6 months later:
Training has officially taken over my life. I wake up at 6 in the morning and train until 10 at night. I have even been given special food that will make me stronger: chicken, eggs, pasta. This special diet is sure to bulk me up in preparation for the arena, where it is uncertain if I will get food again.
Training has also gone full circle. Instead of just weaponry, I have been taught how to survive in the forest, desert, or tundra. I know how to read body language, hear whispers, and make people scared of me. All of it is a package that comes with winning. All of this training has also taught me more about Cato. Unlike all the rumors, he isn't just an evil killing machine. He knows a lot about survival but I can tell that when he gets angry, nothing makes sense to him. He acts. I make a note to never get in his way when he is like that.
I've also been preparing a way to kill him. It seems like finishing him off quickly would be best, maybe in his sleep or while he is having a tantrum. He is obviously amazing with his sword, a close distance weapon. I could also get him from far away, but that would mean leaving the Career pack. I'm not quite sure how to kill him, but I know I will. I'm stronger than him, much stronger.
As for the family, father has been put in a mental institution. I'm allowed to visit him, as are my mother and sisters, but we never have. It just isn't in my schedule, I say. Or maybe it is because I'm scared of what lies behind those bars; a stranger that has the label of father stuck on him.
We got the information forwarded from District 1 about their tributes. It isn't much, just a photo and their basic info that can be found on their DIP, but it gives us an insight into who we'll be working with and eventually killing. They also get ours. I don't think we get anything from 4, probably because Finnick doesn't train his tributes to be Careers.
When I'm handed the information of the girl named Glimmer, I immediately slap on a pretty, dumb label. From her picture, you can just tell that she is pretty and she knows it. There is also an emptiness in her eyes that tells me that she is practically living off the sponsors. She might be good with a weapon, but I wouldn't expect her to survive in the wild for more than two days. Easy target.
The boy looks the same way, but minces the pretty. He'll probably be tripping over his own feet. He doesn't look to be promising. I wonder why these two are going in. Marvel, the boy, might be good with a weapon. In fact, he has to be good with a weapon or he is just as good as someone from 12. Looks like Cato and I will be carrying the Careers this year.
The previous victors are also starting to bid on who will be our mentors. Since there are so many victors, they take bids on when they get to mentor depending on what they think they can do with us. If more than one wants to mentor us, then we get to pick. They have to convince us that they can take us to the next level. I'm hoping Enobaria wants to be my mentor. She's just as bloodthirsty as I am. I find us very compatible. However, I've heard rumors that Lyme wants to be my mentor, for reasons unknown. She doesn't seem like me at all and she normally only mentors the ones that no one wants. Her tributes normally make it into the top four though and I could push through to victor.
I'm almost sure that Brutus will be mentoring Cato because they are so alike. I haven't heard any other rumors. It feels good that rumors are swirling with my name in them because it means more attention. Attention means sponsors. Sponsors means getting out alive – the ultimate goal in life.
As reaping day gets closer and closer, I start getting more nervous but more confident at the same time. I try to spend a lot of time with my sisters, my mom, and Kayla in case in some miracle chance I don't get out alive. But my main focus right now is training, day and night. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much nerves I have. I know that I'm going to rock this arena.