Empty Impressions

Timothy Hearst isn't like other children. And not just because he's been Reaped (though that's a large part of it).

He's different, at least from the majority of the other Tributes, because he's been training since he could walk for this. This event. This bloodbath.

He's also scared out of his wits. How do I know this? Because I'm him.

As I walk through the Training Stations, overwhelmed and feeling foolish, I realize that Allen would probably have been a far better choice for the Games. Not because he is a better fighter than me, but because he makes friends easily. When he gets near a girl, his throat doesn't close up. If he tried talking to other tributes, he wouldn't just sit there for five incredibly awkward minutes, then leave.

I haven't talked to my fellow tribute. Something about the way she looked at me made me figure she probably wasn't the best choice for an alliance. Besides, I heard that she'd already made up an alliance with several other tributes.

Well, that didn't take long.

I walk over to the blades station. It probably wasn't the most useful; I'd been using swords since I was four. But it never hurt to learn a few new things.

I pick up one of the long, strong-bladed swords and begin testing it. To an untrained eye, it would probably look rather impressive, but I know it for what it is, and so do the other Careers.

It's still fun though, and soon I'm swinging like an idiot, imagining my brother striking at me with his knives. It makes my heart ache a bit, but it also makes it a bit more bearable.

Just imagine Allen with you, telling you what to do!

....

Right, because that's not completely insane....

When I turn back to Gerrard, I notice that he too, is staring at Timothy. Are we thinking the same thing? Of course we are. It'd help both of us if he was our ally. But Tim's a Career. He'll likely be allied with his District partner, and the other tributes of districts 2 and 4.

But that doesn't seem to be the case. He's by himself. Does he think he's going to win this by himself? That rarely happens. Almost every victor of these games has had somebody to help them at one time or another.

Maybe the three of us can team up. I mean, I'm not much, but now I know what's safe to eat plant-wise. I wouldn't be an inconvenience.

Right?

But just then Hermione pops up again. Only this time she's different. She's smiling more. Hermione actually looks happy. Could she really become that excited in an hour? But her smile is contagious, and I find myself smiling back.

Suddenly Gerrard asks if we're in an alliance.

Are we in an alliance? Not right now we're not. I mean, she wouldn't be my first choice. My first choice would be a career, like Timothy. But she definitely wouldn't be close to the bottom of my preferred allies. She's good with an axe, and I saw her near the first-aid station.

But can I trust her?

No Will, you can't. You can't trust any of them. They all have to die so you can live.

But why can't we all help each other out?

Because you'll get attached. And getting attached to them will only cause your death to occur much, much sooner.

Look, alliances are temporary. We won't kill each other while we're allied, right? I mean, if it were only two people, yeah, I may not want to be allied. But if I could somehow get Gerrard and Timothy...

No, stop imagining things. You're going to die if you ally with them. You're better off by yourself.

Hey, we can share supplies, we can take out other tributes together. We can win.

No Will, no you can't. Because even if you do win, you'll lose.

And why is that?

Because of the guilt. It'll rack your brain endlessly with the memories of your so-called friends, and you'll live a half-life forever, wondering why you lived, while they died.

I quickly push this realization to the back of my mind. I can't think like this. Not now, when I have to make a good impression.

'Not at the moment," I state. "But you never know what might happen."

I quickly glance at Hermione, to see if she understands my message.

Whoever said that two's a company and three's a crowd, you're right. But in these games, crowds attract attention.

And attention creates sponsors.

Now this, I thought, this was something interesting to partake in. An alliance. My eyes flew from Will to Hermione, and then back to Will. He seemed the stronger out of the two, although that might've just been a sexist statement. Still. He seemed more confident anyway, less slaphappy. It wasn't that I thought Hermione as slaphappy, but it was strange for her to be smiling when she was involved in something so...serious.

Thinking of all of that though slowed me down, and eventually I found myself just staring past Will. Eventually, I realized that Will hadn't even answered my question yet. I glanced at his eyes and saw something familiar there; the internal battle. It was common with me, a conversation with my conscience that often couldn't be avoided. Well. That was what a pyromaniac recieved, I supposed.

That was probably why I just stood there, waiting patiently for the voices in his head to stop. Then again, I could just be jumping to conclusions way too quickly. Will might be sane for all I knew.

Fat chance at that. No Tribute was sane.

"Not at the moment," Will finally said. "But you never know what might happen."

He was right; I didn't. And right now, I had the opportunity to sieze what was offered and turn it into my own strategy. My own chance of survival. It sounded selfish even to my own ears--and there definitely was someone nagging me in the back of my head about it--but this was important. This was life and death. And although sometimes the belief changes now and then, I knew that I wanted to live.

"You might want to rethink that," I said pointedly. "About the alliance, I mean. It's best to just take what you can get right now." I paused. Why again was I giving other Tributes advice? Oh, right. Alliance.

Just then, I saw Timothy Hearst--the Career--turn around to look at us. And then he waved at us. My eyebrows shot up and my mouth curled into another familiar smile, but internally I was reacting in a whole different way. What the heck? What could a Career like Timothy possibly want to do with people like us? Most Careers were arrogant people, weren't they? If I were a Career, I would have just turned away. Not wave. Right after being so focused on swinging an axe.

I couldn't do anything else though. Hermione hadn't said anything yet, and neither had Will. So I did what I thought was right: I waved right back.

As soon as I introduce ourselves to Timothy, Hermione starts this whole gigantic speech involving Team 1-3....78 or something. She also mentions how alone we're weak but together we're strong, and that she wouldn't have gotten a 5 if she hadn't gotten onto the podium with a knife. First of all, we're all pretty strong people. I mean, Timothy got a 9 for pete's sake. But I see what she's getting at.

She ends her story by putting her hand out, wanting us to all put our hands together like some cheesy movie. I'm sorry Hermione, but nothing works like that in real life.

"Hi. I'm Timothy Hearst."

He's amused, I can tell you that. His mouth is twisted into a smirk, the kind that you get when you can barely keep from laughing. His eyes are shining from this ridiculous situation.

"Yes, hello. Umm anyways, as I was say-Hermione, you jumped on the Gamemaker's platform with a knife?"

Some of her words finally make their way into my brain. Seriously, she got on the platform. With a freaking knife. How the hell did she do that?

I shake that thought out of my mind. I have to focus.

"So... as I was saying, it seems as though you don't have an alliance, am I right?"

I don't let him speak, as I've got my point to make still.

"Well, this year's games seems very alliance-oriented. Example A,"

I point to a group of four people, all talking.

It's that deaf girl from 12, Trace Rowgan - the large guy from District 5 who killed someone already, some guy who I don't really know (from district 9? Was it Jake? No... Josh, yeah that's it), and the crazy fire-girl from District 3.

No doubt they're in an alliance.

"Example B,"

The next group I point to is one that Timothy will know well. It's three girls and one guy.

Topaz Ross, Tim's district partner is getting all buddy-buddy with Nash Harvey, Takeba Suzuki, and Anani Petros, the tributes from 2, 4, and 12. I feel bad for the last year's victor. Now her brother's in the games, and she's going to have to mentor him. No doubt he's in that alliance to gain sponsorship.

'So you see, that's eight people, all in an alliance. They'll get by with each other's help, and they'll kill of the tributes with lesser numbers. So if we don't become a team soon, everyone will be paired up and we'll be easy targets. So what do you say? Are you in, or out?"

Hopefully, he's in. And we'll be Team.....1..3..7...8...

That's still a funky name. But it works, so whatever.

You don't need a cool name as long as you get the job done.

Although, to be honest, even a name like "A pyro, a psycho and 2 other dudes" would suffice

"How do you feel?" my therapist had asked me. It was a simple question, really. But it wasn't a question about my welfare. Not at all. "I feel confused," I'd said, and then he'd asked me again--about why I felt that way. He'd asked me to elaborate further. And it had always been just a few words.

"I don't know."

This was exactly how I felt right now, after I'd followed Will to Timothy, after Hermione had proposed the alliance so rashly, but with a lot of confidence. I had no idea what to say. Sure, an alliance was my primary motive, but now that it was actually happening, I realized I was confused. Again.

Figures.

I stayed silent while Will dove into another speech, using blatant examples as motivation. It was a nice, persuasive thing to say, I had to admit, but it didn't do much to help me. Instead I let myself follow Will's gaze to my District partner. Luyu Nimmons. I'd heard of her, have seen her around in the District. She was as crazy as me, but much less secretive about it and far more violent. Her flames were all about destruction and killing and angst--though I wasn't exactly sure about the last bit. Mine were different, though. That was what I kept on telling myself as I continued to study her from a distance. That was what set me apart from her alliance.

"I don't know," I finally said, my eyes wandering over to the fire-making station. "I still haven't seen what you two can do yet." And by this, I was talking to Will and Hermione. I've already seen enough of Timothy. But he was still a Career, and that just made everything riskier.

Besides, I didn't know any of them very well either. We might not even work well together, as far as personalities and other traits went. Wasn't that another factor to consider in something like the Hunger Games?