Hollow Trees (Haymitch Romance)

Part 14

It was last evaluation day.

The final evaluations that were one on one with the game makers who would judge us on a scale from 1 to 12. 12 being the best possible number to get but they were rarely ever given. Normally the higher numbers were reserved for the careers.

I already had my plan on how I would try to impress the judges. I would take about two dozen knives and show of my skills at the moving dummy station. I really needed to do my absolute best because a higher evaluation score can also get you more sponsors. My nerves were literally on new levels of crazy. I could barely keep still as I rehearsed in my mind what I would do. Would the count off if I missed one of the targets? What if I flicked my arm the wrong way and the knife didn't even stick? Ugh it was enough to make someone go mad.

I sat currently in the waiting room for the evaluations. It went in order by district with the girls going first. Thus far they had gotten through to District 9. The majority of evaluations took around 10 to 15 minutes and the longest took around 35 minutes.

I sat anxiously with my fingers tapping randomly on the table that u was sitting at. Across from me was Bane and Haymitch. Bane was figiting more than anyone else in the room. He couldn't stop fiddling the zipper on his training jacket or end the annoying tapping of his feet. He also continuously twirled his white-blonde hair with his pointer finger. However I knew this was his way of trying to stay calm. Haymitch was entirely the opposite of Bane and sat unusually still. His eyes trained upon the table and his back completely straight. He was focused upon his task at hand. I had a feeling he would score well on his evaluation. I suspected he would try to utilize his spear throwing talent.

Daisy was quiet as well resourced to the nervous habit of biting her nails. I had heard Sydney, her stylist, telling about quiting the nervous tick before but I supposed that a future lecture with her stylist was the last thing on her mind at the moment.

It really sucked being the number 12 district because we went last. Each minute that passed just made the bubbling anxiety worse. We sat in an contained silence for the while awaiting for our name to be called by the monotone male voice from the intercom.

Seconds passed like hours.

" Ferris Maguire" The monotone male voice called out and I stood up slowly feeling a new rush of nervousness wash over my head. " Good luck" Haymitch offered looking at me seriously and I nodded. It was most likely the best encouragement I would get from him. Daisy also smile reassuringly and I took a deep breath before entering the training center.

The Game makers were up in their classic booth. The Head Gamemaker was ever prominent in a canary yellow suit and his red hair looking like a giant banana with a wig on. The rest of the Game makers were also in suit ranging in different colors. Mounds of food were placed around them and each had a glass with some sort of green liquid in them.

The training room was way messier than it normally was. With dummies chopped to pieces on the left

and many had arrows, spears, or axes sticking out of them. The camouflage station was in complete disarray. Random jars of paint and color were spilt and brushes laid astray. Somebody had even tried to show their knot their skills since many different ropes and wire were hung in intricate knots around that station.

The many game makers turned to me with slight interest but several continued to talk amongst each other. Just giving me minimal glances as they continued to eat and drink.

I walked swiftly to the knife throwing station that was missing a few knifes but none missing were the red handled throwing blades that I preferred. I took a pause before I picked up on of the knives putting myself into the zone. With a deep breath to calm my eccentric heart rate I picked up the knife and then turned. I hoped my sweaty palms wouldn't effect my throw but I quickly allowed that thought to escape my mind. Next thing I did was let it fly.

The red handled knife zipped through the air and hit a flat, Human sized target board. A sharp thud rang as the knife hit the target where the eye would be for a human being. I then picked up two more knives and threw them at the same target with equal precision. On landed right on the heart of target and the other just above the shoulder.

I choose a new target dummy and sent this time four knifes into it. Two hitting it in the face and the third hitting right in the neck. The fourth one unfortunately was just a tad off and missed the neck by less than half an inch but I hoped the game makers couldn't see that little detail from their vantage point. I made sure to send the last two red handled blades into the chest of that dummy for a good finishing touch.

Lastly I picked up a longer throwing blade that was incredibly sharp but also very light. I mustered up all of my strength and just flung that thing at a third dummy. The knife went through the target a little digging itself straight into where the chest captivity would be on a real person. I smiled a little to myself feeling pleased with my performance.

I turned towards the game makers box and saw that about half a dozen of them were actually interested upon my knife throwing. However the vast majority were exclaiming in happiness as a fully cooked pig with an apple in its mouth was brought into the room. Almost all attention was drawn away from me as the Gamemakers got ready to tear into the pig.

I felt a searing pang of anger as I saw that I was being overlooked by a dead pig. The audacity of these people was ridiculous! To force me to come to this capitol, and force me into an arena, and then force me to try and kill and possible die. All so they could focus on a dead pig more than me.

I reacted without a second thought allowing a rash action to the follow. I swiftly picked up a thick throwing knife that was about 8 inches long. I launched that knife into the air towards the gamemakers box. Directly at the apple lodged in the pig's mouth. The apple was ripped from the pig's mouth and pinned to the wall, right next to head Venice Albany's head. He was the head gamemaker and he turned in complete suprise towards me with a swish of his crimson hair. His too skinny face tilted a little as if he had forgot that I had entered the room.

Each one of the gamemakers looked at me with resounding shock. It was splattered across their faces like paint on a wall. I mockingly bowed with an small incline of the waist. Them muttered an incompatible phrase I might regret later.

" Thanks, for your consideration"