The Simulator

Chapter nine- Training with the Enemies

I woke up to the shout of Huntress's voice. "Wake up! You have a big day ahead of you." I loll in bed and finally get up. I quickly ate breakfast and went right back to my room. Retenaxi brought me my training outfit while I was eating. I change into it. It's an instant like. I'm wearing a black sports bra with a gripping tank top over that is blackish/purple. My pants are work out pants with blue lining. I put up my hair up in a high pony tail like last night and head to the elevator. Tom awaits where dark green and red. We head down the elevator. As soon as we arrive, I feel like I am about to throw up. All the careers were here. Derek and I make no eye contact whatsoever. We are not playing any love angles.

Within fifteen minutes everyone is down here. The head game maker, Ploysten Calp, explained the rules. Then we head off. I pass a ton of stations. There are so many! I thought climbing and stealth would be good to practice so I start there. The instructor looked very surprised. "Oh wow! Nobody ever comes here." She cries. She shows me what to avoid and how to be stealthy. I use this with ease. I am tall but thin, so I have a small advantage. I complete the corse with ease. I smile and head off to fire making. This one was a bit tricky. The boy from four keeps eyeing me. In two minutes he's over here trying to build a fire with me. "You know, your not that bad at being a ninja." he explains. I just laugh at this comment. "My name is Natalie, you?" "Otis," he says. "Do you want to join the careers with us?" Oh gosh. My instinct answer would be no but I end up saying,"I'll think about it." I walk off to learn more survival skills today. Sooner or later I made friends with the district three girl. Her name was Sonia. We didn't ally but we worked together.

The next day I focus all on weapons. I don't know what I'm good with so I try everything. I walk over to the bow and arrow station. Not bad. First arrow went into the kidney. Second arrow hitch the neck. Third arrow hit right below the heart. I smile and head on to knives. I love them. I hit my target almost every single time. Knives would be good to have in the arena. Next station was the axe station. I'm not the best with them. I finally save my favorite for now. I immediately go over to the spear station and pretty much own it. The other tributes were looking. I'm viewed as an enemy to some. Great... Otis comes over and I told him,"Hey! Ummm.. I don't think I'll join you guys. Ok?" He looked upset but said alright. He head off and joined his fellow friends. Later on I talk to a eleven year old named Eliza. She loves to use hatchets and as teaches me how to use one. I'm still not very good but it's nice to have help. I figured it would be best if I didn't grow attached to anyone so I told her no when she asked me to ally. Apparently lots of people want me as an ally.

Today is the day we show the game makers what we got. I'm super nervous but I don't show. People still view me as Electric Girl. The game makers call me in and I dawdle along. I enter as they say," You have ten minutes to show us what you can do. Please present your skills. I go right over to the fire making station and start three fires in under a minute. They look a little impressed. I grab a ton of knives and chuck them at all targets. Without thinking I take three knives and head to the obstacle course I move swiftly and when I get to the top I throw one knife and it lands dead center. I move to another side and throw another knife at the brain. Then I climb out and throw my last knife in the heart. I take a bow and a sheath of arrows. Scurrying up a fake tree I shoot multiple targets. For my finale I grab my spear and tie some paper at the end. Lighting the paper on fire, I hang a dummy in the air and chuck my spear at his heart. He bursts into flames. They clap and dismiss me. I totally owned it. I left and went up to my floor looking proud. They all asked me what I did, but I told them it's a secret.

Later that night we gather on the couch to see what place we get. Instead of giving us scores, they are ranking us in a survival chance order. One being the best. They show the district and there place. It's starting. District one placed eighth and fourth. Derek placed third and his partner was sixth. District three was eleven and fifteen. Otis got second and his partner got seventh. Tom got ninth and I placed first. WHAT?!

My heart was pumping ferociously. I got first. They ranked me the best. People were congratulating me left and right. Now people will want to kill me or fear me. I'm dead. Oh well the appreciation was nice. Turns out Andrea got fifth, Lora got twenty, Ethan got thirteen, and mark got ten. Scores finished and I take a shower. I will never get to use this shower again so I take a nice long one. Tomorrow are the interviews and then we are off into the games.

This time I don't fail with the buttons, but I turned on turbo mode with my dryer and it pushed me as if I were flying. I change into sweatpants and a T-shirt. I turn the dryer on again to turbo mode and fly around a little bit. The dryer blows me all certain ways. Tom comes in and immediately gets sucked in. We were 'flying' around until the clown told us to go to bed. I turned off the dryer and Tom left. I climb into bed and fall asleep almost immediately.