¹ FIRST VENTURE ─ the hunger games

five - skills

— GWYNETH —

THREE DAYS of training. Three days of learning to survive and use lethal weapons. The trainer says I'm ready, but to be honest, who could be? How could a mere teenager be mentally ready, of all things, for the arena? Who could be prepared to kill with no mercy? 

Maybe this person does exist, but as far as I can tell, it's not me. And I don't hope to be killed in that arena. 

All I'm trying to do is stay alive. I need to survive for my family. They need me. But if I want to go home alive, 23 people will have to die for me, and I will have to fight hard, even if it means betraying my friends. 

But I don't think I can do that. I don't know if I could really kill someone without feeling anything. I don't know if I can stand before another person and know in my heart that I could kill them.

I don't know if I can leave my innocence behind. I don't know if I really can go into these Games. They're not even 'games' anymore. They're just something designed to break us apart. How could they? How could they turn us against each other just like that? How could they send twenty-four of us into the arena, knowing that only one is to return home alive?

Maybe I could kill a mannequin or a dummy. Maybe even animals at this point - the turkeys being shamelessly murdered no longer fazes me after days of practice - but humans? With feelings? It feels.. wrong. Killing someone is a crime and we go to prison for that. And we're expected to kill people, for what? Byrok are the only people who get to do that. And although we're not treated like criminals, we might as well be. Twenty-three of us will die. They're just giving us the best rooms, the best food... so they get a good show when we die? When we get mercilessly killed, cold-bloodedly murdered? 

Why'd they want to see teenagers die anyway? The people of Byrok even get variety shows. Those are harmless and  fun. I'd choose watching shows over watching people kill each other any day.

I descend to the basement of the Training Centre, slipping into line next to Kunboss and Zoey, waiting patiently for our evaluations. 

"Kunboss, what's your plan for the arena?" I ask, trying to pass the time as quickly as possible. 

"I don't know. Not a lot of people seem trustworthy. I only want you two as my allies," he says, referring to Zoey and I. "What matters most is keeping Zoey safe." 

That's true. Kunboss really likes Zoey. It's a shame that she doesn't know it. Both of them are my childhood best friends, and I really want to sigh in despair. They like each other, and everyone except themselves knows. 

I want to tell him to hurry up and confess, but my name is called over the loudspeakers. 

"Good luck," Zoey tells me, and I give her a nod of gratitude before turning and walking through the doors. 

The room feels different from our training sessions. The mood has changed. It's different now, and I finally feel like entering the arena is a reality, though I don't wish it to be.

I bow and turn to the various stations behind me. I head to the throwing station first and click some buttons to order moving dummies, and the lights dim as I fasten a belt of throwing knives to my waist, poising myself to dodge their attacks. 

I take a knife in my hand, running my finger over it and feeling its weight, just as a green holographic dummy holding a sword runs at me. I back up and let the knife fly, hitting its temple, and it collapses to the ground.

I pull more knives from my belt and wait for my next attacker. When a dummy wielding a spear comes, I don't miss a beat. My knife slices the air and lands perfectly in its heart.

My reflexes breeze me through the fight, and I run and roll away from people wielding weapons, to show my flexibility and speed. 

Afterwards, I head to the survival station and take the quiz, passing with perfect scores from my quick reflexes and knowledge. I take a bow and arrow from the shelf and aim for a dummy's heart, but unfortunately, miss. The arrow clatters to the ground as the bell rings, signalling that my evaluation is over. With regret, I bow to the gamemakers once again as I am dismissed and leave the basement, heading back up to my floor.

= TIMESKIP =

I sit in front of the TV in my room, patiently waiting for the scores to be announced. The announcer appears on the screen. "Gwyneth Anderson, 13 years old. In the evaluation, she has received a score of... 9."

"9 is a good score," I think to myself, despite regretting not practising more at the archery station. A smile creeps across my face as the crowd cheers for me in the background. I sit back and watch the others as they receive their scores one by one.

I wait for Eunice's name to be called, and she receives a score of 7. Most of the tributes receive a score of 6 to 8, with Charlotte receiving a score of 10, which is the highest score among us.

I go to sleep after all the scores are announced, preparing myself for the interview, where I will have to show the best of myself.