They're getting harder and harder to write because I don't want to make them all the same. Sorry if you don't like what I've done to any of your characters, but I'm trying desperately to make them alive and real. =D
You might slowly be thinking they're all pretty similar, but I guess that's because I add streaks of my own personality and feeling into that. It doesn't mean that I'm a really loud, self-obsessed boffin (you never know - I might actually be) but it just means that all the characters have a piece of me in them! Keep on suggesting alliances for your tribute! =D
D3
Quazza Willowwhisper
I sit at the side of the classroom, head buried in a book. It's the reaping day so schools are closed but that's no matter. The lock on the door is petty really, and no-one will bother going here, most people are overjoyed just to get out of school for a day, including me. It's not that I don't like school – I love school, the learning and thought processes, but I hate the people in it, always distracting people and shouting and screaming. All I want to do is have a good book in my hands or a good lesson in front of me, but they're forever distracting both me and the teacher, chucking paper aeroplanes, writing notes and giggling. Oh, the giggling. I sneer at disgust and then decide to go through some people in the school, talking to myself.
"Cameron Trace is a total utter prat." I say, feeling a lot better already, telling myself what I think of everyone, "Nylissa Moon is kind and sweet hearted like Dallas Soot. Then Gwen Falco is always talking, she never shuts up to actually think about what's she's saying, if her brain was even capable of thinking. Cole Dallan..."
I stop and brush my messy black hair out of my jade green eyes. If I say it I'll know I've finally admitted it, after all these years of it gnawing away inside me, finally I'll let it out, "Cole Dallan is the guy I've had a crush on for the past seven years, since I was eleven years old."
I freeze; I can't believe I just said that. Cole is two years younger than me, it's sad. He doesn't even know I exist but I certainly know he exists. I guess my friends, Nylissa and Dallas would say that I'm stalking him, but it's nonsense. He's the most kind, honourable guy I've ever met and I have definitely got feelings for him that have built up over the years. I've seen him stick up for people like me, but I know I can't have him, which is the burden that burns my heart. Gwen Falco has practically claimed him, saying that if anyone so much as sets a foot near him they'll know what's coming.
Of course that has its side effects, now the only friend Cole has is Gwen. I shake my head to get him out of my mind and turn back to my book, just to find the words blurring in front of my eyes. I slam it shut – that's enough reading for today. No doubt my three elder sisters, Selene, Carna and Kance will be rejoicing. They're identical triplets and have just turned nineteen so they're having a lie in at home like my parents will be no doubt. They're all working in the computer chip manufacturing factories and I will start too tomorrow since it was my birthday yesterday. I've just got get past this last reaping and then I will be free to work and sustain a living.
I pick up my book and creep out of the school, carefully locking the lock again. I then walk into the street. It's strange how a district can be so devoid of emotion on a celebratory day like this, but when I know what we're celebrating and I quite agree with them, this is no cause to be happy about. I stagger along the street feeling tired and look down at my outfit. I have a deep black skirt to match my hair colour and a baggy canary yellow top which is probably a crime to fashion, but I don't care. I've never been one for trends or fashion anyway. My pale skin is caused by the constant lack of light there seems to be in our district and although I may seem quite weak I'm actually quite muscular and have strong arms.
Don't let that make you think I'm a natural born career or anything, because I'm not. If I go into the arena my fate is quite simple – I die. After the cheery thought I brush it out of my mind and head to the reapings, where my life might change forever.
Cole Dallan
Another electric shock courses through my arm but I don't yelp in pain, I'm used to it. When you help out my dad with his job as an electrician you get used to the painful zaps of electricity coming from dodgy light bulbs and crackling TVs, and there are an awful lot of them. I wipe my coarse and scarred hands on my navy blue overalls and look up at my dad.
"I've got to go now dad, pick up Flora for the reaping."
My mother is looking after my little sister, Flora, who has just turned twelve a couple of weeks ago, so she'll be one of the youngest there. All I can hope is that she doesn't get reaped because she wouldn't be able to survive. I smile a warm smile at my father and rush out of the house, heading home. I get there just as mother is leading Flora to leave without me.
"I thought you weren't coming." My mother sighs as I cascade through the door, "There's no time to change now, just go to the reaping with Flora." She says and hands me Flora's hand. I wink at her and we exit the house happily, Flora even skips a bit. That's good, it means she is happy. I just hope it lasts because I know what my first reaping was like. I look at Flora's smart tartan dress with her brown hair plaited carefully and shiny red shoes. I give her an encouraging smile and tug her along to the reaping.
On the way there I see that weird girl from two years above of me, Quazza, or something like that, she seems to always be following me and when I look at her I find her staring at me and she quickly whips her head away. I find it extremely unnerving and stare down at my blue overalls. They're not that bad. Sure, the navy blue doesn't exactly match my dark skin tone and my muscular frame may look ridiculous next to Flora, but that doesn't mean she has to stare at me, it's actually quite scary.
When I get to the town square I approach a peacekeeper who is taking all the names down and he ticks me and Flora off on the list. I try to move Flora into her section but the peacekeeper violently shoves me back and I hold up my huge scarred and burnt hands in submission. He glares at me and I back up, crashing into the girl again. Is she everywhere? She doesn't seem to mind, though, so I murmur an apology and start moving towards the sixteen year-old boys section, waving to my friend Gwen in the other section. She automatically waves back and would have flounced over here if it wasn't for the terribly strict peacekeeper keen to start a fight.
So I smile at her instead and she beams at me, being her usual chatty self she turns to a girl in her section and starts talking, she never shuts up. I roll my eyes, making sure no-one can see me and then slot into place, ready for the reapings to start and the victims to be pulled out of the reaping ball.
"Why helloooo!" Calls a mutated Capitol man whose face was pinned back and a shiny silver, while the rest of him was a glittering gold. He cups his hand to his ear to get some welcome but nothing came, "Well, let's pick the darling girl first, shall we?" He asks with a dull whoop coming from the crowd as he plunges his hand into the reaping ball.
"Quazza Willowwhisper!" He calls, "Our female tribute is Quazza Willowwhisper!"
A sixteen year-old with jet black hair and alert green eyes wanders onto the stage, her face sunken. She tries to hide her distress, but the people of district three can see right through it.
"Helloooo Quazza, now, our lucky male tribute is the wonderful Cole Dallan!" He says. The female tribute looks shocked, but Cole looks perfectly calm, as if he expected this all along. He steps up to the stage and smiles at the audience, waving at the cameras.
"Well helloooo Cole! Now, let's both shake hands, shall we?" Asks the escort, though it was more of a demand than a request. They both shake hands, the girl looking at Cole, mortified.
Quazza Williowwhisper
I stare at Cole, open mouthed and gormless. I can't believe it – we both get reaped together? That's impossible, the odds were against it. Yet here I am, knowing that the boy that is turning into a man that I am practically obsessed me is going out to kill me.
Cole Dallan
I'm terrified. I'm shaking like a leaf and am as white as a sheet, which is surprising for my deep skin colour. I'm going to have to die, and the weird girl is my district partner? Ah well, you know how it all goes, don't you? Some things are just not meant to be and some things are. You have to look life in the face, which is what I'm doing now, at least I'll find out who the weird girl is, finally. That's it – optimism, my ticket out of here.
They are actually getting a bit shorter, but all of them are over 1,500 words with just the story, not including my authors notes. Do you think I should do the reapings then go into the games, the reapings, train rides, put up private training session score, do the interviews and finally go into the games or do a compromise? If a compromise, tell me what! =D
