Ashley Coralis, 14, District 4
I'm so worried about today's evaluations that I don't see Lucas standing in the doorway of the dining room until I nearly bump into him.
"Oh!" I gasp, stumbling backwards.
"Morning, shrimp," he sneers.
"G-Good morning," I stammer in response.
"Hmm." He glares at me for a few minutes. I stand there awkwardly, afraid to ask him to let me in for breakfast.
"Huh," he finally snorts. "What a joke."
"W-What is?" I ask.
"You, of course!" Lucas says. "You're the joke. I could've had a decent District partner, but no, it had to be you."
He takes a step towards me, and I instinctively take a step backwards.
"You're going to die, you know," he says. "You won't last a day in that arena. I'm not going to be nice and drag you around or anything. No, I'm going to be the one to kill you. And you know what?"
He leans towards me until his smirking face is inches from mine, and I'm too scared to move away.
"I'm going to enjoy it," he hisses.
Then he straightens again and turns and walks back into the dining room.
XXX
Briar Tussen, 12, District 11
I pull myself up the branches of the fake tree, which is actually a lot easier to climb than the real ones in the orchards back home. I'm halfway to the high ceiling of the gymnasium when I reach the top. I settle down between two forked branches and look around. From up here, I can see everyone.
The five Careers have dominated the weapons stations, although that boy from Nine is stubbornly sticking to the archery station today, probably trying to scare them off of him, or maybe he's trying to land a spot in their alliance. Shimmer doesn't look too happy about him. Then again, she never looks happy.
Over on the other side of the gymnasium, Anise is running the obstacle course at full speed, ducking and dodging as she goes. She hasn't done anything but run since we've been down here today.
Is that what she'll show the Gamemakers after lunch?
"Well, look what I've caught!" a voice laughs from the ground. I look down to see Robin, the girl from District Seven, smirking up at me.
"Hey, Jude!" she calls. Her partner comes over, still holding a massive, double-bladed axe from the axe station. Now there are two menacing, muscular redheads grinning up at me.
"Looks like there's a little monkey up in this tree," Jude says. "You know what we do to trees in District Seven, monkey?"
I shake my head, thinking that I probably don't want to hear the answer.
"We chop them down!"
Jude swings his axe at my tree, stopping the blade just inches from its trunk. I gasp and tighten my grip on the branches.
He's bluffing. He has to be. He wouldn't chop me down…
"And do you know what we do to little monkeys who fall out of the trees that we chop down?" Robin hisses. I shake my head again, wishing that they would just go away. Jude swings his axe a second time, and I yelp, sure that it will slice through the trunk.
Thwack!
There is a loud sound of flesh hitting a solid object, and suddenly Anise is standing there, one hand on the tree.
"Leave. Him. Alone," she says. Her voice is soft and cold.
The Sevens look unnerved by her sudden, violent appearance.
"We'll do as we please," Jude says, but his axe hand is trembling slightly.
The three teenagers stare at each other in a frightening standoff.
"Hey, termites!"
Kayla, the girl from District Nine, is limping over as fast as she can.
"You waste your time, snapping your jaws around here," she says to the Sevens. "Scurry off, little red-headed bugs. Save your bothersome nipping for the arena."
Jude and Robin glance at her, then at each other, and then, much to my surprise, they stomp off back to the axe station.
"Are you okay?" Kayla asks Anise, who nods slowly in response and then lowers her arm. Her movements are stiff. It must have hurt to hit the tree so hard, after running so fast.
"You all right, Rosethorn?" Kayla calls, glancing up at me.
I nod shakily. Rosethorn?
"Come on down," says Kayla. "It's safe now."
I slowly lower myself to the floor, and Anise unexpectedly places a hand on my shoulder. It's reassuring.
"Those two…" she says.
Kayla nods. "I know. They're almost even scarier than Shimmer. But don't mind them, Rosethorn. They're like the trees that they threaten to chop: all bark and no bite."
"My name isn't Rosethorn," I say. "It's Briar."
"Briars, rose thorns, what's the difference?" Kayla teases, grinning widely at me.
I grin back. "Do you two…want to make an alliance?" I ask.
"No."
Anise suddenly pulls her hand away from my shoulder and turns her back on me and Kayla.
"No alliances," she says. "Both of you, stay away from me."
"What? Why?" I ask. "Anise…"
But she's already gone, running and dodging around the course again.
Kayla stares after her for a while, and then she shakes her head and sighs.
"Probably not, Rosethorn," she says. "Come on, how about you quiz me on some plants?"
XXX
Carn Hurdy, 18, District 2
"Carn Hurdy!" one of the Gamemakers calls. I stand up and walk away from the lunch table where Thera and Lucas are still sitting and follow in the footsteps of Phenom and Shimmer, who have already been evaluated and dismissed. The gymnasium looks basically the same as it has the past two days, but I notice that someone's moved around the targets, and the Gamemakers forgot to put away a dummy that has a small hole in its chest, right over its heart. Shimmer.
The Gamemakers nod for me to proceed, and I rush headlong at an upright dummy, punching it in the chest. It flies backwards, but as soon as it hits the ground I grab it and slam its head against the rack of swords. Imagining that this dummy is the source of all of the grief that Thera, Shimmer and the others have given me the past few days, I grab the biggest broadsword that I can see and slice the dummy in two. I turn and run at the other dummies, shouting as I cut off their heads and kick their bodies aside.
I stop, resting the sword on my shoulder, breathing hard as I survey the damage. The dummy force has been completely pulverized. The Gamemakers are nodding and taking notes.
Suddenly, a horrible image flashes through my mind. Instead of the dummies, I see the other tributes lying mangled and disfigured on the floor. Thera, beheaded, lying in a pool of her own blood. Bergamot, that bow-and-arrow boy who bugged Shimmer so much this morning, with his arms and legs broken. That little boy from Eleven, his head bashed in by the butt of my axe. And many, many others.
I did this! I killed them!
I barely manage to wait to be dismissed and to get out of the gym and back to the elevator without running and screaming my head off.
XXX
Landon Meddel, 16, District 8
"Landon Meddel."
I give Gabby's hand one last squeeze and then I stand and leave the cafeteria.
The Gamemakers are sitting at a table nearby, looking a bit disconcerted. Small wonder, as they just had to watch Jude and Robin. I don't even want to know what they did. It was bad enough watching them torture the dummies in public over the past two days.
I look around the gymnasium, thinking. The weapons stations are definitely not an option, if I want to make an impression. I haven't gotten a single chance to work with weapons, what with the Careers and Sevens hanging around. I'm lousy with snares, useless at fishing, and terrible at climbing. There's camouflage, but what can I hope to do over there that's impressive?
I have to do something!
I walk over to the plants station and pick up one of the posters. I've spent plenty of time here with Gabby, trying to memorize every edible and medicinal thing that I could, to help keep us alive. Holding the poster, I turn back to the Gamemakers and point at one of the plants on it.
"Burdock," I say. "The stem can be eaten raw or boiled. Liquid from the roots aids in sweating."
I move my finger down the poster.
"Clover. The leaves are best eaten when soaked. Yarrow. Good to eat, and the leaves can help stop bleeding…"
I go on and on until I'm tired of talking and the Gamemakers are telling me to leave.
Now all I can do is wait for Gabby, and hope…
XXX
Kayla Rakkor, 15, District 9
"That's enough," says a Gamemaker. "You may leave."
I get up, leaving the rope that I had tied into a dozen different types of knots on the floor, and I leave the gymnasium. Odds are, I'll get a low score, probably a four or a five. I could live with that. A good score would designate me as a threat.
As I enter the elevator and push the button with a number nine on it, I start to think about earlier this morning, and about Anise and Briar. Why did I interfere? Now, Robin and Jude will make me a target…
…but could I have just stood there and done nothing? I challenge myself as the elevator reaches my floor. They were terrifying the little Rosethorn, and Anise, usually so stoic, was very upset… It hadn't shown on her face, but she had been livid and near tears. I could just tell.
A clear glass wall, where storm clouds lurk
Behind the dark brown face.
Around and 'round her feelings go,
Faster than she can race.
"So, how did it go?" Vivienne cuts into my thoughts.
"It could have been worse," I say with a shrug. "I tied knots until they got bored of watching me. I considered making up a poem about plants as well, but I decided against it. They might have given me a 'one' for insanity."
Vivienne laughs. "I don't think that they've ever given someone a one," she says, turning and walking back into the dining room. "Come on. They're getting dinner ready."
Bergamot, Arrian, Calpurnia, and Minnie are already seated at the table.
"So," says Vivienne, grabbing a plate. "We have one useless wimp and one skilled archer. But it's just been behind the scenes, so far. Now it's time to put you on stage."
"The interviews," Bergamot mutters.
I shrug. "Should be fun." I have some ideas already about what I'm going to say.
"It can also be the most vital part of the Hunger Games," Minnie points out. "This is the first time that the nation actually sees you. Sure, there was the parade, but that was just an attention-getter. This is the point where viewers make their first decisions about who to sponsor. So, tomorrow we'll figure out your angles and teach you how to behave in front of the audience."
I actually stare at her for a few moments. It looks like there's more to Minnie than the bug-eyed lady I saw at first…then again, she's probably just trying to make sure that we do well so that she'll be promoted. Oh, well.
XXX
Shimmer Argent, 18, District 1
I lounge in my chair in the sitting room, my feet up and my eyes on the television as the anthem plays before the announcement of the training scores. I'm confident, but that goes without saying. What I'm really interested in are the scores of the other tributes.
Phenom, sitting in the chair next to me, actually looks a little nervous. It's almost funny.
The anthem ends, I sit up straight as the Capitol logo is replaced by a picture of Phenom. The one thing I don't like about this part of the Hunger Games is that the boy goes first. I should be first. Well, I'll get the first interview, so it isn't so bad. Besides, Phenom's score will most definitely pale in comparison to mine.
Below Phenom's picture, a number flashes: Eight. Flint, Zora, and the stylists nod approval, and I frown slightly, thinking. An eight is a good score, relatively. Careers like us usually get eights and nines.
Next, of course, is my picture, which is soon followed by the number eleven.
Pleaton and the stylists burst into cheers and applause, while Zora nods calmly and Flint says that he expected no less. I glance smugly at Phenom, who has a nasty scowl on his face.
I'm a bit disappointed, though. What I really wanted was a twelve.
The rest of my pack does very well. Carn somehow manages a ten, while Thera gets a nine and Lucas gets another eight. The Sevens both get nines, which I had expected, but I don't plan for them to live very long with that score.
Then Bergamot Palentia of District Nine pops up, with a number equal to that of his District.
I'll have to keep an eye on him. He used a bow, no doubt of it. He was showing off this morning. I'll just have to make sure that he doesn't get his hands on a bow… Heck, I'll just have to make sure that he doesn't get out of the Cornucopia.
Other than that and a few surprising but not terribly worrying sixes and sevens, the rest of the scores pass by without much cause for interest.
Tribute-Name-Score
1B Phenom Spectral 8
1G Shimmer Argent 11
2B Carn Hurdy 10
2G Thera Adrastea 9
3B Erit Byrne 5
3G Icee Lightwood 6
4B Lucas Tandem 8
4G Ashley Coralis 5
5B Tam Penemue 5
5G Moira Jemsom 7
6B Moh Kandeld 5
6G Sara Strickham 6
7B Jude Paraux 9
7G Robin Sarabia 9
8B Landon Meddel 4
8G Gabrielle Oriot 3
9B Bergamot Palentia 9
9G Kayla Rakkor 4
10B Luis Isofer 4
10G Dawn Calder 6
11B Briar Tussen 6
11G Anise Leenan 6
12B Bint Westley 4
12G Dalinder Fernswith 7
A.N.: Thanks to everyone for the kind reviews! There's just one more pre-game chapter, and then we hit the arena!