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The Training Centre (Part Two)
The next day I didn't wake up feeling refreshed. I slept throughout the whole night without waking up. But I assume my night had been plagued by dreams. Ones that I cannot remember. So not necessarily good or bad.
My body clock still woke me up on time, and getting back into a routine I went into the shower, washing myself and vigorously trying to remove the dust around my eyes, to no avail. It gave me a sick kind of pleasure that other people had it too, because I hated it. It seemed like the swooping swirls that gave off the impression of waves got more intricate and… more of them. I was not happy.
The same training outfit was left out for me, newly washed and ironed. I didn't bother with looking at my appearance and shuffled towards the dining room. The routine became monotonous. Already sat there was Alexandria. We didn't speak. I ate as much as I could. Theo joins us. He eats his weight in food and more. Brutus joins us, May close behind. Small chatter on strategies. And it's then that I forget about my secret plan.
"Shit! Alexandria, Brutus! Can you please inform the mentors for 1 and 4 that it's a hoax? I've offered myself as an ally to Barbie, Cinder, Cotton and India. They all have immense powers; just tell them I'm only pretending to kill them off." Alexandria nods thoughtfully.
"Good idea Olivia. I will encourage those four girls' mentors to accept you. Perhaps you should try getting Theo into it as well? He would have your back more than anyone should the plan go awry. Are you up for that?" She directs at Theo. He nods, looking pleased. He grins and me and holds his hand up for a high five. I ignore it.
"So today I'll tell the careers, our real allies, the plan?" Alexandria nods, for once looking like she might have a victor this year. May seems a bit flustered at all this talk of plotting and scheming and lying. She looks on the brink of giving us a lecture, so before she does Theo and I slip away to the glass lifts and head down towards the training centre for round 2.
We aren't the first ones down, but we aren't the last. Districts 12, 9, and 5 are already down there. We are the only Careers.
"Hello," I say cheerfully before I can stop myself. All six eyes widen in surprise. I'm sure Theo is surprised too.
Shitty shape shifter Leone and the huge looming Cyclops Cosmo are the ones both from 5. Leone glares at me but the boy just ignores me, still in awe at his newly gained sight. I noticed yesterday he spent almost all his time at camouflage and edible plants, just looking at the colours and things he has only heard about before. It's quite sad when you think about it. I hope for his sake that the arena is as beautiful as can be, so his final days will be full of beauty and wonder.
District 9 Oscar the 12 year old Vampire glares at me with such malice I almost take a step back. I pretend to ignore it and trade a look even more hate-filled than his. I win, and he steps back from me. I've had a lot of practice in intimidation.
Cameo the Minotaur is stood in the corner by himself, looking like he was about to cry. It was a big contrast considering that he looked so physically terrifying, with those big twisted horns protruding from his temples.
And then there was Cinder (Earth girl) and Barbie snake face. I send them both a shy smile, trying to make it look like I'm hiding it from Theo. He catches on and turns a blind eye. I mouth to them; "Any decision?" and they just shrug. I pretend to look disappointed before returning my attention to the rest of the tributes huddled here.
I walk over to Cameo and touch the hair that is growing on his arms. It's so thick it felt like wire.
"You used to be really scrawny." I note thoughtfully, giving him a once over. "You've all been given better chances now haven't you?" A few of them nod, and I see Snake face and Cinder eyeing me up warily.
"Awful small specimens we have here, though Liv. I mean, I could just pluck each one up, fly as high as I could and drop them. Canon please?" Theo says nastily. I laugh.
"Now that's not fair." Oscar says, moving towards us menacingly. Theo and I share a look.
"What are you going to do about it, shrimp?" Theo taunts. Oscar looks as though he's ready to launch himself onto him.
"Now, now, let's not fight!" Clad in the black training gear that makes Sunshine's black hair look darker than ever. Sunshine and Iowan are coming walking towards us through the double doors.
Not two seconds later, the door opens again and Clio and Pisces walk in. Pisces grins slyly and winks in my direction. I look at him with a confused expression.
"Come on, Theo, don't be mean." Sunshine scolds like an older sibling.
"We're not being mean." I say indignantly. "We're just saying they're all scrawny."
All of us examine them. "Yes, they are. But don't bother with them. They'll be dead on the first day." Clio says with a dimple smile.
I shrug and we drift off into our group as the other tributes file in. Another factor which makes us different from the other tributes, they all stand alone, solitary. Except for the foursome of girls. A small man walks round to each tribute and hands us the leather arm bands with our district number on it again. Then a new woman named Atala calls us to attention. She tells us about today's sessions. All weaponry stations are shut down today, as everyone has to focus on survival skills. Personal request from the President – which earns a few gasps. I can't help but feel excited. In Two, we literally worship the guy. He was awesome to our district, but from the looks of fear from other tributes, I assume we just get better treatment. A perk of being the Capitols' lapdogs.
Another being that we get the most sponsors, so I don't let it get to me.
After lunch we are to meet our trainers back in the same room as the day before.
Oh and to have fun.
I wouldn't even have to try!
Theo pats me on the head, like a little dog. "I say, we go to one survival station each then meet over at the plants station? It's where I heard the four girls discussing to meet up." I look at him with surprise. He shrugs. "I've got super hearing too you know, I just don't have to concentrate to use it. Unlike you…" He says with a sarcastic smile. I punch him in the gut.
The camouflage trainer seems delighted when I make my way over to him. Camouflage isn't exactly the hotspot for tributes I'm guessing. I'm good at camouflage, having to do 1 hour of it every day for four years. At the age of fourteen when living on the streets was a necessary part of our training, and our survival, I had to learn to camouflage myself to hide from the peacekeepers, steal food and more.
At 15 when I moved into the Agoge, we had to hone the skill for different environments- not just District 2.
The main reason why we had to learn was in case of the unlikely event we weren't let into the career alliance, we could hide nearby to take out the traitors.
"Wow. In all my years of working here, I've never had the pleasure of a District 2 tribute." He tells me, his eyebrows nearly reaching his hairline in surprise. "Well, do sit down and show me what you know."
He gives me several pots of mushed up berries, dirt and wet mud, and tells me to blend my palm to match a tree trunk. As I'm working, I sense someone behind me and sure enough, Felicity from District 6 sits down a few seconds later. The trainer greets her and tells her to show her skills. My eyes flick from my work to hers every so often. Her fingers are nimble and swift, but it looks like child's play, because she still is. 12 years old and forced to grow up too fast. The trainer watches her work with disapproval, but she wants to make something pretty, not something that will disguise her. Her wings flutter in excitement as she catches me watching, but I soon turn away. I volunteered to kill children, but I know when it comes to it I won't be able to kill this one.
I've spent the better part of my life training for this. If I can't simply do camouflage, there is no way I can win. The trainer examines our work, nodding with approval.
"Well done Olivia. You must have practiced this, yes?" He asks, with a knowing smile.
Of course he must know I train.
"Yep." I say proudly, glancing at Felicity with pride. "One hour a day for three years. And every day when I lived on the streets." The little girl gasps, and looks down at my hand. "I don't feel bad for sharing a slight tid-bit of my training regime. Hopefully Felicity will think better of it and avoid me and my allies at all costs.
"Five years ago in the Hunger Games." She says quietly, looking at my perfectly camouflaged hand. She caught onto my confusion and her smile fades a little. "My older brother died in the games because he couldn't hide himself from the careers. From Cashmere… the victor. He didn't know how to do camouflage." She wipes tears from her delicate face furiously, and I'm selfish to note that she had the dust coating her eyes too, but a soft pretty pink. Not a deep black. "Not that you'd know anything about that." she goes on bitterly. "Everyone in your district volunteers."
This makes me suddenly angry. I wipe at my hand furiously and grab onto her tiny little wrist. "Do you think I haven't suffered? My twin sister and best friend died training for the Hunger Games." I fling her arm away from me and look at her with murder in my eyes. She is young, but she isn't stupid. In the games she will avoid me. If not… I'll have to kill her for my survival.
"But that's not the real thing. I remember watching the life leave his eyes as he was tortured to death. Please, Olivia, if you spot me turn the other way! Let me be!" The pure terror and desperation in her eyes makes my head snap up. "If you have any say in my death, do not torture me." She looks away. "I know I can't win." I don't respond to her plea. I get up, thank the trainer and walk off to the edible plants station while I wait for Theo.
I see the four girls are already stationed there.
I silently join them.
The trainer greets me politely she and motions for me to sit down with the other tributes who was already there, Snake face, Cinder, Cotton and India. They all stare at me, their conversation now quiet.
The trainer, whose name is Gabriel, gives me a bright yellow piece of paper, and a blue laminate sheet with loads different pictures of plants. What's wrong with just having plain white paper? I'm told to write down their names and what they're used for and if they're edible or not. Medicinal plants aren't my best subject, I mainly concentrated on those that would cause death during training, but I get most of them right. I have the instructor teach me what I didn't already know. Apparently yarrow leaves, when chewed into a pulp, are good for drawing poison out of a wound. Tansy is good for coughs and honey, if you can find some; it's good for sore throats. And for making a plain slice of bread into a delicacy.
Once I've finished I turn to the four girls.
"So, have you made up your mind?" I ask bluntly.
"We're still debating," India says, I and I notice that they have elected her leader. "But what's in it for us?"
"In the alliance you'll have my support for a while. I am a trained killer, I won't hunt you. I'll protect you. You'll have access to the some of the Cornucopia's supplies and in return you could really help me. Prove that you all won't be an easy kill. Because I know, together we will be unstoppable."
She looks thoughtful, but a bit wary.
"All of us could benefit from this."
She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly and plays with a loose red strand of dark hair. The others watch her, to see what she does. Snake faces' hair of snakes slither and hiss restlessly in anticipation.
"Within the other districts, it's considered a disgrace to join you," she tells me. Not that I couldn't already guess that. "Everyone hates it that you are trained and prepared and make the choice to go when so many others are forced to. It's bad just talking with you. Joining your lot is a coward's path. Hide behind the big protectors until you can take care of yourself."
That stings, but it's not as if I didn't know it already. Plus, it's not like I truly want them as allies. Just people to easily pick off and kill; they are my means to an end.
"You don't want to be shunned and shamed?" I say, looking down on them all. "Doing what it takes to live? There is pride in that. Honour is everything from where I come from. And there is honour, The Ruthless Honour, in surviving. Doing whatever it takes to live. This is The Hunger Games. Snap out of reality. You are in a game! If it wasn't your life on the line, yeah maybe it is shameful to be my ally. In my district, if you act with Ruthless Honour and it's not for your survival - you're executed. In your district? You'd probably just get a few nasty looks." I say louder, looking down at her. "But in this case, you use the code of Ruthless Honour. There is pride in doing what it takes to survive."
They all look at me blankly, and I know I have won them over. "Better live a coward than dead a fool." I spit at them.
It takes them a while, but soon all four are sharing looks and nodding at one another. "Okay, Olivia." India tells me. "You can be our ally. You already know the plan, you created it. But if you give the slightest hint of being unfaithful, we'll kill you. Four against one, you'd stand no chance." I nod.
"Oh and one more thing?" I ask, knowing Theo is on his way towards the station. "I don't want it to be an all-girls club. Can my district partner Theo join too?" before they can give me an answer the man himself comes and sits next to me.
"Awh gee thanks guys for accepting me." He gushes, smiling at them all with sincerity. "Don't worry; I've got your backs. Instead, when the gong goes Liv is going to distract everyone from going after Indi, you don't mind if I call you that? Course you don't – and I'm going to be the one escorting Indi to the supplies. You would have to leave the bloodbath alone though, because even in the confusion we might be seen. Got it?" The girls nod mindlessly. Theo smiles charmingly at them all. "That's great guys. Talk to you soon. C'mon Liv." He says, and the two of us just get up and walk away.
"You can be creepy persuasive." I comment as we head towards the terrain stimulation.
"So can you." Theo retorts. "I heard your little speech in honour. I like the way you did that. It's true, of course. God our district is stupid." Theo jokes and I find myself laughing along with him. I trail off though, thinking of how the last time I laugh and joke with someone so easily… they died. And Theo has to die if I want to go home.
I give him a bittersweet smile and vamp up the terrain to climbing up a mountain.
I keep pretty quiet during lunch, just focusing on getting the food into my stomach and looking at the other tributes. The District 7 siblings – Sibylline and Hart and the four girls are the only other tributes that sit together. The others sit at tables alone, not talking, and only looking up when a loud noise comes from our table.
"Hey guys, I just have to tell you something before you hear it from someone else." I say when there's an opening for me to speak. I jerk my head in the general direction of the four girls' direction.
"Is that something to do with those four girls?" Iowan says, watching me with a guarded expression.
I nod and smile. "Oh don't look so brooding Iowan. There's nothing to be worried about. I can't tell you right now," I lower my voice, "If their training has been anything like mine, they can hear us. So just ask your mentors tonight about it." Pisces eyes me up, his expression calculating. Well screw him; I'm more cunning than him any day. As long as they keep underestimating me, I will stay in charge.
I try to use my new listening skills and can hear the faint whispering of the four girls.
"Do you think we can trust them?" I heard Cotton say in a timid voice. "She was really mean to me before opening ceremonies."
"She was to me too." India says. "But now we are of value to her. Her career allies don't have as strong powers as we do. A horse boy, bird boy, elf, nymph and a siren? She's the only one with a decent power. She knows she's at a disadvantage with those losers, that's why she's throwing her lot with us. We'll get the supplies from her, and stay allies for as long as possible. She is the most skilled of us after all. But she's the first to go."
"What about Theo?" Cinder asks.
"I think he's a genuine one. He would've joined us straight off the bat if it weren't for her. I reckon they're really good friends, so if we take her out he's going to be mad." Barbie says. And I'm shocked. I thought she didn't have any brains.
And I'm almost proud of Theo's acting, but unnerved by the fact that they can tell we're good friends. This could be used as a weakness against me. Something I do not like one bit.
Theo catches me eye from across the table, and gives me a really sweet smile that makes my face flare in embarrassment and I duck my head. No doubt I looked hideous with my weird glowing skin; it doesn't need to be exaggerated glowing red added to it. But I know he too was listening in, and we high five.
He smirks at me so I throw a bread roll at his face.
Before he can retaliate the second bell rings, and my entire group of allies share looks of dread. All except Clio. I wonder what her training consists of considering she doesn't have any powers at all yet.
I walk reluctantly to the large room, but am confused to see that glasses of water litter the ground. In the opposite corner stands Decimus.
"Come to me without spilling a single drop of water. And the water cannot leave the glasses."
I sigh in annoyance. I close my eyes and concentrate on my ideas.
Instead I just hear the rooms around me.
I hear the flapping of wings in the room next door, getting fainter and fainter. That's Theo going outside.
I hear galloping and know that's Iowan training to adjust his walking to different terrains.
I hear the groans and moans of a boy in pain, which quickly transform into growls of a beast.
I hear all the tributes training, and my idea suddenly comes to me.
Still with my eyes closed I feel with my extra sense where the little bodies of water are. The water responds to my mental touch, and eagerly does what I tell it. For one glass I test out my plan, I get the water to leave the glass but sliding on the surface of it. Once it is fully covered I guide it to rise in the air, leaving me enough height to walk underneath.
I open my eyes and am surprised to see it to have worked. But it wasn't just one glass. It was all of them. I give Decimus a smug smile and saunter over towards him. As I reach him, I guide the water glasses downwards, and just before they hit the ground the water quickly retreats into the glasses.
Decimus actually gives me a nod of appreciation. "Well done. I'm surprised you have this much control over an element that is supposed to be so untameable. It was why I was recommended for the job, and still it wasn't guaranteed you'd be able to do it."
It didn't mean I was let off though. He only kept me for four hours, but I was still exhausted from all the training. He would ask me what was happening in a room 5 doors away while still completing a difficult task with water that needed a lot of control. It was hard, I had to admit. At the beginning I was shit, the minute I began to lose concentration on the water I lost all control and it slipped to the ground, splashing us.
It was arduous work which resulted in a lot of punishments. But towards the end of the session I had gotten noticeably better.
"Tomorrow we have much of the same. Practice as much as you can in your room."
I rode the lift in silence, despite sharing it with Cinder who tried to kick up a conversation.
"Sorry, just I'm so tired." I say as I leave the elevator. "I hope your training went well." I say with a smile, trying as hard as possible not to let it slip so she won't see my jealousy.
The minute the doors close and she's lifted upwards I let out a stream of curses that would make Brutus blush.
"Olivia!" May snaps at me. "What terrible language. Do not let me hear you use it again." She scolds. I snarl at her and give her the finger.
May squeals in horror, and all I can concentrate on is Theo's booming laughter as he approaches us. He puts an arm around May. "Don't worry hon. This is her in a good mood." He jokes.
I stare at him venomously and storm off, kicking a vase and smashing it in my wake. This only makes Theo laugh harder. When I reach my room I make sure he hears me slam my door, and I shut it with such force that the door frame rattles. I forget that I'm so much stronger than I used to be.
I flop onto my bed and scream my frustration into my pillow. I fucking hate training. HATE it. The person who created it was evil. And their babies are devil spawn. And they should die. Soon. Death by drowning. On their own blood.
I glide through dinner in a fuming haze, not listening to any of the conversation. Not until something May says sparks my attention.
"Well we now have a set date for the Games! So today is Tuesday, we have two more days of training – lucky you, then interviews! The games start on Friday!" She says enthusiastically. Her excitement goes well with her golden skin.
I leave dinner early and head to bed, not even bothering to shower all the sweat and grime off me. I don't bother with pyjamas again.