Love Hurts but Heals

Chapter 3

Carl's POV

I look around the training center and find many sorts of weapons. It's unbelievable how many things can kill a person in a second, and they are in my possession now.

As I turn my head, Phillip walks in, and I smile wickedly. I can't wait 'til we're in that arena.

"You finally decided to show up?" Phillip asks.

"Got here before you," I reply.

He glares at me, and I smile in victory.

"Have any special skills?" he asks.

"I do, but I'm not sharing them with you."

"Why?" he asks like we're best friends. "Is it because you already know you might as well be dead? Is it because you know that I'm going to be the one to kill you-"

"You couldn't kill a fly, even on accident."

"Is that so? Ok," he steps closer to me, "how much you want to bet?"

"My life."

He chuckles. "So you're proposing that if you and I are the last ones standing, I get to kill you just like that."

"Not exactly. If you kill at least half of the tributes and you and I are the last ones standing, then you can kill me. Deal?"

"Deal." And we shake hands.

Finnick steps out of a glass room and claps his hands once. "Ready to get started?"

"Everyone's not here yet."

Ashton steps out with his hands behind his back. "Don't worry. It's their loss if they lose training time. Let's get started."

I nod and look around the room. I see some familiar faces, but others not so much. We stand in a line side-by-side, and I turn to see my opponents and possible allies.

A black woman steps out from the glass room with her hands behind her back as well, and Finnick joins us in the line.

"Hello. My name is Natasha. I am a helper of Ashton's in creating the Games. I am here to give you advice before you start training." She sounds like a machine when she speaks. "My advice is: don't ignore the survival skills. Most of you will die from natural causes. Dehydration, loss of oxygen, muscle weaknesses, dizziness, hallucinations, etc. Nature can be as deadly as a knife." I hear someone gulp.

Ashton steps in. "That means listen to the instructors. It could save your life," he turns to Natasha. "Ready?"

She nods and they enter the glass room again. We can't see them from out here, but they could probably see us from in there. One-way glass.

Finnick steps besides me and whispers in my ear, "You'll be the first one to go." And he walks away.

I clench the small knife in my pocket.

Hold on until the arena. Then let go.

* * *

Jordyn's POV

I sit there with the other girl tributes, waiting for Ashton and someone else to arrive before we start training. The other girls are joking around for each other while they wait, but I can't do anything but prob my elbows on my knees and rest my head on my palms.

A door slides open loudly. "Hello ladies," says Ashton with a smirk on his face. "This is Natasha," a black woman walks in, "and she is the assistant Games-maker. Before you get started, we have some advice for you."

She nods and explains how nature is deadly and so on, but I really don't pay attention. The only thing on my mind is Carl and and the baby. If I don't live, neither does the baby. I have to win, for the baby, for Carl...

Ashton's single clap snapped me back into reality. "Let's get started, shall we?"

They walk into a glass room in the left corner of the room, and they disappear behind the glass. One-way glass.

Someone walks by, and their shoulder hits mine. I look at her, and she makes eye contact with me, but then she tilts her head down with her eyes meeting the floor. I almost feel sorry for her, but I don't have any room for sorriness right now.

I grab her shoulder gently and pull her so she's facing me. "You have to be strong. Don't show you're weak. You're not going to get sponsors or survive if you show you're weak. I know this from expeirence," I place my hand on her shoulder and try to meet her eyes. "Trust me."

She nods and continues on her way. I watch her as she walks away, and he rubs her elbow in insecurity, and I want to call for her, tell her that everything is going to be okay, but I can't assure her that. So I just keep going my way.

The first skill I decide to work on is climbing on trees due to my last expierence with Phillip. Rue, my sister, was good at climbing and jumping from tree to tree, and she's tried to teach me some basic skills, but that's when she got chose at the reaping to go into last year's Hunger Games.

The instructor is helping another blonde girl right now, so I'm on my own for now. Before I start climbing, I check her name-tag on her suit that we're forced to wear to train. Her name is Teresa, and she smiles wickedly during the entire instruction. I shake my head from my thoughts and begin.

I hook the small harness to my belt. The belt keeps you from hitting the ground, but it doesn't stop you until you're like an inch from the ground, then jerks you up. I saw Teresa try it a few minutes ago while I was talking to the quiet girl, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

I begin to climb and get half-way up until someone steps on my hand. I let go of the tree, but keep ahold of it with my other hand. I rub my wrist and look up to see a very familiar face.

"Jordyn, what are you doing here?" she asks.

"Better question is: what are you doing here, Foxface?" I ask.