Deadly Game - Chapter 5

Hey, new chapter up! I have now re-written all the other chapters, seeing as I need to make a few things differently. I will edit them soon. Instead of the 70th it'll be 69th Hunger Games. I've also done a few other changes, but nothing major, so don't worry!

Today it's Finlands indepence day!

Vote, as always, and comment!

<3 Anna

Chapter 5

The possibility hits me. If I can win, it means that my family will survive. It means that we'd have food. It also means that Riccy can keep his life.

"Riccy, don't go to the Dolphin Cliff yet. At least let me try to save us all. If I win, we'll survive."

He nods. "I'll wait as long as you live. The moment the cannon is fired, I'm off to Dolphin."

"At least make sure it's me who died."

"I will, believe me."

So now my fate is clear. So is Riccy's. If I die, we're both dead. If I win, we live. This makes me even more determined. If I have I chance to save Riccy's life, damn yes, I will take it.

"Cassie, it's time." I look up, and see the Peacekeepers entering the room.

"But... I have so much left to tell you!"

"Don't worry. You can tell me while you're in the arena. I'll be watching you every minute that I can."

"Riccy, I..." The words are stuck. I can't seem to let them out. But he knows what I want to say.

"I know, Cassie-girl. Don't give up, you hear me?"

"I won't," I promise him. Then the Peacekeepers lead him out of the room.

I'm still not crying. I'm already in the train, I have already watched my family die inside, and I'm still not crying. Then the train starts moving, and District 4 is left behind. I don't know if I'll ever see it again. For a second, I let myself mourn my loss, then I'm off to investigate the train.

It's huge.

There is room after room, corridor after corridor. Dining room, living room, kitchen, bedrooms... Suddenly a hand is put on my shoulder, and I turn around, meeting the midnight violet eyes of the woman from Capitol. I take in her face, and realize that she's quite young. Silver lipstick, long red, curly hair, silver tattoos all over her body.

"Hello, Cassidy. Dinner is ready." I follow her into the dining room, only to find two people already sitting at the table. Rino Delid, and a boy who I recognize as the winner of last year's Hunger Games, Evan Storm. He's sixteen, and he's probably our trainer, seeing as he is here. Wonder why they chose someone so young. But I have to admit that Evan is good at both fighting and reading people.

They do not look up, too into their conversation.

"Evan, I found the other tribute for you." The woman motions for me to sit down, but I don't.

"Oh, good. Thank you, Violet." He glances at me, then quickly looks back at Rino. Suddenly he freezes, and looks back at me, his eyes widening slightly as he scans my body.

"You look familiar, Cassidy Wildeman." Oh, he remembers my name? Well, that's positive. Maybe, just maybe, he won't classify me as dead already and actually try to train me too, and get me some sponsors.

I meet his sea-green eyes, and I know who he thinks I look like. He had to watch the Hunger Games that year, too.

"No, I'm not Viveca's sibling, if that's what you mean. But her sister is my sister-in-law."

He frowns. "That's Viveca's dress."

"Yes, Denlay wanted me to wear it. The necklace, too. And now, if you're finished staring, could we please start eating?" He blushes a little when I sit down, and I smile smugly inside. This a good start. He noticed me, that's for sure.

Violet sits down too, and we start eating. There is a lot of food. And I mean a lot. But I eat carefully and slowly, not like Rino who stuffs food into his mouth as fast as he can manage. I know that after starving for so long, I need to take it slowly if I don't want to throw up afterward.

Violet watches me carefully, and I listen to her politely, nodding in the right places and pretending to be shocked when she tells me about something absolutely absurd. Which, for me, isn't so absurd. Rino and Even keep talking, and every once a while Evan glances at me. When I notice him, he turns away, but after a few moments he's looking again. It seems like he can't keep his eyes off me. Do I look so much like Viveca?

Honestly, I don't know. I can't remember exactly what she looked like.

When we've finished eating, Rino suddenly starts to feel sick, and he quickly leaves the room. I hear him stumbling down the corridor towards the bathroom. Good thing I didn't eat fast, because then I would also be throwing up right now. Violet excuses herself, saying she needs to watch some program on the TV, and walks into the living-room. So I'm alone with Evan.

"Well, I guess you and Rino want to train separately?" I nod. No way I'm training with that idiot.

"So, would you like to tell me a little about your strengths and weaknesses?"

"Well, I am used to starving. I can survive long without food. I'm pretty good at running fast, and I like throwing knives. I can handle some other weapons too, like spears. That's it, I guess."

"Ever tried a bow?"

"Nope."

"Throwing an ax?"

"Nope."

He nods. "Okay. In the training center I'd like you to try both an bow, ax and some other new weapons. You can practice with a spear and knives, too, but don't do your best. I'm going to hide you in Rino's shadow during the training, that way you'll not be seen as a threat. Then you make sure to impress the Gamemakers and get at good score, so sponsors will notice you. Also, try to look strong and unaffected during the opening ceremony, like you did at the reaping? I'll try my best to get you sponsors. You can try to be as unnoticed as possible in the beginning. "

"Are you really going to help me? I thought you'd think I wasn't worth attention at all."

"You're a fighter. I see that you won't give up. And fighters are those who win these games, not those who think they're strong, like Rino. Pure raw strength won't take you far in the games. You need to use your brain too, and that's what you do."

"Thanks," I say, taken aback by his logical view on things. He really is smart.

"And don't worry about Rino, by the way. He probably won't make it past the Cornucopia."

Weird how Evan and I think exactly the same way.

We watch the re-run of the reapings. Rino has thrown up everything in his stomach, and joined us by the TV. Violet is in bad mood because the reapings are interrupting her important TV show.

The tributes from District 1 and 2 are as usual careers. Big, and think they own the world. Oh, it'll be fun to wipe that smirk from their faces.

The tributes from 3 aren't really impressing, but they might be smart. Never judge anyone by the outside.

Then it's District 4. I watch, quietly as I get chosen. My face shows absolutely nothing, and I'm proud of myself. The camera shows a quick picture of Suzanne, Adina, Eric and Greg as they watch me, and then the attention turns to my sibling and adopted siblings. First they show a glimpse of Melisea as she is surrounded by the girls, then a bit of Will as he stands there, his pokerface almost as good as mine. Then Brendt is on the screen, then Denlay.

"That's Viveca's sister," I tell Evan. He nods.

They show Riccy, standing all alone and staring into my eyes. He looks so tense, and a wave of longing washes over me. What I would do to be back home, in Riccy's strong and safe arms...

Then there is Rino and his family. I've stopped watching, trying to stop myself from crying.

District five's reaping starts, and I watch again. A girl from 6 looks quite strong and clever. The girl from 9 cries hysterically as her name is drawn, and the girl from 8 seems to be a little of a fighter like me. As does the boy from 11. Girl from eight is named Axara, and the boy from eleven is Andi. I decide that if I ever need allies, those are the first two I'll be asking.

District 12 is as usual uninteresting. When I'm leaving the room, I hear footsteps behind me. I don't care. It's probably Violet who has come to show me were to go, afraid that I might not find my own room.

"Cassidy."

It's Evan.

I turn around, facing him. He watches my face, and I don't care anymore. It doesn't matter if Evan sees me crying.

"What do you want, Evan?" A tear runs down my cheek, and I don't bother to wipe it away. But Evan does. He steps forward, wiping the tear of my face, and he looks almost sorry for me.

"I'm here, Cassidy. I've been through this too. You can talk to me. I understand what it feels like."

Suddenly I'm furious, so angry with the Capitol for doing this to me. They can't force me to cry. I'm not breaking down.

"No, you don't. No one does. No one but Riccy. And he's been taken from me! No one understands me anymore!" I stare at him, look into those green eyes, and I see that my words hurt him a little. I spin around, running into my room and slamming the door shut. I break down, cry into the pillow until no tears are left. Then I sit up, go wash my face, change from Viveca's dress into a blue tunic and black leggins. I find a cool pair of black leather boots in my closet, and pull them on, brushing my hair at the same time. When I'm ready, I look in the mirror. If you look closely, you can see that I've been crying.

I walk into the living-room. Violet is watching TV, and when I ask she tells me that Evan is in his room, and that I should not disturb him without really important reasons.

And this is important.

I knock on his door, and hear a silent, "Who is it?"

"It's Cassidy!"

Slowly the door opens. Evan takes in my appearance, and motions for me to come in.

His room is cozy, and the theme seems to be green. Mine is silver. He sits down into a chair, and I sit opposite him.

For a moment we're quiet, then I speak.

"I'm sorry, Evan. I didn't mean to shout at you. It just... so much has happened today."

He sighs. "I know the feeling. It's like you're about to explode, and you just can't keep calm anymore. Do you want to talk about something special?"

"No...yes. What was your life like before the games?" I'm itching to know that, itching to know if he's ever been through what I have. Probably not.

"My life was... what you'd call easy. We had food, at least so much that we were never really hungry. My brother was a career, and my dad wanted me to be one, too. I didn't want to - could never enjoy killing - but I had to. So I trained along with my brother. And, well, I volunteered. I was fifteen, and my dad thought I would be able to win. And I was. I can't tell you my life before the games was happy. And neither was yours, I guess?"

"No." I hesitate, wondering if I should tell Evan. Why not? It doesn't make any difference. "My mother and father died when I was nine, almost ten. Me and my twin brother Will had to feed for ourselves and our little sister Adina. "

"But I saw your parents at the reaping. And your other siblings."

"No. The Danner's took care of us. The young girl and boy you saw were Adina, my sister, and the Danner's youngest boy, Eric. The girl who was crying was Melisea Danner, my best friend. The two boys the one who looked like me, and the older one, were my twin Will and Brendt Danner. Brendt it married to Denlay."

"And the last boy. The one who stood alone. Who is that? Your boyfriend?"

I smile. "No. People always think that Riccy's my boyfriend. But he really only is my big brother. The only one I trust completely." Riccy and I have always had rumors circulating us, but we'd made clear that we were only sister and brother.

"You two looked kind of close. He was staring at you like you was the only thing left in the world."

"Yes, we're close. He and I... well, we promised each other to keep our family alive. And now he's the only one left to fight for them."

"Soon he won't be anymore. You're coming out of the arena, I'll make sure of that."