Thor Koriskove

I was going to volunteer for the Games this year. Simple as that.

I don't know what made me wait for so long, but after what my brother told me this morning, I would not hesitate one single second before yelling, 'I volunteer'.

Face it, lil' bro, you're not going to last 2 days into the game.

I don't understand my family. Couldn't they see my determination? As if my reputation in the training centre wasn't enough. I'm strong, I'm going to win the games, why don't they see it? Instead, they have to treat me like I'm a fucking shadow of my brother's. Oh, your brother won the games, he's so strong, he's so good-looking, he's so good at this and that. Please. But it doesn't matter, I'm going to win. I'm going to show them this year.

"So, you're going to volunteer, huh?" His friend, Carlo asked.

"Yeah," I answered, straightening my white dress shirt.

"Good luck man," he said, slapping him on the back.

I rolled my eyes and stared straight at him. "Do you really think I need it?"

Carlo shrugged, and we focused back to Harlow. She had dyed her hair a crazy yellow this year, and her skin was deathly white, with yellow around her eyes. Somehow, I thought of a giraffe. "Welcome to the 70th Hunger Games! Let's welcome our mayor to give a speech!"

The mayor claims the microphone, and of course, says the speech he says every single year. How we, district one has won so many games, how the games were initiated, why it was initiated and district pride. I barely even listened.

Spencer Laurette MacDowell

I didn't really give a damn about what I was going to wear to the reaping. I know I was supposed to be all fancy, presentable and polite and blah fucking blah. So, I just grabbed the nearest piece of clothing and pulled it on, which turned out to be a brown leather bra with leather fringes hanging down. It looked quite nice on me, so I shrugged and pulled on a pair of leather skinnies.

To get my hair out of the way, I just piled it on top of my head in a bun and left some face framing pieces.

"I'm going to the reaping, ma!" I shouted to my mother, who was probably making breakfast or something.

As I walked, I thought of training. I had trained pretty hard, and I liked it that way. Somehow, training relaxed me and made me feel at ease. I suppose it would probably make my father and mother proud if I won the games. Which I might, since I train so hard anyways. Maybe I should volunteer then.

Idiot, I don't want to die.

I really don't understand sometimes, how my 'fellow training mates' had to go and volunteer themselves for the games just to die. I would rather kill myself than to volunteer, it was so derogatory. Making us fight each other to death? What were we, bulldogs?

Besides, who's going to feed Toko if I go into the arena?

I smiled affectionately as I thought of Toko. I remember when I found little Toko on the street. Granted, he was a mutt, but he was extremely loyal. I mean, he waited for me every morning and walked me to training, then afterwards, he would walk me home after training. He didn't need for me to talk much, and I appreciated that. He was probably the only friend I had.

"Ladies first!"

I watched as Harlow plunged her hand into the reaping bowl and come out with one little slip of paper. She opened it up and started to read, "Janelle Snowski!"

"No!" Came a ear-piercing scream. I frowned, it seemed all too familiar for me...

"Please, I swear, I'll do anything, please not this..."

I turned to watch a little blonde girl of only 12 starting to walk towards the stage. "No! Not my baby, please! Please!" The woman walked forwards, only to be stopped by the Peacekeepers.

She was the woman...

The blonde angel started up the stage.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

Thor Koriskove

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

I snapped my head towards the girl who had just volunteered. The girl walked to the stage, pushing the little girl black. I watched her curiously. She wasn't a 'real' Career. If she was a 'real' Career, she would have volunteered earlier. District one girl, weakness number one: little blonde girls.

I studied her as she stood on the stage.

Short, about 5 feet. She's defintely very skinny, with medium tanned skin and freckles scattered over her nose and cheekbones. Dark brown eyes that lighten in the light, and dark brown hair that has dark blonde highlights. Great figure. I smirked, satisfied with her physique.

As she stood on the stage, she narrowed her eyes and stood very casually. "What's your name, darling?" Harlow asked.

"Spencer MacDowell," she answered uncaringly.

That girl's got sass.

"How old are you?"

"17, any more questions you want to ask?" She asked sarcastically, obviously annoyed by Harlow. I chuckled to myself. I'm going to have fun with this one.

Harlow shuffled uncomfortably, and turned back to the crowd. "All right, for the boys now!" She put her hand back into the reaping bowl and pulled out a slip of paper. "Clov Hades!"

A boy of barely sixteen sprinted to the stage, ready to claim his place as a tribute. However, I stepped out into the clearing and bellowed, "I volunteer."

I watched the boy try to protest, and shoot him a killer glare. He shrunk back into the crowds and let me take my rightful place as a tribute. I smirked at the crowds and Harlow asked me for my name. "Thor Koriskove."

Harlow took both of our hands and raised them up. "Let's welcome our tributes this year, Thor Koriskove and Spencer MacDowell! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" She exclaimed as the crowd burst into applause.

I narrowed my eyes to look at the girl next to me. I'd seen her at training, but I've never talke to her or paid close attention to her before. I don't think she's even going to be competition.

Spencer Laurette MacDowell

My family had come in to say the usual, "I'm so proud of you, darling! Remember to win!"

I'd replied with the usual eyebrow raise.

But then, an unexpected visitor came in. "Thank you! Thank you so much! My daughter would've died if it wasn't for you," the woman whose daughter I had volunteered for said, hugging me tightly. I struggled, a bit uncomfortable with her so close to me.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so grateful..."

"It's just right. I didn't get to save you before, so I'll save your daughter," I said quietly and gravely.

She frowned, obviously not understanding what I was talking about. I smiled slightly. "I really don't understand."

"Yes, I know. You wouldn't recognise me, I was only five years old when it happened."

"You're the little girl who tried to save me at the... incident..." The woman said, awestruck. Again, she leaned forwards to hug her again. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I'll do anything it takes to get you out of the arena."

"Thanks," I said stiffly, before pushing her away, as Peacekeepers are starting to come in.

I let my brain run a flashback as I ride the train to the Capitol.

I was just casually walking down the street, ready to give some strawberries to my neighbors when I came upon this strange sound in the alley. Curious, I walked into the alley to take a look. I saw a man holding a knife at the woman.

At that time, I didn't understand what was going in. He had snatched her wallet away from her, and was starting to pull her shirt off. "What are you doing! What do you want from her! Stop i-"

And he turned around, and slashed the knife at me. I immediately turned around, and he opened a gash in my back. I stumbled, crying out slightly before I kept on running.

I think that was the day I stopped socialing. I used to be a social butterfly, everyone knew me. But then, I realised how fucked up humaity truly was. It changed my views on everything. I realised how selfish people really were, how untrustable they were.

That day changed me.

Thor Koriskove

"You're very quiet," I noted, staring at Spencer, who hasn't said anything during the train ride.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. I shrugged, and turned away from her. She was no fun at all. Maybe some other tribute will actually know how to keep a conversation. I turned on the televison set and watched the reapings again. I turned out the way I wanted myself to be, and Spencer looked unforgiving.

I watched, and made a note in my head to the ones who stuck out.

District 2 girl looked fierce, and was a Career. District 2 boy. District 4 boy looked too pussy to be a Career, and to top it off, he hadn't volunteered. District 4 girl stuck out to me. She was obviously a Career, she had the arrogance, and she obviously knew she was pretty, from the way she sent winks at the camera. Be careful of District 4 girl. District 7 boy. He had a lot of muscles and seemed to be pretty strong.

The others, I could probably take them out in one go.

I'm going to win, I hope my family sees that.