The 83rd Hunger Games: District 4

Hello! I am Glimmer (a.k.a Alice) and this is my Hunger Games story! It was originally just Clove (a.k.a Laken) reading this but I thought what the hey, we have a Fan Fiction account; I'll post it on there! So I will probably update every Tuesday or Friday. Please read, review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games that is Suzanne Collins. Just Elyce's story came from my mind.

Chapter 1

District 4. My home by the sea. A Career District. I suppose the Hunger Games should excite me then. Training day and night to be a ruthless killer; a victor. My family is one of those. My parents hoping for one of my brothers or me to bring honor to our District. But I'm not like that. I'm not a Career. My nine-year-old brother, Eli, can already wield a knife better than I.

I sigh, slipping on a short grey-green dress that matches my eyes perfectly. It poufs out under a thin grey band at my waist. The dress ends right above my knees. It's pretty and I like dressing up but it seems useless to dress up for the reaping. If I were to be reaped I would want to be in something intimidating.

I decide to leave my hair down. It cascades down my back in blonde waves; similar to the blue waves of the ocean here. Except my hair doesn't have fish in it. I slip on a pair of grey flats. A quick glance in the mirror shows me how beautiful I look, but also how non-threatening. I'm so skinny it's almost freakish. The thin straps do nothing to hide it. I do always get enough to eat though. I'm a normal height for a 17-year-old girl, maybe a little tall, but I think it only adds to the skinniness.

"Good," says my mother when she sees me. "Even if you don't have a nice personality or many skills you still might be able to get some sponsors with your looks." Isn't she such a loving, supportive mother? I nod in acknowledgement.

"Be confident when you volunteer," she tells me. I nod again. Ha, she thinks I'm volunteering. What a fool my mother is. My family walks with me to the town square where I am herded into the 17-year-old girls section.

"Elyce!" someone shouts. That's my name if you didn't know. Elyce Annya, I like my name, it suits me. Anyway, I turn around and see a frantically waving hand in the air. It's Chase; my best friend. I make my way through the crowd to her. "There you are, Elyce, I've been looking everywhere for you!" she says.

"Well I'm here now," I say.

"Yeah, duh, I can see that. I love your dress!"

I smile. "Thanks, I like yours too." And I'm not just saying that to be nice. Chase is wearing a small red dress. It's shorter than mine and shines in the sun. The dress has sparkly gold trim and small straps that run across the open back as well. It must have been very expensive; I know mine was. Chase's and my family are very rich. Our family trees put together have 14 victors in them.

A sudden hush falls over the crowd as District 4's blue-legged escort, Tala Suite, takes the stage. Tala has short spiky orange hair with long green streaks. She wears a ridiculously orange suit with green pinstripes to go with her hair and a matching short skirt.

"Happy 83rd Hunger Games!" she says into the microphone with her odd Capitol accent. "Now before we pick this year's lucky girl and boy to participate in the Games, I have a very special video brought to you from the Capitol!"

A film starts playing behind Tala. I pay no attention to it, as it's the same one they play every year. North America falls, Panem rises, the districts rebel, the 13th is obliterated, henceforth The Hunger Games, blah, blah, blah, we get it. Just pick someone already so I can go home!

Finally the video ends. "Alright!" says Tala, "As always, ladies first!" She walks towards a huge glass ball that sort of looks like a fish bowl. She dips in her hand and snatches a piece of paper, like an animal catching its prey. Tala returns to the microphone at center stage. Carefully she unfolds the paper.

"Sainya Drace," Tala reads. I wince on the inside. Sainya's a friend. Not a good friend but we're friends enough to know that she can't go into the Games. Her parents are dead and she had 5 younger siblings to care for. They all live with her on-the-brink-of-death grandmother. Sainya can't go.

I see her walk up the steps to the stage with a pale face and shaking legs. Then there's shouting. "I volunteer!" someone yells. Wait; was that me? It was. And I can't take it back. Sainya is looking at me from her spot next to Tala. 'No,' she mouths to me.

"A volunteer!" exclaims Tala, as if it were something completely foreign to this District of bloodthirsty Careers. "Well come on up, darling!" I walk up the stairs and Sainya passes me.

"Why did you do that?" she hisses at me. I don't reply. Instead I keep walking up the steps, hoping my face doesn't reveal the fear I feel. I reach Tala and turn to face the people of my District.

"What's your name?" Tala asks me.

"Elyce Annya," I reply, my words devoid of any emotion.

"Congratulations, Elyce," says Tala. "Now the boys!" She walks over to the opposite end of the stage and sinks her hand into the boys bowl. Just like before, she plucks up a slip of paper and strides back over to the microphone.

"Lane Traig." Hmm…doesn't sound familiar to me. A tall, strong, dark brown haired boy that looks about 18 walks up onto the stage. There's something in his eyes that says this is what he's waited for. A Career for sure. We shake hands. His are warm and firm. I'm sure mine are cold and clammy like a fish.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor," says Tala. She promptly escorts us off the stage and into the arms of the Peacekeepers. They lead us to separate rooms within the Justice Building. I sit down on a sea green couch that's in front of a huge window with a view of the ocean.

Suddenly the door opens. My father, mother, and brothers step in. My parents are smiling proudly. Eric, my 3-year-old brother, toddles over and climbs into my lap. "Congratulations," my mother says. "Remember; use your looks to your advantage." Nice words of advice mom, I think to myself. That's the nicest way to tell your daughter to act like Finnick Odair; the sex symbol of the Capitol as many people used to call him. But now he's married to Annie Cresta; a slightly not-right-in-the-head girl. It's the Games that caused it. One of them will probably be my mentor now that I think of it. My mother will love that. Like literally, I'm not kidding.

"Good job," says my father. "Now all you have to do is win." And that's all they say. Finally my other little brother Eli comes up to me. He's the only one that seems to register the danger of what I'm getting into. Eli looks at me with a solemn face and takes my hand.

"Try your best, you can win," he says. His voice is hoarse and I can tell he's trying not to cry for me.

"I will. I promise, for you," I say, looking straight into his eyes.

"Good luck," my mother says. She picks Eric up out of my lap and Eli lets go of my hand. They are ushered out the door by a pair of Peacekeepers. I'm alone for a minute. Then the door opens again and Chase walks in.

"Oh, Elyce," she says, sitting down beside me. We're silent for a moment. "You do have a chance you know. You'll be able to fake your way into being a Career. You're decent with a spear. You're pretty, well…not as pretty as me," she with a feeble laugh. What's funny is that most people consider us twins. Same long blonde hair, same height, same face. The only thing that's different is our eyes. Hers are blue-grey and mine are green-grey. But barely anyone notices that.

"Thanks Chase."

She wraps me up in a hug. "Oh, hey, I have something for you," Chase says, pulling away. She reaches into her purse and takes out a ring. "Here, you can use it as your District token." She hands the ring to me. It has a silver band with a deep blue, circle shaped sapphire on it. A patch of black fishnet covers the gem.

"Oh thank you, Chase, it's beautiful."

"You're welcome." Chase stands up. "Just try to like…have fun in the Capitol or something, 'kay?"

"Okay," I say, somehow pulling up a short laugh. And with that Chase leaves. I know she's not one for long goodbyes. I'm alone for longer. Finally the door opens for a last time. It's Sainya, the girl I volunteered for. I wasn't expecting her.

"I want to keep this short, Elyce," she tells me. "Just listen. Thank you. I'm not sure why you did it but thank you." Before I can say a word she's gone. I twirl the ring Chase gave me around my finger nervously. It is quite pretty actually.

Tala Suite walks in to escort Lane and I to the Tribute Train. Swarms of cameras and reporters surround the station. I stare ahead of me at a green streak in Tala's hair; no one ever waves to the cameras. It's all saved for the Capitol. Lane is behind me, probably staring at the back of my head.

I step up the stairs and the silver doors seal shut behind Lane. This is probably the last time I'll ever see my District. I notice Lane doesn't look as confident as he was during the Reaping.

"This way, this way!" pipes Tala. She goes on about the luxuries the Capitol provides on the train but I don't listen. My mind is blank. And for now that's just fine.

So did you like it? I know, it's a little fast and boring but I promise, it gets better once she arrives at the Capitol. Please review! It will motivate me to write more and you will get to learn more about Elyce's story.