Ladies and gentlemen the 39th hunger games

So this website deleted my story which is a pain, luckily I have the whole thing saved on a word document (all 62 pages) so I'll publish the whole thing (which I'm going to edit too) including the final two chapters over the next week.

Head Gamemaker Leto Stone's POV

I rub my forehead as I sit down at my desk, maybe the pre-games party last night wasn't such a good idea. I have to be able to keep focused for all the reapings; if I switch off I may miss something that would affect the game later on. I don't want a repeat of last year when I missed that the girl from three had a brother who'd been illegally teaching her how to mess with the arenas force field. The tele-screen switches its self on at 10am and I buzz for my Avox to bring me a coffee and a couple of pills for my headache.

The cheers of District 1 fill my office, and their escort Daphne does the usual greeting to both the district and the viewing Capitol, personally I can't stand her an obnoxious strawberry blonde woman with the largest superiority complex, I've always wanted to send her to District twelve or something but the audiences love her too much.

"Gentlemen first I think" she announces and heads over to a large bowl; I grab my key pad to type up some notes. "Tiger Grant" she calls and a sixteen year old boy strides up to the stage, he could do alright I think but don't write anything just yet. "Are there any volunteers?" asks Daphne and the collection of seventeen year old boys at the front grapple for a spot when the winning boy gets on stage he shakes Tiger's hand and smiles to Daphne "The names Clos Gardner Miss, and I'm going to be your champion, he shoots the crowd a smile and they cheer.

Daphne grin and steps over to the girls bowl "Our female tribute now" she announces and reaches her hand into the bowl "Diamond Hart" she calls, Diamond is such a common district one name, would it have killed her parents to come up with something more original. Diamond strides up to stage, she is a tall gangly looking sixteen year old. As Daphne prepares to ask for volunteers she speaks up "I don't wish to be replaced. I will win the games" she winks at Clos as the crowd cheers.

The cameras cut to district two where the stage is set against the large mountains that separate it from the capitol and provide a backdrop to the reaping stage. The atmosphere is less celebratory here as the citizens are more serious about the games. Their escort a fierce man called Ajax stands on the stage "ladies first" he announces and reaches into the bowl, "Lyme Stone" he calls and a small twelve year old begins to walk up to the stage. "I volunteer" calls several voices, the people of D2 are not ones for pomp and circumstance. As in district one there is a rush to the stage and a small muscular girl reaches the stage first "Nolan Stone" she tells Ajax. "A relation?" asks Ajax "My cousin" replies Nolan, "but that's irrelevant".

"On to the boys then" announces Ajax, he pulls out a slip "Ryker Mason" the crowd applauds as Ryker ascends the stage from the eighteen year olds. He's a large boy, muscled as is typical in two, "No volunteers please" he announces. The camera cuts to district 3.

Here the sky feels gloomier, most capitol citizens will use this break to fetch some breakfast, I don't have the luxury. The reaping stage is set by a large glass tower of the district and the children in the pens look tired, I remember that with the time difference it's still early over there. The orange haired escort stands out from the blue of the district she welcomes everyone and heads over to the girls bowl first. "Techa Lee" she calls and a pale girl arrives on the stage, there is a small amount of awkward clapping. 'Bloodbath' I type on my note pad after the extensive notes on the first four tributes.

The escort is over at the boys bowl now and pulls out a slip "Cable Jobs" again there is a small amount of applause as the boy reaches the stage I hear a woman scream, a mother a sister, it makes no difference I still type bloodbath next to his name. District three tributes are usually pathetic in the games and these two look no different.

The camera switches to district four; I like district four, always sunny and happy looking. The crowds smile and clap as their escort Sabrina Gold steps towards the boys bowl, I like Sabrina we go way back. She pulls out a slip and reads the name "Ermin Carp" Carp I know that name I think and as the thirteen year old boy reaches the stage he announces he doesn't want volunteers. Of course I think as I see the two grinning victors behind him. He's a legacy tribute.

Sabrina reaches into the girl's bowl "Caitlin Maid" she calls, a beautiful girl emerges from the sixteen year old section and some of the boys begin to shout, one even tries to volunteer. Caitlin looks into the female section of the crowd hopefully but there is silence, looks like little Caitlin was more popular with the males of district four than the females.

District five comes onto screen and I settle down for a long slog, swallowing more coffee and sending my Avox to find me some food. The District five girl Brites looks small and weedy but the boy Atom looks strong, I put a small star by his name.

District six is announced by Ammon another of my friends, he's always loved the district where he works and often takes his trips to the reaping as an excuse to check out new motorbikes. He welcomes the crowd and reaches into the boys bowl first "Ford Masters" he calls, another common district name I think as the boy reaches the stage, again he looks large for a district kid but nothing special. Ammon shakes Fords hand and goes over to the girls bowl "Aston Hike" he calls and as the girl walks to the stage I see he's shaking "my dear" he says as he shakes her hand and the cameras cut away.

Hike? I think, of course the girl's father is one of the best motorbike mechanics in the district, no wonder Ammon looked upset, he'd better hide his emotion back in the capitol though it's that kind of thing that can get you in serious trouble. I barely register the district seven tributes as I worry for my friend, but my feed tells me they are called Ava Oak and Lindell Woodson.

District eight is up next I pay attention to this as its always entertaining, the girls and most of the boys are fighting to be seen by the cameras wearing the most amazing outfits, well some of them are the majority just look ridiculous. They are of course fighting to be seen by capitol stylists in the vain hope they will be whipped away into our life. I pity them. The boy is called first Rolag Fyfe he is more plainly dressed than a typical eight boy I admire him for this. The girl is next Lea Singer, she is wearing a large homemade yellow and red dress and wobbles on her high heels. Bloodbath.

District nine, is the beginning of the end, their escort looks miffed to be there, I grin she thought she'd get district one this year did Kana but I kept her in nine, she's too sullen to pull of the excitement in one. She floats over to the girls bowl first and announces "Gwenith Frost" as their tribute, the crowd sighs as a small twelve year old reaches the stage, she looks into the crowd tears forming in her eyes as Kana head for the boys bowl. "Omri Grain" she calls, Grain is the districts surname for community home kids and thirteen year old Omri looks the part, skinny and underfed. There's something in his eyes though a resilience that makes me think he's not one to count out just yet.

District ten is picturesque as usual, I notice a number of horses strategically placed behind the stage, how quant. I yawn and sip at my third coffee as Hestia the escort reaches into the girls bowl "Merona Wool" she announces and a girl emerges from the fifteen year old section, she has a look of resignation on her face, I can't see her being much of a fighter. Hestia congratulates Merona and reaches for a boy's name "Orford Ray" she calls and the girls go crazy drawing my attention to the boy, he's seventeen and isn't wearing a shirt, a Stetson balanced on his head he looks excited "I'm bringing us home a win" he announces to the crowd.

District eleven looks dismal as usual even Pans excited nature can't cheer it up, he strides over to the boys bowl and pulls out a name "Maizie Ox" he calls and a long haired girl emerges from the crowd wearing a short skirt and high heels, she glances over to the mayor who I notice has gone pale, his daughter? No he and his wife are childless, I look at Maizie for a moment, Is the girl his lover? "Spud Blue" Pan calls. A small fourteen year old comes onto stage, he's crying. Bloodbath I type and go back to looking at the mayor and the girl till the screen cuts away.

I look at my clock as district twelve fills the screen, it's been a rather quick reaping this year. Clio stands on the stage he looks grubby already and I grin, if he hadn't insulted Sabrina at that party the other month he could be in district seven by now. He welcomes the crowd and heads to the boys bowl "Cole Granger" he calls, wow as far as common names go I think Cole wins the bunch, what is it with the districts and their inability to be creative? Cole is a strong looking lad but he looks tired. Clio reaches for a girl's name "Brooke Hawthorne" he calls and a girl comes from the fifteen year old section and shakes Cole's hand as the scene changes for a final time to Castor and Lilith sitting on their stools commenting on the tributes, I switch off the screen. It'll be three hours till the first tributes get here and I'll be needed again. Maybe I should have a nap.