So I guess this update answers two questions...

1) I am, in fact, still alive, and

2) I haven't given up on this story. Going on with that point, you guys are too awesome. I would have been such an idiot to abandon this story.

So we are now at District 9. Kitty Feldspare and Bonus Erwin were both submitted by loverman22. I didn't get so much to work with and I had writer's block for a while. I just finished it today. And trust me, I was relieved. And very anxious to update :)

Enjoy my newest update, and sorry if it epicly sucks :p


Bonus Erwin, District 9

I haven't been able to find peace in myself lately.

No, scrap that. I haven't been at peace with myself at all.

I stand in the only place I could actually attempt to find peace. I'm in a field of grain, lost in the middle of waves of gold. Here, the air smells quite clean. Not like where I live, near the factories and the town square. We usually nickname that part of the district the Seed. Most of the poorer people in our district live in the part named the Fields. Which is where I am now.

Even though it's far from where I live, I always come here. Just to lose myself. The daily grind of life depresses me. Drags me down with each minute that I find myself drowning. I come out here to find myself again. To remember who I am.

But that's not proving easy right now.

I think of my brother and sister at home. At least they're safe from the reaping. I think of my parents and how my sister couldn't stand living with them anymore. I feel sorry for them, I really do. It's not my fault she dragged both me and my brother off to start a new life with her. I miss my parents.

I wonder what they're doing right now. Would they be going off to their jobs. I don't even remember what they did for a living. As I'm trying to remember this, a flash of red hair rushes past me.

It's not that sort of orange red. More of a deep red, full of soul. Thick and wild, this is no boy's head of hair. The long red mane trickles down her spine, her skinny stature revealed underneath.

Then she turns back, and her wide amber eyes find mine. I look at her, really look at her for a while. She has wide amber eyes and a round face, with a straight nose and thin lips. She has that sort of 'deer caught in headlights' look about her. Shocked, yet still beautiful.

"Kitty?" someone calls out. "Kitty!"

That must be her name, because she responds quickly and runs through the cornfield back towards the voice. By hearing the person, it sounded like her father.

A longing stirs deep inside of me, and I realise that I can't pretend anymore.

I'm going to visit my parents.


I knock on the door of my old house, my palms clammy and my heart racing. I haven't been allowed to visit them in a long time. My sister, Felicia, wouldn't even let me look at them if we happened to pass them in town. She usually slapped my head down if we passed them.

Well, she can't control me anymore. I'm 18, now. I do what I like.

The door opens and I see my mother. She has the same wavy brown hair as I do, but her eyes are blue. My green eyes were from my father, as well as my height and my tan skin. The recognition of who I am shows on her face, and her eyes well up with tears of joy.

"Bonus! My son! Oh, come here, I've missed you!" she weeps.

She wraps me in a warm hug and her tears spill on my shoulder. But I don't mind. It feels nice to be in the arms of my mother again. I've missed her too. It's been four years since she hugged me. Since she even touched me. She rocks me back and forth and hugs me like I'm a teddy bear she never wants to lose.

Well, she'll never lose me again.

"Come inside, your father's just made breakfast," she says. And she wraps an arm around me and leads me through to the kitchen.

"Guess who popped by?" she says to my father.

His eyes rise off the bench and meet mine. The same shade of green as my eyes. A darkish lime green. And his eyes widen as does his mouth into a grin. He rushes forward and wraps me in a strong hug.

"My son! Oh, my son!" he yells in a joyous, warm voice.

After all the hugging and weeping is over, we sit down for breakfast. Goats cheese and warm bakery bread with cups of mint tea. It's one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. Then we all start talking as if it hasn't been four years since we've seen each other.

"So, how have you been?" asks my father.

I begin to explain about my recent study of animals. I've always been fascinated by them, but I have only just started to study subjects in the nearby woods. They are very interesting. One of my favourites is the mockingjay. It's a bird that is able to recite whistles and songs sung by both other birds and humans. I have already found out that they originate from a famous Capitol muttation, the jabberjay.

"I've also been practicing in combat. In case I'll ever need it, you know?" I tell them.

They both exchange looks. "How many times is your name in today?" mum asks.

I have to think for a while. I had to take out tesserae. So three times seven is…"21," I tell them.

My father slams his fist on the table. "She made you, didn't she? Felicia made you do it! Bonus, you shouldn't have to. She shouldn't push you around like that."

Both of them rise from the table and wrap me in a hug. This time, it's my turn to rock them back and forth.

"I'll be ok," I tell them. "I promise, it will all be ok."


District 9's escort, Calliope Creesby, opens the first slip of paper and reads the name.

"And your female tribute is…Kitty Feldspare!"

The name bounces around in my brain. Kitty…Kitty…

For some unknown reason, the name sounds very familiar.

The girl steps forward from the 16s area. She has red hair twisted into a messy bun and is wearing a short black dress. Like the name, she does seem awfully familiar. That's when someone screams out.

"Kitty! Kitty, no!"

The girl swivels around towards the voice. "Father!"

She runs back down the aisle. And I realise who it is. The girl from the Fields.

My gaze follows her steps all the way back down the crowd. Her father waits at the end of the aisle. They crash into each other, folding each other into a hug. Then something unexpected happens. Her father falls and starts twitching on the ground.

Her cries escalate to screams as the escort pulls her off her father. I hadn't even noticed Calliope had left the stage. Kitty thrashes around in Calliope's grasp as they both mount the stage. But Calliope's grasp is too strong, and they both end up in the middle of the stage.

Kitty's tears die down as Calliope introduces her to the crowd. She asks for volunteers, but no one steps forward. Then the moment is over as Calliope moves to the bowl holding the male names and draws one slip. She moves back to the microphone.

And before I realise it, she's saying my name.

I look around, take a deep breath and walk forward, keeping my face clear of emotions. I sneak a look at Kitty, and her eyes are wide. Just as they were when I saw her at the cornfield. Her eyes look like a pool of gold. Quite beautiful.

I make it to the stage as Calliope wraps an arm around me.

"Well, District 9! Here are your tributes, Kitty Feldspare and Bonus Erwin!"

I quickly scan the crowd. Felicia and Jo are near the front of the parents and friends that surround the crowd of children in front of me. Felicia looks almost annoyed while Jo looks worried, his eyebrow creased like it always is when he's sad. And I find my parents. My father is holding my mother with a troubled look in his eyes. Felicia turns back and finds my father, giving them a murderous glare. I don't see the rest of it because Calliope turns me towards Kitty for us to shake hands.

I see her up close for the first time. She has wide amber-gold eyes, a small nose and thin lips. Her red hair makes the slightly tan shades in her skin stand out. We grasp hands as another tear rolls down her cheek. My arm shivers, but I don't know why. As I let go, blood runs to my cheeks and I feel like I've been shocked.

And this longing feeling is back again.


I hope you liked that :)

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So, since I didn't want this story to be deleted, I had to take off the tribute list and sponsor's guide. The full tribute list and sponsors guide is up on my profile, so if you want to look at that, you know where it is now.

We have had a name change for a tribute. To avoid confusion, the District 11 female tribute's name is now Katana Lynx, not Ebony Lynx.

We are nearing the end of the reapings, so I might be putting up a poll later so you can vote for your favourite tributes so far (hermione-amelia-rose1479, don't vote for your own tributes. I already know you love them, and that might drive me to be evil...if possible).

Again, apologies for the late update. School decided to flog me with assignments and homework. And Julia Gillard (Australian Prime Minister) visited our school, so I had to recover from some bruises. Not to mention the bruises I got at athletics training last night...so sore. I will try to put up District 10's reaping soon.

Thanks for sticking with the story! Seriously, I really appreciate it. The reapings are almost over, so we can get down to the real business of the Games. I am pretty excited, are you?

Next update is coming soon :)