Greater Games [A 72nd Hunger Games Fanfic]

Chapter 3

Training is not simple. There are well over 25 stations, all of which I am anxious to get to. I am especially tempted to do the knive throwing, archery, plant and berries station, and the spear throwing. But I know I must pace myself and take over of my temptations. The first thing I do is sling shots, which to me is simple and easy, although I never hit the target. I'm a few inches off but for the most part I don't go outside the shape of the human figure.

I go next to the spear throwing when I am challenged by the boy from 2, Felix, is that his name? He towers about me from tallness and me being short, and he is a lot older than me. His hair is dark brown unlike my blond hair. He walks right up to me and grabs the spear in my hand. Then he throws it and hits the target. He throws a few more, while I stand by, shrunken from fear of him, and frozen as stone. Then he finishes, give me a that's-how-you-do-it-girly look, and walks towards the knife station.

I tentatively take a spear and after a moment, resume my spear-throwing. I progress slightly, hitting the target a couple of times, and for some reason I can feel the eyes of the Gamemakers, the people who score me and organize the Games, watching me.

I go through some survival stations, like the plants and berries station and the fire-starting, and I decide to save the weapon practice for the next two days of training. So then I can show off maybe at least half my skills for the Gamemakers for the private training.

At dinner that night after training, I enjoy a dish of some fancy pasta with pesto and a thirst-quenching drink called iced tea that I just can't get enough of. We have chocolate mousse for dinner, and after a serving and a half, I'm stuffed, literally.

After dinner, I change early into PJ's go into my room to watch past Games. I watch the one four years ago, the 68th Hunger Games, where the tributes were thrust into snow-capped mountains and forced to battle into snow. They had several coats strewn across the area surrounding the Cornucopia, the thick ones meant for weather in that arena closer to the mouth, and thinner ones that can only last you so long lined up on the outskirts. The coats go quickly, everybody fighting to get one, and the only thing left where they once were is blood-stained snow.

The tribute from that year was the girl from 6, a small, strong 15-year-old that was deadly with archery. The next Game I watch is the 66th, where the arena is one of the largest in history, where it is a beach with a few trees at the edges. the girl from 4 wins in the tape.

I click off the TV and climb into bed. It is a cold night, so I cuddle up snugly in my covers that seem to shift tempatures depending on what the room tempature is, so tonight is a pleasant warm tempature. I already know that waking up tomorrow morning will be reluctant.

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Swish! Bam! I watch the girl from 4 from the spear station shoot an arrow and hit the target perfectly. For some reason I have always loved the whistling sound that objects moving quickly through air make, so I am easily distracted when the girl from 4 shoots.

I am starting to master spear throwing, but moving targets will be a lot harder, so if I had a choice between a spear and lets say a bow and arrow, I would choose the bow and arrow. I don't know, bows and arrows seen easier to use on moving targets than spears.

I am suddenly struck by how many weapons I am familiar with. Knives are best practice with, because they're small and I practiced with them mostly at home, but I almost never can make one stick and/or hit the target with the blade. I guess my main weapons are spears and archery.

I also notice that the boy from 2, Felix, is stocking me. Well, not stocking. Follows. He goes to a lot of the same stations as me. And I still haven't forgot when he showed off his spear skills. He pops up a lot when I am at the knife and sword station, although I don't do great at both, especially sword-fighting.