If Crane Never Made The Call

Day 1

   Katniss and I ride the elevator down to the training center which is on the last floor of the tribute center. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the glass walls of the elevator. I'm wearing a solid black t-shirt that has a red and grey stripe on both shoulders and a zipper that goes about 3 inches down. Between the stripes on my sleeves the number twelve, the number of my district, is placed inside the outline of a square in shiny silver. Below my shirt I wear simple black sweatpants with a grey stripe down the sides and brown hunting boots.

   We reach the ground floor fast and step off even faster. Since neither of us have ever even seen an elevator before we don't feel to good when we get off of it. I can tell by the look on Katniss's face she's holding back puke. I take a few deep breaths to calm my stomach and walk into the training center. It's nothing like I thought it would look like. It has lots of weapons and survival tools on racks around the large room, rope nets hanging from the ceiling, a small space carved into the stone on one wall where the game makers sit chatting, and targets lots and lots of targets. I see some other stations for camouflage and trap making and know that I'll have to check those out later.

  I walk to the center of the room where most of the tributes stand waiting for further instructions. I stand with everyone else for 2 minutes until the last districts arrive.

  " In two weeks 23 of you will be dead. One of you will be alive, who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next four days. Particularly to what I'm about to say. First no fighting with the other tributes, you'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. Next there are four compulsory exercises. The rest will be individual training. My advice is don't ignore the survival skills. Everyone wants to grab a sword but most of you will die from natural causes. 10% from infection 20% from dehydration exposure can kill as easily as a knife." She finishes and dismisses us. I make my way from station to station following what the girl said to and not ignore the survival skills. Before we left that morning Haymitch told us not to show our strengths or weaknesses so I do exactly that. 

   I learn all about animal and human traps at the trap and take center. Like how to catch rabbits using snares and tributes in rope nets. Next I head over to the fire making station and a nice man teaches me, through demonstration, how to make a fire.

  "How do you do it? Teach kids how to survive in the forest while people want to kill them?" I ask. For a response he opens his mouth and I see that he has no tolnge. "Your an avox, aren't you? They're forcing you to do this?" He nods his head and finishes his lesson. The girl who spoke to us this morning announces that the compulsory exercises are now open.

  I make my way to the ring hook exercise and wait in line. I watch as the male tribute from district 7 misses the hook and falls. He grabs his ankle and yelps, two peacekeepers run in and drag him out of the way so the next person can go. When it reaches my turn I take the rings and begin to swing across. I've made it to edge of the platform and think I have my feet locked in so I take the rings off and slip. I fall 3 metres down and land on the poorly covered cement floor. The wind is knocked out of me and my vision gets blurry.

  I sit there for 10 seconds until 2 sets of hands pick me up and toss me against the wall. A hand shakes my shoulder but I can't tell who it is because my sight is gone and the world is black.

  "Peeta?" It's Katniss shaking me. "You ok?" In response I moan loudly. She stands me up as my vision clears and I catch my breath.

  "So, did it look impressive?" I cough out.

  "You looked as good as Glimmer without her hair." She replys. Once I can breathe normally again Katniss leaves to keep training and I head over to watch the other tributes.

The girl from 2 is good with a knife, the boy from 1 is amazing with a spear, the boy from 11 is strong, girl from 1 can use a bow, boy from 2 is scary good with a sword, and the girl from 5 is clever and smart. I head around and watch the others trying to figure out their weaknesses. The boy from 3 is great with technology but isn't strong, girl from 6 is good at offense but not too great at defense and the girl from 8 doesn't know the wild very well.

  A voice announces that training will finish in 5 minutes. I head over to get Katniss. When I reach her she nods her head and follows me to the elevator. I press the button marked with a 12 and we shoot upwards towards a dinner without fashion.