Sorren Princeps – District 1
Not much has changed since we've arrived at the Capitol. The only thing that's difference is the scenery, but just barely. The buildings are taller here than they are in District One. They're scale-less. They could be fifty feet tall or fifty thousand feet tall. My sister is still the same: quiet, yet calculating. I've always had a difficult time getting into her head.
After last night, I, myself, am speechless as well. The chariot rides were stunning and an experience I will never forget. The images are still stuck in my mind. The gems, the lights, and cheers. As we rode out down the tributes' avenue, my blood was pumping through my veins, making me shake with happiness and pride. I'm not sure if Sapphire feels the same way, but I like the feeling. The attention, all eyes on me.
"Are you almost done, Sorren?" Sapphire asks me. She glances at me, a smile playing on the corners of her lips. She messes with the tips of her hair, which is pulled into a bun. Her fingers trail down to the hem of her shirt as she stands.
Of course, I've nearly forgotten. It's the first day of training. We'll be interacting with the other tributes for the first time. Everyone will see what each other can do and alliances will already begin to form. It's crucial that Sapphire and I become part of the Career Pack. The other districts see our pack as cruel and heartless, but clearly it means survival. Do I support overly vicious tributes from the Career Districts? No, but they will help take out some of the competition. You just have to watch your back and sleep with one eye open.
I nod slowly, biting my lip nervously. An Avox clears the table and Rosea primps herself. "Alrighty, sweeties. Last night was absolutely amazing! You really blew Panem away. The ratings are going off the roof!" She grins at us with her too white teeth. She straightens Sapphire's shirt and then comes for me. I quickly duck and dodge to keep her from touching on me. It's weird, especially since I don't know how old this lady is because of all her makeup. "This is the first day of training. Have fun!"
Beatrix steps in, pushing Rosea aside and crosses her arms. Earlier, she appeared to be bored. She would yawn, look somewhere else, and even twiddle her thumbs. After last night though, she perked up. She suddenly took an interest in the two of us, seeing we had a pretty good chance at winning. Well, one of us has a chance at winning. As the Games come closer, I'm beginning to think that maybe I really do want to win. I want to live in glory forever. The attention, the girls, the pride.
Beatrix claps her hands together eagerly. "Okay, last night you two agreed on training together. Now, it's the first day of training. Take note of all the tributes. Know who's a threat and who you don't need to worry about. But, don't underestimate anyone because some strategies people have is acting weak." She leads us to the elevator. We're already on the first floor, but we still need to go down to reach the Training Center.
Sapphire and I stand in silence in the elevator. The two things I hear are the soft hum of the machinery working and my heavy breathing. My heart is beating fast as my hands sweat. I'd bite my lip, but it's already chapped and I don't want to taste the blood. My sister's blue eyes are fixed on me; the smile is still there. Her hands fiddle with the bracelet on her wrist, her best friend's bracelet. It must have been her token.
My best friend, Grays, had seen me off at the Justice Building, but he didn't give me anything. My mother came too, but she didn't really say anything but "I love you" and "bye." She might as well have said "Bye, I hope your sister comes back because you were a mistake."
The doors glide open and we step onto the smooth floor. The Training Center is absolutely perfect for well…training. As bluntly and blatantly as I put it, they have everything a person needs to train for the Hunger Games and more. Someone could train an army in here. The room is huge and weapons line the side of one wall. My eyes immediately notice a long sword that shimmers under the light.
A hand touches my shoulder and drags me to the center. There are already a couple of other districts standing in the circle. Gabrielle Dictatrix is messing with her red hair that's in a fishtail braid. Her face is forever stuck in an expression that reads as mean, arrogant, and violent. She's like the devil's daughter. Her district partner I can't say much about except that he looks like a stereotypical District Two tribute. Even the Careers have stereotypes for other Careers just as the lower districts do.
Mae Lotta, the head trainer begins to speak as soon as the last tributes tread into the room. Everyone is sneaking glances at each other, studying and examining. Mae begins to explain training. There are several stations that include weapons, hand to hand combat, camouflage, snares, and more. At each station, there will be professional trainers to help.
When Mae finishes, we break up. Immediately, my sister and I join each other, heading for the Weapons. My hand reaches for the sword on the wall that I'd spotted earlier. But, a smaller, delicate yet deadly hand snatches the sword away. Spinning on my heels, I see red hair, then the piercing blue eyes.
"Hey, want to join the Career Pack?" Gabrielle asks, grinning almost maliciously.
Maxwell Hoover Demonico – District 3
Pietta doesn't laugh at my jokes, which is kind of a bummer. We like the same things, math and science, but she's more serious about things I suppose. She doesn't interact with people much and tries to distance herself. She keeps to herself and stays quiet unless spoken to.
"So, the one proton says to the neutron, 'I think I lost an electron.' Then, the neutron says, 'Are you sure?' Then the proton says, 'Yes! I'm positive!'" I say as a last attempt to cheer her up. I crack up laughing, but Pietta stares at me blankly. I want to be friends with her, but one thing that keeps me from doing so is the fact that I may have to end up making her living status deceased as a lack of a better way to put it.
"Oh, come on," I say, stepping into the elevator with her. "That was definitely funny."
Devon closes the doors and presses the button. "Okay, you two, I'm going to be very blunt. You both suck. That's why you need allies, and damn good allies. Do you understand? Don't get on anyone's bad side, especially not the girl from District Two. Don't make yourself targets either." The doors slide open as we reach the Training Center. He shoves us out and the doors close once more.
Pietta scurries ahead of me, fixating herself in the circle where the other tributes stand. Districts One, Two, Four, and Five are already there. I stand next to the girl from Five, whose stony gaze is set on the Head Trainer, Mae.
"Hi, I'm…I'm…Maxwell Hoover Demonico. But you can call me Max," I say, holding my hand out to her. She seems to be capable of handling herself. I'll have to see her train a bit, but I mentally mark her down as a possible ally.
"What a mouthful," she replies. She doesn't shake my hand, but she gives me a sort of half crooked smile. "Nice to meet you." And with that, she walks away. No name or age: nothing. I'm not exactly sure whether I'm on her bad side or good side.
After that failure, I decide to stand next to Pietta. Mae's voice booms across the room, once the District Twelve tributes approach the circle. "Welcome, tributes! These are your Training Days. Here you will be able to practice and perfect any skills you may need to survive in the arena. After the training, you will have sessions with the Gamemakers." She grins to us all, intrigued by this set of tributes. "There are over fifteen stations for you to visit and there will be a trainer at each to help guide you. Good luck, tributes, and happy Hunger Games." She departs and everyone heads for different stations.
"Pietta!" I call out. Her brown hair flies across her face as she turns to face me. "Do you want to be allies?"
"You haven't even seen me do anything yet," she replies tentatively.
"We'd last longer together though and I'm pretty positive you can do something extraordinary," I tell her confidently.
"I'll consider it," she says.
Yes! I might have an ally. Pietta heads over to the plant station where she sits with the younger girl from Six. The two appear to be getting along, but I'm not sure. I move towards the snares. I can set traps, but I've never dealt with snares before. Turns out, I have a knack for it. It's easy to learn and I'm a fast learner.
Conrad glances at me from the spear station, cockily raising an eyebrow. With an arrogant grin, he throws the spear from twenty feet away, hitting the center of the bulls eye perfectly. He picks up another, chucking it with amazing precision and accuracy. It slams into the bulls eye again.
Lucien from Four is experimenting with the trident as his partner joins Conrad at the spears. I search for the girl from Five. I spot her dark head stopping at the edible plants and insects station. I contemplate approaching her again, but I don't think it would be a good idea. Gabrielle is standing with the tributes from One, obviously recruiting them for the Career Pack.
Pietta is still with the girl from Six, Sage. Both of the girls are small. Of course, I'm pretty small too for a guy. I'm not sure if just the two of them would make a good alliance. They would need one or two more people. The girl from Eight joins them, and the two appear to have added another person to their alliance.
At the fire station, I'm greeted by the boy from Ten. "Do you know how to start a fire?" the boy asks, leaning on his left leg. As I recall, he was the crippled boy.
I nod in response and begin to explain the process. It takes the boy a few tries to create a spark, but he was successful none the less. "I'm Max," I tell him.
"Trenton." He smiles at me.
"Allies?"
"Allies."
Nayeli Morte – District 5
Kage Hatenn is a prick, period. I know he hates me and I hope he knows that I hate him too. When we sit for breakfast, his face morphs into an array of expressions from sly to hate to mischief. As far as I can tell, I'm one of his targets. After breakfast, we head down for the Training Center.
Once I reach the floor, I separate myself from Kage. Everyone circles around the head trainer. A small boy, several inches shorter than I am, approaches me. He has a weasel of a face and his hair is in total disarray. I kind of smile, but fail. It's hard to be nice, especially since we're being sent to our death and I may or may not have to kill him. He seems innocent, but that's what people want you to think at this stage in the Games.
"Hi, I'm…I'm…Maxwell Hoover Demonico. But you can call me Max," he stutters.
"What a mouthful," I reply bluntly. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Kage sauntering over. I would have said more, but it's time for me to leave. I end up standing next to the girl from Eight who is trembling slightly. I don't know what skills she has, and it seems like she doesn't have many. She is not a person I would recruit for an ally, but I could try and help her out. She needs all the help she can get.
To my right is the boy from Seven, the large lumberjack. He's smiling at his district partner, conversing casually. Now's the time to study all the other tributes. See what they can do. Watching the tributes from the lower districts, I also listen to Mae. It all seems easy enough. The girl from Eight wanders somewhat aimlessly. The Seven tributes immediately go for the axes. If they want to survive though, they're going to need to have more skills than just chucking axes around.
I spend a little bit of my time at edible plants and insects since that isn't something I know much about. After I learn about several plants that could save my life, I make my way towards archery. I've shot an arrow a few times in my life, but it's been awhile.
I pluck a silver bow off the wall and load an arrow. Focusing on the target, I release the string. I'm pretty strong so it isn't much of an effort to pull back the taunt string. The arrow flies, whistling in my ear as it leaves. It slams into the shoulder on the target that's shaped like a human. I try to more times without succeeding in hitting the exact center of the bulls eye. It'll be a miracle more me to hit a target and kill.
Knives are far easier for me. Every time I throw a knife, it glides into the air and hits the target where I want it to. I decide to visit some other stations where I'm not as strong. Even if I don't know how to use everything myself, I'll know how others use them and how I could possibly use it against them.
At the climbing station, I successfully get to the top after a few tries. The rope course is easier, but I'm still not sure how it'll help me unless the arena has monkey bars or some other type of hanging thing.
My next station is sword fighting. I've never used a sword, and I'm afraid to start now. The trainer hands me a sword, but it's too heavy. Instead, I go for a lighter sword with a thinner blade. The trainer gives me tips about fighting, telling my when to lunge and when to dodge. The sword fits comfortably in my hand and it's effective.
Three times, I knock the trainer's sword from his hand and hold it to his throat. A breath escapes my lips. It's relieving to know that I can use at least two weapons. Since I can throw a knife so accurately, I test out spears. However, it's a major fail. Snares are pretty easy to learn. I learn a couple that will help me catch prey. Because I cannot use a bow and arrow, it may be harder to hunt, but perhaps knives will come in handy once it comes down to the situation.
The girl from Eight is at the hand-to-hand combat station. She wobbles and struggles to spar with the trainer. He snaps at her, making her even more nervous. I figure that this is the time to do at least one nice thing for someone else before I have to kill in the arena. The trainer throws his hands in the air, leaving the girl behind.
"Hey," I say, catching up with the girl who is about to go to a different station. "Need some help?"
"Yeah, but the trainer is really fed up," she says softly.
"What's your name?"
"Rilly," she replies. "And you?"
"Nayeli. Why don't I help you out?" I ask.
"You're from Five, right? You're Nayeli Morte…" I know where she's going with this. I try to ignore her. "Your brother was in the Hunger Games a couple years ago, wasn't he?"
"Uh, yeah," I mutter. I move her to stand in front of me. "Look, want me to help you or not?" She nods quickly. "When you punch someone, don't tuck your thumb in or you'll break it. That's rule one. Two, try and hit your opponent first. Get them on the ground before they get your, otherwise, you're screwed." The two of us are about the same height. She actually might be an inch or two taller.
"Okay, I got you."
"Aim for the weak spots on the body. Solar plexus. Nose. Groin. And, instep. It's very simple. Also, remember to use your opponent's weight against them. Now, let me show you some blocking techniques. Hit me in the nose." I motion for her to come at me.
"No! I can't hit you. That's mean!" she exclaims.
"You're not going to win with that attitude. Now, come on." I glance away for one second and notice the Careers watching me. If I show them how well I can fight, I could become a target, or they would try and recruit me. That would lead to me refusing and becoming a target. Rilly groans, muttering to herself.
When I turn back to Rilly, a fist comes flying, hitting me in the nose. "Ow! Holy mother of all that is holy! Holy crap! Sweet molasses!" I think something cracked, but I can't be sure. Warm liquid flows down my face. The blood inside of my head pounds at my ears.
"Oh no! Oh no! I'm so sorry! P-Please don't kill me! I'm sorry!" Rilly squeals.
"Just give me that towel so I can wipe up some blood."
Rilly reaches for the towel on a bench and hands it to me. The Careers are amused, as well as some of the trainers. I press the towel to my nose, letting it soak up the blood.
"I'm going to guess you don't want me to be your ally?" she says apologetically.
I shake my head. "No. Not in this life time. Sorry." I was never going to be her ally, and now I'm definitely not. It's not her fault because I asked for it, but she's a disaster waiting to happen.
Washington Hayner – District 7
Clara is an absolutely great girl. She's sweet, funny, and kind. She's easy to talk to, and I like that. Unfortunately, I think she thinks that this is turning into something more. She needs to know it can't. It seems like love or anything of the like screws things up, especially these types of situations.
Sitting at the breakfast table, I look at the photograph Miles gave me in the Justice Building. It's of the two of us along with a few of our other friends from the orphanage. I remember two of the children had been reaped a few years back. Another one had been adopted. Another one passed away from illness and another died from an accident. I hope I won't be added to the list of the dead.
I want to go home. I want to be with my brother and watch him grow up. I want to find a nice girl and settle down. As a Victor I'll be able to build a bigger and better orphanage with my winnings for all the children left behind. And maybe in honor of Clara, I'll build an animal shelter since she loves them so much. The Lignum Animal Shelter has a nice ring to it. And so does Hayner's Home for Children.
What I want most though is Miles to be proud of me. When I come home, I still want him to look at me as his big brother. I don't want to end up as the murderous monster. I guess what I'm saying is that I want everything to be back to the way it was. But we all know that will never happen.
"Are you nervous?" Clara asks, finishing her breakfast.
I shrug indifferently. Training will be interesting and I'll be able to hone some skills I need to survive in the arena. "I suppose. You?"
"I'm terrified. They'll have axes, so that's good. But, I mean, seriously. Being with all the other tributes? It's going to be some serious stuff. What if I can't get an ally?"
"Then, I'll help you out. P-Promise," I say, smiling at her. She smiles back and my heart begins to hurt. I can't kill her. All I can do is pray that someone else will get her. It seems so awful to think it, and yet, not all that bad.
"Can I ask you something else?" Clara says, as we enter the elevator. "If…well, if two things happen: one, I get caught by Careers and two, if I'm dying…will you…will you…" Her voice becomes smaller and smaller until it eventually trails off. I know what she wants though. It's like if you find a dog that's fatally injured, you end its life. You have to think about the quality of life. Clara Lignum wants me to kill her if anything goes wrong.
All I can do is nod in response.
Down at the Training Center, I stand next to the girl from Five and Clara. Clara babbles on as her usual bubbly self, like we never had the conversation in the elevator. Every now and then, I nod and give feeble responses. The one person that catches my eye is the tribute from Nine, Dustin.
In a split second, he stares at me. He gives me a little nod and I think I can understand him. If I'm right, he wants to meet with me and see what skills we each have. Combined, we'd be one hell of a team. When I glance at the tribute from Four, Lucien, I automatically can tell it's a no. He's already talking with the other Careers.
The Head Trainer wraps up her speech quickly. Instinctively, I go to the axes with Clara. The girl from Five stares at me and I consider asking her to be allies. She appears to want to be alone. That's probably her strategy. When I throw the axes to the human shaped target, it smashes into the head or chest area each time. The same goes for Clara, although she's a bit less consistent. She's still very deadly with the axe, just like me.
The boy from Eleven is at the slingshot station with his district partner. Both tributes from Ten make their way to different stations including fire starting, camouflage, and knot making. Lucien is at the tridents. Gabrielle, Sorren, and Sapphire are at the sword station. Conrad and Morgan are playing with the spears. They are all fantastic with weapons. I gulp, but try to not let it bother me. My head is held high and I make my way for the camouflage station.
There, I meet up with Dustin. "Hey, I'm Washington," I say, holding my hand out for him to shake.
"Nice to meet you. Dustin," he says, shaking my hand.
"What can you do?"
"I know edible plants and I can use a sword. I'm pretty strong too. What about you?" Dustin asks. He puts his hand to his head as if to run a hand through his hair. Then, he awkwardly lets his hand fall to the side. I recall that at the Reapings, his hair was long and shaggy. His prep team must have cut it.
"I can use an axe and I know how to use knots and make shelters. I also know how to start a fire. Plus, I'm good at wrestling seeing I wrestled with my brother a lot in District Seven."
"Want to be allies?"
"Sure. We'll be unstoppable," I say, flashing a grin. The two of us shake on it, moving towards the gauntlet to test our agility. Both of us are pretty damn fast. We are going to be unstoppable.
