't on the top of my list." I said, trying to get the interview back on track.
"Do you have weapons training?" Caesar asked.
"Yes, I do, but it wasn't a priority. I wanted to learn things that would be more useful, and weapons training was not at the top of the list." I said.
Caesar and I had a staring contest, and I cracked a smile waggled my eyebrows. Caesar looked at me, and then looked out over the crowd as he reacted, which in turned drew a response from the crowd.
"So, tell me how you did it. Earned the score of eleven." he said.
"I'd love to, but I don't want to spoil the surprise before entering the arena. Just know that it was something that I was hiding for the right moment, and it will most likely show up during the Games." I said.
At that moment, the buzzer rang, and my three minutes were up. I walked back to my chair and took a seat.
"This should be fun." Indigo said, as she walked by.
"You can handle it." I said.
There was nothing of note from Indigo's interview, not that it was Indigo's fault, and it was pretty uninspiring for the rest of the tributes. I was beginning to wonder what President Snow thought of my interview. I mean, the man was looking directly at me during it.
At that moment, after the male tribute from District 12 was took his seat, we all stood as the anthem began to play and the Capitol Seal appeared on the screens behind us. I looked over at Coral, and she looked away. I happened to make eye contact with the boy from 1, and he just winked at me.
That was most likely him making known that I—officially—have a target on my back. The question was how were going to attack me. I probably need to get some supplies and get out of dodge. I thought.
As the anthem finished playing, the tributes all filed off of the stage. As we were waiting for an elevator, Orna approached me, but we were in an area where no one could see us talking. That and the crowd was harassing the stylist, the mentors, and other tributes.
"What's the plan?" Orna asked.
"The boy from 1 winked at me." I said.
"Which means that you have to get away from the Cornucopia really quickly tomorrow. Anything I should do?" she asked.
"Get supplies, get Indigo, and get as far away from the Cornucopia before meeting up." I said.
"Indigo? Why her?" she asked.
"She has taken a liking to you. And I figured she would be better off with you than me. If there is a body of water that is where I'm going to be hanging out at." I said.
As I finished speaking Orna's stylist came collected to her and spirited her away. I turned to see Mags approaching.
"How'd I do?" I asked.
"The crowd loved you, even President Snow was intrigued by your performance." she said.
"That's putting it mildly." I said as I rolled my eyes
"You looked at Snow during the interview." she said.
There was a moment of silence, and then I said. "And."
"Nobody saw it, but you seemed agitated. Want to discuss it?" she asked.
"Ask me tomorrow when we're alone." I said.
"Why?" she asked.
"I heard a rumor that Snow had his eye on me." I said.
"His…eye…on you." she said.
"I can't say anymore than that. Just know that if Snow were to get his hand on me, a lot of people in the Capitol are going to die." I said.
Mags gave me an odd look but said. "Let's head up. Dinner will be ready within the hour."
Amethyst, Jade, Cabe, Chrysan, Mags, Coral and I all crammed onto the elevator, which was a tight fit, but we made it work.
"Got get changed and relax. Tomorrow is a big day." Chrysan said.
That's putting it mildly. I thought.
Coral and I head to our rooms, get a shower, get a fresh change of clothes, and then head back out. The adults were all gather around the television. By the time we descended the stairs dinner was being served. We all gather around the table taking our seats. Coral sat across from me, and her eyes seemed lifeless, albeit she smiled from ear to ear. If I had guess, Orna was her first target as a means to punish me for my indiscretion. Indiscretion for what though? I didn't approach Orna, Orna approached me. Then again, Orna is an enigma. So, Orna's death could be for any number of reasons.
Women are so fickle that it's becoming a severe pain to deal with them, but thus is the game of life. I thought.
Dinner was a lively affair again, I commented here and there, but I was thinking about the conversation with Mags and the coming massacre. I'm willing to bet that Snow couldn't have dreamed that his secret weapon was about to be a killer. Which in turn means, if necessary, I won't hesitate to kill the person if I had to. Even if I survive the Games, it's still a chilling thought to cross my mind.
About the time the six course was being served, Jade got my attention. "What's on you mind, Finnick?" Jade asked.
"Not much, just thinking of the days of training, and how much it's going to be useful the moment I step off that plate." I said.
"Got a question for you." Chrysan said.
Before Chrysan spoke I saw him, Coral and I shared a look. Orna specific question incoming. I thought.
"Shoot." I said.
"The entire city is wondering about you and Orna. Care to talk about?" Chrysan asked.
I rubbed my neck as if it had suddenly become stiff, but I used it as an excuse to look at Mags. She didn't nod, but Mags motioned with a hand signal that I had seen her use once before. It took me a moment to decipher what it meant and answered.
"Even I'm not sure what's going on with Orna. She approached me first and kept talking to me." I said.
"So, these past three days were her doing. That it?" Chrysan asked.
"I wanted to learn survival skills: build a fire, edible plants and the obstacle course. Interacting with Orna was her idea. I was just trying to learn the necessary skills before entering the arena." I said.
Jade cut in and pulled the conversation from me and Orna. The conversation was steered from me as the plates were being collected and dessert was being served. I'm starting to wonder what the rumors that are spreading around the city because of Orna's interactions with me. Orna was a different girl compared to all the others, but I even don't know the extent of it. Now I may never know either, and is that disturbing. Then again, I could be over thinking it, and reading into it.
After dessert we gathered around the television and waited an hour before it turned on. It was a recap of the interviews. Nothing stood out to me—that's a lie. I noticed that Indigo has a soft spot for Orna, and amazingly I missed it the first time, albeit I told Orna that fact after the interviews were. Nothing about the rest of the tributes stood out to me.
After the interviews, the Capitol Seal appeared on the screen and then anthem began to play.
"Go head and get some shut eye. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." Cabe said.
That was the first time Cabe spoke to both of us since the opening ceremonies.
"See you later." Coral said, and then got up to leave.
I didn't react, but I didn't miss the hastiness of Coral's exit. I happen to see Chrysan, and Amethyst share a look, while Jade and Cabe were talking about some topic that I didn't catch.
"Good night, love." Mags said, in her deep southern accent.
"Good night, sweetheart." I said, and then head to bed.
As I'm heading to my room, I think on he relationship that I had developed with Mags. Mags calling my love, and me calling Mags by her nickname to some people might it seem odd or strange, but when you look at the age difference between the two of us it is nothing more than a grandmother and grandson talking. Except for the part where I call her sweetheart. That's not creepy at all. I thought, but somehow, I haven't gotten pulled aside by any of the other adults and given a stern talking about it.
As I enter my room, I head to my dresser and pull out some sleepwear, change clothes, and then crawl into bed. I prepare myself for the coming conversation with Mags, but I was disappointed when I woke in the morning.
"Rise and shine Finnick." a female voice said.
I knew even before I opened my eyes that it was Jade and resigned myself for what was ahead. The conversation that I was supposed to have with Mags will have to happen after the Games, and somehow, I figure Snow will realize who I am during the Games
"Put this on." Jade said, handing me a slip.
I strip down to my underwear and then pull the slip on. Jade walks me to the elevator which was waiting for us. Jade pressed the button for the roof.
I didn't know this elevator went to the roof. I thought.
As we stepped out onto the roof, a hovercraft was leaving the roof heading to the arena. I wasn't able to see who the tribute was; not that it mattered anyways. The moment I approached the edge of the roof, a hovercraft appeared out of thin air. The rear hatch opened, and a ladder lowered. I was a little taken back by the situation because the hovercraft wasn't over the roof. I looked at Jade, and she nodded her head. I reach out and grab the ladder. The moment my second foot rested on the ladder, a current surged through my body, freezing me in place as the ladder lifted me up into the hovercraft.
The moment the ladder locks into place a woman in a white lab coat approaches me with a hypodermic needle. "I have to inject you with tracking device so we can keep tabs on you in the arena. The more you remain motionless the easier it will be for me to inject it." she said.
You do realize that I frozen in place, right? I have no control over my body at the moment. I thought.
After the woman injected the tracker into my arm, the current was cut and I was able to step off the ladder, and then Jade came board. Jade and I found a seat, and then waited for the hovercraft to land down at the arena. It was a thirty-minute ride from the time we left the training tower to moment the hovercraft landed at the catacombs beneath the arena. When we entered the room with my launch tube, I saw a table with a small spread. I approached the table and ate my fill.
"The uniform will be in ten minutes, and then you have another thirty minutes before you have to step into the tube." Jade said.
I wasn't really paying attention before, but I got a better look at Jade now, and saw that she removed a lot of her alterations—not alterations. Body piercings. Jade removed most of her body piercings and repaired the damage from having them in so long. A few scars here and there, but Jade looks ten times better now.
Ten minutes passes, and there is a knock at the door. I was nibbling on a blueberry muffin when Jade opens the door and I see a man holding a box. Jade takes the box from the man and shuts the door. Jade walks over to one of the chairs by the table and sets the box down. Jade removes the lid and pulls the uniform out. I take one look at the material and realize that I my wish has been granted.
"Judging by the material it's waterproof but has significant insulation." she said.
"Which can mean only one thing." I said.
"That it's a water arena." she said.
"Yes, and it means that Coral and I—plus any of the other tributes that can swim—have an edge." I said.
"How did you get your score anyways?" she asked.
"Ask me again when we're not in Capitol territory." I said, and then removed the slip and pulled the uniform on.
"How does it feel?" she asked.
"Feels great." I said, as I finished zipping up my uniform. I grab another sandwich.
I know how this works. I eat my fill as I wait to enter the arena, and I seemed to have gained a little weight from my time here in the Capitol. Now let's just see if I can put it to good use.
There was two minutes left before I had to step into my tube. I see that the time is nine fifty-eight, and then Games will be starting in two minutes. I board the tube mentally preparing myself for what is to come. My mind returns to what my dad said about how I was altered to survive most wounds. The only wounds that I can come up with that can put me down is head trauma, or getting my head cut off, which is a fascinating thought.
"Are you ready?" Jade asks, after I stepped into the tube.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I said, and then a glass door slides into place.
I heard Jade knock on the glass. I look at her, and she motioned for me to hold my head high smile. I get the message and the playboy comes back. I can't let my adoring fans now that I've lost my nerve. The elevator begins to lift me up into the arena, and I already smell the salt in air. I have to cover my eyes from the blinding light of sun. Even though it's not real, the light is still blinding. The moment my eyes adjust I can see the arena in its entirety. It's a coastal plain south of the Cornucopia. One side of the plains had a fishing settlement of sorts next to it. And on the other side of the plains is a small, forested area.
Did President Snow have input on how the arena was going to be made? This practically the same setup as District 4. I thought, and then I started to wonder what's really going on here.
