All characters have been submitted?! I never thought I would get to his, but here we are. I'll put the entire list down at the bottom
Chapter 9
Reapings and first meeting with the mentor
Dawn Night:
I watched the man's hand dip deep into the bowl. I had a feeling that this years it would be me. I can't say why, maybe I feel it every year and just haven't noticed it, or maybe it's because some sort of sixth sense knows I'm about to be reaped.
"And the female tribute is…" my breath hitches, and Sue notices. I can feel her tending beside me.
"It's okay." She whispers
"Sue Ritz!" It took a second to realize it wasn't my name. It wasn't, but who it belonged to... I grabbed Sue's hand, holding it tight. Her eyes went to mine, wide and scared. They couldn't do this to her, to me.
"Don't let go," I beg, "Don't let go." but she was already slipping away. A pathway through the sea of bodies separated, giving her a clear walk through. They couldn't do this to me. Her hand slipped away from mine, her head shaking slightly. This couldn't be real. This was just a dream She was more than a friend, I couldn't watch her die. So when the escort, a tired man with electric blue hair, had to go through the motions of asking for a volunteer. I wasn't thinking, and it was only my hand going up, my lips forming the words.
"I volunteer!"
It was more of a voice cracking shriek, the wrong impression for the seeming endless cameras looping the square. But I couldn't care. I just needed her to get off that stage, stay far away from here. Soon as I was up there, I came to Sue's side. My hands coming for hers quickly, pulling her to the edge of the stage,
"Go," I whisper, though I might have been screaming for the buzzing in my ears, "Get out of here." she did, but not before uttering a few words, "You are such an idiot, Dawn." then she disappeared. A moment of relief, then I had to turn around ,pretend the world wasn't falling apart. Walk up to the man's side and give him a smile. Then he sees my face, really sees it. More importantly, the certain set of features that's gotten me mocked for years.
"What's your name, volunteer?" he was too shocked by my heterochromic eyes to put any bit of Capital luster into his voice.
"Dawn Night."
He didn't even try at any type of small talk,
"How old are you?" I shrugged, my fingers moving wildly at my sides. I put them behind me as I answered, "14."
I'm 14. I'm an idiot. I'm going to die. But it's better than Sue.
"Well then," the Capitol accent got a little stronger, "shall we find your partner?" I nodded, numb all over. His nails were shorter than the talons I had seen on the old escort, before she was upgraded to district 4, but they still stretched out long, coloured a vibrant red. Like his fingers were dipped in blood. It didn't stain the many slips of paper in the boys bowl, instead, he seemed to just cut right through them. Pick out one name, one of countless, to be my partner. The name drawn then made my heart stop. Jovanni Gold.
"Oh, Crap," I muttered under my breath as I watched him and his stupid red sweater and grey too loose pants. Surely someone told him to wear something different, but clearly he didn't care. Because he only cares about making my life miserable.
His hand was cold in mine, funny, mine seemed to be sweating. Why did it have to be him? This was bad enough as it is. The downturn of his mouth and crease between his brows, along with the all around shocked expression crossing his face, led me to believe this wasn't exactly ideal. He didn't even seem too happy about going in with me. Getting a chance to kill the kid with two different eyes, the one he had made a mockery of time and time again. Then we both made our way into the Justice building, to the pretty rooms, to the last places we would ever see either of our friends and family. It was too pretty a place to be responsible for all the blood and tears spilled because of it.
I saw his dark hair and matching skin disappear into his own room. I walk into my own. Maybe a minute later, Amber and my parents come walking in. she's older than I am, almost 18. She has one more year of Reapings left, and it's always her name with he tesserae attached. She rushed her way to me, arms wrapping around me. She's my height, almost exactly.
"Why, Dawn?" Her voice cracked. She pulled back, eyes gleaming with tears.
"I had to, she's my friend." I wanted to be more than friends, but here we are now. Better me than her. That didn't seem like a good enough answer, since her jarring sobs shook my body almost as worse as hers.
"But you can win, can't you?"
"Maybe." I coax. And it's true, maybe there is a chance that I'll come back. 1 out of 24? I could turn that into 1 out of 1. It happened every year didn't it?
"You're fast," she continued, through her blubbering and tears, "strong. Remember that time you almost broke that kids arm?" I looked down. That kid was one of Jovanni's friends. His stupid lacky had been partaking in their their usual pass time, making my life miserable. Really, it wasn't my fault that I had two different coloured eyes, yet they treated it like it was. Finally I had had it, I pushed him away. Right into a wall. It was in a sling for a week. Oops.
"Yeah, yeah I do." That was one of the few good memories associated with Jovanni Gold, especially watching him try to help his friend up, who was sure he had been dying.
"You'll do fine." Her voice was getting thicker, and I wanted to shake this out of her. I don't want to see her crying, because then I'll start crying. I can't start crying.
"One can hope."
My parents were more reserved as they hugged me and said goodbye. My father was more angry than anything else. He spoke of how this wasn't fair, that I was 14. But most of all I think he was angry st me. I did volunteer after all. I could've been safe for another year, but it's not like we aren't destitute already. My name had been more and more likely to be drawn as the years went on, and it was only a matter of to enforce it would get me. So I do what any completely (un)rational human being would do and threw myself into the darkness before it asked for me. My mother didn't like that bit of sarcasm much. Or at all.
"Don't do that. Don't even joke about that?" She reprimanded. I had to admire her strong mask in the face of losing one of her children. She had always been such a strong woman, I wish I could be half the woman she is.
Then came Sue. She was angry at first, storming in, calling me an idiot for volunteering. I had already done it a million times, but it was nice to hear it from her too.
"I could have handled it," she was lying, we both saw it. We were so close. If only I could lean in, cl as my eyes and force our lips to meet. But that would be too cruel for both of us.
"Maybe, but I couldn't have. I couldn't have sat here and watched you kill or be killed," her voice was low, and it was as though she was about to cry, something she never did. Not even when she got that collection of bruises on her face three years ago. She had always been tough, but I couldn't hear Sue, my Sue, in the voice that came to me next,
"And you think I can?" You'll fair much better than I could've. Maybe it was unfair of me to put that on her, but I guess I'm selfish that way. Except that I'm going to die. Except that it was a selfless act to anyone else, but not to Sue. And maybe not even to me.
I've never heard idiot used as a term of endearment before, but I could hear it in the careful tone as she called out the stupidity within the decision to raise my hand. After one last hug she walked to the door, and her golden hair flipped over her shoulder. Just as she was about to walk out the door, leave for the last time, she turned back for one last second,
"Thank you. I'll miss you." I wanted to respond; say something, but the door was already closing. A single tear slipped down my cheek, but I wiped it away before it dropped to my chin. I couldn't let anyone outside see I had even thought of crying. Be strong, Dawn. for Sue.
Looking at Jovanni made me want to gag, something quite common for me. Gag, but also almost laugh. Because I saw it in his eyes, in his flushed cheeks and red nose. The kid had been crying. I had to really look to see it, but he definitely had been. Stepping onto the train, I hurried away from him. The escort tried to call me back but I didn't stop. But to my dismay, I heard footsteps behind me. They were hard, loud.
"Hey, Dawn." not Jovanni. I just need him to leave me alone.
"What?" I spat, quickening my pace, not sure where I was going but just knowing that I needed to go.
"Dawn. I- I'm sorry." I stopped, turning around to face him. Him and his stupid loose fitting clothes,
"Nice try, but I just don't believe you." he sighed, pulling fingers through his hair,
"I am, Crow." Two years ago a crow had fallen from the sky right in the middle of the school day. A kid in Jovanni's group of friends had found it, seen it's eyes, said that they matched mine, thus Crow. that was the one thing I truly hated. Comparing me to an animal.
"Just leave me alone, Jovanni." Does he even realize that we're going into the games? He doesn't need to try and even the score right before murdering me. I had the feeling I would be at the top of his kill list. I turned again to the sound of his disapproval. This time he didn't follow.
Jovanni Gold:
My family had already left, and by family I mean mom. But she seemed to bring my sisters presence. She might be dead, but never forgotten, not by either of us.
"I'm sorry." she cried. I was surprisingly not following her tears. I was stone, couldn't let it crumble. The group of people I couldn't really call my friends but surely called me there's coming in next. Cydric walked in first, Aliene clinging to his arm. Then came Jason and Niel and the entire group from back home. Why had I ever wanted to friends with any of them. The farewells were so uncomfortable it got to the point I wished that they hadn't come to see me off.
"So," one said finally, "You're going in with Crow are you?" I shrugged, trying to stop myself from saying something along the lines of don't talk about Dawn that way.
"Guess I am."
"You better win for us, man." Cydric slapped my shoulder, right before walking out the door one last time. I shook it off, but I was finally alone.
As soon as I was given the chance, as soon as I was alone, I broke down. Tears flowing readily down my face. I was never one to cry, the only other time I can remember it is when Lieann didn't come home that day. Why did it have to be Dawn? Why was she so brave and so stupid and- a knock came at the door, a gruff voice surely belonging to a peacekeeper ordering me out and onto the train station. I wiped the tears away quickly, blinking the next onslaught away. I walked out with my head high, shoulders back and back straight. Just breath. And maybe you can apologize to Dawn. make it up to her.
I hope they couldn't see I had been crying. That they being the cameras watching dawn and I walk into the train. It wasn't my friends that made me upset. They were never really my friends, it wasn't my family either. No. It was seeing Dawn up in that stage. Knowing that only one of us would come out alive. I had nothing against her, but the feelings aren't reciprocated. She hated me, and what's worse is that I deserve it. Her eyes shot daggers at the ground, and as soon as the train door closed behind us she practically sprinted to the first hallway she could see. For some reason I followed. Not some reason. It's a very specific reason,
"Hey, Dawn," I called to her softly, she just kept walking,
"What?" no matter how much I deserved it, her tone was painful,
"Dawn, I'm sorry." her laugh was dry, a completely unfunny sound,
"Really? Somehow I don't believe that."
"I am, Crow." I realized right away I had said the wrong thing. Crap. It had just slipped out. That name. She spun around, I stopped just short of crashing into her.
"Just leave me alone, Jovanni." her multi-coloured eyes had never been so striking. It was only when they were filled with rage that they danced like that. When she turned this time I didn't follow. I let her walk away from me, her boots pounding the floor harder and harder. She hadn't believed I was being sincere, but I truly had been. She was brave. Utterly stupid, but brave. She volunteered herself for a friend when no one else would have even thought about it, not even Mara, Sue Ritz's older sister standing in the crowd moments ago, had thought to raise her hand. She was too good for a fate like she would find in the hunger games, and I would do everything in my power to stop her life from being taken. The only question was how.
"Ugh, where did that girl go?" the Capital escort, a younger man named Darius Lian, was acting all frizzled.
"Said she needed to lie down. Wasn't feeling too good," I lied. The man rolled his eyes, then muttered something quietly to himself before storming off to the next car. I was finally given the chance to take in the lush surroundings. Silver walls arching around us, matching the bullet shape of the trains outside perfectly. Blue sofas lining the walls, a wide walkway with a matching blue carpet. I felt shabby in my ill fitting clothes and surely blotchy face. I could barely feel the acceleration of the train, but I saw it out the window. The terrain speeding past us, a view seen for seconds before disappearing behind plated steel. It was pretty, even if the sky was bleak and grey. Dawn would be much prettier, and my meant both Dawn Night and dawn tomorrow morning. It was always the prettiest time of day. Pinks, purples, reds the entire spectrum painting the sky in beautiful ways. Dawn was so much like actual actual dawn, or maybe I just associated the two together.
Loud footsteps erupted suddenly from the room that Darius had just went through. A man suddenly walked out. He was tall, dark skinned. Tight muscles roping his body, attractive features making up his face. He came to sit on the sofa facing me. I recognized him.
"Graeson Loreal." one of the few victors of district 10. He gave me a nod, proving me right.
"And you're… Jovanni Gold." it my turn to nod,
"Tell me about you."
"Me?" he rolled his eyes, leaning into his knees with his elbows,
"Yes you. What are you good at? Mentally? Physically?" I shrugged, thinking of the things I could call my talents.
"I'm good in a fight," I say finally, "friendly enough, I guess. Lots of friends back in 10." he leaned in closer, if that was even possible,
"So you can fight, and make friends?" the disdain in his voice made me falter,
"Yes?" he clapped his hands together,
"Great." I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.
"Really?"
"Of course not. Well," he tried again, "partially. I don't want you making allies. They're either going to stab you in the back or you'll stab them. It might be 50/50, but if it's the wrong 50 you're dead. Hand-to-hand combat is something we can work with, but I don't think you'll have much of a chance against any career. Try finding a weapon of some sort." he spoke a mile a minute, words hardly making sense to me.
"Okay." but he was all business,
"Get Dawn Night. I have something to discuss with the two of you."
Getting Dawn was the last thing I wanted to do. Not for my sake but for hers, I wanted nothing more than for her to forgive me, but I knew she never could. But I knocked on the only closed door in the wing anyways. Surely it was Dawns. When it opened and I was faced with those contrasting eyes glared at me.
"What do you want?" Sighing, I looked away from those mind melting eyes,
"Our mentor wants to speak to the both of us." She looked down,
"Tell them I want to be trained alone." She wanted me to tell Grayson Loreal that I couldn't get her out of her room? Unbelievable. That guy was scary.
"I-" she slammed the door in my face,
"Fine." Well then, that was successful.
"She said what?" Loreal wasn't taking too much of a liking to her it seemed. His voice was steely and almost frightening. Almost. Except that wasn't the right word. More like it brought death in its wake. All the same it was clear just how easily he had won us games. He might have just looked at them all with that glare and they all died on the spot.
"She wants to train alone." He rolled his eyes.
"Of course she does," then a smile flickered over his face, "she's smart." The smartest. Huh. Maybe he did like her, after all. Jealousy racked my body only to disappear a moment later. That's good, I told myself, you want Dawn to win, and this guy can help her.
We talked for a little while. He was all business, and it was clear how much he wanted Dawn or I to win. I wanted Dawn to win. He gave me some advice with weapons -"go for the head, it's nearly always a fatal shot. If you're feeling shaky the abdomen is a larger target."- where to find drinkable water -"they'll set it up in a certain way so that water resources will be bloodbaths in their own rights,"- and how to best win- "avoid any tribute. Just stay out of their ways". He had won his games that way. The first half was spent running from the other tributes. After that he got his hands on a weapon, a large scythe, and that was all he had needed. He was interrupted in the middle of explaining how lighting a fire was a stupid mistake,
"And stupidity is dangerous", when Darious walked in, hands placed behind his back.
"It's time for dinner. Come on then, you can keep taking on the way there," he spun on his sparkling shoes that were more aesthetic than practical. We each got up, following the man into the other room. Dawn already sat there, her plate piled with all sorts of luxurious food. She went back to focusing on her food, and I went on the long line of trays lining the back wall. The spread made my mouth water.
Plate full, I made my way to the table, but Loreal was already talking strategy,
"I've already watched all the Reapings. Dawn, you have an advantage. A volunteer for an outer district is almost unheard of. And those eyes… make you stand out. Just hope people like you enough." A compliment followed by an insult,
I liked the way his mind works, "There's another outlying volunteer this year too, and two reaped careers. I swear these games are going to hell." my eyes went to Dawn, and her own eyes met mine,
"The games already hell," I whisper. She does nothing but look away again.
Did I do okay? I really like Dawn and Jovanni and I just hope I did them justice. Next chapter will be district 12.
But on another note, here's the entire list!
District 1
Male: Reign King- Professor R.J Lupin1
Female: Celestyn Scole- Professor R.J Lupin1
District 2
Male: Jasper Knopp- OfEmbersandWolvesFemale: Amber Steele- a friend of mine asked to participate
District 3
Male: Acer Chriss- Mine
Female: Athena Lighte- Mine
District 4
Male: Mars Marker- Professor R.J Lupin1Female: Chrysanthe Wofle- Annabeth Pie
District 5
Male: Drake Ru- AlexFalTon
Female: Lilith Sparks- That one ace popsicle stick
District 6
Male: John Burr- nicholas h
Female: Solana "Ana" Ennis- Professor R.J Lupin1
District 7
Male: Jaeger Primrose- Professor R.J Lupin1
Female: Sequoia Carsyn- Professor R.J Lupin1
District 8
Male: Jéan HughesS.H. Reke
Female: Harlene Cross- friend again
District 9
Male: Blaze MorrisonMerpmeow
Female: Mica Lee- nozavid
District 10
Male: Jovanni Gold - Merpmeow
Female: Dawn Night- Merpmeow
District 11
Male: Winstead Cress Dale- curiousclove
Female: Abilene Dew Ackerman curiousclove
District 12
Male: Ash Di Angelo Minsto- Annabeth Pie
Female: Avis Byrd- Annabeth Pie
So a huge thank you to everyone. I started writing expecting it to crash and burn, but at least 10 people liked it, trusted me enough to write their characters. It will be so hard to kill them all. but there can only be one Victor. May the odds be ever in all of our favor.