The 70th Hunger Games- Fliss' Story

13

The next day is my private session with the game makers. Ash and I sit side by side wordlessly outside the training room. I try not to look at the other tributes but I see that Crystal has a wicked bruise around her eye. She catches mine and glares at me. After that I look down.

Soon I am called. I walk straight over to the spokes. Oh I have been itching to get my hands on these! I take five and walk to the centre of the room where I set up three dummies. Two in front of my and one behind. I take a deep breath and begin. I quickly throw two spokes hitting both dummies where their hearts would be. Without turning I through one behind me. I spin as I hear it hit its target. Straight on the heart. I then roll forward and hit a light sending sparks around me. I still have one spoke. I deliberate where to through it. Then I see it. The poster on the wall. I through the spoke and it hits right in the middle of Snow's snake like eyes.

Some of the game makers look shocked but most of them are nodding their heads. I am dismissed and I walk out of the room with a smile on my face. I take the short ride up to our floor where I'm greeted by my team mates.

"I trust it went well?" Finnick says when he sees my smile. I nod and explain what I did, leaving out the part where I aimed at our president. Ash did some spear work and hit multiple targets around the room from a long range. We both stand a good chance of getting good scores.

We sit down to watch the broadcast. District One and Two get predictably high scores. Three get average scores. When it rolls round to us Ash pulls a 9 and I get given a 10. The rest of the field averages scores of 7-4. I am congratulated by everyone. Ash gives me a hug which sends my stomach into spirals. I sigh and shake my head. This will not do, we are going to fight to the death in a few days' time.

I want to get away so Laurette takes me up to the roof. The view is spectacular. The Capital looks spectacular at night. Lights twinkling everywhere, there are no electricity blackouts here. There appears to be a party going on somewhere as music is blaring out. There is a soft wind which gently blows my face. The roof itself isn't very big but there is a small garden round one side which explains why I could smell roses when I first came out.

Up here, away from everything down below, I can think clearly. Everything in my brain had been getting so messy. First I thought about home. I'd pushed it from my head in training. I thought about the sea. I thought about Kris. I realised that even though I'd been denying it, I really do want to see it again. I'm going to fight. And after my appearance at the opening ceremony and my training score I stand a good chance. It's only the interview left and I don't think I can mess it up too badly. Then I think about my time in the Capitol, how lovely everything is. How they have everything that they need. Unlike us in the Districts. I think about how unfair the games are, how much terror, how much fear. I think about how I've become friends with Finnick and wonder if it is all a fantasy; is it just that he wants to make me feel relaxed before the games? Somehow I don't think so. I certainly hope that if I get home we would stay friends.

Then I think of Ash. My best friend who volunteered to save my brother. Ash who has become my greatest enemy. How can I let him die to save me? I think about my feelings towards him. It isn't going to work, let's face it, were not both going to make it home. The only way I can really accept it is if Ash dies at the hand of someone else. I decide that I'm not going to team up with him. I'm going to do it on my own. I can't be with him when I feel like this. If he dies I will grieve him of course, but it will be better than to see him die. Until then, I need to control my feelings. I decide to cut myself of completely from him until the games, although that is only one day. I hope it will make it easier. Of course it will be hard but it will be better this way.

I take a deep breath and leave the roof. I make my way back to our floor. When I pass the living room Finnick asks me to join them but I make the excuse that I'm tired. I go to my room and sit on my bed. I order a lemonade which appears in my room. I hear a knock on my door later in the evening, then a voice asks "Fliss are you ok?" I tense up and resist the urge to open the door and let Ash in. After a while I hear footsteps down the corridor. I fall into a restless sleep.