Skimming Stars (Hunger Games fan fic)

Chapter eight

I look around the room of teenagers. Most of them are ill or underfed. Only I, Cyan and five others are in decent shape. The tributes from one are called Marcus and Cleaverly; the tributes from two are called Bron and Cam. The other name that I didn’t recognise on the chariots, Ash, I think belongs to a girl from district seven. She is the only one that isn’t in careers that I think people would bet on. Once we are set loose to the training stations Cyan completely abandons me and runs excitedly over to the sword training area.

I hesitate. I don’t know how to use the weapons. I know training is about, well, training but I don’t want to look weak in front of the others. I look around for familiar ground. I am not out of my depth; I am drowning in the pool of the unknown. Maybe if there was some sort of net making station or fishing or if one of the many weapons was a trident. I mean I am not the best at throwing a trident; I had only used it in fishing but I could use my knowledge of throwing or aiming. If I just had one weapon that I could be good at then maybe I could justify being bad at the rest. I don’t know.

All these thoughts passed through my head in only a few second.

I look around. Standing in the middle like this I am starting to draw attention to myself. One of the small children from I think district 12 is staring at me. I cross to the nearest training station. Javelin. Ok I can deal with this. It’s just like throwing a trident except with a different balance and it might go in slightly different direction because it was just a point.

After a few throws I am getting the hang of it. I have to aim further up because unlike with a trident it arks in the air.

After about an hour on javelin I move on the next station. I am ok at archery but I can’t get used to notching the arrow on the string. I am slow and I have to check to make sure I don’t have the third fletching in the wrong place. If I had to attack quickly then a bow wouldn’t be my first choice. Then I do some sword training. I just pray that I never have to go up against and of the boys. I am fast enough to block but all my attacks aren’t strong enough or fast enough. After three hours on three different stations I am exhausted. I go over to the knot tying station for a rest. Even though I have been tying knots and making net as long as I could walk most of the traps are unfamiliar.

The girl who was watching me is defiantly from 12. She had long dark hair and olive skin. She looks about 14 and is very underfed. I can see every one of her ribs through the t-shirt. After a few minutes of learning knots I can’t stand the awkward silence and more.

“Hello, I’m Annie”

I regretted it immediately. She glared at me.

“You’re from 12, aren’t you?”

She nodded.

“Who are you?”

“I’m no one”

“I bet your family back home would disagree” ok that sounded really insensitive and mean. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.

Instead of getting upset or angry like I expected she just stared at me.

“My parents died in a mine explosion last year. I don’t have any brothers or sisters. I have spent 7 months in an abusive kid’s home. No, I don’t think my family back home would disagree. I am not dangerous because I am a good fighter, because I am not. I am dangerous because you will remember me. I am dangerous because I have nothing to lose.”

“sorry” I whispered, looking at my knot even though I could have tied it without looking.

“I don’t want your pity” she hissed in my ear, making my jump. I didn’t hear her leaning towards me.

She threw a knot in my lap; turned on her heal and walked off towards the elevator. I looked down at the piece of rope on my knee. She had tied a noose.  

Thinking of changing the name. Any suggestions?