Dependence - Book Two (Wattys 2013 Finalist)

Training: Day One

Piper Papillon’s POV:

‘’ Good morning tributes! I’m glad that you all made it here this morning for the first of three training days! Here’s how this is going to work; for today, you will all participate in mandatory exercises that will contribute to your scorings at the end of the training sessions.

 Tomorrow, you will be free to train wherever you wish, whether that is with weapons, camouflage, climbing or agility, we have it all here in the Capitol! Today, you will have six hours in here before dinner, and then you can choose to return afterwards if you wish.

So please, follow me and I will take you to the centre.’’ I smile as I lead the twenty four tributes down a set of stairs and down a hall towards the steel double doors of the training centre.

They follow me – some excitedly, others not so excitedly – as I approach the doors and as I push the doors open, they eagerly enter behind me. I take them to the centre of the room, where trainers have all assembled and then I turn and leave the room.

As I step from the room, I sigh. Today’s the day I get to go visit my new home with Tiberius. The joys of it all. I walk as slowly as I can along the hall, and when I reach the bottom of the stairs my heart sinks. Tiberius is standing at the top with a grin on his face.

‘’ Morning Pip, honey. Shall we go?’’ He smiles warmly.

‘’ Of course...Sweetheart.’’ I reply, as I say this I fight the urge to gag.

He laughs and links my arm as I reach him and he leads me from the building.

Echo Spark’s POV:

‘’ Good morning tributes, my name is Esmeralda and I am the head trainer here in the tribute training centre. In just under two weeks, twenty two of you will be dead. We are here to help you make sure that you are one of the two that survives. We are skilled in many things, sword fighting, camouflage, first aid skills, agility, stealth, knife throwing, spear throwing, balance and so on and so forth.

Today, we have three exercises lined up for you all. The first will test your speed and accuracy. The second will test your balance and agility. The third and final exercise will test your endurance. So please, follow me and we will begin the tests.’’ Smiles quite a young looking Capitol citizen – Esmeralda, the head trainer – and we follow her towards an incline in the floor.

We step up to a ledge, and peer down about three meters. What looks like a giant roulette machine. The is a small glass sphere in the centre, and there are twenty four stations set up around the perimeter of the roulette like area.

‘’ OK tributes, please step down the stairs and each of you climb into one of the stations, we will explain the rules once you’re down there, it will be easier then.’’ Smiles Esmeralda.

I follow the other tributes down the stairs with Osmo beside me, and we each climb into one of the pods beside each other. The pod is a half sphere – it’s almost like a cup – with an opened roof that allows me to see the other tributes. I take a seat and examine the area around me. In front of me, is a small control panel with only a large red button on it. I notice there is a seatbelt attached to my pod, so I quickly strap myself in.

Esmeralda steps down the stairs and walks across the roulette-like station floor and approaches the glass sphere in the centre. As she does, the ball lowers into the floor, and is replaced by a similar pod that myself and the other tributes are sitting inside already. She climbs into it and straps herself in. I notice the other trainers have disappeared from sight, they have obviously gone somewhere to watch us.