Prelude

Sleepless I'm battle worn, you're all I want to bring me the dawn ~ James Bay, Need the Sun to Break

It had been the coldest winter to date. Panem fell into an abyss of blizzards and frozen lakes. Frozen lakes which had ensnared the life of many unfortunate children playing by them…

Much like the games, I thought bitterly to myself as I rose from the comfort of my bed, peeling the large cotton duvet from my flesh, while it was freezing outside, my room had a large heater in it make me overly hot in the night, my duvet sticking to my sweaty body.

I clap my hands together and the large satin curtains fall back giving me a perfect view of District Four in the morning, see I was the District's Escort and in the time of the games I was given a luxury suite to live in until boarding the train, which was much more pleasant than that of this room I am confined to.

Crisp, white, shining flakes covered the landscape making it a magical land full of wonder and undiscovered mysteries. Large flakes fell from heaven as if the angels were having a pillow fight and the goose feathers down fell to our humble homes. Winter truly was the most enchanting season.

A twinkling sound of jingle bells informs me that I have a message from the President, President Willow. President Willow's full name was Bonus Willow, but none of us escorts were close enough to the young female President to call her so. What kind of a name is Bonus, I mused.

I take the thin golden bracelet from the side table I keep beside my plush and plump bed. I place it around my left wrist, pressing it once before a frazzled picture fuzzes before me soon after becoming easier to see. The screen before me is of a translucent colour and I can clearly see the young President. She has ivory coloured skin and her cheeks are coloured by a soft shade of pink, the same hue as her thin lips, her hair is of a short style and of a black shade, it is worn in a bob and embellished by a large amount of roses sitting on top of her head. She was wearing a dress, the same colour as the blood red roses upon her head, this dress was strapless and showed way too much of her bust.

"Winter Dowry, good morning," she always greeted me the same way, her voice brittle and uneasy on the ears, much like her dress.

I smiled in response, listening her ramble on about the importance of the games and how each year needlessly twenty three children needed to be slaughtered in hopes of keeping the peace. The peace that was evidently destroyed by murdering innocent children. I was no fan of the games, due to the fact none of my tributes were yet to win and the fact I would become so attached the young girls and boys that would die right before my eyes. Last year a twin brother and sister, Oak and Sunflower both died in the blood bath and it broke my heart in two and the broken halves were like splinters, piercing through my broken flesh.

"You understand the importance of these games, Winter?" she asked, worrying that I didn't fully support the child murdering games, which I didn't, but she didn't need to know that.

I nodded, grinning making sure my performance was as believable as possible. I couldn't have her believing that I was against her in any way possible. I didn't want my head on the block, alongside my family members, I couldn't live with myself if my family were to be hurt. I would never sleep again if their blood was on my hands.

I signed off of the communicator and took it off my wrist, making my way to the bath room to cleanse before dressing for my big day. The walls were tiled with blue tiles that matched the dress I would be wearing later on today, I had picked the dress as it matched perfectly with the blue and white hues of the snow outside, covering the land and dusting the trees with what looked like powder.

I walked up to the sound wave shower, a tall podium with three valves on it, with three buttons in green, pink and blue. I pick green, it being my favourite flavour, pine wood. When stepping near it, four walls shoot up from the ground to protect my modesty. A vibrating sensation tickled my flesh and created a sort of numbness across each inch of my skin. I see circles of green and black surrounding me, rubbing against my hair and my skin. Every fibre of my body was being attacked by the numbness, but surprisingly it was rather calming and soothing. The circles made a small buzzing sound and smelt faintly of pine wood. I turned around so my back could absorb the wonderful sound waves that had been enhanced to cleanse me. The tingling consumed me in a lovely sensation of lack of feeling, warmth and pine wood. Lots and lots of pine wood.

I get out of the shower and make my way back to my bedroom. The room has a carpeted floor, the bristles soft underneath my bare feet. The carpet was a pink hue, and made of a fabric sourced in one of the worse of districts, but hell did they know how to make carpets. The walls were painted a soft cream hue and decorated with many paintings I have collected on my travels. My favourite one was of a place called England, I had read of it in fairy tales and I was excited to find art on a place I thought was full of princesses and romance.

It was a painting, most likely painted with water based paint, judging from the strokes of the brush used. The painting is a picture of a sea of violets and bluebells, in amongst the abyss of green grass, all shades of different greens, ranging from a light lime shade to a deep forest green. The flowers reach up to the sun, which stretches from the vibrant blue sky above to the floor of the canopy below. Large trees are dominating the skyline, creating a canopy of wide shading leaves, absorbing most of the rays of sun that came from the big sphere of light and gas in the sky. A fluffy abundance of white clouds, roam through the sky and settle in the vibrant blue painted sky. It was beautifully painted and extremely realistic.

I walked over to my wardrobe and pulled back the dark brown sliding door and I am met with the sight of an array of beautiful colours and fabrics. I am overwhelmed and excited by the large amounts clothes I could wear but I had already selected to wear to the Reaping, I wanted to mix with the weather and my name, winter so I picked an ice themed dress. I pull the velvet dress from the wardrobe and feeling the soft fabric under my fingertips, it was warm and lovely to touch.

I pull the dress over my head and smooth out of the creases with my hands before looking to the long mirror before me. My dress was an icy blue shade and covered my embroidered icicles and snowflakes around the bodice and going down to the long flowing skirt, it was followed by a long white train, with more snowflakes on the train that will trail across the floor giving my walk flamboyance and style. Hopefully I would look gorgeous at this year's reaping. I looked at my appearance in the mirror sighing slightly, feeling not the beautiful women I wanted to be. My skin was a coffee shade and blended well with my dark chocolate brown eyes, and the tint of blush in my full and slightly chubby cheeks. My full lips were painted a sparkly lilac shade, my personal favourite lip gloss. My dark brown hair was in its natural ringlets and falls to sculpt my face, the dark brown hair faded to a golden honey blonde, which I thought was rather stylish. The dress hugged my curvy figure nicely and I knew I would be getting wolf whistles yet again from the old men in the crowd. I shuddered at the thought.

I walk out of the house, closing the dark wooden door behind me as I left without eating. I knew we would be eating a large feast on the train so I made sure not to eat loads before boarding the train we would be riding up until we reached the Capitol.

As I walked down the snow covered streets of District Four, listening to the clacking of my heels against the pavement. I watched the twinkling snowflakes fall from sky, twirling in the brisk wind which brushed against my cheek, like an unwanted kiss.

I saw the podium behind the gates to Reaping area by the large imposing building of town hall. It was a large grey, brick building with the white flag of Panem hanging from the spire at the top of the building. The doors were made of glass and had golden handles to open the door and meet with the Mayor Senior. He was gruff old man who was well known for favouring his family members and friends over other more needy members of his district, no one could oppose him though. He was the mayor and they were simply people. That was the wonder of Panem, there were millions of us, but we were all voiceless.

I walked up to the birch coloured stage, my heels still clacking against the wood. I walk up to the large black marble podium, taping on the microphone once, testing it was working. I smile brightly to the whole of District Four, my voice bright and chipper as it could be.

"Welcome District Four, to the Fortieth annual Hunger Games, may the odds be ever in your favour!" I beamed at the emotionless faces before me.

Yet again I would watch young people die for no reason. God I hate my life sometimes.

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, You and I'll be safe and sound. ~ Taylor Swift, Safe and Sound

Hello Panem!

I am sooooo exicted about the ever looming Mockingjay Part 2, so excited that I had to write a story about the games!

In this story your tributes will be put in an arena and forced to fight to the death in hopes of gaining a better life outside of the games and back in Panem. This story will be set way before Katniss' time so there will be no signs of our beautiful and courageous mockingjay! Sorry Katniss lovers, that just the way this story has to be.

Rules: No Mary-Sues or Gary-Stus, but that's a given. ONLY submissions through PM! (If you are a guest you can submit but I won't post your review just copy down your tribute) DETAIL FOR GOODNESS SAKES PEOPLE! If you say stuff like "brown hair and blue eyes." I won't hesitate to delete your character on the spot. Also you can submit up to three tributes but one must be a bloodbath tribute.

Please be original and don't use normal names, make sure they're hunger games names. Also I'm totally open to LGBT tributes, I love diversity and I am a massive gay rights supporter! Also be the same with nationality! Drop me a review, you're more likely to get your tribute in if you do so!

Name:

Age:

Nickname:

Nationality:

District:

Reaped/Volunteer:

Reaction/Reason:

Reaping Outfit

Appearance: (Include clothes)

Personality:

Backstory:

Family:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Favourite Weapon:

Interview Outfit:

Interview Angle:

Bloodbath tribute:

Tactics:

Fears:

Preferred Death:

Sexuality:

Romance:

Extra Info:

Have fun submitting and I'll see you all soon!

~I've been Jotunheim Storm~

Thanks xoxo