Escape the Arena (100th Hunger Games)

Chapter Five: Tribute Training

TUESDAY
(Chelsea Walling's (District Eight) P.O.V)
Darning and I arrive at training early, but everyone else does too. We don't get talked to today, so we go straight into training. I see Alice and William, and we walk with them to the edible plants section. The instructor hands us a few golden berries, shaped like raspberries.

"Ooh! I like this berry!" Alice exclaims.
"You do now, but I bet you won't later. This berry, the godleshap within a millisecond of it touching your tongue, and you will turn golden, and then turn into the shape of the berry itself. Eventually, each uh - 'berry' as you may want to call it, will pop, one by one, leading to excruciating pain. Within nine hours, you will be nothing but golden juice on the floor"
Alice quickly puts the berry down, and distances herself from it. "C'mon, lets go" she says to us. And with that, we walk towards the spears area, which Will has been eager to try out since yesterday.

I smile to myself as we watch Will quickly grasp how to use a spear. He went from being able to throw one ten metres to being able to throw around forty metres, roughly on target. I'm glad we made this alliance with District Nine. It'd make the games a lot easier to get through.

"I need to tell you something," Alice says to Darning while Will throws more spears, clapping joyfully at himself. Interested, I listen in. "Will has a mental disability," Alice whispers. "Ever since his father was murdered in front of him and his brother, the two of them haven't been the same. Will constantly acts the same age as he was back then, around nine years old. The trauma isn't diagnosed, but everyone knows there's a problem."
Darning nods, obviously more regretful of choosing Will to ally with.
"Just promise me you'll do your best to keep him alive?" Alice pleaded. "I know he may be a burden, but I didn't want to tell you before I knew I could trust you."
My mind is racing as Will skips back from the spears.

(Shaw Yepper's (District Eleven) P.O.V)
I stand in line for the axes section, and see the District Seven boy, Clint, I think his name is, in front of me. I tap on his back, and he swivels around.
"Hey, Seven" I say.
"What do you want, Eleven?" he spits.
"I was- umm, I was wondering if you would consider becoming allies?" I try. I've been desperate to try an find an ally ever since I got here. The alliance formed between the kids from Ten, Five and Three seems too exclusive, and the only other male alliance is the career alliance and the partnership of Eight and Nine.
There was a sudden hint of hesitation in Clive's eyes, but it disappears almost instantly.
"Sure" he brightens up. I smile, and stand next to him.
"What weapon are you? I ask.
"Axes"
"Well, that would explain why you're here. At the moment, I don't actually know what weapon I would choose. Maybe I'll try a bow"

Clive steps up to the axes, and grabs six in his hand. He throws them in one shot, and they all hit different targets in the heart. I clap, and Clive does a little bow. He's obviously had practice. We then head towards the poisons section.
"Hello," the instructor says, looking up from a book he was reading. "Welcome to the poisons department"

(Kaitlyn Natale's (District Twelve) P.O.V)
I walk behind Vida, Isaac, Plugga, Daisy, Nick and Electrica to the Spears section.
"Hey guys," I approach them, intending to ask to join their alliance.
They all look at me with hostility, but I can see Daisy attempt to smile at me.
"I was just thinking," I start. "These games allows for four victors each. I could help make sure it's all four of us girls. I'm good with spears, and I know my way around plants and hunting. I could get you any game you need."
They seem to take a moment to consider my offer.
Nick breaks the silence. "I don't see why not. If what she says is true, she will be able to help protect you three girls, which you might need, seeing as you three are the three youngest female tributes."
"Well let's seen then," Electrica gestures to a practice room for spears training. "Show us what you've got."