Disclaimer: Alas, I still don't own The Hunger Games. I wonder how much it would be to buy the rites to it...probably more than I can afford.
Even when my dad came to say goodbye, I could tell by the look on his face and the tone in his voice that even he thought I couldn't survive. He knew I was dead, just as my brother and mother were. I remember when I was in that room, saying goodbye to my brother. My father had thought that he had stood a chance. He had lots of people come in. Only my dad came to say goodbye to me.
I didn't talk to anyone on the train. I didn't try to make them like me. I think that even if I did, the results would be the same. Maybe if my stylist had actually tried to make me look impressive at the opening ceremony. Maybe I would have stood a chance. We have a mentor. He immediately decided to help Blake, and to completely ignore that I existed. Who was I compared to him? What is the point in supporting a hopeless cause?
It was the first day at the training center. I was at the plant identification station; I was only half paying attention to what I was doing. The rest of my attention was focused on Blake, throwing a spear at a dummy from twenty yards away. He stabs it in the heart. His Instructions from our mentor was to intimidate the field. He was doing a pretty impressive job at that. Our mentor hadn't paid me the light of day.
I turn back to what I'm doing and feel a tap on my shoulder. When I turn around, I see a girl, about sixteen, with dark skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. She is wearing a white shirt and beige pants. While she is tall and thin, you can tell that she is also strong. Her eyes are naturally wide and she has a devious grin on her face. I instantly don't trust her. Then again, I instantly don't trust anyone. "You must be what the mentors are considering a 'hopeless cause'. So am I. My mentor didn't give me any attention. He is focused on Tannor. He doesn't think I stand a chance."
Yeah. Thanks for noticing. I start to turn away. The girl grabs my shoulder and turns me back around. "My name is Lemon. Yeah, I know, weird name. That's why my friends call me Glitch." Glitch seemed just as weird as Lemon to me. "I'm District 11. Do you want to pair up for the training session? So you don't have to wander around alone?"
I pause for a second, then answer. I don't really want to, but I don't think I can get rid of this girl, and the offer sounded truly sincere. Either that or she feels sorry for me since I'm so small. "Sure, during the training session. The name is Glynn." With that, her grin spreads and we start to travel to the different stations.
"Have you tried any weapons yet?" She asks innocently, though I'm pretty sure she knows what the answer will be.
"No…do you know how to use any of the weapons?"
"I'm okay with a knife. I have to use one when we harvest in the trees. It's easier than picking off the fruit by hand." Her grin widens even more as she says that. I wonder what that means. It's probably nothing good for me.
"Can you show me anything? I've never had to use a weapon in District 9, and I'll probably be dreadful with them all"
"Sure. Come on." She grabs my hand and sprints off towards the knife throwing station. Wow, I wonder why she chooses that one.
We spend an hour there. By the end, I'm pretty decent at throwing and handling knives. Also by that time it's lunch. Lunch is served in a giant hall directly outside the training center. In the center of the hall is a table with all sorts of amazing, delicious food on it, from all of the Districts, except they all have a Capitol flair to them. The food is the best part of the Capitol, much better than at home. I decide to only take food that is familiar. We load our plates with as much food as possible and gather in the corner of the hall.
Most tributes are sitting alone, in random places on the floor, mindlessly chewing on their food. An exception is a group of six gathered at the head of the table. They were all strong looking, and beaming with self confidence. I had seen Glitch talking to them earlier that day, before she asked me to join her. "Who are they?"
Glitch looks up, mouth full of food, and quickly swallows. "They are not nice. You don't want to hang out with them. Really mean people."
Then she realizes the other perspective of the question "Oh, they are volunteer tributes; they all volunteered to take place of the original tributes that were selected. I think they're Districts 1, 2 and 4. They didn't say, but by the look of it they have probably been training for this."
"Like it's their career?" How horrible would it be to volunteer for this terrible event, let alone train for it? We had never had anyone do that in the Games before.
"Yeah, I guess you could call them that. The Careers, suits them."
At that moment a muscular boy with dark skin, brown eyes, and close-cropped military style brown hair approached. I figure he is from District 11. Along with that assumption I figure this is also Tannor. "Glitch I-"
Glitch cut him off. "Save it, Tannor. And only my friends can call me Glitch." Hey, I was right. This is Tannor. I wonder why Glitch doesn't like him?
"Glitch, I didn't know that he would refuse to train you. I thought he could train us both. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked him to train us separately."
"Yeah, tell it to someone who cares. And what did I say about the name? By the way, it is your entire fault. I take none of the blame. Anyway, I have my own training partner," Glitch gestured to me, "and we have a fail proof plan, now go away." With that last part she narrowed her eyes and her grin faded. It turned her features into an almost sinister, evil look. The boy stalked away in either disappointment or regret. I start to question.
"Don't ask." She rolls her eyes as if remembering something ridiculous. Her grin returns.
"Can I ask about our fool-proof plan?"
"Yeah, about that. I'm still working on it. It doesn't quite exist yet." Her grin widens and we start laughing really hard. Everyone in the room is staring at us as if we were insane.
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That night I couldn't sleep. The Capitol beds were comfortable and all, but I was nervous about the days to come. I threw off the covers and left my room. I walked down the hall to the elevators. I looked at the illuminated buttons. The top one had an R on it. R for rescue, I thought. I pressed it, and the elevator shot up.
When the doors opened, I was on a roof. On the other side from where I was standing there was a garden, filled with chimes. It was magical. Maybe this was a rescue. I was so awestruck by the beauty I didn't notice the thin outline of a teenage girl. Glitch. I walked up and stood beside her.
"Past your bedtime, isn't it?" She said as she stared at the sky.
"What about you?"
She laughed. "You don't need to worry about me. How did you find this place?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a ride in the elevator. It goes fast, like the train and it's really fun. I saw the top button labeled R and I had a hopeful thought it might stand for rescue."
Glitch's ever present grin spread. "You really did? I wish that's what it stood for. But the roof is like rescue from the terror. It seems too serene to be in a place like this. Such a beautiful place, shame they hold such a barbaric event."
"Yeah, my brother was in the Hunger Games, you know?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, his name is Hayven. He didn't make it though. He got a knife through his back. Everyone thought he was going to make it, though."
"I didn't know that. I'm sorry." She was looking at me with regretful, knowing eyes. I decided to change the subject, because it looked like the current one was painful for us both.
"Are we even allowed up here?" To me, it seemed that tributes could easily jump off the side, and fall to their death.
"Yeah, watch this." She stuck out her hand past the railing and into the air that was freedom. It didn't make it there though. Some invisible force zapped it back with a loud crack, shattering the silence. I make an O with my mouth. They thought of everything. Glitch gives me a grim look. "You should probably get to sleep; the next few days are going to be important."
"Aren't all days important from now on?" Glitch laughed and nodded in response, she grabbed my hand and led me back to the elevator. She pressed 11 and 9. I felt the rush of speed as the elevator dropped. It opened at eleven, and she stepped out.
"Try to get some sleep, ok?" I nod and the doors close. Once back into the safety of my bed, I wonder if that was all a dream. I wish everything was a dream.
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Three days. That's how long we have to train until our final, private session with the Gamemakers. In that time Glitch and I try to learn and improveas many skills as possible, trying to stuff ourselves with the knowledge that will help us survivethe long weeks to come. If we even survive weeks. On the third day we try a hand at archery. After watching a demonstration by the expert at the station, I try.
With a shaky hand, I pull back the string on the bow. The expert rolls his eyes, as if he can't believe he has to put up with such incompetent fools. I aim. I hit the dummy in the chest. Both the Instructor and Glitch raise an eyebrow. "You know you're very good at repeating things." I jump, not expecting anyone to comment and face her.
"Err...What?"
Glitch giggled. "Once you see someone do something, you can repeat what they do almost flawlessly. Sometimes you're even better than they are. It's very cool to watch. It's like monkey see, monkey do."
"Oh. Okay." I look down to my feet, not sure if that was bad or good. We continue to practice in silence after that.
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Glitch and I sit quietly in our corner as we wait to be called for our private session with the Gamemakers. Boy first, then girl. When Blake's name is called; he gets up and leaves without acknowledging me or any of the other tributes. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Go ahead and do a little of everything that you practiced. Try to make it more impressive than it is by doing really fancy tricks. That might work."
"What are you going to do?"
Glitch lifts up a finger as if to lecture me. "That would be a secret. Don't want you to steal my idea. Though, they might not even be paying attention by District 11." Yeah, I'm really not sure if I should trust her. But I might have to. They call my name. I stand up and Glitch grabs my arm and hugs me. I flinch. I don't like when people hug me. It makes me feel like they're going to put a knife threw my back.
"Well I guess this is goodbye for now, we won't be able to talk until the arena."
"Goodbye, for now, and possibly forever. Good luck, with your secret plan that you can't tell me in dread that I might steal it." With that I take a deep breath, and enter the Training Center. I don't look back, even though what is forward terrifies me.
Ok. This is getting a bit easier to write. Once again, tell me if you see any mistakes, and just tell me what you think in general. Thanks for reading. I appreciate it. :)