Supernova Amaranth, 18 - District 2 female

The Giggling Gummy Bear


"Mommy," a small voice shouts. I feel the something get on the edge of my bed and I sigh as my son begins to bounce.

"Lexton," I say, sitting up in my bed, "What are you doing."

I tackle him gently and attack him with kisses.

"Uncle Mason told me to go wake you up? He said it's a big day."

"Did he?" I question jokingly.

Lexton nods. "Do you have to go to the gym today?" he asks.

"Nope," I smile and look at the clock. It's 7:30am and the reaping will be in two hours.

"How about we go to daddy's house?" I ask him.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Lexton shouts. Lexton loves his daddy and trips to his daddy's house are his favorite part of the we.

Thirty minutes later, Lexton and I are both bathed and ready for the reaping. My older brother, Mason has already left for the Justice Building, to go to the Victors' debriefing, albeit I see no point considering the fact that everyone, the newest victor included, knows what is bound to happen.

"We're here!" Lexton shouts, getting excited.

"Yes!" I agree. "We are here."

I knock on the door, and Carter answers it.

"Daddy!" shouts my little boy.

"Lexton!" Carter shouts back. He picks Lexton up and twirls him around before handing him back to me.

"Hey," Carter says to me. "You look gorgeous, Nova."

"Thanks," I kiss him on the cheek.

"Come in," he says

"Carter," a familiar voice calls. "Kemp refuses to wake up."

Carter leaves the room to go check on his younger brother.

I love Carter's family. His parents died two years ago, so it's just him and his brother and sister, Kemp and Braylee, who are nine year old fraternal twins.

"Hey Supernova," Braylee says. No matter what I tell her Braylee insists on calling me by my full name.

"Hi, Braylee," I reply.

"How's my nephew doing?" she says walking over to Lexton.

Lexton gurgles, and Braylee grins.

"Do you like my dress?" Braylee asks me.

She spins around.

"It's so pretty," I coo. Braylee smiles.

"Carter bought it for me from them seamstress in town."

"Cool, you think that he'll buy me one?"

"Maybe," Braylee smiles.

I hear screaming coming from the room that Carter and Kemp are in.

"Kemp!" I hear Carter shout. "Stop."

Carter hates the way his little brother acts. He once told me that his little brother had a special type of disorder that gave him an extreme aversion to touch, and made him scream all the time.

"You wanna play numbers?" Braylee questions me.

I turn around. "Totally."

We are in the middle of the game, almost reaching a record of eleven, when Kemp and Carter walk in, messing up our concentration.

I take a look at both boys. "You guys look handsome."

Carter smiles. "Let's get this show on the road."

I hate the reaping, unlike most careers the reaping is a pretty dreadful time for me. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about anyone but myself, with Carter having turned nineteen two days ago, and the twins ineligible, it's just me fighting the odds.

I only have seven slips, but anything can happen.

"Welcome! Welcome!" a high pitched voice fills the square.

Everyone looked at the stage. "Please enjoy this video brought to you from out nation's Capitol."

"War, terrible war..." I tuned the video out, daydreaming about what Carter and I could do after the reaping. We could take Lex and the twins to the splash park.

The splash park was Lexton's favorite place on earth, it was from before the Dark Days, and some teens had worked hard to get it up and running again, it was free of charge and everyone was welcome.

"Wasn't that just wonderful," our escorts voice brings me out of my thoughts.

"And now let us introduce our victors, Victor of the 2nd Hunger Games, Mr. Mason Brown, victor of the 6th Hunger Games, our very own Amanda Sterling.

I have only met Amanda once or twice, she has this disease, called bipolar disorder where she acted like two different people. When Amanda is happy she is fun to be around, but when she was angry things can get unpleasant.

"Let's select a courageous young woman to go into the arena and represent this wonderful district."

She places one of her perfectly manicured nails in the bowl.

She picks a slip of paper opens it and reads it. "Supernova Amaranth."

I realize that she's called my name. No one will volunteer, I'm sure of that, I get the highest scores in everything in the female training, and I rank pretty high with the guys.

I'm getting nervous, I know I shouldn't, and then the tics start. I try to calm myself, knowing that it's the only way that they will stop, but I can't seem too.

I have a rare form of Tourette's Syndrome and I tic when I get nervous.

I smirk and confidently make my way up to the stage, managing to keep the tics away for the length of my stroll.

"My, my, the only sibling of the Victor of the 2nd Hunger Games and must I say you look gorgeous," the escort tells me.

And now for our boy tribute. She pulls the slip out of the bowl and barely reads the name when a boy races forward.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

"Please come up and tell me your name, young man," the escort smiles.

I tune them out, it's standard in District 2. Besides, I already know him. It's Hero, the one of the most celebrated Careers there is.

"Give a round of applause to this years' tributes!" our escort shrieks.

She motions for Hero and I to shake hands, and we do.

Goodbyes are tough, Braylee and Kemp come in, both are crying and I pull them into a hug.

"I love you both," I tell them. "And when I come back a Victor, I'm gonna buy you ALL the pretty dresses in the world. And Kemp, I'm gonna get you a special tablet like the ones they have in the Capitol.

We stand there and hug until a peacekeeper comes in. "I love you two, I'll see you soon."

Next comes in Carter and Lexton. Carter's crying as he dashes over and hugs me. "You have to win," he sobs. "I can't lose you. You're my heart, my life, you, Lex, and the twins are my everything. Please don't leave me."

I hug him as tight as I can. "I'll win. I'll win for you and Lex, and Braylee, and Kemp."

"I was gonna give this to you after the reaping, but I think giving it to you now is more appropriate."

He pulls a necklace out his pocket. "Lex and I found this is the quarry." He points to the beautiful rock on the necklace.

"I love you," he whispers into my hair. "Don't you ever forget it."

And just like that visiting hours are over. And it hits me, my own mother didn't even care enough to come, whatever she's doing, I hope it's worth it.

I hate trains, before the dark days, I had heard so many stories of trains going off tracks. I know trains are much safer now, but I'm still scared.

I haven't seen Hero all this time, but it doesn't worry me. As I board the the train, I turn and face my District and then, with a smile on my face, I wave.


Hero Da'Rouge, 15 - District 2 male

Axe Smelling God

I stare the dummy down as I grip the war hammer and throw the weapon with pleasure. The thick woven hilt leaves my tan fingers as it flies through the air and crushes the dummy, denting the training wall. I give a smirk as the trainer looks on with surprise and quickly shifts towards the wall to inspect its integrity. I leave as the trainer continues to marvel at the dent as I come upon my friends sitting in the corner.

"Hey guys, I have a joke," I say as they sigh with frustration.

"This one's really good, I promise," I say, excited as I go through my memory to conjure the joke up.

"What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?" I ask as I smooth my curly black hair down. I search for a response as my friends give surprised looks.

"Frostbite," I chuckle and I feel my cheeks shift to a light red as I continue to laugh.

"Boo," chuckles Slate. He ruffles my hair as the rest of my friends smile.

"So anyone volunteering today?" asks Sofia. She twists her long brown dread locks.

"Not me, I will never be ready," says Thaila. She looks surprised at the question and smooths her ruffled, red hair.

"I'm volunteering," I say with confidence as my friends look surprised and upset.

"Please don't, haven't you heard of victor hysteria?" asks Sofia.

"What's that?" I ask as I come and sit beside Thaila and put my chin on her shoulder.

"It happened to the last three victors, when they won the games they seemed to have gained an extra personality or have changed completely. It's due to the lack of sleep and hunger games instinct to be on your toes at all times," says Sofia. She looks scared and she and Thaila leave us.

"Don't listen to Sofia," says Slate as he pats me on the back and we walk out of the training center. We walk through the beautiful city of District 2 and the smell of muffin wafts through the air. I quickly go over and glance at the bakery window. He searches for the blueberry muffin and pays for the delicate. I bite into the soft buttery flesh of the muffin and I continue to walk alongside Slate.

We come towards the steps of his house and I look with surprise at the large size.

"What's up Hero?" asks Slate as he stares me down. I broke his gaze.

"It's just so massive," I say with awe at the beautiful columns and the imprinted Greek art.

"Shut up dude, your house is way bigger than mine. Also by the way, when can I actually come hang out at your house?" asks Slate as I stare down his light gray eyes.

"Oh when I clean my room," I say as my eyes widen and I walk away towards my house. I look behind me as he goes up to the massive oak doors of his mansion. I walk behind my fake house andI feel the rough outer walls and marvel at the beauty. I still remember when I was actually rich and could afford anything I wanted. That all changed when the Capitol started the Hunger Games and my father gambled huge amounts of money for the stronger tributes. Soon the tributes died and he started losing money and we became bankrupt. I continue to walk down the alley way and come upon my two story home. I watch as my mother walks through the door as well with her cleaning wear.

"Hey honey I just found the cutest shoes and I just had to buy them," says my mother, Jovial. She brushes her brown colored skin and smiles wide.

"Hello mother," I say as I walk towards the living room to see my father, Conqueror, watching last year's games with my little brother Champion. My father has light tan skin with ruffled reddish-brown hair and Champion looks exactly like him. I watch as he gives a sour look to the champion of the sixth hunger games. I head towards my room and I look around to find a suit on the bed. I rush towards it and placed the black suit on. I walk towards the stairs and head out of my house. I rush up the alley and try to get to Slate before he comes to my house. I hear a soft ping of the doorbell as I rush towards the front.

"Hey Slate," I say, out of breath as I walk towards the front and he's ringing the doorbell.

"Hey dude, I've been ringing your doorbell for ten minutes," says Slate. We walk off towards the town square.

The reaping stage is set and ready and we look around to see the petite escort. I notice the electric green wig and the neon blue corset with a hot pink skirt and know it is Faith Reynolds. I looked around as Faith giggles and flirts with the past victors. They look sick.

"Gag," I say as Slate laughs and we watch as the rest of the teens fill up the remaining spaces. I watch as Faith looks around.

"Hello all of District 2," she says through her thick, chipper, Capitol accent. She waits for response and she looks around for the mayor who comes and takes his place beside her.

"Alright I guess we can get this started," says Faith as she walks slowly towards the females' bowl. She swivels her light pink skinned hand around and plucks the name of the lucky girl.

"Please come forward, Supernova Amaranth," Faith calls and I see a pretty girl with long black hair and light tan skin walk towards the front. The escort comes towards the boys' bowl and she swiftly choses a name for the male tribute.

"Stoner Barwell," she screeches as a sixteen year old was chosen and slowly walks towards the front.

"I volunteer," I shout as I quickly run through the boys and grace the stage. I am handed the mic.

"I'm Hero Da'Rouge," I say confidently as I shake hands with Supernova. We are rushed into the Justice Building.

I look around as my family swiftly walk through the door and they look me up and down. Their faces are sad.

"What's wrong?" I ask as they look upset and give an unsatisfied look. My mother gives a small smile as she comes towards me and gives me a huge bear hug.

"Honey stay strong and on your toes at all times," she says as she stands beside my father. He shakes my hand and they slowly exit the room. I wait a little while longer and Faith strolls through the room. She kisses my forehead and grabs my wrist as I am taken towards the awaiting train. I slide through the door to see Supernova lying on the couch and she seems distant.

"Hello Superno-"

"Just Nova," she says as she gives me a frosty attitude. I seem to have upset her.

"Nova what do get when you cross a vampire with a snowman," I say quickly. "Frostbite."

I laugh at my own joke, and Nova gives a small smile at least.