DISTRICT ONE
Twirling her signature brown ponytail around her finger, Joy Lea sat calmly waiting for her family to visit her. The large mahogany door opened loudly and her father, looking rumpled and jetlagged, walked in. Joy's face broke into a smile as she hugged her dad, who hugged her tightly.
"Daddy." She said gladly. Her father smiled and held her, then letting go.
"Joy, you can do it. Do it for mom." He said, before handing her mother'
s engagement ring. Joy's breath caught in her throat as he slid it on. She remembered, as a child, her mother dying in the Hunger Games and her father giving her the ring. She had almost forgotten it.
"I will, dad. I'll do the very best I can." She hugged him once more, and noticed his eyes were glazed with tears. Then the peacekeepers escorted him out and her brother walked in. She hugged him, and they both stood uncomfortably in silence.
"Do you think I've gotta chance?" She said, and Danny looked up.
"Yeah. Of course you do, Joy." He then walked out by himself, and her friend walked in. Julia Dennis looked beautiful as always.
"Joy, win for me. Like, try really hard." She said, her voice shaking. She embraced her, and started to cry.
"It's ok, Julia. I'll be back soon." Then Julia was pulled away, and Joy Lea was steered onto the train.
**Martials POV**
On the train, Martial felt strangely calm. He looked around his room, which was actually pretty cool, and waited to be sent to dinner. Soon he was, and he gladly changed into a fresh pair of clothes and went to meet the girl tribute. She was sitting at the table already, her hair in a ponytail and wearing a crisp blue dress. She looked small and innocent.
"Hey." Martial said, sitting across from her. She smiled in return, and went back to her soup. Martial noticed all the food around him, and started to pile his plate high.
It was a great start, to what he thought, would be great games.
DISTRICT TWO
"My name is Hercules Carras, your future winner."
I smiled at the female tribute, Evelyn or something. She flipped her hair as she followed the Peacekeepers backstage. After receiving the standard "good luck" from my family, I sat across from her in the train.
"So, Evie-"
"Eviola!"
"-think you have a chance?"
"Absolutely." She cocked her head at me. "You?"
"Winning runs in my family." I puffed my chest out.
"Well, maybe you'll break the tradition." she teased.
I heard the flirtatious tone in her voice. As IF an orphan taken in by the trainers had a chance of picking ME up! Nevertheless, I decided to play along.
"Well, maybe we should form our own alliance, instead of just going with the Careers. I think we'd be great together."
Eviola's POV
I watched as the group of boys who came to see me off and my family disappeared into the distance. I smoothed out my dress as I sat down at the dinner table next to Hercules, throwing a seductive smile in his direction.
I smiled and joined in with the mentor expand escorts chatter. Granite, my mentor, who won the previous games, was nice to have to talk to. The soup was good, although I couldn't help glancing at the avoxes waiting on us. No one deserved to end up like that.
The Capitol wasn't far from 2, and I could already feel the excitement in my stomach.
As only a Career would.
DISTRICT THREE
I stood in the reaping square in my old blue dress and waited for the escort, Jelli Point, to pull a piece of paper out of the glass ball. Her red-taloned hand paused dramatically, then pulled a piece out from the very bottom, crumpled a little. She smoothed it out and called out in a delicate voice-
"Binary Kraus!"
"NO!"
I sat bolt upright in bed. The sunlight was streaming into my messy room. The dress was still hanging on my closet door. I lay back, breathing heavily. Just a dream.
"Binary?" My brother Tect knocked on the door. "Mom says we have to get ready to go to the reaping."
"Whatever." I waited until he walked away before I sighed and rolled out of bed.
The dress was scratchy, but I was glad it hid my uneven shoulders. I hated having scoliosis. Hopefully it wasn't noticeable. I struggled with the knots in my hair for a while, but eventually just gathered it all into a ponytail. I shoved my feet into my new shoes and went downstairs.
The rest of my family was already at the breakfast table. I quickly snatched the last roll as I sat down. Mom glanced pointedly at me, but I pretended not to notice.
I caught sight of the picture of my dad on the wall behind Tect, who was on the phone with his friend. A tear welled up in my eyes, but I wiped them away. It was a long time after he died that I would even let Mom put it back up.
"Let's go." Mom said calmly, her forehead furrowed in worry. Mom had already lost her two brothers, and Byte, my dad. I couldn't bear to see her lose one of us as well. I would not let that happen.
I found myself ten minutes later weaving my way through the crowd to where my friend Genera was standing. "How are you?" she asked.
I thought for a moment. "Not so good, I guess. I had the dream again last night, and I can't get this feeling out of my head that something bad's about to happen." I said quickly.
"You'll be fine." Genera said firmly, grabbing my hand and leading me over to where my other friends were talking. I listened to their conversation while Jelli gave the traditional yearly speech in a high pitched voice.
"Binary Kraus!"
"NO!" I shrieked in reaction. Genera looked at me helplessly.
The crowd had parted and everyone was looking my way. I walked slowly up to the stage, as if there were weights attached to my feet. Jelli grabbed my arm; her red nails dug into my skin, and pulled my over to the middle.
All I could see was a thread coming loose from my hemline. I cursed myself for showing up on TV looking so messy.
The boy tribute was younger than me, and looked just as scared. He smiled a little as he held out his hand. I looked away and shook it without looking at him.
As the train pulled away from the station, I drew an hourglass on a piece of paper I borrowed. Almost all the sand was in the bottom.
I'm so sorry, Mom.
DISTRICT FOUR
Smoothing my hair and looking around the square, I felt a rush of nervousness. If my name was drawn from the bowl, my life would change forever. But if it wasn't, my boring life would go on for yet another year.
"Welcome to the reaping!" Said a fat man, climbing on stage. He was tinted blue, and looked like his suit was a bit too small. The buttons were a little stretched.
"Now, this year is very special. It is the third Quarter Quell!" He paused for a weak applause. "As the rebels revered their heroes, the tributes will receive help and hindrance from characters revered by another culture that fell."
He took a small handkerchief out his pocket and wiped his beading forehead, then powered on the projector and played the same video as every year. I zoned out, picking at a loose thread in my sun dress.
"Now!" He called, and my head snapped up. I pushed my sunglasses up to the bridge of my nose and stared at him.
"Ladies first." He wiped his forehead again and reached into the bowl, swishing his hand around a bit. Then he drew out a name, and took great effort to unroll it.
"Alexa Marina!" He said with satisfaction. I gasped as the crowed parted for me to walk through. I tilted my cowboy hat and put my head down as I walked through. The attention was all on me, just how I liked it. But not today.
"Congratulations Miss Alexa! You have a great honour." He said, shaking my hand. I shook back, not looking at him. He drew another boys name, and I watched as a tiny twelve year old made his way on stage. He looked like he was about to cry. I shook his hand and we both went to say goodbye to our families, as everyone else made their way home, safe for another year.
DISTRICT SIX
Charlie-Anne Walsh cuddled into Eion, letting her tears flow freely. Eion stroked her back, and Charlie-Annes sobbed through his now tear stained shirt. Eion didn't care though, when he volunteered to participate with her it was to comfort and protect her in times like this. The train moved quick, getting closer to the Capitol every minute. An avox walked into their room and picked up their mess, before signaling to them that supper was ready. Charlie-Anne stood and put on a fresh dress, and Eion slipped into his new clothes too. The wardrobes were packed.
"There's a lot to eat here." Charlie-Anne commented, filling a crystal bowl with a buttery soup filled with vegetables. She grabbed a warm roll, fluffy and white, unlike the kind they ate at home. Then she finished that, and ate a small bird that looked like a miniature chicken but was filled with a buttery and delicious juice. It was the best thing she'd eaten in a while. Then was dessert, and she ate blueberry cheesecake, and then went back to her room feeling bloated but a little better. Her stomach wasn't used to that much food in one sitting, so she went to sleep, her stomach feeling sick and Eions arms wrapped around her. She dreamed off losing the games, and awoke screaming and in a cold sweat, with Eions pale face staring at her. She felt safe in his arms, and fell back to into a dreamless, deep, sleep.
DISTRICT SEVEN
District 7 reaping
I smacked my lips and screwed the cover back on my lipstick. My hair was perfectly in order, and my outfit was laid neatly on the bed.
I left the house without my family and strolled down the street, making sure to avoid the puddles of pine needles. Other families walked huddled together, their children protectively surrounded. They looked pathetic.
I strutted into the square and was immediately let through to stand at the front of the older girls. I smiled graciously at them and listened to the escort mumble the yearly speech.
"So, um, the girl tribute this year is- Aine Oak."
What? I faltered for a moment, but righted myself. Rearranging the smile on my face, I fluffed my dress and walked elegantly up to the stage, gracefully shaking hands with the escort and then the boy tribute, a black haired guy named Clark. I waited backstage for my father, the mayor, to come say goodbye to me. He never came.
Whatever. I perched on the velvet couch in the train and watched the forest go by. It was a while before Clark came to sit by me, balancing a tray on one hand.
"I brought you some tea." he said quietly with a smile. I thanked him and took a sip. It was smooth and rich, unlike the pine-bark stuff we get in Seven. He sipped his own, then put it down.
I noticed some scars on his throat, and hesitated, wondering or not it will be polite to ask about them. He noticed were I was looking.
"It was my girlfriend." he said flatly. "She wasn't too happy about our breakup."
"Oh..." For once, I, Aine, was lost for words.
"Do you want to be allies?" Clark asked hopefully.
I smiled at him. "Cute."
He flushed. "You just think you're too good for me."
"Nope." I took my tea and got up, turning to face him with a smirk as I walked away. "Just smarter."
DISTRICT EIGHT
Gralynn yanked a brush through her short hair and mused her fingers through it. She tried to smile at the glass mirror, but ended up grimacing. Today was the day two people from her district were chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. Gralynn was especially peeved, since it was a Quarter Quell, and would probably be more gruesome than a normal games.
Today she felt totally numb. She was trying to push memories of her boyfriend Jeffery, who died in last years games, out of her brain, but he kept coming back, reminding her that on this day, last year, he was reaped, and sent to his death. She was trying to move on.
"Gralynn! Come downstairs, your pancakes are getting cold!" Shouted her mom. Gralynn sighed and looked in the mirror one last time. Her hair and outfit blended into the crowed, just like she wanted. She wore a black skirt, flowing to her knees, and paired it with a grey blouse. Her hair was perfectly messy.
She trudged to the kitchen and sat, swallowing her pancakes. They were filled with blueberries and were smothered in sweet maple syrup, but to Gralynn, today, they were like tasteless lumps.
**Julius Raziers POV**
The gong sounded, causing everyone gathered around the town hall to straighten up and peer up at the ridiculously dressed woman who strutted out on stage. Her bright blue hair was the first thing that caught his eye, and then her neon pink outfit. Then her metallic gold boots.
"Welcome, welcome." She said shrilly into the microphone. Julius toned her out, focusing on the cattle grazing in the distance. He thought about what he was to say if he were reaped. He would like to see his sister Mia, and his mom and dad. He wouldn't be reaped, of course. His name was only in once, compared to some unlucky guys who needed the wheat.
"Ladies first!" said the girl onstage, reaching into the giant glass bowl. Julius watched intently now, and every girl in the audience seemed to hold their breath.
"And this years tribute is…" She unrolled the paper. "Gralynn Chance!"
There was a collective breath of relief from the girls who were safe for another year. He watched as Gralynn walked up onstage, with grief in her eyes. A lady, probably her mother, started crying.
"Any volunteers?" said the Capitol Lady. No one took Gralynn's place.
''Well congratulations, Gralynn!" said the lady. Gralynn nodded and took her place unhappily. Then the announcer went over to the big glass ball that contained all the male names and dug her pink talons in. Julius held his breath.
"And the male is…" She opened the paper. "Julius Razier!"
Julius's breath caught in his throat. He heard his sister Mia scream and cry, but he ignored her. He put on a brave face and walked to the stage with his head held high. He walked over near the lady and stood solemnly as she talked, not listening. He didn't want to hear a word she was saying.
DISTRICT NINE
I pushed back my long brown hair and smiled. Today was the day of the reaping. Today I would volunteer.
Not many people volunteer from 9, I thought as I walked next to my parents to the reaping. I shoved my way to the front of the crowd until I was standing next to the rope that separated us from the boys.
Crap. I was standing next to Pwyll Alloy, my old nemesis. He smirked across the rope at me.
"Gonna volunteer, Giglo?" he taunted.
"Shut up, Alloy. I'll volunteer if you do, so I can kill you without it being illegal." I say, crossing my arms and facing the stage.
"You wouldn't be able to beat me." He said.
"Is that a challenge, Alloy?" I say, jutting my chin. He shrugged.
"Seems like a challenge to me." I ducked under the rope and faced him. A circle cleared around us, and Alloy cracked his neck threateningly. I smirked, and swung at him, bloodying his nose. He staggered backwards and stared at me, not knowing how to hit a girl. I kept swinging, my fists colliding with him. Suddenly he grabbed my wrists and swung his foot, knocking my legs out from under me. I lost my footing and collapsed onto the hard ground.
"Save it for the games." He scoffed, looking down at me. My face turned blood red as I shamefully ducked back under the rope just in time to hear a name called. I didn't know who it was, nor did I care.
"I volunteer!" I screamed. They took me to the stage and I smiled at the crowed, then curtsied. They all clapped, and when Pwyll volunteered and walked on stage with his nose bloody, they cheered again. The capitol girl looked disgusted, and didn't bother to shake our hands. But when I shook Pylls, I gripped so hard he squirmed to get out.
"Let the games begin." I whispered, stepping back into place.
DISTRICT TEN
"You've got a chance, Owl." Said my brother. He was fourteen, and excited about having his big brother as a tribute.
"Owl, make sure to get a knife. And try to get a backpack, they have good things." Assured my sister. I nod. I try to act like my world wasn't falling apart.
"Owl, honey." My mom said, breaking. She let out a sob and pulled me into her chest. I hug her back, knowing I wouldn't win these games. It was Quell, and was bound to be extremely difficult.
"I love you, Owl. Remember that."
"I love you too, mom."
The peacekeepers grabbed my mom and dragged her out of the room, for she was crying hysterically now and the last three minutes of seeing my family was up.
"I love you guys." I say, hugging my siblings. Then they are escorted out too, and I am left alone to cry.
Evies POV
"And I'm really going to miss you." Said my youngest sister. I hug her and kiss her cheek.
"Please, Evie. Try so hard." Said my other sister, hugging me. I nod.
"You'll do great. I promise," My brother assured me. I hug him and inhale.
"Evie. Evie, my baby." Says my mother, pulling my in. I hug her back, inhaling the sent of her Daisy perfume. It was probably the last time I would be able to.
"Evie." Said my father, hugging me tightly. I start to cry, seeing my tough dad reduced to a broken man, hugging his daughter for the last time.
"I love you. No matter what happens, I love you." He says, kissing my cheek.
"I love you too. I love you all."
DISTRICT ELEVEN
Flynn opened his window, trying not to make it creak. He held his breath. His father stirred in the other room, but didn't wake up. Flynn breathed a silent sigh of relief. He knew he would receive a whipping if the old man caught him.
His sneakers hit the scraggly ground. The log cabin was built on the worst ground in Eleven- the terrain worn out from years of growing turnips. Flynn paused to fix the duct tape holding his shoe together and dashed down the dusty street.
He slowed down when he got to the richer part of town, with sweepers cleaning the market before the shoppers came. His stomach growled, but he knew better than to go home for breakfast. He hung around an apple stall until the elderly owner turned his back. Then Flynn snatched an apple. He felt bad, but it wasn't like his family was going to feed him.
He wandered around until the loudspeakers ordered everyone to the square. Flynn saw his father trying to shove his way over. He pretended not to notice, ducking under the rope to the boys' section.
When the escort called his name, all he could think was that anywhere would be better than here. No one came to visit him before he left.
DISTRICT TWLEVE
"My name's Primrose." My mentor said quietly, ignoring the bowl of salad in front of her.
"I know who you are!" I said excitedly, then stopped. Prim smiled a bit. Her blond hair was lank and she had grown a little since she was on TV last year. She looked nothing like the small, scared girl giving interviews before the Games I saw, but instead looked like she had aged years. Haymitch, the boy's mentor, was drinking himself sick at the other edge of the table. The boy tribute looked crestfallen.
"What are your skills?" Prim asked in the same soft voice.
"Well, I can use a sledgehammer. And I can climb."
"That's good." Prim said encouragingly. "We can work with that."
"Yeah, right!" Haymitch slurred from the end of the table. "Look at her, Prim, she's not even five feet tall!"
"Neither was I!" Prim turned away from him.
I pouted. "Don't underestimate me!"
"We won't, we won't." Prim said reassuringly.
I ignored her and looked straight at Haymitch. "I got in a fight once. The other girl lost a finger."
**Authors note
Hey! Hoped you liked this chapter. The people who didn't get a POV are all bloodbaths, and will be seen during the training and chariot rides.
In this SYOT, there will be an interactive sponser system. To earn points to send things to your favourite tribute. At the end of each chapter, there will be a question. The first one to answer gets 15 points, the second gets 10 points, and the third gets 5. We'll keep a tally of how many points you have, and to buy an item to send to a tribute PM us and we'll tell you how many points you have and what you can buy. We'll then send it to your tribute.
P.S- you can send things to your own tribute.
-Grace and Alyssa
