Hey guys! Happy summer! Just one more train ride and then we're IN THE CAPITOL! Isn't this exciting? I hope you guys like these tributes, and don't forget to review! (It just may helps your tribute's chances in the arena, hehehe)


Flint Oakley, 18.

I can't believe I lost it. I had it in my pocket this morning, and now it's gone. There were no holes in my pants; I checked them three times over. I looked all over our compartment, but couldn't find it. My token was gone.

"Hey, Hedeon?" I called to my mentor. "Have you seen a rock around, anywhere?" My sister's favorite rock. Nine-year-olds are so hidden to the real world. Little Cynda didn't realize that there was a good chance I wouldn't be coming back. She had kept that rock since she was seven, and made me promised to bring it back to her. If I died, I don't know how my dad would take care of all of my siblings without me to help out. I've been taking out tesserae every year, so getting reaped was a pretty likely chance. So now I have to win. I have to so that Anna, Axel, and Lucas don't have to take tesserae and be reaped either. I have got to win this.

But so do the twenty-three other tributes.

"Sorry, son. Can't say I have." My middle-aged mentor sighed. I lifted up a cushion on the couch, throwing the bright orange pillow onto the ground. Some pamphlet about last year's Games was lodged in under the other cushion. I threw the second pillow, nearly knocking a vase off of the coffee table.

"WHAT are you doing?" A ridiculous accent cried. I turned slowly to meet the fuming face of a pale green face with bright blue neon tattoos. The district seven escort….. "What are you doing to the loveseat?"

"I was looking for my token, alright? It's a rock. Have you seen it?" The escort ignored me as she scurried over to the couch, fixing the pillows in a near-perfect way. "Hello?" I was ignored yet again, so I started to search the other 'loveseat.' The escort almost lost it as the yellow and green patterned pillow struck her in the face. Her mouth formed a perfect 'o' as it fell it the ground. There was a long pause, as she tried to compose herself.

"Little boy, I must say that you are the rudest little tribute that I have ever laid eyes on. And that is saying something."

"My name's Flint. Not 'little boy.' And you are the rudest, most annoying CAPITOL toy that I've ever met! If you're not going to help me find my rock, then get the hell-" I stopped myself. I get angry very easily, but I've been working on keeping it under control. The train lurched as it went through a tunnel. The escort stormed out of the room. Good. One less negativity in my current situation. My district partner, Wilhemina, came to see what was the matter, as well as her mentor. Seeing as the escort had gone past them when she fled the room, both of them were laughing.

"Well, it's about time something interesting happened on this train." Wilhemina laughed. "It's been awfully boring." In spite of his foul mood, Flint couldn't help but smile.

Wilhemina Malavet, 15.

Finally! Finally some action, something other than watching the Capitol's commercials on a never-ending loop. Finally someone was doing something other than eating! You have no idea how excited I was. Usually all there ever is going on is that idiot escort rambling on about this or that. Boredom is my worst enemy. I had to go so far to steal my partner's token for some action. And, boy! Was that productive. Not only did I almost cause a fight, but the escort stormed off and the front compartment's a wreck! I couldn't help laughing my head off, and neither could Aspen. Aspen's my mentor. She's in her seventies, and doesn't quite know about my 'evil scheme' but laughs because there's finally something to laugh about. I helped Flint pick up the pillows and straighten out the cushions, still laughing. In all reality, our scenario wasn't that funny; but everyone's been in a depressed mood ever since we got on the trains. I don't know why though. It's the Hunger Games! They're exciting! And District Seven will finally have their long-awaited tribute this year. Because I'm ready for anything the Capitol's got. I've prepared. It was just luck that I got reaped. Pure, sheer….

Luck.

"Hey, Wilhemina, you would've happened to see a rock anywhere?" I shook my head as Oakley looked at me with hopeful eyes. "About, this small and dark gray in color? It's yellow and blue on one part of it, and the name Cynda is colored in with green." I took an apple from the table and started the short walk back to my compartment.

"Can't say I have. I'll keep an eye out for it, though."

"Yeah, thanks…." As soon as I was out of eyeshot, I slid the rock out from under my sleeve. Yeah, big, tall, Blue-Eyes is soft for material possessions. That'll come in handy. I let it fall from my hand onto the ground, and waited a few moments, before crying.

"Hey, Oakley! I found the rock!" Not two seconds later, he bounded into the hallway. "It must've fallen out of your pocket or something this morning." The look he gave the rock almost made me feel guilty. "That your token?" I gestured to it, trying to make conversation. Of course it was his token. He nodded. "This one's mine." I dug in my pocket until I found the worn coin. As I handed it to him to look over, I tucked a stray strand of light blonde hair behind my ear. "It says my name, right there," I pointed, "And that's Ezra's name. He's my boyfriend. No-….friend that's a boy. A guy friend. Ezra isn't my boyfriend." I laughed, and could not believe that I accidentally said that Ezra was my boyfriend. Ezra has been one of my best friends since the beginning of forever. He was one of the few kids in Seven that actually liked the Games, like me. And sure, growing up I may have had a little crush on him, but nothing very serious. At least….I think.

"Cool. Thanks, again for finding it. I'd be so lost." He handed me the coin back and I slid it into my pocket. So I guess stealing things and pretending to find them again is a great way to make allies. Yes, I'm going to win this thing.

Flint Oakley, 18.

I looked at Hedeon confusedly as he walked around me in a circle.

"Yes, you're very tall and strong, aren't you?" I nodded. "Agile?" I shook my head. "Quick to anger." He said it as a statement, not a question. I reluctantly nodded. "What are your strategies in the Arena?" I thought for a moment.

"Get to the Cornucopia, and take everything I can carry, within reason-"

"WRONG!" Hedeon cried, his eyes shining. "You beware that bloodbath. When the timer ticks; and ticks it will, the longest minute of your life, you better run as fast as you can in another direction. In training, meet a smart, pretty girl to ally with. But don't ally up with Malavet. There's something off about her, I can tell."

"Alright. Don't go towards the Cornucopia. Then what?"

"Well, it really depends on the Arena. What would be your next plan?"

"Um, I'd make shelter out of branches or something as soon as I got far enough away from everyone. I'm pretty handy with an axe. Lumberjack and all." Hedeon nodded.

"What would you do if there's no trees?"

"Make shelter out of something else."

"Like what?" I know these are stupid, but they are useful. I doubt that the Arena won't have a forest, they do almost every year. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared, right?

"Well, in my Games, there was just a plain, giant field. Second quickest Hunger Games ever. It took us not but two days to kill everyone."

"How'd you do it?"

"I literally stayed on the ground the whole time. Nearly died of dehydration, but I didn't. Eventually, the Careers stopped looking for me and killed each other. The last guy, the remaining Career, was really confused when the victory cannons started blaring when he killed his partner. I snuck up on him, clean shot with a knife right through the eye. I was never the same again." He paused. "But I guess the moral of this story is that even if you can't hide, at least blend in. Be sneaky. That's something you could use work on. If you can, get cozy with the Careers."

"No way."

"Don't be childish, it helps."

"No! No, I hate these Games and refuse to like the Careers. I'm not getting 'cozy' with them." Hedeon sighed, and turned the TV on. More Capitol news about the tributes, the people that are going to be dead very soon. He paused on the face of a handsome, tall young man with black hair. The District One tribute. He let the television play for a moment before he paused again; this time on a short, strawberry-blonde haired girl with a crooked nose. Again, and the smiling face of blue-eyed, sandy-haired eighteen year old stared at him. Three more people passed, a ash-blonde fifteen year old girl, a dark haired girl, and finally a light haired boy. Their names, Blain Sype, Alex Jeppson, Hector Hannon, Brigid Perrilloux, Pike Reef, and Delta Woodrow flashed across the screen.

"These are this year's potential Careers. You feel comfortable, looking into these kid's eyes and killing them? All of them will be dead. Maybe one won't be. But if you want to win, all of these nice, young folks will be slaughtered."

"They don't look particularly menacing."

Gideon chuckled.

"They never do. But then, BAM! They kill you. I bet this one's-" He hit the TV lightly with his walking cane, smacking the District Four boy in the face, "Would get you down in…..six seconds?"

"Thanks. That makes me want to try so much harder." I replied sarcastically, throwing an orange at the wall. As it fell to the ground I swore I could hear the escort yell:

"What….was….that?...Mister Oakley!" Hedeon hit me lightly on the arm.

"That's your cue to run, kid. Think of this as special training. Running from the Capitol crazy. Oh, and just to let you know, we get off at the Capitol tomorrow. Have your things packed, and a plan ready. It's all downhill from here." I made a mad dash for my room, and grabbed a seat at the desk, and fresh Capitol crossword puzzle on the top. I attempted to look like I was actually trying as the escort stormed into the room.

"Young man, did you throw that piece of fruit?"

"I don't know exactly, but do you know what 'Beloved leader of Panem' is? Four down." I was playing down my dumbness for her. She scoffed.

"Snow! Everyone knows that, you stupid little boy." She paused. "Well, if you didn't throw the orange then who did?" I shrugged.

"Maybe Hedeon? Or Wilhemina. She's devious." I threw the newspaper at the trash can as the escort left. God, I hated that woman. But as the lock on the door clicked shut, I began to think about what Hedeon said.

All downhill from here?

Really?


And there you go!