In Charisse's POV, there is a mention of suicide. This paragraph is BOLDED, so skip over it if you find this subject triggering.

Paxton Croswell, 18

District 1 Male

Paxton leaned back in his seat, eyes on the ceiling. He understood the importance of school, but he didn't understand why the teachers had to be so goddamn boring! Something entertaining needed to happen, or he was going to lose his mind.

He glanced to the side. He was sitting next to Francine, one of the smartest girls in the class. She'd recently begun dating Emerald, a hopeful volunteer. Of course, Paxton would be chosen, but even he had to admit that Emerald was pretty skilled.

But Emerald was also known to be a player. And Paxton had a hunch he'd slept with Carina, Francine's best friend. She'd been giving Francine guilty looks all day, and seemed to be avoiding her.

Paxton leaned towards Francine.

"How are things with Emerald?" he asked quietly. Francine started a little, but turned to Paxton with a hesitant smile.

"Really good," she said, a bit of a dreamy look on her face. "I didn't fully trust him at first, but he's been so sweet to me."

"Your first instincts might have been right," Paxton whispered. "I heard he was with Carina last night."

"What?" Francine hissed. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were flushing. "From who?"

"Carmen Mayflower."

Carmen was considered the queen of gossip at school, and was almost always right. Tears welled up in Francine's pretty green eyes, but she fought them back.

"Of course," she said bitterly. "The classic twist. The ex-player boyfriend cheats on me with my best friend." She slumped in her seat.

"I'm sorry," Paxton told her. "I just thought you should know." Francine just nodded with a slight sniffle.

After class, as Paxton slung his bag over his shoulder, he saw Francine approach Emerald. A whispered conversation took place between them, but he didn't see the result because someone put a hand on his shoulder.

Paxton turned to see one of his companions, Henry Milltitch, giving him an awkward smile.

"Hey Pax," he said, making the career grimace at the silly nickname. Still, he returned Henry's greeting with a nod.

"Hello."

"You, um, you look nice today," Henry muttered. "Your shirt really looks good with your hair."

Paxton preened a little at the compliment. He knew he looked good, and he knew he absolutely rocked his magenta-dyed hair, but to hear it from a semi-cute boy was always nice. Paxton's theory was that Henry was crushing on him, and he already had so many ideas for how to play the poor kid.

Henry, along with Carmen and a guy named Mac, were really the only three people Paxton could tolerate, besides his sister Cassandra. But if he was subtle enough, like he usually was, Henry wouldn't pick up on a thing.

"Thanks," Paxton said, popping on his shades. His eyes weren't as nicely shaped as he would have liked, but a cosmetic surgery like that would involve too much recovery time. So, he wore sunglasses whenever he could.

Most people in District 1 owned cars, and Paxton's family was no exception. Two of the family cars had 'Croswell Theater Company' printed on the side, but Paxton's car was sleek, white, and slogan-free. It had been a gift for his 16th birthday, and he loved driving it. Smooth, quick, and efficient, just like him.

Parking at home, Paxton unlocked the front door and stepped inside, slinging his bag to the side. Leiliana would get it. Truthfully, she was more than just a maid, but Paxton didn't really care what she did as long as she kept things going. And she was excellent at it.

"Paxton? Is that you?" He rolled his eyes. Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.

"Yes," he droned in a bored tone.

"I have some clothes your… friend left the other night. Who am I returning them too?"

"St. Claire," Paxton called back before heading up the stairs.

In his room, Paxton shucked his clothes and changed into thicker khaki pants and a long-sleeved shirt. He also grabbed his gloves before heading outside.

Paxton had been working on his climbing wall for several months now, and it was nearly complete. He'd been handy his whole life, growing up around theater sets and props, but now he could use those skills for what he wanted.

A few hours later, the supports were in place, and it was ready for a test climb. He changed his clothes again and chalked his hands, ready to reach the top.

Getting a grip, Paxton pulled himself up, relying solely on his upper body strength to do the work. But he'd been training since he was thirteen, and he scaled the first bit with ease.

Higher up, Paxton had to work his muscles harder to continue. Sweat dripped down his body, but he just wiped it from his forehead and continued. He knew he could do this.

And sure enough, he reached the top. With a shout of victory, Paxton hauled himself over the top ledge and knelt there. The wall was tall enough for him to see the entire neighborhood, and further. His land. Because up here, he was king.

Charisse Cline, 14

District 6 Female

Charisse cracked her knuckles as she stepped outside, drinking in the rainy air. Her heart was pounding and her cheeks were flushed with anger. Morris Dunn had mocked her during class, and he was going to pay.

Morris and his buddies came down the steps and Charisse threw her bag down, lunging towards him. Her hand fisted in his collar as she threw him down onto the concrete.

"Hey Moron," she snapped. "Still got something to say about me?"

"What the hell?" Morris said, starting to get up. "You're crazy."

He was up on one knee when Charisse kicked him in the chest, knocking him back down. She dropped to her knees over him and delivered a swift punch to his nose. Morris yelped in pain as his friends started calling for a teacher.

Charisse got two more punches in before Ms. Lebrowski was pulling her off of Morris. She delivered a swift kick to his shin, but let herself be pulled away.

"Charisse!" Ms. Lebrowski gasped. "That is absolutely–"

"Unacceptable?" Charisse asked with snort. "Yeah, I heard that one before. Give me something original, teach." Ms. Lebrowski turned white, and then red. And then she yanked Charisse towards the school building, calling for Morris and his goonies to go to the nurse's office.

She dragged Clarisse into her classroom and sat her down at a desk before picking up a pencil and a pad of paper. Charisse waited impatiently for her to finish writing her note. It was useless. She'd never deliver it, and her mom couldn't make her stop if the school notified her.

Finally, Ms. Lebrowski finished writing and neatly folded the note before handing it to Charisse. Just to be difficult, Charisse didn't take it. With a sigh, Ms. Lebrowski tucked into her school bag.

"Charisse… I know you've been through a lot. You have a right to be angry. But you cannot take that anger out on others. What would your father think?"

"He'd call you a stuck-up bitch," Charisse replied, not missing a beat. "If there's anything else, you can tell me later. I'm leaving."

"What? You can't just–"

Charisse stormed out, slamming the door behind her for good measure.

Her little chat with Ms. Lebrowski made her miss the trolley, so Charisse resigned herself to a cold, wet walk home. On the way, she shredded up the note and tossed it into a greasy puddle.

"'What would your father say?'" she said in a mocking tone. "It doesn't matter what he'd say. He's a coward and a jerk, and I hate him."

Still, the walk home brought her past the old factory her family had owned. Some stupid new manufacturer had taken over, but she remembered when it was there's.

Her dad had been a huge baby about losing the business. He'd been depressed for months and didn't do anything to help anyone. It was no wonder he hanged himself.

Charisse growled in frustration. 'Stupid trolley', she thought. 'Stupid Morris. Stupid Ms. Lebrowski. Everyone is so fucking stupid!' The anger simmering beneath the surface was beginning to properly boil, and Charisse clenched her fists. She needed to hit something, whether it be her mother or her brothers or her wall.

She hiked her backup up and continued walking, purposefully stomping her feet to release some of her pent-up energy. The drizzly rain was making her hair frizzy, and her fingertips were turning red from the cold wind. Stupid. All of it.

For a younger Charisse, home was a large stone house with actual heating and a bedroom for each of the siblings. For current Charisse, it was a cold two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a creaky old building.

She opened the gate with a curse and slammed it behind her, letting the rattle reverberate through her. Teeth clenched, she climbed up three flights of stairs and unlocked the door. She could hear quiet murmuring from inside; probably goody-two-shoes Kia helping Steven with his homework.

Stepping inside, Charisse threw her bag to the ground and stalked to the kitchen, pointedly ignoring Steven, who was actually sitting with their youngest brother, Efrain. They were whispering to each other.

Yanking open a cabinet, Charisse grabbed a few stale biscuits and then whipped around.

"Steven, you're cooking tonight," she said. His dark eyes widened.

"B-b-but Mom said I can't cook alone… and-and-and it's your night on the schedule." He pointed to a flimsy piece of paper tacked up near the fridge.

"Well, too bad," Charisse said. "You're cooking."

"But he can't!" Efrain protested. He was only 8, and somehow possessed the cheerful energy that had been sucked from the rest of the family a long time ago. "Mom said no!"

"Then you can starve," Charisse snapped back. She slammed the cabinet shut and kicked Efrain's ankle as she passed by. Hard. He squealed in pain, and Steven whimpered. 'Babies', Charisse thought.

A door slammed somewhere else in the house, making all three of them jump, and Carter stomped into the room.

"Charisse!" he shouted. "Leave your brothers alone. You're such a jerk, all the time."

"You're being a bitch," Charisse snapped back at her eldest brother. His hands clenched into fists.

"You wanna say that again?" he growled.

"Sure," Charisse said, tossing the biscuits onto the table. She walked to stand directly in front of him, fists clenched. "You. are. A. Bitch."

The punch came out of nowhere, catching her in the jaw and nearly knocking Charisse to the floor. An angry growl rose in her throat and she threw herself at Carter, returning the hit with an equally powerful strike.

Efrain started crying, and Carter grabbed Charisse's shoulders, forcing her against the wall.

"Stop it!" he yelled. "Just–just get out of here! No one wants you!"

"Good!" Charisse shouted back. She fought free from his grip and elbowed him hard in the ribs as she stormed off to the room she shared with her mom and Kia.

"Because I don't want you either!"

Faryn Namon, 17

District 7 Male

A light summer drizzle fell from the gray skies of District 7 as Faryn and his friends pushed through the undergrowth. Thea had found an abandoned lumber mill recently, and had dubbed it their new hideout. Now, she was ready to show it off to the boys, or so she had said.

Thea was the only girl in their little band of adventurers. The others were Faryn, his twin brother Hunter, and Gabriel, Faryn's closest friend besides his twin.

Pushing some branches out of the way, Thea turned back and made a grand gesture with her hand.

"Ta-da!" she crowed. "We're here!"

Stepping past her, Faryn felt his eyes widen. The mill had clearly suffered from a fire, but the building was still mostly intact. The equipment was old and rusted, and a layer of beautiful green blanketed it. A small tree was growing through the collapsed roof of the mill, and the grass was soft and vibrant.

"It's amazing," Hunter said breathily. Thea grinned, her freckled cheeks stretching.

"I know, right? I'm so glad I found it."

"How did you find it?" Faryn asked, cocking his head. Thea's smile dropped immediately.

"After… after, you know…"

"It's okay," Hunter interrupted. "Give us the tour!"

Thea's home life was not something she often talked about, but all three boys knew it was hard. She often spent the night at the Namon's house, or with Gabriel's family, the Hollis's.

But despite the reminder, Thea's smile grew again, and she ran towards the mill. Inside was filled with more rusted machines and moss, and a large rabbit fled through an open doorway when they stepped inside. Faryn felt himself smile.

"Ah, a glorious grin," Hunter teased, giving his brother a nudge.

"Shut up man," Faryn said with a laugh, nudging Hunter back. His friends always joked that Faryn had one bad day and his grumpy look stuck. Sometimes Faryn thought they were right. His expression often chased off potential acquaintances, but it was alright. That's just how he was. And he still had awesome group of friends.

The four of them spent the afternoon exploring the mill. Gabriel brought freshly-baked cookies that his father, the baker, had made, along with some ripe fruit and jerky. Enough for a true picnic.

As is started to get darker, Faryn sat up and looked around.

"I have bad news," he said solemnly. Everyone turned to look at him. Hunter looked glanced around nervously.

"I only have enough money for small scoops at Maude's," he finished with a grin.

Cheers went up and everyone leaped to their feet. Maude's was a small ice cream parlor near the bakery, and it was adored by everyone in this county of District 7. Faryn had been saving his ice cream money for a special occasion, and today felt appropriate. Especially since the reaping was coming up in a week.

Pushing the thoughts of the reaping from his head, Faryn led the charge to Maude's. Despite the drizzle, it was still open, and Maude's daughter Willow was manning the counter. Faryn and Thea exchanged grins when Hunter's face began to flush. He had a huge crush on Willow, and everyone knew it.

"Hey guys!" Willow said cheerfully, pushing her glasses up her nose. "What can I get ya?"

"I'll have a scoop of chocolate," Thea said.

"Strawberry please," Faryn followed up.

Once Hunter and Gabriel had both ordered their vanilla scoops, and Thea had teased them for being boring, the four began to wander the streets, peering into shop windows and joking around.

Only when the drizzle devolved into full-on rain did they part ways. Gabriel gave them a wave and headed home, while Hunter linked arms with Thea and Faryn and began to pull them along.

"Mom said you were welcome to stay the night," Faryn said to Thea. "Adaya would be really happy to see you."

Adaya was the twins' 14-year-old sister, and she adored Thea. The two of them together could get into a lot of mischief, but Hunter kept them in check. Faryn was bold enough to partake in the mischievousness, so he couldn't be counted on.

Faryn opened the front door of their house, calling out to his parents.

"Hi guys!" their mom called. "Welcome home!"

"Dinner's almost ready!" was their dad's follow up.

"Okay!" Faryn called back. "Thea's here."

"Hi Thea!" Adaya said, skidding into the room in her socks. "I'll set your bed up."
"Hi. Thanks," Thea replied with a soft smile.

"Come eat everyone," their dad called, and the four teens made their way to the kitchen.

Faryn's parents were both sitting at the table, bowls of soup in front of them. Everyone else joined them, and jumped into conversations about how everyone's days had gone. Thea shared the lumber mill discovery and Adaya's eyes lit up with excitement. Their mom dropped hints about Willow to Hunter, and everyone laughed at his stammered reply.

When the boys laid down for bed, Hunter rolled over and looked at Faryn across the room.

"What do you think of Gabriel," he asked.

"What?" Faryn asked, sitting up slightly. "That's so random."

"I know," Hunter said, shrugging. "But I was just curious. I mean, he is kinda cute."

Faryn narrowed his eyes. "You're straight. Where are you going with this?"

"Nowhere!" Hunter protested. "Never mind. Just go to bed." He turned over so that his back was to Faryn.

"Alright, fine," Faryn said grumpily. 'Weirdo' he thought fondly to himself before letting sleep overtake him.

Ayala Benani, 12

District 10 Female

The setting sun was warm on Ayala's back as she jumped up on the corral rail. Sable was on the far end, trying to get a halter on Jacoby, the yearling Uncle Pete had recently bought. He was a strong, bold horse and didn't like people much, but Sable had a way with horses.

Sable had worked on Uncle Pete's ranch for as long Ayala had lived there, and she adored her. The old woman was clever and kind, and told many fun stories. She understood Ayala in a way Uncle Pete didn't. She loved her uncle, but sometimes he asked too much of her. Sable never did.

Finally, Jacoby let Sable halter him, but nearly yanked her across the corral as she returned. She jerked on the lead and he tossed his head, but obeyed.

"Hey there," Sable said, spotting Ayala leaning on the fence. "Want to walk him back to the stable?"

"Can I?" Ayala asked hesitantly. Sable nodded and grinned, showing off the gap in her teeth.

Carefully, Ayala took the lead and began to guide the horse back to his stall.

"If he pushed into you, hip-check him," Sable instructed. She was walking on Ayala's other side. She nodded, but Jacoby behaved himself, clearly tired out from cantering around the corral.

After she had shut the stall door, Sable put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nice work," she said kindly. "I reckon you'll be the horse whisperer around here in no time."
"But you're the horse whisperer!" Ayala protested.

"But I won't be around forever," Sable said. "I'm getting older."

Ayala frowned. She wasn't sure of Sable's exact age, but she was older than Uncle Pete.

Hesitantly, she asked, "You'll be around for a while though, right?"

"Right," Sable said. "You aren't getting rid of me yet."

Ayala giggled, and Sable laughed with her.

Suddenly, Ayala heard a shout from the main house. "Ayala!" the voice cried.

"That's Diana!" she said excitedly, and ran a few steps towards the house before glancing back at Sable.

"Go on," the older woman said. "I'll feed this lot before I head home." She gestured to the horses as she spoke.

"Thanks Sable!" Ayala called as she began to sprint back towards the house.

Diana was standing on the front porch with a stack of books in her arms, dusty blonde hair escaping her braid.

"Hey!" she called as Ayala approached. "Ms. Langston gave me a bunch of old books! I thought you might want to look at them with me."

"Awesome!" Ayala said, climbing the porch stairs.

Diana wanted to be a teacher at the local school, and was working as an assistant with Ms. Langston, who taught 7-year-olds. However, teachers had access to a small library that students didn't, and Diana had been bringing home books for the two of them to read ever since she began working there.

Diana was the sister Ayala never got the chance to have, and she would always be grateful for her cousin. Ayala's mom had died of pneumonia when she was a few months old, and her father had been caught in a Peacekeeper's crossfire when Ayala was 5. She'd lived with Diana and Uncle Pete ever since.

The girls settled down at the kitchen table and Diana set down the stack. There were three books. The first was a square picture book about the childhood of Kelsi, the first Hunger Games victor. The second was a translation guide, from their language to one called French. And the third was a story that was written before the Dark Days, but had been updated by a more current author. It was titled 'Peter Pan'.

Ayala opened that one first, and the two girls let themselves be caught up in the story of three young children who met a magic boy and flew away to a place called Neverland.

They were just reaching the part where Peter Pan, the magic boy, was fighting a pirate when Uncle Pete came in. He sighed heavily and sat down in a chair, which creaked under his weight.

"Hey kiddos," he said tiredly. "Reading anything interesting?"

"It's great!" Ayala chirped. "There's a fairy, and a boy who can fly, and pirates and secret tree and a ton of other cool stuff!"

Uncle Pete yawned. "That's nice," he grumbled. Ayala frowned a little.

Often, at the end of the day, Uncle Pete was just too tired to engage with his daughter and niece. She appreciated that he tried, but sometimes his lack of enthusiasm hurt. Still, she'd have quite the story to tell Sable.

Later that evening, as Ayala curled up under her old quilt, she turned to face the window and imaged flying. She'd soar over District 10, visiting the crows and swallows that nested around the farm and bringing back extra fresh grass for the lambs. She'd fly over the school and her classmates would cheer. She'd fly past her old home, the one she had so few memories of, and watch the family there make new memories. And then she would fly home and fly to Diana's room and tell her all about it. And Uncle Pete too. Because even though he rarely laughed, and even though he expected too much of her, Ayala loved him.

Hi everyone! Long time, no see. Sorry about that. I lost someone close to me, got a pretty bad concussion, and just had bad depression overall. But I am back (for the moment) with the final intro chapter! Thank you to Paradigm of Writing for Paxton, Kkstar47 for Charisse, VeneratedArt for Faryn, and Dreadfulsorrow for Ayala! I loved each and every one of these guys.

Now, time for questions!

1. Who was your favorite tribute out of these four?

2. Who was your favorite overall?

3. Any bloodbath guesses?

4. Any victor guesses?

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona