Intro
Chris Martindale had just started forward when he was slammed to the ground. Before he could react another tribute was on him, hands around his throat. Chris couldn't move or breathe as the tribute started also slamming his head into the ground. Chris's vision flickered and dimmed.
Chapter 1
He was almost free. Chris had gone through 6 years of standing with the teenage boys praying his name wouldn't be called and, as of yet, it hadn't. This was his last year. Next year he'd be watching from the crowd as the two tributes were called, nothing to worry about as far as the Hunger Games were concerned. Now, two names would be drawn and he could celebrate with his parents that he'd never step into that arena and face the kill or be killed situation. Chris just didn't know if he could take a life.
Correction, Chris thought to himself, I don't know if I could take a human life.
The Head Peacekeeper of District 12 didn't mind them hunting on the other side of the fence. It was technically poaching, but he sanctioned it as long as he got the pelts of anything they killed. Two were allowed out a day, only using the weapons he hid just inside the woods. Chris had found he was very good with the bow, but he had once he used a knife to kill a wild dog that had attacked him.
The District's escort stands up as the mayor finishes his lecture on the history of Panem. He walks to the huge glass ball, reaches in and digs around for a moment, then pulls a name out. "The girl tribute from District 12 for the 41st Hunger Game is," he pauses dramatically, "Jackie Kliemann!" Jackie shaking from brown hair, blue eyes to her feet walks forward looking defeated. Like Chris, she was standing among the teenagers for the last time.
Maybe District 12 will finally have a winner. Chris thought. She's got athleticism, intelligence, and can fight with anything available. She was skinny and a fast sprinter, won every argument she ever got into, and when Chris had gone hunting with her she had killed with her bow, knife, and a sharp rock that just happened to be lying in front of her. From her comments though, she would love to make her own blowgun. Although the Head Peacekeeper sanctioned hunting Chris doubted he would stay that way if someone started making their own weapons.
Even still, though, the six careers probably had that and more. One of them won almost every year. Chris couldn't remember once that they hadn't, but he knew it had happened. And District 12 had little luck. Last year their tributes hadn't even lasted five minutes. They had no former winners, so no mentor. Their escort was supposed to be a good mentor, but his record wasn't good. Zero winners in how many years? The longest survivor lasted a week and only because he somehow formed an alliance with the careers, then was betrayed by them becoming the 16th killed and so just missing being the first top 8 finisher in District 12 history.
Now it was the boy's turn. The escort reached into the boy's glass ball and like last time dug around for a minute. "The boy tribute is, Chris Martindale!"