Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 7 Training With Tributes

The man, whose name is Avery, gives us a quick tour, then leaves us. I see cameras everywhere. I guess they don't want to risk anyone shooting anything at them.

"Do you want to split up or stay together?" Levy asks me.

"We have three days of training right?"

"Yeah."

"So together today," I say. I don't want to be alone surrounded by a bunch of potential killers.

Potential victims.

"Okay. Where would you like to start?"

"Um..." I'm horrible at deciding. One time, I was standing in a food court in a mall for thirty minutes trying to decide where to get my food. Then, once I decided on the restaurant, it took me another fifteen minutes to decide what to eat.

True story ;)

"Fine. I'll choose. Let's do some weapons."

"Okay." I think I'm deathly scared of weapons, or just hurting someone.

"But you choose which one."

I sigh. "Um... bows and arrows? Knives? Swords?"

"How about knives?"

"Okay." We walk to the knife station and the instructor tells us how to throw a knife. I listen intently and when he gives us a chance to try, I try to remember everything he told us to do. I throw the knife and it hits near the center but doesn't stick. Levy tries and it hits the center and doesn't stick either. We keep trying as the instructor gives us tips.

Finally, I am able to make it stick. I do a little overjoyed dance in my mind and feel extremely proud of myself. Levy made his stick a few minutes ago. He was just waiting for me and practicing.

"Finally. Congratulations," he says sarcastically.

"It's not my fault I'm not as perfect as you," I say back in the same tone.

"Well where do you want to go now?"

"I just chose."

"But I always choose."

"Fine. Bow and arrows."

"Wonderful choice."

"Thank you." I roll my eyes and start walking to the range with the bows. I've discovered I can almost forget everything if I keep myself distracted and focused on one thing.

"You're welcome." He walks next to me.

"Do you like bows?"

"They seem pretty simple. It's just skill."

"Yeah," I agree.

We listen to this instructor like the last one and then try the bows. I try the one he recommended for me.

The third arrow I shoot actually hits the target. I try to aim for the middle. The instructor tells me to straighten my back and this time, I hit almost in the center. It's not a kill shot, but definitely a vital hit.

I feel eyes on me and turn to find Levy staring at me.

"What?" I ask, slightly embarrassed.

"Nothing. It's just you look so cute with the bow."

I blush. "You'd look adorable with any weapon."

"Even if it's against your throat?"

"That wouldn't be you about to kill me."

"Never," he says, with a smile at the corner if his mouth.

"That's good."

"It's very good." He laughs a little. Then he turns, pulls the string back, aims, and fires. The arrow almost hits the center.

"Adorable," I say. I return to my shooting. Once I mostly get the hang of it, we move on to another place. This continues until lunch, when everyone goes to a separate room to eat.

After lunch, we try hand-to-hand combat. I'm not really good at it because I'm super afraid to hurt anyone. I'm more of the nail-scratching, biting, hair-pulling girly fighter.

Still, I get a few possibly life saving tips.

When the day is finally over, I'm exhausted- not really physically as much as mentally.

Levy and I kiss goodnight and fall asleep in my bed again. I realize this has become a regular thing, and it almost feels normal. I don't know how I would be able to sleep without him if we even did survive the Games.

If he died, my nights would be empty. I think I would go insane. My day would be filled with memories and the feeling of emptiness, like part of me was missing, and the nights would be full of reliving everything all over again.

I wouldn't just go insane, I'd loose the will to live.

Levy is everything to me. He is literally my life.

***

At first, when we were still new to the whole relationship thing, I was reluctant to say that I loved him. I didn't know if I did. When Christina asked me if I did love him, I realized I did. When I was able to confess it to her, I thought I should be able to confess it to Levy.

Every day, we would tell each other we loved each other.

We were the "perfect couple" in school. I don't remember any real argument except one where I misunderstood something and didn't want to talk to him about it. He finally cornered me after school and forced me to tell him why I was avoiding him. He had misunderstood something too.

We had talked about kissing. He told me he wouldn't kiss me until I was ready. I wish I had told him I was ready sooner. Looking back now, I realize I had been ready, just not known it yet.

Every moment I spent with him was a diamond in my heart. Each memory is so precious I don't think I could bear loosing any of them. I just wish we had made more memories.

***

On the second day of training, we focus on knowlege and survival skills. We learn how to build fires with different things, how to tie knots, how to make snares, how to hunt, how to find water, how to identify poisonous plants. I feel like I'm cramming so much knowlege into my head right before a big test.

It is a test- a test of survival.

We study the other tributes. The ones from Alaska and Iowa are clearly vicious and know how to fight pretty well. Patrick from Idaho knows a whole lot about wilderness survival. He was a boyscout, but didn't get the chance to earn eagle scout. He said he was so close.

I realize that these tributes aren't just obstacles trying to kill me. They are people with lives and families that will cry.

Families that will hate whoever kills their child.

They have lives. Friends. Boyfriends, girlfriends.

They are real people trying to achieve what everyone else is.

It's cruel, to put this many people in one competition and let only a few achieve the prize, especially when the cost is death.

The only way out is to become a murderer.

Thanks for reading. :,D