The Very First Hunger Games

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Training Center Part 1

I stand in the middle of the training center listening to the instructor lecturing us about the rules of the training center. We are not allowed to fight with the other tributes until the arena, which I can see disappoints some of the tributes. Some of the other tributes look frightened, some look determined and others just look plain bored.

We are finally allowed to begin our training when the instructor blows her whistle. I start at the ropes course, which looks easy, but in reality it proves to be a challenge.

I move over to something that I think is called the Gauntlet. The Gauntlet appears to be a daunting obstacle course, which consists of ascending platforms. Tributes must jump from platform to platform in the fastest time possible.

After a couple of attempts, I mange to jump across the platforms without falling, which is something of a miracle because I'm just about the clumsiest person you'll ever met.

Just then, the tribute from District 5 flies past me on the Gauntlet.

"Don't worry you'll get the hang of it soon" a tiny voice calls from the other end of the gauntlet.

It takes me a few seconds to register who the voice came from. I turn around and just as I suspected, the words did, indeed come from Coral. She sits on one the raised platforms, peering down on me with her bright twinkling eyes.

"I'm not sure about that" I say with a laugh.

We both jump off the Gauntlet and head over to the camouflage station.

"You know I really do like you Willow, but we can't be allies" Coral says with sadness in her voice. "It would be too hard to kill you if it were just the two of us left standing...and I would only slow you down"

I always knew Coral was a smart girl for her age and I understand what she is saying.

"I guess you're right, Coral" I finally say after a long silence. "It doesn't stop the other tributes from making alliances"

"I know. Can't they see what's going to happen? There are eventually going to have to kill someone they might grow to love"

Someone they might grow to love.

I glance over at the plant testing station, where Luca appears to be explaining about the different edible plants to a girl about my age. The girl's curly dark hair dances around her shoulders, as she nods along, listening intently to what Luca is saying. I've started to notice how everyone looks at Luca with such admiration like he is an old wise man with the answers to all of life's great mysteries. Looking over at Luca and that girl, I felt the same strange twinge of jealously I did the day of the tributes parade.

"If you really care about Luca, you'll stay away from him the arena" Coral says.

When she sees my confused face she elaborates:

"If you two are allies, and then say you die, Luca is going to blame himself for the rest of his days because he thinks it's his job to protect you. If Luca dies, then you are one who will carry the guilt and you will never forgive yourself. It's a lose-lose situation. I'm not saying that you won't be devastated when Luca dies but a least you know there's nothing you could have done ."

When Luca dies, not if.

"You really think Luca hasn't got any chance of wining." I ask, I must admit a little angry.

"No, I think Luca has got a big chance of winning. Just as not as big of a chance as you"

The idea of me winning the Hunger Games is so ludicrous that I almost laugh in her face. There were moments when I believed that I had a chance of winning but maybe I was just kidding myself.

Maybe it is all a pipe dream that the Capitol wants us to believe. Perhaps all the chances I thought I had of winning were really just lies I told myself. Lies which were like a web spun from all my desperate hopes and dreams of seeing my family again.

I try to forget about it for the rest of the day, but that night it all comes screaming back to me.

I try to think of something else - anything else but my brain keeps repeating the same thing over and over again like my thoughts are caught on a loop.

You'll never see Mother, Father or Laurel ever again.

I simply cannot imagine my life without them. It's been a week since I last saw them and I already miss them so much that the mere mention of them, even inside my own head, causes my heart to feel heavy.

Heavy with longing, I suppose. Longing for one of my mother's warm embraces filled with the kind of love only a mother can give. Longing for just one more of my father light-hearted jokes, even though they were so bad, but still made us all laugh.

I even miss being a victim of one of Laurel's childish taunts.

The thought of my family having to watch me die in front of their very eyes on national TV makes me feel physically sick. So much so that I have to get up and walk around and try and clear my head.

They shouldn't have to watch me die.

I creep out of my room and tip-toe across the sitting room over to the glass door. I pull the floating curtains apart and try the door handle, which should be locked. It isn't.

I pull the door open effortlessly and step out into the cool air. I hop up onto the balcony and swing my legs over the edge.

I sit on the balcony for a while, just thinking and thinking. I have no idea how high up I am. I'm guessing very.

My family doesn't have to watch me die on their television screen. Not if I were to die right here right now.

I lean forward, my hands still grasped on the edge of the balcony as I get ready to launch myself into oblivion.