Be prepared for some fast-paced private training sessions!


District 1 male – Mark Simeon, 18


I was first up for the training sessions on the third day, and I was already confident that I'd get the highest score. My name was called at the very start of lunch that day, and I flashed a grin to allies before making my way into the training room, where all the game makers were seated, waiting to watch me.

"I want a sparring partner," I said to them as soon as I was in the room, and they provided me with one, a young man came down to me who I could fight. Obviously, the rules were that I wasn't allowed to seriously injure him, but as if I'd follow those rules.

"Alright, Mark," said the head game maker. "We're ready when you are."

I nodded, and, without another moment wasted, grabbed a knife and charged towards the sparring partner and stabbed my knife right into his eye, pulled it out, then stabbed it right in there again, cackling. I needed these game makers to know that I could, and would, be a killer in that arena.

Before I knew it, there were hands around my arms, dragging me off of the sparring partner, and snatching the dagger out of my hand.

"OK, Mark, thank you for that... performance," said the head game maker. "You are dismissed."

I grinned, then walked out of the training room just as they announced the next name.


District 1 female – Phoenix Valentine, 18


They called my name to go in for my private session, and I took a deep breath. I saw Janusz flash me a thumbs up, and I gave him a small smile before walking into the training room. There was a guy bleeding on the floor, which I guessed was Mark's doing.

I looked at the game makers, who were nodding at me in their way of telling me I was good to go. I nodded, half back to them, and half to myself. I was used to performing. I could do this.

I began by showcasing the survival skills I'd learned over the past couple of days, by making a fire and keeping myself warm by it. I even pretended to cook some meat over it to show that I knew I could cook over it. Then, I went on to show my agility by doing an obstacle course. There was a climbing rock wall which I climbed up swiftly to the halfway point, before leaping off it.

I then showed off what was considered for many the most important part of winning the Hunger Games – my skills with weaponry. I got a sparring partner to come down, who did so hesitantly, and grabbed a rapier and a spear. I fought the sparring partner at a rapid speed, going on, and on, and on, until I wore them completely out, and pushed the spear between their torso and arm to signify that I would have killed them.

I did a cartwheel then did my best performer's bow, before smiling and leaving the room feeling confident.


District 2 male – Quintus Grimm, 18


I'd trained my whole life to be as skilled as I was with weapons, so that was exactly what I was going to be showing off to the game makers. I had no idea what the other tributes thought of me... I wasn't very good at reading the emotions of other people.

But I would let the game makers know that I was the strongest, most well-trained tribute to go into these games, and my score would reflect that to the rest of Panem.

I got into the training room and gave a nod to the game makers, who nodded back and told me I could start whenever. I grabbed a bunch of daggers from the weaponry area and began throwing them at the moving dummies. I didn't miss a single one, hitting them all right in the torso, which, if they'd been human, would have been in their heart, killing them.

Without looking at the game makers, I grabbed my second weapon, a larger knife, almost the size of a sword. I began running around the room, imitating myself running through the bloodbath, and then, without looking at the moving dummy, threw the larger knife at them, hitting it right in the neck.

I grinned to myself as the game makers gave me a small clap. They hadn't seen my best weapon yet. Once my hand was on the spear, I knew it was game over for the rest of the tributes. I barely spent a second to aim, I just threw the spear and full blow, and it pierced right through one of the dummies, knocking it over.

I dropped the spear then looked up at the game makers, nodding at them once more before leaving the training room.


District 2 female – Dania Khatib, 18


They called my name shortly after Quintus walked out of the training room, and I cracked my knuckles before walking in. I got this. I'd been trained my whole life. I was trained well with a spear. I was agile, flexible, I could run and climb well. And, of course, my ability to lift.

I looked up at the game makers, grinning to myself, and they gave me a small nod to signify I was good to go. The first thing I did was grab a few spears, my best weapon which I had trained with and mastered over the course of the past thirteen years.

I fired several of them at the dummies without stopping for a breath or hesitation, hitting them all perfectly. I then explained to the game makers what my other skills were, including survival skills such as the fact that changes in temperature didn't bother me and I had a high pain tolerance.

I did some brief calisthenics, then I moved to the weights area and put 215 pounds onto a bar. I took in a deep breath, crouched down, and lifted it up. It went extremely well, thank god, because if I had dropped that bar too early that could have dropped my score from a twelve to a five.

I was sure I'd done the best out of everyone.


District 3 male – Jonas Unix, 18


Everyone else would be going into these private sessions wanting to get the highest score possible, to make themselves look like they could win this thing, like they were the strongest tribute here.

Me, on the other hand, had the complete opposite idea. I already knew I wasn't going to win, and didn't want to win. I came into these games with the intention of dying, and the intention of saving someone. That someone was Fox.

I really wanted her to win. She was so young and had a whole life ahead of her. That shouldn't be destroyed by the Hunger Games, that wasn't right.

So, my plan for this private session, was simply to get the lowest score I possibly could, therefore I would get no sponsors, and everyone else's scores would look good next to mine. If they got a not so good score, at least their score wouldn't be as bad as mine.

I walked into the training room with my head high, just after the girl from Two walked out. I knew she wanted to win. She deserved a good score. When the game makers nodded at me to start, I didn't move.

Instead, I said, "I would like the lowest score you are able to give."

"What?" said one of the game makers, looking directly at me and raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I want the other tributes to look good," I said. "Please just let me have the lowest score."

The game maker who'd spoken before shrugged. "Alright, then... you may go if you don't want to show us anything else."

"Thank you."


District 3 female – Thia Vernata, 15


I hadn't found any allies during the two days of group training, and I was glad of that. I didn't want allies; I didn't like having other people bossing me around. The only person I liked to work with was my friend Dax.

I made my way into the training room, and the game makers were still discussing the person before me, who I was pretty sure was the boy from my district, called John or something like that.

I cleared my throat to get their attention, then gave a small smile when they looked at me. I was already adept with small knifes, especially after I'd successfully killed a boy with a kitchen knife...

I grabbed one of the small knives from the weaponry section and showed off my skills with it by attacking the dummies. I then built an elaborate trap and showed off some of my survival skills including identifying a few plants and building a shelter.

When I was done, I gave a small smile to the game makers before they dismissed me and I got out of there. I thought I'd done pretty well, but obviously not as well as the Careers, who would have only been just before me.


District 4 male – Luderick Bellamy, 14


I was from District 4, which meant I had a very important advantage to the rest of the tributes. And that was that I could not only swim, but I could swim well. So, to get a good score for the private session of training, my plan was to show off my swimming skills. There'd been a little pool in the training room, so I would go in there.

As I walked towards the pool, I could feel the weight of game maker's eyes on me. I reached the edge of the pool and glanced around to make sure all eyes were on me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that had been building up. This was my moment to shine.

I stepped onto the diving board, the wood creaking slightly beneath my weight. The water in the pool looked inviting, its surface glistening under the artificial lights. I knew I had to make this count, so I took a few steps back, gaining momentum, and then launched myself into the air. The feeling of weightlessness filled me for a brief moment before I hit the water with a clean and almost silent splash.

After swimming a graceful lap in the pool, I climbed out and went over to make some fishhooks, fishing nets, and showed off my first aid skills, along with my skills with a spear.

I smiled at them when I left, even though I hated them all, then walked out as quickly as I could. I didn't want to spend another second with those pigheaded Capitolites.


District 4 female – Hazel Mayfly, 17


I'd practiced a bit of everything over the course of the past two days for training and found some good allies I could rely on. One thing, however, that I'd managed to master over the course of the past two days was making traps.

This would be a useful skill in the arena because I could set them up and trap then kill my enemies in them. My enemies being every other tribute. Even my allies. I knew better than to trust anyone.

I'd learned that from Alex.

So, once I was in the training room, I put on my biggest smile for the game makers. I was the beautiful girl from District 4. I wasn't the girl who got scammed by her ex-boyfriend. I was the soon to be winner of the 25th Hunger Games.

I gathered all the supplies I needed from around the training room, and brought them into the centre, where I began building my trap. I did it swiftly but well.

Once I was finished, I looked up at the game makers, smiling at them once again.

Then, I got a sparring partner to come down, set the trap up, and watched as the trap caught them. They looked alarmed for a second, but I let them out of it straight away, smiling at them the whole time.

I was the girl who would win this thing.


District 5 male – Ezekiel Cunningham, 17


I was happy with my allies, George's group. We were all criminals in some way or other and were all completely comfortable with killing and hurting anyone in order to win the Hunger Games.

I knew that to perform my best during my private training session, I'd have to be angry, because my anger could fuel my performance, especially since I was planning on showing off my violence. During the group training, I'd been bashing up the training dummies with an axe, and that had been the thing that had gotten George to ask me to join his alliance.

So, leading up to my turn for the private session, I thought about that stupid boy who used to bully me who I'd injured and led into a wheelchair. I imagined that it was his fault that my mother was sick, and by the time I was entering the training rooms, I already felt as if I could murder someone.

As soon as I was in there, I didn't even wait for their permission to start, I immediately grabbed an axe and began smashing the training dummies with it, letting out a scream the whole time.

I wanted them to know that I would do this to a person. That I had the most potential to win.

I didn't leave that room until every single dummy was in pieces.


District 5 female – Carmilla Wilkes, 16


I already knew I was the best tribute here, I didn't need some number to tell me that. But, nevertheless, I still had to do this private training strategy like everyone else, and after over an hour of waiting around in the dining hall, I was finally invited to go in for my turn. God, why did they have to do it in the order of districts, not order of skill?

But when they did invite me in, I was in the middle of a conversation with Cindy, so that made me even more angry. I stormed right in there after they called my name and went straight over to the dummies. They were all already destroyed, but they set up a new one when I came in.

I screamed in it's face, grabbed a dagger and stabbed the shit out of the stupid thing, before spinning around and throwing the knife right at a target for archery, hitting right in the centre.

"SPARRING PARTNER! NOW!" I barked, and someone from the Capitol came down to fight me. Before he could say anything else, I grabbed onto his head and dragged it down, smashing it onto the floor. I then proceeded to beat his head to the ground until blood was oozing out of his ear.

Cackling, I grabbed a crossbow and shot it right at him, and his twitching on the floor came to a complete stop. I giggled and clapped my hands.

Well, that was fun.


District 6 male – George Caron, 18


There was a reason the called me the fly. Whenever I fought with the gang, I was extremely fast and hard to kill. I was the best in the gang back in District 6, and I was the best in the alliance I'd formed of criminal outliers. I had the sort of skills that were needed to win the Hunger Games, including skills with knives, in particular switchblades.

Because of this I already knew I would win the Hunger Games, and get a good score to show that off to everyone else. I walked into the training room with my chin high, looking up at the game makers.

I got a sparring partner to come down, and he did, very hesitantly, and I grabbed two knives from the weapons section, sparring with him with one in each hand. He grabbed a weapon and began fighting back, and as soon as he did I switched to a defensive movement, and kept going and going, until he was panting and out of breath. I showcased my tactics such as my extreme speed, my agility, and feinting.

I also aimed for his privates, which distracted him from the actual fight, and aimed the bright light from the reflection of the knife blades towards his eyes which blinded him. By then, he was completely exhausted and I used that to my advantage to become more aggressive, stabbing at him until he began to beg me not to kill him like the others had his friends.

I didn't kill him, I was aggressive, but I wouldn't do that. I simply thanked the game makers then left the training room.


District 6 female – Cindy Trimmers, 18


I had a fuel. And that fuel was the people back in District 6. I'd grown up in the worst part of the district and there was plenty of crime, which unfortunately meant, being a female, it was common to be harassed.

And there were many people who saw this happen and completely brushed it off. That pissed me off. That was my fuel.

So when I was going into the training room for my private session, I was certain that I could use that fuel to my advantage and get the highest score out of everyone here.

"Ah, right, Cindy Trimmers, yes?" said the head game maker, and I nodded. "Alright, please proceed."

"I would like a sparring partner," I said, and I was provided with one straight away.

I knew these sparring partners were well-trained at fighting and beating tributes at these private sessions, but I also knew that I was better than everyone else. I was the greatest fighter to ever exist.

I was already quite handy with a knife, so I picked one up from the weaponry section and went straight at the sparring partner with the knife. I began fighting them straight away, stabbing at them, but not hitting them, until they were on the floor. I then had the upper hand, meaning I'd won the fight. If we'd been in the arena I would have easily been able to kill him.

I'd taken a highly trained sparring partner down in forty seconds. Less than a minute.

I had these games easy.


Based off the first half of private training sessions, who do you think will get the best score? Who do you think will get the worst? Who do you think will win?