Hey hey hey! Guess who's back again with another SYOT!

I decided to start during mid-Games in Rebellious Fate, just so everyone has a bit more time to submit and I can work on the Reapings faster. Closing dates, submission criteria and all that jazz will be addressed later on.

I'm so excited to start this! It's the sequel to Rebellious Fate. You don't really have to read RF to know who everybody is, but it will help a bit if you did. Most of these characters appeared in there.

But ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 7th annual Hunger Games!

James Lorein, 29
Rebel on the Run

"James, slow down!" Kenny yelped as he slipped on a puddle of melted slush. "You know that I can't run as fast as you."
I stopped, only to let Kenny catch up to me. Of course taking any breaks was a huge risk. By now, I was certain our disappearance from 6 had finally been noticed and the Peacekeepers were on our trails. Hopefully, we could reach our location before we were caught.

How long had we been running? Three days? Maybe four? Time flies when you're too focused on survival. Wondering if you have enough energy to last a little longer. Out here, away from all of civilization, you start to realize how hard it is to flee the district. Had my good friend Julia not distracted the Peacekeepers at the border long enough, Kenny and I could've been shot dead.

Now, here we are. In the middle of nowhere. Half of the stuff we packed for this trip has run out, no nearby districts in sight. Kenny's boots were already soaked and he sat down in order to pry them off. I offered to help but he refused.

"Ugh James, it's just no use. I know you want to get us both to safety, but I am seriously dragging you down. Maybe it's best if you go on your own and I catch up later."
I stared at him in shock. Kenny was always looking for me, but I couldn't just do this to him. We had been partners in crime for eleven years. This was my husband for crying out loud! How could I just abandon him in the middle of a forest?

"No honey, I am not leaving you. Ever. We've made it this far, I'm certain we'll get to another district soon." I plopped down next to him and rested my chin on top of his sweaty black hair. "I love you," I sang out.
It was hard to tell, but I was certain a smile had broken out on his face. "I...I love you too, James..."

We continued on. Kenny held his boots in his hands, ignoring the slush as it soaked into his socks. One thing I loved about him. He always went the extra mile for me. He always brought out my best qualities and kept finding new ways to show his love. If...no, when...we got to another district, I promised myself I'd take us both out for a nice dinner, then pay for all of it.
The silence of the forest was a bit unnerving. I had gotten used to hearing twigs snap under my boots, the occasional animal sound, trees rustling. Maybe something up above, like a bird. But it was all quiet and I began to fear something was wrong.

Kenny knew what happened before I did. The hovercraft took a while to materialize, lucky me. By then, Kenny had already shoved me into a bush.
"What the-" I yelped, fighting my way out. The hovercraft could now be seen flying through the air as Kenny began to take off. Before he could get anywhere, a claw shot from the hovercraft's belly and on top of him.

"KENNY!" I screamed. The hovercraft took off and I chased after it. The claw began to retract, Kenny still stuck inside. He struggled as hard as he could, but he barely made a dent. Still I kept running. I was not going to let them take him away from me!
As if my luck couldn't get any worse, I tripped over a stray root. Letting out a couple of curses, I quickly wiped the dirt off my pants and scanned the horizon.

It was too late. My husband was gone.

I was overwhelmed with emotions almost instantly. I wanted to cry. To scream. To run after that hovercraft and destroy it all at once. Parts of me wanted to give up, the rest to keep going. Despite what I wanted to do, I knew I was alone.
"Pull yourself together James. He's gone. What are you gonna do about it? Sit here and cry, or try and move on, in hopes of getting your love back?"

That sounded like something Kenny would say. He would want me to keep moving. That's what I wanted from myself, after all. To get us both somewhere safe, away from 6. Now that Kenny was gone, I was going to have to do that for myself.

I kept trekking through, but I soon realized what a toll that wilderness was taking on me. My breaths were long and heavy. My fingers felt numb. My legs were stiff and my boots damp. Walking soon became a chore. After about two and a half hours, I collapsed.
Give up, that one voice in the back of my head whispered. You should just give up. Rebels like you are better off dead.

"I should...no I can't...I can't give up..." I wheezed under my breath.
Why not? What have you got to lose? They'll Avox him for sure. Rebels are supposed to help those imprisoned by the Capitol. You couldn't even save your husband. What kind of rebel are you?

"Why do you care?" I muttered, curling up into a bal. "Rebels also never give up until death, must I remind you that? Why am I even arguing with myself anyways?"
The thoughts were gone. I was left standing in the middle of the forest. And just because things couldn't get any better, it had started to rain.

Perhaps I would've missed it if I didn't notice it now. But the electric fence, the border, was up ahead. I had finally made it, after what felt like forever.
Luckily, the fence wasn't turned on. Most districts usually leave theirs off; it costs money to maintain the fence, though my escape would probably lead to better security protection back in 6.

I scaled the fence, trying my hardest to keep my clothes from getting snagged. At the top, I lost balance and tumbled over, fallen into a pile of grains. The worker taking care of them glanced me in the eye, annoyed.
"Sorry," I apologized. Tripping my way out and pulling stray weeds free from my hair, I made my way closer to the town.

9. I was in District 9. And in perfect time too. The Victory Tour for the 6th Hunger Games was going on, meaning that all attention was focused there. The Victor of these Games, Fjord Hemmings, was standing in front of the Justice Building and reading out a small speech. Nobody noticed me as I ran by.
Where should I hide? It was unlikely any rebels would be out now. The Peacekeepers probably knew who i was and would shoot me down at any notice. I had no allies or friends here.

I slowed my pace and wandered through the district until I came across the trainyard used to transport grain across Panem. It was smaller, probably since 9 wasn't as industrial. The trains had been left where they were and there was nobody around.
I crawled into one of the cars, which had been filled halfway with sacks of grain. Tossing some bags aside before covering myself up with them, I fell into an uneasy sleep.

When I woke up, the train was moving.

If you participated in Rebellious Fate, then you might remember James and Kenny! As you can see, five years later, their lifestyle has changed. And now James is hiding out in District 9.

Time to address submissions! In order to keep my inbox from flooding, I am using a Google Form. The link is on my profile. If it doesn't work for some stupid reason, feel free to let me know and I'll fix it.

Maximum 3 submissions per person. They can be whichever gender you like for whichever district, but the third HAS to be a Bloodbath.

No resubmissions please. I will accept a resubmitted tribute only if the story is abandoned (hasn't been updated in four moths) or discontinued.

This is NOT first come first serve. I will choose which tributes get in and the tribute list will be posted sometime after Rebellious Fate is complete.

Try not to make tributes related to past tributes or Victors. You'll get to meet the Victors later.

Because this is an earlier Hunger Games, almost all tributes should be REAPED. If they are a volunteer, they better have a damn good reason. Careers don't quite exist yet.

If you have made it this far, put the phrase "Carrots are evil" in the backup District section.

Okay, that is all! Thanks for checking this out and I can't wait to see the tributes you guys send me!