Back again! I'm SUPER inspired right now in regards to this story so I'm using quite a bit of my spare time to get as much writing done as humanly possible ;) Thanks to all my readers, especially those who are still reading after I decided to disappear off the face of the Earth!

So, here's training...

Sandy Burghardt, District 2.

Today is the first day of training and I am 95% certain that I've gone and developed some form of repetitive eye strain from how much I've been rolling my eyes as of late, which is going to be absolutely fabulous for me seeing as I won't be able to see a target. Never mind hitting it with a blade. This whole Hunger Games fiasco has been a nothing but a farce, I mean what was the point in dolling all of us tributes up like royalty one day and then throwing us into an arena to kill one another like savages the next, hence the eye rolling. And what makes it all so much worse is that isn't even the worst part. Luca has always old me that my tendency to roll my eyes almost constantly is a bad habit, but he's not done the whole one mile in my shoes thing so whatever he had to say as of right now means jack shit in my eyes no matter how much I love him. See, the most exasperating this about this situation is not the fact that I've practically committed suicide by volunteering for these blasted games.

No, it's the fact that for two days I've been stuck with Enobaria and Brutus who I actually believe may be the most infuriating people to ever populate the world. It's the animalistic groans coming from their bedrooms when they're indulging in whatever kinky debauchery that turns them on, factor in the fact that Brutus is married and then you can see that for the last two days I've been living in a pool of moral turpentine. The weirdest thing is Claude's reaction, the cringing and the looks of absolute shock when he hears Enobaria's moans or Brutus' groans of pleasure; honestly, it is so hypocritical on his behalf. I mean, he got Waldenberg pregnant which means that he's no stranger to sex so that set me off on an eye rolling marathon.

I look over at Claude and even though he seems okay I'm starting to worry about him: He's constantly on edge and looking over his shoulders as if some axe wielding maniac is about to jump out from behind the corner and try to off him. I've been biting my tongue from screaming at him that we're not in the arena yet so he's safe. I do pity him for his circumstances, but it doesn't matter how he ended up here. The thing is that he is here and nobody can do anything about it, so he needs to suck everything up and just stay focused. For this I blame Enobaria and her 'advice': Kill, maim, intimidate, careers. Blah, blah bloody blah; the shit she decides to spout is like a broken record caught on loop. It's playing with Claude's head; it doesn't take a genius to figure out that my district partner isn't some bloodthirsty scoundrel who wants to slaughter children. But he is a person that is eager to please, and for some unfathomable reason he wants to please Enobaria. It pisses me off to no end that he is trying to become some psycho; Enobaria doesn't affect me in the slightest seeing as I don't give a flying monkey about what she thinks seeing as I'm more than likely going to die in the near future. See, so Claude's current identity crisis just adds to what seems to be a seemingly endless list about what makes my life a piece of grade A crap. We're currently in the elevator and then we hear the metallic doors slide open, time for training.

Coming from what people call a 'Career' district I really thought I'd know what to expect regarding training; weapons, targets and sparring with the addition of survival skills of course. Parallel to the training centre at home, but that isn't what I see before me. If I were some crazed killer like Enobaria or Brutus then this would be what heaven looks like, weapons upon weapons of the finest quality inhabit one corner and my fingers begin to tingle with the need to grab hold of a blade and start striking down targets. There are dummies, obstacle courses, climbing equipment and even a swimming pool. I'm pretty much engrossed in everything, I just stand there motionlessly until I feel someone tugging on my sleeve and I turn to see Claude nodding towards the tributes who've gathered around a woman. The only tributes here as of now are us and the pairs from 1,3,4,5, 7 and 11. Eventually everyone else strolls in and we're all here, all 24 tributes of the 62nd Annual Hunger Games: Right now I'm standing in a room with my potential murderer, I'm standing in a room with 23 people who will die so I don't think anybody would blame me for not listening to the spiel from the instructor. Instead I watch my fellow tributes; it's a better use of my time in my opinion seeing as Enobaria and Brutus have been constantly drilling into us the importance of survival skills and how more than half of the tributes die from things such as exposure or dehydration.

The girl from 5 that I know is an actress looks on the brink of tears, she's smart and even if the rest of the careers believe her weakling act I'm going to be keeping an eye on her. Add to the fact that her district partner is standing at her side looking as though he's about to jump in front of a bullet for the pretty red head and she could become a big problem. A normal career would pledge to hunt her down during the bloodbath but I kind of respect how she's dealing with the Hunger Games so rather than hunt her down, I'm going to avoid this girl like the plague. Manipulation is a weapon every bit as dangerous as a sword. The girl from 10 looks like she could flick me and I'd snap in half which is something seeing as I'm pretty muscular and not dainty in the least, it's just that she is a giant and her arms are lined with muscles and her hazel eyes shine with a determination so strong I'm pretty sure she could bring down the whole Capitol single handed if she set her mind to it. Head to head I think I could take her down but I don't want to take the chance, I'm skilled and could take her down from a distance but for all I know she could be some weapon mastermind. The pair from 11, the dark skinned beauty and the pale skinned boy who looked like a cat with his high cheekbones and slanted eyes, they have their heads together and seem to be having a whispered conversation although it seems as though the boy is doing a majority of the talking; they're in an alliance. That is blatantly obvious but I don't see either as a perceivable threat, but they come from the agricultural district so they could know a bit about poisons. Then we have the 12 tributes, they will both die because that is just the way it is and as I look at the little wisp of a girl with her black hair and tiny frame I feel my anger at the Capitol flare: Children killing children isn't exactly humane is it? The boy stands with her but he isn't as imposing as some of the others and he radiates gentility, they're both harmless. Like toddlers confronted with a Rottweiler, helpless. I turn and find the pair from 9, the dark skinned boy is watching the instructor intently as if her words are key to his survival; whereas his partner, the girl with the crippled leg, is glaring at anyone who catches her eye and I know right there and then that even if she is guaranteed death, she sure as hell will be taking someone with her.

Everyone seems so different, all of these different personalities with different future prospects if it weren't for the Capitol and their sick tyranny of the districts. The head trainer, Althea or something like that, shuts up and people start trailing off with looks of confusion and trepidation: These kids have no idea where to start, what to do and I find myself heading over towards the little girl from 8 to help her out when Claude grabs me and starts pulling me towards 3 people who are standing near the weaponry station. They were the mahogany haired harlot called Ruby or some other precious stone like Diamond or something from District 1 who was filing her nails and flicking her hair simultaneously, cue eye roll. Then their was her district partner who was smiling at me and Claude and waving at us as though we've known him for years but rather than being an annoying berk I found his general exuberance endearing and rather refreshing so I flash him a quick smile and raised my hand in greeting, he doesn't seem like a murderer but I'll decide on that later and then finally there is the tanned Adonis from District 4 who stares at us blankly with his muscled arms folded across his chest. He gives me the creeps, simple as that and I'll be keeping him at arms distance and I can promise now that I'll be sleeping with one eye open. Great, we're the careers and only 2 of them are people I anticipate I'll be able to tolerate. We stand in a loose circle near the weapons, staring at one another and the awkward silence just stretches on and on until the 4 boy moves to stand in the middle of the circle.

"Right, I suggest you choose your kills now. But no one touches the girl from my district; she is mine." I feel my mouth fall open, I know that the careers are considered brutal but seeing this twat talk about others imminent deaths so flippantly. So emotionless, it is disturbing and frankly it is rubbing me up in the wrong way. I turn to look for his district partner and see her struggling to get a fire started a look of pure concentration on her face and her dirty blonde scraped into a high ponytail: She's only about 13 and I wonder why he's so determined to kill her? Is it because she outshone him during the parade, and if that is the reason I don't think I'm too comfortable with him leading our alliance. I turn back to gauge everyone else's reactions: Claude's jaw is clenched, Ruby is stroking Kai's arm in her uniquely skanky way which shows that she accepts him as leader and her district partner is just staring at the ground looking forlorn. Oh screw this, I step towards Kai.

"I don't think premeditation is the point of this actually." Then he steps closer to me so that he looms over me threateningly and despite his obvious potential to physically overpower me I stare right back into his dull brown eyes, I know I'm not indestructible but I'm not easily intimidated. I feel Claude step to my flank in a clear indication of support, I always knew I liked him. Ruby is skirting around the edges but I know that if push came to shove she'd support Kai. Great we're not in the arena yet and the alliance is falling apart at the seams. Enobaria will not like this at all. Before anyone can make a move the district 1 boy jumps in-between us, his expression one of frenzied panic.

"Stop it please, we can't afford to be fighting with one another. We don't know exactly what will happen in the arena, so I think we should use this time to establish particular threats and try and identify people's weaknesses... Oh and I'm Nicoli Spinoza by the way, but you can all call me Nikki." I feel like applauding the boy, unlike Kai he doesn't seem like a deranged sociopath and I would feel more comfortable with him leading the alliance. Claude shakes his hand while Kai looks on with an eyebrow raised and Ruby is eyeing Nikki with what I'd describe as surprise. Kai clears his throat and I roll my eyes at his not so subtle attempt to bring attention back to himself.

"Now you know how this works, work with weapons. We need to intimidate the tributes, and remember you need to impress me: None of your positions within this alliance are secure yet. If you get spare time try and pick up some survival skills, not that we will need them once we secure the Cornucopia. Now go and at lunch we'll be discussing our strategy and other things such as whether we'll consider allowing anyone else in the alliance." He turns and leaves which I interpret as a clear sign of dismissal, let's just say my thoughts about the boy included a lot of expletives which would make my mother turn in her grave, or more impossibly make my father look up from his desk at work. I pluck my mother's ring from my pocket and start twiddling it around my finger: I'm doing this because of what she taught me. Do the right thing even if it isn't the easiest option, and with that thought I head towards the knife throwing station while thinking about how on Earth I'm meant to learn to tolerate the likes of Ruby and Kai.

Carrick McCall, District 10.

I'm at the knot tying station, and it must be because I'm from 10 that it comes so easy to me. I mean everyone knows that the way to win the Hunger Games is to tie a series of knots and hope that someone falls over one and breaks their neck, I snort to myself which draws me a fearful look from the District 12 girl who isn't getting far with tying any knots seeing as she is staring around at the other tributes as though she could make them disappear with the weight of her stare. I'm still trying to see the funny side of being in the Hunger Games but morbid humour was never my forte, I'm more about the self depreciating humour and it's just not as funny when there is more than a distinct possibility that I could actually be dying in a matter of days. I huff and return to tying a crescent knot, Austin said I should try to use a weapon but I feel a little more comfortable running the length of rope through my fingers. The little girl looks over at what I'm doing and tries to replicate the series of pulling and folding the rope in on itself before trying in vain to try and replicate my movements: I give her a small smile and she leans back, her face is apologetic and she turns away as her skin become tinged with pink from embarrassment at being caught. I chuckle to myself, coming from a family of men I've rarely spent time around girls except for Maeve and she wouldn't be embarrassed. She would tell me to show her and then if she couldn't do it she'd make me do it and give me a glare that said if I didn't she'd beat me up, seeing this little girl being coy is rather surreal so I give her a wink and her eyes widen even further.

"I can show you how to do that if you'd like." Her mouth pops open and her eyes widen even further and it's funny, she looks as if I've offered to cut her throat. She looks from me to the length of rope in her tiny hands and back to me and then the trainer who is staring into the distance; it is truly heartening to know these people are so concerned with equipping us with the skills to survive. The girl just looks down and starts fiddling with the rope again, the ignorance stings a little but hey I suppose it is killing or be killed and it will be a hell of a lot easier to kill someone you don't even know. I sigh and return to my knot, it is rather annoying to know that no one is really talking to no one. What I'd give for the chance to have a proper conversation, I mean Ginna is nice and we exchange pleasantries and all that over dinner but she has made it very clear she doesn't want anything more than that since her only focus is surviving and going home to her family. I'm so consumed with my altogether rather depressing thoughts that I barely notice the slight tap on my shoulder, I turn to find the girl from 12 gnawing on her lip. She opens her mouth and then closes it; I smile at her goldfish expression before she manages to find her voice.

"W-what do y-you want? I-I don't think I know a-anything to help y-you." She looks as if she's confused as to whether or not she is confronting me or apologising to me, and that confusion of hers disarms me completely. I just shake my head, this little girl is 12 years old and doesn't deserve any of this and honestly what kind of world do we live in when people expect something for something. The girl looks at me as I ramble to myself in my head, her apprehension grows as I stare into her eyes. She takes a step backwards and that just does it, I burst out laughing.

"You don't need to do anything, I just saw that you were struggling and thought you might want some help. Do you want any help?" She stares at me as if deciding whether she should trust me but eventually she nods her head, I shuffle around so I'm kneeling behind her and place my own hands above hers before showing her the series of loops and explaining everything as she nods along. Her tiny hands are smooth whereas mine are large and calloused, she just seems so fragile but eventually she can make the crescent knot without my assistance. She turns and gives me a big smile, and I grin back.

"Thank you, my name is Livvya." She holds out her hand and I shake it before smiling back at her, she blushes and looks down and I feel something. Maybe it is a desire to protect this little doll as though she is like a little sister or something. I stand and stretch before offering her my hand again and pulling her up, she brushes down her navy blue harem trousers before looking up at me.

"The name is Carrick, but you can call me Caz, Rick or anything else you'd like to call me. Most of my friends prefer to call me Muppet." She giggles and blushes again and I look out to the training centre. Where to next? I would try swimming but I don't think I could learn in only 3 days, but I do need to learn how to tread water at least. Or maybe learn to swing a sword but I'm trying to avoid making a fool of myself in front of the careers when they congregate at the weapons station like vultures on a carcass. Little Livvya must realise I haven't a clue as to where to go next as I feel her tugging on the sleeve of my sweater, I turn and smile at her.

"Ermmm.. You could come with me to the climbing frames, I could show you how to climb a tree or get from tree to tree or something. If you'd like." She blushes and looks down while kicking at the floor, she looks cute as she slowly begins to resemble a tomato. When she looks up I pretend to be looking torn by raising my eyebrow and curl my upper lip, she looks a bit disappointed and I crack as I start laughing. Her brow creases with confusion.

"Lead the way Liv." She miles up at me again and when I gesture with my hand for her to go she happily skips off towards the synthetic trees and the monkey bars. I just trail after her with a smile on my face, I might be stuck in a shit situation but at least I've been able to make one person smile and the sense of satisfaction makes me smile even more. While I amble around with the goofy smile plastered on my face I almost crash into my little bud when she turns to me. She looks awkward again as she twiddles her thumbs, and I grin as she starts chewing her bottom lip.

"Errrmmm...Rick? I was wondering if you'd like to sit with me and Archie, he's my district partner, at lunch?" I look over to where she gestured at her district partner to see a kid with honey blonde hair lifting weights, looks pretty strong too and muscled to say he's from the poorest district in the whole of Panem. I stroke my chin as I pretend to think about Livvya's proposition, she looks up at me with bated breath as she waits for my answer. I grin down at her and ruffle her wavy black hair and she slaps my hand away but she's giving me her little lopsided grin.

"It would be a pleasure Miss Livvya." She claps her hands together as I give a mock bow and I note the boy from 4 glaring over at us and I admit that he is pretty scary, I don't think he'd have a problem killing us. Actually I don't think he'd break a sweat. I gulp as he continues to stare at us and I can't look away until the girl from 1 dances over to him and trails her fingers delicately along his biceps before turning to look over at me and Livvya with a sickly sweet smile. A smile that promises a whole load of pain, I feel a tug on my arm and I follow Livvya over to the climbing frame congratulating myself on deciding to have lunch with Livvya and this Archie kid. Maybe they'd be interested in an alliance.

Nicolas Potrola, District 11.

"So, this is a blackberry and this is nightlock." I hold the two berries out to Clo who gives them a fleeting glance before nodding her head, it sent her chocolate brown hair falling out from her messy bun and I smile at the small smile that makes her caramel coloured eyes light up. I don't know how she does it, I mean we've been here at the edible plants section for a majority of the morning and I can't seem to retain any information. I can barely distinguish what roots are actually edible or whether then have medicinal purposes, we did the test a matter of minutes ago and I'm pretty certain that if we were thrown into the arena right now I'd end up poisoning myself which is something I need to change. Clo had no problem with the test; in fact she knew everything before the trainer opened his mouth. She is just too kind to tell him but she is nodding along as the old man starts rambling on about extracting poisons and water from particular roots, I catch snatches from his lecture and watch as he demonstrates things to Clo that I know I'd never comprehend. It's not that I'm unintelligent per say, I could learn this but in three days it seems impossible: Clo was brought up around plants and learning their uses whereas I was raised around politics and accounts. Clo begins to fiddle with roots and gnaws on her full lips; I find my attention wondering.

I find my eyes drifting towards the Gamemakers who are gathered on an elevated platform wearing pale lavender robes as they chat amicably with one another, gorging themselves on food and drinking copious amounts of wine. One of them is staring down at us with a look of contempt and I almost laugh at the irony of the situation, it should be us who are disgusted with them. I swallow my revulsion as I look at these people whose job it is to make sure that 23 of the children in this room suffer painful deaths for the sole purpose of the Capitol's 'entertainment', and these are the people who control our nation. Do these people even see us as people? Do they know our names, or are we just numbers? I turn away from them before I get too angry; I don't understand where this anger and this bitterness comes from. Before I was reaped, I was placid and just content to go about my life but I suppose that was also before the Capitol snatched me away from my little sister. I mean she has no one there for her now, yes Celeste is staying with the McElroy's but it was always me and her. I need to get back to her, but for that to happen Clo has to die and the thought makes me feel queasy.

To distract myself I decide to watch the other tributes, while Clo is busy learning about plants and their properties I may as well try to learn something about the people we'll face in the arena. If I could find a tiny weakness or something it would be an incredible advantage, the first person I notice is that Autumn girl from district 5 over at the traps and snare station. And to nobody's surprise she has once again succumbed to tears, I do feel bad for her but we're all in the same boat here: It'll do her no good, she just seems weak and I'm sure she'll perish in the bloodbath and however cruel it sounds all I can think is that it will be one less person preventing either me or Clo getting home to District 11. Just then her snare snaps and she just slumps over and covers her face, she looks defeated and pathetic and I swallow my sympathy for the girl. I turn away and see the boy from 8 who I think is called Lyle punching dummies at an incredible speed and I sigh, he seems fast and powerful. I suppose he did volunteer, I'll have to watch him as he may be just as deadly as the careers. I watch as he gestures over to a sparring partner and in three seconds flat he has the man pinned against the floor with his hands wrapped around the mans throat, he just smiles as the man is struggling to breath and I can feel my eyes getting wider and wider. What is this boy, a complete sadistic psychopath? I must still be staring because I feel someone tap my face, I turn to see Clo looking at me her forehead creased with worry.

"Nic, are you okay?" Clo sounds concerned, her musical voice is muted as always and her tears of worry glisten in her eyes. I nod my head towards where the Lyle boy has the other man pinned to the ground, Clo looks over and I hear her intake of breath as she throws her hand over her mouth; her eyes seem to cloud over as she begins to be consumed by memories of her past. Clo has told me very little of her past but I know that she was bullied even if she hasn't told me the reason; the fact that this Lyle's actions are dragging these memories for Clo makes me seethe and I feel like going over there and telling him to stop. Clo just looks at me and then I realise I haven't answered her question so I just nod my head and she sighs in relief before rubbing my back and making me smile, it is a great relief having a friend here in Hell even if the ending will be tragic. But right now, we're just two friends caught up in something beyond our control. Clo climbs gracefully to her feet and I clamber up to follow her.

"So where to now Nic?" Clo is smiling at me and I can't help the answering smile that slides onto my face, any worries I had about Lyle seem to vanish and I throw my arm around Clo's shoulders and she puts her head on my shoulder despite the fact that she seems to have tensed up. I would like to get my hands on a weapon because whereas Clo will be able to feed us and potentially poison others with all her plants, I'll need to learn some skills that would help in direct confrontation with other tributes but that will have to wait; The careers are dominating the weapons station but Chaff and Seeder said they would, it's a tactic to try and intimidate us and in all honesty their little ploy is working.

The female from 2, Sandra, is throwing knives at a target with such accuracy that the bulls eye is no longer distinguishable seeing that so many knives are imbedded into the centre of the target; the most worrying thing is that her hands are blurring with the impossible speed in which she is throwing the knives, it seems as if she isn't even pausing to take aim. I flinch as knife after knife are sent soaring through the air as Sandra just looks on as if she is simply walking through a meadow and providing . Then without pausing she turns toward a human shaped target and sends three knives flying toward it and I actually pull Clo closer to me and step back as I see one knife pierce where the throat would be, another imbedding itself in the chest and the last sinks into the stomach. Despite this girls ordinary appearance with green eyes, a feminine muscular build and sandy blonde hair pulled into a ponytail; she is extraordinarily lethal.

Nicoli Spinoza of District One is smiling as he slices dummy after dummy with a sword, moving swiftly he seems to blur as he strikes again and again. Lightening speed and lethal precision describe his skill, the sword is nothing but an extension of his arm it appears so natural. Despite the smile on his face, the sword appears to glint malevolently and I cannot imagine how easily he could end my life, slicing open my torso in one clean swipe and the thought is sobering. Becoming proficient with some form of weapon has just become my number one priority because how am I meant to run in a race when my legs have been cut from beneath me? Nicoli then heads over towards the rack and replaces the sword before heading over toward the hand-to-hand combat station which was previously occupied by that Lyle boy, a sparring partner head toward the boy but he shakes his head with a polite smile before heading over towards a crash mat. Then he begins to move, although a more acute description would be dancing, he performs a series of split leaps before turning and performing a series of rapid spins while kicking his legs and then performing a hand spring into a back flip and then lands on his hand before performing a walk over, even though the boy has performed a series of manoeuvres which could lead to my fatality he makes them appear graceful or even beautiful.

He then stops and Clo surprises me by clapping and without thinking I join in as do a number of other tributes around the room; Nicoli blushes while his district partner and the petrifying boy from 4 throw him withering glares. The most pleasing sight is the Gamemakers, they cannot conceal their shock at this display of district unity however fleeting it may be. They are aghast and I have to swallow the laughter that is about to burst from my lips, because behind their outrage you can practically smell the fear and it is nice to know that for once the roles have been reversed. Moments later the bell rings signalling the beginning of lunch, pretty convenient if you ask me that we have to go to lunch so soon after that little spectacle, and I make a promise to myself that after lunch I am definitely practicing with at least a knife.

Guys, here is the first bit of training. I will stretch this out as it is when rivalries and alliances begin to take shape! Let me know your thoughts by reviewing...

Thanks,

Loves yah... xxx