𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒅 || 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔

𝟎𝟔 || 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓

Originally published - 02.17.24

Edited - 06.04.25

EVELYN'S MIND SEEMED TO BLOCK OUT ALL SOUNDS EXCEPT THE TAPPING OF HER FEET AGAINST THE FLOOR as she sat outside the training room. As she looked around, it seemed like everyone was as nervous as she was. Except for the careers of course, who were huddled together discussing something that no one else could hear. That made her even more nervous. Who knew what they were planning? They would get high scores, just like they always did. Evelyn would have tried to get a decent score, not too high, but not too low, but there was no point in that now. The careers were going to be after her either way, especially after the disaster that had been the last two days of training.

Evelyn had tried to stay out of Lavender's way, as well as the rest of the careers. She really, really had. Just like she promised, Sasha. However, Joshua did not allow her to do that. One of days, she was practicing her spear-throwing skills, and once again, just as she was throwing it, Joshua appeared behind her. The spear flew out of her hand, and instead of hitting the target like she had wanted it to, it dug into the wall right next to Marina's head. It did not hit her in the head, thankfully, but it was still close enough to piss her off.

That pretty much sealed her death sentence.

And if she was dead anyway, why care about the training score?

Jordan was sitting next to her. He stared at his hands - he did not even look up when the sponsors began to call people inside. Evelyn had stuck to her promise to herself. She was very careful not to get too attached to him, but that did not mean she didn't talk to him from time to time. Keeping to herself would be a very sad last couple of days of her life.

"What are you planning to do?" Evelyn asked him. It was an unspoken rule that tributes were not supposed to discuss what they had done during their interview with anyone except their mentors, but Evelyn thought she would try to calm the kid's nerves.

"I dunno," He answered. "Maybe knives or something."

"Are you good with knives?"

"No."

"Then why knives?"

"I'm not good at anything else."

And that marked the end of that conversation. Neither tribute said another word, but Evelyn did feel a pit of sadness begin to grow in her stomach. It was not unusual for a twelve-year-old to be reaped, but that did not make it any better when they were.

Jordan only spoke up again when District Seven was called up. "Evelyn?"

"Hm?"

"I can't say this around anybody else in our group because Bell keeps scolding me when I even mention it," He muttered, "but if you win, can you tell my family I loved them for me?"

"Don't say that," Evelyn tried to say reassuringly, "You'll be fine."

Jordan just shook his head. "Don't give me that. I might be young, but I'm not naive enough to believe that I have a chance."