THE STAKES WERE HIGH AT TRAINING the next morning, as it was the tributes' last time to hone in on their skills before the private sessions with the Gamemakers later that day.
Haven decided to spend her time experimenting with different weapons. The small girl attempted to use a sword, but she practically fell over trying to pick the heavy weapon up. Her cheeks turned a bright red against her otherwise pale face when she saw the tributes from District 1 staring at her. Not wanting to be seen as weak, she immediately walked over to the knife station. Haven grabbed three knives, each with varying sizes of blades. She stood in front of the target and threw one after the other in rapid fire, hitting the bullseye each time, before she turned back to wink at the stunned pair. She continued throwing knives in a desire to improve her skills, figuring they'd be more accessible in the arena.
The rest of the training day was much less exciting, with most of the tributes minding their own business. Haven was quizzing herself on edible plants when Roxy sat down next to her. "Ooh that flower is pretty. Too bad it would kill me if I touched it." she giggled, pointing at one of the pictures on the screen. "Most of District 5 is very bland and grey, but behind the school there's a giant field full of wildflowers. It's my favorite place back home." Haven noticed the glimmer in the girl's eye when she spoke about it. "I've always wondered what the other Districts are like, this is the first time I've ever stepped foot out of 5."
"I might be biased, but District 4 is the best place in Panem. We have our fair share of problems sure, and the majority of us are barely able to scrape by. But it's the little things about living in 4 that make it worth it. The feeling of sand between your toes, the smell of saltwater always lingering in the air, swimming in the waves. There's nothing in the Capitol that could even compare to it." The red head smiled back at her. "I'd say that sounds a lot better than the landscape of gray as far as you can see in 5. But it's still home, and the thought of probably never going back is so surreal." "Surreal, bizarre, heartbreaking, whatever you want to call it." Haven said as she stood up, flashing Roxy a smile before she walked away.
➸
Several hours later, the 24 tributes found themselves sitting in a small room, anticipating the start of the private sessions. Haven sat between Spencer and Reeve, the male from 5. The room was quiet, apart from the sounds of people nervously tapping their feet on the floor and biting on their nails.
"District One: Ellis Parker, report for individual assessment." The dirty blonde boy got up and walked through the doors. Each passing minute made Haven more anxious, and she was grateful that her session was towards the beginning. The girl's mind spun, she knew she was going to use a spear, but she was petrified that she would freeze up once she got into the room.
Spencer's name was called next. "Good luck!" Haven said to him, flashing him a thumbs up as he stood up to leave, to which he responded with a grin. Once he was gone, she turned to look at the pair from 5. "Reeve, this is Haven. She's actually pretty cool, unlike some of the others here." Haven smiled, reaching out to shake Reeve's hand. The trio made some small talk, and Haven was happy for once to not be talking all about the games.
"District Four: Haven Cleary, report for individual assessment." The blonde stood up and took a deep breath before walking into the room, her head held high. "You can do this. Be confident." she reminded herself in her head.
The Gamemakers were sitting on an elevated platform, merrily eating and drinking. Haven felt a pang of disgust, this truly was just a game to them, and she hated the idea of being their entertainment. Nevertheless, she knew this score was important to win sponsors, so she tucked away her feelings of anger for the time being.
"Haven Cleary. District 4." the girl spoke out, catching their attention. She picked up a long, shiny silver spear from the rack, before stepping to stand in line with the target. The blonde exhaled heavily before drawing her arm back, and releasing the spear. The silver weapon cut through the air, before landing in the center of the target, causing a scattering of applause from the Gamemakers. Haven was proud, but she wanted to do something even more remarkable. She wanted them to remember her.
The Cleary girl picked up another spear, this one longer and sharper than the previous. Haven took a few steps back, increasing her space from the target. She cleared her throat, making sure that they were all watching, and got into a proper stance to throw the spear.
The blonde then closed her eyes, relying on the feeling of the spear in her hand, before releasing it in a forceful throw. She opened her eyes to find the spear once again in the center of the target, right next to the silver one.
Haven looked up at the stunned Gamemakers, before giving a tiny curtsy. "Thank you for your time." the girl said in a sweet voice, before turning on her heel and exiting the room.
// author's note
haven was a badass in this chapter 😌
i debated having another training chapter, but it was too repetitive so i just condensed it & plus it means interviews and then the games come faster ;)
also, i know it's clove in the gif, i just wanted to use it bc of the knife throwing aspect haha
thank you again so so much if you're reading! please consider voting/leaving comments!
- a