Harsh Memories

Chapter 9 - Fluke

So today is that day that I am meant to show the gamemakers what I've got, and they will rate me out of 12. I am expecting nothing more than a 3, to be honest. I am after all, not a fighter, strong, and I wouldn't say I am super smart either.

I am meant to go first out of all the 24 tributes, that's what makes me the angriest. I'm not ready and I barely have time to think of what I'm gonna do, but I mean...at least I'll get it over and done with. Hopefully I won't stuff up....

Darkness engulfs me into a deep sleep, cutting my annoying thoughts off. I dream about the pretty wooden home I used to live in and my loving father, and sick mother, Amy and her beautiful large home she and her family lived in, and how much I loved and missed my home back in district 1. Funny, how I used past tense as if I'm never going to see my home again. I guess deep inside, I know that me and Colin are never going to get out of that arena together, happy and healthy. There's only one winner after all...and that's not going to be me. At the very least I hope it will be Colin.

•••

I sit in the waiting room, soon enough I will be called up to perform my amazing skills of nothing. I can't do anything...really.

"You ready?" Colin, who is sitting next to me asks. I smile and nod, pretending to be confident.

"Totally."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"...maybe..." I admit. Colin, instead of being angry, just laughs. "I knew you'd be like this," he smiles. I look down at my fingers, which seem to be shaking. Great, now I won't have accuracy at all.

"Damn it," I mutter to myself. As I try to stop my shaking hands, Colin's warm and fairly large hand clasps over mine, and somehow they stop. "How?"

"Sibling love!" He exclaims. I laugh. "Stop being so cheesy!"

"Emilia Birch, District One" the speaker beside me booms, making my ear hurt. I feel my heart jump, and not in a good way.

I stand up slowly, blood rushing to my legs. Colin gives me a pat on the back, sort of in pity. I take a deep breath and step through the steel door, dreading what comes next.

As I walk into the room, my footsteps echoing on the ground, I see the gamemaker's heads turn to look at me. They watch my every move, some chatting and pointing at me, discussing me and my fate. Others just stare, silently, making me feel uncomfortable.

I walk further, until I step on the marker in the middle of the sleek floor. I look up at the people, making direct eye contact with the head gamemaker, wanting to seem threatening and ready, not scared and little like I really am.

"Hi," I say, my voice surprising stern and hard. "Emilia Birch, District One," I say loudly. The head gamemaker nods.

"You may begin, Emilia," he says. I turn towards the weapons, and decide what I wanted to do. I decided that I will do archery, as that is the only thing I wasn't completely terrible at.

I pick up a bow and a steel arrow, placing it in position, pulling the string back until it meets my lips. I aim, and before I know it, my arms are shaking. Damn it I think. Before my arms go completely psycho, I let go of the string, knowing it won't land where I want it to. I turn around, not even wanting to look where it landed. I pick up another arrow and get ready to aim again, but then I realise that the arrow had landed right in the middle, right in the bullseye.

Oh my god I think, but I hold back my excitement, I want to seem like this isn't a big deal to me, as if it happens loads of times.

So I aim towards the human shaped target, and aim at the heart, I feel my hands start to shake, but I let go before they go really bad. The arrow lands on the chest, not the heart but it's good enough for me. I keep shooting, again and again, and every single arrow lands on the area of the the chest and stomach, which is very good for me.

I put my bow down, turning to the gamemaker's poker face.

"You are dismissed, Emilia Birch," his booming voice says. I nod, and leave the room, my heart pounding in my chest.

•••

Me and Colin sit on the plush leather couch, in front of the large curved TV, waiting for our scores to be called out. My heart is pounding painfully in my chest in anxiety, even though I know I'm not gonna get a good score. Caesar Flickerman is speaking on the screen, his blood red suit glistening, matching his hair.

"Now, onto the ratings," he says with his loud booming voice.

My heart jumps, and Colin grabs my hand.

"First of all, Emilia Birch, District One." A picture of me pops up onto the screen. I look pasty and scared, probably how I look now. I feel Colin squeezing my hand.

"Nine," he booms. A big nine pops up next to my name. I feel to shocked to speak, a NINE!? Really? I didn't even do that good. "Yes Lia!" Colin shouts excitedly. I smile slightly, but before I could speak, Colin shows up on the screen.

"For Colin Birch, District One, an eleven," he says. Colin laughs in excitement. That is the second highest score you can get, and he got it. "Wow Colin!"

•••

For the rest of the night we watch the scores of the rest of the tributes. Chris got an eleven and somehow, Rosia got a twelve. I have no idea how someone could get such a good score, and what they would do for it. Anyways, Kamilla, that District 7 girl that was friends with Dakota, got an eleven, I had no idea she was this good. Poor Dakota, got a three. She's no good for sure, and I'm just hoping that she won't be killed in the bloodbath or something, I would be heartbroken. But I mean, she said she was smart, so maybe she won't.

I think so hard, I have trouble sleeping. Maybe it's because I'm going to my execution tomorrow, and maybe it's because I worried for my friends dying too. I have to be honest, I am not like most careers, and I'm terrified. I really doubt I'll get past the bloodbath alive, just because I can't do anything.

I lay there, thinking about everything, until I hear a soft knock on my wooden door. It's Colin, he walks in sitting on my bed.

"I know you're awake," he says softly. I groan in response, turning to face him. "I thought we should talk about tomorrow," he says. I sigh, but then nod. We really need to make a plan if we want to see each other ever again.

"Okay, so I was thinking, when we rise to the top, the first thing we do is look for each other, no one else okay? We only have 60 seconds after all,"

I nod.

"Not Dakota, not Chris, okay? You can do that after you find me," he says. I nod again. "Okay, so after we find each other, and make eye contact, you choose where to go,"

"Why me?" I ask.

"Because I will run into the cornucopia, and I don't think you should," he says.

"Okay, so when you find where you want to go, tilt your head that way, so that I know where to run after," he says. "Cool," I mutter.

"Then I'll run into the centre of the Cornucopia with Rosia and possibly Chris, we'll start killing people and taking the goods. I've already talked about this to them. Once the coast is clear, me and Rosia will make our way to you. Make sure you don't run too far away so we can find you. Chris will stay back and scavenge the goods and he'll get back to us eventually," he explains. I nod, I'm pretty happy with the plan.

"Just one thing, I will go in the outside of the cornucopia, just so I can get something just in case you guys don't make it me," I say. Colin agrees, he seems pretty happy, unlike me who is cowering in fear.

"Now I know you probably won't fall asleep, so I brought something," he holds out a small white pill. I take it, and gulp it down without water. "Thanks," I mutter, sleep making my eyelids heavy.

"Sleep well, Lia