Dove Sybilla (17) D2F

I got up bright and early and ran to the Academy. I had to get some last-minute training in before the Reapings today, and I figured I may as well get as much as possible. I already had my entire planned out, from volunteering to talking to my mentor, who would hopefully be Shale. I heard she was the most useful of the District Two Victors.

Once I reached the Academy, I quickly changed and walked into the Training room. I picked up a bunch of throwing knoves from the weapon table, looking around to ensure I was alone. My parents didn't know I was volunteering, especially not this year, and I wanted to keep it that way.

After I was assured that I was by myself, I started throwing knives at some dummies we had. I wished I could attack a moving target, since my targets wouldn't be standing still for me, unless I could successfully sneak up on them. Then I realize that I could make myself a moving thrower to increase the difficulty.

Much to my delight, I still hit the target most of the time. I had only been training for one year, ever since my brother and sister were Reaped the previous year. It had been an unlikely turn of events: two young people from the same family had been Reaped. Of course, they had both died, and it was time for me to avenge them. I could never forgive the Capitol for what they did, and I hoped that if I won, I would show them that our family hadn't been beaten.

I played with spears for a little bit before realizing that I still wasn't very good at them, so I switched to practicing my running. I had been breathing through straws lately to make it easier for my to go without much air, hoping to increase my running ability a little bit. I had been running daily too, of course, and now it was time to see how well it had paid off.

After turning on the timer, I started running across the track, first trying out my sprints and then my long distance. I ran and ran for what seemed like forever, until my legs burned and my throat was raw. I looked at how long each run had taken me, excited to see that I had beaten my previous record. I had already planned on volunteering, and with today's success, it may as well have been written in stone.

I walked home, regretting running for so long. It hurt just to make the short walk to my home, but I had to deal with it. I opened the door and walked straight into the bathroom, turning on the shower. I wandered off to gather some clothes and a towel, and then started washing off.

I stayed in the shower for a while, massaging my scalp as I washed my hair. Then I got out and started dressing up for the biggest day of my life. I had selected a purple romper with some gold coloring, hoping the gold would bring out my green eyes. I also chose some brown combat boots to wear. Then I ran off to the Reapings, ready to show the world the power of the Sybilla family.

When I got to the Reaping, Caveadus Sconce was just walking onto the stage. She reached into the female bowl to call out a name, but I quickly shot up my hand. "I volunteer!" I walked up to the stage with my head held high. "I'm Dove Sybilla, and I'm the next Victor for District Two!" I announced brightly. There was no going back now. I was in the Hunger Games.

Ambrose Caraway

The overhang of a cliff was the best place to be. I could see parts of the forest spreading out for miles, and I could hear the birds singing. I always loved the beauties of nature, and right here was the best place to see it. I had a big day tomorrow, but for today, I just wanted to enjoy the scenery and draw.

I sat down with my dog, Phoenix, and opened up my art book. Phoenix got in the way for a while, and I played with him, but I wanted him to calm down. "Come on, Phoenix, I want to draw! Let me just relax for a while, ok buddy?" I knew that he couldn't understand me, but I was happy when he sat down and let me start working in my sketchbook.

I slowly looked through my old drawings, the ones of my mother and of my cousins. My mother was supposed to be a Victor, but she had trained wrong and been paralyzed. I always felt bad for her, since she was the black sheep of the family. First of all, she had had me out of wedlock. Then she had tried to train to make her family proud, but she did it by herself and broke her spine. Then Alana had managed to make her daughter a Victor, and my mom became a nobody, even in her own family.

I flipped the page, trying to calm down a little bit. My mom wanted me to win so she could finally make her parents proud. I knew I had to try my best, but I also knew it would be hard. I was just a kid, I didn't want to volunteer to kill people. But I would rather risk my life than risk making my mother unhappy.

The next page had a picture of Cousin Shale on it. It wasn't the best drawing in the world, but I could tell what it was. I had never talked too much with Cousin Shale, always being a bit put off by her. I was never sure if I should idolize her, since she was a Victor, or hate her, since she made my mother sad. I always had a weird mixture of both, but I still hoped she would be useful when I went into the Games.

Then I flipped to a page with Marble on it. Marble was the prettiest, most popular girl in school, and I had a huge crush on her. Of course, she wasn't interested in me. I was a nobody and she was the girl everybody wanted. That was another reason for me to go into the Games. Maybe if I won she would like me.

I looked at some of the pictures I had drawn of me winning the Games and somehow felt that they were in poor taste. I had fantasized about killing a bunch of people to make my mother happy and get a girl. Of course, if I went in, I would have to try to win. I could hardly be expected just to lay down and die. But I still felt a bit bad about it.

I finally reached the end of my pictures and started drawing. I looked out at the forest, trying to find the one place where there was a waterfall. It was one of the places in the District I thought was the most beautiful, and I wanted to be able to have it with me in the Games. I slowly started drawing it, struggling to see it in what was now moonlight. I had to work for a long time to capture it, and I still knew it wasn't perfect. I wasn't that great of an artist, and water was hard to draw. But I knew my picture was good enough to remind me of my home.

Sighing, I got up and started to go home. I called Phoenix over to me and slowly started getting down from my spot. I stared at it for a long time, knowing I would likely never come back to it. It was a sad thought, but it was one I would have to face. I walked back to it and felt the cool surface of the rock for a while, and listened to the birds for a bit longer. Then I finally started home again. I knew my mom was going to yell at me for my lack of training today, but I could deal with it. Today was worth it.