Alexia and I walk into training center just after 9:00am, dressed in tight black jumpsuits with the number twelve on the chest and sleeves, and see that we are far from the first District to show up. Everyone but the sisters from One and the pair from Eleven have arrived, and are standing around a small circular platform, talking amongst themselves. We join the group and stand towards the back, and I begin to look everyone over. Some of the younger ones, like Coral and the twins from Six are trying to hold back tears, while some of the older ones, like Alana and Nolan from Two and surprisingly the Wyatt from Five are chomping at the bit to get started.
After a few minutes, One and Eleven arrive, and a short but extremely strong looking women comes out of a door in the wall and gets up onto the platform.
"Welcome to the Training Center, Tributes. My name is Cressida Killian, and I'm in charge of this place. There are multiple stations to be training at here, and each of them has at least one expert manning it to make sure no one gets hurt and to teach you if you need it. Today, there are five stations. Everyday, one will be added to the room. There's a lot to be learned here, kids, so you need to make sure that throughout the next two weeks you go to all of them multiple times. Is that clear?" Cressida says.
A few of us murmur 'yeah', the careers all but shout, "Yes, mam!", a few just nod their heads, and I think one of the twins from Six starts crying.
"Good. So, the five stations open today are the most vital and typical survival stations. Over here," Cressida points to her right, away from the main entrance, "Is the nature station. Memorize the information given to you, this teaches you what's poisonous and what isn't." She goes along down the line of stations and explains them all. First plant stuff. Then fire building. Then basic medicinal stuff. Then a fishing and hunting station. Then a basic weaponry station, with knives and swords and a few bow and arrow set ups.
"The game makers must want this to be a long game if they want us to learn all of this survival stuff before anything else. And they're adding a new station everyday?" Alexia whispers to me.
"Speaking of the game makers," I respond, looking up to a box where a few people are eating their breakfast and watching us like a reality TV show.
I immediately recognize Atiya Larson, the Head Game-maker, sitting on what honestly looked like a throne, sipping on a drink and talking to some young-looking guy, probably an intern.
"Essentially, you have until 12:30 to go about the stations and do whatever you want, and then you get to break off for lunch. Just remember, you are not allowed to harm yourself or any of the other tributes in any way. There are peacekeepers posted everywhere in this room, and you are being watched. So, go off, talk to your fellow tributes, and please try to learn something." Cressida tells us.
The Careers, who this year seem to be Districts One and Two, Kai from Four, and Wyatt from Five, find each other immediately, heading over to the weapons station together. The rest of us scatter off in different directions, and Alexia and I stay back a little bit.
"I'm good with plants and stuff, Father has told me some things about what's good and what isn't, so we don't have to go to that one quite yet," Alexia tells me.
"I know how to start a fire, and even so, unless we absolutely have to you really aren't supposed to in the games. Smoke will give you away to anyone that's on the hunt," I say, remembering the countless kills I've seen happen in the games due to someone getting cold, starting a fire, and giving away their position.
"So how about the first aid station?" she asks.
"That seems like a good idea," I say, grabbing her arm and walking over to the small station towards the back of the room.
The only people at the station are Carter and Casey from Six and Penny and Lea from Eight. Carter and Casey are hiding in the back corner, mixing together some herbal thing, while Penny and Lea sit together at the table in the middle of the station, talking softly and fiddling with a few things. Penny takes some sort of paper and quickly folds it to look like a little duck, making Lea laugh. Her bright smile and clear childlike voice brightens the room, if only for a few seconds. There's also a woman who looks to be about forty years old, who walks over and introduces herself as Dr. Dovecote, the specialist for this station. She shows us some basic medical things before letting us go off and attempt to make herbal remedies for all sorts of ailments.
We spend roughly two hours there, soaking up as much information as we can, and in the meantime the younger boy from Five, Isaac, and the pair from Seven come in and replace the vacant spots that the others left when they went to other stations. The District Seven tributes attempt to strike up a conversation with us. Rowan and Ivy.
"So, you guys are Margo and Alexia, from Twelve, right?" Ivy asks.
"That's a stupid question Ivy," Rowan jokingly tells his sister, pointing at the large numbers taped to our chests.
"Yeah, we're Twelve," Alexia says, chuckling.
"Our mentors told us to talk to you," Ivy says.
"Our mentor told us that you guys seemed like a good alliance choice," I lie.
Maybe Kolton doesn't seem to like them, but he's never actually met them. Even he can be wrong about first impressions.
"He did?" Alexia whispers to me.
"Yeah he did. District Seven. Remember the cheat sheet?" I say, nudging her to go along with me.
I want to see what these two are like before we completely throw them away. They're both young, at fifteen and thirteen, but they're from District Seven. Lumber. They're probably really strong, and it might be a good idea to keep a few strong allies around in case we get attacked. I shake that thought from my head as we continue talking. I sound like a monster, planning on using people younger than me as a human shield.
We chat for a little while before I say that we should go on to another station.
"It was nice meeting you guys," I say, half smiling as I stand up.
"Yeah, you too," Ivy chirps.
I drag Alexia back away from the table towards the middle of the room. The Careers are still at the weapons area, and no one else is brave enough to go near them. Most people are at the plant area and the fire making area, and there's only one group at the hunting and fishing station, so we go there.
Once again, we run into the twins from Six. They look so young and innocent. They ARE young and innocent. They're at the far table, attempting to make a small snare. We go to the fishing table and attempt to make a couple of fishhooks, and I fail miserably. I look over to Alexia and see that she's making them like it's nothing, one after the other.
"How are you doing that?" I ask, shocked.
"It's not that hard, Margo. Plus, you know I'm good with crafts and stuff, this isn't that different," Alexia responds.
"Sure," I say, frustrated with myself.
A few minutes after that, Cressida calls us all over to the little podium where we started the day and begins to explain what we'll be doing for the rest of the day.
"It can't be 12:30 already! We were just getting started," one of the girls from District One complains and pouts.
"Well, Tributes, that's all of the training that you'll be doing in here for today. Next, you'll be heading up to the main floor and getting some food. After your lunch, you'll be going back up to your floor and beginning your interview training with your mentors. A group of peacekeepers are waiting outside this room to take you upstairs. Have a good day, I'll see you all tomorrow." Cressida says, walking off the podium and out of the room.
"Well then, let's go eat something," I say as all of the Tributes are ushered out of the room.
YOU ARE READING
The 175th Hunger Games
Fanfiction"On the 175th anniversary, for the rebels to remember that the war was fought against their own brothers, the two tributes selected from each district will be siblings, both between the ages of 12 and 18 as per usual." One hundred and one years aft...
