Liberosis - The Hunger Games

09

Sylvia escorts us down the training room where we get our names checked off and are left to our own devices. My eyes scan precariously around the room for something I didn't do yesterday. I find the camouflage table that sits on the right-hand side of the training centre. I shouldn't have any trouble with camouflage, I'm a painter- it's the same thing but with berry juice.

Not long after I reach the camouflage table, I'm painting my arm to look like the three behind me. The rest of the world around seems to fall still as I carve out the shapes of the bark, adding flecks to green or black. I chuckle as a butterfly lands itself on my finger, I hear a childlike gasp behind me and I immediately know who it is. "How do you do that?" Elsie asks in shock, sitting down beside me.

I move my finger over to her hair and the butterfly finds a comfortable position on top of her head much to each of our amusements. "It's a lot of practice really," I explain, picking up a brush and touching up the scuff marks the butterfly had left behind, "But I can show you the basics,"

After a while of explaining the younger girl has painted a basic tree design on her arm, some of the colours don't quite match and the bark is a little faded in patches but I'm impressed for a first attempt. She lets out an excited cheer and runs over to the knife-throwing station where Beck is hurling knives into the targets. When he catches sight of the young girl, he looks just as excited about her achievement as she does, causing me to grin.

"So," Another voice breaks the silence sitting beside me, I meet the face of Clovis, he had clearly broken the rules of fighting with other tributes, his knuckles on his left hand were bruised and bloodied, "Have you thought any further about my proposition?" He asked, looking judiciously at the camouflage station as if it were above him.

I let out an annoyed sigh, placing my paintbrush down on the table, "Clearly I have mastered camouflage just yet," I start, Clovis raised an eyebrow expectantly, "If I had you wouldn't be bothering me,"

He laughs at my creative attempt of telling him to leave me alone, but he doesn't oblige to my wishes, instead, he begins to strategize, "The competition's intense this year, Viva from Eight and Tiberius from Seven are on the verge of becoming allies, they'll be untouchable,"

"And this is my problem because..." I trail off, not seeing a point to the conversation.

"We're all going in there to survive, aren't we?"

I shake my head, denying his comment completely, "Not me, I have someone to bring back,"

Clovis points in Elsie's direction who is watching Beck throw knives intently, "Her?" He asks as she picks up a knife, tossing it weakly in the direction of the dummy. It strikes the centre but falls to the ground as soon as it hits.

My heart breaks when I realise there are two people I want to protect. On one hand is Elsie, the poor innocent girl from District Twelve, she doesn't deserve to be in these games, she's too young. On the other hand, is Thorn, the boy who sacrificed his life to protect my family, the boy who saved my sister from completely losing my mind, the boy I could trust to take care of my family when I don't return.

I make up my mind at that point, I'd have to do it eventually, Elsie is someone I'll look out for in the games but there's only one person I want to go home. "Him," I point at Thorn who is currently learning how to fight with a sword, he's pretty good for a beginner, all of the rope pulling on the docks has given him strength.

"Too bad, I've already got him," Clovis smirked, "He jumped at the chance to join the Career pack, a smart thing to do,"

I know he's right, without me there, Thorn will be the first to die after the rest have been killed off, "If it comes down to it, I'll join you, but I can't promise you'll live through the night," I say honestly.