District 7

1 week before the reaping's

Alistair Birch 17

History class… I always kind of enjoy this. My favourite part is reading about the contributions from my own District especially for the Hunger Games, I remember when a couple of years ago a girl won from my geography class. Now she is basically a celebrity! Before everyone just thought of her as a loser with no friends! I always felt sorry for her though, I used to leave her gifts on her table every once and a while. I wonder if that will ever happen to me if I win…become a celebrity I mean? I flip though the logs of the tributes that have died from District 7, Aspen Wren, she apparently was a distant relative of mine, she died in the 29th Hunger Games.

"Boring" Masom mumbles

"Yeah how can you enjoy this stuff?" Fenna complains

"Alright, each to their own buddy" I reply

The bell rings to signify the next lesson, when I stand up I always tower over all my classmates, some people might think I'm kind of scary at 6'5 but once they get to know me that fear ends pretty quickly.

"So, it's the reaping's in a week" Fenna points out

"Can you imagine if one of us got chosen" she laughs

We all chuckle together at this. No one wants to believe that they will get chosen after all.

"What would you do if you got chosen?" Masom asks

We all pause for a moment before Fenna blurts out her opinion.

"Honestly, I would just go on a rampage. No one would be safe from me" She jokes

We all laugh again as we continue our way through the school corridor.

"Yeah right" Masom scoffs

"What about you Alistair?"

"Oh…well I don't think I would be able hurt anyone really, much less kill them" I answer

The three of us sit down on a wall together.

"Alistair, the big gentle giant" Fenna jokes while poking her finger into my cheek.

I chuckle at her usual awkwardness.

"If you ever were chosen, you might have to get your hands dirty, Alistair" Masom points out

"Well luckily that's never gonna happen" I reply

I look into Masoms eyes one more time…if only I had been able to date him.

Later that evening

I try to stay out as long as I can to avoid my step dad, after saying bye to my friends, eventually I have to go home…

I quietly open the front so that I might be able to get in without being heard however my step dad is already there.

"Why are you home so late again?" He questions

"Sorry" I murmur

I walk past him but avoid eye contact so I don't have to speak to him however he aggressively grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Don't walk away from me boy"

I could definitely overpower him physically but I don't have the will to do it.

"Let him go" My mom orders

He releases my arm and I storm off upstairs only to hear the two of them arguing about me below. One day I'll stand up to him I swear.

Emerson Ingles 18

Alex hands me a large chopped up log, I gladly take it from her. She smiles and signs "Thank you".

"That's ok" I sign back

Mila places another log on the workbench and begins sawing it.

"I honestly don't know why I hang out with you guys, the fact that I've had to learn sign language just be your friends" she complains

I angrily take a swing at the log she's cutting, narrowly missing her hands! She yelps in surprise and I send her and evil smirk.

"Very funny" She remarks

I'm not really angry at her for degrading me but Alex is deaf and so she can't even hear that Mila was insulting her.

Our only male friend Reggae then places a big stack of logs down next to us.

"Take it easy children" he jokes

Then he signs to me.

"Next time make sure to take her fingers off"

I give him a cheeky smile because I'm pretty sure Mila couldn't understand that since she's pretty bad at sign language. I swear Reggae is the only one that gets my dark sense of humour but then he has known me all my life.

"What did you say?" Mila asks him

"I just said how lucky Emerson is to have such a great friend" he replies

"Of course she is"

I glance at Reggae and place my middle finger up, he chuckles.

"Well…I understood that" Mila comments

The Reaping day

I am waiting to leave for the reaping's with my parents. They are both dressed smart like me. My dad has the same ginger hair as me and pale skin whereas my mother is a brunette. I would have probably preferred to have my mom's hair just because it would have stopped people making fun of me but then people would have still made fun of me because I can't talk.

"Are you ready?" My dad signs to me with a smile.

He has become more used to the way I am even if it took a while to accept it. He rarely snaps at me anymore. Mom was always more understanding and learned sign language as quickly as she could.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" I sign back

We arrive early at the reaping's as usual. Alex, Mila and Reggae are gathered in the reaping's square. The boy is the first to get reaped this year. His name is Alistair, he is pretty tall and his pale skin decorated with freckles and a few scars here and there. His hair is unkept and curly. He seems very disorientated as he blankly walks to the stage.

Next the girl is chosen. I wonder who will be chosen this time, maybe it will be someone I know?

"Emerson Ingles"

Tears begin flowing down my face as I realise what has happened. I look around at my friends who look devastated, especially Reggae. I look to Alex who appears confused about what is going on, I begin to sign to her to give her the bad news but I am quickly snatched up and brought to the stage. I look up at Alistair who looks down at me with sympathy in his eyes. I would feel very bad for him under normal circumstances but right now he is technically an obstacle to my survival which might turn out to be unfortunate for him. I can't die…No I won't die and nothing will get in my way!

Alistair Birch 17

I look down at my District partner who now has replaced her tears with a fierce new determination in her eyes almost like a burning fire! If I am going to survive I may need to use her fire to my advantage.

So here we are with the latest 2. Thanks to cupofdeathflowertea for Alistair and chcolate for Emerson. Only one more district to go. If I don't get a submission for the last spot then I will just continue to the train rides and introduce the last two there. Don't worry they will get more screen time to make up for it!

Theme songs

Alistair: Heather by Conan Gray

Let me know what you think of these two. Soon we will be onto the good stuff!