Axe and Lumber ~ a Hunger Games fanfiction

Three

My mind goes blank as I try to make my way to the stage.  I get a couple shoves from people to lead me in the right direction.  I feel like I'm in an unending maze and I can't find my way out.  People keep popping out in front of me and I go the other way.  After forever I find myself on the stage.  I can't even hear the boys name that Finola calls, and before I know it I'm shaking hands with him.  I don't recognize him, which is probably good, but I don't know if I can trust my mind right now.  

I get pulled in to a room with out even realizing it and suddenly my mom, dad, and Gabe are in front of me crying.  They're hugging me and telling me that I can win this.  I can't even get out a tear, my mind is so confused. Gabe puts something in my hand that I can't make out at the moment.  I try to memorize their faces, but after they say their "I love you's" and leave, I can't remember what they even wore today.  

I look down at the object in my hand and see that it is a wooden cuff that goes around my wrist.  Gabe wants this to be my district token.  All of a sudden my mind wakes up and I realize I'm only going to live about another month.  I'm going to a traumatizing arena where I will be slaughtered.  The last time I saw my family I couldn't even speak to them.  I burst in to tears and wait until the Peacekeepers come to get me since I know I won't have any more visitors. 

After about 15 minutes or so, they come to get me and put me on a train heading straight for the capitol.  Lucky for me, I've stopped crying and my eyes have calmed down so I won't be noticed as a weak target.  Yea, I have to start worrying about that now.

I sit in a train car in silence with the boy from my district.  My mind was right, I don't recognize him.  We wait for a little while until our Victors, Johanna and Blight, come in to start talking to us.  They're basically our key to winning the games.  We're supposed to talk strategy with them and they're supposed to give us advice on how to win like they did.

The boy and I get separated, I guess so we don't know the other one's strategies.  I get put with Johanna and he gets put with Blight.  Johanna kind of freaks me out, but I also admire her.  She always looks so angry but she's amazing with an ax.  It's how she won the games.  

"Hello..?" Johanna repeats herself again.  I guess I was thinking too hard about Johanna's strategies.

I clear my throat, "sorry what did you say?" 

She rolls her eyes, "I said, what are you good at?"

"Um, I guess I'm pretty good with an ax.  I do a lot of target practice when I'm supposed to work in the woods," I reply.

This gets a look of admiration out of her.  "I guess we have something in common then.  This makes everything easier," I smile, "how far can you throw?"

"I don't know exactly how far, but I think it's a good distance.  I have good aim too."  

"Well if you're sure you're good, try not to show it in the training room.  We don't want everyone to know what you're good at, and try to learn new stuff to help you in the games."

I nod.

"Ok well I think we're done here.  You can find you're room, and if you can't just find Finola, she knows where everything is."  Before I can even reply, Johanna is gone, leaving me by myself.

I get up and start wandering the train until I find the compartment that says DISTRICT 7: GIRL TRIBUTE.  I move in to the room as fast as I can and slam the door so I can start crying.  I dramatically crumple to the floor pretty much throwing a temper tantrum, I'm so angry, sad, and scared.  I feel like a little kid but I don't even care cause it's not like I have many days left to live.