Signy Freyda, 15

District 10 Female

Signy was awake far before Darcia came to get her. She laid in bed, flat on her back, and stared at the ceiling, softly humming a lullaby to herself. It was a song her mom used to sing to her when had nightmares. It was about lambs and flowers and sunshine.

But when the knock came on her door, Signy knew it was time to get out of her memories. She kicked her blankets off and opened the door, trying to give Darcia a smile, though it was probably more of a grimace.

"Get dressed," Darcia said, businesslike but not unkind. "We need to leave soon. Meet me in the main room." Signy nodded, shutting the door. At some point last night, while she was asleep, someone had cleaned up her interview dress and hung it in the closet. She ran her fingers over the fabric before grabbing a soft gray sweater and some leggings.

In the main room, Connor was nibbling on a muffin while Belle stared into a cup of coffee, frowning. Only Arturo seemed to be in good spirits, dunking a donut into his coffee with great gusto. Signy took a seat beside him and began to spread some butter on a piece of toast.

"Excited?" Arturo asked her. Belle winced.

"Nervous," Signy replied, avoiding his eyes. But he nodded understandingly.

After everyone ate, Darcia ushered Connor and Signy into the elevator. The ride was silent, though Darcia opened her mouth to speak a few times. But she never did. Finally, they reached the roof. It was a warm but cloudy day, and almost everyone was there already. The pair from 12 were arguing, as usual, and the Careers were in a huddle.

Connor went to join Braulia and Signy was about to follow when Darcia put a hand on her shoulder.

"Signy, listen. You can do this. You have all the skills you need to win these damned Games, and you have fans on your side. Whatever you do, keep fighting. Don't give up. I believe in you."

Tears pooled in Signy's eyes and tracked down her cheeks as she threw her arms around Darcia and hugged her. Darcia flinched at first, but then hugged her back. When she pulled away, she put a hand on each of Signy's shoulders.

"Good luck."

A Capitol attendant came to fetch Signy and the other stragglers, ushering them onto the hovercraft that sat silently nearby. Signy took a deep breath as she sat down between Jeremy from 7 and Saturn from 9.

The hovercraft doors shut and they took off with barely a sound. A woman in white came around, inserting something into everyone's left forearm. Signy winced as the small ball was placed under her skin.

The ride was long, but no one spoke. Signy went over their strategy in her head. Connor and Signy would run in and grab some of the close supplies, while Acacia went in deeper to get an ax. Braulia would cover them, and shout if anyone dangerous got too close.

She must have drifted off, because suddenly the nurse lady was shaking her roughly.

"It's time," she said, unbuckling Signy's seat belt. "Get up."

The hovercraft had landed somewhere rocky and cold, but a Peacekeeper led Signy into a stone tunnel before she could look around. They walked for about five minutes before he stopped in front of a white door and punched in a code. The door slid up into the ceiling, and Signy was pushed inside.

Archibald was sitting at a small round table, sipping a glass of bubbly liquid. He stood when he saw Signy and pulled her into a hug.

"Welcome, my dear," he said. "The hovercraft was a little late, so we need to get you dressed."

He provided Signy with black undergarments, thin black leggings and a long-sleeved black muscle shirt first.

"This thermal fabric," he said. "Expect a cold arena."

Next came thick, warm socks, white camouflage pants, and black snow boots lined with white fur. The finishing touch was a gray winter jacket with a fur-lined hood and black beanie. She was already sweating in the tiny room.

"2 minutes," a voice from nowhere said. Archibald zipped up Signy's jacket and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Good luck," he said. Signy leaned in and gave him a quick hug.

"Thank you for everything," she whispered.

"It was my pleasure," he told her. Then he led her to a black ring on the floor.

As soon as Arturo stepped back, a glass barrier began to rise around her. Arturo gave her one last smile before it clicked into place and began to rise. Signy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. In a few minutes, she could be dead.

The first thing she noticed about the arena was the brightness. The sun hung high in the sky, sparkling off the white snow that covered everything. Signy took a second to gape. She'd never seen snow before.

The second thing she noticed was the temperature. It was absolutely freezing. She could see her breath puffing out in front of her. Sticking her bare fingers in her pockets, she felt them brush against a lump of fabric. Gloves.

The third thing she noticed was that her pedestal was between two Careers. Naya stood to her left and Emerald was on her right. And they were looking at each other.

A ticking sound reached her ears and she turned to look at the Cornucopia. It was made from dark charcoal-colored metal and at its point was a countdown. The number was already down to 48. She had less than a minute to spot her allies.

Frantically scanning the semicircle of pedestals, Signy spotted Connor about six down to her left. Following his gaze, she was able to spot Ace. No Braulia though. Before she could look again, an invisible gong went off and everyone surged forward.

Signy jumped off her pedestal and into the snow, immediately sinking a few inches past her ankles. She cursed under her breath and began to trudge forward, noting that the other tributes were struggling as well.

Luster, the boy from 1, reached the Cornucopia first. He was quickly followed by Acacia and the boys from 9 and 11. Saturn slammed into him and the boys wrestled over a bow.

Signy didn't have time to watch more. She spotted a black backpack lying half-buried in the snow and lunged towards it. But she grabbed the handle at the same time as someone else. A large brown hand covered hers, and without thinking, Signy brought her elbow back on the person behind her. The crack their nose made reverberated through her bones.

Slinging the backpack over her shoulders, Signy whirled around and punched whoever it was in the face again. He fell to his knees, where she grabbed his head and kneed him in the face. Only when he fell back into the snow, dead, did she realize it was the boy from 11; the one she comforted during the interviews.

A choked sob escaped her throat as she covered her mouth. Tears pooled in her eyes, but froze on her lashes.

"Signy!" someone shouted. It was Braulia. She reached Signy's side, breathing hard. Signy reached out to steady herself on her shoulder.

"Where is Ace?" Braulia asked. Signy looked around again.

The boys from 1 and 9 were still fighting. The girl from 6 dashed past them with a knife, not sparing them a second glance. Blood was already splattered against the snow. Suddenly, the girl from 12 fell to the ground in front of them, a spear in her chest. Her eyes met Signy's before rolling back in her head as the spear was yanked out of her.

Braulia pulled Signy back just in time to avoid her being skewered by another spear strike. The boy from 12 was grinning, despite his swollen eye and a cut on his lip. He went to strike again, but his head was cleanly severed from his shoulders, making Signy and Braulia both scream.

Kai raised his curved sword and swung it around with a flourish. Signy shoved Braulia back and began to run. She was smaller, and therefore faster, than Kai but she heard his sword tear through the fabric of her backpack.

Suddenly, her ankle twisted in the snow and she fell forward. Braulia shouted her name as Signy rolled over, ready to meet her death. But then a body was covering hers, blood spraying across her skin.

Connor's body was draped over her, a huge slash in his back. He was completely limp.

"Kai! Help!" Edmar shouted, and Kai turned. The girls from 11 and 6 were fighting him, and clearly winning. Kai snarled at Signy, but ran to help his ally. Braulia pulled Signy to her feet.

"Come one, we have to leave," she said, giving Signy a tug. But her gaze was fixed on Connor, facedown in the snow. He sacrificed himself to save her. Sweet, quiet Connor, who had lots of siblings and wanted to be a father one day. Brave, shy Connor who wrangled cattle even the bravest of 10 wouldn't go near.

"Signy!" Braulia shouted again. She slipped her fingers into Signy's and pulled again. This time, Signy followed. The girls raced past the pedestals and were joined by Acacia, who had a cut on her forehead and was holding an ax and a cleaver.

She didn't ask about Connor, instead ushering the two younger girls down a snowy hill and towards a pine forest.

"Head for the trees," she said. "I've got our backs."

But no one came after them, and they reached the edge of the forest safely. Their pace slowed to a brisk walk as Acacia took the lead, taking them further and further into the snowy valley.

Hey everyone. Yes, another chapter. I've been inspired to write and Signy is easy for me, so I finished this one pretty quickly. Not much to say here, but please leave a review if you can!

EUGLOGIES

24th: Eli York - shot by Luster
Eli was a sweet kid who didn't deserve the Hunger Games. RIP.

23rd: Apollo Greene - stabbed by Emerald
Apollo was a strong kid, but he was no matched for a trained Career. RIP.

22nd: Carla Milano - stabbed by Kai
Carla was the first spare tribute I made for this fic, and she will always be special because of that. RIP.

21st: Basil Farley - punched to death by Signy
Poor Basil. He died painfully, and he didn't deserve it. But he contributed to Signy's character development, and for that we thank him. RIP.

20th: Ivy Knott - stabbed by Milton
Ivy was Milton's ex and baby mama. They despised each other, and I knew one had to kill the other. RIP.

19th: Milton Kang - beheaded by Kai
Milton was a villain whose story was never told. RIP.

18th: Connor Baron - stabbed by Kai
Sorry Connor, your death was requested by Gomex himself. You were a great friend and a great person all around. RIP.

17th: Edmar Dancer - stabbed by Cassandra
Edmar was really only killed to show how strong Cassandra and Nellie were. Sorry buddy. RIP.

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

- Fiona