Deltro Litmen, District 6, 15
In the Training Center gym, all twenty-four tributes stood gathered around a small platform with a woman standing on it.
"My name is Atala," she said. "I have been the head trainer and overseer of this center for many years. As you can see around you, there are many different stations in this room. They vary from different types of weapons to the obstacle course to survival stations, which I urge you not to ignore. It's often that natural causes cause the end of a tribute's time in the arena, rather than an enemy."
That was interesting. The more that I thought about it, though, there were always a few tributes who succumbed to the arena itself. In a way, those were almost the saddest ones.
"The most important rule to remember," Atala continued, "is that fighting is forbidden here. Save it for the arena. In the meantime, we have trainers for you to spar with safely. They are all well-trained, and no doubt filled with good advice for you all. The Training Center is yours for the day."
She stepped down and walked off, quickly involving herself in a conversation with another trainer. Around me, tributes dispersed, all of them heading in different directions. As they walked past me, one caught my eye.
Fender?
He disappeared into the crowd, walking off with another tribute. I stepped toward him hesitantly. There was no way it was him. And yet, everything made sense. The hair, the skin, everything matched perfectly. He turned left, and I caught a glimpse of his face. The eyes were the same, and so was the jaw. It was as if Fender had never died, but grown up instead. The resemblance was uncanny.
I hadn't thought about Fender in years. Honestly, I had enough problems already in my life. Thinking about him just made me sad. Long before I'd met Elaine, when my mom was still struggling to kick her morphling habit, I'd spent most of my time with my best friend Fender. He was two years older than me, but he was so kind and thoughtful and funny and beautiful. If I was being totally honest with myself, he'd been my first love. He loved to play games and race around the city blocks, weaving through bystanders as his hair flew out behind him. I'd never been able to keep up.
If only I'd been able to keep up.
One night during one of our races, things went bad. I was ten years old, and he was twelve. We'd taken a wrong turn and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time- in between a shootout between one of the local gangs and Peacekeepers. The Peacekeepers thought he was with the gang and shot him in the heart. A fucking twelve-year-old kid. Just the thought of it made me nauseous. I'd only survived because he was that much faster than me- I'd been far enough back to avoid the crossfire.
It had taken years for me to put the image of him out of my head. It had taken years for me to move on from watching him die, distracting myself by throwing all of my energy into helping my mom recover. He was so afraid. And then gone forever.
And yet, here he was, standing in front of me, chatting with another tribute as they practiced fighting with their scythes.
I watched him for a long while. I knew it was creepy, but I couldn't help it. It was so surreal. Occasionally, he would smile or laugh in response to something his partner said. The number embroidered on his training shirt read 9. He swung his scythe with ease, as though it was an extension of his body.
I wanted to talk to him. I needed to talk to him. Deep down, I knew he wasn't the real Fender, but it was nice to pretend he was for a little while. I took a deep breath, my heart racing. Maybe later. Maybe at lunch? Would doing it today be too soon? Maybe I should do it tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. That seemed like a good plan. In the meantime, I could focus on my skills, so I didn't seem like a weakling by contrast.
Journie turned, and I ducked behind a pole, snapping out of it. I sighed, barely able to tear my eyes away. I needed to train.
Glowla Lush, District 1, 18
After Atala finished her speech, the trained tributes gathered 'round, making formal introductions. I'd already met Isla and Muir during the tribute parade- and unfortunately, Virgil and I were well-acquainted- but none of us had met the tributes from Two yet. We all shook hands.
"Sadie," said the girl. "From Two."
"I'm Glowla," I said, smiling. "One."
She smiled back. It struck me how pretty she was- green eyes, dark red hair, clear skin. Like me, she was pretty tall for a girl- I was 5'8", and she appeared to be the same. Her smile was friendly, and she stood tall with confidence.
I turned to her district partner. "Hi, I'm Glowla, from One," I said, shaking his hand.
"Caligula," he replied, flashing a grin. While Sadie and I were tall, we were nothing compared to this guy, who was easily over six feet tall. He was also very, very well-built; he'd clearly taken his training seriously. He was pale, with blonde hair even lighter than Virgil's, and blue eyes. It struck me how well he'd fit into One. Similarly to Sadie, Caligula practically radiated confidence.
They introduced themselves to the rest of the Careers. I reintroduced myself to Isla and Muir in the meantime. Isla gave me a smile as well, but it lacked the warmth of Sadie's. Muir was hard to get a read on… he was quiet, that was for sure. He had a good poker face. I couldn't help but wonder how he'd do at cards. And then there was Virgil… ugh.
"So, gang," said Caligula, still grinning, "any ideas? The training academy at home is nothing compared to this place."
"I'm fine with whatever," I said. "I'm not picky."
"What's that over there?" Sadie asked, pointing at the other end of the center.
I squinted. "I think that's the obstacle course."
"Race you!" said Virgil, taking off in that direction.
"Not so fast!" shouted Caligula, who took off after him. Muir quickly joined in the chase as well.
Isla wrinkled her nose. "Boys," she said scornfully.
Sadie crossed her arms. "Do we bother chasing them?" she asked.
"I think they're too far gone to catch up," I observed. Indeed, it seemed that Caligula had already arrived at the obstacle course, celebrating his victory with a rather crude victory dance.
"Oh, God," said Sadie.
"I won!" shouted Caligula. "Did you see that, Sadie?"
"I did!" she called back. Caligula punched his fist into the air.
"You only won because I let you," said Virgil. "I'll get you next time, just you wait!"
"We should probably get over there," said Sadie.
The three of us exchanged a glance and made our way over to the obstacle course to join them.
After a very… interesting lunch, during which Virgil displayed his ability to belch the alphabet forwards and backwards, we agreed to split up for the afternoon. I immediately headed over to the throwing knives, which I hadn't seen since I was in One. I'd almost missed them; along with the bow and arrow, in the Academy, I'd trained with them every day. It was comforting to get back into the routine. The Training Center's throwing knife collection was incredibly varied; there were so many shapes and sizes and materials and weights available. I selected a set that appeared similar to the ones from home, gambling that they'd work just as well.
After about ten minutes, Sadie joined me. "Hi," she said, picking out her own set.
"Hi," I said. "You like the knives too?"
"They're my happy place," she said, flipping one over in her hand.
"I assume you won't need any assistance?" said the trainer.
"Yeah, we're good," I said. Sadie nodded.
"Very well," said the trainer, backing off.
"So, what's up with you?" Sadie said casually, readying to throw her first knife.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I want to get to know you," she said. "The only person around the past few days has been Cal, and that can get boring after a while. Well, him and my Mentor, but she's crazy."
"Crazy?" I asked, readying a knife of my own. "And you and Caligula seem close."
"Yeah, she's nuts," said Sadie. "And Cal's great. We get along well, but he's such a dude sometimes, you know?"
She let her knife fly, throwing it in a smooth, familiar motion. It buried itself in the target, right in the center.
"Nice," I noted. She was good.
"Thanks," she replied.
"Makes sense," I said, returning to the conversation. "Virgil's very much a dude as well."
I threw my knife. It landed in the center of the bulls-eye. The familiarity of the motion was comforting to me. I was in my element. This was one of the few things I never needed to gamble on- I always knew I'd hit the target dead center.
"Nice," said Sadie.
"Thanks," I said.
"You two get along?" she asked, picking up another knife. "I mean, I saw the display at lunch, but what's he like?"
I rolled my eyes. "That sums him up pretty well, I think," I replied. "And we're not close. Different personalities." I picked up another knife.
"Ah," said Sadie. "I see."
"Yes," I said. "What do you do for fun?"
"Fun?" she asked, prepping to throw the next knife.
"Yes, fun," I said. "Unless you train all the time."
She threw the knife, and it landed a hair away from the first. "It takes up a lot of time," she admitted. "It's what I'm best at. Why, do you do anything else?"
"I train most of the time, but I go out at night," I said, throwing my own knife. It landed a little further from center than I would have liked, but it was still deadly.
"Could we use dummies instead?" Sadie asked the trainer. They nodded and brought two dummies over for us. Sadie turned back to me. "Cal goes out a lot too, but parties aren't really my thing."
"Oh, I'm less of a partier and more of a gambler," I said.
Sadie glanced up from her knife, cocking her head towards me and grinning. "Cool," she said. "Do you win?"
"Of course," I said, picking up another knife. "I'm good at what I do."
"So you're a risk-taker, then," said Sadie. She grinned. "I think we'll get along well."
She let the knife fly. It landed square between the dummy's eyes.
Ianto Baines, District 8, 16
I spent the morning alone, mostly at the spears station. Being able to defend myself from afar sounded great, especially since I'd already practiced my punches on Peacekeepers. It didn't take me long to get the hang of it; my arms were already pretty strong, mostly from loading band equipment. Once I got used to the motion, I just had to work on aiming.
At lunch, I grabbed some food and found an empty table. I was keen on finishing my food quickly so I could take advantage of the mostly empty Training Center. The table didn't stay empty for long, though.
Levi walked up, holding a tray of her own. She stood on the other side of the table. "Can I sit with you?"
I glanced up at her, still chewing. "Sure."
She smiled with relief, setting a tray down and taking a seat. "How was your morning?" she asked.
"Fine," I said shortly.
"Where did you go?" she asked.
"You're pretty chatty," I noted, hoping she'd take the hint.
"There's a lot to talk about," she replied.
I sighed. "Look, can I be real with you?" I asked.
She blinked. "Yes."
"Senna's full of it," I told her. "I think she's going to baby you and give you all the sponsor shit because she likes you more than me. And I don't like that."
"What?" she said. "Senna wouldn't do that."
"I disagree," I said. "She literally gave you a hug on the train."
She bristled, her cheeks reddening. "Senna doesn't baby me. She's my friend, but she's better than that. No one babies me, Ianto. Frankly, it's been a pretty shitty life for me so far, but you don't see me pouting about it like you."
"I'm not pouting!" I said. "And yeah, you've already spilled your whole life story. Poor Levi, her mom died. Big deal. My parents are dead too, and you don't see me telling the world about it!"
"I only told you because you asked," she said, her voice rising. "What else was I supposed to say? And how was I supposed to know your parents died if you didn't tell me?"
"I'm just saying we've all had a shitty time!" I said, gesturing around. "We're going into the fucking arena in, like, days! If that's not shitty, I don't know what is!"
"It is shitty," said Levi.
"Yeah," I said. "It is."
We stared at each other for a moment, silent. I smirked.
"What?" said Levi. "What are you smiling about?"
"Didn't think you had the balls to stand up for yourself," I said.
"I'm not going to just sit here and be attacked. And I don't have balls," she said. "I have ovaries. And I like them much better, thank you."
I scoffed. "You serious?"
"Yes," she said, her expression completely straight.
"God," I said under my breath. I started eating again, and Levi did the same, digging into her lunch. After another ten minutes, Levi broke the silence.
"Thanks for 'being real' with me," she said.
I shrugged. "Felt like it."
"It seems to me that everyone else around here is playing mind games, but you're not afraid to say what you think," she said.
I shrugged again. "Maybe. I dunno."
"Ianto," she said, "maybe we should stick together."
I looked up from my food. "Huh?"
"Think about it," she said. "I need an ally who won't lie to me. And you think Senna's going to give me all the sponsor gifts."
"Because she will," I said.
She sighed, but didn't argue. I knew it. "That's what you think. So, it would be mutually beneficial for us to be allies."
I considered it. She had a point. But there were a couple of things.
"I don't like to be told what to do," I said.
"Well," she said, "with every partnership comes compromise. Sometimes we'll do what you want, but sometimes we'll do what I want."
"Even if your ideas get us killed?"
"Well, no," she said. "We'll have good communication, because, as I pointed out, you prefer to 'keep it real.'"
"You really think this is a good idea?" I asked.
She nodded. "You've been 'real' with me, so I'm being 'real' with you. I think it would benefit the both of us."
"I could just kill you, you know," I said. "Then Senna would have to give me all the sponsor shit."
"You really think Senna would give you anything if you murdered me?" she asked. "Or that sponsors would donate?"
"Sponsors, yeah," I said. "But Senna…"
"She wouldn't give you anything," she said, finishing my sentence. "I'm telling you, Ianto, this is a good idea."
"I guess it does make sense," I said begrudgingly.
She thrust out her hand. "Allies?"
I shook it. "Allies."
Dale Orion-Poplar, District 12, 17
Aurelia had said to master the weapons to get more sponsors, so I headed over in that direction first. Eventually, I found myself by the small, handheld throwing axe station.
"First of all," began the trainer, "you'll need to make sure everything's safe. No one within a six-foot radius while we're practicing."
Another tribute wandered over. He was tall, well-built, a few inches taller than me, and had small, almond-shaped eyes, and thick black hair. He looked to be about my age. The number embroidered on his training uniform was a 7.
"Begin with the stance," said the instructor. "Feet shoulder-width apart. Relax your shoulders, and hold your chin steady. You'll throw from behind this blue line on the floor. We'll start you both off with the two-handed throw, which is easier for beginners."
We both nodded as we listened closely.
"I'll demonstrate," he said. "You'll get in your stance, like we've talked about. For the two-handed throw, you'll bring the axe behind your head, like you're throwing a ball," he said, demonstrating by pulling the axe behind his head.
"Then, you'll bring the axe forward and release it at eye level," he said, slowly bringing the weapon around, holding it in front of his eyes. He glanced at us, and we nodded again.
Suddenly, he brought the axe behind his head and swung it around with surprising force. Just like he'd told us earlier, he released it at eye level. The blade buried itself deep in the center of the bulls-eye.
"Make sense?" he asked, dropping the axe to rest by his side.
I nodded. The other boy nodded too.
He handed me his axe, then fetched a second for the other tribute. "You first," he said to me.
I stood with my feet behind the line, remembering the stance he'd already taught us. Gripping the handle with both hands, I brought the throwing axe behind my head.
"Lots of force," the trainer coached.
I nodded. I took a deep breath and whipped the axe out from behind my head, releasing it once I could see it. The axe hit the outer left edge of the target and clattered to the floor.
"That was good!" said the trainer. "Especially for a first attempt, good work. It didn't stay in the target because you under-rotated. Try holding on just a little bit longer next time. But don't be discouraged; that would be very dangerous to an enemy. Here, you try," he said, gesturing to the other tribute.
He nodded, copying the correct stance and bringing the axe behind his head. Quickly, he swung it around and let it fly. It landed toward the top edge of the bulls-eye, just barely sticking in the target at the top corner of the blade.
"Well done!" said the trainer. "You did the opposite of this young man here- instead of under-rotating, you over-rotated. Try loosening up a little next time. You can both get your axes, and we'll try again."
We both walked over to the side-by-side bulls-eyes. I leaned down to pick up my axe while he dislodged his from the target. As I stood back up, he nodded to me. I nodded back.
Seemed nice enough. Not too chatty, either, which I appreciated.
We walked back to the blue lines where the trainer was waiting and started again. "Now, remember what we talked about…"
We both spent about an hour at that station. Then, when we moved stations, we found ourselves both by the obstacle course. Somehow, it became unspoken that we were racing each other. I'd win one, he'd win one, it would go back and forth. Eventually, we both tired of the activity, and found ourselves at the swords together before lunch, which we also spent together.
He was clearly a formidable tribute, and according to Aurelia, so was I. Maybe he would be a good ally in the future.
For now, though, we spent the day in silence, quietly enjoying one another's company.
Parker Dillio, District 11, 16
At lunch, I found Ethan sitting alone, slouched at a table in the corner. I set down my tray and sat across from him.
"Hi," said Ethan, straightening. "Parker, right?"
I nodded and pulled out my notepad, ready to write.
"How's it going?" he asked.
I flashed him a thumbs-up.
"Cool," said Ethan.
I pointed back at him, raising my eyebrows.
"Me?" he asked.
I nodded.
"I'm fine," he replied.
I wrote a question on my notepad. U sure?
He read it and smiled faintly. "Yes, I'm fine," he assured me. "Just a lot going on right now. There's a lot to think about."
I nodded. I get that, I wrote.
"Thanks," said Ethan. "Seen any good stations so far?"
I thought for a moment before writing: I was good edible plants. Mentor told me I need 2 learn how 2 make fire tho
"I don't know a lot about edible plants," said Ethan.
I shrugged. I work in the fields, so I kno some stuff
"Oh, that's cool," said Ethan. "I've been trying to get a job for ages, but everyone keeps saying I'm too young and not strong enough."
I shook my head. Not a fun time. Only there bc I need the $
"Oh," said Ethan, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive."
I shook my head, waving him off. I didn't mind. I was glad he didn't have my problems.
"My family came into a pretty large inheritance a while back," Ethan explained. "It's all my parents care about now. My sister has been working behind our parent's backs to save up so me and her and my brother can move out and never have to see them again. I want to work with her, but they won't let me."
Wow, I wrote.
"Yeah," Ethan agreed. "It's all pretty messed up."
I thought for a moment. Is that the fam stuff u mentioned yesterday? I wrote.
He read it and sighed. "Yeah, for the most part," he said. "I know it sounds stupid, but… my parents, they're not who they used to be anymore. They're so greedy now. They've gone through three lifetimes of an inheritance in a decade, and it's definitely changed them."
I raised my eyebrows as high as they would go. That amount of money was almost unfathomable to me.
"Yeah," said Ethan. "I know. It's crazy."
4 sure, I replied. Do u get along w/ siblings?
"Yeah, yeah," said Ethan, almost smiling. "We get along great. My sister Mia's awesome. She's really cool and works hard. My brother Sebastian is pretty goofy."
That's awesome, I wrote. I bet u miss them.
"I do," said Ethan. "That's the only part I feel bad about, leaving them behind. I don't think they really understood why I did it."
I shook my head. If I was being honest, I didn't really get it either. But I felt bad for him, so I didn't write that. Instead, I wrote: That sux.
"Yeah," Ethan agreed. "What about you? Do you live with anyone?"
I took a moment to scribble out the details. Community home. The kids r nice. My friend Sienna lives there 2. I went w/ my brother when parents died.
"Oh, okay," said Ethan. "That's good, that the other kids are nice."
I nodded in agreement.
"I didn't know you have a brother," said Ethan.
I took a deep breath before explaining. Twin brother Alex. Died a month later. Hit his head.
"Oh, shit," said Ethan. "That's horrible. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I think you mentioned it yesterday, too. Shit, my bad."
I shrugged. It's OK. Getting 2 kno each other
"Thanks for forgiving me," said Ethan. "I like talking to you. You're a good listener."
Thx, I wrote. U r very patient w/ me.
"Of course," he said. "Do you mind if I join you at the fire-building station after this?"
I shook my head. Not at all.
Sienna Asher, District 12, 14
While I was struggling to master fire-building, the girl from Six came over to join me.
"Hi!" she said. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Salome. We talked yesterday."
"Of course I remember you!" I said.
"Oh, good," she said, her shoulders relaxing. "I was nervous."
"Don't be nervous," I said. "I really liked talking to you. Most of my team ignores me, so it was a welcome change."
"Your team ignores you?" she asked, sitting down next to me.
"My Mentor is from One," I said, rolling my eyes. "Her name's Aurelia, and all she cares about is Dale. She thinks he'll win because he's soooo hot."
"No way," she said, looking around. "Which one is Dale?"
"Over there," I said, pointing to a station further away from us. He was holding an axe over his head.
"The one with the dark hair, or the one with the axe?" she asked, squinting.
"The one with the axe."
She studied him for a moment. "I mean, he's pretty cute though."
"Salome!" I said.
"What? Just being honest!" she replied. "He has nice hair. And arms."
"He ignores me too," I said. "He's too busy winning Aurelia over to even say hi."
"Well, I can fix that," said Salome suddenly, a spark lighting in her eyes. She quickly got to her feet.
"Dale!" she called across the room. "Daaaaale!"
"Stop it!" I hissed. A few tributes turned to see what the commotion was all about.
The axe still in the air, he hesitated, turning over his shoulder. "Huh?"
"Salome!" I said, my cheeks burning red. I buried my face in my hands, but peeked through my fingers..
"Hi!" she called, waving at him.
"Uh, hi?" he responded, waving back. He spotted me. "Oh, hi, Sienna."
I unburied my face. "Hi, Dale."
He gave us a quizzical look, then turned back to his axe-throwing.
"Solved it!" said Salome, sitting back down.
"Did you see his face?" I asked, the heat draining from my cheeks now that the interaction had ended. It had been pretty amusing. I'd never seen any expressions from him other than 'sexy' and 'blank,' and seeing anything else was kind of funny.
"He was so confused," she said, giggling. She sat back down, still giggling.
"He was," I agreed, laughing. She started to laugh too. Every time we looked at one another, we'd start back up again, laughing until our guts hurt. My cheeks ached from smiling. After several minutes, a trainer walked over to the two of us.
"Do you two need help?" he asked.
I sobered up immediately, straightening. "Yes," I said. "I can't get it started."
Salome, still giggling, mumbled, "We need soooo much help."
I started giggling again. I just couldn't help it.
"Very well," said the trainer. "I see you've got everything set up, you just need a spark. Have you tried the flint?"
"No," I responded.
"We tried the Dale," said Salome, struggling to keep a straight face.
I burst out laughing. "That doesn't even make any sense!"
"I know!" said Salome, who started laughing again.
The trainer waited for us to calm down before continuing. "You need to spark the flint to get the flame going, and then you can add your bigger logs," he said.
"Which one is the flint?" Salome asked, peeking around. "We can do it together!"
"The metal by your foot," said the trainer. "Strike the pieces together over the tinder, and then blow on it."
"I can do that," I said.
Salome readied the flint, striking them. Nothing came of it.
"Harder," coached the trainer.
"Be strong like Dale's arm muscles," I muttered. Salome snorted.
"Focus," he said. "You can do this with a little concentration."
Salome struck the flint again, this time with much more force. A few sparks ignited and landed on the tinder I'd placed, catching fire quickly. I leapt in, blowing on it to help it get bigger. We both watched the fire spread with wonder.
"I've never made a fire before," said Salome.
I shook my head. "Me neither."
"Now, just make sure it doesn't get out of control," said the trainer. "You've done a good job of clearing the area, which will help. Now add some bigger logs to serve as fuel."
Salome and I followed his instructions, lugging a few pieces of wood and plopping them on top of our fire, which was going steady now.
"Well done!" said the trainer.
Salome clapped. "We did it!"
She stopped clapping and gave me a high-five, grinning. I grinned back, my cheeks still sore from having laughed so much.
Reese Hastings, District 9, 16
Journie suggested heading over to the scythe station first, since it was something we were both comfortable with already. I agreed- it would nice to have some familiarity in this alien environment.
"Welcome!" said the trainer, grinning broadly. "Great choice! The scythe is great for mid-range combat. I like it because it keeps your enemy at arm's length while also inflicting damage."
She spotted our uniforms. "Ah, District Nine often comes over here. I suppose you're well-versed in using this, then?"
"For harvesting," I said. "Not… fighting."
"Very well then," said the trainer. "I can teach you some skills. You'll probably pick this up pretty fast."
The trainer handed us each our own scythe, and picked up one herself for demonstrating. The wooden handle fit perfectly into the calluses on my hands, like my hands had been made to hold it.
We spent about an hour there, learning how to slice and stab and aim for the softest parts of the body. Journie spent most of the session light with some conversation and jokes, which I appreciated. It was a lot to take in. I wasn't used to using the tool this way.
After a while, Journie turned over his shoulder, squinting. "Did you see that?"
"See what?" I asked.
"I thought I saw a kid staring at us," he said, his brow furrowing.
"Really?" I asked, turning. "I don't see anyone."
"Maybe that's just me," he said offhandedly, but he didn't seem convinced.
"What did he look like?"
"He was thin, a little younger," he said.
I looked around. "There's a bunch of kids like that."
"Yeah," said Journie. "Probably nothing."
At lunch, Journie and I got to talking.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"You looked a little funny this morning," he replied. "Over by the scythes."
"Shoot, I'm sorry," I said. "Didn't mean to make you worry."
"It's okay," he said. "No need to apologize. Just wanted to see if you were okay."
"Sorry," I said.
He smiled. "There you go again."
"Shoot, I'm-"
"Reese," he said.
"Nevermind," I said. "Everything's fine. It was just weird…"
"Weird how?" he asked, taking a bite of his lunch.
"I've never used the scythe as a weapon before," I said. "I've never thought about hitting someone with it."
"Yeah, it really changes your mindset," he said. "I try to keep thinking about it like a fight, and that's been working for me."
"Well, it kind of is a fight," I said.
He shrugged. "I guess."
We both ate in silence for a few minutes. Even the training food was miles beyond anything I'd ever tasted in Nine. And here, I never had to skip meals for the younger ones.
"Got any family back home?" I asked after a while. I didn't like to be idle.
He brightened, straightening his posture. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
I smiled. Just seeing him happy made me feel better. "What are they like?"
"They're my soft spot, you know? They're all I have," he said. "Without them, I would've lived a totally different life. Y'see, I was abandoned when I was little, and the Teffs took me in and gave me their name. I wear it with pride. They're the best people I've known."
"That's awesome," I said. "They sound like wonderful people."
"They are," he agreed.
"Any siblings?"
"Yeah, a bunch," he replied.
"How many?"
"Five," he said. "Melli, Honor, Pleasant, True, and Miracle. I know, it's a lot. But I love 'em."
"I think I've got you beat," I said.
"Why, how many you got?" he asked.
"Well, I'm the oldest, and then there's Cyrus, the triplets, Melody, Evanna, and Sierra, Terry, Aurora, the twins, Landon and Cassidy, and then Emmett," I said, counting on my fingers. "So… nine siblings. Ten total."
"That's crazy!" said Journie. "How do you keep track of all that?"
"It's not so bad," I said. "Everyone's got their own personality and all. And they're the only ones I really spend time with."
Journie shook his head. "That's crazy," he repeated. "Does everyone get along?"
"For the most part," I said. "Some better than others."
"Wow," he said, still processing. "And you're the oldest?"
"Mmm-hmm," I said, taking another bite of my food.
"I can't imagine," he said.
We both finished our food pretty quickly after that.
"Want to try some different stations now?" he asked. "Maybe something less aggressive?"
I smiled. "That would be great," I said.
Chaney Hallows, District 7, 15
Toward the end of the day, after I'd cycled through several of the wilderness survival stations, I found myself standing among the weapons. Acadia had told me I needed to be able to defend myself at the bare minimum, but the thought of picking up a weapon again made me cringe.
I wandered through the stations in a daze, barely able to look at the assortment of killing objects.
A trainer called out to me. "Are you looking for something to do, young lady?"
I turned to see a man standing by some targets. I'd seen Travis over here earlier, though I wasn't sure what he'd been doing. Even now, I couldn't see what the weapons were- he was blocking the table where they sat.
"Yes," I said hesitantly.
"Well, come on over!" he said, beckoning me. "I don't bite, I promise. Everyone should learn self-defense, especially for the Games."
"Okay," I said, walking over.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Chaney," I said.
"Well, nice to meet you, Chaney," he replied. "Mind if I show you these throwing axes today?"
My breath caught as he stepped aside, revealed the table of weapons. There were axes of every shape and size, every material imaginable. The metallic ones caught the light, casting patterns on the ceiling. My stomach twisted just looking at them.
"Um…" I said, not sure how to decline. This wasn't a good idea.
"You don't have to throw them if you don't want to," said the trainer. "I can just show you some moves to keep yourself safe."
I froze. Maybe he had a point? The trainer took this as an invitation to pass me a small, light, handheld axe. I held it far away from my body, trying to keep my breathing steady.
"Don't worry," he said, noticing my apprehension. "This blade was dulled for training. It's not meant to be thrown."
I exhaled, trying to relax. I could see my hands quivering.
"Now, the danger of any weapon is that it'll be used against you," he began. "Since you're on the smaller side, you'll want to wait and use your opponent's momentum against them. When I move, I reveal weak spots that you can take advantage of."
I couldn't take my eyes off the axe.
"For example," he said, "if I were holding a weapon above my head, like this- look here-"
I tore my eyes from the blade, watching him raise his fists above his head.
"This would be the perfect time to aim for my chest," he said. "Right between the ribs is a good spot. Honestly, any spot on the torso would be very damaged from a hit like that. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
I nodded, unable to do anything else.
"Try it," he said, still holding his hands in the air.
I shook my head violently. "I can't."
"You sure?" he asked. "When it comes down to it, it's you or them. Go on, give it a try."
I swallowed, hard. I lifted the dulled axe and placed it gently on his sternum.
"See?" he asked. "Not so bad. Now, you can apply that principle-"
I dropped the axe. "I think I'm going to be sick," I said, feeling my lunch rise within me.
"What?"
I clapped my hand over my mouth and ran to the bathroom, unable to hold it back anymore. I didn't leave the bathroom for the rest of training.
That night, after the others had all gone to sleep, I stayed up, tossing and turning in my bed. Part of me was tired. Exhausted, actually. But I dreaded the dreams coming back, especially after practically reenacting that horrible night in training today. Alyvia's words kept ringing in my ears, and I couldn't block her out.
"What are you doing? What's that in your hand? Wait… what are you doing with that? Chaney, please, no, think about this, I love you so much, Chaney, oh God, please, listen to me, we can talk about this, please please please don't please no God please Chaney please…"
Eventually, I got up and left my room in search of a hot drink. Maybe that would calm me down. That's what my mom always gave me when I had trouble sleeping when I was little. Maybe it would work again.
To my surprise, though, I wasn't the only one up. Near the table, in what Aphrodite had called the entertainment room, Acadia sat on the couch, looking out the window at the lights of the city. She had a blanket across her lap.
"Acadia?" I asked.
She turned at the sound of my voice, surprised to see me. "Hi, Chaney," she said. "Everything okay?"
I shrugged. "Just wanted a drink."
"I was just making some hot cocoa, if you wanted some," said Acadia.
I nodded. "That would be nice, thanks."
"I'll go get it," she said. "Be right back."
She pulled off the blanket and headed into the small kitchen. I wasn't sure why it was there; the Avoxes brought everything you could ever want when you asked for it. Although, I supposed the apartment was so large, they had to do something with the space.
After a moment, she returned, carrying two mugs. She handed me one and sat back on the couch, pulling the blanket back over her legs.
"Thanks," I said.
"Come on, sit," said Acadia. "Can't sleep?"
"No," I said, hesitating.
"If you want to talk about it, well, I've got nothing else going on," she said, gesturing around.
I studied her for a moment. She was only a few years older than me, but she seemed so much more than that. Maybe it was the bags under her eyes or the way she always seemed ready to bolt, but the way she spoke was beyond her years. I realized that if anyone, maybe she would understand.
I sat down on the giant couch. Acadia took a sip of her hot cocoa. I tested mine with my tongue- still too hot for me.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked.
"Sure," she said. "What's up?"
I hesitated. "So… in the arena…"
"Yes," said Acadia.
"You had to, you know…" I trailed.
Her face softened. "Kill?"
I nodded, my stomach twisting again. "Do you ever stop thinking about it?"
She took another sip of her hot cocoa and looked back out the window. The lights of the Capitol were fairly visible from the seventh floor, and they were almost like stars in the night landscape.
"Sometimes," she finally said. "Some days are better than others."
"Even after a year?" I asked.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I didn't enjoy it, but I did what I had to do. I still remember their faces. And I remember the ones who I saw die, too."
I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. "So it never goes away?" I asked, disappointed.
"It gets better," she said slowly. "It's hard to deal with, but I'm grateful to still be here. It'll be hard in the arena, but you can do it, Chaney. You just have to keep going."
"Oh," I said, disappointed. Alyvia will haunt me forever.
Not that I don't deserve it…
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine," I said, waving her off. "I think I'm just tired. A lot has been happening."
"Of course," she said, watching me stand up. "I hope you sleep well."
"Thanks," I said, knowing I never would. "You too."
*And that's the first day of training! How did you like it? I've said it before, but I love writing these interactions! I hope you guys love reading them :)
Hope you're all doing well during this stressful time of year, and I'll see you next time with day two of training!
-r-b*