On the side of a hill in the deep forest green.

Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested brown.

Blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain

Sleeps unaware of the clarion call.


Cecily Prane, 15

District 7 female.

"Do you have anything to say Rose?" The district escort asks her. My mind can't wrap around the scenario of events that just occurred. Rose just got reaped. Rory's little sister. It isn't fair. I want to volunteer and take her place but my feet are stuck to the ground.I can't move or speak no matter how hard I try. Over and over a mocking voice sing songs "sleeps unaware of the clarion call" I scream so loud in my head but nothing comes out of my mouth. I am frozen in time watching Rose be handed a death sentence and there is not a single thing that I can do about it.

I sit up abruptly in my bed with sweat dripping down my face. It's morning and the sunlight is streaming in through my blinds. The shadows of leaves and branches on my wall bring me back to reality. It was just a dream. I lay there for a few seconds thanking my lucky stars before I get up and put on a striped grey and green shirt with my favorite pair of jeans. I finish it off with the necklace carved into the shape of a deer ridden by a fox with a falcon perched on top. Rory carved it for me and it is one of my prized possessions. I tousle my light brown hair and grab my notebook so that I can head to my favorite place. I walk through the kitchen to get out the front door and give my mother and father a kiss on the cheek on my way out.

My family has never been handed the best of cards, but we make do with the hand we were dealt. We live in a poorer part of district 7. My little brother Shasta and I have worked in the paper mill for a long time and my mother and father work as part of a team that loads the paper products to be shipped out to the rest of Panem. We have money, but it's hardly enough. We have all gone to bed on an empty stomach countless amounts of times. Our house is alright but our roof leaks. We put a tarp over the holes to keep us dry during the frequent rains. I've come to terms with all of it, but it will never sit right with me. It all just seems unfair. I walk through the district waving at people working in the lumber yards on my way to the woods.

Walking through the woods gives me a sense of peace, the different shades of green and the different sounds completely relax my mind. About two and a half miles into the woods is a clearing with grass, ferns and breathtakingly beautiful wildflowers. This is my happy place. I find myself here often when the world just gets to be too much to handle. I go and nestle myself into a spot amongst the wildflowers and take out my notebook to write. I am working on a story right now featuring a fox, a deer and birds. The difference between my stories and other stories featuring animals is that my animals talk. That might sound childish, but it is far from it. I guess the characters in my story are just a way for me to reflect the dissatisfactions that I have with my life and Panem in general. I bird come and lands right next to me as I write and I can't help but smile. This small creature is so small and beautiful and I bet that it doesn't have many worries at all.

I sit in this spot in the same position for hours, writing before I realize that I have lost track of time. I gather my belongings and head out of the woods at a faster pace than I came in. I wouldn't want to be caught in here after dark and the sun is setting. I pick some wild flowers on the edge of the woods to bring to my mother and then head home. When I arrive, I set my bag down and getting to my nightly duty of chopping firewood for the family. Every bang of the axe reminds me of my life here in district 7. I wish I was one of the birds in my stories so that I could just fly away from here.


It hasn't always been this way

I remember brighter days

Before the dark ones came

Stole my mind

Wrapped my soul in chains


Tannin Jiminez, 14.

District 7 male.

"Hey Tannin, thanks buddy!"

A man with sweat dripping down his face from working in the lumber yards all day gratefully takes the water from me and downs it in one big gulp. I smile at him and nod and then move on to serving the next workers.

My family doesn't have very much money at all and we are often hungry. My mother and father do their best to make sure me and my siblings know how much we are loved and they provide for us as much as they can but it somehow always falls short. I do whatever I can to help. I don't make very much by serving food to the lumber yard workers but it's better than nothing and I would do anything and everything in my power to make sure that my three younger siblings don't go to bed hungry more than they need to, even if that means that I don't get to eat that night.

"There is that infectious smile!" says another worker as he takes the food and water from my hands.

"Hello Sir, how are you doing?" I reply.

"Well, as good as one can do in this part of the district." he jokingly hits my hat, making it hang funny off of one of the sides on my head. I chuckle as I put it back in the right place and move along.

A lot of people would think that this would be a miserable job for the amount of money that I am getting for it, but it has been really great. I am a people person and I have a passion for knowing how people are doing, what they are thinking and if there is anything I can do to help them.

"Hey Chirpy!" Berty and Cedar are sitting down in the dirt looking exhausted so I pick up my pace and rush over to him extending them the food and water.

I got the nickname chirpy from them because of my small stature and my bouncy attitude. They say that I remind them of a small bird that is constantly flying around and won't stop chirping. I like it alot as it makes me laugh whenever the call me it.

Berty and Cedar are a married couple that have taken me under their wing. They treat me just like I was their own child and make my job a little bit more fun. Cedar pats the spot next to her urging me to sit down and share their lunches with them. It makes so it's even less food or them and I realize the sacrifice they are making for me and I am forever grateful for that and or them.

"You know, you are such a good kid. You uplift a lot of the people here in district 7 Tannin, I hope you never lose that." he tells me before biting into the bread.

"It's nothing really, but I am glad. I love it when people smile." I graciously accept some water but am careful not to drink too much so that there is plenty left for them. I eat and discuss life with Berty and Cedar for a little while before I get back to work.

By the end of my work period, I am exhausted but I won't let it show. I excitedly walk home to my family to tell them about my day.


Cecily Prane,15

District 7 female.

I need to clear my head so I gather my stuff and head to my happy place for the third time this week. I take my usual path to the clearing that I love so dearly and when I get there, I see Rory sitting there carving something with his knife.

"Hey beautiful." he says looking up from his creation for a brief moment. I toss my bag down and sit down next to him. He leans in for a quick kiss and then continues to carve. I watch him for a few moments and just smile. I never get to see Rory. I get sundays off from the paper factory and he gets Saturdays off so this is very rare. I think back to when we first met and I can't help but giggle.

I was walking in the woods, headed to the clearing to write when I heard something behind me. I turned around and there was a not so amused brown bear on it's hind legs. I started to run and it started to chase me. I didn't know what to do so when I came to this tall maple tree and had no other choice but to climb up it. When I reached the top there was a smallish boy with pretty grey eyes and curly blonde hair. He smiled at me and said "Now there is two of us, treed like possums." I giggled and that was the start of a beautiful friendship. Rory and I aren't dating but it's definitely not out of the picture because I feel safe with him.

"Are you ready for the reapings?" I ask him looking up from my notebook.

"I don't think anyone is ever really ready." he replies.

"You're right. I wish we could stay here forever." I twirl a daisy in between my fingers. Rory takes it from me and places it in my hair.

"You don't have anything to worry about with the way you swing that axe." he jokes.

I lay on my back in the soft green grass and just look up at the sky. I grab a hold of the necklace Rory carved me and I feel at peace.


Tannin Jiminez, 14

District 7 male.

"Come here little guy." I am chasing a bright green frog around the front yard but he is hopping like crazy. I finally get my hands on him and I cup him in my hands and bring him up close to my face to get a better look at him. He's cute and I don't want to hurt him in the slightest but I have plan.

All of my siblings are inside of our house getting ready for the reapings. I sneak the frog into the house and creep into my older brother Rowans room. He and I are very close and are constantly messing with each other. All out of love of course. Rowan is focused on getting his hair to lay just right and I see my only chance. I run up behind him and stretch the waistband of his pants and release the frog into them. It takes Rowan a second to realize what is occurring but when he realizes that there is an amphibian in his trousers he starts to scream. I fall on the floor laughing.

"What is going on in here boys!" my mom comes scurrying into the room.

"Tannin put a freaking frog in my pants!" he shouts as he pulls his pants down. The frog jumps out and I run after it to make sure that it doesn't get killed.

"Tannin, you need to apologize." my mom lectures with a slight grin on her face.

"Yes mam." I reply.

"I'm sorry Rowan." I say. He shakes his head but he does have a trace of a smile on his face.

I am grateful that with everything that has happened in my life that my family is still able to mess around with each other. I am young but I am aware of the harsh realities in Panem that people face and will continue to face for years and years to come. However, there isn't a single thing we can do about it at the moment so I believe that it is really important to make the best of it.

I rush to my room and put on grey corduroys and my tan collared shirt. I put my paddy cap on my head and wait until it's time to go to the reapings.


Amber Tindall. 25

District 7 escort.

The air almost smells sweeter on reaping days. Just like candy. It makes sense thought because on reaping days I am happier than a fat kid eating birthday cake. I have done it for the first two games and I just can't get enough. It's so exciting.

"District 7! Are you ready to meet your tributes?!" I shout into the microphone. My red hair is getting stuck to my bright pink lipstick making me speak with a weird lisp. I strut over the giant bowl and draw out a name.

"Cecily Prane!"

A beautiful girl with shoulder length light brown hair and tanned almost ruddy looking skin stands looking shocked. She hugs herself as she slowly walks up to the stage, silent tears fall from her eyes.

"Hello dear, any words?" I ask her.

"Goodbye." she whispers.

I take the microphone away assuming that she is done and then walk over to get the boys name.

"Tannin Jiminez!" I shout.

A small and slightly malnourished boy with tan skin, full eyebrows and a slightly lopsided smile starts moving forward. He is crying but it appears as if he is trying to stop. He gets to the stage and wipes his nose with his sleeve but doesn't look as if he wants to speak so I don't even offer.

"Give them a hand district seven!"


Hey there! :) This might be a kind of long authors note because I feel like I have a lot to say lol.

Sorry that this is going up so late but I am babysitting over night tonight and the baby is awake so I'm awake.

What did y'all think of district 7? I for one really enjoyed writing both of these characters.

OKAY. So I have had the blog done for a little over a week now but I was holding off on posting it until all the reapings were done as It so gives away my arena but I have decided to put it out there because there is going to be more to my arena than you might think lol.

thepower within3rdgames. weebly. com (close the spaces lol)

I had been dropping arena hints in every escort POV so far as well lol

I would love to know what y'all think of it but please remember this is my first time doing this so if it sucks I'm sorry. hahaha.

Next, Y'all should go check out SkylarRide99's SYOT. :)

UMMM I think that's it. :)

Favorite? Lemme know what you're thinking and what you think of the blog!

xoxo

Jenna