Zodiac short stories

Hunger Games: Chapter Three

POVs this chapter: Carter, Aaron, Gem, Rico, Pete

Carter's POV

Training was exhausting. We streamed into the dinning hall and I plopped into my seat at the table. Everyone seemed to be sitting in the same place as breakfast, so I was joined by Ten, Twelve, and Scorpa. Cancia was sitting with Nine and Eleven, we'd decided to split up and if anyone said anything interesting we'd tell the other one. Not to mention neither of us felt particularly comfortable with each other, we'd never met before, and as likely as not would both be dead in a couple days, so each of us were determined to squeeze the maximum possible strategic advantage out of our acquaintance.

"Long day, huh?" nodded Scorpa, sitting down, looking at me. I was drenched in sweat. It was grueling, but I'd made what I considered to be significant progress at axe throwing.

"Yeah," I grunted, shoveling some food into my mouth. Food first, talk later. "I can't get over how good this stuff is."

"Much better than the stuff back home," nodded Pete, picking up some bread. "Our bread is usually really stale."

"Really?" Scorpa frowned. "Wait, Twelve is fishing, right? Why do you eat bread?"

"Well, bread is kind of important," said Pi, raising an eyebrow. "You know, for grains?"

"We don't really get bread at eight," said Scorpa, inspecting the loaf, and taking a bite. "It's good, though. When I get back I'll be fabulously rich and able to afford all kinds of bread." SHe chewed and swallowed. "So, tell me about yourselves, I'm bored."

Well, that was one way of drawing information out of people. I could play along, I had nothing to hide. "My family works at the power plants," I said. "I have two sisters named Dawn and Reese. They're both in early schooling." What I didn't talk about was my experience with operating machines. No way of telling whether it would be useful or not, but best to hold those things close.

"I'm from Twelve, obviously," nodded Pete. "I like swimming, I'd like to think I'm good at it too, but no more than anyone in Twelve." That's right, everyone in Twelve was a good swimmer.

"Ten is alright for me," shrugged Rico. "I live kind of away from most of the feilds. I have... a brother. I once got completely lost in a corn feild and took three hours to get out."

Cora was sitting next to Rico, so a couple people looked at her. "I'm not doing it," she said, with a face that said what the hell is wrong with you people?

"I live in Twelve," shrugged Pi. "I guess that's it."

"Oh come on, everyone has more of a story than that," smirked Scorpa.

Pi shrugged again. "My life isn't that interesting. I'm an only child and nothing extraordinary has ever happened to me."

"Sure it has," I grinned. "Any fun stories? Any cool people? Boyfriend back home?"

"Girlfriend," said Pi shortly. "As for fun stories, I don't know, I spent a couple hours treading water once? Does that count?"

"Sure it does," shrugged Scorpa. "My life, clearly, has been nothing but a roller coaster of excitement and danger, involving close escapades, daring adventures, and the like. Did you know I once wrestled a mountain lion with my bare hands?"

What's a moutain lion? I wondered. Either way, Scorpa probably thought she was being clever by avoiding telling us anything, but I felt like I'd learned a bit about everyone. Pete was open and friendly, and naive, Rico was reserved to an extend, but not enough to stay out of the conversation, Cora was angry and unsociable, and Scorpa liked to think she was clever. The only one I really hadn't learned anything about was Pi.