Stephanie Volk's POV – District 5 Female
"Stephanie, you're up this early?"
I turned my head away from the book in my hands and saw Minos, the District Five escort. The bald man walked into the sitting room of the living quarters while rubbing his eyes. He must have just woken up and was still tired.
"Good morning Minos." I greeted him with a smile. "And it's not that early. I've been up for a few hours now."
"Stephanie, it's five in the morning." He answered immediately in exasperation. "How long have you been up then?"
My eyes blinked in response. I had not paid attention to the time, but I had just assumed that it was later than that. What time did I actually wake up?
If I had to make an educated guess, I probably received no more than two hours of sleep. After the meeting with the Head Gamemaker, I was distraught. I cried for several hours last night in bed to myself. It took me forever to fall asleep and, even then, my sleep was plagued with nightmares. All I could think about in bed was Orion getting shot in the head by the peacekeepers just minutes after I died in the Hunger Games…
"I really don't know what time I woke up. I just had a little hard time falling asleep." I finally answered to the escort. I then raised the book in my hand upward. "I've been passing the time by studying."
Minos walked forward towards me. He then looked at the cover of the book and read it aloud: "'The Art of Swordsmanship?' Do you know how to use a sword Stephanie?"
"No, but I've always had an interest I thought it would be a good idea to start reviewing the concepts of the weapon before I started training with it." I replied nonchalantly as I looked for my place in the book. "I started reading it about an hour ago after I finished 'Alone in the Arena's Environment.'"
I made a small gesture, pointing to the aforementioned book. It was lying in a pile of books that I had set down next to my seat on the couch. The book was a decent read written by a victor from District Eight nearly a hundred years ago. Some of the information was dated, but a lot of the general theories were still applicable to most arenas in the Hunger Games. Atticus recommended the book to Icarus and I while on the train and I started reading it the second I could. Once I completed it, I formed a pile of books that I needed to read and understand thoroughly before the Games began.
Swordsmanship, general survival tips, general theory and uses of electricity and metal, tools that can be made out common materials in the cornucopia, different known species of muttations, and tips for improving one's stealth: there was a book for everything. Every second that I spent in the District Five living quarters was going to be focused solely on these books and learning as much information as I could. I was willing to do anything I could to make sure I was ready for the arena.
Last night showed me that I needed to study more. Dying wasn't the only consequence for losing the Games this time. Orion's life was dependent on me winning as well. Growing up, he was the one who really took care of me. Orion would always be there whenever I needed helping coming up with a new design for some random science experiment I was working on. He was the one who would be there if a few of the other district kids were bullying me. My brother had done so much for me, so now it was my turn to do something for him. I was going to make I was prepared for anything that could possibly come my way in the arena.
"You don't intend on reading all of those, do you? That's a lot of books!" Minos exclaimed as he looked at the pile. "You don't have enough time. That's overdoing it, isn't it?"
"No, it's fine. I'm a fast reader and I learn quick." I responded with a light smile. "That's what my teachers told me at least."
Minos frowned, but said nothing in response. He left the room, leaving me alone again. I proceeded to continue with my book.
Swords have always been fascinating to me. It was the primary weapon of knights in all of the little fairy tales and childhood stories I grew up hearing. As I read the book, I learned more about the usage of the sword and multiple styles of sword fighting that I could learn. I made sure to note the specifics of each of them. Once I actually started practicing with it, I could decide what style suited me best and I could focus on it.
Hours went by as I continued to read the book intently. I was about less than ten pages away from completing the book when I heard the door to the room open up again. I looked up and noticed that Icarus and Atticus were walking into the room.
"I feel like every time I see you Stephanie, you're reading some book. I don't remember the last time I saw you without one." Atticus noted with a chuckle. "Feels like we are still in District Five."
"What can I say? I'm a predictable girl with predictable hobbies." I giggled in response. The man knew me very well.
Atticus had been the best friend of my father since they were little kids. They had a long heart-to-heart conversation in the justice building the year Atticus was reaped for the Games. When he came back a victor, he and my father became closer than ever. To this day, they spent most of their time together. I've known Atticus my entire life as a result of this. He's the man who actually got me interested in experimentation and science in general! He was an extremely smart man who I knew would be able to help me do well in the Hunger Games, but it was also great to have him with me because it was a relief to just have someone from home here with me to talk and comfort me when I needed it.
"Based on the fact that 'Alone in the Arena's Environment' is in the pile to the side, is it safe for me to assume you finished it?" Atticus questioned.
"Yup." I nodded with a light smile gracing my lips. "I finished it a little earlier today."
"I see." The man nodded in understanding. "Icarus had just told me he finished reading it earlier today as well."
My eyes wandered to my district partner. Icarus nodded, acknowledging the statement. He was a very reserved person who didn't talk much. He seemed like a nice-enough person and he seemed much more intelligent than most people, but I really did not know much about him. All I knew was that apparently he attempted to flee to District Thirteen a year ago and that the peacekeepers and my father did not like him as a result.
"What did you think of the book Icarus?" I asked him.
"… A few of the general ideas seemed very rudimentary and slightly outdated due to changes made to the Hunger Games in the past twenty or so years. It was also a little too focused on the stereotypical 'forest' themed arena. Nevertheless, there were a lot of ideas in here made sense and will most likely help with survival in the arena." He answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"That was what I was thinking." I replied. "The chapters on the gamemaker interference and muttations were the most interesting and the most applicable, in my opinion."
"I'd agree." Icarus nodded in agreement.
"Good to see you both took something out of that book." Atticus commented with a serious face. "I realize that some of the information is outdated, but it really is the best book out there that actually discusses arena survival. And I feel like it is a good basis of information before you start studying survival tips during training."
Atticus opened his mouth to speak up, but he stopped when Minos came into the room. The escort quickly ushered us to a dining table, where breakfast was served.
Capitol-styled breakfasts were odd to me. On one hand, the food was much more delicious than the food back home. I could also have as many servings and drinks as I wanted. At the same time, eating meals without my parents or Orion with me felt sad.
Breakfast was rather quiet, as usual. The four of us were rather quiet people for the most part. Not much conversation would occur at a table of introverts! We all sat down at the table and kept to ourselves as we ate our food. The silence would be occasionally be broken by Atticus or Minos, who would ask Icarus or me questions about our training plans. We would answer them before silence filled the table filled the table again.
After breakfast was finished, a group of avox came over and took away the used plates. It was at that moment that Minos looked at a clock in the room.
"Training will begin in around an hour. You both should get ready." He suggested.
Icarus immediately stood up and dismissed himself from the room. I quickly got up and then bid farewell to Atticus and the escort before heading back to my room.
I took a long, relaxing shower in the beautiful, gold-covered bathroom and proceeded to get dressed. I put on my glasses before I walked out to the main room. Icarus was already there, waiting by the entrance with Minos and Atticus.
"These next few days are going to be essential for you both. They can make or break your chances in the Games. This is where I learned to use a bow after all, which was probably the only reason I made it out of the arena alive." Atticus noted with a shiver. I frowned a little bit. He really did not like discussing his own Hunger Games and the mention of his Games, even if it was just stating what his weapon was, haunted him. I really did not like seeing my friend so upset.
"Learn everything you can. I know you both are doing your independent studies here with your books, but you need more hands-on training. You're two of the brightest kids I've ever seen, so I know you can learn. Learn as much as you can from the stations and the instructors in addition to your books here." Minos advised.
Both Icarus and I nodded. The books were merely supplements to give me a basis for the learning. The actual training stands and legitimate trial-and-error practices were going to be the most important sources for information.
A minute passed before Atticus escorted both Icarus and I to the elevator. He wished us luck before the elevator door opened. We told him goodbye before we walked inside the elevator. The doors quickly closed, leaving the two of us alone.
"… Are you nervous about this Icarus?" I asked a little awkwardly to my partner. Even though we had known each other for a few days, it felt like there was some sort of barrier between us.
"No." He answered immediately with no expression on his face.
My eyes widened as I looked at the boy in front of me with disbelief. "Really? Not even a little bit?"
"We aren't going into the arena. It's just training. Nothing will kill us today." Icarus explained with a slight shrug. "There's nothing to be worried about."
A frown developed on my face. Maybe not today, but many of the things in the training room could kill us. Any of the other tributes in the room could end up being our future murderers after all. Still, I couldn't help but envy Icarus's confidence. I wished I even had a fraction of it. Then again, he was the one who volunteered for the Games. It would make sense for him to at least be slightly confident in himself.
"I'm just nervous that I'm not going to learn something here during training that could potentially save my life in the arena." I told him with a sigh.
Icarus shook his head in response. "Don't think like that. Just focus on learning as much as you can. There's no way to predict what we are going to need to know for the arena, so just learn as much as you can and try to improve on your skills. You're smart enough to pick up on a few things."
I felt a smile develop on my face. I realized that he was most likely saying that to make me feel better, but I could tell that Icarus wasn't the emotionless robot that he appeared to be most of the time. He was, as I thought, a nice person.
"Thanks for the compliment." I said, my smiling growing a little wider.
Icarus gave me a small smile in response before he turned his head forward towards the elevator doors. We remained quiet for a few seconds until the elevator doors opened up. The two of us walked out, side by side.
We were one of the last districts to arrive to the training hall. Most of the other tributes were already there, surrounding a tall, skinny man with no hair. He wore tight white pants and a red shirt. The man was obviously from the Capitol, but he appeared rather 'normal' compared to most of the other Capitol citizens I had seen so far. He was looking at the tributes intently, as if he was judging us and our chances.
I felt myself gulp as Icarus and I joined the ranks of the other tributes. This is it Stephanie! From here on, I needed to be focused. Everything I do from here is going to impact whether I get home and whether Orion was going to die, and I was prepared to do anything to make sure that my brother stayed alive. It was now my turn to take care of him and make sure he was safe!
Lepolio Huang's POV – District 2 Male
Victoire and I were the last two tributes to arrive in the training hall. After we entered and joined the other tributes, the Capitol man in front started to speak to us.
"Good day tributes. My name is Thaddeus Singed, and I am one of the Gamemakers for this year's Hunger Games." The man introduced himself. "Although my role of expertise is focused on arena design, I was requested by Head Gamemaker Brand and President Draven to oversee your training for the Games this year. Now that all of you are here, I need you all to pay attention to me. I will not be repeating anything I say, so keep quiet and pay close attention."
"Any Hunger Games arena is dangerous. This one is going to be especially deadly for all of you. And in addition to everything designed in the arena, you will all be competing and trying to kill each other. We could throw you all in right now, but what fun would that be? I'm certain only a few of you would be able to survive past the first day." Gamemaker Singed commented with a slightly maniacal laugh. I made a note that, so far, the Gamemakers seemed more sadistic than I had imagined.
"To make the Games interesting for the people watching, we give you all these three training days. Here, you all can learn the skills to give you a fighting chance. You may learn how to use a weapon or you can learn survival skills, such as making a fire or figuring out which plants are edible. There are many stands and instructors here that can teach every one of you the information you will need to survive." He continued to explain. "Here, we don't have many rules. Interact with each other, sleep in the corner: I don't really care. It's your time. However, we do demand that you all not steal anything from the training room. We also ask that you all not try and kill each other here. You'll have plenty of time to kill each other in a few days. Both for now, we want all twenty-four of you in good condition and ready to fight in the arena. Do I make myself clear?"
My eyes wandered towards the rest of the tributes. I noticed a few of them were intimidated by the Gamemaker's speech. If they were afraid now, then I would assume from the knowledge of 'fear' that I had that they would most likely be even more scared when the Hunger Games began. Good. Anything to make the Games easier for me, the better.
"If you all understand me, then you all may begin training. Remember, this is the only time you will get. Make it count." Singed informed us sharply before he walked away from us towards the elevator.
A few seconds passed before most of the tributes dispersed throughout the room towards different stations to learn different things. I turned my head towards a fire-making station and began to walk towards it.
"Hey! Lepolio, Victoire, Cascade, Alaska, get over here!"
I turned around and saw that Ariail was walking towards me with his district partner, Kendra. I remained where I was as Victoire and the District Four tributes, Cascade and Alaska, walked in my direction.
"Is this about forming the Career alliance? Didn't you already ask us about this at the chariots?" Cascade questioned.
"Yes, this is." Ariail stated sharply.
"Then this is a waste of time. We have all confirmed we are in." I informed him bluntly with an eye roll an attempt to appear visibly irritated.
Ariail turned to glare at me. I simply shrugged in response. It was the truth, after all and if I wasn't emotionally stinted, I would probably actually be irritated. Any meeting we had now about the topic of the Career Pack was going to be a waste of time and I was not in the mood to waste any time here.
At the private meeting with the Head Gamemaker, I was informed that the Capitol would kill my son, Miall, if I died in the arena. A powerful feeling rushed through my veins in that moment and it hasn't faded in intensity yet. I was quite certain it was the emotion 'anger'.
My family meant everything to me. I worked hard to provide a good life for Kianna and our little twins, no matter how shady the jobs were I would do. I was willing to do anything to make sure they were taken care of and safe. I was ready to do anything to make sure nothing happened to Miall! I was already prepared to kill to come home and return to my family. After the announcement, I was filled with even more determination. I was now ready to massacre all of my competition to make sure my son was safe.
"It's not a waste of time!" Ariail hissed, bringing my attention back from my thoughts. "This won't even be that long. I was just bringing all of us together to make sure we were all going to work together. I will be acting as leader of the Career Pack."
My eyebrows rose at that statement, but I remained quiet. None of the other careers said anything. Ariail was the only tribute who seemed to care about who was the leader and, therefore, it made sense that he was going to lead.
Personally, I was confused by Ariail's desire to lead. In most Hunger Games, the leader of the Career Pack does not win. Perhaps it was a title to boast about and flaunt during the pre-games and the early stages of the actual Hunger Games if the person actually cared about that stupid emotion called 'pride', but the title never amounted to much in the end. Based on all the previous Hunger Games that I had seen, the leader was the most likely to be targeted and die once the careers split apart. It was a foolish title to want and Ariail would most certainly join the list of other 'Career Leaders' who died at the hands of one his subordinates.
"… Heh. If none of you have anything to say, then I guess it's official. I will be the leader." Ariail commented with a smug grin. "Now, first thing's first: anyone who gets below an eight will be removed from the career pack."
"Wow, that'll be so hard to obtain. I don't think any of us, tributes who have spent the past few years of our lives devoting hours and hours to training, could actually earn an eight of all things." Kendra noted with over-exaggerated voice.
Ariail glared at her immediately. From the way he was looking at her, it appeared such comments from Kendra were common to hear. A few seconds went by before he stopped glaring and started to speak again.
"Second: I think we all should let each other know what type of weapons we use. It'd be best if we had all types of weapons covered. It would be rather troublesome if we all had to compete in the bloodbath for the exact same weapons." He said.
"True." Cascade commented with a sigh. "Well, I can use a sword and knife, but I'm a lot better at the spear."
Most tributes from District Four were. My eyes focused on Cascade in curiosity. I was curious about whether or not he was better at tossing his spears or using them as a melee weapon. I would have to observe him when he went to the spear training station. It would change how I fight him later in the arena and how I would try and kill him.
"I use knives, mostly." Alaska commented quietly.
Again, I wondered whether or not she was a melee fighter of if she preferred to fight at range. I would have to observe her as well.
"I'm good with a hatchet and pretty much any type of axe." Kendra stated with a confident smirk on her face.
Immediately, Cascade's eyes widened as he turned to face Kendra with a look that showed fear.
"You use axes?" He asked quickly.
Kendra gave him a confused look. "Is there a problem with that?"
"N-No. Of course not! None at all." The District Four boy responded quickly with an uneasy laugh. My eyes once again returned to study him. It appeared that he had a phobia of axes – or, more likely, axe users. That would definitely be something I would take advantage of during a fight with him. I made a note to visit the axe station and learn how to use the weapon at some point during the next three days.
"There better not be a problem over something that stupid." Ariail grumbled before he announced his own weapon. "I'm good with a katana and other types of swords in general."
"Likewise." I answered.
"Really?" The District One boy stared at me intently. I returned his gaze with my own.
The two of us studied each other intently. Ariail was most likely trying to see what type of swordsman I was. I was a muscular guy, so he most likely assumed that I would use a large broadsword. I doubt that he would guess that I had been trained in dual wielding katanas: one in each hand.
"… Interesting." He mumbled a few seconds later before turning to Victoire. "And you?"
"Long-ranged weapons in general. I'm familiar with throwing knives, the bow and arrow, and a whip. My preferred weapon, though, is a boomerang." My district partner answered politely.
"You mean that aboriginal weapon seen in movies?" Cascade questioned in confusion. "I didn't realize any career institute trained people on how to use those!"
Victoire giggled in response. "Well, I know how to use those too. However, my preferred boomerang is a different, more modern variant. You'll see in a little bit."
"Well, it looks like we all seem to know what we can do. Now, go practice. Intimidate a few other tributes, or whatever. Just make sure to train and learn any shit you don't already know. We don't want any weak careers!" Ariail informed us all with a hiss.
With that speech, the careers began to split apart. Alaska bolted as soon as she could in the direction of a station to learn how to tie knots. Cascade, Kendra, and Victoire quickly headed in the direction of the stations to practice with their own preferred weapon. I started to walk towards the fire-making station again.
"Lepolio!" Ariail called out to me. I turned around and looked at him in anticipation of his question. "You not going to go practice with the sword?"
"… I'm going to focus on survival. I'm comfortable with my knowledge of the sword." I answered curtly before I continued on my walk.
I did not want to really show off my skill, especially in front of Ariail. The more I talked to him, the more I learned about him. Kianna was a student of psychology and I learned quite a few things from her over the course of our relationship about the subject. I could already tell that Ariail had multiple signs of insecurity. Therefore, I didn't want him to see my skills. I had a sneaking suspicion that, if I outperformed him, he would get angry and would try to kill me early in the Games. I didn't want to have to kill him that early. For the first part of the Games, he would be a good asset as a leader to unify the Careers. It would be much later in the Games when I would decide to kill him.
With that in mind, I continued to walk over to the fire-making station. The District Nine boy and the District Eight girl were already there, attempting to make fire from a fire-making kit in separate areas. The two quickly noticed my presence and stared at me with wide eyes. I probably appeared like an anomaly to them. Most career tributes, after all, did not bother to actually focus on the survival stations.
I quickly grabbed a set of notecards from the station and read about the basics of the art. After a few minutes of studying, I grabbed my own fire-making kit and sat down. I then began to use the charcoal and wood to attempt to make fire.
A few minutes passed before I accomplished my task and started a small fire. The flames were warm and I knew in that moment that, if I was in the arena at night in the cold, I would be able to keep myself heated.
"That took him no time at all…" I heard the girl from District Eight mumble under her breath.
I gave no response and continued to work with the fire. I wanted to make sure I was able to make fire effortlessly before the station. Afterwards, I would head over to the knot tying area and practice working on traps. Once I finished there, I would head to the axe station and practice there to maybe exploit Cascade's fear.
I had a lot of preparations I needed to make before I headed out into the arena, but I was no concerned. Kianna had often told me that I was a fast learner. I never got bored: I simply remained focused and would get things accomplished. My 'fast-learning' would help me improve and develop in all of my skills.
I wasn't going to leave the training hall until I felt even more confident that I could kill any of the other tributes. My son was not going to die: the twenty-three tributes with me would die in his place.
Demetriana "Demi" Walser's POV – District 9 Female
As soon as the Gamemaker dismissed us, I walked over towards the scythe training session. There were so many different stations to learn from that it was slightly intimidating. I decided that I should start with something I was comfortable with and work my way from there.
The station attendant was friendly enough and quickly handed me a scythe to practice swinging with and directed me towards a few training mannequins and a few wooden blocks to practice cutting on. I gripped my scythe tightly as I walked towards the training area. It felt strange holding the weapon. For my entire life, the scythe was nothing more than a tool to use on the job in the grain fields. Now, it was my best shot at getting out of the arena. I just hoped it was enough!
With that thought in my mind, I quickly started to practice swinging the scythe at one of the mannequins.
Seconds turned to minutes, which eventually turned into an hour. I was breathing hard and sweating after spending so much time just attacking one mannequin. It was covered in cuts and tears from my scythe. The mannequins were all marked wear the vital spots of humans were and I noticed that each 'vital spot' on my mannequin were severely cut. There was no doubt in my mind that if the mannequin was a real person, they would've been dead a long time ago.
"Oh, another visitor to my station! Here's a scythe for you." The Capitol attendant at the station declared.
Another scythe user? The scythe wasn't that common of a weapon to see in the Hunger Games. Only a handful of tributes from District Nine and Eleven ever seemed to use them. I quickly turned my head in curiosity to see who else chose the scythe as their main weapon.
Immediately, I regretted looking. There in front of me, grabbing the scythe from the station attendant, was the creepy boy from District Ten: Logan.
After that boy at my sister's party raped me, a guy who I had met before and I had assumed was a good person beforehand, I worked hard on studying and judging people. I wanted to make sure nothing like that happened to me again, so I made sure I had an accurate first impression of people I met in order to ensure I was never around someone who could potentially harm me. Logan, after one look at him, checked off many warnings on my mental list. I could tell that he was a repulsive human being and someone that needed to be avoided at all cost!
Logan walked past and faced a mannequin of his own. He then turned his head towards me and stared at me intently. Then, a face-splitting grin developed on his face.
What… the… fuck? Never before has one person legitimately crept me out as badly as this boy has.
A few seconds passed before Logan turned his attention back to the mannequin. He quickly swung at the mannequin with such force and speed that the head was severed from the rest of the body. It hit the ground with a loud 'thump'. My eyes widened as they quickly turned in the direction of the head. They then faced Logan again, who was now staring at me with the same manic grin on his face.
It took me no time at all to understand his silent statement: Logan was making sure that I knew he could kill me at any given moment. It almost seemed as if he wanted to kill me right now!
After understanding his message, I quickly returned the scythe to the station attendant and started to walk off in no particular. I needed to get away from him. Being in Logan's presence for just a little longer than a minute unnerved me and showed me just how much skill I lacked with my scythe. It was terrifying to think that I was going to be in the arena with him in just a few days. He seemed to have some unhealthy desire to kill, and the Games haven't even started yet!
… God I really need a drink now!
"He's creepy, huh?" A voice spoke to me.
I quickly turned my head and noticed the District Eleven girl, Florina if I remembered correctly, standing to the side. She started to walk towards with me with a focused look on her eyes.
"I was watching him, because I wanted to learn more about the volunteers. I had a bad feeling about him when I saw him during the reaping, but it's like ten times worse now! He's just so creepy I can hardly stand it!" She exclaimed dramatically. "And his use of the scythe is just so aggressive. He's using it in a way most people don't. I'm surprised he even uses a scythe. He just seems to look like the type of guy who'd go for an axe or some other bigger, more intimidating weapon. You know what I mean?"
"… Huh?" I blinked in confusion.
When the girl had approached me, I assumed that it was going to be a brief little talk before we both went on our way. I hadn't expected her to have so much to say!
"Well, I guess. He looks like the kinda guys who would go for a bigger weapon I guess…" I mumbled after a few seconds of blinking. "But he seems good with it, so I guess that's why he's using it."
"Oh no doubt about it! He's definitely good. I mean look at him go!" Florina exclaimed.
I ignored that comment and simply looked forward at the girl. I did not want to imagine what else Logan was doing to that mannequin.
"Again, though, his fighting style is just too aggressive. He's too focused on attacking and nothing else. I doubt he could defend himself if someone was able to overpower him somehow." Florina stated sagely. Her eyes turned towards me and a smile developed on her face. "Your style was a lot more balanced. The way you gripped the scythe was great and it looked as if you could attack, defend, or retreat at any moment if you needed to. That's really good form! You were really good with it!"
I looked at her in surprise. So she had been watching me train too?
I didn't really know how accurate her assessment of me was. My skills didn't feel that special after watching Logan literally sever the head of the mannequin. I just didn't feel that special at all. Still, a compliment was a compliment and I had to acknowledge it. I didn't want to be rude or anything.
"Thanks." I respond with a smile.
"Don't thank me! I'm just saying what I noticed." Florina commented with a giggle before she held out her hand. "My name's Florina by the way. You're Demetriana, right?"
"Yeah, but you can call me Demi. That's what everyone I know calls me." I replied, shaking her hand.
"Demi! Ah, okay. That's a pretty cool nickname. Very fitting if you ask me! I'll make sure to remember that." She stated with a giggle, her smile growing even wider. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that your style was good and don't be intimidated by that creep. I kinda have a few things I need to do, so I'll see you later maybe. It was nice meeting you!"
After saying those words, Florina waved goodbye to me before she started to rush off towards some random survival station. I blinked in confusion, both at how fast she appeared and how quickly she left, before I simply shook my head with a sigh.
… Well that happened.
I started to walk away towards one of the other training stations in an attempt to forget about her. Florina seemed like a really sweet girl. She was really talkative and I could see her getting annoying over time, but I could tell that she was a nice girl. She also reminded me of myself back when I was her age: bright, cheerful, and friendly with a smile at nearly every minute. She was so similar to how I was that it actually kinda hurt…
Nowadays, I was a completely different person and, if she hoped to have any chance of survival, she was going to have to change too.
After a few more seconds, I approached a survival station filled with books and images of plants. Each plant was marked to identify certain qualities they had: in particular, whether they were poisonous or not.
I liked to consider myself familiar with nature and a bunch of the plants in it after working for years in the grain fields, but I didn't know everything. I quickly opened one of the books and started to review the list of poisonous plants.
I remained at the station alone for nearly a half-hour before I heard the footsteps of someone else approaching. I turned upward to see who it was and saw my district partner, Jason. He had an uneasy smile on his face as he approached me.
"Uh, hey Demi…" He greeted me awkwardly, rubbing his hand through his hair. "Learn anything so far?"
"I guess. Just brushing up on my knowledge of plants and stuff. Don't want to die from a poisonous plant, mushroom, or something like that after all." I commented with a light chuckle.
"Yeah, that would be kinda lame." Jason noted with a laugh. He quickly walked over and started to review the notebooks with me.
"What have you been studying?" I asked.
"I've been learning how to make a fire. It took me a long time, but I finally was able to get the basics down…" He mumbled in response. I noticed his eyes turn downward. "The boy from District Two walked over there and figured out how to make fire in about five or so minutes…"
I looked at him, dumbfounded. "That fast?"
He nodded, sighing lightly. "Uh huh. It actually bothered the girl from District Eight a lot. She was staring at him in shock and then had a disturbed look on her face for the rest of the time she was there."
"I can understand why. It's uncomfortable watching the other tributes and to see them doing really good at all of this stuff." I replied with a sigh of my own. "I was just at the scythe station with the boy from District Ten and he's good. Like scarily good." I could feel shivers going down my spine as I thought back to Logan. "He's going to be crazy competition. I wish he could've volunteered for another year or something."
At the mention of volunteering, I noticed Jason's shoulders start to slouch over. The small smile on his face quickly disappeared and was replaced with a very deep frown on his face. His eyes filled with tears and they looked forward in no particular direction and at nothing in particular.
The boy started to cry, placing his head down on the survival station. Guilt immediately rushed through my veins as I realized what I brought up. Jason had volunteered for the Hunger Games for that little twelve year old boy and had, in the back of his head, prepared for his eventual death. After hearing what the Hunger Games twist was and that he may have subsequently doomed the life of his best friend Lacy, he started to cry. He had cried all throughout last night and just generally seemed depressed at any given moment. This was the first time I had seen him all day not look depressed and I completely brought him back into that mood.
"I was just trying to do something good for someone… nothing ever good happens to anyone in the districts. Life is just awful. So I try and do something good and this happens…" Jason mumbled. He wasn't talking to me. He seemed to be talking to himself more than anything else. "Lacy's my best friend. She's had a hard life and doesn't deserve this… she can't die. She can't! But there's no way I'm going to win… I killed her… I fucking killed my best friend…"
Good job Demi. Good fucking job…
It took a few minutes before Jason's crying finally stopped. Once he finished, the boy picked up one of the books and started to review the list of poisonous plants. He still had a depressed look on his face and his eyes were still filled with tears, but I could tell there was a look of determination in his eyes.
Jason was a polite guy and a real gentleman who could never hurt a fly under normal circumstances. I felt confident in my judgment of him after getting to know him for the past few days. However, to save the life of his best friend, maybe he could go so far as to kill someone…
Maybe he would be even willing to kill me?
We made no attempt to speak to each other for the next few hours as we silently studied our own books. Our studies were only interrupted by the sound of a loud bell, signaling the required thirty-minute break for lunch. All of the other tributes quickly stopped what they were doing and walked towards an area of the training room filled with dining tables and trays of food.
Jason and I said nothing as we walked over there. From a distance, I quickly looked over the trays for any form of alcohol. I cursed when I saw that there was nothing here. There wasn't even one of those shitty beer cans from District Nine!
When I got back to the living quarters, I was going to need some of Einkorn's supply of Capitol whiskey, and I was probably going to need a ton of it. I needed however much it would take for me to blackout…
Yaro Hailstien's POV – District 12 Male
I was one of the last tributes to reach the dining area of the training hall. I grabbed a small tray of food – some bowl of pasta, a salad, and some energy drink. It was all healthy foods and filled with Capitol vitamins and other weird stuff to help make us strong during the training period. We had to be as healthy and able as possible when we entered the arena. Only then could we get weak and die, when it would be recorded and viewed by all of Panem…
After grabbing my tray of food, I looked around at the dining tables for a seat. I quickly found an open spot by my district partner, Emery. She was currently stuffing her face with a tuna sandwich. With a smile on my face, I approached her table.
It didn't take long for Emery to notice me approaching her. She groaned loudly as she saw me place my food down on the table.
"There were so many other seats that you could have picked, and you just had to pick the one to me." She grumbled.
I couldn't help but laugh at her frustration. "You sound so disappointed Emery. Why? How could you say or think that? I thought you liked me!" I exclaimed dramatically to her, making my voice sound as whiny as I possibly could. "I thought we were friends!"
"God dammit Joker! You know we aren't that close." She retorted immediately. Despite her comment, she had a small grin on her face that showed she was amused. I took that as a small victory. Finally, after days of trying, I was able to make my always-angry district partner laugh.
She was right, however. We honestly weren't that close at all. Emery and I were two entirely different people, both in personality and in our lives back in District Twelve. I was probably the type of person she would have hated if we had known each other back home. I know she wasn't a person I would normally try and be 'buddy-buddy' with. Despite this, we were the only people we had. I had gotten to know her slightly well in these past few days to know things about her character and, to be honest, she wasn't a bad person. Sure, she was easily-angered, crude, and definitely rude, but I knew that deep down, she was a good person.
'Friend' may not be the best word to describe her, but she was someone I could talk to. It was comforting to have that at least.
With that thought in mind, I simply laughed in response to her comment while I started to take a bite of my pasta. It wasn't as delicious as the other food from the Capitol I had already had, but it was still way better than anything I've ever eaten back in District Twelve.
Say what you will about the morals and ethics of the Capitol, but the people there really could cook some good food!
"So, how's your training going so far?" I asked casually after swallowing some of my pasta.
"Hmm? Good." Emery mumbled between bites of her sandwich. "Spent all of my trying out the different weapons here. Found out I'm pretty good with a spear, so I'm probably gonna try and get better with it."
"Cool!" I commented, whistling in approval. "I've just been working on knives so far. I'd like to think I'm not too bad so far."
"Knives?" Emery looked at me in confusion. "Aren't you a miner? Couldn't you just use a pickaxe in the arena?"
"Heh! Hahaha! Now that was a good one! It's been a while since I've heard some good dark humor." I laughed rather loudly. A few seconds passed until I noticed that her face became more confused, which caused me to stop laughing. "… Wait, were you actually being serious?"
A scowl developed on her face. "Do I look like I'm kidding or something?"
"No. It just took me surprise. I thought most people realized this." I commented with a sigh. Emery started to glare at me, but she said nothing as she waited for me to continue. "Do you really think I'm the first miner to ever come into the Games? I'm not the first eighteen year old guy to enter the Games from our district and I won't be the last. We could easily use a pickaxe and kick some butt with a weapon that we've been training with, but that'd never happen. The Gamemakers would never let that happen."
"And why do you think that?" Emery's glare vanished and she simply looked at me in confusion.
I leaned closer to her and whispered the answer into her ear, making sure that no potential video recorder could hear me. "The Capitol is biased against District Twelve. They don't want to be too blatant with their rigging, but they'll try and make sure we don't have many advantages. There will never be a pickaxe in any arena. They don't want to risk a miner getting it and potentially winning."
"… And why do you think that?" She questioned.
"I honestly have no clue. Probably something to do with those rumors of rebellion from the Third Quarter Quell." I responded with a sigh. "But just think about it: ever since the Third Quarter Quell and the time of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, how many victors have won from District Twelve? Just one: our lovely, morphling addicted mentor, Donovan Richter. I know District Twelve has a bad record with Hunger Games tributes, but still! There's only been one victor in the past seventy-five years? I call bullshit."
A sick look appeared on Emery's face as she quickly put her sandwich down. She was most likely not hungry. She had probably never thought about anything like this. I learned that she was the daughter of merchants and, therefore, never had to apply for tesserae. She most likely never had a reason to think about the Games and things that go on in them like someone like me: someone who had to deal with the fear of going into the arena for years.
It took her a few seconds before she finally spoke up in a quiet tone-of-voice. "So… this whole training is all for naught, is it? The Capitol is just going to make sure we die at some point…"
"Who said this was all for naught?" I questioned with a small chuckle. "All I said was that the Capitol was biased and was going to try and make sure we lost. Doesn't mean we can't still win. Donovan came home a victor, and so can we. We just need to get good enough that we can fight despite the blatant rigging!"
Emery said nothing: she remained in silence for a few seconds. Finally, her silence stopped as she jabbed me lightly in the shoulder.
"You're gonna give me a mood-whiplash. Are you trying to depress me with a conspiracy theory or motivate me?" She asked with a laugh.
"Both. I don't know. Whatever works best for you." I replied, still laughing to myself.
Conversation died from there as we quickly finished eating. We only had a few more minutes on the clock before we were able to return to the training stations and start practicing again.
I had a long list of things I needed to learn at some point either today or during the next two days. I needed to learn how to make a fire and maintain in. I needed to figure out how to make basic traps and how to avoid the traps of others. I needed to know what types of plants were poisonous and I needed to learn basic information on mutts. I also needed to improve on my own athletic abilities and improve on my skills with the knife.
… I had way too many plans. These next few days were going to be so busy. So much to do, so little time.
"Hey, District Twelve tributes!" A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Emery and I turned to face the source of the voice. A lanky girl with olive skin and black hair approached us with a smirk on her face. I recognized her immediately as the girl from District Three. Kaylee, I think her name was?
"Hello." I greeted politely with a smile.
"What do you do want, District Three?" Emery grumbled at the same time as my greeting.
Kaylee glared at Emery in response. "Don't want me here, do you? Fine, I'll just cut to the chase and make this brief. Do the two of you want an alliance?"
"… Huh?" Emery and I blinked in surprise at her request.
Most tributes didn't align with District Twelve tributes. As unfair as the stereotype was, we were normally seen as bloodbath fodder. To other tributes, District Twelve was seen as nothing more than deadweight. Donovan mentioned that to us before we entered the training hall to not get our hopes up about receiving an alliance from someone else. Hearing Kaylee speak to us, requesting an alliance, was a direct contradiction from his advice.
"You want to ally with us?" I questioned, more to myself than to her.
"Yes." She nodded. "Well, a better way to put it I guess would be that I would like to make an agreement with you two. A business contract, if you will."
I felt a little on edge at her word-choice. I could tell Emery felt similarly to me, as I noticed her stiffen.
"… and what would a 'business contract' mean to you?" I questioned again, using her words.
"Tributes need to stick together. It's the primary reason why the Career Pack produces victors. There's strength in numbers, after all." She noted casually, as if she was stating an obvious fact. "You two want a chance to actually win, right? If you do, it would make sense if we formed our own alliance and worked to fight against the careers and other tributes."
She had a point. One of the major benefits the careers had was that, for the first half of the Games, they worked together. If they were a concise group, it would be nearly impossible to beat them. They would protect each other against any possible threat. There was strength, and safety, in numbers.
"Yeah, you're right. We could use a few good allies or so." Emery commented with a glare at the girl. "But what makes you think we'd want an alliance with you, Business?"
"'Business?'" Kaylee repeated the word with a glare. "What kind of name is that? Are you trying to mock me?"
Yes. She is. I couldn't help but shake my head. Emery was a natural at pissing people off when they first met her. At this point, I thought it had to be some sort of sick, twisted game she liked to play: to see how fast it would take to enrage each person she met. She had managed to do that to this girl, who was offering us an alliance, with just one sentence and one rather crappy nickname.
Was 'Business' really the most creative nickname she could come up with anyway Emery?
"I don't know. You can tell me I guess. You think you're so smart after all. Probably just because you're from District Three or something." Emery continued, rolling her eyes slightly.
Oh God why... Emery, somehow, was making this even worse.
"Really now?" Kaylee's glare intensified. "And you think you know me too, just after a few seconds? All because I'm offering you an alliance? Are you actually this stupid? Most people don't have the nerve to backtalk someone who's actually offering to help and work with them."
I put my head in my hands, shaking it slightly. Kaylee had a temper too, it seemed. It also seemed like she wasn't the type of person to tolerate any of her issues. Any conversation between her and Emery was destined to be a disaster.
"Last time I checked, you were the one approaching us. You were asking for help, not us. Looks to me like you're the one who needs the help." Emery stated.
"Forgive me for trying to be strategic and find allies. I don't know about you, but I have no intention of being hunted down by the careers alone. I'm actually trying to win and keep someone back home alive. You do know that, right? When you're off alone without an alliance, you're just going to die alone and kill off your little friend with you." Kaylee replied with a condescending look on her eyes.
Before the conversation could escalate any further, the loud bell rang off, signaling the end of the lunch break. The other twenty-one tributes quickly left the tables and hurried off to the training stations to continue with their studying.
"Well, looks like we don't have much time right now to continue this. We'll talk about an alliance later. And I know we will, because you'll probably bring it up again later. You look like the type of bitch who always needs to have the last word. And by the way, I do know that my friend's life is linked to mine. Don't you ever fucking bring him up in front of me again!" Emery commented with a huff as she started to march forward away from the table towards the spear training station.
Kaylee and I watched her leave. I frowned at her anger, shaking my head slightly.
"… damn brat." Kaylee cursed to herself, still visibly angry.
"She's just an angry person in general when she meets someone for the first time. She'll calm down in a little bit." I informed her in an attempt to calm her down. "She's actually kinda nice when you get to know her."
"Doubt it." She commented rather bitterly as she continued to stare angrily at Emery's retreating figure. "People don't change. Mankind will always remain the same, no matter what. Nothing will change with her. She's a dumbass who will die alone in the arena."
A shiver went down my spine. Her comment was filled with a lot of anger that I could tell was based on personal experience. She obviously had some story to tell and I couldn't help but be interested. Maybe one day I would be able to hear it?
"I'm being serious. She'll be nicer in a little bit after some time to get to know you. That's how she is with everyone she meets." I reassured her. "But for now, I'd like to agree to your 'business contract'. We're willing to work with you."
Kaylee's eyes quickly turned to face me. She sized me up again before she simply nodded in response.
"I figured. I don't really know if your dumbass district partner will agree to that decision, but I'm in. At the very least, you look competent. We'll make a good team." She commented with a smirk.
With those words, Kaylee started to walk off. "Get back to training. We got a lot of things we need to be ready for before we enter the arena."
I nodded in agreement before I started to walk off as well towards the fire-starting station.
I didn't really trust Kaylee. Heck, I didn't know if I could trust Emery later in the Games if she ended up actually joining this allinace. However, I needed to make sure I lived. I was willing to work with anyone in order to ensure my survival. Keev's life was on the life with mine and I was going to do my best to make sure I came back home and keep him alive!
With that thought, I hurried over to the survival station to learn how to make fire.
Raegae Oak's POV – District 7 Male
"So, how about you and me girl? We'd make a killer alliance!" I told the District Six girl with a smirk on my face.
"No." She replied simply as she started to walk off.
"Ah come on! We really would make a damn good team!" I called out to her. "Alex, wait!"
"I already said no once. This is the second time, so take the hint and fuck off." She hissed, not even turning her head to look back at me. "And my name's Alexandra. Get it right next time!"
"Yeah, well you can go fuck yourself too." I shouted back at her, raising my middle finger in response.
The District Six girl, Alexandra I guess, wasn't the first person to turn down an alliance with me. After the lunch break, I walked over to the girl from District Nine. She turned me down and quickly rushed away to some station to learn about mutts. After her was the girl from District Eleven. She ran away before I could even say a damn word to her.
Not a single person was interested in allying with me. Hell, I even tried to ask that boy from District Eight. Even he, the wimp that threw up after his reaping, didn't want to ally with me.
From what I noticed, all the tributes seemed to avoid me and/or looked down at me for reaction yesterday at the announcement. I didn't get it at all. I wasn't the only one to call out the damn Head Gamemaker out on his bullshit. Besides, everyone was thinking it as well. I was the only one who had the balls to actually point it out to him. So why the fuck was everyone so judgmental about me doing what they couldn't do?
I felt an anger rush through my body. I had to do something to alleviate it. Anything would do!
Normally, when I was angry, I would normally pull a prank on somebody. A quick laugh would normally make me feel better. However, I couldn't do that here. Most people were humorless bores who wouldn't get my sense of humor and would find it 'offensive'. Normally I wouldn't care what someone else thought of me, but I was about to go into an arena in a fight-to-the-death with everyone else. I didn't want to make too many enemies early in the Games. The last thing I wanted was to be targeted in the bloodbath!
With that in mind, I quickly made my way towards the martial arts station. A few instructors were already there, offering themselves as sparring partners to anyone who wanted a fight.
And I wanted a fight! I needed to beat up something and release at least a little bit of my anger!
"Pick anyone you want to fight." The main attendant at the station told me as she pointed to all the potential sparring partners. "The only one you can't fight right now is Dominic, obviously."
She pointed towards a man who I assumed was Dominic. I turned to look at him and realized that he was already sparring with another tribute – the muscular boy from District Six. I can't say I knew much about any of the tributes except for Winnie, but the Six boy was probably the only guy that I had any form of respect for. He seemed to hate his district partner, Alexandra, who I was currently rather pissed off at for declining my alliance. He also was one of the few to call out Head Gamemaker Brand out on the bullshit from the night before. Maybe my opinion would change later, but for now, I respected the guy.
Maybe if I were in a better mood, I'd approach him with the offer for an alliance. But right now, after being rejected four fucking times, I wasn't in the mood. All I wanted to do was punch something.
"You." I pointed towards one of the instructors. I then pointed my finger back at me. "Me." I then brought a fist together against the palm of my other hand. "Let's rumble, shithead."
I noticed the instructor's eyebrow rose in irritation, but he nodded slightly and walked forward to an open mat. We stood across from each other and bowed before he got into a fighting stance. I slipped into my own personal, more relaxed state.
In the little time that I had been homeless, I had gotten into a few street fights with a couple other people. Whether they were fellow guys who were trying to take my turf, a few dicks from local bars, or just some people who didn't think I was funny, I would always get into a fist-fight with someone at least once or twice a week. Fighting wasn't going to be an issue – it was something I was used to and something I was going to excel at.
My sparring partner made the first move, rushing at me. I quickly avoid a punch and delivered a kick straight to his chest, knocking him back slightly. As he tried to recover, I rushed forward and started to punch. He blocked my attacks, but I continued punching aggressively.
This whole Hunger Games experience has been pissing me off. I didn't want to get reaped. I didn't want to be stuck in a god-awful tree costume in the chariots and get myself embarrassed in front of potential sponsors. I didn't want to have Sycamore, the only person that actually cared about me, be tied to me and die with me if I somehow died in the arena. I didn't want to be knocked unconscious by the peacekeepers because I got rightfully pissed off after hearing about my brother. I didn't want to be ignored and rejected by all of the other tributes for suggesting alliances.
I was fucking sick of all of this!
I channeled my rage into my fists as I continued to pummel at my sparring partner.
I remained at the martial arts station for the rest of the training day. I literally beat the shit out of every single instructor there. Some people would consider it a waste of time to devote all of my time at one station, but I didn't see it that way. That was therapeutic.
For the first time since I was reaped, I felt slightly relieved. I was able to work out some of the anger that had been building since then and it felt nice to have some of it off my shoulders.
Once the day was over, I walked over to the elevator slowly. The never-ending sparring had worn me out and I was going to be sore for a while. I knew I was going to have to ask Autumn, one of the mentors, or maybe an avox for some medication to alleviate the pain.
When I reached the elevator, I noticed Winnie was standing there, waiting impatiently. We both had to go up the elevator at the same time. The district partners could only separate during the training sessions and in the living quarters. Otherwise, we needed to be together nearly twenty-four seven.
"What's up squirt?" I called out to her with a laugh. "Get any good training in?"
"… Maybe." She mumbled back in response with an eye roll.
As I walked forward, I studied Winnie for the first time since I was reaped. She really looked like an entirely different person. On the train, she had mentioned that she hoped to add a few pounds on her body before going into the arena. Looking at her now, I can say she did that. She no longer looked like the skinny, fragile thing that she originally was. Still, she didn't look too intimidating. No matter how much she tried, Winnie would never intimidate a single person. She was just too young and was still too damn little to actually be a threat in the Games.
"'Maybe?'" I repeated the word she used with an eye roll as we both got into the elevator. We then started our ascent back to the District Seven living quarters. "And that would mean what?"
"None of your business." She replied matter-of-factly.
"Ah come on Winnie. Don't be like that." I replied with a frown. "You know, the two of us could be a good team."
"… Huh?" She blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, you and me as allies. We wouldn't be the strangest alliance ever." I informed her with a laugh.
Winnie and I, no matter how different we were, were district partners. It was not unusual at all for district partners to work together in the Hunger Games. Winnie wasn't an ideal partner for me, but I was desperate for an ally. I'd take what I could get! Besides, she was a weak, little twelve-year old girl. Later in the Games when we had to break our alliance, I could kill her off without too much difficulty.
The girl closed her eyes in thought. Judging from her reaction, I could tell that I was probably the first person to approach her with the idea. For the time, it looked like someone was actually considering an alliance!
"We would totally kick ass!" I stated excitedly, trying to encourage her further. "Just think of me like a big brother. Nothing would ever bring you any harm!"
I was actually being honest when I said that: just not to her. Ever since he was born, I've been looking out for Sycamore. He's a bit of a brown-noser and has can definitely act like a typical brat his age, but he did understand me. He was a legitimately nice person, something you didn't see in Panem often. I had made it my duty to look after him and make sure he was okay, even when our fucking horrible parents kicked me out.
I didn't care if the Gamemakers linked his life to mine, nothing was going to change the fact that I would always be looking out for Sycamore. I didn't care if I had to kill a few other snot-nosed brats to make sure he was safe: I was willing to do anything for him.
"No." Winnie's answer interrupted my thoughts.
My eyes widened at the reaction as I studied Winnie. The girl was glaring at me, her anger very visible to me. I didn't imagine a girl her age could look at someone with such rage.
It was actually pissing me off.
"What'd you say?" I asked quietly.
"I don't need an 'older brother'. I never have and, to this day, I don't." Winnie informed me sharply.
"Fine, then don't consider me an older brother. Think of me as a just some random-of-the-mill tribute, allying with you." I informed her with an eye roll.
"No I won't, because we aren't allying with each other." She stated, her glare intensifying somehow. "I don't need anyone in the arena."
"… You're shitting me, right?" I tightened my fists. "You're fucking twelve years old. What the hell can you do by yourself?"
"You'd be surprised. You'd be very, very surprised. I've had to do a lot of things to survive living on the streets Raegae. Anything you can offer me, I already have. I don't need help from an older boy like you." She replied.
After her announcement, the elevator door opened up. Winnie noticed it immediately and ran out quickly.
That… fucking… brat!
I stormed out of the elevator and rushed to my room, saying nothing to my mentors or Autumn in the main room. Normally I'd try and harass the mentors. Or maybe I'd try to hit on Autumn and maybe convince her to finally sleep with me. Right now, though, I wasn't in the mood. I didn't care. I slammed the door to my room loudly, making sure everyone in the living quarters could hear it before I jumped onto my bed.
Even Winnie, my district partner, wasn't willing to align with me! And she had to say it in the most condescending way possible…
"You know what? Fuck it!" I cursed loudly as I slammed my fist into my bed. "I don't need allies. I don't need any of them, especially Winnie. I can win this damn shit by myself!"
There were many victors who won by themselves. Many of them had actually come from District Seven. Soon, my name would be added to that list. I was going to come out of the Hunger Games a victor and I'd make sure I did it on my own. None of the other tributes, especially not a fucking squirt like Winnie, was going to stop me from doing just that!
Author's Note: Hey guys! :) Here is the next chapter! :D
So yeah, just a note about the next few chapters: there's going to be four more chapters of the pre-arena. Each chapter will have five points-of-view in each one, giving all the remaining tributes one more point-of-view, plus one...gamemaker point-of-view that'll you read about later! :P You'll see in time.
However, only four more chapters of pre-arena, one more lead-up chapter right before the Games, then the bloodbath will begin. Six chapters from now, the bloodbath will be here. I'm actually nervous to get there! Nervous, but excited. I really can't wait so show you all my plans! :)
So, what do you all think of this training chapter? Any opinions of characters change? Let me know what you all think of everyone and everything that happened!
The next chapter is under-works as we speak. I will you see all when I finish! :)