The Hunger Games - Through the Fire and Flames - Book 1

Chapter 11

It was the day of the ranking. Today I would be performing in front of the Games Makers. What exactly was I going to do, I had several skills. I just had to pick the one that would grab everyones attention. Maybe I could do a repeat of yesterdays private training with my mother. That was it, show them I could work with everything and anything.

I got out of bed slowly as to not bother my brother and headed in to get cleaned up for the days event. Checking the outfit Cinna had set out for me I smiled it was a simple black jumpsuit. I rubbed my finger along the material and stretched it, it was some off form of elastic, maybe spandex like but it felt like silk. Definitely expensive. I took the outfit into the bathroom with me and set it on the counter as I got into the shower. I turned the water on cold in order to wake myself entirely and very slowly I washed myself as best as I could until my fingers grew numb. In less than five minutes I was out of the shower shivering as I stepped on the mat that started the body dryer.

Dressed in my suit with my flat shoes and my hair pulled back into a long pony tail I headed back into the room. I stopped quickly as I noticed my brother was gone. He must've went to get ready. Leaving the room and heading down from the twelvth floor to the dining area I quickly loaded my plate with food and sat with my group of allies.

Halfway through our meal two others, a boy and a girl looking about 17 or 18 came over to our table. They were obviously from District 1 by the way they looked, and the logo.

"Hello" I said trying to kill the awkward silence between us.

They pulled two chairs from another nearby table and sat down before me. "Are you still looking for allies?" The boy asked me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "It depends if you have a skill useful to us. I don't want to be anyone protector but my own."

The girl smirked. "I can turn anything into a weapon in about 10 different ways whether it be that napkin that sits in that girls lap or the air we breath. I can kill anything."

This girl rubbed me the wrong way but I couldn't deny the fact that she might come in useful if we ended up weaponless. I nodded my head and then looked to the boy.

"What about you?" I asked him.

"I'm a tracker." he said plainly.

I scrunched my face up thinking about his skill and nodded my head. "You will come in useful."

"Damn straight. My sister and I will be the ones to lead you to the enemy." He added.

Sister? They were siblings. My eyes widened slightly before they went back to their normal size. These two were going to end up dying or fighting one another to survive in the end.

"You- you're..." I stammered.

"- Our names weren't drawn, we just volunteered. It's an honor to be where we are standing right at this very moment." The girl replied. "My name is Essence and this is my twin brother Ethan. We are the tributes from District 1."

"In our family the rule goes that if we aren't chosen when we turn 17 we must volunteer. I have three older siblings a sister and brother. My brother and one of my sisters are both victors from other years, their names are Patience and Honor. My youngest older sister is 18 and truth be told she is a bit wrong in the head. Her name is Harmony. She wanted to volunteer but my dear twin knocked her out." Ethan told us.

So his family was one for the Games. That just made things interesting. I made an immediate mental note to keep tabs on that brother sister duo. They would be the first on my list if I was to kill someone. The thought of me doing that sent chills through my body. Could I really kill somebody?

The others stood to their feet and left the room without my knowledge. I was spaced out to the point I didn't acknowledge anything around me. Only when a pair of strong but gentle hands pulled me to my feet did I really come too.

"What?" I said as I looked into the green eyes of Phoenix.

"Well we are going to get into position for the Game Makers. Everyone else already left." He chuckled.

I nodded my head before we headed down to the room that held all the tributes who were waiting for their turn to enter the room and show the panel what they had. Slowly the tributes began disappearing one by one. I rose to my feet and exited the room to find my mother, she was standing right outside the door with my father.

"I need a favor" I told them.

They nodded there heads. "Sure angel" my father replied.

"I need the room set up like yesterday, is there anyway you can do that in under five minutes?"

My mother looked at my father and smiled. "Each tribute gets up to ten minutes to arrange and/or set up the room before they have to perform so you will be alright your father and I can get it done in three."

My mother and father hugged me and wished me goodluck before I headed back into the room. There was only one other person in front of me now, my brother. I watched as the female from District 11 walked back into the room and out the door. River was up then me.

I watched him walk out of my sight and all I could do was hope the best for him. His score given from the Gamer Makers would either make or break him in several ways. I crossed my fingers that everything would work out in his favor.

It felt like only a minute but I knew it was longer, that my brother walked out of the room. His face was expressionless so I was unsure how it went for him, or atleast how he felt it went. He walked forward and threw his arms around me before he began crying.

"River, what is it?"

He stood back and looked at me before he just shook his head and walked off. I felt my body as it began trembling. Slowly I walked into the room and looked around. Everything was set up and my bow, sheeth and belt that held my various weapons lay on the ground in the center. I walked forward and buckled the belt around my waist before I slung my sheeth and arrow over my shoulder. On the ground was a small switch that I assumed was to begin the timers on the dummies. I got on one knee and positioned my hand on the switch before I closed my eyes to regulate my senses.

As my focus grew I was able to pin point the different noises in the room and sort out those that I didn't want to hear. Centered in my focus I flipped the switch and listened for the sound that I was looking for. Off to the left at medium range came the first ticking. I rose to my feet quickly and my eyes snapped open.