Grain & Blood | A Hunger Games collection

Private sessions

Robin and I are sitting together in the corner, eating lunch. He's having chicken casserole, and I'm eating this thing called risotto. I only chose it because I recognise the grains that it's made of. They're called arborio, and we grow them in the fields back at home.
The dish isn't really to my liking. It's too creamy, too rich, and I'm feeling a bit sick. But that might just be nerves.
Both of us finish and stack out plates in the middle of the table. I can tell Robin wants to go and get pudding, but there's no rush. We're going to be here for another 4 and a half hours (lunch time is 1 hour long).
"So what are you going to do?"
"I'm not sure. I guess I'm going to start a fire, build a shelter, and if I have time, mess around with some weapon."
"Make your top priority starting a fire. You're more likely to get a good score if you do something other than use a weapon. Anyone can pick up a knife, but only some people can start a fire,"
"Okay."
He pauses for a bit, then, "Iris, I'm scared,"
"What are you scared about?"
"The arena. How will you find me? What if someone kills me?"
"Nobody will kill you. And I have an idea, for how I find you. At the bloodbath, you just turn around and run, in a straight line if possible."
"What about you? What will you do?"
"I'll run into the cornucopia and grab supplies and run back out, follow your path and we'll find each other. Okay?"
"Yes."
"I love you Robin,"
"I love you too."
"How does seconds sound?"
"Yes please!"
We grab our plates and walk over to the buffet. I decide on a pulled lamb wrap with spicy potatoes, and Robin chooses sausages and these potato things called chips. Before we sit back down, I grab a basket of bread, I'm not sure why.
Half an hour later, our plates are empty once again and I'm splitting open the bread rolls and teaching Robin about the grain inside them. Rift has just been called, and everyone is tense.
I split open the last roll and point out the grains, then we both stand up to go and get pudding.
An oozing, delicious chocolate cake has just been brought out, and most of the tributes are eyeing it. But we're here first.
Both Robin and I take a pretty big sized slice each and cover it in thick cream. Then we sit down and start eating.
It's heaven. Better than anything I have ever eaten, so rich and so melty. Before long, it's finished too and we're bored out of our minds. The girl from 2 is about to go in, and even she's looking nervous. I guess I'm just going to go to sleep until it's my turn.
Robin shakes me awake.
"I'm about to go in," he says
"Okay. Good luck!"
"You too."
A minute later his name is called and he goes in.
The whole time I worry about him. What is he doing? Is he doing it well?
My name is called 15 minutes later and I walk in.
"Iris Sheaf, District 9," I say to the gamemakers, who nod in acknowledgement
I know what I'm going to do. The targets are decently in line with the climbing ropes and the rope net , so I grab a handful of knives and climb up the vertical ropes that reach the entire length of floor to ceiling.
I throw one knife at the button to start the targets. It hits first time.
Then the targets start lighting up and I start throwing.
I'm trying my hardest to show off, so I leap between ropes, and at one point even throw a knife in midair. For the last knife, I flip onto the top of the rope net and, as always, get a bullseye.
Part one, murder, complete.
Part two, arson, about to start.
Robin (I think) built a little shelter around a fake tree, and I'm going to burn it down.
I grab the flint and steel from the fire starting station, and light the branches. I'm not going to stand and watch it burn to ashes, I have better things to do.
Part 3, beheading, underway.
From the rack by the dummies, I grab a dagger and perform the same move I showed Robin yesterday. This gives me a head, which is exactly what I need for what I'm about to do next. I pick up the knife which I threw at the button and move to a position right in front of the gamemakers.
With as much strength as I can muster, I throw the head in the air and hit it with the knife that I throw straight after it.
When the head lands, I pick it up to inspect what I did. Somehow, the knife managed to land right in the middle of the forehead. I lift the head high in the air in front of the gamemakers.
All of them are surprised and shocked.
"Thank you. You are dismissed."

Longest chapter I've written in a long time 🤣🤣🤣, 821 words! (Not including the a/n at the bottom) I wrote this at 3 to 4:30 yesterday morning, which just ruined half of yesterday cuz I didn't go back to sleep after that. Updates will be around 5pm ish gmt from now on cuz skl. I hope you enjoyed pls vote. Thanks for reading!

-Katherine