The Tribute From the Ocean (A Hunger Games Fan Fiction)

•7•

"So you are going to go the career path?" Finnick asks once again at dinner. I nod.

"Yes. If I don't there will be a target on my back me being from District 4." I tell him.

"Okay." He nods pleased with whatever progress we just made. "What about you Brandon?"

"Maybe." He shrugs and finishes off his drink of what I figured out is hot chocolate. "I haven't decided yet." Finnick nods.

"Tomorrow you have training. Kya, you have to intimidate them. Do everything there but be good at it, or the careers will make you the third wheel which will make you dead. Brandon, you need to decide what you want. If you want to be part of the career pack, then do the same if not stay low." We both nod slowly.

•••

We were one of the last people there and everyone had just started to practice. I look around and find something I am familiar with, spears. Spear fishing wasn't uncommon and most people from District 4 could handle a spear, but the only reason I thrive with it is because it's easy to get your hands on. Easy for Keyon to at least which meant I trained frequently with them. I recognize Juvel, the girl on the elevator was also throwing spears at dummy's.

"Four." She nods her head at me. "Reckon your good with spears." I nod and pick out of the barrel. I can't mess this one up. I turn one of the longer spears in my hand and walk back with it. I put it above my head and take two fast steps forward. The spear soars through the air and embeds itself in the dummy's neck. Just where I'd aimed.

"Have you worked with spears before?" I asked her.

She snorts and picks one up and throws it. Her position was off, but it still embeds itself in the dummy's chest. Would probably puncture a lung.

"What else can you do, Four?" She asks me.

"I'm not bad with axes." I shrug. But I wasn't bad at anything, really. Perks of training with Keyon; he makes you learn everything.

Juvel nods and takes me over to where the male from District 7 throws axe after axe. Lumber. Of course he'd be good at throwing axes.

When he saw us coming over to him, he left to go make fires.

"Your go." She tells me and stands back with a hand on her hip. I felt patronized, but I didn't have a choice if I wanted to be a part of their pack. "Impress me."

I take one of the axes and swing it back and forth a few times. It was around the size of Keyon's. I start to spin with both my hands wrapped around it and let it go into the dummy's head.

She doesn't say anything and takes me to the knife throwing station with Wali, from District 1. He doesn't stop lazily throwing the knifes down the arm of the dummy when we come.

"Lay off, Wali." Juvel tells him, bored. He yawns and walks off.

"Is One our ally too?" I ask her curiously. Juvel looks me up and down.

"Yes." She nods. "So is he." She points toward the boy from eight. "Apparently he's a career too. Unlikely for anyone in such a low District, but isn't completely impossible I guess. We're watching him though. When it's just us he'll be the first to die."

Now I know what Finnick meant. Become one of them. I'll have to think like them, talk like them, and want what they want.

At lunch I sat with the career pack, which contained both tributes from one and two, me, Gunner- the boy from eight.

"What about your district?" Brass asks me. "He looks strong."

"I'll ask him if you want." I wanted it to be his decision, and if he said no I couldn't let them know he'd trained. They'd kill him.

"Just invite him over." The girl from one says. He was sitting by himself but didn't seem to mind. I stand, leaving my tray on the table and sit across from him.

"They invited you over." I tell him.

"I was hoping I wasn't just being vain by thinking they were looking at me so often." He says distractedly.

"Have you made up your mind?" I say after a short laugh. The look in his eyes tells me he is conflicted.

"I'm not going to get too attached to them though. Once we get to the final eight I'll let them think I'm dead." Brandon says.

I didn't know how to respond to that. Did that include me? Was he going to let me think he was dead too? Let me just wonder hopelessly?

"It's your choice." I tell him.

"Okay." He grabs his tray and follows me to the table. I make Candy move down one, so there was an extra seat for him. I now sat between Brandon and Candy.

"You in?" Brass asks him. Brandon nods. "No going back now."

This was a promise. It's made to not be broken, but this was the Hunger Games and all alliances are broken eventually.

For the first time I was scared. I'm in this now. I'm already part of the games, in a place I cannot go back from. But worst of all, Brandon was here too. If they turn on one of us they'll turn on us both and now we are both stuck where we are. 

Now, I give up on the hope of winning the 72nd Hunger Games.