A/N: I don't really post three chapters in one day. However, I had a lot of free time and wrote the next chapter and finished. Might as well publish it. Enjoy! :)
It's the last day before the Games. We were supposed to have two days with our tributes but the Capitol was getting anxious so they cut it into one. Haymitch and I are given three hours with each tribute. A final lunch and then heading to the arena. I go with Henry first.
"That boy Charles from District 11 is your biggest opponent in these Games. Everyone else I'm also guaranteed you can beat. If you can get to him before he gets a weapon do it. He's nothing without a bow and arrow." Henry stared at me for a moment and said, "Katniss, I don't know if I can kill people." I sighed and said, "Are you from the Town or the Seam?" He laughs and says, "Does it matter? Either side starves at some point." I nodded and said, "If you go home, your family will never starve again. You know my story of course. We were already struggling, then my Dad died and my mom went into a depression, I had to fend for my family. And though I am a great shot, your stomach never gets full off rabbit stew and mint leaves. Then I won these Games. I hate to brag but my family and I eat well every night. And look at Haymitch. He's a drunk, a loner, a bunch of things but he's never broke or hungry. These Games change things for you Henry. I think you have what it takes to win." He sighs and asks, "Are you saying the Hunger Games are a good thing?"
I shake my head and say, "No. But if you win, there's benefits Henry." He smiles and says, "I have a secret weapon I think." He tears some cloth of some sort and fills it with heavy little metal balls. "I figure I'll just have to use rocks when I get to the arena. And tear some cloth from a dead tributes clothes." He wraps the cloth around his hand and puts the metal balls in the cloth. Like a cheap brass knuckle. He walks over to a dummy. The plastic dummies weren't really cutting it so we asked the Gamemakers if we could have more real life ones. They gave us some but only for personal training and evaluations. The real life ones are made of rubber instead of plastic and have cement inside them to act like bone. Henry takes a deep breath and punches the dummy with the cloth and metal balls hand. The rubber face sways and the concrete cracks inside. I run over and feel the dummy and see it's completely ruined. He smiles and says, "You can fix a broken leg or arm, even a rib. But I don't think you can survive with a broken face." I smile and say, "This will work. Don't use it as your first go to though. It'll take too long at the Cornupica. Grab a backpack and run. Snap necks if people get in your way. I know you're big, but your not fat and you can run." We spend the next thirty minutes timing how fast he can run. We practice how to snap necks next. He was the strength but not the technique. He's so big though, he can push people out of the way. The timer goes off and he hugs me and says, "Thank you Katniss."
I work with Revia next. Not much talking but we practice throwing knives. I teach her how to run fast because she won't have a knife as soon as she gets in the arena. I ask her if she has any talents I should know and she shows me her nails. I think they're fake at first and tell her she can't bring them into the arena. She shakes her head and says no the real. Haymitch asked the Gamemakers and they said they were fine. "They can't be a certain length, but it never said anything about a certain sharpness." They look like mini knives on her fingers. She explains she found a nail filer in her room and has been working on these two hours a night after we send her to bed. She grabs my wrist and says, "May I?" I nod and she carefully cuts my wrist with a slash. I wince and she says, "Sorry! Haymitch has one too, if it makes you feel better." I chuckle a bit and say, "How much pressure did you just put?" She shakes her head and says, "Not much Katniss. I didn't want to hurt you. However, imagine if I went full force at someone with five nails and at their face!" I clap in delight. Damn, these Games were changing me. However, it wasn't even about winning anymore it was about bringing these kids home. We practice with Dummies and she slashes the rubber like it was paper. I teach her some survival skills and despite Haymitch's run and don't stop for anything rule, it's a good idea to try and grab something even if it's a small backpack and go find water. She nods and says, "I'm sorry Katniss. Please don't abandon me in the arena." I pat her on the back and say, "I won't." I hold her hand to show her nails and say, "You might not need my help." I laugh and hug her. The timer goes off and she leaves.
Lastly, I see Franklin. He gives a small smile and leads me to the nature station. He sits down and makes necklace and bracelet length straps of leaves and thorns for about twenty minutes. He carefully flips them inside out and puts the out part around his neck and on his hands and wrists. Like a scarf and gloves. He says, "Forgive me Katniss." I roll my eyes like I haven't heard that enough today with Revia. I nod and he asks for the tip of pinky finger. "Now carefully touch my the leaves around my neck with your pinky. Don't hold too long." I do so and as soon as I come in to contact and I jump back. It stings and causes my finger to swell up. He laughs and says, "Now imagine if I hit someone in the neck with that, or the back or even their face. Hell, even if I could swell up their leg, it would stop them from running and I could kill them." Still in pain I mumble, "What if they don't have those kind of leaves there?" He shrugs and shows me the thorn necklace and bracelet. "I'll use those. All arenas always have some time of plant with thorns. I kept it my secret talent for a reason." He continued, "I know you're worried. So today Haymitch and I practiced hand to hand combat and strategic stabbing." He explained he could run fast and that strategic stabbing is where you stab important veins and arteries so they'll be killed instantly or hurt to the point they can't fight anymore. I draw some X's on a dummy, where important vessels would be on a real body and get behind it and charge it towards him and see if he can hit the points I marked. His throwing is a bit off, but he doesn't miss. The timer goes off and he says "I know you're worried cause I'm thirteen and not that big. But I'm smart Katniss." He gives me a quick hug and leaves.
The six of us, Haymitch, Effie, Portia, Cinna and myself all sit at a table and talk about tomorrow. Cinna asks, "Katniss, have you decided who you plan to save?" I shake my head and say, "I want to say I'll wait until after the first day in the arena but there's no doubt in my mind that they'll all survive it. I can't see any of them not winning." Haymitch nods in agreement, "I know. I had Revia in my mind from the start, but then seeing everyone's skills. I don't know." Effie speaks up and says, "Pick the girl she's the prettiest." We roll our eyes and Effie and continue to chat. At the end, we had no idea what to do besides wait for tomorrow.
These Games will be different than the others. We will meet with our tributes first, then they will be shipped straight to the arena. Henry stands there waiting for me to come in. I hug him and say, "I'm not here to tell you you're going to win. But I don't see you losing either, Henry." He hugs me and said, "I'm not going to try to win for me. I'm going to try and win for Polly." Polly and Henry had been dating for awhile and there were rumors she was pregnant. "That big house will be perfect you and her… and whoever else might live with you.", I say and wink. "Any final words Henry?" He nods and says, "If I don't make it… tell my family I love them. And thank the team for me. I want to thank you to Katniss. I hope I won't disappoint you if I lose." I hug his big figure and say, "You'll never disappoint me. Just remember everything I told you okay." I wipe a tear and he laughs and says, "Don't cry I haven't died yet." With that he walks into the other room and boards the aircraft. I see Franklin and Revia walking behind him and run to the front of the door and wave to them. They see me and nod to me with smiles.
Haymitch and I enter the mentor's room. Each district has a cubicle with two seats and a large desk with two computers on it. We go to 12 and sit down. In the middle of the room, there's a large screen of the Games. In our cubicle we have three screens that are meant for each tribute of ours. When our tribute dies, the screen will go black. A man comes into the room and explains our roles and duties as mentors. "Welcome to the 75th Hunger Games. I'm sure you're aware you have three screens instead of two as usual. Each screen is for your tributes. When your tribute dies, their screen will go black. The big television in the room shows the Games, Panem will be seeing. As a mentor, you may come and go as you please, visit with others, eat, sleep, use the bathroom. Each district will have Two Avoxes on their hand and foot at your call for food or any items you may need." I turn around and see two Avoxes standing there, waiting. The man continues,
"The rules of the Games are simple and pretty loose for mentors. You may go out and convince sponsors to sponsor your tribute. When the money comes, your computer will show what money you received. If the money is designated for a tribute you must use the money for that tribute. If the money is designated for a specific gift for a tribute, you must use that money for the gift. If you receive a blank amount of money you may use it as you choose for any tribute or tributes. To send a gift, you will go on your computer and find the gift button. You will be able to scroll down through the gifts and choose which one to send. Prices may vary and rise as the Games go on. Keep track of your spending. You may not send gifts to other tributes other than your own. You may not use your own money to buy gifts for your tributes. Your account balance for all the money you receive will be displayed at all times on the top corner of your computer. Any money not used by the end of the Games or when all of your tributes die, will go back to the accounts of your sponsors automatically. If all of your tributes die, you may stay here and watch and socialize with other mentors or you can go back to the hotel. No mentor will be allowed to go back to their respective districts until the Games are over. If your tribute wins the Games you must stay in the Capitol. Are there any questions?"
Seems like a lot to follow for simple and loose rules. Haymitch and I turn our heads to our cubicle and turn on the computers and screens. Haymitch leans back and says, "Get comfortable, I don't think our tributes are dying anytime soon." I see that there's $1000 already in our account. The instructions say: "Free money, use at your disposal." I look through the gifts. We can send food, water, million different types of medicine, clothes, matches. A knife cost $1000, a sword cost $5000. Haymitch shakes his head and says, "They're charging $15 for a pack of matches." I notice the prices are pretty high and then everyone's screens come on.
I see Henry, Revia and Franklin standing on top of their plates and the announcer starts counting down. The arena is similar to mine, but sort of dryer. There's trees and bushes but the ground has no grass. Haymitch moves his screen around and says appreciatively, "There's two lakes and pond. That's more than enough water. Which means plenty of animals" I look around as well and I see the plant that Franklin was talking about earlier. The Cornucopia holds the same amount of goods as last time but more food. I'm guessing the only thing they could eat would be desert animals and burrough animals. Maybe some fish at the lake. I look at the big screen to see the rest of the tributes. They all look well prepared, no one crying. I sigh in defeat, this was not going to be an easy Games for my tributes. The announcer yells, "0!" and I see all my tributes run to the Cornucopia. Ladies and gentlemen the 75th Annual Hunger Games have officially begun.