Monique Zale, 18, First Female (District 4)
The sea breeze tickles my bare neck as I stroll along the beach. Maybe I should be in training, getting in some last minute practice, but I'd rather be here. The sand, the sea, me... alone. I won't get much time like this in the Capitol.
The water tickles my toes as I walk, and it reminds me of what I'm letting go of to volunteer. Nothing would ever stop me from volunteering, but I'll still miss some things - like this.
I can feel my top blowing up slightly so I pull the hem down again. I'm glad I elected against a dress, people would have seen my knickers if the skirt of it blew upwards in the wind.
Another reason is because I see Dorry coming out of the water, and he would surely never let me live something like that down.
He grabs a towel and wraps it around his bare torso. I can't see Sedna anywhere, but then again she probably wants to be pretty for the camera. She's still of reaping age, unlike Dorry. He can just blend into the crowd from this year onwards.
"You're looking nice today, Monique."
"Um... thanks, I guess?" I say, before quickly changing the topic to the first thing I can think of. I rant a bit, but he is obviously unimpressed.
"Yes, Monique, I know there is a cloud in the sky today - I can see it. But seriously, must we always discuss the weather?"
"Yes."
He tuts, and puts his arm around me. "You're a weird one, Monique."
"You know, Selma's a lot nicer - maybe I should find her instead," I joke, but he looks upset. I don't like seeing any of my friends upset, no matter one of my two best friends, so I look around. There. "Hey, Dorry! Race you to the pier!"
I begin to run, and he soon catches up. "I'll beat you this time!"
"No... you... won't..." I pant, and he was right. He's already there when I arrive.
"How's it feel to be a loser, huh?"
"Shut up!" I hit him playfully on the arm, and he jumps back in mock fright. This is how our relationship works - I joke, and he jokes back. And I'm fine with that, it's convenient. I have bigger priorities in life than becoming "more than friends", but he doesn't quite feel the same. I feel guilty for always pushing him away, but I have to put my training before stuff like that.
Mornings like this one, where I allow myself to be free from all the stress in my life, are scarce.
I take a moment to regain my breath, and then I hug him goodbye. "I'll see you in the Justice Building, yeah?" I whisper into his ear.
"Sure thing, Monique." I walk backwards as I wave, but when I am just within arm reach I stretch and pull off his towel. "Hey!" he calls as I run up the nearest dune, and keep on running until I am home safe. I deposit the towel in the corner of the room, and laugh when I think that he'll have to walk home topless. The creepy old ladies down his lane will love it.
Well, they know who to thank for it.
I go to my shelf and pick up a dagger. After double checking that the target ot correctly fastened, I throw it. Bullseye.
I throw again. Not quite so spectacular, but it would still be a fatal throw. In my eyes, that's something that can be dealt with. After all, a dead tribute is still just a dead tribute, no matter how they died.
"I see you're preparing yourself still, Monique." It's my father's voice, he must've been watching me.
"Yes," I say, putting down the dagger, "I have to stay at the top of my game. I can't fail now."
"You're not going to fail, sweetie. You can do this, I just know it. I've given you extra sessions in weaponry, your mother's taught you the importance of survival skills. You can do this, I know you can."
"Thanks, Dad." I walk to him and hug him. I want to remember him and Mom and Dorry and Selma when I'm in the arena. Happy thoughts and memories will be worth a million times their ordinary value then.
Darryn Allain, 14, Third Male (District 4)
"Good morning," I say to the girl in front as I enter the queue. I've never seen her before in my life, but it's important to be polite. I'll be stuck in this line for a while, and I don't want to create any awkward tension where it isn't necessary.
"Hi," she says. She blushes. "I'm, um... I'm Lydia."
"Darryn. Nice to meet you."
"You too," she says twirling her hair. "You're kinda cute."
My eyes widen and I think of my best friend Leander - he'd love the attention from a girl as pretty as her. Leander. If only he knew...
"It's, um... nice day, isn't it?"
"Not particularly." She grimaces. "Why the topic change?'
"It's just that, um..." And there's the awkwardness you were trying to avoid! Great job, Darryn. Really great job...
"I'm gay," I blurt out.
"Oh," she says."Well, um... got any hot friends?"
"Yes." But not that you can have - he's mine. Well, I wish he was mine, at least...
"Well, if I see you around after the reaping, I'll have to ask about your friend, hm?"
"You won't see me. I'm volunteering."
The girl raises her eyebrow. "Aren't you a little young for that, hm? You're, what? Fifteen?"
"Fourteen."
"Yeah, well don't you usually wait until at least sixteen?"
"In a Quarter Quell, all rules change. Surely you know that..."
"True," she says, and that's the last I see of her. She's called up to the desk. Well, she wasn't very pleasant.
I walk into the square and there's very few people. I position myself close to the path to the stage. I want to be in the prime position to volunteer.
Rosenna Mayhow steps onstage and I tut. She's awfully old for a Career district escort. Usually they'd have been moved down or released by now, and she doesn't seem anything special enough to keep on. Maybe it's just luck.
The treaty of treason takes forever - it seems to get longer and longer each year. The content is always the same, but Mayor Llyons is getting old now, so his speech is probably a bit slower too.
Miss Mayhow takes her spot centre stage once again, and goes on and on about how lucky we all are to be here. Honestly, I couldn't care less about her speech - I just want to get around to volunteering.
Kozuki Shamiko, 15, Second Female (District 4)
All that's on my mind is Ko. Is he all right alone in the crowds? Is he safe? When I took him on, it never occured to me that I would ever have to abandon him. I've always just wanted to be a good big sister to him.
The first girl is being chosen now, and I inhale. I won't know her more than likely, but I always feel sorry for them. "Amelia Ayrecroft, come up here, dear." I exhale - I don't know her.
"I volunteer as tribute." A tall girl with a blonde pixie cut struts onstage, and gives a radiant smile to the cameramen. The Capitol will like her, that's for sure. "I'm Monique Zale."
"Nice to meet you, Monique. Next we have-" she says before going to the bowl. "-we have Kozuki Shamiko!" She did not just say my name. "Kozuki, come onstage..." She did just say my name. Holy crap.
After taking a deep breath, I am composed enough to walk onstage calmly.
"Lovely!" the escort calls when I am standing beside her. "Now..." she says, selecting the final female slip. As she does so, I stare out into the crowds. It's intimidating, I feel like I'm hyperventilating, and I can't see Ko. This is an absolute nightmare.
Ally Johnson is the name that is called. Though she looks nothing like me, I can tell that we're very much alike right now. She looks how I feel, she seems extremely scared. Maybe I'll be able to cope with her.
For the first boy, it's some kid called Troye who volunteered. I'm not sure why he volunteered, I'm not sure he said. I wasn't paying very much attention past his name. I'm still trying to see Ko amongst the crowd. Will he even manage to visit me afterwards, not knowing where to go to do so? Does he understand what's happening? Will he cope all alone out there?
I guess the last one's an answer I'll never find out, but with a bit of luck I might get to discover the answer to the first two - I might get to see him in the justice building, to say my goodbyes.
I've been too lost in thought that another boy is already on his way to the stage. The way he is presenting himself, his mannerisms... well they all suggest he's a regular Career, but there is a certain nervousness in his voice when he says, "Sebastian Renier," and I can see the formation of a bruise happening on the right side of his face - the side nearest to me.
I don't know what it is, but I think I'll have to ask him sometime.
It's the final tribute now, and I've finally composed myself enough inside to pay the reaping my full attention.
"Finally, we have Adam James!"
"I volunteer." The boy scurries onstage, and grins. "Darryn Allain. Nice to meet you, Miss Mayhow."
"And you too, Darryn," she says, smiling. Well, somebody's already choosing favourites...
We are made to hold hands with the others in the line, and then we are pushed into the justice building.
I look down at my old wristwatch and gulp. Now it's my life that's on a timer.
Troye Pacifica, 18, First Male (District 4)
Smothering me in her caress, my mother cries, "Oh, my baby! You volunteered - oh, I'm so proud of you, darling, I really am." She releases me and just puts her hands on my shoulders. It's much more bearable. "You've done me proud, yes, yes!" she laughs, her eyes wide and excited.
"Let the boy be, Adrianne. That's quite enough of that," my father says as he sits opposite me. My mother takes a seat next to him, and my brother stands behind. Typical Neptune, always trying to "be a man" - why can't he just accept that it's perfectly acceptable to let it go sometimes, and just be... well, normal! "Now," he says, "you know what you're doing, right?"
"I'm not stupid," I reply, and it's very true. The trainers at the academy told me that I'm more like District 3 than 4 when it comes to intelligence. "Yes, I'm prepared. I mean, I've hardly forgotten all those years of making bombs in the academy already, hm?"
"What if there are no explosives?"
"Then I'll make traps. They always work."
"Very true, son. Well... it seems you're ready for this. I'll let you get on with it, eh?" He gets up at pats me on the back, and then takes me mother's hand and leaves.
"Good luck, Troye," Neptune says with a hint of a smile on his face, and he too leaves.
"Thanks!" I call as he goes.
I'm not alone for long, for Marissa visits me. "Hey, Marissa."
"Hey, Troye. So... no more Caspian for you now!"
"Nope! He can't get to me anymore, thank goodness. When I return, I'll be a victor, and that'll make me his superior. He'll wish he never messed with me..."
Chuckling, Marissa comes over to me and gives me a hug. "You can do this, I believe in you."
"I know I can. You've always been there for me, I know I'll be able to do it. If I couldn't, then I wouldn't have volunteered."
"True," she says. "Look, have you got a token yet?"
"No, bu-"
"Here." She takes off her necklace and passes it to me. "Take this."
"I can't," I say, pressing it in her palm. "It's yours, I can't take it, Marissa."
"Fine, have it your way." Vocally, she sounds grumpy but when I look at her face, she is smiling.
"Are you trying to manipulate me, Marissa?" I joke.
"No," she laughs. "Look, I'll see you soon, okay?"
"See you as soon as I'm back from the arena."
I'm alone for a few minutes, and I'm caught up in my thoughts. What is life? Is it really as complex as it is made out to be? Are genetics so complicated as we are told? I bet I could simplify it all. Yes... if I just multiply x by pi and divide that all by the cube root of y... then if I add the number of strands of DNA... and if I... I could go on like this for hours, but I don't because my trainer arrives.
"You did it, Troye."
"I did, yes." I'm not sure what else he wants me to say.
"Make us proud, yeah? It'd be nice if District Four had a victor two years in a row. A perfect record, when you repeat your success over and over again, without failure. You can be the one that comes home, Troye. You just have to believe in yourself."
"Thanks, Percey."
"No problem. Anyway, I just came to wish you well, so... good luck in there." He goes to leave, and I stare in despair. I'd wanted to talk tactics with him one last time.
"Wait, why are you going already?"
"I'm on a tight schedule. You'll see me again on your return home, okay?" He smiles.
"Okay."
Sebastian Renier, 16, Second Male (District 4)
As I step on the train, Minny's final words to me echo through my ears.
"Oh, Sebastian! I'm so glad you volunteered early for me. Babe, I can't wait to see you competing for your life against those other children!"
For a girlfriend, she has awfully weird ways of showing me that she loves me. I hold my hand to my cheek. It still hurts from when she hit me before the reaping, even though that was hours ago now.
"Hey!" says a girl as she comes on after me. I turn around, but she's not a tribute like I had expected. It's Laigh Shawne, victor of the 365th Hunger Games.
I've heard the men in the Capitol love her.
"Hi," I say, unsure of what else to do.
"Nice day, isn't it?"
"I suppose so, yeah. Well, if you're referring to the weather, that is." If you're referring to my girlfriend threatening to slit her own throat if I didn't volunteer, then no - that half-terrified the life out of me.
"True. Anyway, why are you still standing by the door? You can't escape, you know. They'd catch you."
I laugh. "I'm not escaping. I'm people watching. You know, watching people go about their everyday lives as they work in the station. Maybe I should ask you the same, hm?"
"Well, if you're asking, then I'll say. I'm waiting for Clodagh. I promised I'd wait for her, but the peacekeepers made me do so inside of the train, so here I am."
"Fair enough."
"Indeed."
There's a silence, but it isn't awkward in the slightest - no, it's more expectant. Like I'm waiting for someone to do something but nobody does. Well, not for a few minutes.
Clodagh Aster appears in the doorway, and she runs straight into Laigh's open arms. If it wasn't for their differing hair colours then anybody could mistake them for sisters. Both are beautiful, and their eyes are a perfect shade of green. Admittedly, Laigh's skin is more tanned, but it could just be because she goes outdoors more.
Who knows, maybe they are secretly related.
"Hey, hey, it'll be okay... sh, it's all right, Clodagh..." I look at Laigh expectedly and she explains, "First year as a mentor. It's always the hardest. Nobody can prepare you for when you see the tribute you'll have to mentor..." Sounds believable, I guess. "Everybody knows that you rarely succeed in your first year, and she doesn't want to let her tribute down. It's hard being a victor sometimes." She smiles a sad smile as she adds, "You'll understand one day - if you win."
"Who's her tribute?" I ask out of curiousity.
"The second female, why?" Well, that Kozuki girl's screwed.
"No reason." I leave her be to console Clodagh, and I walk into the next carriage. When I am in there, I realise that I'm not alone. The others are all here too.
I walk up to the oldest girl and decide to be friendly. "Hello, I'm Sebastian, pleased to meet you."
"Monique," she says in a monotone voice. I offer my hand for her to shake but she puts both of her own behind her back.
Maybe she's not very sociable in general, or maybe she just doesn't like me.
I see cake on a table, and I take a slice on a small china plate, and I eat it in as delicate a manner as I can manage. After helping myself to a second slice and sitting down, Clodagh appears without Laigh in tow, and this time she's smiling.
"Hi, I saw you earlier - in the first carriage. I'm Clodagh," she says.
"Hi, I'm Sebastian. Nice to meet you."
"You too, Seb."
"Seb?"
"Yeah, got an issue with that? Seb... I just think it sounds cuter than Sebastian, you know?"
"Fair enough... Clo."
The newly nicknamed Clo struggles to supress her giggles and she just lets herself laugh. "I've never been called that before," she explains when she has calmed herself dowm slightly. "It has a nice tone to it, I like it."
"Well, you know who to thank," I say with a grin.
"I sure do! Anyway... have you seen Kozuki? I was going to introduce myself, but I don't know where she is."
"Not anymore, but I seem to recall her being in here earlier."
"Oh, that's okay then. I'll find her later - I'm kinda tired anyway. Mind if I sit by you? Just, the sofa's much more comfortable than the mahogany chairs, right?"
"I haven't tried, but it's probably true. I'll just take your word for it, Clo."
"You didn't answer my question, so I'm guessing it's fine," she says as she sits by me.
"Why would I have an issue with you sitting next to me on a sofa designed for multiple people? That seems foolproof to me."
Raising her eyebrow, she says, "Yeah, but my district partner was an arsehole and he wouldn't share."
"Sounds... unpleasant."
"Yeah, well there's a reason I returned, and not him," she reminds me, and it's true. If the Capitol dislike you then your chances of victory are low. She touches my cheek, and despite it being gentle, I flinch. "What happened to your cheek? It looks like you hit it real bad."
"It was, um... I tripped and fell into a wall." The way I stuttered would have made even the most reasonable excuse sound unrealistic.
"Very funny, now try again. The truth this time."
"I, um... my girlfriend hit me. It's just a little bruise though. I can barely feel it, honest!"
"Don't lie."
"Fine - it hurts. Happy now, Clo? Are you happy?"
"Not if you get like that with me, I'm not!"
"Ooh, somebody's having a lovers' tiff..." says the escort with pleasure as she passes.
In unison, Clodagh and I shout back, "WE'RE NOT HAVING A LOVERS' TIFF!"
"We're not dating," she says quietly.
"Yeah, I've got a girlfriend."
When she has gone, Clo adds with a whisper, "Some girlfriend you have though. Beating you up."
"Hey! She's still my girlfriend, even if you dislike her. Besides, you've never even met her."
"True. But I doubt I would like her anyway."
"That's true. I don't even like her myself anymore." I sigh, and my eyes well up with tears. "She's just horrible, and she always shouts at me, and hits me, and threatens me, an-" Letting myself sob, my face falls into my hands. "Oh, gosh, why am I telling you this? You probably have enough stress already. It's not fair of me..."
"Yeah, I have a lot of stress, but that's not the point. You'll be all right, you can forget about her now. She can't hurt you in the Capitol," she reminds me as she puts her hand on my back to comfort me.
"Thanks," I say, but I'm not sure why.
"Do you need a hug?"
"Thanks." She hugs me and in the corner of my eye I see Kozuki - the girl Clo was looking for. "Hey, Clodagh? Kozuki just came in."
"She did? Oh, well I need to talk to her then, her being my tribute and all. Still," she says as she looks me in the eye, "if you need to talk, I'm here for you, okay? I don't like seeing people sad."
"Okay. Thanks, Clo."
"No problem!" she calls as she walks off to Kozuki. It's strange to think of how sad she seemed earlier compared to how happy she seems now. But it's none of my business.
She seems sweeter than I had expected from her Games last year though. Who knows, maybe I'll make a friend here? I'd like that.
I realise that my younger counterpart, Darryn Allain, has been sitting silently in the corner for the entire journey until now, with just a book and a pencil. He must be feeling lonely by now, so I go up to him.
"What are you doing?" I ask the silent boy, sitting beside him.
"Nothing much," he says as he slams his sketchbook shut, but not before I see pencil lines.
"You were drawing."
"Yeah... so what if I was?"
"Can I look?" I ask. Looking into my eyes - probably to see if I seem trustworthy - he nods.
"Sure," he says as he re-opens the book. On the first page there is a well-drawn sketch of a boy who resembles him and some other people. It must be Darryn's family. He turns the page and I see a boy who is smiling. Darryn looks at it with longing, but I think there's some hurt in his eyes too. Maybe I'm imagining that last bit.
"Who is he? Your boyfriend or something?" I ask.
"If only..." he mutters under his breath, and I don't know if I was meant to hear it. So I wasn't imagining his hurt. "That's Leander. My best friend."
"Oh."
"Yeah..." he says, and he quickly turns the page of the little book. We look through it together, and he smiles whenever I compliment his ability to draw.
I think I'm going to get along with this guy just fine.
Ally Johnson, 14, Third Female (District 4)
"Ally, be quiet!" she shouts, and I try to stop my wimpering. The thing is, the wax on my legs really hurts, and I don't like it. The pain is rather unbearable...
"Aargh!" I scream as they rip off more hair from my legs. "Are you trying to kill me or something?"
"No, we're trying to help you look pretty... for when someone else kills you."
I frown. "Aren't you supposed to tell me I'm going to do fine, that I can make it out alive if I just believe or something?" They turn to one another and shrug. She laughs as her male companion opens his mouth to talk.
"Probably. Like we care about that though. You're going to die and I couldn't give a shit, quite frankly."
"Well, that's not very nice of you!"
"It's not, you're right. But I find that being candid is better than being friendly, don't you think, Seline?"
"Indeed," she responds with a grin. Wow, they really hate me.
I start to quietly hum a song I knew as a child, and they glare at me for doing so as they apply mascara, but I ignore it. So what if they disapprove? I need to distract myself.
They just storm out, leaving me with only half of my face made up. I stare into the mirror for a while, and then I pick up something called a 'lipstick'. Based upon its name, I guess it must be for my lips. I open it and it's a solid stick of crimson paste. I touch the point to my bottom lip and discover that it leaves a dark red mark, and I suddenly realise how men and women in the Capitol get the colour on their mouths. They must use lipstick.
I trace the edges of my lips with it, and then carefully colour them in. They look pretty - if I get out alive then I think I would like to buy some, in this exact colour.
I pick up the mascara wand, and go to mimic what they did on the other eye, but I stop myself. I'm scared I'll poke my eye out.
A pretty young woman walks into the room. "Oh, my! What did they do to you!" she exclaims when observing my face. "This is... this is just..." She composes herself, and takes a deep breath before starting again. "Okay, so you need eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara on your right eye, and another coat of mascara on your bottom left lashes. You need bronzer, though your foundation looks okay. The lipstick's, um... it's quite bad, but I think I can salvage it..." I listen as she goes on insulting my valiant efforts on my lips (which I thought were very good, but apparently not), obviously thinking my prep team did it, until I interrupt her.
"I did my lipstick, sorry. I've never done it before, but I thought it would be wise to try to do my own if the team would just go off like that."
"They just left, did they?"
"Yes."
"Hm. It wouldn't surprise me, he was always a little too temperamental."
"You think?" I joke. "I hate him."
"I'm not his biggest fan either," she says with a genuine smile at me. "Look, for a first attempt you didn't do an awful job. I can fix it, it's all right..."
I just nod along as she speaks about her life in the Capitol and fixes my face, and I know I will like her. She seems nice.
"And... done!" she announces with a final sweep of bronzer. I look in the mirror, and I really do look something special.
"Thank you."
"No problem. It's not your fault they messed up their jobs. Now, let me get your gown..."