The 25th Hunger Games
Chapter 7
"That was amazing! BUT DON'T OVER DO IT AGAIN" says Luna first in a star struck fan voice then quickly switching to an angry one.
"Well, they definitely liked the touches you added," says my Mom. Despite her enthusiastic smile on her face, I could see the dark shadows being cast under her eyes.
"Okay!" concludes Tin with a wineglass in his hands, "How about you two go off into your rooms and don't go out of your rooms and sleep because your about to learn survival skills tomorrow. I must emphasize don't go out of your rooms."
"Luna, will you be a dear tomorrow and take them to the training area tomorrow?" asks my Mom in an attempt to not set off the bomb that makes up Luna. But to no avail as Luna starts bouncing around with joy and excitement.
"I'll take that as a yes" my Mom says in defeat.
After a few dozen rounds of attempting to calm down Luna, the just order a sleeping pill and slip in into the wine she's been furiously sipping. Almost instantly she sinks to the ground snoring; two servants drag her to her quarters and another two direct us to ours.
Our room is on the Third floor, as it is designed for District 3. Each District gets their own floor, 12 gets 12, 4 gets 4, etc. My room turns out to be directly across from Diane's room. So after the Avoxes leave, she sneaks into my room.
"Okay, first things first!" she says frowning, "Do we need more people in our alliance? How many people are going to be in it?"
"I don't see why we need more people" I say plainly.
"Oh okay, Two weaklings from 3 versus 6 Careers" she says in an annoyed tone.
I let out a sigh, putting it that way makes us seem like we were from District 12.
"Fine," I say under my breath, "Maximum of 3 though"
"Okay who?" she asks quietly, I think she heard a sound from the hallway.
"The girl from 12 looks like she'll be a great survivor!" I say sarcastically.
"Be serious! "She says, attempting to cover a smile.
"Okay what about the menacing boy from 4?" I say still attempting to make light of the situation.
Just as Diane is about to give me a punch for my refusal to take things seriously, I hear a noise from the door. I barely get a glance at the intruder, but her short cut hair and sea green eyes make it obvious she's from 4.
"Hey!" Diane yells as she runs after the girl. I sprint after her too but then I quickly notice how fast we caught up to her. Apparently, both Diane and I run fast. The girl, despite our speed, makes it to the elevator. She waves goodbye as the clear door of it closes and lifts up, taking the information with her.
"GAH!" Diane yells as she pounds the door.
"Careers are so annoying!" she says as she walks slowly back to her room.
The click of a lock confirms that Diane has given up on her attempt to plan. I stumble my way to my bed where I continue my endless loop of nightmares. Half way through my dream, it suddenly shifts. A fire catches and sends sparks flying across all over Panem. A boy of my District electrocutes the remaining tributes while sacrificing the life of his partner. A girl goes into the games and leaves through luck, but insane. And I see Diane crowned Victor, frowning with tears in her eyes. Caesar Flickerman asks her about me and she falls into tears. And soon my nightmare shifts into morning.
"WAKE UP!" screams Luna at the top of her lungs. At first I flinch because I am pretty sure that this was one of my nightmares, but then I get out of bed along with all of the other Tributes woken by her voice.
"Yeah…" says my mother lightly as if any more sound would destroy the building. Dark shadows circle her and surprisingly Luna's eyes. I guess Luna got attached to her little Tributes.
"Breakfast then training" calls out Tin from the hallway. I rush from my bed and follow the mob of hungry Tributes. The boy from District 2 gives me a harsh look with his blood red eyes. The District 4 boy does the same but smiling afterwards; I think it's either due to my great personality, or my bedhead.
After a heavy Capitol breakfast, Diane and I make our way to the Training Area where we are one of the last to arrive. Well, technically the boy from 12 is the last to arrive but we're one of the last noticed.
"All right." Says a younger looking lady. She looks young enough to be one of the Tributes. She gives us a quick list of all of the stations and quickly marches off to some other room. The Careers immediately go to sword practice and start chopping the heads off Tributes… I mean dummies.
Diane and I stick together most of it. We make rude comments about a few tributes. Get into a fight with another. Send one to the infirmary from, "slipping". But eventually I find myself wanting to go try Archery while Diane wants to try Swordplay. Once I realize that the District 2 girl is hogging the Archery station, I stumble upon the girl from District 12 using the camouflage station to write names on the ground.
"Hi!" she says without looking up from the ground. I look behind me just in case she was talking to her District partner or something.
"What are you doing?" I say with my aggressive tone replaced with a curious one.
"Making sure I have all of the names of the Tributes down." She says as she writes Diane's name near the number 3.
"Ethan right?" she says, finally looking at me. Her blond hair and grey eyes throw me off at first. Most District 12 Tributes have either brown hair and grey eyes or blond hair and blue eyes. But then what throws me off next is the presence of determination, which is something District 12 lacks. Even her District partner is just sitting in the knots station tying a noose over and over.
"I'll take that as a yes." She says frowning at my silence.
"Sorry, it is Ethan. What's yours?" I say, I wasn't really paying attention to District 12, I think it's Miranda or something.
"Cassandra," she says, oh well close enough.
"Okay Cassandra," I hear from behind, the District 2 girl has taken a break from her Archery, "What is learning everyone's name going to do?"
"Well Pummel," she answered calmly, "It helps organize things for me. So I can match a Tributes Weakness to their name. Oh, lets use for example, your weakness."
"My weakness?" Pummel says taken aback by the girl's audacity.
"Yes! You aim a little to the left. So if I am about to get shot by you, I know to dodge right!" Cassandra says angrily. Pummel goes back to the Archery station mumbling curses about District 12.
"Why don't you try talking to Bash!" Cassandra yells barely within earshot.
"Wait, Pummel and Bash?" I say, finding their names hilarious.
"You should see Folly and Pastel!" she says smiling while pointing at the District 1 Tributes. So the rest of the first day of training passes with me talking to Cassandra. I head to my room but I notice how gloomy Diane's been.
"What wrong?" I ask, as she is about to enter her room.
"Nothing," she replies sadly, "I just realized how doomed we are."
And with a slam of a door, I know that trying to convince her is pointless. At least for now. I spend the whole night tossing and turning.
The rest of the training passes quickly. I spend a lot of time with both Diane and Cassandra. And when she masters knot tying and edible plants, I decide I want her in our alliance too. When I'm with Cassandra, Diane runs off to the District 12 boy and tries to convince him to talk with us. But by the second day, he just sits in the camouflage station until it is time to go. Diane and I plan out what we're going to show the Gamemakers. While she is unsure, I decide to do something electric related. I don't know what and frankly, I'm too sleepy to care. So when the morning light pierces my fake window, I groan and wander to the Training Center.
Tin explains my schedule. Today, we have to impress the Gamemakers. Tomorrow we prepare for our interview. The next day, our interview. And then the day after that, I'm in the games.
Tin points out that while there are no Electrical supplies provided for us. They don't mind if we borrow from other sources, such as the lights or a fusebox. And with a pat of a back, he sends us into the room filled with Tributes.
The order is by District and boy then girl. So the eager District 1 boy walks his way to the Training Area waving. When I make sure he could see me, I flip him off. The lack of expression on his face tells me that that isn't a curse in District 1.
Someone tells me that the session with the Gamemakers will not be recorded. And part of my hopes is dashed. But as the District 1 girl enters, Cassandra moves next to me.
"Hey Ethan!" she says happily, "What are you going to show the Gamemakers?"
"I can make explosives… or uhh. Electrocute a dummy?"
"I'll keep an ear out for an explosion," she says. She scurries off when Diane starts walking towards me.
"Hey can you do me a favor and say, 'Hi,' to the District 12 boy?" she says pulling my arm. I groan and follow her to the sad excuse of a Tribute with his face down on a table.
"Good luck Bash!" cries out Pummel as he goes to the Training Area.
"Cheer him up?" Diane pleads, for some reason; I start to feel jealous of the District 12 boy. I quickly shove those feeling to the bottom of my heart and try telling lame jokes. After he ignores that, I get angry and start yelling at him.
"You useless waste of space!" I yell but he continues to ignore me, "I bet you'll blow yourself up at the beginning wont you?" I say angrily.
Diane responds with a punch to the back. But the boy looks at me with sad eyes and nods. Diane starts to get furious and starts clawing at my back. Luckily her nails are stubs from the lack of sleep.
"Ethan," I hear Cassandra say from across the room, "Your turn."
My anger switches with fear. And I turn to the door. I make a slow walk there, noticing how every eye is trained on me. Even the District 12 boy looks my way. I nervously enter the Training Area, all of the Gamemakers have their eyes locked on me. I take a nervous gulp, and then pick up the trident in one area.
I spend most of the time fiddling with the trident, attaching wires to it. Getting a battery from a fusebox. Doing the expected. I do a small test fire and a slight sound indicates that this thing is lethal. With a smile, I hold it triumphantly in the air and the Gamemakers look my way again.
I stick the end of the trident in a ballistic gel dummy, making sure that I have my hands on the safe part of the weapon. At first, I don't notice the sprinkles of sulfur coating the dummy. But by the time I do, I already hit the switch.
My eyes widen in fear, but some part of me decides to stay put. A loud explosion booms from the dummy, splattering the gel all over walls and Gamemakers alike. The sound echoes across the room and I am 100% sure that even the Tributes heard it. I hear applause from the Gamemakers and a single applause coming from the waiting area. I guess Cassandra got her explosion after all.