The Second Annual Hunger Games (Book 2)

Six

"Aldera!" Tullis pounds on my door, somehow her voice still sounds cheerful this early in the morning. "Time to get ready. Breakfast is in half an hour."

I stare at the ceiling from where I lay on the floor. I wouldn't let myself get in the bed last night; I knew it would coax me to sleep. I get up and take a quick shower, but it does nothing to help the bags under my eyes. I search through the drawers in the bathroom and find something that makes them go away. I can't let the tributes know I'm losing it.

Funny. I always thought that if I lost it I wouldn't know it myself. But looking in the mirror at the girl who's seen too much, there's no way she can be sane.

I make myself look sane, though. I dry my hair, put some light makeup on, and put on black leggings and combat boots and a red dress made of tool. I top it off with a little black jacket.

Tullis is waiting at the table. I sit next to her. "Good morning."

"Morning," she replies. "How did you sleep?"

I chuckle. "I think it's impossible to have a bad night's sleep in those beds."

She laughs and goes into a story about the beds, but the tributes come out and interrupt. "What's for breakfast?" Fergus asks.

"It smells great," Sybille says as the avoxes start to bring it out. They fill the table with pancakes, eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, bacon, waffles, and much more. I don't look at any of the avoxes, but I doubt any of them are him.

"So," I say as I'm filling up my plate. "During training today I want you guys to focus on learning new skills, survival skills mainly. Practice tying knots and building fires and camouflage and whatever else you can. You can practice a little bit with weapons but don't spend too much time on them. Also I want you to stick together during training, watch each other's backs."

"Shouldn't we train separately." Fergus glances at Sybille awkwardly. "I mean if we meet in the arena..."

"I know. But I think sticking together for now is a good option. The other tributes can be intimidating and they're not always nice; it helps to have someone on your side. Plus, there's strength in numbers."

Sybille suddenly covers her face in her hands and shakes her head. "I can't do this." She stands and darts into her room.

Tullis and I both stand. "I got this," I tell her. I go after Sybille and find her door is locked. "Sybille." I knock on the door. "Sybille, please open the door."

"No," she yells.

"Sybille." I lower my voice. "Please."

I hear the lock unlatch and the door opens just enough to let me in. I squeeze through and close the door behind me. Sybille is kneeling on the ground, clutching something tightly in her hands. I kneel too.

She stares at the floor and shakes her head. "I can't do this. I can't kill anyone and I can't survive in some arena. I might as well just give up now."

I take a deep breath. "I know this is hard. I had the same attitude as you last year."

"And you killed people."

Her words bring their faces into my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut and swallow. "I know."

She looks up at me. "That's the only way to get out of this right?"

"There might be another way, but..."

"It's pretty much impossible," she finishes for me.

"I'm sorry." Those words can't convey how much I'm truly hurting for this fourteen year-old girl. "You don't have to kill anyone if you don't want to, but it could mean your death."