The 76th Hunger Games

Chapter Nine. Training.

I stand tapping my foot nervously outside the doors to the training rooms. Arrow looks even more nervous than I am as he bites his nails to the point where his nail beds begin to bleed. I glance around me to see all of the other tributes waiting to start training. My natural reactions cause me to cover my ears as they are filled with painful static. I look to see that all of the other tributes reacted in the same way, and now most of them are crouched over holding their ears. The static is replaced with a blood boiling laugh and I have no doubts that the laugh belongs to Johanna Mason.

"Your going to have to do better than that if you wish to survive!" Her voice echos through the speakers. I sigh with relief as her voice is replaced by Gale's.

"Would the tributes please line up in front of the doors to the training room in order of you assigned districts." I shuffle to the back of the line with Arrow stuck to my side like glue. Once we are all in line Gale begins to explain how things in the training room work; there are different stations with trainers who will help us learn new skills. We are forbidden to engage in any combative exercise with another tribute, we are told that we must save all real violence towards each other untill we are in the arena. After the rules and instructions have been read out his voice is once again replaced by Johanna's. She reads out a list of all the different stations and skills, but I can't concentrate on what she says, the only thing that my mind can register while her voice is ringing in my ears is the pure hatred I have towards her.

Finally the speakers shut off and the doors before me open. As I follow the line forward I look around and take in my surroundings. They call it the training rooms, but it is more like a huge hall. Around me I can see countless dummies and targets aswell as a horrifying amount of weapons. As I look closer, I see that these weapons are not like the ones owned by my grandfather's guards, these weapons look like they could fall apart at any time, they look like they have been hand crafted by a child. I walk up to a rack of spears that stands near to me and inspect them; the spear heads have been tied on to sticks of bamboo with pieces of string. Are these the sorts of weapons that we will be given in the arena? I reach out to test the sharpness of the spear, but a voice catches my attention and stops me.

"You have five hours to use as you wish." There was a pause followed quickly by an irritated sigh and the sound of footsteps approaching me. "Please try not to cut yourself before training even begins Scarlet." I quickly pull my hand away from the spear and turn to face the person speaking. She looks about 30 and she has a scar that runs down her face from her right eyebrow to her cheek, she probably gained it in the invasion. "It is not unheard of for tributes to die before entering the arena, but I think your survival chances become rather increased if you are alive when you enter the arena. So I suggest you at least attempt to stay alive." I open my mouth to reply, but I honestly don't know what to say. But She doesn't even try to wait for me think of a reply before turning on her heel and striding towards another tribute shouting something about not using and axe to stroke the target.

I look around the training room trying to choose what station to go to first. Surely it would be pointless to go to a station that already has people crowding it. The nearest station to me that is empty is where you learn how to make a fire. From watching the games I know how easy it is for tributes to freeze to death at night; the more I think about it the more appealing learning how to make a fire is becoming.

I feel a surge of accomplishment shoot through me as I watch the newly kindled flames dance before me. I had learnt three different ways to make a fire and it was only when I stepped away from the fire making station to find something else to do that I noticed how quick I had been. Nearly all of the tributes were still on their first station. I walk slowly around the room, taking in the annoyed faces of the trainers that were trying and failing to teach the tributes different skills. It suddenly became clear to me, no matter what anyone says all of the tributes are capitol children and capitol citizens don't like to be told how to do things,  we like to do them our own way. If I can just keep up my awareness to this, then I might be given a small advantage.  If I can force myself to listen and do what the trainers say then I might have a learning advantage on the other tributes.

I worked hard for the rest of the five hours and by the end of it I felt as though I had succeeded on every station I went to. I hadn't talked to anyone except for the trainers and I had followed all of their instruction as precisely as I could. By the end of training I felt pretty confident with a sprear, a trident, camouflage,  identifying poisonous plants and building fires. I felt my body fill with pride as I walked towards the doors after the speakers had announced that it was time to leave.

"How did it go for you?" I didn't have to look to know that it was Arrow who was standing next to me.

"Good, I think now I might have a chance to not be the first dead in the arena." A smile stretches across my lips. "What about you? How did you find it?"

"I struggled a bit with some of the training, but I think I might have hopefully made us some allies."

Us?

"Made us some allies?"

"Well I assumed that maybe we would form an alliance, considering we're friends."

Friends? That's the last thing I need. Allies might be useful, but how could anyone even consider killing a friend in the arena. If I join a group, I will be the first to be killed when they start to turn on each other. I am smaller and weaker than most of the other tributes so I wouldn't stand a chance.

"I don't think anyone will want to form an alliance with me, I will be the rebles' main target." I say.

"That's why you need more people to help protect you." Arrow argues.

"I can't put you all at risk for no reason!" Our voices were getting louder now and we were startig to attract stares.

"We're all going to die anyway so why can't we die together!" I wont be able to stay near Arrow in the arena; I can't hurt him, I can't put him at risk.

"Because," I pause, lowering my voice, "You might still have a chance to survive, you still have hope. I can't take that away from you."

I don't want to talk about this any more, I don't want to think about how I'm going to die. I run as fast as my body will allow towards the elevators. The doors are already open and I slide in, I slam my palm on the door close button desperate to get away from Arrow to avoid any more of that conversation.  Just as the doors are closing I catch a glimpse of Arrow running towards me, his face is covered with concern. I know that he only wants to help, but I don't want anyone else to die for me. The metal doors conceal his face, forming a wall between us.

I will only have to avoid him for two more days of training and then we will be in the arena. I don't think he will be as keen to help me when his life is on the line.

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A/N

Not a very well written chapter I know, but hopefully it might make a bit of sense. maybe? tell me if it is too confusing and I will change it.

xxx