A Magical Nightmare
Prologue
'To die would be an awfully big adventure."
Head Gamemaker Emerald stood observing his office's gigantic wall, carefully revising his work. Every single detail needed to be checked twice. Everything needed to be perfect.
He nervously chewed on his thumbnail, too focused to even notice a door opening at the back of the room. He only took notice of it when he heard a loud thud behind him. Swiftly, he turned around, a confused expression twisting his features.
On the ground lay a chubby woman, her long purple hair hiding her obviously embarrassed face. Emerald made no move to help her. She clumsily got up, nervously dusting off her marine blue gown. She straightened her posture a little, making Emerald sigh in relief.
"Rosalinda!" He exclaimed happily, as if her little accident had not happened. "It's such a pleasure to have you here."
Rosalinda smiled a little, too embarrassed to greet him back with the same vigor. "It's really nice to see you, too, sir." She said, trying to sound confident.
"Oh, Rosa, you know you can call me Emerald." He told her, scowling playfully. The woman nodded approvingly, but didn't trust herself to speak. She scurried over to him, her right hand extended for the Head Gamemaker to shake.
He looked down at it and smiled a toothy grin at her. "Oh come on, dear, we're way past that, aren't we?" He said, grabbing it quickly to pull her into a friendly hug. He felt Rosalinda tense, like always when he greeted her, but didn't say anything. When Emerald let her go, she instantly took a few steps back.
Her bright purple eyes widened when she realized how rude she was acting, but the man ignored it. "So, what brings you to me?" He asked, sitting down on a chair. He gestured for her to take a seat, but she didn't see it.
"The President sent me to give you this." She explained, taking something out of a red bag Emerald hadn't even noticed. He eyed her curiously until he understood what she was talking about.
President August Forbes had finally made his choice for the theme. That was all the Gamemaker needed to continue his work. To make it perfect. He silently wondered what it would be. Naturally, he had already started working on some arenas, and on some flesh eating mutts, too. Nothing that extraordinary, really, but still something to make him gain time.
His face fell when he realized what it was. "A book?" Emerald whispered, incredulously. He shook his head in disbelief. What could he do with a book? Throw it at a tribute?
"Not just any book." Rosa said, somewhat dreamily. "Fairy tales."
The man's scowl deepened. He raised his left hand to his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Fairy tales." He repeated, testing the sound of the words.
After a few more seconds, he grabbed the heavy book, unable to keep in a sigh. He knew what fairy tales were, but he had never paid much attention to them, even as a child. He had never felt the need to read a magical story to hope, or to dream, or whatever. His life was perfect. But on the other hand, the tributes needed hope, needed dreams and all that.
The President wanted him to turn their dreams against them. To make them lose hope.
Interesting.
He sighed once more, looking up at the President's secretary. "I guess I have a lot of reading to do."
Rosa nodded in agreement, but she wasn't finished yet. "Mister Forbes ordered me to tell you something." She added, nodding.
He brought his thumb to his lips, his eyes not leaving hers. "Well, go on."
Rosalinda took a deep breath, remembering the exact words. "To die would be an awfully big adventure."
Author's note: Hello! Here's my Submit-Your-Own-Tribute story, and I hope you'll like it. The 'Tribute Form' is on my profile page, so don't hesitate to submit a – or more, if you feel like it – tribute. Please, PM message them to me. I won't be running a sponsorship system, but feedback might just save your tribute's life. Thank you, oh dear reader, and like I said, don't hesitate!
Tribute list
District One (Luxury)
Male: Kentin Mastive (17) Tennielover19
Female: Ravenna Marie Sanders (13) Emmeline C. Thornbrooke
District Two (Masonry)
Male: Lan Holloway (18) Belphie
Female: Sasha Blakemore (17) Aileen's feather
District three (Technology)
Male: Calvex Thadd (15) LokiThisIsMadness
Female: Faze Chaplain (15) bobothebear
District Four (Fishing)
Male: Eion Horgan (18) horganic27
Female: Charlie-Anne Walsh (18) horganic27
District Five (Power)
Male: Locke Micran (17) LokiThisIsMadness
Female: Puzzle Sherayl (12) Emi the Dark Kitten Prince
District Six (Transportation)
Male: Phalanx Illiam(17) Rubidium Hydroxide
Female: Piston Copperton (14) kgeesy
District Seven (Lumber)
Male: Grover Barbarino(18) Mega Walrus
Female: Flora Crown (12) Starry Lights in the Sky
District Eight (Textiles)
Male: Zeke Polyester (16) Starry Lights in the Sky
Female: Dovie Prismall (15) Belphie
District Nine (Grain)
Male: Ares Barley (14) kgeesy
Female: Persephone Barley (16) kgeesy
District Ten (Livestock)
Male: Larys Estron (13) Elim9
Female: Danira Lazcroft (15) BananasInLoungewear
District Eleven (Agriculture)
Male: Aron Orfield (12) BananasInLoungewear
Female: Nardia Cornelius James (14) BamItsTyler
District Twelve (Mining)
Male: Mors Freeman (16) Labyrinth-Designer
Female: Laylene Maethen (12) tardiskye