Pyromania | The 60th Hunger Games

TEN

It felt simple now. But, when the first hologram moved toward me the arrow flew too wide, then too short, and I was forced to thrust the arrow into the neck of the hologram when it bore down on me with a sword. Spinning around, I fumbled to dock the arrow and stumbled out of the way of a holographic arrow. My feet were retreating from the centre of the room but it was clearly the best vantage point.

Nonetheless, I ran backwards as another hologram charged at me and the arrow struck home. But, I'd moved too far from the centre and a hologram appeared and charged through me, the room flashed amber as a warning and I forced myself back to the middle of the room. One more hit and I was done for.

The hologram that came at me next leaped from above and was an easy target, but, when two charged from the other end of the room, the first two arrows flew wide and I was left with one last one.

I was successful in recreating the stabbing action with the first hologram but too slow with the second and the room flashed red.

Sweat stuck my hair to my forehead and I had to peel it from the ridges of my stitches before throwing my head back in frustration. My arms ached at the unusual activity and my fingers itched for the climbing ropes but I couldn't show anyone else up. Not right now. Glancing over my shoulder, the girls were watching with their arms crossed. Mahi crossed her arms, rolling her eyes as Gemma sighed and left to go to a different station.

"Again!" I called out, collecting the arrows from the ground and circling my finger in the air at Mahi. She narrowed her eyes on my and, turning my back, I allowed myself to linger in a crouch when I picked up an arrow.

She was assessing me- why wouldn't she?

I'd failed on this station too much, lingered for too long. For my fourth go-around, any major mess-ups would look suspicious and it would do no good for an ally to suspect me before the games even began. I wanted them to see me as a minimal threat, not a burden.

Wiping my forehead on the arm of my sleeve, I position myself in the middle of the room.

With the glass door shut, concrete walls towering over me and the projector lights glaring into the room, it was starting to heat up and my sweat was wasting my energy.

Okay, last one, Terra.

Stretching my neck, I watch Mahi tap on the screen and the lights dim. I dock an arrow, not quite trusting her to go as easy on me. And, when the first hologram ran faster than before, it was obvious Mahi had amped up the skill level.

I loosed the arrow, reaching back for another as soon as it was released. The hologram tumbled and disappeared as I spun to the image appearing on the second level above me. The next arrow caught in the quiver and wouldn't budge. It loosened as a holographic axe flew at me and I dodged it, the figure charged and I dropped onto a knee, twisting away in order to buy time to dock the arrow and fire it before the image could bear down on me.

The final two arrows had fallen from the quiver when I tugged the other out and two bulking holograms were charging at me from the other end of the room.

Biting down on the body of one arrow, I docked the other and fired, quickly docking the other and firing it just as the second figure was swinging its knife. Usually, that was the end, and I was out of arrows. But another figure ran across the second floor, behind columns and in and out of view. I dodged the holographic arrows and examined the walls.

There was no way onto the second floor, it was for decorative purposes, but for the sake of preventing a ricochet from the arrows, there was an obvious corridor up there. My eyes narrowed on the corner of the room where a column met the wall and, as the archer jumped down to my level, I sprinted for the wall, pulling the bow across my shoulders. It was excessive, sure, a bit too flashy for training and low-stakes, but Mahi needed a reminder now that the other tributes had tired of watching me fail.

I jump at the column, kicking off the wall and scrambling to grab the ledge. A second hologram had appeared down below as part of the routine and was trailing me as if it had a mind of its own.

The archer had endless arrows and fired one which hit the column I ducked behind.

There were endless arrows up here from earlier tributes, so I docked the nearest, glimpsed out from behind the column and fired at the archer. The arrow landed short so I tried again, finally striking home. And, finally at the advantage, I leisurely took an arrow and shot down the final hologram.

When the room flashed green and the lights came on I sat on the ledge, swinging my legs and leaning my pounding head against the cool column.

Behind the glass, Mahi was watching yet again with narrowed eyes and all I could offer was a brief smile and wave before she stormed off. Two younger tributes approached the area, backing off when they saw me still in the room, but I took that as my cue to leave.

Wiping at my face with a towel, I found Martial sparring Wade with plastic swords.

Taking a seat on a spectator bench, I glanced around the room at the preoccupied tributes. Most of them had taken to the combative stations, fighting dummies, sparring each other, examining and testing the weight of weapons or testing their aim.

My eyes lingered on the plant station which just so happened to be beside a small forest setup where we could practise creating a fire from scratch. It wasn't the pile of kindling at the back which caught my attention, though, it was the boy from 3 hunched over the plant test which struck me as unusual. Especially since his district partner was testing the durability of the dummies beside Gemma.

I trailed over to him, glancing around almost subconsciously in case any of the careers got the wrong idea. Sidling up against the machine, I drape the towel around my neck and peer down at the table, watching his fingers linger over the images as the screen reads in bold letters 'SAFE'. He hovered over an image of fool's parsley, notably similar to wild carrot if not for the hairless stem.

"No." I said, shocking him and he accidentally selected it. The image flashes red and resets the board, shuffling the plants. He looks up at me, dark brows drawing low over blue eyes, "oh look," I say, pouting at him, "you just died."

He huffs, leaving the station. I watch him pass Sly, who looks over at me and I offer an amused grin and turn to the table.

As my fingers flash over the images, he approaches and leers over my shoulder. And, despite the distraction, I complete the test and add my name to the top of the leaderboard. Seeing everyone's high scores listed reminds me of games night back home, at parties I only ever attended because Martial dragged me along. I could've forgotten that these games were about to kill me if only I could compete to improve my score. Wiping my hands on my leggings, giddy at finally appeasing my urge to test the station, I stepped back and let the small display of intelligence linger before Sly. He was suspicious enough, I don't think there's anything I could do to convince him I'm not a threat.

"Impressive," he mumbles, restarting the board. I shrug, trying to look indifferent despite the practised knowledge setting something tingling in my head.

"Luck, I guess." I watched as he completed the board, matching my score, and turned with a mischievous and challenging glint in his eyes.

"Do it again."

My mouth opens slightly. I shouldn't, not really, but he's taking my wrist and guiding me back to the table. He's setting it up before me and the screen asks me to select 'POISONOUS' plants. My finger lingers over woody nightshade, the red berry poisonous to humans, but Caeso began clapping and when we looked back to hear him instruct us back to our floors for the end of the day, I spun back to the table and pushed the cherry tomatoes beside the nightshade and watched the screen flash red. Shrugging at Sly, I backed away and jogged after Martial.