"It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare."
- Mark Twain
District 1- Alanna Celine Fullington and Michael Derek Wagner
Alanna hesitantly taps her mom on the shoulder. Without even glancing up from the computer screen, she asks briskly, "What? I need to catalog these couches before we leave so hurry!"
Alanna's pale face flushed into a deep scarlet. "I-I just wanted t-t-to go to the R-reaping now. . ." She said, trailing off at the end.
Alanna's mom rolled her eyes and went back to ignoring her daughter.
Taking that as a signal to leave, she rushes out of the house.
Alanna rushed to town square, putting as much space as possible in between herself and her mom and dad.
They lived a busy lifestyle. Cataloging all the exports from District 1 to the Capitol was a hard task to split among two people. This left them sleep-deprived, always busy, and perfecting the ability of ignoring their only daughter.
Sighing, Alanna ran her hand through her light brown pixie cut hair. They haven't even noticed when she had stripped herself of her luscious locks.
Signing into the Reaping, she walks to her spot in the 16 year old section where her best friends, Rachel, Ronald, and Michael were standing along with Rachel's boyfriend, Orion. The guys look uncomfortable in the girl's pen. That is, except for Orion who is hugging Rachel's waist with his chin on her head, slight messing up her straight blonde hair.
Alanna felt a pang of jealousy while looking at the happy couple. If only someone would notice her. Is she so bland with her pale skin and calculating grey eyes that even her parents won't notice her?
A plan started to form in Alanna's head. If she volunteered would she get noticed? She had no clue who was going to volunteer for the guys, but if she could win... The possibilities are endless!
"See you later Rachel! Alanna!" Ronald yells to the girls as they walk to their section with Orion. Michael keeps his eyes on Rachel's slender frame until her blonde hair disappears into the crowd.
Taking a deep breath, Michael tries to calm himself. Spiking his hair up in the front, the gel sticks to his hands. Wiping it onto his khakis shorts, Michael tries not to think about what the training academy said.
Michael is volunteering this year. He's the best and it's his turn to prove what people from District 1 can do.
He only hopes he can make it home to his friends and family. Especially Rachel.
The escort goes through the usual welcome and video. Ignoring it like always, finally it is time to draw the tribute's name.
"Shelley Trasko!" Her name echoes through the town square, and a 14 year old leaves her roped off area. She doesn't look too worried.
Soon enough multiple voices yell out only proving her safety. "I volunteer" they scream simultaneously.
The first one on the stage is the tribute, and Michael recognize her.
"What's your name?" The escort asks. "Alanna Celine Fullington!" She says. She looks excited and sick at once standing on that stage.
Breathing in as the escort draws a name, he cuts him short before even pronouncing the male tributes name.
"I volunteer! " Michael yells. He steps forward to the stage, and climbs the stairs easily. The escort is puny compared to his towering stature.
Michael searches the crowd anxiously to see those emerald green eyes belonging to the only one he's liked in a long time. Rachel's eyes brim with tears that threaten to spill over. Her two best friends are going into the games.
All of a sudden, anger overcomes Michael. It was his year to volunteer for the games. Alanna is going to have to die like the rest of the people, because he is supposed to be the Victor this year. He is going to win. He has to; for his little sister Isabelle and maybe for Rachel too.
Congratulations to the District 1 tributes for the 13th Annual Hunger Games!" Michael shakes hands with Alanna.
No turning back now!
District 2- Crisis Tethley and Drake Black
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Each time the throwing knives hit a target, it was dead center. Crisis didn't even have to look to know it was true. With three years of constant training, it didn't take a genius to figure these things out.
After 12 years of constant abuse from her alcoholic father she had packed her bags and left on the night of her birthday to sign up for the training academy. Living with her family was torture, and only a few can say that.
Her mom being the coward she was, turned to prostitution to help Crisis, but ended up dying at her father's hand; beaten to death in one of his drunken rages. She couldn't but take the blame for her mom's death.
Thwack!
The knife hits right under the intruder's right ear, nicking it a little, but not enough to draw blood.
"Well no wonder the entire academy is dead scared of you!" Spear said, wiggling the knife out of the wood behind him.
"Spear!" Crisis runs to her older cousin, glad for his visit before the Reaping. Tackling him, he chuckles and gives her a hug.
"You do know it's time for the Reaping, right?" Crisis look down at my sweaty black running shorts, pale bare stomach, and neon orange sports bra.
"Uhh..." Crisis says trailing off. Obviously she had thought she would've had time to change. Glancing at the clock to see if she still has time to hurriedly get changed, her heart drops. 3 minutes until she has to be there, and its a 5 minute run to get there.
Throwing her knives into the case, minus her favorite one that she tucked into the band of her running shorts. She then sprints out of the training academy. Sprinting down the cobblestone streets, turning corners as sharp as she can, Crisis almost runs into the empty table where they sign people in.
Crisis starts freaking out. She's late for the day she volunteers. She pricks her own finger and smears the blood on the open book on the table.
She can already hear the escort welcoming the crowds of people to the Reaping.
Skidding behind her, late also, Spear follows Crisis' lead to the front of the crowd. He slinks into the '18 Male' pen and Crisis tries to stay unnoticed as she moves forward towards the 15-year-old pen.
It is time for her big entrance though, so as planned she yells to the crowd, "I volunteer!"
Drake tries to stay focused on the Reaping in his own desolate spot in the 17 year old pen, but like half of the other people, he can't stop from watching Crisis Tethley inch her way to her roped off area wearing only running shorts and a neon sports bra. Well at least she isn't embarrassed about it. She's almost there when the escort click-clacks over to the female Reaping ball.
She digs her hand to the bottom, searching for the perfect slip. It doesn't matter though because everybody already knows Crisis is going to volunteer. She has no friends, but is the best in the training center. Her skill in knife throwing and talent in using her brain has scared everyone at least once in the middle of a duel.
Almost like Drake. He has no friends but Yax, who is currently talking to another guy. Unlike him though, Yax is outgoing and gets along well with anybody and everybody. Drake on the other hand is cold and unfriendly to everyone but his twin sister Alena.
Crisis yells "I volunteer" to the crowd then starts to climb the stairs eagerly. When asked her name, replies, "I am Crisis Tethley, the soon to be Victor of the 13 Hunger Games!" She ends her little speech with a smirk. Her face is transformed into a sadistic devilish smile. Her waist-long dark brown hair hangs and she looks barely sweaty from what Drake bets was a pure sprint to get here on time.
Drake furrows his brow, it's his turn to volunteer. Before the escort even fishes out a slip of paper, he raises his voice
"I volunteer!" He sprints up to the stage, not letting anybody take this as an opportunity to volunteer before he does.
Surprised by the early volunteer, the escort walks to center stage smiling and asks, "What is your name?" Drake glares at her but his emerald-green eyes shone with gold specks that made the Capital escort smile even more. Her orange makeup gives the appearance she used lots of spray tan recently, and lipstick is smeared onto her teeth. He rolls his eyes giving up.
"I am Drake Black!" He says rolling his eyes at the escort's goggling at him. He may have black wavy hair, green and gold speckled eyes, and well-built tall stature, but that doesn't give the escort permission to check him out.
Drake turns towards the slight, but deadly girl before him. She isn't smiling anymore and looks more sane now. She still has a haunted look behind her wide hazel eyes and ghostly pale skin.
He gives a menacing gaze to Crisis while the Mayor reads the Treaty of Treason. Then it is time to shake hands. When Drake reaches out to her small hand, she cracks another freaky smile.
'I'm going to beat you.' She mouths. One of his rare smiles break through the rock hard expression he had created months ago after he was informed that his parents were killed in the wild fire that caused the entire district casualties.
'doubt it.' Drake mouths back. Then, Drake and Crisis turn their back on the cheering crowds of District 2 to start their journey through the pre games until they reach the main event: the 13th Hunger Games.
District 3- Electra Saylor and Pryce Anthony Watts
"Dad. Dad! It's time to get up, we need to go to the Reaping now." Electra gently shakes awake her hungover dad. He groggily turns over. Electra once again shakes him, but this time he sits up, yawning loudly.
Turning around, she moves over to the next room over to wake up her two twin sisters Rene and Andie sleeping in bunk beds. Shaking them both awake, she lays out matching red plaid skirts and white blouses for them to wear today.
Turning around, in the same room, she heads over to her dresser. Pulling out a ragged looking white lace dress, she throws it onto her bed in the corner.
"Good morning Electra." Rene says, yawning loudly. She gets out of the bottom bunk and move towards the outfits laid on the floor.
Electra smiles at her six year old sister, smiling even more as Andie drowsily climbs the ladder down from her high up were her responsibility, but Electra didn't care, she loved them too much! They change quickly, and Electra puts the lace dress on.
Today is the Reaping and considered a holiday. Everyone is let off of their jobs in District 3, and people dress up and converge in the town square in front of the Justice Building. The Capitalites use this as a time to celebrate but the Districts as far as her knowledge did anything but.
Taking an old wire brush from the top of her dusty dresser, Electra pulled it through her wavy auburn hair. She watched herself in the cracked mirror that hung across the room. She watched every small movement she made. A flick of her wrist, flipping her hair back slightly, undoing small knots that had formed overnight, blinking her electric blue eyes. She was aware of every movement.
Turning around, Electra focused her attention on the twin girl's crazy hair. It was a darker shade of auburn, with tones of brown, but still they looked like miniature Electras. Brushing this out, they went through to the front room of their small shack. Rene and Andie sat at the worn oak table, and their dad came out of his room dressed, but not exactly looking the best.
Ever since his wife, her mom, had run away 5 years ago, he had started to drown his self-blame in alcohol. This quickly turned to an addiction, and ever since he's either been completely drunk and out of it, or suffering a major hangover. Today was the latter.
Electra set out a small loaf of bread in front of the twins. They were taking the food problem day by day, and Rene and Andie would always eat before Electra and her dad. THey scarfed the bread down quickly and jumped down from their seats.
Taking one twin on each hand, leaving her dad at the table, Electra set out for the Reaping. She had them follow her until the small group reached the sign in table. Electra lead the two girls over to a spot in front of the adults.
"I want you two to stand here until I come back to get you ok?" She tells the twins. They plop down on the dusty ground and nod their heads sullenly. Electra keeps her eyes on the twins as she walks to the sign up table. According to her, the small girls had no clue what this was for or why two people were taken away each year.
Signing in, she then walks up near the front where the 14-year-old section is placed, and moves her way to the outside spots.
"Oh look its her!" A taller girl with curly blonde hair walks up to Electra. Her small mouth hardens into a neat line, and she looks forward.
"She's so tiny, and ugly. She isn't even smart!" Clarissa Yertzer says, flicking her hair back. Her posse of three or four girls laugh cruelly from behind their leader, and Electra straightens her posture to the 5 foot 4 inches she can be. She clenches her fist.
"She's just a street rat!" Another cruel laugh.
Electra charges. Her fists are up and she hits with a right hook at Clarissa's nose. She hears a satisfying crack. Blood gushes down and gets all over the front of Electra's dress.
By now the peacekeepers hear the fight and move in to stop it from proceeding further. They don't get there in time though because Electra winds up her left fist and punches with all the force she can at the mean girl's eye.
'There! That'll show her!' Is what Electra is thinking as the peacekeepers drag her off of Clarissa, then moving her across the pen. They may have moved her, but that bully isn't going to keep picking on Electra, especially now that Clarissa knows she's not afraid to throw a punch.
"Welcome! Welcome!" The Capital escort's squeaky accent awakes Pryce from his read about engineering. He had just got it today from moments ago from his friend Lexus Probst. Lexus was still droning on and on about some fight the girls had in the 14 year old section.
Turning back to the book, Pryce ignore Lexus and our escort.
Engineering is the application of scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge in order to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. It may encompass using insights to conceive, model and scale an appropriate solution to a problem or objective. The discipline of engineering is extremely broad, and encompasses a range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of technology and types of application.
Hmm... interesting. Looking down at the list of specialized fields engineering is used.
Chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. Fascinating! They have even more not as well known such as mining and naval engineering.
"Electra Saylor!" The name is announced but Pryce is too engrossed in his book to notice anything but a pale girl, stiff as a board walking up the steps. He hears two girls crying in the background. Ignoring it though, he looks down at his book again.
Chemical engineering is the application of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering principles in order to carry out chemical processes on a commercial scale.
"Pryce Anthony Watts!"
He looks up, shocked to find his name announced through the microphone.
"What?" Pryce asks. He turns to Lexus who has stopped talking and looking at him terrified. His eyes wide and mouth gaping open like a fish.
The soon-to-be tribute pushes his wide rimmed glasses up his nose, trying to see everything through the thick lenses. Everybody is staring at him shocked and sad.
Peacekeepers push through the crowds and realization hits him like a slap to the face. He was reaped. He's going into the Hunger Games. He hadn't even taken any tesserae. The probability of him being drawn was 21.4% considering the drawings were rigged to get mostly an age range of 15-17. If no one had taken tesserae. But they did! So his chances were less than 1% with the 6 slips he had. These math equations solved themselves like wildfire and his brain was in autopilot. He was done calculating the odds when the peacekeepers reach him.
Pryce is going into the games. He's pushed and prodded up to the stage, and drops his book about engineering halfway there. Once on stage looking at his District and home, he knows he has what it takes to come home.
He's been preparing. Training by himself, just in case this happened so he could come home to his mom and dad. He's been prepared for a couple of years now.
Towering above the small girl with the bloodstained dress, he promises himself he will come home.
Then he walks off the stage into the Justice Building where his fate awaits. The careers may have the brawn and force to execute plans, but Pryce has the brains to outwit them.
A/N: Well I hope you like it. I've had so many people editing, reading, checking for errors for you guys. Just trying to be perfect I guess. By the way, I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the smart stuff about engineering. That's from Wikipedia! ;) Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, more to come soon.
And don't forget to review!
~littleblessing