Damask Mahogany
It was still early morning on the day of the reaping but Damask was up. He couldn't sleep much the night before. Something in his head was telling him he should rest, but his child like mindset was not agreeing. After hours of laying there Damask gave in and arose at around eight. He drew his curtains and the sun shone across District 2. In the distance the Justice building glistened. It stood high above most things within the district, gleaming with beauty and radiance. The structure was marble and reflected the sun's rays revealing the village below. Damask quickly span and hopped of his bed. He ran across his room laughing absurdly to himself for no apparent reason until he reached the mirror on the far side. He stood there with a huge grin on his face. He then followed this up by leaning back, stretching out his arms and yawning. His arms slunk to his side and he skipped ungracefully to his wardrobe. He swung open the doors to reveal an immaculate white shirt hanging above a pair of black, straight trousers. Clumsily, Damask slipped the shirt and trousers on and then headed downstairs to the dining table.
He collapsed in a chair and sat there awaiting his mother who came rushing in with a plate of toast in her hands. She set it on the table in front of Damask and retreated to the chair opposite. The two of them sat there in silence until she worked up the question "So, are you looking forward to the reaping? You know, you're seventeen now there's not many more chances for you to volunteer..." Damask wiped his face on the back of his hand then replied "Yes I know there's not long left for me to volunteer, you and dad remind me every day..." With this Damask stood up leaving his plate on the table and and hurried to the bathroom where he stood gazing in the mirror. The reflection looking back had light brown hair, it was cropped in a buzz cut. His eyes were small and grey with a strike of blue in them. His cheeks still had a bit of chub in them which was surprising as he was seventeen now. He stepped back from the mirror displaying the rest of his giant figure. He stood about 6"1 and was muscular. Despite his intimidating size, he looked childlike, which suited his fragile mentality.
After spending half and hour washing and preparing he was ready for the reaping. Though he hadn't told anyone this year he decided it was time for him to volunteer. He had been training since he was a child and joined an academy at a young age. He never made many friends, even though he was a sweet boy, his child like instincts and emotions seemed somewhat repelling to the other kids from his district. No-one really understood what was wrong with him, they just kept their distance. Even though Damask only aimed to please people, the slightest mishap could cause him to pull a tantrum. Though they were rare his brute strength and skill with weapons caused them to be extremely dangerous. This year he was finally ready to make his parents proud. He was going to win the games.
Indra Gail Lockson
"Outstanding" Indra's tutor is standing marvelling at what she just saw. Indra had gone to the academy for some final training before the reapings today. She planned on volunteering so she had to get in all the practise she could before the arena. Her tutors comment had gone straight through her. She was somewhat distant from the world especially during training. Since the day her mother died, she'd seemed to excel at it. Each dummy was just another duplicate of the masked intruder that haunted her nightmares.
When Indra was a little girl her life was a paradise. Her mother was beautiful and strong, and her father was a loving and caring man. Indra meant the world to her parents and she would do anything to make them proud. Indra's life as a girl was perfect until that one night when she was twelve. Indra awoke to the sound of a vase crashing to the floor. She wasn't aware of the time, but it was dark outside, so she knew it was late. At first thought, Indra thought it was her father getting angry at her mum again, but the house was quiet... Too quiet. Panicking, Indra crept out of her bed and slowly left her room. She followed the walls down her hallway, leading to the top of the stairs. Her breathing was heavy now and her heart was pounding. Not knowing what too do, Indra ran down the stairs breaking the silence that shrouded the house. Then she came to a halt, a large masked figure stood there with a gun to her head. Indra tried to scream, but it was hollow and empty. Indra couldn't bring herself to move, so she just stood there, frozen. Suddenly before anyone had time to react, Indra's mother jumped in front of the gun and the man pulled the trigger sending a bullet through the front of her skull. She hit the floor and layed there in a puddle of her own blood. Indra dropped to her mother's side, desperately trying to nurse the wound but it was no use. She turned and screamed her father's name, just to see him standing there, cold. The murderer then grabbed Indra and took advantage of her. Indra's father did nothing but watch scared to meet the same fate as her mother. Indra doesn't remember much more from that night, however its still haunts her every dream.
Since the night of her mother's death Indra has grown distant from the world. Her father tries to convince her that none of it happened but she can see through his hollow lies. No-one really knows what happened to her mother, as far as they are concerned it was a heart attack, her father keeps it a secret, ashamed of his actions on that night. Many people see Indra as insane, the death of her mother caused Indra to develop sever post traumatic stress disorder. This has proved dangerous to those around her on the odd occasion, like when she scratched down one girls eye, blinding her. However most the time her PSTD just leads to Indra clawing at the flesh on her own arm. So this year, Indra has decided she's volunteer for the games not only to please her father, and what memories she has left of her mother, but also to try and re-figure who she really is.
Rosa was District 2's escort. She was about 5 foot tall and the most enthusiastic escort anyone had ever set eyes on. She stood there on stage wearing a pink dress, with over the top high hill boots. She had ginger shoulder length ringlets and wore the most ridiculous looking hat with a huge feather attached to the side of it. As she waited for the districts population to be registered, she paced around the stage waving her hands around majestically. After around five minutes of doing this, the last of the district had been registered. They stood there in an orderly fashioned, all looking somewhat disturbed and put off by Rosa's presence. Rosa sudden realise she was being waited on and strutted over to the microphone set up in the centre of the stage.
She tapped the microphone twice to check to see if it was working, which it was. Then in high pitched voice she shrieked "Welcome to the 36th Annual Hunger Games" The crowed stood there deadly silent. Rosa seemed somewhat unnerved by this but continued anyway. She stood there momentarily and glanced side to side trying to decide which name to pick first. She eventually settled on male. She stepped to the side until she was standing behind the large jar. Her short size caused her to disappear for a second, before you saw her petite hand reaching over the rim of the glass ball. She grabbed the first slip of paper she could reach and then strutted back over to the microphone. In a loud high pitched voice she read out "Damien Okami" The crowd stood their silent until it was broken with by a child's shout "No! Me, pick me!" The audience laughed. Everyone knew this voice to belong to the seventeen year old boy with a child's mentality, Damask Mahogany. The tribute ran to the stage and took a bow. He seemed somewhat enthusiastic for someone that just signed a contract ensuring their own death. After taking the bow, the boy stood there and ushered Rosa to pick the female tribute. Before Rosa could get a word in, Damask had plunged his hand into the sea of names and was already back standing in front of the microphone. In a clear voice he read out "Indra Lockson" Indra was prepared for this, she had planned on volunteering, but it seemed there was no need to now. Seeing Indra step forward, Damask hoped of the stage and flung Indra over one shoulder and carried her onto the stage. The crowd and those that had come over from the Capitol seemed traumatised by this. But none-the-less both tributes had been picked and district 2 was ready for the 36th Annual Hunger Games.
A/N:
Oh my word... The feedback you guys gave was so touching we went and did an extra chapter in a single day... Geez, it wasn't easy on us but hey you guys get lucky enough to have two chapters in a day!
Please, keep reviewing, sending in tributes and PM-ing us! It makes our day, and it will give us things to write about :)
