The Hunger Games: Sophie Roberts

Strategy

     The next day I wake up early. At first, I'm not sure where I am, but then I remember. I look around to see all the nice furniture and lavish decoration, and realize that yesterday wasn't a dream. Slowly, I get out of bed and change into some new clothes. Then I go out to the hall.
     When I get to the dining room, Blossom is already there preparing some food for herself. I sit down and stare out the window.
     "Sophie!" Blossom says cheerfully. "Would you care for a biscuit?" She holds out a golden brown biscuit on a fancy, porcelain plate. I am again reminded of how much the capital keeps from us.
     "Thanks," I respond, taking the plate from here. I take some eggs from a bowl as well, knowing I need to eat in order to prepare for the games, even though I wasn't very hungry. "Is Henry up yet?" I ask, looking around.
     "Not yet," Blossom answers, pouring herself a cup of tea. She's wearing yet another fancy outfit. A bright pink dress, with black heels and harsh makeup.
     As I look out the window, I see trees whipping past. It reminds me of home, where I'd have to spend hours chopping down tree after tree. I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror, and realize that I'll have an advantage in the games with my more muscular build.
     "Has anyone from district 7 besides Torin won?" I asked Blossom. If they had, I would need to find out if they had any strategies I could use.
     Blossom paused for a second, and set down her tea cup. "No," she said shortly.
     There goes that plan. I'll have to rely on Torin, and I suppose that he's better than having no one. Just then, Henry walks in. He looks so innocent. What did he do to deserve this? What did ANY of us do?
     "Want some eggs?" I say cheerfully. He just looks at me funny.
     "Are you seriously going to act happy? I'm not stupid," he says giving me a look I've never seen on him before.
     "You... have to eat protein so you can stay healthy and strong for the games..." I respond hesitantly. In just 24 hours, Henry has gotten much more serious. He used to be a silly little 12 year old before this happened to us. Now the games have taken that away from him.
     Before things could get any more awkward, Torin comes in and slams his hands down onto the table. "You kids wasted a day of strategizing, so we've got a lot to talk about before we get to the training grounds. First things first, what jobs did you have back home?"
     "I chopped wood, and Henry-" I begin, but Henry interrupts before I can finish.
     "I just started as a climber," Henry says, giving me another one of his looks.
     Torin looks between the two of us, and I can tell he's thinking of something. However, he doesn't tell us. He just sits down slowly, and continues to think. Finally, he looks back at us and says "That's a good combination. Sophie, if you can get your hands on an ax, that would be a great weapon. You'll be able to use it well and it'll be familiar in your hands. If there are things to climb, Henry, you can get up them and either hide or ambush someone. You both will have to teach the other a few of your skills so you can help out. You will also have to learn some new skills such as botany and the use of other weapons. That will be critical to your survival."
     "How should we prepare for our evaluations?" Henry asks him. I know that those will also be an important factor. They may help get us sponsors or allies... or enemies. I stop thinking about it.
     "We'll get to that later," Torin says. "In the meantime, we must continue to talk about what you already know, and what you'll need to learn." He beckons us closer, and we continue to talk for the rest of the ride to the training center.