p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"Willow Hollis, age 16/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Female/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center""I can be as solid as the oak or as flexible as the yew."/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hey!" I yelled, getting the attention of the older boys, along with Hazel's and Juniper's. They looked relieved to see me, but the boys just laughed./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What, another little girl?" one of the boys said, one with blonde hair. I clenched my fists when I noticed the red welt rising on Hazel's cheek. I didn't know these boys, but I didn't like them. If anybody hurt my friends, I didn't like them./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm not little," I growled. "And get away from them."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The other laughed—this one with black hair and freckles—and said, "Or what? You're gonna hug me till I run?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A wave of anger surged over me. I tried to defuse it, but I couldn't. I charged at the black-haired boy, and clawed him in the arm with my fingernails. Something struck me in the eye, but I continued to cut the boy. The anger swelled to the maximum, then began to taper off, then dissolved altogether. Usually, I don't act purely because of my temper. I'm usually a lot more patient, too. But Hazel and Juniper are good people, and I can't stand seeing them being bullied./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The boy I just pummeled stood and brushed himself off. Then he pointed his finger six inches from my face and snarled, "This isn't over. You may have won this time, but I'll be back." He and his friend left, muttering to each other./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Oh, god, Willow," Juniper said, turning her attention to me. Her fingers hovered over my eye, which I can feel swelling./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Is it bad?" I asked. Hazel shook her head./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I've seen worse." She shrugged. "But you were amazing! Thank you so much, Willow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A warming sensation filled my chest. I gave my best "mean, spoiled kid" face and imitated the boy. "I'll be back." Juniper and Hazel both laughed./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I may as well have some fun before we're all hurled into the reaping, right?/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"Pine Barkley, age 17/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Male/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center""I would like to congratulate the people who bought my tesserae. You just sentenced me to a horrible death."/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Pine!" Sapling's voice hissed at me. My eyes clicked open, already anticipating the worst. Sapling never used that tone with me unless he was pissed off at me. I got that tone a lot with him./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What?" I asked, glancing behind my friend's shoulder. Well, he's a lot more than a friend to me now. He's like the brother I never had. After my father vanished off the face of the earth, I took to the streets, and soon met Sapling. I don't remember my mother. She died when I was little. I wish I remembered her more./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""We're late!" Sapling yelled. "The tesserae stand closes in five minutes! If we can't sell any, we're not eating tonight!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Unless one of us is reaped," I muttered to myself, and Sapling punched me in the arm./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Think positive for once in your life, Pine," Sapling said, exasperated. "If you get ready quickly, we may still make it." I nodded, and he left to give me a little privacy. I took a small bit of fabric from the ground and cleaned my face off a little. I looked in a shard of mirror we had, staring into my gray eyes. My life wasn't perfect by a mile, but at least I was alive. That's more than my parents can say./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I glanced in the direction Sapling had gone in. I wondered, for the millionth time, what happened to his family. Why he was on the streets. He wouldn't tell me. I wouldn't, either, for the longest time. Then I got to know him, and I began to trust him. So I opened up, which doesn't happen with me often. I told him everything./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I shook my head a little to clear the thoughts. Tesserae, I reminded myself. The grain of death./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A few minutes later, we were both standing at the door of one of the merchants. I should probably know his name, but I don't care. The only name I remembered from this family was Oak. The oldest daughter./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"She answered the door. The sight of her made my heart pound and my face heat up. Yes, I like her. She isn't supposed to even talk to me, but she has a rebellious streak. Oak took the sack of grain from my hands, her fingers brushing my hand and I nearly fainted./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Thanks." She grinned, and went back inside./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"If this was my last day in the district, this was a pretty good one./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"Willow Hollis, age 16/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Female/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"My little sister, Ivy, enters the small room we share. Space is limited in Aunt Briar's house. My family would be in our own house, except it's still being rebuilt. A few years ago, there was a gas explosion a few houses down from ours. Luckily, nobody died, but Ivy and I still have burns on our backs from it./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"She crawls up in my lap, even though she's too old for that. One glance at her, and you'd think she was five, not seven. But she's such a sweet girl. I would do anything for her./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Can you do my hair like yours?" she asked. I smiled at her./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Sure," I answered, and she squealed with delight, spinning around on my lap so her back was to me. I did a rope braid in her hair, then quickly put one in my own brown hair as Mom yelled up to us that we were running late./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"We were all out the door in a minute. Me, Ivy, Mom, Dad and Aunt Briar. We didn't talk much on our way to the square. Even I didn't, and I'm a very talkative person. The threat of the reaping was hanging over all of us./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Another minute and I was checked in, standing with Hazel and Juniper in the sixteen-year old section. We clutched each other's hands as the escort, Cheyenne, took the stage, sporting a bright pink wig, and the only victor Seven had, Ash Brighton, who won the 2nd Hunger Games./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Cheyenne made her mandatory speech, showed the video, then chose a name. "Willow Hollis!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Hazel screamed and Juniper squeezed my hand tightly. I was shocked. Why me? I had only taken tesserae out this year. I gently pulled my hand from Juniper's, trying to remain calm for my family./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I was going to the Capitol./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"Pine Barkley, age 17/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Male/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The girl, Willow, walked up to the stage, looking calm. She was wearing a white blouse and black pants and a green jacket. She was kind of pretty, with her blue eyes and brown hair in a braid. She mounted the steps, the two girls from her section screaming and sobbing, along with her family./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Let's give it up for your female tribute, Willow Hollis!" Cheyenne trilled. Willow still looked very stoic, but small cracks of panic were beginning to show. She placed her hands behind her back as Cheyenne chose a boy's name./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Sapling looked at me. "Would you quit that?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Quit what?" I asked./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""You're squirming," Sapling whispered. "Now knock it off or I'll knock your teeth in."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I hadn't realized I was squirming, but I was. I've tried to stay away from crowds as much as possible, and the reaping made that impossible./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Cheyenne's voice brought my attention back to the stage. "May I please have on stage Pine Barkley!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Numb. Numbness set in, making everything feel weightless and far away. Sapling went stiff next to me. I wiped all emotion from my face. I was going to die, so who cared whether I cared or not? I walked up to the stage and mounted the steps./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Here are your tributes for the Tenth Hunger Games, District Seven!" Cheyenne announced. "Willow Hollis and Pine Barkley!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"We shook, then we were brought into the Justice Building. I had just sat down when Sapling burst into the room. "I'm sorry for all the times I got super pissed off at you," he said. "Just, try and come back, okay?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm going to die in there, Sapling," I said. "I'm not coming back."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Just try," Sapling insisted, and he left. I would try, but I would fail./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Nobody else came to see me./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Author's Note:/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Hey guys! It's District 9 Tribute. Here are your first two tributes, Willow and Pine. Thanks to POMforever for Willow, and a guest for Pine. I hope I did then both justice./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"There are still a ton of spots open for this, so submit! Until next time./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"-D9T/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Female/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center""I can be as solid as the oak or as flexible as the yew."/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hey!" I yelled, getting the attention of the older boys, along with Hazel's and Juniper's. They looked relieved to see me, but the boys just laughed./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What, another little girl?" one of the boys said, one with blonde hair. I clenched my fists when I noticed the red welt rising on Hazel's cheek. I didn't know these boys, but I didn't like them. If anybody hurt my friends, I didn't like them./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm not little," I growled. "And get away from them."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The other laughed—this one with black hair and freckles—and said, "Or what? You're gonna hug me till I run?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A wave of anger surged over me. I tried to defuse it, but I couldn't. I charged at the black-haired boy, and clawed him in the arm with my fingernails. Something struck me in the eye, but I continued to cut the boy. The anger swelled to the maximum, then began to taper off, then dissolved altogether. Usually, I don't act purely because of my temper. I'm usually a lot more patient, too. But Hazel and Juniper are good people, and I can't stand seeing them being bullied./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The boy I just pummeled stood and brushed himself off. Then he pointed his finger six inches from my face and snarled, "This isn't over. You may have won this time, but I'll be back." He and his friend left, muttering to each other./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Oh, god, Willow," Juniper said, turning her attention to me. Her fingers hovered over my eye, which I can feel swelling./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Is it bad?" I asked. Hazel shook her head./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I've seen worse." She shrugged. "But you were amazing! Thank you so much, Willow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A warming sensation filled my chest. I gave my best "mean, spoiled kid" face and imitated the boy. "I'll be back." Juniper and Hazel both laughed./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I may as well have some fun before we're all hurled into the reaping, right?/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"Pine Barkley, age 17/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Male/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center""I would like to congratulate the people who bought my tesserae. You just sentenced me to a horrible death."/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Pine!" Sapling's voice hissed at me. My eyes clicked open, already anticipating the worst. Sapling never used that tone with me unless he was pissed off at me. I got that tone a lot with him./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What?" I asked, glancing behind my friend's shoulder. Well, he's a lot more than a friend to me now. He's like the brother I never had. After my father vanished off the face of the earth, I took to the streets, and soon met Sapling. I don't remember my mother. She died when I was little. I wish I remembered her more./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""We're late!" Sapling yelled. "The tesserae stand closes in five minutes! If we can't sell any, we're not eating tonight!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Unless one of us is reaped," I muttered to myself, and Sapling punched me in the arm./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Think positive for once in your life, Pine," Sapling said, exasperated. "If you get ready quickly, we may still make it." I nodded, and he left to give me a little privacy. I took a small bit of fabric from the ground and cleaned my face off a little. I looked in a shard of mirror we had, staring into my gray eyes. My life wasn't perfect by a mile, but at least I was alive. That's more than my parents can say./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I glanced in the direction Sapling had gone in. I wondered, for the millionth time, what happened to his family. Why he was on the streets. He wouldn't tell me. I wouldn't, either, for the longest time. Then I got to know him, and I began to trust him. So I opened up, which doesn't happen with me often. I told him everything./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I shook my head a little to clear the thoughts. Tesserae, I reminded myself. The grain of death./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A few minutes later, we were both standing at the door of one of the merchants. I should probably know his name, but I don't care. The only name I remembered from this family was Oak. The oldest daughter./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"She answered the door. The sight of her made my heart pound and my face heat up. Yes, I like her. She isn't supposed to even talk to me, but she has a rebellious streak. Oak took the sack of grain from my hands, her fingers brushing my hand and I nearly fainted./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Thanks." She grinned, and went back inside./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"If this was my last day in the district, this was a pretty good one./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"Willow Hollis, age 16/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Female/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"My little sister, Ivy, enters the small room we share. Space is limited in Aunt Briar's house. My family would be in our own house, except it's still being rebuilt. A few years ago, there was a gas explosion a few houses down from ours. Luckily, nobody died, but Ivy and I still have burns on our backs from it./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"She crawls up in my lap, even though she's too old for that. One glance at her, and you'd think she was five, not seven. But she's such a sweet girl. I would do anything for her./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Can you do my hair like yours?" she asked. I smiled at her./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Sure," I answered, and she squealed with delight, spinning around on my lap so her back was to me. I did a rope braid in her hair, then quickly put one in my own brown hair as Mom yelled up to us that we were running late./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"We were all out the door in a minute. Me, Ivy, Mom, Dad and Aunt Briar. We didn't talk much on our way to the square. Even I didn't, and I'm a very talkative person. The threat of the reaping was hanging over all of us./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Another minute and I was checked in, standing with Hazel and Juniper in the sixteen-year old section. We clutched each other's hands as the escort, Cheyenne, took the stage, sporting a bright pink wig, and the only victor Seven had, Ash Brighton, who won the 2nd Hunger Games./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Cheyenne made her mandatory speech, showed the video, then chose a name. "Willow Hollis!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Hazel screamed and Juniper squeezed my hand tightly. I was shocked. Why me? I had only taken tesserae out this year. I gently pulled my hand from Juniper's, trying to remain calm for my family./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I was going to the Capitol./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"Pine Barkley, age 17/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" align="center"District 7 Male/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The girl, Willow, walked up to the stage, looking calm. She was wearing a white blouse and black pants and a green jacket. She was kind of pretty, with her blue eyes and brown hair in a braid. She mounted the steps, the two girls from her section screaming and sobbing, along with her family./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Let's give it up for your female tribute, Willow Hollis!" Cheyenne trilled. Willow still looked very stoic, but small cracks of panic were beginning to show. She placed her hands behind her back as Cheyenne chose a boy's name./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Sapling looked at me. "Would you quit that?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Quit what?" I asked./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""You're squirming," Sapling whispered. "Now knock it off or I'll knock your teeth in."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"I hadn't realized I was squirming, but I was. I've tried to stay away from crowds as much as possible, and the reaping made that impossible./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Cheyenne's voice brought my attention back to the stage. "May I please have on stage Pine Barkley!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Numb. Numbness set in, making everything feel weightless and far away. Sapling went stiff next to me. I wiped all emotion from my face. I was going to die, so who cared whether I cared or not? I walked up to the stage and mounted the steps./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Here are your tributes for the Tenth Hunger Games, District Seven!" Cheyenne announced. "Willow Hollis and Pine Barkley!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"We shook, then we were brought into the Justice Building. I had just sat down when Sapling burst into the room. "I'm sorry for all the times I got super pissed off at you," he said. "Just, try and come back, okay?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm going to die in there, Sapling," I said. "I'm not coming back."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Just try," Sapling insisted, and he left. I would try, but I would fail./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Nobody else came to see me./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Author's Note:/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Hey guys! It's District 9 Tribute. Here are your first two tributes, Willow and Pine. Thanks to POMforever for Willow, and a guest for Pine. I hope I did then both justice./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"There are still a ton of spots open for this, so submit! Until next time./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"-D9T/p