Disclaimer: I own nothing


School the next day is boring. All anyone wants to talk about is the Hunger Games and who they think will win. The District 4 pride is showing in many of my classmates, who will verbally assault anyone who dares say that Cashmere will be victorious. Naturally, it takes a few minutes before the teachers are able to control us.

As usual for the day after the reaping, our first teacher gives a mini-lesson on the history of the Hunger Games. The boy who sits beside me falls asleep during this part. They give the same speech every year. All they teach is a little bit about the Dark Days, a lot about the Capitol's triumph, and then go on to list all of District 4's victors. We've had 3, which isn't much for a Career district. I know that District 1 has 9 currently (most likely 10 three weeks from now), and 2 has 11 victors.

Finally, we're done with the Games and move on to our other school work.


When I get home I start helping my mother get dinner ready.

"How was school?" she asks as she begins washing her hands.

"It was alright, I guess. Everyone thinks someone from our district will win."

"And why shouldn't they?" Ma retorts while she guts the fish she got from our food stamps.

"That's not what I mean. I think everyone in the Capitol will be gunning for someone from 1 or 2. The girl from 7 looks pretty promising too, though."

"Yes, she does. But let's hope that one of ours makes it home safe and alive," she says back, and I know that's the end of our conversation.

Soon enough my sisters are home from the primary school down the street from where my school is. After they've finished with their homework we all sit down and eat the fish my mother and I prepared.

Odine helps my mother with the dishes tonight and I get Kendra and Cascada's pyjamas on. When all of the dishes are put away we sit down together in the living room to watch the Tribute Parade.

My sisters watch in awe as the District 1 chariot rolls in. Cashmere and her district partner are dressed in purple and gold plumage. The crowd goes wild at Cashmere's radiant, smiling face. There are flowers thrown at them and people are falling over each other to get a closer look.

District 2's tributes, Arista and Ceres, are dressed in silver armour and armed with long, sophisticated swords bearing the seal of their district.

My mother claps when she sees Marina and Calder. They are, as usual, dressed as the mermaid and the merman. The fabric is hung in a way that flaunts Marina's small waist and shows off Calder's bulging biceps. Everyone is cheering, which is strange because the tributes from my district are always dressed the same way.

Nobody in the Capitol is too excited to see any of the other districts. This year's parade is pretty boring compared with other year's. The only different thing is that the tributes from 12 are completely naked, with black dust covering most of their bodies. This was to represent coal miners, I'm sure, but my sisters and I are laughing too much to really care about what the stylist was thinking.


The next day at the warehouse they start training new people at the sorting station. That means that Maria and I have been promoted to the shores. All that means is that we sit on the shore and do our exact same job, only less carefully. We look for sea creatures among the gemstones and throw those back before bringing the the buckets into the warehouse.

"How's your progress on that assignment going?" Maria asks. We have to be careful of our discussion topics, as Peacekeepers are stationed at each workplace. The Peacekeepers that stand by our work aren't armoured or anything like the ones at the reaping or Victory Tour or anything. We all like these ones because sometimes they give you more stamps than you've earned, which is illegal.

I grab the bucket full of the good gems and walk up the sandy beach to the warehouse. I take the bucket to it's assigned table, where I see Alton, a boy in my class, starting to sort. He smiles at me but doesn't say anything. I set the bucket beside him and discreetly point out two stones that should be thrown back into the water. He smiles gratefully and tosses them into his bucket, which is now full. I grab it and wave goodbye as i push open the door and pad down onto the dock. After throwing the stones back out to sea, I walk on back to Maria.


The days drag on and on until the night they reveal the individual training scores. I'm getting Kendra ready for bed so I don't pay too much attention. Marina gets a 9 and Calder scores 8. They both did pretty well. The girl from 9, who tried to run, scores a 2.

The next evening, Maria comes over to watch the interviews. We all sit around the projector that is only allowed to be powered during the Games and when other important messages from the Capitol are delivered.

The camera cuts to Caesar Flickerman, who this year has decided that pink is the colour. We all think he looks ridiculous, but then, everyone from the Capitol looks like that. The crowd is cheering him on and he is laughing at who knows what.

He yells into his microphone that this year, the 64th Annual Hunger Games, will be most exciting. He repeats the things he said last year, just replaced '63rd Games' with '64th Games'.

"And now, will you all please welcome to the stage the female tribute from District 1, Cashmere Ritchson!" The people in the audience go crazy. They're screaming and yelling and in one of the close-ups, I see a man crying.

Caesar and Cashmere banter for a minute, or so. Then he mentions her brother.

"When Gloss came home last year, how did you feel?"

"I love my brother dearly, of course. I was so glad to have him back in District 1," she says with a grin at the audience. Cashmere ensures everyone that although Gloss is very skilled, she is just as capable and ready to win.

"Nobody's denying that, my darling! And with a training score of 10, how could we doubt it! You do remember that Gloss scored only a 9!" The cameras pan to Gloss, who is clearly loving the whole interview. Finally, Cashmere's time is up and she is replaced on the stage by her district partner.

The interviews continue and it's clear who has the best odds. Arista from 2 is once again dressed in a gladiator-like gown. Flowy, but it still looks like she's ready to kill. Ceres must be at least 6'5, and he's handsome which is always helpful.

We don't pay attention during the interviews for the tributes from 3, we're too excited to see Marina and Calder again. When, Caesar calls Marina to the stage, all of us shut up and listen.

"Hello, Marina!"

"Good evening, Caesar," Marina smiles amiably and shakes Caesar's hand before sitting in her chair.

"And how are you on this fine night?"

"I'm alright, thank you. I'm just a bit overwhelmed at all of this."

"All of what?"

"Everything! The kindness of the Capitol is just too much for me to comprehend!" the audience claps for her. They love being complimented.

Caesar and Marina keep talking and making jokes until the buzzer goes off and Calder come onstage.

"Calder, our brave volunteer from District 4," Caesar states happily.

"Caesar, my man!" Calder states, giving Caesar a big man-hug. The audience laughs. As usual, Caesar asks the easy questions about home life and what his skills are. Calder laughs and tells the audience he won't be giving away his secrets. 10 seconds of thundering applause later, and the girl from 5 is up sitting beside Caesar.

I'm falling asleep by the end of the whole thing. I feel relieved when the boy from 12 (finally clothed) steps off the stage and Caesar reminds the tributes to get a good night's rest, as they have a big day ahead of them.


Please review if you can and let me know what you think. I'll do all of the 64th Games and then finally Finnick will become a bigger part of the story, but I'll only continue if anyone wants to read it :)