Too Clever

Chapter 7

    The tributes from Districts 1, 2, 4, 7, and 12 are already here, even though we're still a few minutes early. It's odd to see everyone in normal clothes considering that everyone was in crazy costumes on the night of the opening ceremonies. I immediately recognize Katniss and her male partner from District 12, Peeta, as they were the tributes dressed in fiery capes and flaming headpieces.
     I try to walk over silently, as if not to let the others notice me, but of course they will; it's so quiet in here that you could probably hear a pin drop. Everyone stares at the two of us as if the Hunger Games has already begun and they're deciding whether to let me run or slaughter me on the spot. I avoid their gaze, making sure I don't look like I'm hunched over all the same. That would make me look weak.
     The Careers are all huddled in a pack aside from the rest of us. They only look up once to see who's entering the training gym. Sneers and snickers emanate from the group, and it's obvious they're not trying to hide it. I bet I'm smarter than any one of those lunatics. Probably even the rest of the tributes. But still, all of the Career Tributes are much bigger and muscular than I am, which could also be a major advantage in combat. I'll just have operate smartly in the arena in order to evade the Careers, which is going to be challenging, but not something I can't pull off.
     Once everyone is here, a woman who introduces herself as Atala, cuts right to the chase. She tells us that we are free to go to whichever station we'd like. There is also no fighting amongst other tributes. There are instructors at each station if we want to train with a partner.
     The next thing she says catches me off guard. Apparently, most of us will die from infection and natural causes, not at the mercy of another tribute. I guess it makes sense, as we are in the wilderness with no supplies unless we either go find it, which could cause dehydration from physical exertion, or get it from the Cornucopia in which other armed tributes could be waiting for you. Still, it's the Hunger Games, so at least a handful of us are going to be slaughtered like pigs by other competitors.
Once we are free to go train, the Careers automatically rush to the biggest, deadliest weapons there are. They make handling these weapons look so easy, as they hit the center of the target, or at least close to it, almost every time. It's clear that they've had additional practice that the rest of would never dream of having. It's unfair, and not to mention against the rules, but the people of the Capitol seem to care less.
I don't know where to go. I'm contemplating whether I should go to a weapons station or a station that focuses on survival skills. I decide to head over to the edible plants section, as survival skills are equally important as handling weapons based upon what I've seen in past Hunger Games and what Atala just told us a moment ago.
     I actually do quite well in the edible plants section. It's not very surprising to me; Calla's parents own a little apothecary in District 5's town, where they sell herbal medicines and remedies. Many of these consist of the same plants that I'm working with in training now, so I already have some good background information on what's good to eat and what's good to concoct medicines with. Knowledge about my garden at home also helps me a little.
     Next, I go to the camouflage station since there doesn't seem to be anyone there, and, not to mention, it could come in good use in the arena. The instructor gives me a choice of mud, berries, or a mixture of grass and dirt to work with. I decide to use the mud, as berries would make me more conspicuous with their vibrant red coloring, and dirt and grass would be harder to dig up quickly if I was in an urgent situation in the Games.
     I do okay with the camouflaging, but it's gonna take a little more work to conceal myself with the mud completely. I decide I'll come back to it later.
     Instead I work my way over to the knife throwing station. It's probably a good idea to get my hands on a weapon now, considering there are only three days to train.
     I tentatively pick up a small sized dagger when the instructor approaches and glances at the number on the top of my shirt sleeve.
     "District 5, I see," he says. "You probably haven't even touched a knife before now." He laughs at himself and goes on. "Well, I guess I'll just watch and see what you're made of."
     This angers me. Who is he to tell me I've never touched a knife before?
     "Well, at least I'm actually trying." I counter, looking him straight in the eye.
     "Well, okay then," the instructor replies in a tone that suggests I'm nothing but a little five year old asking her father for help on tying her shoe. This is insulting my intelligence, and I stand there for a second, wanting to walk away and go somewhere else, but my feet stay planted to the ground as if they are rapped in chains. I have to be able to use a weapon somehow, even if it's only a few basics, and Lila told me the knife would probably be easiest at this point since they're not as heavy as other weapons. I have to stay here.
     I ignore his comment and say, "So, how do I throw this thing?" I'm expecting him to launch into a lesson about what angles you have to use and other technical things like where you should target on a person that would end their life, but instead, he just looks at the little dagger in my hand and says, "Watch and learn."
     He takes another knife, grips it firmly, steps back, and throws the knife with almost perfect aim directly into the heart of the dummy. Then he grins like he just became the king of the world. "Now you try," he says with a smirk.
     So I take the dagger and throw it with all my strength at the dummy's head, wanting badly to show the instructor up and prove that I'm not so useless as he is implying I am. This completely backfires on me; the knife slips a little and hits the dummy's leg. But instead of lodging itself into the dummy, it bounces off of it and lands on the ground with a loud, defeated clank.
     I frown, turning slightly away from the instructor to ensure that he doesn't see my look of embarrassment. I'm horrible at this. And if I can't use a weapon, I probably can't win.
     So I decide to try again. I will get better at it.
     I have to. For Nora.
     I pick up a second knife, gripping it more firmly this time, and take a step back. Right as I'm about to launch the knife toward the dummy's heart, the instructor puts his hand on my arm as if to stop me.
     "Wait—stop," he exclaims. "You're doing it wrong."
     "How?" I say impatiently.
     "Well first off, you're not holding it properly," he replies, eyeing the knife. "You have to hold it down here." He slides my hand farther down on the handle. "This way, you have more control. If you're gripping it too far up on the handle, you won't have as much accuracy. So go ahead, try it again."
     So I keep my hands exactly where he told me to and throw the knife. This time, it doesn't slip out of my hand the way it did on my first attempt, but it still doesn't get the desired effect. It lodges itself a little under and beside the target.
     "Hey, it's an improvement. At least it didn't bounce off the dummy again," says the instructor, mirroring my thoughts.
     "I guess," I say. "But it's not enough."
     "Could be," he replies. "You never know. I mean, if you get at least close to the where you're targeting, it could still kill. It'll definitely slow your opponent down at least."
     I don't know how to reply, so I just say, "Okay, so what else am I doing wrong?"
He smirks, giving me a look suggesting I'm a complete idiot, again insulting my intelligence, and says, "Your form is way off. You have to step forward with your left foot since you're right handed. And stop leaning forward so much. All of this helps you to keep your balance. And don't let go of the knife so late. Let it go a little earlier—you'll have better aim that way."
"Okay," I say. "I think I've got it." I take a third knife—this one is much longer than the others, but I have to learn how to use the weapon one way or another—and throw the knife as close as possible to how the instructor told me to, aiming at the dummy's heart. Evidently, I let it go a little too early, as the knife drives itself into the wall about an inch or two above the dummy's head.
Once the instructor stops staring at the wall where the knife made quite a noticeable gash, he turns to me and says, "Well, your form was much better, so it gave you a lot more force and power, but I think you're gonna have to work on your aim."

**********

     "So how did training go today?" asks Lila, buttering a roll.
     I look at Alec, silently urging him to speak. He swallows and says, "It went okay. I went to the knot tying station and learned how to make a snare. It wasn't amazing, but I guess it would catch a rabbit or something."
     "Well that's definitely something to know for the Games," says Nicolas. He seems to be a little more engaged in helping Alec and I in the Games then he was when we first got on the train.
     "I agree," says Lila. And what did you do in training today, Fleta?"
     I finish chewing my fish, which is sprinkled with a delicious seasoning, and say, "I went to the edible plants station and the instructor told me that I did very well. And then I also went to the knife throwing station..." I falter, not wanting to tell everyone that I couldn't even hit the target, and pretend to take a sip of my lemon water.
     "And how did that go?" Rhea chimes in. Telesto snorts, and Cordelia gives them a stern look, putting her finger to her lips.
     "Um, I didn't do that bad," I say, sugarcoating it a bit. "I was able to hit the dummy." I try to stay optimistic about my performance in knife throwing, hoping that it will give Lila and Nicolas some hope that I might actually not be so hopeless.
     Which I'm not, of course. I have my brains.
     "Good," replies Lila, but I can tell she senses I'm avoiding the negative side of my story. "It's certainly a start."
     Rhea roles her eyes at Telesto and begins a conversation on the latest fashion. Everyone except for Cordelia and Telesto drop out of the conversation and eat in silence for the rest of the meal.