Behind Those Violet Eyes ▸ Hunger Games

Chapter Five: Alia Fletson

Chapter Five:

Alia's POV

I toss and turn all night long, wishing nothing more than to be back home in District Two.

I miss everything about it. The comfort of my own house, my loving mother, the familiarity, waking up every day to train...

But now is the time to show Panem how I’ve spent the last eleven years of my life.

It’s time to show them all what I’m made of.

I shut my eyes tighter and pull the covers over my head, in a pathetic attempt to get some rest… not that it helps… my mind is spinning with so many new emotions and feelings.

Love. Despair. Determination. Uncertainty. Anxiousness.

Even though I had the confidence, skills, and enough ‘ruthlessness’ to win the Games, there was still that taunting voice in the back of my head whispering,

You can’t do it, Alia. You’re too weak.

But how was I weak? I could throw a spear as far as I could shoot an arrow, I could kill an opponent with my bare hands, I could cause some serious damage with a sword, and I was clever. None of my characteristics were a sign of weakness.

Everyone has a weakness.

I was using my own words against me.

It’s true, though, everyone has a weakness, no matter how powerful they are. And I needed to figure mine out before I entered the arena. The last thing I needed was for some other tribute to use it to their advantage….

Okay, so I’m not the fastest, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider that a weakness. I could escape just about everything, so what did speed matter? It didn’t. My weakness had to be something much deeper than that…

A certain four-letter word appeared in my head.

Love, Alia. That’s your weakness.

It made perfect sense. I had always been a hopeless romantic; the type of girl who was a complete sucker for a good romance… and I realized that’s exactly what I had done.

I had fallen for the completely wrong person at the equally wrong time.

Besides, who was I to think that Cato cared more for me than he cared about winning the Hunger Games?

As much as I tried to force myself to believe that, I couldn’t. He said he would give his life for mine, and I knew Cato better than anyone. If there was one thing he couldn’t do, it was lie.

Suddenly, Alexis stormed into my room and flicked the lights on and said, “Time for breakfast, Alia.”

I groaned. “I got no sleep at all…”

“Well, that’s not good. Sleep is key, Alia. But, I’m sorry to say that you have to be at the main floor for breakfast. After your first round of training, you can take a nap, and then continue, okay?”

“Why are you being nice?” I asked, with a confused expression on my face.

“Because I’m nice to people I like. And I like you, Alia, I’m betting on you when the time comes. You’ve got everything a winning tribute needs: the cleverness, the strength, the ambition, the skills, and even the heart… don’t change that, Alia. People lose themselves in the Games, and I don’t want that to happen to you.”