District Nine-
Allison Cestello 16 and Carter Tock 18
Allison Cestello 16 POV
"Training is very important. As much as all of you want to run to the weapons and hand-to-hand combat stations, remember that most of you will die from nature and not another tribute. So give the other stations a shot, like the camouflage, the edible plants stations and a few others, okay? Get going, you only have three days so don't waste your time," the training director announces as we gather in front of her. The sight of her makes me sick. How can she talk so easily of children dying? What does she see when she looks in the mirror?
I jog to the edible plant section, I know most of the plants but I want to make sure I know all I need to. After a quick explanation of each plant, I pass the test, hardly thinking at all. Soon after, I stand in the middle of the training floor, no sure what to do next. I could try archery but I already know how to shoot a bow. Knives? No, I've used them plenty of times in the forest at home. I settle on weight lifting because I'm not very strong and I'd like to know how much I can lift.
Carter, my district partner is already there lifting 200 lbs. and barely breaking a sweat. I nervously lick my lips and take a 50 lbs. weight gingerly, starting small so I don't pull anything. 50 lbs. was heavier than I expected and by the time I lift it I am sweating profusely. At the end of one hour, I could bench press 110 lbs. without passing out and that was good enough for me.
My last station for the day was the obstacles course. Great for practicing speed and agility, both qualities I possess. A trainer starts a stopwatch and you have to climb, jump, crawl and swing your way through until you reach the end where they stop the clock. My clock starts and I run through the net that's suspended over the air. The next obstacle is crawling through mud under "barbed wire" where the barbs are made of a foamy material. A career girl from two pushes a scrawny twelve-year-old for five in front of her so that she gets tangle in the barbed wire.
"Hey! No fighting before the Games!" I shout at her from behind. It's hard to look tough while you're on your hands and knees in the mud but somehow she does. "What are you going to do about it, Nine?" She taunts. Without thinking, I dive under her and push up so that she's pinned against the wire. The Career screams at me and tries to land a punch or two but because she's up in the air and I'm flat against the mud she can only graze me. My arms wobble and I make a quick decision. I toss her off to the beginning of the obstacle where she slides only a few feet. The little girl from five had already escaped the barbed wire and bailed out of the obstacle course, covered in mud and cowering over at the camouflage while two trainers use her as a canvas.
I fly through the course with Two hot on my heels. I swing over water, run over a balance beam, swim under sheets of glass and finally sprint out of the course not stopping until I slide behind a Peacekeeper who stops me by catching my collar. "Agh! Save me from Two!" I squeak making myself look as innocent as possible. The girl stops when she sees me behind the Peacekeeper, she points a finger at me, scowling and say, "You're first in the arena, Nine."
Carter Tock 18 POV
I head first to the weights to clear my mind. Nora and Delihla had spun around my head again and again all last night and this morning. Delihla, the most. My best friend, my only friend. Before I know it 300 lbs. are over my head and I finally decide to stop lifting and try something else. I know how to kill an animal easily but the human body is a bit different so I practice throwing spears like I used to at home.
I'm still a bit shy of the vitals but I figure a few more days of practice and I'll do fine. I walk slowly to the next station, my head down and a gruff expression on my face. The smaller tributes stepped aside immediately, fear and one or two Career boys stood in front of me boldly and challenged me to the hand-to-hand combat. My temper flares and I shove the idiots off to the side and they stagger trying to keep upright. I think of Delihla and how she would warn me to stay calm and grunt frustrated that I can't control my temper. At least I don't have to control my temper in the arena.
A/N: Hey guys! I wonder if you guys are checking my profile for authors notes… just in case you aren't I'm putting this A/N here. Please check my profile for my authors notes, okay? Thanks! If it's a huge inconvenience and you hate it tell me that in a review and I'll stop and put A/Ns here like everyone else! ^_^ Thanks guys! Read and Review please!
