Hunger Games: Welcome to the 75th Hunger Games!

Chaper Four

After lunch, we train more for an hour and then we go to our rooms to relax. Jared and I sit on the couch in front of a huge television screen accompanied by Peeta, Katniss, and Effie. The television screen is nothing like our T.V. back home. Ours would flicker until it would just go black. This one is pure and clear in color and guaranteed never to run out on a shortage.

Effie turns on last year's Hunger Games. I watch Peeta and Katniss out of the corner of my eye, wondering what they're reactions would be.  When Rue, the girl from District 11, dies, Katniss flinches and hardens her face. I sigh. Poor Rue. Poor tributes. Why do the Capitol have to have the Hunger Games?

Isn't seventy-five Hunger Games enough?

I don't think anyone would try to rebel against the Capitol, while knowing what it's capable of. I watch Cato, the boy tribute from District 2, get torn to pieces by the tribute mutation mutts.

That's when I flinch and bury my head in my hands.

I don't want to die. I don't want to leave my mom or Alexis alone, even if the mayor is looking after her. I just hope my death isn't too painful for her.

I feel a strong arm wrap around me and I look up, expecting it's Peeta. It's not. Jared looks down at me. I can tell by his eyes that he's thinking the same thing as me. The 74th Hunger Games ends with Peeta and Katniss both winning. I get up.

"Good night," I say and I turn to my room and shut the door. I'm not going to cry. I gave up crying a long time ago. But sometimes I can't help it. I lay under the sheets and think about the Hunger Games.

It's exactly three days away. I have to find a strategy and some kind of weapon. In the training center, I'll just stick with the survival stations. And then in the gamemaker's test, I'll do all the weapons. I know how to fight with pretty much any weapon you can think of.

But I don't think I'm strong enough to handle an ax or a sword. I sigh and tell myself to go to sleep. Tomorrow is one more day of training and then the next day is the test. I finally sink into some kind of slumber.

"Up, up, up! Time for training!" Effie squeals as she opens the door. I groan, but get up to take a shower. I wash my blonde curls and my skin. After a while, I'm in the Training Center learning how to make a usable snare. Flux walks up to me.

"Why don't you come join us at the weapons, huh?" He sneers. I glare at him but concentrate on my snare. He literally growls and steps on my snare, completely destroying it.

"Hey!" I yell standing up to face him even if he was five inches taller than me. Two peacekeepers, hearing us shout at each other, run up to us and pull us away from one another.

"You're my first target, blondie," Flux's expression gives me chills. I look away. The peacekeepers pull us aside and gives us another lecture of the rules about no fighting. I try to restrain myself from rolling my eyes.

The lecture finally ends and I walk to the snare station, again. I ignore Jared's curious expression as I pass him. I'll tell him later. I make a new snare successfully. I toss a rabbit dummy in it and it catches, swinging the rabbit up into a pretend tree and dangling by its foot. The gamemakers get a microphone.

"Time for lunch," One of them say. As soon as the gamemaker finishes saying this, a table full of food rises up from the ground. I sit in our usual table. Jared joins me.

"What was that about?" Jared asks.

"Flux," I glower at the table.

"Oh," At least this kid has some kind of sense in him to keep him from asking too much questions. Just then Leonis and Briar makes themselves comfortable at our table.