Based off The Hunger Games; Against All Odds.

Chapter 7

I got a few more hours of sleep before Aymellie woke me for our second day of training. I got dressed and my prep team worked on me, fixing my hair into a tight braid. I ate breakfast and had casual conversation with everybody at the table. We made our way to the training center and waited to begin again.

I glanced at Pearl with a smile. I envied her beauty. I studied her carefully, taking in her every move. She moved so graceful and swift. She caught me looking at her and rolled her eyes. It was a little embarassing, but I ignored it and looked around for Clark.

I found him at a knot tying station, fumbling around with rope in his hands. I sat down next to him and grabbed my own, trying to listen to the instructor. I gave up on listening, so I just began trying to tie it on my own. Before I knew it, there was a small net infront of me. It was only about six inches long and three inches wide, but I was proud of it. The instructor beamed with excitement. 

After about an hour or so, I moved over to camoflauge. Kasha was working by herself, painting her hand and arms slowly and swiftly. It was beautiful work, I could never do it myself. I sat down next to her and tried it myself.

"Its harder than it looks." she said with a smile. She was smaller than me, but looked older. She had dark skin and brown hair that fell into soft bouncy curls. Her face was fresh and pure, so much like Cecile. I gave her a smile and started over. The way the colors mixed together, they were so smooth and relaxing. I sat there for hours just painting, I didn't even realize that half of our day was over. 

I already knew how to throw and use an axe, I could climb trees, make a fire, and I knew different edible plants and berries. The only thing I wasn't the best at was hunting. I could make a decent snare, but it usually caught nothing. I noticed a few other weapons in the center, such as swords and spears. I decided to practice with a spear for a little bit, and I actually did good with it. I hit the target four out of five times within twenty minutes. Even though I now knew how to use a spear and  throw a knife, an axe would most likely be my weapon of choice. 

We finished up and left, and made our way back up to the seventh floor. In the elevator, Clark gave me a look of worry and concern. I could read his face. He wanted to talk to me about something, badly. We finishsed our dinner quickly and both made our way back to my room. He closed the door silently and locked it, making sure nobody would walk in on our conversation. 

"They're making a plan." he whispered, moving closer to me so that I could hear.

"Who is making a plan?" I said loudly. He put a finger over my lips and shushed me.

"The Careers. They want you to be part of their alliance, Era." he said. The Careers? Want me to be part of their alliance? No way would that ever happen. Had they been watching me train? Why would they even want me? So many questions filled my mind, but only one came out.

"Why?" I asked. I creased my brow in confusion. The way Pearl had looked at me while training, I thought I would be her first kill. But now they want me to ally with them?

"I don't know. I overheard them talking about it earlier, they think you are strong and smart. You learn fast, and that is what they want." he said. He looked really worried. Why would he be? If I allied with the Careers, I would have guaranteed safety. "Don't do it, Era. They are going to use you. They want to use your knowledge and strength, and then kill you. Promise me you won't. Please." he said, tears forming in his eyes. I grabbed his close, nuzzling my head into his chest, whispering "Promise."

The next morning, I woke up myself and ate breakfast. Only two days until the Games. I would train today, and then see the Gamemakers. Tomorrow we would be interviewed, and then pushed into the arena. I laid my head back on my chair and closed my eyes. I was being shooken by Aloe, telling me it was time to go. By the time we got there, we were late. For the first time. I quickly looked around, trying to find somewhere to sit alone without being noticed. I didn't need to learn anymore. I just wanted to go home.

I found a small space that was enclosed by a few other stations. I sat myself down there and looked around. There was a pretty good view of the entire center. Pearl was fumbling around with an axe, trying to throw it. She could barely lift it, let alone throw it. She gave up and walked away. There is a limited amount of axes in the arena, and I can guarantee that axe will be mine. Maybe there won't even be an axe, but I'll make one. I know how to. All I need is a stone that I can sharpen and a sturdy log. Maybe some tree sap and vines to hold it together, but as long as I have one, I couldn't care less about the efficency of it.

I guess I got tired of sitting there, so I walked over to the axes. I didn't care about what Johanna said, I felt like showing off. That is what the Careers did. I grabbed the axe and began to throw it at targets as they lit up. After I pulled it out of the target, I looked back to see tributes with there mouths open. The Careers were whispering something and smiling. Maybe this was part of their plan. 

At the end of training, we were scheduled to show our skills infront of the Gamemakers. Districts 1-6 go by, and soon it is Clark's turn. I wait silently until he is dismissed, and I walk in. I wonder what Clark showed them. When I walk in, I grab an axe. There are training dummies with targets on them. I  use my axe and swing it at the dummy, cutting off about every limb. The Gamemakers seem impressed, but I can't really read their emotions. Finally, I back up and throw the axe at a target about   20 feet away. The Gamemakers smiled with delight and dismissed me. 

Once I left, I walked upstairs, skipping dinner. I sat down on the long couch at the foot of my bed and clutched my locket. The thought that I was going to die in less than a day and a half made me sick. It was getting late, so I got a shower. I got dressed and walked back in my room. To my suprise, Clark was laying on my bed. I walked over and sat next to him, brushing my damp hair. We didn't really talk, we just sat there. He began to yawn, so he got up and walked towards the door. He turned around and smiled at me. 

"Goodnight." he said with a wink. Then he was gone.