Author's Note: I am going to be writing each chapter from either the tributes' POV and the Gamemakers' POV.
CHAPTER ONE: THE REAPINGS (GAMEMAKERS)
The reaping ceremony was today, and I was watching closely to note each of the tributes' strengths and weaknesses and to know who is going to be in the Games. My job was to take notes on the tributes' weaknesses. My coworker, who I was close friends with, was noting about their strengths. First were the reapings from One. A girl named Sheen with excellent muscles, but a habit of wringing her hands together, stepped up calmly. Then the boy, Gemm, who had a malicious look in his eyes and practically bounded onto the stage volunteered. I wrote down for the girl, "nervous tic" and the boy "no self-restraint". Then on to Two.
The girl, Betha, had a short stature but a cold look in her eyes as she greedily dashed up on stage and avoided the cameras. The boy, Osher, greeted them, tried to draw attention to himself by jumping over the fence that kept them penned in on his way to the stage. I wrote down "arrogance" for him and that the girl was shy and cold and a little on the small side.
District Three had a very different feel, as the escort gleefully proclaimed, "Ladies first!" as they are all required to do. Her name was Samantha Meyer. The girl was a scrawny kid with a profound lack of muscle. She was tripping over her feet as she made her way up. The boy's name was Edgar Othins and he had a better-fed look and a vaguely surprised look on his face as he trudged up the steps to the stage. The wind whistled when the escort asked for volunteers. I jotted down that Edgar was inattentive and that Samantha had poor motor skills.
District Four had the usual muscled volunteers, but something else interesting. Two girls volunteered after each other. They looked alike and I realized that one was volunteering for her sister. She wasn't allowed to, though. It was illegal to take a volunteer's place. I wrote down the usual arrogance for both tributes. The girl's name was Imber and the boy's name was Opthalmius.
In District Five, a young girl named Eve and an older-looking boy named Alf are called. They look poor and tired, both of them. I write those both down for them. An additional weakness for the girl is her youth. She isn't old enough to survive long.
District Six is its usual as well. A small girl with rosy cheeks named Iris and a thin, tall boy named Itus who, curiously, had some muscles. I wrote down that they were both starving.
Districts Seven, Eight, and Nine are the usual scrawny kids who are half-starving to death. The girls are Cleo, Bess, and Lal. The boys are Ridgen, Eston, and Blon. Then on to District Ten. A boy named Cletus and a girl named Marce are called up. Marce has a volunteer take her place, a muscled girl who doesn't look much like her, named Ellk. I jot down weak, starving, all the usuals. Ellk is the only one who doesn't have weak next to her name.
District Eleven is next, with a girl whose name is Rustica and a boy named Triticum. Nobody volunteers for them because, well, District Eleven isn't exactly known for having victors. Triticum is unusually short and slim, and he moves like he is part of the scenery. But Rustica seems to be making an effort to step on every foot and branch she can, and I realize she is limping, which is definitely important to record. I write down for Triticum that allies could easily overlook him because they may not notice him. It's a joke, really. The last thing a boy from Eleven needs is allies that could take him easily that he might also bond with.
District Twelve, the lowliest, poorest district in all of Panem. Me and my coworkers have a running joke that whenever someone mentions District Twelve or weaknesses, somebody says, "Just put down 'everything' for Twelve." The girl's name is Pruna Ashbex. The boy is Foculus Brenx. Jotting down that they are both starving and weak, I turn off the television as it turns to more ads urging you to watch this year's Hunger Games.
END OF CHAPTER ONE