Reaper ~ THG AU

Ch. 9: Dummies

The next training session we're allowed is just Acacius and I. Our mentors are supposed to be here, but once again it's just us. The gamemakers are all lounging and watching as Acacius shows me how to throw knives properly.

He's done it many times before, but now it feels more real. The thought of one of us not coming out alive makes it that much more important to listen. I agreed to show him a few tricks with a bow-staff or spear considering they don't have a sickle or a scythe.

"Okay...the weight of you knife will always be important. The handle could be too heavy or the blade to light. When it's unbalanced like this one..."

He holds up a knife with a bulky handle, tossing it with ease before catching it. He holds it out for me to take. I give him a look, slowly taking it as he continues with his explanation.

"Believe it or not, learning with an unbalanced knife makes it easier to learn with a balanced one. You already know how to aim and through, so go ahead and do your best."

I nod, taking a deep breath before taking aim. I sling the blade as hard as I can, watching it as it flies through the air. It imbeds it's self in the very edge of the target. I hear a few laughs from the game makers, making me look their way as Acacius nods.

"That's not bad for your first try in a while. Try again."

I take the blade, glancing back towards the game makers. They all continue to watch us as if we're the best entertainment around. My brother clears his throat, making me look towards him as he meets my eyes. He throws me an encouraging smile as I take a deep breath.

Testing the weight in the knife, I toss it the same way he taught me when I was eleven. Getting used to the blade, I eye the target before releasing the knife. It lands closer to the center with this one, making a few of the game makers laugh again.

Acacius seems to get annoyed this time, his eyes drifting up towards the rich men before grabbing another knife. He smiles towards me before handing it towards me.

"You're not angry enough. The times in the past when you hit your target, you were beyond mad at something that Atlas did or said, right?"

I nod, taking a deep breath as he continues. The knife seems heavier this time, the handle twice the size of the two previous ones.

"Think of everything that makes you mad, picture the target as the source to all that anger, then throw."

My mind immediately goes to the games, how I'll be having to go in with one of my closest friends and my brother in one. Aurelia and Briar's broken faces coke to mind, how sad and heartbroken they looked as Acacius and I were standing on the stage. Atlas's glare and anger fuel me just like the rest, how hard he worked to control his helplessness as we were reaped.

Everything goes back to one place, one group, and one person. The Capitol. The peacekeepers...and the president himself. The Capitol for their wretched holiday. The peacekeepers for the brutality when dealing with my district, and President Snow for his cruel nature and his enjoyment in sending children to their deaths.

I feel my blood boiling as I glance one last time towards the game makers. They all seem to be patiently waiting, sipping their drinks or munching on their snacks. They get to gorge themselves on the food that my district helps provide while my people starve. They get to sit up there and literally judge us as if our existence is below their own.

"Use that anger, Z..."

Taking a deep breath to calm the huffing, I glare at the target twelve feet away. I think of everything that angers me before taking aim. The blade is almost in slow motion as it flies through the air, getting closer and closer to the target.