My endurance sucked. I couldn't imagine trying to run on an empty stomach; I hadn't before. While the rest of my District was starved, surprisingly, I wasn't. For the first time, living with food on the table was a disadvantage.

I picked up my pace as I approached a hurdle, attempting to jump over it. My foot hit the back of it, nearly knocking the heavy metal down. The hurdle tipped back over as I half-limped my way around the curve, searching the training room for any familiar faces. I found Amarillo, and immediately shook my head of the thought.

Instead, it clung to my mind, and he was forced to be thought about. I couldn't form a friendship; an attachment like the other tributes had. It was the last thing I needed--to mourn over a death I couldn't prevent. It'd happened to countless people, and I'd be a hypocrite if it'd happened to me; to us.

I closed my eyes as I ran briefly, finding it much harder than the walk to school and back. Opening them as I thought I'd heard footsteps behind me, I assumed I was hearing things. Another hurdle was only a few meters away, and I prepared myself for this one. I remembered watching a trainer demonstrate, how she picked up her back leg. I tried that this time, and found my foot merely graze the top.

Running, to my surprise, was a thought provoker. I continued for the last 200 meters in a sprint, avoiding the last few hurdles in the lane next to mine. While hurdles were something I could improve on, I'd rather stick to my strong suits for the first few days of training.

The trainer lined up several hurdles for me.

"Have you ever jumped over hurdles before?"

At home we don't have them but I did do other things. "Uhh I jumped over an old table that was flipped on its side."

The trainer shrugged. "Close enough. Try it out and please do not injure yourself. You need to be in tip top shape for the arena."

Noted.

I went to the starting line and did a few small stretches before counting down. On ten I ran straight for the first hurdle. Running was euphoric. I jumped over the first hurdle with ease. Just like the table but I had to get a bit higher. Each one after that was easy. That is until I reached the last one. My back foot hooked onto the hurdle and sent both myself and it down onto the track floor. Shit. The fall wasn't too bad. Nothing that hasn't happened.

"You were doing good out there. I know exactly what happened too. You let your mind wander too much. Always be aware of your body and the obstacles ahead of you. Never forget that."

I pushed myself up. Probably going to be sore tomorrow but whatever. It was fun. 

The trainer hands me a bow and asks me to hold it how I think it should be held. Well that is kind of stupid. I may not have ever held a bow before but it's kind of obvious how you hold it.

I hold up the actual bow with my left hand. My hand positioned right on the middle. Using my right hand, I pull back the bowstring.

"How's this?"

The trainer walks around me once and takes a good look at my hold.

"Right arm needs to be raised a bit more and not too far from the body. You also seem to be straining your left arm. You're not trying to stab someone with your finger. Relax just a bit. Also keep in mind that you're going to have an arrow too."

Well why doesn't he just give me an arrow?

"Yes sir." I correct my hold and look to him for his approval.

"Better, now take an arrow and do the same thing."

I line hold the arrow by the faux feather things and line it up. It's kind of difficult to keep my hand steady and the arrow against the bow.

"Draw back a bit more,aim a bit higher, then let the arrow fly."

Draw back,aim higher,and fire! 

The arrow flies and hits the far outer edge of the target. A little bit to the left and the arrow would have missed the target completely.

"Good,good. Practice your aim and keep going at it."

I slowed up and flipped over to my back and watched the ceiling go by. Once I saw the flags I would be close to the end and I dove under the water to touch the wall and come back up on my back.

It allowed me time for my mind to wander. I wasn't excited about that, but I thought this would be the best time to do it, when no one was around to see me rage.

I wasn't like Bruno. Nope. I wanted to win for my family and myself. I didn't fancy the journey there, but my training would make it so I would give a tribute the most painless death as possible. I took pride in what I could do, but in normal circumstances I wouldn't do this.

But this isn't normal.

I came here though. I held my breath and dived to the bottom of the pool and sat there for a moment. I need my head to clear for a second. I was going to confuse the hell out of myself again.

I resurfaced and went back to the back stroke. I glossed over the part about killing people because I thought it would be easy. I figured the tributes here would be mean or uninterested, so it would be a lot easier to justify killing them.

Ugh. But no. First it was Alaska. Then Oren and Sefarina. Rima, and Amarillo. Who knows what other tributes I might talk to. I know one thing, it won't be hard to kill Bruno.

I didn't want to think anymore. I turned over and switched to the butterfly and did many laps before I made my way to the end of the pool. I picked up a towel and dried my face. I looked across the pool. Hopefully the next time I swam it was back home in District Four. I was starting to miss it; but more I was missing my family.