The 100th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 3

We arrive in the Capitol early in the morning. The Peacekeepers bring us to our rooms through tunnels. This is partly because in previous years attempts have been made to kill tributes and also to prevent us from seeing the Capitol. I don't understand why we aren't allowed to see it but I'm not in a position to care too much anyways. We walk in silence to the elevators and are quickly sent to our rooms.

Because there are so many of us, some Hunger Games traditions have been left out this year. This year the interviews and the chariot ride were cancelled as it would take too long. The viewers in the Capitol will only get to see us when we get our training scores. This was quite controversial in the Capitol but after being promised a memorable Hunger Games the residents of the Capitol let it go.

Training starts early in the morning. I eat a small breakfast and head down. I take my father’s advice. I don’t make a deal of myself, I just do the training and leave when it ends. I spend most of my time in my room. I sew up the tears in the brown dress. I’m skilled at sewing and get through it quickly. I don’t interact with the others, leaving them to talk amongst themselves.

I spend most of my time in areas that I dont know. After watching me fall over a set of weights and picking the wrong card in matching games the other tributes soon assume that I am not a threat and ignore me. Fine by me, the less people that I rely on the better. The fact that I made these mistakes on purpose makes it all the more satisfying.

After three long and hard days of training we come to the evaluation. I line up with the other tributes quietly for about an hour until my name is called out and I walk into the training area.

As soon as I walk in I feel cold. I’m the 67th to come in so most of the weapons are broken or lodged in walls. The gamemakers watch from the gallery in silence, studying me. I look around me and find a few remaining knives and blades. I take a few knives and head for the throwing area.

Most of the dummies are already torn apart or on fire so I pick a few from the back and take steady aim. I fling the knife. It flies through the air with a whistling sound and plunges deep into the dummy where the heart would be. I grin to myself and look around, but the gamemakers seem bored so I just fling a few more blades angrily before they say I can go.

I stride out of the hall and slam the door. I walk past Asea and Talia and go up to my room. Locking the door, I jump on the bed and hold my head in my hands. Great. Impressive. I look like a whiney little brat, throwing a few knives and then storming out. Oh well. At least I’ll be ruled out by the others as a possible opponent.

I watch the results on the T.V. in my room. I write down other’s scores in my notebook and learn them. One girl named Lila Reta from District 6 scored an eleven. She was amongst the highest in the ranks, along with the Careers (no surprises there) and a boy from district 9 who scored ten.

I freeze as my name appears on the screen. The announcer reads the card.

"Sylvira Swan from District 12. Eight."

Uh oh.

Eight is high enough. I do some quick maths in my head and realise I’m in the top 20. I won’t be ruled out. I can hear the others in the rooms around me cheering for the boy after me who scores an eight, but I'm concentrating on myself and the fear suffocating me.

The next morning I am woken by a Peacekeeper. Gone are the days where Avoxes treated tributes nicely, and the Peacekeeper reminds me of this by pushing me out of the bed onto the floor and leaving.

"Good morning to you too." I mutter.

I dress and wander to the buffet area. The only one there is the boy with the greasy black hair. As per usual he is eating everything in sight, and as per usual he has a bucket beside him for when he starts to throw up.

Taking some rolls, I go into the records room. Drina is sitting on a stool watching everyone's training sessions and taking notes. I can see that she is working on her tactics so I don't disturb her, walking around to the previous Hunger Games tapes and grabbing a copy of the 89th Annual Hunger Games. I walk back to my room, put in the tape and wrap my arms around my legs on my bed.

It is time to see how my sister died.