Luna Night
I only see Connor once before we are shooed into the hovercraft that will take us to the arena. I try to concentrate on the scenery, but June won't shut up about her hair. I scowl, but she doesn't catch on. I bite my tongue in hopes of not making her angry. Suddenly, brick walls consume the blue sky, and we land soon after. The room is dark, but June leads me onto the launch room, and she says her good-bye's quickly before dressing me into long, tan pants with many pockets, and a red T-shirt. She smiles warmly, and turns me around to put my black hair into a sloppy bun, and clips my loose hair on top of my head.
"I would expect some rain," she whispers, and slips a darker brown coat over my shoulders, and finally helps me into tall boots that lace up all the way to my knees.
"Why?"
"The material in these clothes are water-proof, except for the pants for some reason…" she trails off, and places a silver chain into my hands. I lift it up and let the silver 'nine' hang in front of my face.
"Prepare for launch," a cold woman says from a small speaker on the wall next to us. June folds me into a hug, and makes me promise to come back so we could spend some quality girl time in the Capitol. I roll my eyes, but as if June could read my mind, she places a finger over my mouth and helps me on to the silver plate as the glass tube surrounds me.
The plate begins to rise, and I crouch down to watch June leave. Then, suddenly, I miss her. I don't know why, but my stylist suddenly becomes someone to worry about. All of the 'what ifs' are running through my head as my head reaches ground level. The only thing around me is fog. Thick, blinding fog.
My first instinct is to yell and see if anyone is around me, but that suddenly seems like a horrible idea.
The gong hasn't sounded, but I look below me at more fog. How are we supposed to fight to the death if there isn't any ground? Then, I see a rope a couple feet away from my plate, and silently feel anticipation build up in my chest.
The gong sounds, and I leap out in front of me. The rope is easy to grab, but another pair of hands are on the rope as well, I reach out and try to bat the person away, but they kick with their feet making is difficult to hang on. I slide down the rope, and feel my hands burning as I go. I look up to see a girl with wavy blonde hair make her way up the rope until she's gone. I have to guess that it's the girl from four, since most of the competitors have dark hair. I follow close behind her, and suddenly she's gone. When I reach up to grab more rope, I feel wood beneath my hands instead.
I have to heave myself up, but feel a strong pair of hand holding up my arms. I smile when Connor's face comes into view, but I have to stare in awe at the arena. Up here, the fog isn't as noticeable, and what looks like tree houses and wooden platforms surround enormous trees. Different ropes, bridges, and slides lead to different places, while others lead to no where. Connor snaps me out of my daydreams, and rushes me over to the cornucopia that is in the middle of the arena on a giant platform with no walls or fences.
Connor grabs two backpacks fights off the boy from District Ten, but the skinny boy only falls onto his back and is soon helped by the girl I met in ropes, Kaya.
Everything is moving to fast, and the Careers are joining together in their usual pack. Vengeance Quiseng rushes through the crowd along Neal Shaw as they slash away at tributes with their swords and tridents. I recognize the pregnant girl from District Six, and cringe as Neal pierces his trident through her leg. She chokes, but her brother is next to her, and carries her off and up one of the many staircases with one backpack, and a knife.
I feel my stomach flip and I can't take this all in. I fall against Connor's chest, and he puts a hand on my shoulder before the arena goes black.
Simon Kaskoe
I almost drop Mira right on the platform when I get up the stairs. She's pregnant and heavy, and I'm only twelve. I can't take all of this. We're a good distance away from the Cornucopia, so we should be safe… for now. Mira groans from the floor, and I kneel beside her, trying to figure out what's wrong.
She holds her stomach, and I frown. "No, you can't do this now," I try to reason with her even though I know that it's nothing that she can control. She doesn't answer me, and shakes her head violently before letting out a blood-curdling scream. I cover her mouth, but gasp when a clear liquid puddles around her.
My breathing becomes heavy, and Mira grasps my hand until it's purple. "It's coming!" she screams at me. He's coming? Now? I know that even though I'm panicking, the Capitol citizens must be eating this up.
Suddenly, Mira's face becomes beet red and a vain juts out on her hairline. I close my eyes and think about happy things. This wasn't supposed to happen. Rickard was supposed to be with her, not me!
A cry rings through the arena, but it isn't coming from Mira. I look between her legs, and cry out when a tiny form is lying there on the cold, dirty ground. Mira sighs, but I don't hand her the baby. I can't. If she's going to be an overwhelmed mother now, it might be too dangerous.
As if on cue, the District Three boy jumps from his perch on the tree. He has his knife ready, and I'm trying my hardest to guard Mira and Mister No-name in my arms. Death comes quickly for my sister.
Holden practically throws me out of the way, but I flip onto my back so my nephew is still grasping onto the front of my shirt. His blue eyes are shaking with fear, and I watch silently as Mira is pushed off the edge. Holden turns to get me, but I'm long gone.
I don't want to believe that Mira only lasted eight hours in the arena, but it's true. I know one thing is for sure though; one boy from District Six will make it out.
Cinna Welkins
Watching the games with Portia is just painful. The young woman from District Six delivers her baby in record time, and Portia grabs her own abdomen in distress. I don't understand her. It's not like our baby is going to be born the arena - there wouldn't even be time before next year.
"What's wrong?" I ask her silently, but she just leans her head against my shoulder and starts to cry. I shake my head, and sum it up to hormones. I face her, and kiss her forehead before telling her I have to go to work. Unlike the Districts, the Capitol doesn't have to watch the games at all hours, so work isn't supposed to be missed. I asked Portia to come with me to the stands to meet Ledsia and her family.
Sure, I had no idea how we could get past Darren, but it could still be nice to see my sister again.
I trudge slowly to the subway, and take the high-speed train to the upper class section of the Capitol.
This is where hotels are set up for Victors, and the President, assistants, and Gamemakers live. Basically, every person who is involved in the Games resides in the hills of the city. Right in the middle is the working class, or me. The design department is a large building with floor to ceiling windows. Every worker can be seen from the street, and their all leaning over their desks with coffee in hand.
I make my way up to reception desk and show my card, but instead of making my way to the elevator, the woman behind the desk hands me a card from the boss requesting my presence in his office. I sigh, and take the stairs.
The boss is sitting in his red leather chair, and running his fingers through his bleached hair. I knock silently on the open door, and let myself in. He waits until I sit down in one of the wooden chairs in front of his desk before he speaks.
"Cinna, my boy," he starts in his gruff voice. "I've been going over your promotion application," he grins.
"I just have one question."
"What's that?"
"Why would you want to be a stylist for District Twelve?"
"I don't know, sir. I guess it just suits me."
"Well, I am happy to say that you got the job! You'll be designing for the Seventy-fourth Annual Hunger Games. That's when Hunda's retirement comes into place."
"Who will be assisting me?" I ask, and I can't help but smile at the turn of events of the day.
"Kathyn Jenkins," he smiles. I scrunch my nose at the name. Kathyn was one of the most awful women I have ever met. She stinks, and her designs always seem to include fur in some way.
"Can I make a request?" I ask him, as he leans forward in his chair.
"Why yes. Please," he urges. He must think that she's as horrible as I do.
"Portia Johnson?"
Basil Night
I lie under the stars with Ian and dream of home. The clouds had vanished above us, just not so much below us. He sighs, and sits up, and I watch him silently. His dark hair is messy, and his jacket is already ripped at the sleeve from when Neal ran through the crowd with his trident. A shiver runs down my spine even thinking about the careers. Ian slips his jacket off and puts it around my shoulders with a satisfied grin.
"What was that for?" I smile at him.
"You looked cold," he said. Ian suddenly frowned and looked away from me. I frowned as well and tried to look at him, but he merely rolled over onto his side to go to sleep. "You know," he started and turned to look at me again. "I don't think I can do this. There are just too many variables. Nothing is right about our alliance."
I can practically hear Haymitch growling from the Capitol. "Why?" I gasp, and hold onto his arm to keep him down. I just don't understand, what was so wrong about all of this?
"Just like I said. I don't want to be responsible for anyone right now, I do enough of that at home. Who knows what kind of trouble they're in while my dad is being a complete waste of space. I mean, you know, all he does is drink, and-"
"Enough!" I yell, I get up and stuff a backpack full with things I though I might need. Ian doesn't complain and lets me leave quietly. I make it up to a high perch in one of the trees and as watch Ian gather his own things before heading off into the darkness. I see him touch his necklace once before disappearing completely.
I hate feeling like a stupid teenage girl, crossing her arms and muttering to myself on how stupid he's being. I barely notice the thud of feet touching the branch before it's too late.
The girl from District One, the one that never smiles, is standing in front of me with her teeth bared. I hear low whispers all around me and know that the other Careers are near by.
She doesn't waist any time pinning me against the tree to finish me off. I knew it was hopeless, but I screamed anyway. One growled, and brought her knife closer and closer to my face as I yelled for help. Suddenly, another cry split the air and I silently watch Rainey Assana clutch onto a lower branch, barely escaping death. For now.
I take this moment to sink my teeth into One's wrist, but when she cries out in pain, her partner is on me, and with a twist of my neck, I am gone.
Rainey Assana
I watched with teary eyes as Basil was pushed of the branch, and headed off to her death. I looked up at my partners, and waited for help, but all five of them left without a word. I almost started to cry, and my grip on the wood gave me splinters, and I couldn't hang on for much longer.
I spotted a small dot of a platform below me, and went for it. The moment my hands left the branch, I was screaming. The night air gave me goose bumps, and the adrenaline pumping through me made my head spin.
I closed my eyes tight, and waited to be flattened against the wood, but I wasn't. Instead, I felt strong arms holding me. I opened my eyes, and looked into the handsome face of Holden, from District Three. He was even more stunning in the moonlight.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he coos, and leads me to the edge in his arms. But, instead of throwing me off the edge, he sits down, and runs his fingers through my hair.
"You know, I thought I'd go down this slide, see what's down there," he says, pointing to a twisting red slide in front of us.
"But you have no idea what's down there," I try to reason.
"That's what they want you to think," he says, kissing my neck lightly. "They want you to be afraid. Your not afraid, are you Rainey?"
"No," I whisper, and he smiles.
"Here," he leads me over to the slide, sits me down, gets behinds me. I latch onto his legs and prepare to plummet. "On the count of three! One, two… Oh great. I forgot my jacket!"
"Oh," I say, suddenly noticing that his jacket was on the floor across the platform.
"I'll just go and get that," he smiles. "You go ahead, I'll catch up."
"You sure?" I say with a frown. "I'll wait for you!"
"No!" he says, and pushes me down the chute, a red glowing fire waiting for me at the bottom.
I am going by the poll so please dont get mad at me! :)
