Here's a new chapter! Enjoy!
District 4: Marine Grey, Age 16
Nightmares plague my sleep the day before the private sessions.
I'm standing in the arena, holding a bloodied sword in my hand. I look down and see the girl from five at my feet, a hole through her heart. I realize suddenly that I've killed her. I watch in horror as her skin begins to peel off, leaving behind a charred and battered skeleton of what was once a human. I jump back, surprised, as the skeleton gets to its feet, and before I have time to realize what I'm doing, I'm running, running, running…
The scene changes. I'm lying on a large, comfy bed, draped in layers of thick and silky cloth. I hear a door creak over beside me, and I glance over. My eyes widen in shock as six skeletons walk through the door. They grab my arms and legs and lift me up, despite my screaming and kicking. They exit the door and I find that we're standing in a graveyard. Twenty three graves stand scattered around the yard, though some seem to have been dug up… from the inside. There's a sinking realization in my gut as I realize that these are the graves of the tributes in the 48th Hunger Games. The six that carry me now must be the ones I've killed. I'm so absorbed in this realization that I barely notice where the skeletons are taking me until they suddenly deposit me in a large hole. I find myself falling, falling, falling…
The scene changes again. This time I'm back in the arena, inside the Cornucopia. The five other Careers are with me, but as I stare at them, they begin to change. Their skin turns to orange fur, and large fangs start growing out of their mouth. Before I know it, five golden beasts are surrounding me, creeping closer to where I sit, cornered against the golden wall of the Cornucopia. They have glowing red eyes, and they growl with the force of twenty lions. Finally they pounce, and I find myself being torn to shreds…
I gasp and open my eyes. It was just a dream. Oh, thank God, it was all just a dream. I let out a huge sigh of relief and swing my legs over the bed I'm lying on. I stare around myself for a moment, and it suddenly crosses my mind that I'm in my room. That's weird. Shouldn't I be in the Capitol?
A voice enters my mind. It's… It's Tom. The boy from District 8. He murmurs in my ear, whispers of sadness and torture. Another voice soon joins him, and then another, and another, until suddenly 23 different people fill my mind. They shout at me, some crying out for mercy, others screaming for revenge.
"Please, don't." The boy from 6 whimpers. "It's so dark here, so cold. Please, spare me!"
"So this is the girl who volunteered for these games." Hisses Scorpius, his voice like that of a snakes; cold and harsh. "You've brought this torture upon yourself."
"Hey, look!" Yells Kala. "Here's the one who killed me! Let's get her!"
I shake my head, trying to get them to go away, to shut up, to just stop for a moment. But they don't. They get louder, and louder, and louder…
Then there's silence. Nothing but quiet. I lean back, resting in the peace, smiling with contempt. But then I notice where I am and I panic. I'm… in a coffin. I'm dead.
Without trying, I can feel myself drifting up, turning to dust and floating away from the large white structure I've been placed in. I fly through layers and layers of dirt until I'm finally thrust into the sky. There, I see a family in front of my gravestone- my family. The looks on their face show nothing but disappointment. My father looks up, scowling when he sees me, and says, "I told you not to volunteer. Getting 24th place, the first killed in the bloodbath… it's embarrassing, really. You've shamed our family, you know. I hope you're happy."
Everything goes dark.
I wake up with a gasp and look around. It takes me a moment to get a hold of my surroundings, but I let out a breath of happiness when I discover I'm back in my room in the Capitol. I'm okay. None of that was real. Still, that dream was… really disturbing. I hope it's not a look into the future. That wouldn't bode well for me.
As I think about this, it suddenly hits me what today is. The Private Sessions. A grin spreads across my face and I leap out of bed, trying to shake off last night's nightmare.
Let's go kick some butt.
District 1: Blaze Hale, Age 17
"Blaze Hale!" The speaker overhead calls. I sigh and stand from my seat. Being from District 1, I have to be the very first tribute to perform my skills for the Gamemakers, so the pressure's on to kick things off with a bang. I can't screw up. I need to get a good score to impress the Capitol and gain some sponsors. I never wanted this, but now that I'm in the Hunger Games, I have to win. For Platinum.
"Good luck." Ariana whispers to me as I pass her. I smile and thank her before leaving.
I enter the auditorium, the door behind me banging shut with a metallic clang. Out of the corner of my eye, I'm aware of every single Gamemaker staring in my direction, waiting to see what I'm going to do. I take a deep breath and begin.
I've been preparing my routine for weeks now, even before I volunteered. I walk to the spears station, making sure to keep a cocky expression on my face, and pick up one of the weapons on the rack. I weigh it in my hand for a moment before launching it at the dummy facing me. It sticks in its chest.
I spare a glance upwards and see that most of the Gamemakers seem impressed by my skill so far. It gives me a boost of confidence, and I continue to chuck spears, most of them landing in fatal spots. Once, I completely miss, and I hear someone snicker. Anger boils in my chest, and I'm tempted to say something to them, but I decide to keep quiet. Back home, I would never let that slide. But here… Saying something bad to the Gamemakers could cost you a good score.
After the dummy has been peppered with holes, I move on to the edible plants station. Most of the Careers focus entirely on weapons in their training and don't bother with survival stations. This'll usually cost them their life. I didn't want to make the same mistake they often do, so I spent much of time at various survival stations in training. Now, I pass the edible plants test with flying colors. By the time I finish, I have only about a minute left. I spend the time with the swords, slicing and hacking away with the thin blade until I'm dismissed. I let out a breath of relief, thankful the Private Sessions are finally over for me.
I take the elevator up to my room after sending a quick smile Ariana's wave, to which she thankfully returns, and plop down on the couch. I flick on the TV, where two hosts are discussing the upcoming games with enthusiasm. "I think that 2 girl has this thing in the bag." One of them says, referring to Juno, my overly aggressive ally.
"Maybe, but I wouldn't count that boy from District 1 out just yet." The other points out. I perk up at the mention of me. "He seems strong and capable." The two announcers continue to talk, but I don't pay much attention to any of it. All I can think about is how someone believes in me. Someone thinks that I'm skilled enough to leave that cursed arena with my life. I can't help but smile at the thought. Killing others is going to be difficult, but hey, in the arena, it's kill or be killed, right?
I can win. I just need to play my cards right.
District 6: Livia Fleet, Age 15
I tap my feet nervously against the floor, waiting for my turn. Being from District 6, I've had to sit around for a fair amount of time. In that time, I've been relentlessly planning a strategy on what to show the Gamemakers in my Private Sessions. I've decided to spend most of my time showing off my crossbow and making a makeshift shelter, as I've found that I'm pretty good at that. Now, I sit shaking in my seat, hoping that I'll be able to make a good impression.
I glance towards Alyx, who's staring at the wall with a glazed expression on her face. It's clear she's deep in thought, probably over the loss of her district partner, Tom. I don't think she was ever super close with him, but still, seeing someone from your own district dying is tough. "How're you holding up?" I ask her softly. She shrugs.
"I'm fine." She whispers. I think it's pretty obvious that she's not fine, but I decide not to push it. The two of us fall silent.
Suddenly, I hear a loud sob from behind me. I turn around and see Marco Shavel, the man that replaced Tom after he was killed, with his head between his hands, crying uncontrollably. After a small hesitation, I stand from my seat and walk over to him. "Hey." I murmur. "Is it alright if I sit here?" I gesture to the empty seat beside him. He doesn't respond, which I assume means I can.
"I'm sorry to hear about Tom." I say. Again, there's no response. "He was a good person. It was pretty terrible, hearing how he had been killed."
This time, the man gives a muffled answer. "Why did I leave him?" He says. I wait for him to continue. After a small pause, he does. "I thought I could change Panem." Marco's voice is bitter and full of sarcasm. "I thought that I would be able to bring an end to all this cruelty, to stop the Hunger Games forever. I thought… I thought I could create a better world for my son." His voice breaks. Then he smiles, but it's hollow and devoid of happiness. "Look where that hope got me." He shakes his head and then lets out another sob.
I don't know what to say for a long time. Finally, I tell him, "I'm sorry." I cringe at how lame my statement is, but Marco doesn't seem to notice. I take a deep breath and keep going. "Well… A few of the other tributes and I have made an alliance. I was wondering… do you want to join it? So far it's just me, the District 8 girl, and the District 5 boy." There's silence for a long time. Finally, Marcus replies simply, "Okay." There's an awkward pause as neither of us make an attempt to speak. I'm about to go back to my seat when Alyx abruptly stands and walks towards us. She stands in front of Marco and looks him dead in the eye. He looks up at her, confused.
"I never knew a whole lot about Tom." Alyx begins. "He was always a little more closed off and secretive. But I think he was really nice deep down. He told me a little about himself. He said that he grew up in an orphanage, where he was treated really terribly." A tear begins to form in Marco's eye, but he motions for her to continue.
"Tom told me that the other orphans always believed his parents died in a rebel attack a few days after he was born." Alyx says shakily. "He never believed the rumors, though. He always believed that his mom and dad were still out there, waiting for the right time to take back their son." Marco bursts into tears at this, and she embraces him. "I'm sorry." She says, her voice quiet. They're the same words that I spoke just a moment before when comforting the broken man before me. But somehow, they seem to have so much more meaning coming from Alyx's mouth.
District 12: Erin Arden, Age 15
I drum my fingers impatiently against the arm of my chair as I wait for my chance to impress the Gamemakers in the private sessions. I'm currently the last one in the room, and I enjoy the eerie silence that's enveloped me ever since Beckett left.
After a moment, my district partner bursts through the doors, looking exhausted. I stand up and push the doors back open, entering the huge gymnasium before me. I can immediately see that the Gamemakers are tired and drunk as can be, and they barely pay any attention to me as I walk to the fire building station. I get the fire going quickly, and I glance over to watch their reactions, but most of them take no notice of my accomplishment. I can even see one beginning to doze off.
Alright. I tell myself. Clearly, I have to step things up a notch. I walk to the bow and arrow station, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves as I go. I pick up the bow there and notch an arrow into its delicately made string, pull it back, and release. The arrow flies towards the dummy I was aiming for, but my hands were shaking, so I end up completely missing. I'm not much good with a bow, anyway.
"You suck!" A Gamemaker drunkenly calls out, then sits down in a chorus of giggles. I feel a burning rage settle in my gut as the words sink in. They think that they can talk to me that way, huh? Well they thought wrong.
I stare up at the balcony where the Gamemakers sit, a sneer forming on my lips. "Enjoying yourselves?" I call up at them sarcastically. They look down at me, confused. A few shift nervously in their seats.
I begin to run towards the axe station, my heart pounding. I'm about to show those stupid Gamemakers who they're messing with. When I reach the station, I grab the heaviest axe I can find. Normally, I would barely be able to lift it, but with the added adrenaline coursing through me, I manage to pick it up. I then head towards the edge of the auditorium, where there are a row of large, square windows. Without warning, I swing my axe down on the nearest one. It doesn't break immediately, which doesn't surprise me, seeing as they're probably made especially thick in case a weapon is thrown their way, but it doesn't faze me. I pound on it again and again until finally the glass shatters. I don't bother wasting time trying to escape through the window, as I have no doubt that there's a force field surrounding the Training Center designed to keep tributes from getting out, but instead go to the next one, hacking at it until it, too, breaks. On and on I go, slicing away at the windows until their glass gives away. The Gamemakers have begun panicking, shouting at me to stop, but I ignore them. This is the price they pay for insulting me.
Finally, once I reach the sixth window, I feel a sharp pinch in my arm. I fall to the ground, feeling woozy, and notice through fuzzy eyesight a Peacekeeper standing above me, holding a syringe. That's the last thing I see before my vision goes black.
District 7: Verin Fleras, Age 18
I fidget with the compass pin my mom gave me in the visitor's room back in District 7 nervously, staring at the TV screen with anticipation. I've been waiting for the Training Scores to come out for more than an hour, now, and the anticipation is practically killing me. Beside me, Carlina is hiccupping like crazy. It begins to get annoying after a while, so I suggest to her, "Go put a pen between your teeth and drink water for ten seconds. It'll make the hiccups go away." Carlina stares at me like I just told her to build a rocket and fly to the moon.
"Are you sure that'll work?" She asks. I nod.
"Positive." I tell her. "It's a trick my mom taught me back home." Thinking about my old life in District 7 threatens to make me cry, but I force the tears down.
Carlina hesitantly leaves the couch we're sitting on and walks away. I hear her ask our escort for a pen, then the sound of running water. After a moment, there's a shout of, "It works!" Then Carlina plops back down on the couch, grinning.
I'm about to tell her something, but before I can speak, Caesar Flickerman pops up onscreen and I bolt upright. Carlina grabs the remote and turns up the volume, and our mentors and escort sit down beside us, everyone eagerly awaiting the coming announcement.
Flickerman gives a quick introduction before moving onto the scores. I pay careful attention to everyone, especially the Careers, as they'll be my fiercest competition. The District 1 tributes get fairly average scores (for Careers), an 8 and a 9. The District 2 girl, however, gets a 10. Juno Armstrong. I mentally add her to my list of those to watch out for. The only other Career to score a 10 is Marine, who is no doubt going to be a force to be reckoned with. I hope I don't get into a fight with the Careers- I'll probably be doomed.
The scores keep flashing by, none of them particularly surprising (although the 6 girl scores a 7, which marks her a threat to be careful around). It's not long before my District is up. I cross my fingers as I see my face show up on the screen. "In District 7, Verin Fleras receives a score of 8!" An… an 8? I got a score of 8?! I let out a huge cheer, proudly accepting the praise from those around me. I feel my heart wince in sympathy as I watch Carlina get the measly score of 4, but even that doesn't dampen my bright mood.
"That's the highest score yet!" Fialla compliments. "You could very well be the victor!"
"Unlike your District partner." My mentor, Birchen, adds under his breath. I don't think he meant for Carlina to hear it, but she did. Tears threaten to spill out over her eyes, and she promptly excuses herself from the room. I feel terrible for her, even though I know I probably shouldn't. After all, she needs to die for me to come home.
The thought sickens me.
I think I'm going to stop sponsor questions for a little while. It's become very hard for me to keep track of them, and I need to get them reorganized. I'll most likely reopen sponsoring once the games start up.