The Training Centre:

Our suite is truly beautiful. There is a table laden with exquisite delicacies from the capitol, intricately detailed tapestries on the walls and space age furniture that looks more expensive than our entire academy. I'm not hungry though and chose to sit it out. Scarlett is already screeching for us join her at the table. I ignore her and instead lock myself in the closest bedroom I can find. I don't know if this is where I'm meant to sleep but right now I honestly couldn't care less. I am exhausted and emotionally drained. I know I have been in denial for the past couple of days and maybe it's just catching up with me, but as I sit on the edge of the bed I feel as if I can't breathe. I wipe my hand over my face and bring it away to find that it's wet. I can't believe I am actually crying. I haven't cried since I was 6 years old. Craven always said that crying was a weakness that wasn't allowed and if anyone did cry he would beat it out of them. I quickly learnt to bury my emotions around him and eventually it became second nature. I didn't even think I was capable of tears anymore. One of the rumours at the academy was that I cut my own tear ducts out. They like to tell stories about me. I tend to let them because I know it helps my fearsome reputation. If only they could see me now I think.

After a couple of hours I hear his footsteps approach my door. Just like our last morning together at the academy. I can always tell when it's him. He can try to sneak up on me all he likes but he will always fail. "Can I come in?" he asks softly. I pad over to the door and unlock it, checking my face in the mirror to make sure that there is no trace of evidence that I was crying. He doesn't say a word, just guides me to the bed and lies down next to me. I know we shouldn't be doing this. It's going to make it that much harder once where in the arena. I know we should discuss what where going to do but I can't bring myself to spoil the moment. Right now I just need his comfort. I know it's pathetic but I don't care. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in closer. I bury my head in his shoulder and listen to his breathing. The rise and fall of his chest that is so familiar to me it feels like home. I haven't used a pillow in over 4 years. His chest has been all the pillow I need and the last 3 nights without him I have felt so empty. I am grateful that he doesn't speak and I savour every moment as we drift off to sleep in each other's arms.

The next morning I awake to a steaming hot coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit next to my bed. I am grateful as I know I wouldn't be able to stand another morning with those pretentious puppets. We still have 2 hours before we have to be in the training centre so I savour my morning and take a long hot shower. I braid my hair into a black plaited bun on top of my head and fasten my district token into my hair. It's a silver hair pin in the shape of a viper with aquamarines for eyes. It's not very big, no bigger than a nickel but I love it because Cato gave it to me. The aquamarines match my eyes he told me. It's not such an innocent, romantic gift as everyone would think though. Only Cato and I know it's true purpose. The pin is very sharp and when it is embedded in someone's skin it releases a toxic poison created by Craven himself. The poison is undetectable so I am confident that it will go unnoticed by the game makers. The poison causes intense pain on contact, paralyses within 10 seconds and kills within 60 seconds. Cato said it suited my personality perfectly. He often compares me to a viper. Deadly yet beautiful, clever and never trusting anyone (except him of course).Cato's district token is a necklace I gave him. It is a tiger's tooth pendant set in silver. It's very valuable and rare in our district. Tigers have been extinct for over a century but some people (lucky or rich enough) own a tooth. My father was given the tooth by our mayor for bringing honour to the district first as a victor and then as a trainer. It was one of his most prized possessions. I gave it to Cato right after we became friends. As much as I hated my father I felt that the pendant was meant for Cato and I had no reservations in giving it to him. He always reminded me of a tiger. Big, strong and vicious yet soft and loving when he wants to be.

I change into the training uniform given to me and meet Cato at the elevator. Training is actually something I have been looking forward to since it will give me a chance to show off my skills and intimidate the other tributes. Intimidation is something I am very good at. Cato and I often take pleasure in making the younger trainees shake in their boots. I have been waiting for a chance to rough up that bloody "girl on fire" ever since she showed us up at the tribute parade. Training will also give us a chance to make some allies. As district 2 tributes we pretty much have our pick of allies. Every tribute will undoubtedly be lining up to offer themselves to us in the hopes that they will survive the first day. I see Cato rounding the corner. He looks very smart in his grey, black and red outfit and I don't hesitate in telling him so. He grins like he's won the lotto or something. I don't give him compliments very often so he soaks it up. Scarlett decides to sit this one out as she does with most of the events that involve me. I know she is scared of me and I like it because it keeps her off my back. Brutus and Enobria never seem to be around anywhere, but then again I have been hauled up in my room this whole time so how would I know. "Who should we pick as allies?" Cato starts as if reading my mind. "I was thinking we could observe. Especially district 1. I don't like Marvel, he seems like an arrogant little prick but there is something about the girl glimmer I can't quite figure out yet. The boy from 10 would be a good choice since he seems to be the second biggest after you of course. District 4 seems like a waste of time". "Why don't we let them come to us and decide later" he continues. We step into the elevator together and watch as it continues upwards to pick up more tributes. The elevator stops at 5 but as soon as the boy sees us he runs off down the hall. Obviously our reputation precedes us. I hear that Cato seriously injured a member of his prep team yesterday. If I was able to hear that rumour hauled up in my room then the rest of the tributes undoubtedly heard it too. We press the button for the training centre and carry on.

As we enter the training centre I notice all eyes are on us. Everyone is here except 12. As I sweep my eyes over the other tributes I see their own eyes flick away so as to avoid eye contact. Good, that level of fear will cause them to act irrationally and do stupid things once where in the arena. I hear the elevator door ping behind us and I swivel around to meet the timid gaze of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. I stare her down challenging her to push past me. I know I'm blocking her only exit. I can tell from her stance that she isn't an amateur and I want to see if she really is trained as Cato says she is. "Excuse me please" she says in a shaky voice trying to sound confident but obviously failing. I step aside and allow her to walk past as I give her my smuggest grin I can muster. Peeta almost clings to her as he trails behind. "See, I told you she had guts" Cato chimes in. "You still think she's trained then" I ask him. "Without a doubt" he replies.

We decide to do the full circuit, leaving out the survival stations. Cato and I are trained enough in survival. Granted where also highly trained in fighting but it would be a good chance to show the other tributes what we can do. We are given the drill. The usual no fighting with the other tributes and such. The first station is sword fighting. I chose an elegant samurai sword and work at a stick of wood in front of me. I chop off each section clean with perfect accuracy and strength. Cato goes next and chooses a massive modern sword which is so heavy I can't even pick it up. He gets to work on the wood and ends up smashing it to smithereens with strength I have never seen another possess. The other tributes look at him in horror as if that piece of wood could be their heads very soon. We make our way to the spear throwing station and Cato ends up dominating that too. The strength in his arm is so strong that he ends up splintering the target board and moves on to dummies instead. Glimmer approaches us and introduces herself. We don't talk much but I can tell already what her angle is going to be. Make all the boys fall in love with her so that they will never see it coming when she turns out to be ten times stronger and ten times more skilled than them. She keeps a safe distance from me only speaking directly to me when she has to. By the way she is standing I can tell she is very threatened. The boys all seem to be staring at her as if she is the most beautiful creature in the world. She flicks her hair and smiles at them lapping it up. Marvel, her district partner seems to be making a big game of everything. He is practically skipping as he makes his way around the room scaring the other tributes and laughing like a complete maniac. "You know you could get their attention like I do, Glimmer says to me. You are beautiful. It's just that you scare everyone so much they are too afraid to look at you in that way". "Thank you for your wise words Glimmer but I don't need to work that angle. I will have no trouble killing everyone here based on my skills alone". "Even him?" she asks gesturing to Cato. "He doesn't worry me" I reply in full honesty.

Glimmers logic may be warped but it's true. Boys stopped trying to win my attention a long time ago. If I didn't chop their hand off for touching me or cut their tongue out for talking me up Cato would be in their punching them until he was sure he got his message across. Cato and I arrange with Glimmer to team up with her and Marvel. District 10 didn't want us. He thinks he will be betraying his district or something ridiculous like that. We flatly refused to team up with 4. They seemed nothing but cheap imitations of us. They try to be tough and but they just look awkward. Like a child driving a car. They are obviously way out of their depth. A few others have approached us but since no one else even comes close to meeting our standards we refuse them to. The rest look at us in envy or fear always turning their heads when we look at them so we don't know they were looking at us. As if we would be that naïve. I go over to the rope net and prepare myself to climb when I feel someone pinch my bum. I whip around quickly in astonishment to see who would be that stupid and I see Marvel grinning down at me. "Hey sweetheart" he says. His grin quickly changes to fear and uncertainty when he sees the expression on my face. Obviously he expected to me to laugh it off or giggle like some school girl. He didn't expect a look of menace, hatred and murder. He takes a step backward and bangs into the metal pole securing the net. I hit him in the chest winding him and then kick his legs out from under him. Once he's on the floor I knock myself onto him. Securing his legs with my knees, holding his arms above his head with one hand and using my other hand to crush his windpipe. My thumb cuts of his air and I can hear him gasping for breath. A small red vessel in his eye bursts from the pressure and I know he will be dead in a matter of minutes if I don't loosen up. "Clove!" I hear Cato scream with urgency behind me. He puts a hand on my shoulder and I soften at the touch. "Save it for the arena" he begs. I release Marvel and get off him giving him my best warning glance. "If he tries anything like that again I swear ill kill him!" I yell both at Marvel and Cato.

No one even dares to look at me for the rest of the day and even the trainers seem too afraid to tell me off. I know if I had killed him I could have been executed. I vow to myself silently that I will enjoy killing him slowly. The last station is the throwing knives. I know it's my specialty but at this point in the day I am just bored and tired. Cato sits this one out. His aim isn't the best when it comes to small objects. Give him a spear any day and he will kill anyone you point to in seconds. Give him a throwing knife or a gun and he will struggle to hit the simplest of targets. I throw a few and hit them all on the bull's-eyes. I decide to step it up a notch and work at throwing 2, 3 or even 4 at the same time. Still hitting them dead on I think it's just far too easy. I then throw them and sink each knife into the handle of the last lot I threw. When I look at the dummies I realize each bull's-eye has a stack of 5 or 6 knives all stuck into the handle of the last protruding from the target.

When I look around the room I see every pair of eyes are on me. There are mixed looks of fear, shock and horror. Glimmer gives me a smug look like she had me figured out from day 1. Usually I'm not that easy to read but I take it she's very good at reading people. It's one of her specialties besides seduction and manipulation. Not bad for a first day I think. Already the other tributes are terrified of us and we have 1 ally who is not a complete idiot. Marvel doesn't seem to be his usual bouncy self after our encounter but at least he will be easier to control now. Cato comes and tells me that he's recruited the boy from 3 into our pack. "He thinks he can use his skills to reset the mines so we can use them to our advantage, maybe use them as a trap to protect the supplies". If he can do it I think he will be a valuable ally. I'm sceptical but agree with Cato that we should at least see what he has to offer before fobbing him of completely.