A Whole New Game: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 22: An Issue of Trust

Athena

I stand, staring at the mirror. The person staring back is not me.The weak, small, starving girl from District five is no more. A stronger, scarier girl takes her place. Firm muscles replace skin and bone, a determined scowl holds the front where frightened eyes once lay. My features are the same: red hair, green eyes, freckles everywhere; but I am not the same person.

Two weeks have passed since the other tributes received their weapons.Two weeks of training; from 5:00 in the morning, to 10:00 at night. The training, in no other words to put it, was hell.

Workout drills, weapons practice, lectures on tactics. From running five miles everyday, to assembling a gun under a minute, to cramming hundreds of military terms and tactics in our brains. Every precautionary measure was taken to ensure that upon entering the Capitol, with what few weapons and force we had, we would at least be prepared. We may have started out as tributes, but we have become soldiers.

Most all the tributes got through training better than I did, except for Rue. But even little Rue could out-climb me to the point of embarrassment.

The one thing I excelled in was military tactics and strategies in the written portion of our training, but what good would that do? Toward the end of the second week, I could just barely manage to keep up with the others.

Soon we will be sent to invade the Capitol. Far too soon. The tributes were not forced into the Capitol, at least, not exactly. We were given the option of either being sent to the Capitol to truly initiate the war, or sent to one of the outlying districts to fight some of the smaller skirmishes that had begun to pop up once they made the announcement that the tributes were alive. Half of me had wanted to choose the safer path and be sent to one of the districts where there was less fighting, but the other half knew that Samantha would be in the Capitol, and I didn't trust anyone else to get her back but me.

I wanted to give up, after the first mile, after the first fifty push ups, but I threw myself into training, pushing myself until I threw up. All my life I had been running, but now I have a goal, something to fight for. Samantha is by far the most important part of why I am doing what I'm doing, she always is, but there are other reasons.The training, the fear of entering a place and not coming out alive, it all comes so close to my memories of the Arena. Running. Fearing. Hiding. Fearing. Evading. Fearing. I've decided that I can no longer live in a world filled with fear, filled with these sadistic Games.

My whole life has been a game, and the Capitol has made the rules. But it cannot go on like this. If I play by their rules, I will lose this game.

But something more nags in the back of my mind. I despise the Capitol, and President Snow, but if they fall, President Coin will take over. I'm sure President Coins intentions are fair, but I do not agree with her leadership. She has the aura of power that demonstrates she will let no one stand in her way. Normally, I would consider it a good thing, but she reminds me too much of Snow. If we win, and the Capitol falls, will we really be any better off? I am not so sure.

But there is nothing I can do about it, not if I want to get Samantha back. So I push those thoughts away, and make my way to the Weapons room.

Every day I go to the weapons room in order for me to become more familiar with my arm. Now, I can use all of the features by merely thinking about it. I suppose I don't have to go anymore, but I find myself pushing open the door anyway.

"Hey Gale," I say wearily as I enter the room. No wayward arrow or mis-directed bullet greets me as I enter this time.

"Good morning Athena. How've you been?" Gale asks distractedly. He sits hunched over some blueprints with a pencil in one hand and a protractor in the other.