District 3 Tributes:

Bree Lloyd (16)
Orren Noults (18)


(Night before the reapings)

There was a good atmosphere in the bar tonight. Music was playing, people were dancing and getting drunk, and over in one of the corners of the bar, Orren Noults was winning money off his co-workers at poker, with a crowd of onlookers enjoying the show.

"Oh, good" Orren said calmly, as he looked at his cards, although there was a hint of sarcasm to his comment, something which one of the other players, Evan, a middle-aged man who Orren worked with, noticed.

"I know that tone of voice!" Evan slurred, very drunk by this point.

Orren raised an eyebrow quizzically. "What do you mean Evan?" he asked while trying not to laugh.

"You're… you're trying that….reverse psy… reverse psyco… ah how the goddamn hell do you pronounce it?" Evan said as he stammered his words from struggling to concentrate while being so intoxicated.

Orren smirked. He didn't drink himself, and loved hustling all of the drunken men that came into his Father's bar. He liked to keep his mind focused at all times.

"Shut up Evan and make your call!" Terrell shouted. The other slightly younger co-worker was not as drunk as Evan, and was becoming impatient.

"Fine…" Evan said. "I'm going all in!" The onlookers gasped. Evan had just bet about half a week's wages.

"Well I'm folding." Terrell said.

"And I'll match your bet." Orren said with a smirk.

"You little… I thought you were bluffing!" he said, completely outraged.

"C'mon Evan. "Let's see what you got." Orren replied.

Evan laid out his cards. "I got a straight."

Orren did the same. "And I got a full house. Unlucky Evan."

As Orren scooped up the rather large amount of money, Evan stood up angrily. He was clearly not happy.

"I'm not having this!" he shouted, getting right up into Orren's face.

Orren smirked in the same cheeky way that he always did, "I won fair and square Evan. You were a good player but…"

"Don't try all that smooth talking crap with me!" Evan said furiously, before pausing to consider. "Hmm… you like to think you're good with knives don't you? How about a little challenge?"

"I'm listening." Orren replied. Orren stood tall, a rather lean man, caucasian with pale blue eyes and messy black hair. He gave off the impression that he was uninterested in what Evan had to say, slouching with an air of nonchalant about him, somewhat hiding the fact that his eyes told everyone he was in fact on full alert, carefully taking in everything everyone said around him.

"You and me go out to the parking lot, and throw a knife each at the target. Closest to the bullseye wins." Evan paused. "Double or quits."

The crowd gasped. Orren considered the proposal for a second, before replying "great! let's go then…. I have to admit I feel bad that you won't have any money to spend this week."

Evan stared him right in the eyes, starting to become less drunk what with everything that was going on. "Don't get cocky you little bugger. Let's not waste anymore time."

As Orren walked outside, Jessa and Jorah Harkon joined him.

"Hey Orren." Jessa said as she gave him a big kiss.

Orren smiled as he yet again wondered how he'd got so lucky. Jessa was a very pretty girl, with short wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. The last year with her had been one of the happiest of Orren's life.

"Hi Jessa. Anymore outbursts from your Father?" Orren said cheekily.

Jessa's face darkened slightly. "I still wish you hadn't done that! He's been a nightmare recently…"

"Still funny though." Jessa's twin brother, Jorah, chipped in and that set the cue for both him and Orren to fall about laughing. The two had met during pre school and been close friends ever since.

Jessa sighed. "I just wished you'd asked me first…"

"Wouldn't have been much of a marriage proposal would've it?" Orren said with a grin. He still found the whole situation so funny, which it had been anything but. Orren had recently asked Jessa's Father for her hand in marriage, and he had not reacted well, throwing a bottle at his head and telling him to stay the hell away from his daughter.

By this point they had reached the parking lot. It was a fairly warm evening in District 3, and the bet had attracted a fairly big crowd of customers from the bar and passers-by. Evan walked over with anger still written all over his face. "C'mon then boy." He said with a growl. "Time to see if you can walk the walk as well as talk the talk."

"Oh Evan" Orren said with a laugh. "No need to be angry. It's all fun and games. Who's going first?"

"I am." Evan simply said. "I'll show you how it's done."

The crowd watched with baited breath. Evan squinted his eyes, and threw an excellent throw, landing his knife just outside the bullseye.

The crowd cheered with excitement, as Evan handed the other knife to Orren with a smug look. "Time to hand over those winnings I reckon boy."

"Not bad old-timer. But it's not over yet."

Orren lined his body up with the target, as the crowd watched with great anticipation. A deathly hush fell over the crowd as Orren rose the knife over his shoulder and threw it with force.

The knife his the target right in the middle of the bullseye. As the crowd cheered, Orren turned to Jorah and Jessa.

"Looks like drinks are on me tonight!"


(Day of the reapings)

The small, pale skinned girl with shoulder length raven hair was sitting in her back garden, fiddling with some wires. Bree Lloyd was knelt down, attempting to test a small electric net she had created.

"So, it says says to connect this wire here…" she muttered to herself as she skimmed the big book that she had open next to her called 'A guide to Electronics Volume IV'.

Bree then stood up and smiled. It was ready.

She ran over to the big tree in their garden, and hid behind it, waiting for her prey. A squirrel appeared, darting around, only stopping when it saw the bait that Bree had laid. The squirrel darted over to pick up the nut, and began gobbling it greedily.

With a smile, Bree pressed the button to activate her trap.

The electric net dropped from the tree and landed directly on the squirrel, sending 150 volts of electricity coursing through its body. After a few seconds the electricity stopped, and the squirrel dropped to the ground.

Bree ran over from her hiding place to inspect her trap. She became very happy when she realised that her net had worked perfectly, the squirrel very much dead.

As she packed up all her equipment, her Mother Mariam opened the back door.

"Bree! What are you doing out here? Your friends are here to go to the reapings with you!"

Bree's heart sank. The reapings! She thought with panic rising up inside her.

"I'm coming Mom!" she replied as she hurried to pack her equipment up.

The Hunger Games is no place for a girl like me. she mused. I wouldn't survive a minute in there. She was thankful that she had never had to put her name in tesserae.

As Bree entered the house, she found her best friends Joleen and Royce sitting at the kitchen table. Joleen was a very pretty girl with long swirling blonde hair and bright green eyes, while her twin, Royce, had short, spiky hair and deep blue eyes.

"Hey Bree!" Joleen exclaimed as she got up and hugged her. "Oh my god, there's this party on Saturday, that you just have to come to Bree! It's at Tyrell's place, and there's gonna be so many cute boys!" Joleen said that last part with a wink.

Bree smiled politely, but Royce couldn't help himself.

"Why would she wanna go to that dumb party Joleen? You know that's not her thing."

"Oh don't be silly! You're just jealous cos you're not invited Royce." Joleen replied with a satisfied smile.

"Whatever." Royce said. He had lost interest. "I guess we'd better head to the reapings."

Royce was more like Bree, not caring for parties and being more interested in reading and learning. Bree sighed as she remember how she used to have a crush on him for years up until she was fifteen. She had loved how quirky and interesting he was, and how much he enjoyed experimenting with electronics like she did.

But I'm over that now. Bree thought. She had managed to suppress her feelings for Royce last year, wanting to concentrate on her studies. The emotions she had felt when trying to think about her feelings for Royce had also made her feel very down at times in the past, so she was pleased to leave all that behind.

"Yeah. Let's go." Bree said as they left the house.


The reapings were always a sombre affair. District 3 had only ever produced two winners in the thirty-four years of Hunger Games, and most District 3 tributes died in the bloodbath. The mayor of District 3 was visibly uncomfortable as he talked about the Hunger Games and then introduced the escort.

"Happy Happy Hunger Games!" the female escort said into the microphone with enthusiasm, seemingly oblivious to the sea of blank faces staring back at her.

Bree stood in the crowd of 16 years old, not listening to a word. She had her nose back in her book, and had reached a particularly interesting part.

"The female tribute this year is… Bree Lloyd!"

Bree gasped as she heard her name. She looked around frantically at the crowd of people looking at her, confirming her worst nightmare.

The peacekeepers were now moving over as Bree stood, frozen to the spot. As they dragged her up with little fuss, she could hear what she could only imagine to be her Mother wailing somewhere near the back.

As Bree stood on the stage, still stunned by what had just happened, the escort reached her hand into the male bowl.

"This year's male tribute is Orren Noults!"

Bree watched as a tall boy emerged from the 18 year old section and walked up to the stage, his face showing little emotion. Bree noticed he was almost slouching, as if he didn't care that he had just been sent to his death.

"Tributes, please shake hands!" the escort said excitedly.

As Bree shook hands with Orren, she realised her strength. Her intelligence.

Why can't the Hunger Games be won with someone with a bit of intellect? she thought as her brain began working furiously.

She was already starting to imagine all the scenarios in which she could use her traps in the Hunger Games.