Culling

Part II • Chapter XIV

Rocky. This was bush guy? Had he referred to himself in third person then? I didn't remember. He seemed way creepier now than he ever had before, and what was up with him calling me his girl? He didn't even know me.

"Rocky," Aakil sighed. "We've talked about this, remember?"

Rocky ignored Aakil and stared at me. "Rocky's girl needs to take better care of her health."

I slowly put my spoon down and sat back further in my chair, hoping to get out of his line of sight. It didn't work, he still watched me with his dark, intense eyes. "Sorry Rocky, but I really don't remember you. I had a lot going on in my life at the time, and it's been very busy. You seem like a nice guy though." I lied. He totally didn't seem like a nice guy.

Rocky tilted his head as he continued to study me, "That's alright Sang, we will have forever to get to know each other." He said in a completely serious voice. Aakil and Rocky's scar-faced friend gave him weird looks, and Octavius slowly leaned over his plate - blocking me from Rocky's view.

...o-kay. That was weird.

"So," Octavius spoke up as if nothing strange had just taken place. "I noticed that you've missed quite a bit of training with everything else that's been happening, but I've heard that you picked up the bow and arrow like a natural."

I blushed under the praise. "Thanks, I really enjoy archery now. I like target shooting and I used to use a slingshot at home."

Keyne, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I've seen that Juliana chick in action, she's pretty intense. Most of the other trainers here are shit. I wish she was training me."

"You wish she was training you for an entirely different reason." Mike, who had been sitting at the table behind us, leaned back until his chair was on two legs and joined in the conversation. "She's a pretty sexy lady. I love the black spandex and the little bow."

"Of course you would." Jer joined in from seat beside Mike. "Don't let Thomas hear you say that though, he'll throw you in the pit."

Mike dropped his chair back to all fours. "What pit?"

Aakil's eyes got wide as he looked at Mike. "You haven't trained in the pit yet?"

Trained. I hadn't trained in the pit. I didn't even know what the pit was.

Then suddenly everything came crashing down on me. One week. We had one full week, and some days, before the games started. As it were, we had mere days before the mysterious assessments that would determine our places in the live interviews, and our chances for sponsorship on top of that.

Where had the time gone? Well, of course I knew where it had gone, but still. I hadn't trained nearly enough, too much had happened. Even today, a day that was supposed to be a full day of training for the other tributes, I had been pulled out of the afternoon sessions to meet with my grandmother and aunt instead. For what reason, to plan a wedding? It all seemed so frivolous.

Even Mr Blackbourne's threats paled in comparison to the unknown horrors that would await when the arena opened.

I watched the boys in front of me banter back and forth and it began to dawn on me that even though I didn't know what exactly the plan was, the likelihood was high that it did not include their survival. I could very well watch every person at this table die, these people who had been nice to me from the very beginning.

The voices around me stopped as I suddenly pushed myself back from the table and stood up. "Sorry, I don't feel so well." I answered their questioning gazes, and rushed towards the exit of the cafeteria. I vaguely noticed that there was movement at my boy's table, but I didn't stop to pay attention.