and I have to impress the gamemakers with my skills. Which I have very little of. I don't know what I'm going to do. I sit and wait for them to call my name, but I'mm the last person in, being the girl from District 12, and by the time I'm called to the room, having not seen Cole since he left to take his turn, I've bitten my nails down to the quick.
I walk slowly, as if trying to think about what I can do. What should i do? I don't even know. I take a deep breath as I walk into the training room,
which is eerily empty without 23 other kids and 5 trainers in it. I look to the gamemakers. In previous years, they wouldn't of even been paying attention to me, but not this year - they're all staring at me, fixing me with their bright (unnaturely bright) beady eyes.
I see Plutarch Heavensbee, head gamemaker, sat in the front. I thought he wasn't coming back? Well, he seemingly was, because he gave me a small nod when I reach the middle of the training area.
"Dahlia Harper. District 12." I say. They nod. I now have 15 minutes to impress them.
Some of the dummies have been set out, and I drag them into different positions around me. These dummies are heavy. So I've shown my physical strength there. Having no real skill with any of the weapons, I pull out two of the long, glistening swords, and hear the mettalic noise as they slide against the metal sheath.
I look to the gamemakers, who are still watching me. And then I begin.
The dummies are set to move, and if one of them hits you, you'll know about it. They begin to spin, and slash, and I kick out, stabbing with my swords and kicking the dummies in the chest. I can hear murmurs of approval from behind me, but I'm not done. As the last dummie comes twaords me I press one sword to the back of its neck, one sword to the front, and slash, in opposite directions.
The head falls to the ground. I turn to face the gamemakers. They seem as unimpressed as they did when I came in. As I wait for Plutarch to nod to signal I can go, I see their eyes flick to a spot just to my left. I bring my left arm up, and stab my elbow backward, not sure what I'm going to hit. I keep facing forward the whole time, as I feel my elbow connect with a dummy, sending it flying backwards.
Plutarch nods, and I am free to go.
We sit in the living room, so to speak, Haymitch and me on one sofa, Effie and Cole on the other, and the sylists on another. We wait as the scores are given out. There are a few high ones - 8s, 9s - but the majority of the scores are 5s and 6s. I wait, anxious, wondering what they'll have given me. Plutarch knows I can do more than that. Would that influence him at all? Or would he not give me a high score so as to put the other tributes off?
I see "District 12" flash up onto the screen, and Cole's face. We wait, and I lean forward in my chair. A number 9 flashes next to his face, and we all breathe a sigh of relief.
"Excellent!" Effie trills, clapping her hands together. "And now for Delly!"
I was already starting to regret that. I watch as my face replaces Cole's. And then the number flashes onto the screen.
"10!" Effie squeals, clapping her hands together and tapping her feet. Haymitch turns and grins at me.
"Well done, sweetheart." He says, and pats me on the back. Cole gives me an approving nod, and I lean back in my seat, feeling almost out of breth. I smile. So Plutarch did have a bigger infuence on my score. I smile, resting my head back and breathing a sigh of relief.