A/N I'm trying to move this story along I promise! Next chapter Adley is finally in the Arena! Let me know what weird things the gamemakers should add this time. I'm trying to update a lot to make up for the fact that I sort of went on hiatus for two months! So please, please, please review! It gives me more motivation, and a motivated Author is an inspired author!
Adley's POV
I didn't sleep at all. Again. This seems to be a pattern. My brain is still a little fuzzy from exhaustion. Today. My chest seizes. The panic that goes through me is so severe, it feels like my lungs are collapsing. I force myself to sit up and push my legs over the side of the bed. It's getting harder for me to breathe.
I concentrate on taking in just as much air as I huff out, as to not hyperventilate, as well as concentrating on not heaving up all of the food I had last night - who knows the next time I will be even close to well fed? I force myself to my feet and throw one of the soft white capitol robes. I try desperately to find comfort in the softness of the fabric, but my mind feels numb to it as it thinks about what lies ahead.
The breakfast table is quiet.
Dars tears into a piece of meat with his teeth, I don't know how he could eat anything today. Max fiddles with her fork, but doesn't pick up the pile of eggs on her plate. Finnick is concentrated on a piece of rope in his hands. I watch as he stares intensely at the rope, and watch as his hands easily manipulate the rope in and out of intricate knots.
Max looks up from her plate, she looks from Dars to me and opens her mouth as if to say something. She doesn't. We all sit in silence. I manage to choke down a few pieces of fruit, this may as well be my last meal. I savour the sweetness of the fruit, we don't get much fruit in district four. Primarily just fish that the capitol doesn't want. The room remains deadly silent until Theta pushes through the doors, her smile never wavering.
"Dars! Adley! Get excited!" Dars and I exchange a glance, is this lady really that ignorant. To think that we'd be excited to fight a bunch of kids to the death. Apparently. We get up from our seats, Max and Finnick stay at the table, not even looking at us.
"We'll meet you there." Max says quietly as Theta whisks us out the door.
Finnick's POV
Max and I sit at the table for another half hour. We pick at our food, but don't ever eat anything. It feels like such a waste. Even district four would never have this much food. I feel bad not eating any of it, but I know I wouldn't be able to keep it down. Max stands up and shrugs her coat on.
"Get up Finnick." She tells me. My feet don't want to move. If I don't go to the observation deck, and if I don't watch the games then they aren't happening. But I know that is the biggest lie I've ever told myself. "Look on the brightside, no appointments for two days." The sad thing is, is that actually does cheer me up. I run back to my room to grab a coat, then Max and I head off to meet up with Adley and Dars.
When we get to the platforms Max goes to talk to Dars, so I walk over to wear Adley is standing. She doesn't even look present. There is no color in her face, as she stares absentmindedly at something nonexistent on the wall in front of her.
"Don't think too much" I call her out of her trance.
"What?" She clearly didn't hear me.
"Don't think too much. Just get in there and follow your instincts. I can tell you have good ones." And I'm not lying. I can tell she's smart. She's the first tribute I've had in a while that's actually followed the instructions we've given them. That could keep her alive, at least for a while.
"What if they don't have knives?" She asks, I can tell she's starting to panic now.
"I've never seen an arena without them, but you'll make due. If you need anything just ask." I hint to her. I have a large sum of sponsor money to give out, I might as well make it useful. I can tell that Adley's mind is gone again. I can hear her muttering things under her breath as she steps onto the platform.
"Find water. Find a knife. Stay Alive." She repeats this mantra as the glass encloses around her, and as the platform slowly rises up to reveal the Arena.
Max and I make our way back to the observation deck. It is a large room with one large screen in the middle. On the other walls there are 24 smaller screens with chairs and tables. Max and I take our seats at the two screens labeled Four and turn them on.
The arena is very similar to the one from my games. The tributes stand in a semi-circle around the cornucopia. Huge trees surround the tributes, closing them into a tighter circle. You can't see anything beyond the trees, so I'm assuming beyond them is more forest, but you never know in the games. I look at all of the victors. The careers look focused - rocking back and forth on their feet preparing for the countdown. Some look timid, like they want to flee. Some look like they want to run into the blood bath and get it over with. Adley is standing still. Her hands are at her side, her eyes closed. She looks almost… peaceful. It's scary actually. I watch her take slow steady breaths - she's slowing her heart rate. Meditating. Not overthinking. Good.
The countdown begins and most of the tributes tense up. Some look around nervously at the others. Some, like the careers, have their eyes narrowed in on the cornucopia. Adley remains still. Eyes closed. When the countdown reaches ten Adley's eyes snap open. She does a quick scan around the arena, the focus' in on the cornucopia as the countdown continues.
Five
Four
Three
Two
One