Chapter 9: Some More Glory


Adair Klayshon, 15

District 5 Female

I wake up, feeling lucky to be in a place somewhat free of conflict.

The Rebellion has taken a toll on everyone throughout the nation, whether you wanted to rebel or not. In my family's case, we were perfectly happy with the life the Capitol had given us. I think the rebels were somewhat unappreciative to be completely honest, but it was their choice to make, not mine. Conflict seems to be slowing down, ever since the war has ended and the Hunger Games have been announced. I've decided that I will be volunteering for the Games today. The rewards for winning would help out my family and others in Five, not to mention what a cool experience it will be.

I heard that today's Reaping will be televised, so I want to look my best and start out my journey on the right foot. My white sundress isn't very fancy, but it's the nicest thing I own. I brush my brown hair into a neat ponytail so that it is off my face, I've never liked wearing it down much anyways. The dress I am wearing is sleeveless, showing off my muscular body to anyone that sees me. I'm extremely short, but still look intimidating enough that people know not to cross me. I'm generally a nice person, but I've got a bad side that no one is brave enough to provoke. I'm more than ready to fight in these Hunger Games, and the victory will be worth everything that I've been working for.

As I walk into our kitchen, I see my brother Steal munching on some toast. He stands to greet me, even standing he is the same height as most girls. Our family is definitely not a tall one.

"Are you excited for today?" He asks me, running his hands through his platinum blonde hair. He could volunteer if he wanted to as well, seeing as he's seventeen, but I've always been the feistier one. Steal is almost too kindhearted, if that's even possible.

"I'm more than excited. This is going to be amazing!" He smiles because I smile. He's always been there to support me ever since we were little.

"I'll be rooting for you," he says, handing me a piece of toast.

"Will you come with me to practice one last time?" I've been practicing knife-throwing since I was eleven years old. During the Dark Days, Panem was a really rough environment. It was very important to me and my family that I was able to defend myself if I ever needed it. I learned how to use a bow as well, but I much prefer using knives.

"Of course," Steal watches closely as I throw knives to the bases of different trees. He helps me retrieve the knives from the trees and we go back inside. We keep all of the knives in a drawer, otherwise anyone that comes into our home would think we're about to kill them.

Most families would find it quite abnormal to have a teenager who is well-trained in both knife-throwing and archery, but they were simply taught to me in case I would ever be put in a situation where I would need it. Now that the Hunger Games have come around, I can put these skills to use and to make sure that my family never struggles with money again. It's been Steal, my father, and me for as long as I can remember, considering my mother died when I was a baby and Steal was a toddler. They've both done so much for me and now I get the chance to do something for them, which is a chance I am more than willing to take.

District Five is very different from District Two. When I was thirteen, my father got a job in Five, since they needed for people to work in the factory because there was a shortage of electricity in the Capitol. We made the move along with the Maylor family and I think it was a good decision. The only thing I dislike about my new district is that there is a lower percentage of those that supported the Capitol during the Rebellion. Many people here think my choice to support them is strange, but I personally believe that it was odd of them to rebel in a world where the Capitol has done so much for us. The consequences they face for rebelling were enough to make them not try to do so again.

I walk to the Reaping with my father and Steal, not saying much. It looks like it's about to rain but not yet. I spend the whole walk wondering what the Hunger Games are going to be like. The Capitol hasn't said anything much about them besides than only one person can come out alive. I feel I have good odds of being that person, but how many people will I kill to win the title of the Victor? Will any of the other contestants even be capable of making a kill? After all, we're all just kids, and I wouldn't consider myself to be a normal teenager. What are the children that don't know how to kill someone going to do?

I arrive at the Town Square with my brother and we get on a line to check in. Steal goes first as a woman with dirty blonde hair pricks his finger and places it down next to his name. Steal hugs me goodbye as he heads to the seventeen-year-old section, and I step up to be pricked.

"Name?" She asks me, her voice coming out a bit lower than I expected.

"Adair Klayshon," The woman looks relieved that she doesn't have to flip any pages since my name is just above Steal's.

"Dominant Hand?"

"Right," I respond, although my brother is left-handed. I barely even feel a prick. I head to the fifteen-year-old section, waiting for the moment when I can volunteer.

How is this journey going to go?


Ampere "Amp" Hammerstein, 14

District Five Male

When you think about it, so much of our world revolves around science.

It's the type of thing that no matter how much you learn about it, the only thing you want to do is continue to ask more questions. The more you understand about it, the more your curiosity grows. There's so many different aspects to science, from physics to biology and so much more. I know it may sound stereotypical coming from someone living in a place where science is constantly around me, but I can't get enough of it. I've borrowed as many books as possible from the public library, but there aren't too many options. The rebellion has wiped out a lot of our District, taking too many lives with it.

I like to think my parents are still alive somewhere, but I truly have no idea. They were rebels and disappeared during the Dark Days. When I woke up one morning, they left me a note that they had to help with the Rebellion, and that they love me very much but they had to leave. I was soon placed in the foster care system, living with families that didn't really want me. I hold on to the thought that they are out there somewhere, and that maybe one day they will return. After all, the Rebellion has ended, so maybe they will come home soon. I remember what it was like to have loving parents, and I hope I will be able to see them again.

Though I do enjoy school, I don't enjoy my fellow students very much. They like to make fun of me for basically no reason. I can't control the fact that I'm short, or that my arms are hairy, or that no one truly loves me. Something else out there is in charge of those decisions, so I should not be blamed for it's choices. People even try to pick fights with me for it, which I personally think is uncalled for, but it has made me stronger. I used to be a boy who was timid and afraid, but I'm not anymore. I'm not afraid to be bold, and it's satisfying to feel that way. I wish I could tell my younger self how I would be stronger than I ever thought I could be.

The only two people I truly trust in this world are my best friends Farold and Reggie. Ever since we met, we've always stuck by each other and looked out for one another. The two of them have always been the people I turn to when I need someone to talk to. We defend eachother when we're getting picked on, we help eachother with schoolwork, and we trust eachother with our biggest secrets - just as good friends should. Farold lost his older brother to the Dark Days, so he understands what it's like to have someone disappear. However, I haven't lost my parents just yet. Reggie is supportive of both of us, but since his family was Pro-Capitol, they were pretty much unscathed from the war.

I don't even bother saying goodbye to my foster parents as they ignore me most of the time anyways. They only opted to care for me because of the money it makes them. On the way out of my house, I look in a mirror, smiling as my big brown eyes smile back out me. I adjust my brown hair, making sure it looks good in case I am televised during the Reaping. I don't really know what these Hunger Games will be like, but I did hear that there would be a handsome reward for the Victor. I wonder who from our District will compete for the Crown, and whether or not they will be the one who comes home victorious.

Last night before I went to bed I was wondering what it would be like to go into the games. I've always been a major risk taker, just like my parents. They risked their lives in the hope of getting a better life for me and the other children of Panem. I've gone back and fourth between volunteering or not for the past few weeks, since I know that if I won the Hunger Games the prize money would be worth it. This morning when I woke up, my instincts told me to follow through with my decision and volunteer for the hunger games today. This fire inside of me tells me that it is an oppurtunity of a lifetime.

I meet up with Farold and Reggie, whose foster parents each live a few houses down from mine. We chat aimlessly about the crazy conspiracy theories we have about that crazy President Regis. Personally, I don't think her father is dead. It's always a possibility that he just wanted to get away from her because he knew she was going insane. His death could've been staged or faked, you never know. My friends agree that my theory is somewhat feasable, but have their own ideas about our President. It always makes me laugh when I think about the fact that she's just a couple of years older than me and that she thinks she knows how to run a country.

I head to a check-in line with my friends that isn't very crowded. A woman in a dark green sweater has the pricking device in her hands, ready to prick our fingers. Reggie goes first and says goodbye as he heads to the fifteen-year-old section, and I go next.

"Name?" She asks me, her brown eyes hollow with boredom.

"Ampere Hammerstein, but everybody calls me Amp."

"Did I ask for that information? No. Dominant Hand?" She's clearly not having a good day, but that doesn't mean she has to take it out on me.

"Right," I respond, annoyed. She pricks my finger and places it next to my name. It is then Farold's turn and after that we head to the fourteen-year-old section.

What are these games going to be like?


Lewin Quaker, 30

District Five Escort

I'm sick and tired of being the forgetable one.

My sisters are all such accomplished people, and then there's me. I'm the only son, and I know I am a disappointment to my parents. At family gatherings, I'm always just there. Sometimes I feel like I'm an outsider to the family. Everyone else has done something amazing and all I've done is sit around and do literally nothing. I'm not even the oldest or the youngest - I was born right in the middle. Growing up, Rosabel and Cosimia were always in charge, while Kaira and Suri got to be babied and coddled. I never got any special priveleges, I was just me. Not even being the only boy seemed to count as a way to make me stand out.

I always feel so worthless at any family event, everyone else has done so many exciting things. Rosabel already has a husband and two kids. I've always wanted a family of my own. Cosimia fought in the Rebellion for the Capitol, and she survived when many others could not. She is a very strong person. Kaira has created a fashion line, she's kind of a big deal. Suri is in medical school and is on her way to becoming a doctor. It's hard for me to watch the people around me succeed in various areas while I sit and waste away. If I had the work ethic to actually do something with my life, I bet there would be something I could do.

It doesn't really help much that I tend to be a lazy person. I don't really have motivation to do anything besides stay home and eat - maybe that's why I'm a little bit overweight. I've spent most of my life being unemployed since I was lucky enough to come from a wealthy family, but I've done a few short-term jobs at different points in my life. During the Dark Days I just sort of sat back and relaxed while everyone else fought for Panem's life. I haven't had interest in getting a job since my teenage years, I've just lost passion for doing everything. How come I'm the only person in my family that's developed this trait?

I took this job as an escort simply because it could make me well-known without having to do anything besides show two kids around a place I've known my whole life. I barely even have to do that since they're not aloud to roam the Capitol freely. Call me a bad person, but I don't really care if they make it out alive or not. I'm only going to have met them for a few days, so what does it really matter if they're gone? Sure, if they win that would be really cool, but that's up to them to want to do so. Maybe the tributes won't want to get home, after all they are having to live in the districts, which is not the nicest of places.

My outfit is simple, as I didn't feel like putting much effort into it. I wear a light blue button down shirt, with bright yellow buttons instead of a boring color. My khakis are tan but have matching yellow embroidery, tying the outfit together. I wear black loafers and socks with the same shade of yellow. My blonde hair is tied back into a low ponytail and my my shirt makes my blue eyes pop. I've always had my own type of style, liking to focus on the little things instead of making a major statement. As I walk onto the stage, I notice how boring the clothes of the citizens of District Five are.

Regardless, I start the Reaping.

"Welcome to District Five's Reaping of the First Annual Hunger Games!" A couple of people clap but not too many. I guess they're not big fans of the Capitol.

"President Regis wanted me to thank all of you for the power you provide to our nation. We are stronger than ever now that we are reunited as one," The audience looks torn - some look like they could kill me at any moment, while others seem to think what I am saying is good.

"I will now select a name from the bowl to my left to see who our female tribute will be. If your name is called, please come to the stage," I pick a name right on towards the very bottom of the bowl and read it aloud.

"Damini-"

"I volunteer!" I hear a shout coming from the fifteen year old section. A girl who is notably short charges to the stage, looking confident and ready to fight. She looks intimidating despite her height, and like killing someone would be easy for her.

"How exciting! And what is your name?" I ask her, her cold blue eyes staring into my soul.

"Adair Klayshon," She responds, her voice coming out just as tough as I expected. This girl seems to have a shot at winning this thing.

"Alright, now I'll select a name from the bowl to my right to see who our male tribute will be. If your name is called, please come to the stage, just as Adair did," This time, I choose a name towards the top of the bowl.

"Barrak-"

"I volunteer!" A second shout comes, this time from the fourteen year old section. Another child, short for his height, makes his way to the stage, not looking as confident as the first, but still ready to face the games.

"Another one? What's your name?" I say to the young boy with brown hair.

"Ampere Hammerstein. But everybody calls me Amp," He responds.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you District Five's tributes in the First Annual Hunger Games! Please shake hands," They do as I say, I can see both of them have a strong grip.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor?"

Did both of them just volunteer to die?


Hello everybody! I'm so sorry for the update drought, I've been sick and unable to write for the past week. But I'm back and better than ever, presenting you with Adair and Amp!

Yours Truly,

CuriousClove :)