Grain & Blood | A Hunger Games collection

Training day 1

Robin and I walk into the training centre, very late. All the other tributes are already at stations doing something, and the careers have evidently already formed an alliance because they are standing over by the weapon racks showing off. I don't really care about what they're doing until I realise that one of them, the girl from District 4, is holding a handful of throwing knives. Is she as good as I am?

A couple of seconds later, she releases the first knife, closely followed by the next one. Yeah. She's as good as I am, maybe even better. I definitely don't want to meet her in the arena. 

I turn to Robin. "Go and choose a weapon, try and learn how to use it. We can do some stuff together in an hour, okay?"

"Okay Iris,"

I walk over to the edible plants station and start sorting a few of the plants into categories. The trainer is friendly, to an extent. But that's what they're paid for, so I have no inclination to be friendly back.

A few minutes pass and I hear raised voices coming from one side of the training centre. I look up towards the cause of the arguing. Over by the dummies is my brother, trying to learn how to use a new weapon, and standing about 2 meters away from him are the careers. They're pointing at him and laughing, snickering and making comments on his fighting skills. Then the leader of the careers, the girl from four called Kamalyn with the boy from 1, Rift, swagger up to him. I carefully approach, trying my hardest to stay unnoticed by them as I try to hear what they are saying.

"We're gonna kill you first, then your sister, and there's nothing you can do about it because you're so helpless at everything,"

The other careers are hooting with laughter at Robin's face. Angered, I walk forward to stand next to my brother.

"You can't kill him," I hiss

"And why's that?"

"You can't kill him if you're already dead." 

Kamalyn and Rift just laugh. "What can you do, nine?" she sneers.

"Come on. I'll show you,"

I walk over to the targets for the long ranged weapons and grab a handful of throwing knives. I hear more laughter from the careers as I take my place in front of the targets and press the button to start the targets lighting up. 

Whizz and clunk. Whizz and clunk. Every time the knives hit the bullseye. If they were people I was throwing at every single one would be dead in seconds and I would be a murderer.

By the time I have thrown four of the knives the careers have stopped snickering and are watching intently. By the time all of them are out of my hands and in the heart or head of the dummies, I'm the focus of all the eyes in the room.

"She's quite good actually," whispers someone, I don't know who, I'm trying to ignore the feeling of everyone in the room's eyes boring into my back. Kamalyn walks up to me. She's impressed, I can tell. Her weapon is throwing knives as well, I saw her throw them in training today show off.

"Pretty good, nine," she says loudly and clearly, evidently wanting everybody to hear, "I'm going to offer you a deal. You can join the careers, but under one condition. You have to be the one to kill your brother."

I look around for Robin. He smiles sadly at me and mouths,"Do it. Accept."

I look back at Kamalyn and clear my throat."If that's what I have to do, then I refuse. I won't ever kill him, but I would happily kill you,"

"Your choice, nine. But mark my words, you'll regret it someday soon."

"One last thing, Kamalyn," I hiss, "My name is Iris, not nine." 

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So what do you think of this new character, Kamalyn? Do ya like her or no? Cuz either way she's staying exactly where she is, in the book. Thanks for reading, pls vote. Next chapter out tomorrow or later today.

-Katherine