bronze and pink // frankel

I’ve learnt that life is just a whirlwind; there is not straight and narrow path to walk down. This road has bends, loops and numerous impossible obstacles to combat. I have certainly been tackling the obstacles lately; somehow I dug myself out of the pit of despair. I didn’t do it by climbing out however; instead I built my own new path up, leading to a different light. I can still taste it, the salty oceanic air on the tip of my tongue; it is certainly something I do not want to forget. The air is more pure in District Four, despite the poignant fishy aroma that still lingers in my nostrils. Even the people are different there, they may be a career District like One but they are certainly more modest. I have never seen so many people work hard before, especially those working at the docks.

I went to District Four with an ounce of guilt biting at the back of my neck, why did I abandon my family for the Olympics? There was no hope for me getting anywhere in the competition. I wanted to free myself from the hell that I voluntarily flung myself into and I certainly didn’t choose the best route to do that. Best way to get out of the fight club, Thane? Enter the boxing in the Olympics! I certainly went by the saying fight fire with fire. But some sort of miracle took place in that Olympic venue and here I am back in One, being celebrated as a bronze medallist. I didn’t even win, yet I have gotten recognition and this has helped me plummet out of that rut.

The air is far stuffier in this training centre, so many warm bodies gathered together, igniting an irritating smell of sweat. But now that the celebrity status has settled down, it is back to the normal routine train, train, train. I do it for them, my family, not a single person could persuade me to go into those games; I train so I can protect them, not to abandon them.

Lately, I have had many requests to spar with other careers, they certainly see me as competition now but I can’t help accepting their offers, a little part of me likes all the attention.

Wrapping the bandages around my hands, I prepare myself for another sparring session, while waiting for the next proposal. "Adaira Lynsen. Care to spar?" And I don’t have to wait long.

”Yeah sure, I’m Thane Alenko.”

I hate hurting people, but here I am, accepting the request to spar. What power possesses me to compete in such a sport? The thing put my life in ruins not long ago, yet it helped me get back on top of things, it is strange. There is no way for me to figure out,why? I have no guide, no teacher to tell me truth of what is going on in my head along with this sport. My Aunt Miranda detests the thought of me stepping through the doors of the training centre everyday but she knows there is nothing else I can do, I am a boy of reaping age, and this training is the only chance I have to survive the reality of the games.

The pink haired girl isn’t familiar to me, even if she put a name to her face. Even with her vibrant hair, many careers in this centre have their hair coloured, even a bright pink of her own is hard to stand out in the blind colours. I don’t know her but she is probably like the others, hoping to knock me down and get all the glory for beating some medal winner in the Olympics.

Kicking off my shoes, I step into the ring, stretching my arm muscles slightly. Neither of us speaks as we prepare for the fight. I notice an audience gathering around us and I am thrown back to that day. The day in the great Olympic venue, a crowd of hundreds roaring, some even chanted my name. Chanting my name, despite the many great competitors from famous career families that I faced, I am the underdog but do I truly want to live by that? As my mind wanders in thought, the girl gets the first upper hand as she forces me down to the ground, my feet must have slipped from under me. I push myself off the ground before embarrassment sets in, taking a swing at her.

uch8H|Meunarmed
[5093 -- Bruised Right Collar Bone -- 2 damage]

I feel my fist connect to the upper part of her body, payback for forcing me to the floor. A disturbance erupts in the audience as someone cheers. Chanting begins to roll out, the audience split in too as both of our names are heard.

This is what it is. I relish in the atmosphere...people are actually acknowledging me.

A mild pain prances up my arm, as the girl’s fist connects with my own…such a reckless mistake. The atmosphere that lingers in the crowd grows and it helps power me through the fight. I don’t know why the audience has such strength to keep me going, the attention, the chanting of my very own name. Maybe it reminds me that I have actually made a name for myself, my family is one of the many unknowns in the District. Who cares about an aunt and her adopted nieces and nephews? Who bothers to think about the orphans that exist in this District? Nobody, especially here. Most people in this District believe that it is every man for himself. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my aunt and siblings, we all need each other…

I snap back into present tense while quickly raising my fists in the air to protect my face, my body in a defensive stance. I need to re-enact the fights back in District Four, I can’t fall down at such a small hurdle, especially with the crowd that has gathered around.

y6kV_teWunarmed
[5155 -- Bruised Left Calf -- 2 damage]

My fist retreats from the defensive position, taking on a more offensive roll. It charges towards her leg, connecting to her left calf. It then falls back to its original post, protecting my face from the next predicted attack. A wave of a joy fills my insides as I make the hit. Are you actually that pleased that you hurt someone Thane?