Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games
Chapter Five: Training
"Can't I just skip training?" I asked. Mandy was trying to get me out of bed.
"Well, technically you can, but don't you want to meet all the other tributes?" Mandy asked in her normal cheerful voice.
"Not particularly." I said to her.
"Come on, it'll be fun" Mandy said.
"Yeah, Cecilia, it'll be fun!" Warnende's voice mimicked.
"See? He thinks so!" Mandy said, not catching the sarcasm.
"Ugh, ok, ok." I said, getting up.
"Here, put this on." Mandy said, handing me a heavy suit.
"Okay, get out." they did. Spandex. It was very tight, but at least it stretched- unlike the wooden dress. I could breath.
"Let's get this over with!" I said in mock cheerfulness, opening the door.
"Yay! Let's go!" Mandy said, pulling my hand again. We went on an elevator, which made me sick to the stomach. We got to the gymnasium, where the head trainer explains the training schedule and the rules. She told us what kind of stations there were; bow and arrow, camouflage, swords, knife throwing, knot tying… it goes on.
"I… I think I want to do knot typing." I told Warnende.
"Knot tying… good idea." he said. I knew what he really wanted to do was the axe station. Show off that he actually knows something.
"After, do you want to do the axe station?" I asked nicely.
"Sounds like a plan!" he said. I followed him to the knot tying station.
The instructor was in the middle of talking to two other people. "-you do this… loop it around… take this piece like this… and there you go!" she said in her capitol accent.
I had a piece of rope in my hands, messing with it. Maybe if the woman explained it more clearer I could actually be able to accomplish it.
"No, no." Warnende said. "You go like this." he took my hands and the rope and helped me tie it. "See? That knot will not come undone no matter how much you pull at it."
"Oh… uh… thanks." I said, my face heating up.
"Here, try it yourself." Warnende said, giving me a second piece of rope. I remembered his hands showing mine the way to twist and tie the ropes.
"That's good for your first time." the knot-tying instructor said. "It's a bit too loose, though. Hey, you're that blind girl, aren't you?"
"Uh-huh." I was getting tired of being referred as 'that blind girl'. Doesn't anyone have the decency to call me by my name?
"Well, I wish you luck in the games." she said.
"Yeah, thanks." I said. I need as much as I can get.
"So… axe throwing?" Warnende asked when the instructor moved on.
"Yep." I said, following him there.
"So, Cecilia, I've been thinking… how would you like to be my ally in the games?" Warnende asked when we got there. No one seemed to be at the station.
"You want to be my ally?" I asked. "An ally with someone who is blind?"
"Yeah, of course. I know I'm not going to live, but at least I'll be able to help out a friend before I die."
"A… friend?" I asked. I was a bit slow today.
"Yes, a friend." he said, so sincerely. My face lit up.
"Yeah! I'd love to be your ally! Anyone else in?" I asked.
"Nope, just us. Why, anyone catch your eye?" he asked. "Ugh, I'm so sorry, Cecilia. I keep forgetting you're blind."
"Yeah, that's okay. I don't think I trust anyone else." I told him.
"Yeah, same with me." he said.
"Now, go show off your axe skills!" I said, grinning. I could tell he was grinning back when he picked up an axe. Clunk.
"Where'd it hit?" I asked.
"Dead on center!" he said. "High fi-" he stopped. I smiled and held up my hand. He high fived it.
"You want to keep throwing?" I asked.
"Yeah." he said. After about five minutes of him throwing axes, he asked if I wanted to try.
"Nah, I'd probably end up killing someone." I said.
"The more the better." he said. We both started laughing. I felt a presence come up to us. 'they're laughing?' it thought. 'Why would they be laughing when they probably know they'll be dead in a matter of days?'
"You won't be laughing when you are staring Death in the face, now will you?" the voice said. It was a girl.
"Well, maybe." I told her. "I heard Death works in funny ways."
"Hmph. Whatever you say, District 7. You won't be much of a challenge. I recon you'll die in the blood bath."
These people made me want to win even more. Just to prove them wrong. A day at the least.
"What? Nothing to say?" she asked.
"Well, I do have something to say, I just rather not say it, being how nice I am." I said.
"Hmph." she said again. "I hope you die painfully." then she walked away.
"That was Crystal Crawford. She's from District 2." Warnende said.
"Ugh, a Career." I said. "Though I could already tell that through her voice."
"Yeah, well, anyway, let's go. We can do some of the other stations tomorrow." Warnende said.
The next few days passed quickly. I was surprised that I was actually having fun doing these stations with Warnende, even though I was barely doing anything. Though, he did help me shoot a bow. I mean, I would never be able to aim the bow at the place I want it without him behind me, helping. And I knew that if one of us were the win, the other was going to die. Though I have a feeling both of us are going to die. I would never betray him. He'd never betray me, either, unless he's just telling himself that.
On the third day, we had private sessions.
"So what are you going to do?" Warnende asked.
"I have no idea." I told him.
"Maybe you can knot tie?" he asked.
"I'm not that good at it. And besides, I don't even know where that station is." I told him.
"Oh." he said. We both were out of ideas. More and more people left, until Warnende was called.
"Good luck." I said. I still had no idea what I was going to do.
"Cecilia Emerson." They called. I followed the voice. I stood there a few seconds, pondering on what I should do.
'Ah, the blind one. This should be interesting.' the head gamemaker thought.
"Do you guys really expect me to do something?" I asked.
"Not particularly." he lied. What he really thought was, 'well, we were kind of hoping you would had something impressing and secretive.'
"Yes, well, I don't have anything 'impressive and secretive'." I todl them. Oh, wait. I could read minds…
'There is no way… can she… read minds?' the head gamemaker asked in his head.
"If I could, do I get a 12?" I asked.
"Impressive, you can read minds." he thought. "Too bad it won't help you in the games, though."
"And why won't it?" I asked. "I can hear people coming towards me from a mile away. I can tell if someone's planning to betray me. I can tell where they are and if they are going to attack me or not. You're telling me this won't help me during battle?"
Silence. I was actually quite surprised at myself. I just thought of these things and how I can use this advantage to my power. I never really thought of it before…
"You're excused." The gamemaker said. I found my way to the door where Warnende was waiting for me.
"So what did you do?" he asked. I shook my head, saying 'nothing'.
"Oh… well, that's okay! We already have 12 sponsors. And Vince said he'd actually help us out!" he said. We headed for the elevator.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Axes, of course." he said. He pushed a button in the elevator, making us go up.
"Hello! How'd the private training go?" Mandy asked. She must have been waiting for us at the elevator.
"Well, I'm sure Warnende's went better than mine." I said. I either got really good or really bad…
"How'd you do?" she asked him.
"Well, we'll see tonight." he said.
"Can we eat?" I asked. "I'm starving.
"Yes, we have an hour until the scores come on." Mandy said. As we ate our lunch, we talked. I made sure I didn't make myself too full, like always. After we were done, we went to the sitting room. The anthem started to play.
"Okay, so here they are." Warnende told me in an announcer's voice. I couldn't help but laugh. "From District 1: Victor Lederer- 11 and Gem Talek- 9. From District 2: Clay Kernik- 10 and Crystal Crawford- 10. From District 3: Jayse Nixon- 6 and Janine Anthony- 5. From District 4: Wessen Berlin- 9 and Aqua Broncato- 6. Wow, usually Careers do better than that. From District 5: Maxen Orie-5 and Genome Payne- 2. From District 6: Sherman Milton- 4 and Renee Bishop- 6... Our district: Me-" he stopped.
"Oh… good job! You've got an eight!" Mandy said.
"Very nice!" I said, smiling.
"Cecilia…" he said.
"What?" I asked, sensing the seriousness in his voice.
"You… you got…" he was at a lack of words.
"You got a 12!" Mandy said and squealed. They really gave me a 12? I was only (sort of) joking when I said that.
"What did you do?" Warnende said, shocked.
"Wouldn't we all like to know that?" Vince said.
"Um… well… I gave a good argument?" I told them. We were obviously missing the rest of the scores.
"Oh, you gave a good argument, huh? That's definitely going to get you a 12." Vince said sarcastically. "Maybe you'll be able to talk your way out of a fight. Not!"
"Well, I did. It must have been very convincing." I told him defensively.
"Do tell us." he said.
"Um… well… I can't." I said.
"And why the hell not?" He growled.
"…it's a secret." I said coyly. I can't just tell them I read minds, can I? Then again, I am very close to death… maybe it would be best.
"Please, Cecilia?" Warnende bugged. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, ple-"
"Okay!" I said. "I can read minds. Gosh!"
Silence.
Silence.
"You can… what?" Vince asked.
"I can read minds. Don't ask me how, I just can." I told him.
"Well, that's… different." Mandy said.
"Prove it." Vince said.
"Well, Mandy was just thinking, 'clear your mind, clear your mind- she can read it'" I said.
"I was." Mandy said, sounding a bit embarrassed.
"Okay, so you can read minds." Vince stated. "That could help you in the games, but I don't see why they gave you a 12."
"I told them I deserved a 12." I told him.
"Oh, so you can control minds, too." he said, exasperated.
"No, you think if I could do that, I wouldn't be here." I told him.
"Well, how did you get a 12 then?" he asked.
"I told them how reading minds could help in the Games. The scores are graded on how well your talent would help you in the Games, right? I think reading minds will do me well in the Games. Though I still don't think I'll make it too far." I said.
"Well, let's hope it will get you guys more sponsors. Like I said, you'll need as much as you can get." Vince said.
"Okay! That was enough excitement for today!" Mandy said. "Let's go to bed. Interviews tomorrow!"