Hey guys, the story is officially starting!
In this chapter we have Regal Nixon created by NorthEastChild and Phoenix Quill created by unicorn5ever. I think it's a very interesting mix of tributes.
Hope you enjoy (:
Regal Nixon, 17
My eyes slowly fluttered open and I was met by my own reflection staring back at me. My light brown messy hair covered my eyes blocking half of my vision. It took me a few seconds to register that I was lying on the floor, my face next to my mirror-door. I lifted my head from the carpet and rubbed my head. I sat up and glanced at my bed, the blanket was tossed halfway off the bed. It's not that rare for me to wake up on the floor. Let's just say that I'm a kinda restless sleeper… Okay, okay a very restless sleeper.
I stood up, stretching my limbs and groaning. Something sparked inside of me when I realized what today was. I grinned a bit and then decided to go for a quick shower.
After getting out of the shower I grabbed the clothes that I had chosen yesterday: Tan pants and a light blue button down which complemented my golden skin quite well. I ruffled some hair wax through my shaggy hair and headed downstairs.
The house was empty, as usual. I was used to it by now but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Don't get me wrong or anything, I'm not an orphan, but my parents just aren't around very often. Work, that's their excuse. And besides, even when they are home they never show any interest in me. But today is the day that I will show them what I'm worth. When I started training a few years ago it was never my intention to volunteer, I simply did it because I found comfort in training. It made me release all my anger and just be peaceful. But now I know that it is the right thing to do. I'll show my parents what I'm capable of and when I return as victor they sure as hell won't ignore me.
I started whistling a soft tune while I grabbed a picnic basket. I loaded it with some homemade triangle-shaped sandwiches, strawberries, two apples, a bottle of orange juice, two plastic cups and two plastic forks.
I know I don't seem like the guy who goes to picnics, but I have this tradition going on. See my girlfriend, Nastia, and I do this every year. It started when we were 12, she wasn't my girlfriend at that time yet. She was so nervous about the Reapings and I decided, as her best friend, that I should make her relax a bit. So we went for a picnic in the morning. Surprisingly it did help her calm down, so now it's like our little tradition.
My best friend, Champ, always teases me that I turn into a soft mushy guy when I'm around Nastia. And he is kinda right, since I am a bit of a tough person. However, Nastia brings out the nice guy in me. Not that I'm complaining, I feel genuinely happy around her and that's what matters the most.
I hear a soft knock before I see Nastia through the small window in the door. I open the door smiling, she hugs me tightly and I twirl her around as she giggles in my ear. I gently place her on the ground again and she skips inside.
"You ready?" she asks as I close the door.
"Yup, just let me grab the basket and we'll be good to go." I say walking into the kitchen and grabbing the food-filled basket. She follows me and I see that her long platinum hair is braided back. She has a delicate white ribbon on the side of her head and her bright blue eyes sparkle as she takes my hand and almost drags me to the door.
"Whoa, someone's excited" I laugh as I lock the door and we start walking.
"Well, yeah. I'm not worried about today" she exclaims happily. That is quite unusual for Nastia, but I'm glad she's so relaxed.
"That's good" I say.
"You know that girl Bryna. She's a year older than us. She is gonna volunteer this year so I don't have to be worried. Even if I get picked, she will happily replace me. And I heard some rumors about Buck volunteering, so we're both safe." Nastia says as she swings our hands back and forth.
I struggle trying to keep a casual smile on my face. See, there's one little flaw in my plan of becoming victor… Nastia doesn't know that I'm volunteering. I just couldn't tell her. She would be shattered and it would only make things harder. I know it's unbelievably cruel of me to keep it from her, but I just can't do it.
"Great, oh look we're here" I say changing the subject. The sight of the daisy-filled field makes a small sigh of appreciation escape my lips. We discovered this field once when we were playing hide and seek, it's usually empty. It seems that not many people are aware of its existence.
Nastia folded out a piece of cloth for us to sit on. We sat down and enjoyed our fabulous breakfast, joking and goofing around continuously. When we finished eating Nastia put her head on my lap and I started stroking her soft hair.
"I love you, you know that right" she said softly. My heart rate fastened a bit and I smiled. I bent down and kissed her cheek.
"I love you too" I say
"As much as I would love to lie here all day, I think we have to head to the square." She says sitting up a bit. I groan but nod in agreement. We packed up everything and started walking to the square.
Halfway there we meet Champ.
"Hey guys" He greets as he walks towards us. We greet him back and the three of us start to chat about random topics.
Once we're there Nastia gets separated from Champ and I as we go stand with the other 17-year old guys.
Adrenaline starts pumping through my veins as I think about what I am going to do. Levya, our district escort walks onto the stage with a huge smile plastered on her face. This year she has chosen to dye her hair a deep shade of purple, charming.
She greets us and then the boring old Capitol movie that we see every year gets played on the screen.
"Let's see who our lucky lady is" Levya says digging her fingers in the girls' bowl. She fishes out one slip of paper and unfolds it. Clearing her throat, she says "Phoenix Quill". Everyone knows that Byrna is going to volunteer so they all wait for her to do that. But she doesn't. I hear a few murmurs among the girls.
"Phoenix honey, please come up here" Levya says. A confused and slightly scared redhead appears on the stage and I recognize her immediately, she goes to my school and I think we have a few classes together. Then again she's easily distinguishable because of her fiery red curls.
"Moving on to the boys" Levya says. I don't wait for her to even walk to the glass bowl.
"I volunteer" I blurt out. It sounded mature and tough, just like I had rehearsed it. Besides me Champ nudged me asking for an explanation but I ignore him.
I walk to the stage confidently and try to ignore the horrified looks Nastia and Champ were giving me.
"Fantastic!" Levya exclaims. "Now what's your name darling?"
"My name is Regal Nixon" I say smiling steadily.
"Let's put our hands together for our tributes of the 90th annual Hunger Games ladies and gentlemen" Levya says bouncing with excitement. "Oh and you two shake hands" she laughs.
I look at Phoenix and she shakes my hand with a somewhat mocking expression in her eyes. I narrow my eyes a bit in confusion, she was scared and confused just a second ago. She noticed my own confusion and winked quickly. Okay then.
We were taken to separate rooms to say goodbye. This was the moment I was dreading most. I knew Nastia and Champ were gonna be mad at me for doing this. The door opened and I braced myself for the shouting.
But instead of seeing Nastia and Champ, I was met by the face of my mother. She walked in and was swiftly followed by my father. I really hadn't expected them here.
"What are you doing here?" I ask. My mum opens her mouth several times to say something but then decides against it.
"Son, we do not know why you have decided to do this but we want you to know that we support you" my father spoke. I was genuinely caught off guard by this. They support me? An emotion that I didn't recognize flooded over me.
"We love you Regal" my mother said awkwardly. But it felt right. I appreciated them coming and I knew that this was the right choice to make. My parents are already noticing me more and the games haven't even started yet.
There were muffled screams coming from outside the room and my parents looked behind them. I recognized the voice as Nastia's and I think they did too.
"Well, we'll leave you with your friends now" my dad said "Good luck" he patted my back.
"We believe in you!" My mum said before opening the door and disappearing.
Nastia immediately stormed in her face red and her eyes puffy, Champ followed close behind.
"Why?" she whispered before she collapsed. Champ caught her in time and I stood up to take her from him.
"Hey, hey it's gonna be okay" I shushed her as she cried into my chest. Champ didn't look too happy either.
"I just don't understand why you didn't tell us" he says.
"Guys, I couldn't" I started. "I am so sorry, but you don't have to worry I will come back I promise.
Nastia lifted her head from my chest and looked at me teary eyed. I cupped her face in my hand and wiped away the tears.
"Nastia, I love you and you just have to believe in me alright?" she sniffed and nodded. I stood up and faced Champ. "I'm trained, I can do this" I said to him.
"I know you can" he says hugging me. Champ is like a brother to me, and right then and there that's when I felt how strong our connection is.
The peacekeeper signaled that it's time for them to leave. Nastia rushed over and kissed me, I tasted her salty tears but it didn't matter, I held on to her and when I released her the peacekeeper had to pull her out of the room.
Just before the door closed I could hear Champ yelling "See you soon buddy"
Soon, I will return as victor.
Phoenix Quill, 17
They were taking her away from me. They were dragging her away from me. Away from us.
"Stop" I yelled, my voice sounding shrill. I wanted to run after her but I was glued on the spot. "Do something" I screamed at my dad who was standing motionlessly next to me.
They took her and she didn't resist. She just accepted her fate. She stared blankly ahead as if she was already dead. They made her stand in the middle of the square, on a wooden box. They then draped a thick rope around her neck. With one swift movement the box was kicked away from under her.
"NO!" I cried. But it was no use. Her feet were dangling in the wind and her vacant face was fixed on a point far in the distance.
I looked around and suddenly I was all alone. It was just me. Just me and my mother's corpse that hung in front of my eyes. I collapsed on the ground and started wheezing, struggling to get any air into my lungs.
I jolted up with sweat trickling down my face. I looked around and realized I was in my bed, in my room. I sighed and covered my face with my hands.
Why don't all the nightmares just leave me alone? I know why a small voice in my head said because they are memories. I slapped my cheeks and ordered myself to be calm.
The voice was right though. I keep having the same two dreams. The dreams about my parents' deaths. I can fight them off when I'm awake but the memories always seem to find a way to haunt me in my sleep.
I actually had a pretty nice life before, I was one of the happiest girls in the districts. Then after my twelfth birthday I started noticing and feeling the tension in the atmosphere at home. See somehow my mother got involved in the protest of District four. When a peacekeeper got shot in the head, and my mum was found carrying a gun, they immediately blamed her for killing the man. She didn't do it, in fact my mum had a license for the gun. But the peacekeepers ignored all of this and she was hung publicly for everyone to see.
You'd think losing one parent was hard enough, well it actually got worse. My dad couldn't handle the loss of his wife, so he started drinking. It would get worse every day, I would find him lying unconscious on the sofa and one time he was so drunk he even mistook me for my mum, who was by then dead for almost a year.
Then there's my aunt Kellis. She started living with us when she and her husband got divorced. When my mum died, aunt Kellis started hating my dad for some reason. She believed with all her heart that somehow it was all his fault. She was kinda crazy.
And that's how I knew that she did it. She killed my father and made it look like suicide. If you search for him in the hospital records you'll see that the reason of his death was an overdose of heroin. The doctors weren't sure if it was on purpose or if it was an accident, however they all believed that he had done it to himself.
But see here's the little fault in that idea: My father never used drugs. Ever. So how would you explain that he used drugs one time and immediately died of an overdose? No, my aunt did it. That monster. I can't even stand to look at her. Sadly, she has legal custody of me now that both of my parents are gone. I hate her.
"Phoenix, are you up?"
Speaking of the Devil…
"What" I shout back.
"Come downstairs and help me will you?" she yells from downstairs.
I grunt and get out of my bed walking downstairs. As soon as she sees me she hands me three heavy cardboard boxes. I struggle with their weight before I huff out "What's in these things?"
"Oh just some old stuff I found in the basement. Now go carry them to my room would you?" She walks away before I can answer her, the witch.
Of course she can't be bothered to do it herself. She's always moaning about something, this week she's trying to convince me that she hurt her back while doing yoga. So now I'm supposed to do all her chores.
I dump the heavy boxed in front of her room and hurry back to my own. What a great start to a great day! I groaned thinking about today's Reapings.
I shouldn't actually be worried because Byrna is gonna volunteer today, so there's no way I'll get shipped off to the Capitol. It's just that I hate these freaking games. They remind me of the Capitol which remind me of my parents. And besides, they're beyond cruel.
I decide I might as well get changed. I open my closet and pick out a nice white knee-long dress which is slightly ruffled at the end and near the collar.
After I put it on I glance at myself in the mirror. My red curly hair forms a great contrast to the white fabric and I like it. I try to tame my wild hair with a bit of water and then let it flow nicely down my back, pinning it with a few bobby pins.
I inspect my face, I never wear any make up. In fact I hate it because it's something Capitol people put on. I sigh as I remember my mum telling me that I would be gorgeous with it. She used to wear a bit of it and she was absolutely stunning with or without it. I have her eyes, that's what everyone says. They were quite unique and I'm glad I inherited them. They are a mix of green and light brown. Sometimes one color dominates the other but it depends on the light.
I leave the house without another word to aunt Kellis. I wait for Mari outside of her house and soon enough she comes out and attacks me with a hug.
"Finn!" she squeals. I swear it's like this girl is happy 24/7.
I smile a bit.
"Hey Mari"
I saw that she was dressed in a frilly pink and white dress and some glittery pink boots. The pink of her dress matched her bubblegum pink her perfectly. Some people find Mari's style odd and weird but I like how she's just being herself.
Mari is a Capitol girl, but she moved here with her mum a few years back. And I know I hate every single thing related to the Capitol, but Mari is my best friend.
I don't even care that she's from the Capitol, I care about her with all my heart. And she's actually more like a District girl than most girls here. Like me, she hates the games.
"So, Byrna's volunteering huh" Mari says as she loops her arm in mine and starts walking.
"I heard, that dummy" Mari laughed at my response.
Soon enough, we arrived at the square which was already crowded with people. We had our blood marked and then we got in line with the other seventeen year old girls.
The district escort walks on stage smiling at us.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to the 90th Hunger Games" she gushes. "And now a special film brought to you all the way from the Capitol" she says backing away from the screen so we can see.
No one's really watching though, everyone knows this crap by heart now.
"Let's see who our lucky lady is" Levya beams after the film finishes. It doesn't actually matter because in a few seconds Byrna is gonna volunteer.
Levya is unaware of that so she digs her hand into the bowl full of papers. She picks one and unfolds it.
"Phoenix Quill" she says. It echoes in my mind a few times before I realize she's called my name. I blink and search the crowd for Byrna who will volunteer any second now.
But the seconds pass and Byrna stays silent.
"Phoenix honey, please come up here" I hear Levya say.
No.
This isn't supposed to happen. I hear the murmurs rise around me and realize it's not gonna happen, she's not gonna volunteer. I look around me irritated one more time before I walk up to the stage confidently. Or at least that's what I'm trying to look like.
Take it easy Finn. I breathe out slowly scanning the crown before me and seeing a pale Byrna in the front row. She looks as if she's gonna throw up. I can't believe she chickened out at the last moment. Ugh.
I'm trying my best not to look scared as Levya clears her throat.
"Moving on to the boys" she says but before she could step away someone volunteers. "Fantastic"
He walks up to the stage and recognize Regal. Great, I'm going in these games with some lunatic who willingly entered them.
He introduces himself and we shake hands.
I scold him and he looks confused. Well pretty boy I'm not gonna go down that easily. I wink at him before we're taken away into the Justice Building.
Time for the goodbyes.
Mari enters the room shakily.
"Hey Finn" she whispers. I pat the space on the sofa next to me and she sits down. She sighs and looks at me frightened.
"Mari I'm gonna be fine. You know I was trained when I was a kid, I can do this" I say trying to convince the both of us.
She looks at me again before hugging me tightly.
"This is for you, would you please keep it as your token?" She asks handing me a silver necklace. It has three small charms on it, a pink heart, a yellow flower and a light green dove.
"Of course, it's beautiful. Thank you Mari" I say hugging her back. Her shoulders are shaking a bit and I try to rub her back in comfort.
Before we know it it's time for Mari to leave. The peacekeeper guides her out as she wishes me good luck.
Once the door closes I close my eyes.
I was not gonna die, I couldn't die because of the Capitol.
Both of my parents died because of the Capitol and I was not gonna let the same thing happen to me.
I will come back, for my parents and for Mari who was the closest I had left to family.
Thinking about family I realized that aunt Kellis hadn't come to see me. Not that I wanted her to. I'm glad she didn't come. And when I come back as a victor I'll pretend like I don't even know her.
Hope you liked that! Feedback will be very much appreciated so please tell my what you think (:
xx Senna