The Twisted Tale of Clove

Private Sessions

---A few days later---
~
I sigh deeply, and take yet another look at my surroundings. It's been only a couple of minutes since the private sessions actually began, but Cato and I were here for the last half hour. Tyler and Lana wanted to ensure that we weren't late, so they made us show up extra early.

We ended up being the first ones here, but only a few minutes had passed before Marvel and Glimmer sat down next to us. It appeared their mentors had the same intentions as ours, since there was still about 25 minutes before the sessions began.

We began talking about what we were going to do once inside what I imagined to be a dimly lit room, and when we all finished speaking about that, we decided to strategize for the games.

We didn't even get to list one strategy before Marvel was called, and walked inside. Only then did I notice that the rest of the room was filled up with tributes anxiously waiting to be summoned.

We decided to stop strategizing, since Marvel had left and because Skylar and Ben were on the other side of the room.

Cato and I sat quiet while Glimmer tried to calm her nerves. It seemed like hours before Marvel pranced out the doors, and Glimmer walked in them.

I watched Marvel walk over to the elevator, press the up button, step inside, and slowly shoot away from the ground.

After that, I stole as glance at Cato, just to see he stole one at me. We both quickly turned away, and I felt a rush of embarrassment in my system.

I looked back again, and so did he a half a second later. We faced the other direction once more, and I decided the situation couldn't be anymore awkward.

Thankfully, Glimmer walked out at that moment, and ended the awkwardness since Cato now was going to go in. His name was called over the loud speaker, so he stood and entered the automatic opening doors.

I looked over at Ben and Sky, and let off a small smile. They noticed, and walked over to me, and plopped down in the now empty seats next to me.

"I'm next," I inform them with false excitement.

Ben sympathetically gives me a pat on the shoulder, and I look to Skylar for support. She simply says, "that's life."

I nod, "life that is."

They giggle at my strange use of words, and after I realized how weird what I said sounded, I laughed as well.

Next thing I know, all the tributes are staring at us with confused expressions and I hear my name over the loudspeaker.

I reluctantly stand, and I know I'm less nervous than Glimmer was, but I'm nervous nonetheless. I had just approached the door when Cato walks out of it.

"Good luck," he murmurs.

"Thanks," I murmur back.

I walk through the ajar set of doors into a room as dim as I originally imagined.

The training center usually isn't like this, it's lacking the noise, the lights, all the focus is on me. And that's terrifying.

"Hi, I-I'm C-love Sevina from d-district two," unconfidently stutter.

"Alright Clove," replies the one with the strangely patterned beard, "you may begin."

15 minutes. 15 minutes, that's all I get. I sprint towards the throwing knives station. I perfectly hit the target on all five of them and then head to the other side of the room, where the sai blades station is set up.

I pick up a pair of blades, and spin around in a circle again. I near towards my first victim and cut him deep in the side of the stomach.

My next victims have several marks in places such as their stomach, side, legs, and arms. I victimize them-all except for one.