Baby's Breath
Innocence and Purity


Lily-Rose Damery, District Six Female, Seventeen


The sun peeks through layers of clouds and smog as morning approaches. The small district beginning to wake up. The sound of trains rumbling down their tracks earlier and earlier as the weeks go on, finishing their deadlines. The night shift working hard as they continue to operate their machinery with ease, another restless night.

Dawn signifies yet another day in District Six. The day beginning like any other, the world around it unassuming of how the citizens live their lives; and will continue to turn without a care, ignoring the crying district.

Despite the misery amongst the smoggy sky of Six people continue to function, life goes on after all. Lily-Rose Damery is one of those people that continue to live despite the hand she's dealt with. She wakes up early, giving herself plenty of time for her body to adjust from the land of sleep and begin to re-energise herself for the upcoming day.

There's a smile on her face as the first rays of sunshine tries to enter through her blinded windows, getting up from her own bed to open her room up to the world. She smiles brightly along with the sun, letting every ray touch the greenery scattering her room.

The sun is barely up, the darkness of the night is still trying to dissipate from the sun. She peers down to the streets below, the hustle and bustle of Six beginning so early on today. She takes a washcloth from her chair, waving to all her plants around her room travelling towards the bathroom.

She sneaks past the closed door of her parents room, entering the bathroom and brushing her teeth and washing her face. She feels confident today, she doesn't normally but there's a feeling in the air, and it's not just the sweet smell of all the flowers growing in their apartment.

Lily-Rose puts on her slippers, exiting the apartment as she ascends the stairs, still wearing her pyjamas, all the way to the rooftop. She opens the door, the morning air cold in her lungs as she steps out in the open. She takes a look at everyone and with a beaming, confident smile she begins to greet them.

"Morning everyone!" She says enthusiastically into the air, however there's no response.

Lily-Rose is not the best at making friends, its not that she lacks the socialisation skills to do so but she doesn't have the best record at attention. Her mind is filled with other things, and unbeknownst to the person she is talking to, she is thinking about her plants. She devotes most of her time amongst her plants.

Starting from a small sunflower project all the way to a sprawling rooftop garden she now stands in now. She smiles thinking about the early beginnings before getting to work as she takes the silver watering can, filling it with water.

Her early greeting for her plants seems appreciated as they stand in attention for her as she showers them with the cool water, the droplets shining with the early rays. She speaks to each and everyone of them, telling them all to grow nice and strong.

Ever since her successful first plant, the sunflower named Sammy, she had been plant obsessed. She speaks of plants; even dreams of it. Her passion growing and growing, sprouting from that very small sunflower and grew it into a big garden.

The crisp morning air wakes her up more, feeling the energy returning as she shows love to all her plants. She refills her watering can as she flits from flower to flower; plant to plant like some butterfly as she pours water into their soil.

"Let's have another good day today." She speaks to everyone with a smile.

Lily-Rose is not an idiot, and she knows that they don't speak back to her, she's not crazy, although there are those that think she is sometimes. That doesn't matter because she feels like she understands them better that way.

To her, she can learn more about their personality in the way she tends to them. The flowers communicate their gratitude in how they blossom, the smaller herbs express their thanks through their flavour, the green from each leaf tells her that they love the water and the spot she had picked for them.

They all mean so much to Lily-Rose, despite being misunderstood by most. She doesn't pay them any attention, she's comfortable where she is at this present time. Not even the looming threat of the Hunger Games tomorrow can dampen her spirits.

There are times where she does think about friends, however, and how she can apply what she does to her plants to make friends. She looks up at the sky, sighing melancholically. She would like someone to share her passion without the judgement.

She passes one of the plants that she had recently adopted from the outskirts of Six. Their leaves look grey-green in colour, sadness emanating from it. She huffs at the fussy plant as she crouches down and feels the leaves.

"What's wrong little one?" She asks the wilted plant, feeling the soft leaves. "Why look so glum?"

She worries about the plant, it's been like this for weeks, Lily-Rose trying to help them grow. There are times where it does flourish and other times it's back to it's sad state. She furrows her eyebrows before standing up and showering them with water.

"I'll come back and check on you later," She says with another huff. "You really are a stubborn one, aren't you?"

Lily-Rose thinks of ways she can help the plants again, wanting to research it amongst the several plant books she has in her room. She gives a sigh of relief, looking around the garden at all her handiwork. Satisfied, she leaves back down to her home where she will start with all the plants inside.

She walks down the steps, her hair slightly a mess from her time upstairs with the slight breeze. Opening the door to see her mother who smiles and nods at her before going into the kitchen. She follows her to see that she had been busy with breakfast.

She sits by the table, admiring the herbs that's taking over most of the table. She plays with their leaves, happy with their progress. Her mother serves her toast as she sits beside her on the table. They smile at each other, the comfortable silence settling them both.

"Morning." She speaks drinking from her cup. "How are the plants?"

"They're fine, save for Grumpy." She replies swallowing some of the bread.

"Grumpy?"

"Yeah, the plant that keeps wilting." She says with another huff. "I don't know how to fix them."

"Well, if anyone will find a way to help that little plant it will be yourself." She smiles at her daughter.

Lily-Rose appreciates the sentiment and words of encouragement. She knows how hard her mother tries to understand her, not wholly getting her own obsession with plants. It's very endearing to hear her say that.

"Is something wrong?" Lily-Rose asks noticing the change in her mother's expression, finishing off the last of her toast, seeing her own mother hesitate.

"It's the Peacekeepers and their zoning laws." She starts. "Lily-rose, dear, I know the whole building has allowed you to use the rooftop for your plants, but those Peacekeepers have noticed you going up there a few times now and have sent us a letter to shut it down."

"B-but they're just harmless plants!?" She exclaims standing up, the table shaking all the leaves on her potted plants. "There's nothing we can do?"

"Lily-Rose there's nothing we can do." She says apologetically. "I've tried to fight your case for you, but they just rejected the idea."

"No. No I don't believe that at all, there's always something." She says to her running for her room.

Her breath feeling ragged, the feeling of tightness in her chest as panic sets in on all her hard work going away. She stands by her shut door, looking around at the plants in her room looking for the one she goes to the most.

June, in the corner of her room. She rushes towards her, collapsing in on herself as she kneels beside her. She feels the tears come to her face, as her hard work will all be for nothing if the Peacekeepers get their way.

She finds it silly to be crying about something so trivial, and she knows for sure that most people will find her strange crying over greenery. She holds onto her leaves, the blue petals of the iris plant shine with the light.

"What should I do, June?" She asks her. "They're going to take our friends away, and probably just dispose of them somewhere in this district."

Silence.

It's as if the plant is telling her that there's nothing she can do. In truth, she knows this too, and June is every bit of what she is as a person. They're similar and what she thinks, June will think too. However, that's not something to give up about.

"Come on June, you always help me at times like these." She says wiping the tears from her eyes, she thinks hard about it all and she floats the idea out loud. "Should we try and move them all? Spread the green around the district?"

She's always dreamed of making Six greener. She didn't want to start that until much later in her life, but if her plants are being threatened then now is a good time. She smiles, thanking June in the process as she stands up.

"I'll make it work." She says with a smile of determination.

She begins to get ready, knowing that the time for her boring day of school is fast approaching. In there she would come up with ways on how she can spread the growth of her plants. She makes her way to the kitchen where her mother is now cleaning up.

"Have you decided on what you're going to do?"

"Yes." She says with determination. "I'm going to make everything greener."


Briar Ackers, District Seven Female, Seventeen


They decided weeks ago that the day before the Reapings would be a day of rest. A day where they would skip school, ignore work, and just do what they want to do, even for just one day, before going to stand in front of the whole of Panem, watching as tributes are selected for another year of the Hunger Games.

She watches through her window, the canopy of leaves and trees letting little rays of sunshine through as the new day break. She had tracked it all, written all possible outcomes, good and bad, into a little notebook. The last few strokes of her pencil dance across the page as she makes a page for what she will be doing today and continue, making sure to take a mental note to update it throughout the whole day.

She knows from reading previous entries that she due a well-deserved break. She acknowledges all things karma and their forces. She believes that she had garnered enough good karma she knows full well that she's accumulated enough. Though she didn't want to use it all up for the day off, but she's doing it at the behest of her best friend, Junie.

Briar Ackers has never been one to deny her friend the attention. Junie had planned everything for them to do today and for when the Reapings finish. She's set up tasks for the day, and the first one is to wake up early, specifically at dawn.

A yawn escapes her lips as she packs away her notepad into a small bag. She likes the take the worn leather pad with her at all times, likes to makes notes of what she had done on the day, and what went well. She's meticulous and she doesn't care if people think she's crazy.

Briar makes her way down the stairs, not really expecting anyone to be awake at this time of the morning. She descends down the wooden steps, hearing the small creaks where her footsteps; trying her best to avoid those spots.

When she makes it down to the ground floor she looks around. She passes shelves filled with different toys and figures made with a variety of wood. She takes a moment to look at them before exiting the shop, opening the door to Junie waiting for her. The girl smiles at her, giving Briar a big hug.

"I'm glad you're doing this with me." She says pulling away from the hug. "I knew it heavily penalises your force energy."

"It's okay, I've calculated everything, and it should be all fine." She says back with a smile. "So, where to first?"

"I had told my parents that we would gather some herbs in the forest, and maybe forage for some food?" She says, unsure if Briar would mind, and she doesn't. Junie nods her head as she makes her way down the path that leads to a nearby forest.

The early morning breezes wafts the smell of trees into her nose, accompanying the singsong of birds as they echo around her within the canopies. She looks up and around her, feeling the small rays of warm sunlight that manages to peek through the thick leaves.

Junie leads the way, humming a small tune along with the birds. Their shoes crunching under the detritus of leaves and other forest waste. Briar just watches her from behind smiling at all her little quirks, how she stops with a gasp, tucking in her soft brown hair behind her ear, she crouches down at the plant in front her cutting off a few sprigs of whatever she finds.

She crouches down behind her continuing to watch her best friend, observing her as she takes a whiff of the leaves. The cool smell making her smile as she hands it over to Briar. "It smells nice, try it!"

"That does smell pretty good." Briar replies. "I didn't know you did this every time."

"Yeah, my parents run an apothecary business, so they need the herbs and other different plants around the district." She says wrapping it in some string and putting the mint in her bag.

She remembers the information, it's always nice to learn something new. She crouches down and helps her friend pick more of the herbs. They do so in comfortable silence. Junie continues to hum along as she picks the rest of the leaves.

It's not been an hour and so far Briar has been enjoying her time along with Junie. She tells herself that this decision to skip school today is a good idea and is deserved. She had put all her efforts the last couple of weeks just so she can have one good day.

Working harder in her father's shop and also working through her lessons at school. This day out with Junie and skipping school and work will balance everything she had done, she knows it, not only from her notes but also through experience.

Briar notes every experience down. The forces around her seem to have a habit of coming back to her like a boomerang. She doesn't fear the backlash from karma, but it's not a lie that she favours the good karmic energy as opposed to the bad ones.

Junie stands up with a pleasant smile before heading down the forest path. Briar follows her further into the forest thinking more about the karmic forces around her and everyone. She didn't become completely conscious of the thought until her father had given her a whittled down boomerang.

The moment she was handed that small toy the forces came to her, to watch over her, guiding her every actions. Somehow, as she looks around the ambient forest in front of her, she feels less like herself.

Junie stops in front of her, Briar nearly walking into her. She looks at her with a little confusion, and then worry flashes on her face as she holds onto her hands. She gives her a small smile silently asking her if she is okay.

"I'm fine, honestly."

"Are you thinking about the forces again? You told me yourself that you can't control them." She says worrying about Briar.

She nods her head, appreciating the comfort Junie provides her. "I'm honestly fine."

"You're lost in your thoughts again." She asks her and Briar shakes her head.

"What's next?"

"Breakfast." Junie say, leading her down the pine forest path.

She follows her, so carefree, so unaware from the surrounding forces. She watches the back of her head; a small tint of envy shocks her core. She doesn't like that feeling but ever since experiencing these karmic forces she had become so aware of everything.

She shakes her head at her thoughts. Junie is far too jovial to express envy over, the carefree girl can do no wrong in her eyes hence why Briar tries to push away any ill feelings towards her friend. Junie is one of the only few people out there that respects her belief in karma.

They walk a few silent minutes into an open clearing. The dawn sky barely illuminating the meadow amongst the forest. That faint smell of pine trees in their noses, and the faint breeze ruffling their hair and clothes.

Junie rushes towards the center arms opening, the gust of wind blows around the meadow, rustling the daisies that are spread around the clearing. Briar watches as her friend smiles at the feeling, her hands outstretched feeling everything, living in the moment.

She lays down on the grass staring up at the sky. Briar rushing beside her and joining her, watching the clouds breeze by, the sun breaking through the wisps warming them both with its rays. They stay like this for a few moments before Junie sits up rummaging through her bag.

Briar accepts the offering of bread. She takes a big bite out of it, tasting the softness of it all. There's a small thermos in Junie's hand too, she pours it out on the cup handing it over to her. She takes a sip of the liquid, the tea tasting delicious.

She looks at her friend who seems to frown at her after her smile. Briar stops from eating the bread and looking at her normally happy friend with a frown. "What's wrong? It's not like you to frown."

"The Reapings." She sighs looking down at the daisies, picking at their petals. "A day from now we'll be standing in front of everybody again, hoping to some higher power that we don't get picked."

"It will work out, I'm sure of it." She says holding onto the hands picking at the daisies. "Whatever happens, happens after all, and I think we're in good favour."

She smiles at her best friend, and eventually she joins in too.


Riley Farina, District Nine Female, Eighteen


They rise at dawn.

The majority of the field workers start their day at the crack of the first sunlight, ready to start yet another gruelling day amongst the golden field of Nine. The yawn escaping their lips, the slight chill from the night lingering as the warmth of the rays begin their embrace.

The citizens chattering and gossiping as they walk the long dirt path from their own homes to the mill. The word on everyone's lips is the murder of their first victor: Adlay Durum. The investigation of his death resurfacing as the case opens up and new suspects are arrested.

Riley Farina rolls her eyes at the idle gossip, stretching her back and hands. She doesn't care for idle gossip, although it did once pique her interest about the now deceased victor. That was three years ago now, back when she could afford such privileges, where she doesn't have to wake up so early to try and provide for her family.

Her father had suffered an injury a few years back, an accident that left him without a leg and wheelchair bound for the rest of his days. The pain he experiences comes and go even today, hence why she works from dawn to dusk.

The payment for his father's medical care is due again this week. The payment plan was well appreciated by the Farina family, but they all knew that their resources are finite and the long work hours have made them more tired by the day.

She sighs to herself thinking about whether her family can have food today or pay off the medical bills this week. She chews on her fingernail as she continues to walk the dirt path, everyone around her continuing to chatter, not knowing about her situation whatsoever.

Although she finds it ironic that she is walking to work thinking about how she's struggling to feed her family when someone had been feeding her to gain weight for the Hunger Games. She hadn't told her family about that as the proposed idea circles her head.

The idea of making her family comfortable for the rest of their lives. The ability to pay off the medical bills as well as get them fed, all for the cost of her life. She had made a deal with the devils of Nine, even though she had rejected that very same offer six months prior.

It took her three months before caving in, seeing her father struggle at home, struggle with the pain he experienced and the sadness and frustration it brought him. She had no choice but to accept such an offer from one of the gangs in the district, even though her father had specifically told her from a very young age to avoid those that would purposely do harm to the golden district.

She had weighed out the options though. She had a choice to make, and she made a snap decision. She cares about her family more than herself, plain and simple. Riley Farina is not one to watch her family suffer any longer, she wants them to thrive.

She is going to volunteer for the Hunger Games in order to save her family. If she's lucky she can come out victorious anyway and share that comfortable life with them, and if she's unlucky then the gang she had accepted the deal with, led by Harvey Feldman, would do what they promised and keep her family comfortable. In her eyes she sees both sides as a win.

She kicks a stray pebble on the path and just as she looks up she sees the very same devil standing at the entrance of the mill in their tiny community. Harvey Feldman is leaning against the weather-beaten mill, arms crossed and smiling impishly.

She can hear others whispering already, their eyes follow his gaze directed at her as she stops. It's very rare for other people in the communities to visit each other, and the only ones ballsy enough to do so are community leaders or gang members.

"Rye." He says with a smirk on his face, the eyes lingering on her body that makes her shiver, no one calls her 'Rye' apart from close friends and family, and for him to call her that sends yet another shiver through her.

"What do you want?" She says with a soft voice, trying her best to be intimidating, narrowing her light brown eyes.

"Now, now." He says leaving his comfortable leaning spot as he comes to approach her slinging one strong arm around her, dragging her towards the back of the mill, away from the prying eyes of the gossips. "Just a customary visit, to confirm that you've not got cold feet for tomorrow."

She scoffs and pulls away from the arm the moment they're alone, backing away from the man. She looks him up and down with contempt folding her arms. "I've been getting advice from a certain someone the last few weeks."

Harvey just smirks, quirking his eyebrows before whistling softly to the wind. She looks past him, as a boy emerges from the yellow fields. He makes his way slowly towards Harvey, her noticing his hesitancy. The boy clutches his arm looking away from her, avoiding any form of eye contact.

She shifts her eyes towards Harvey, who just seems to smile even more as he flicks his eyes between the boy and her. He stands behind the boy, his height similar to his, placing both hands on his shoulders. She can see him squeezing it, and each one he does makes the boy even more uncomfortable.

"This guy will be your district partner." He says and Riley can see Harvey squeeze tightly on the boys shoulders. "Like you, he accepted the deal to protect his family if he volunteered for the Games, lucky him, right?"

Riley can feel her body tense up, but she relaxes it, trying to avoid the gaze from Harvey. She just nods her head focusing on a bit of grass growing at the side of the mill. She can hear the man laugh, almost gleefully at their situation.

She regrets accepting the proposition knowing full well that Harvey is a bad man, but the offer is too tempting to not accept. In fact, despite his unfortunate personality, Harvey had helped a little bit already offering a bit of money when she accepted the proposition all those months ago.

Volunteer for the Games so that no one from his community get picked.

That was the deal and, like the fool she is, she accepted it. It looks like the boy in front of her had also accepted that fate. He looks uncomfortable, with the man's hand still on his shoulder. She knows that he wouldn't have offered the same deal if he wasn't desperate like her, so that means she has competition already.

Riley just sighs stepping forward and extending an arm towards the boy. She looks at him closer, short dark hair, tanned, like herself, strong and lean. She thinks that they're the same age as each other. He doesn't flinch when she extends her hand.

"Nice to meet you." She says and the boy reluctantly shakes her hand. "Riley Farina."

He has a firm grasp. Riley feeling the callouses from hard work before he pulls his hand away. He doesn't say his name, only smiling kindly, almost apologetically, before bowing out. She watches as he backs away turning around and walking back towards the field of wheat.

"He's a quiet kid, but we really helped out his mother back in his community." Harvey says as he looks back to Riley, a serious tone on his voice now. "Don't forget, you volunteer for us, and we send the money to your family, you have our word."

Riley can only nod as she watches the man disappear to whatever hole he crawled up from. She can feel her hands in fists as she watches his retreating form. She stands there for a few seconds feeling that same cold breeze, before turning around to see Ceres, her best friend, her face full of concern.

"What's all that about?" She asks linking arms with Riley. She can feel her closed fists open up as she relaxes from the anger she feels. Ceres takes her back to the front of the mill, most of her co-workers already in the field. "That was Harvey Feldman, right? You know that he's bad news, right?"

She knows very well what that man is capable of, but she knows that she's made the decision to accept that offer. Now she has to sleep in the bed she's made, finding irony in the fact that same bed s going to be so damn comfortable.

"It's nothing." She says smiling at Ceres. "Come on, let's get to work before they dock our pay again."

She leads her into the mill, taking their sickles and going to the golden fields, ready for another day of work. Her mind, however, isn't focused on working. It's already busy trying to strategize for the Games, anticipating that the next few weeks of her life will probably be her last.

She can only hope that her initiative to ask for advice to learn such strategies will help her in the long run, and after she wins the Hunger Games she'll tackle the growing problem in her district. Eliminating Harvey and his lackeys.


Mallory Corbrey, District Ten Female, Eighteen


She wakes up with a start, rising just as quickly as the day. The pounding in her head causing her to stumble back in the soft bed before she looks around. The motion making her sick as she feels the throbbing attack at every angle. She can feel her eyes bulge out and sore as she can hear her brain asking for water and food.

The early morning light seeps through cracked windows as she tries her best to fight through endless sheets. Her tired eyes scanning the wooden flooring for her dress. Her head spins as she sits by the side of the bed, reminding her of the night before, to which she doesn't even want to remember.

Mallory Corbrey stumbles to get out of bed, nearly falling over the white sheets as hazy memories flood her mind. She can feel the burn in her throat from the lack of water, or was it the copious amount of alcohol she consumed? She doesn't remember quite yet because the headache is too severe.

She feels terrible, truly. Whiskey burning her throat, burning away her inhibitions last night. She didn't have control of her body by the sixth round of drinks, maybe by the fifth. The haze clearing in her mind the more she moves away from the bed, reminding her of last night.

She turns around quickly, snatching the white sheet from the bed and covering herself. She can see the nude body of last night's conquest: the bartender. She closes her eyes in disappointment, mainly at herself but some directed to the bartender too.

She backs away, thankful that the dawn light hasn't been too bright for her eyes. She locks her dizzying eyes at the black dress she wore last night, rushing towards it with speed clutching at it with shaking hands as the same time she can hear the boy on the bed stir, but remain in his sleep state.

Mallory shakes her head; she should never have done that. She should never had flirted a little bit, but once alcohol is involved in her system then she lets loose. The feeling in her superseding rational thought, and another flash of memory brings her to almost vomit at what she had done; clambering from behind the bar, a smirk on her lips as she wipes it with a finger.

She feels the groan escape her lips before she can control it. She's lost control of her body already, what's the point of stopping now? She can feel her throat wretch and she tries all her might to stop it, nearly vomiting her empty stomach onto the wooden floors.

It's at that point she wonders where she is at present. She shuffles over the nude boy, draping over the white sheet over him after putting on her black dress. She hopes to whatever higher power out there that he doesn't wake, but he stirs awake, and she cringers her face.

She stays absolutely still, not wanting to move from her position. Mallory mentally scolds herself for sleeping with him once again, it's not a regular thing but since her husband died twelve months ago now she had increased in sleeping with the boy that would listen to her woes by the bar.

She turns around, looking for her shoes and finding them right at the doorway. Mallory makes a beeline towards it, stepping on the old wooden floorboards making it creak under her light weight. She grimaces her face holding a breath as she picks up her shoes, only for it to fumble out of her hand with a clang on the floor.

"Shit!" She says scrambling for the shoe, a high heeled black stiletto, just in time for her to fall with a thud on the floor, her face horrified when she sees the bartender sitting up, the white sheet covering his…

"Morning." He says, a lazy smile on his face, his voice sounding hoarse from just waking up. "Leaving so soon?"

She fixes her gaze, trying to put her shoes on. She looks away from the boy unable to think of something to say back, her hand instinctively going for her necklace. However, when all she can feel is her bare skin she turns back to see the boy holding it out with his finger.

"I presume this is yours?" He says and she shuffles closer snatching it away from his hands.

"I have to go." She says, her pale skin tinting from the embarrassment. "It's a family thing."

The boy can only smile, his dark hair messy from the sleep, and his blue eyes, despite the dim light is bright. He puts his toned arms behind his head, relaxing back against the bare wooden walls. He doesn't say anything else, and Mallory goes for the door.

"This was…nice." She says closing her eyes again as she opens the door and leaves without waiting for a response. In all her honesty she doesn't remember any of what happened last night, but that doesn't mean she couldn't spare his feelings; a casual lie doesn't hurt anyone.

She enters the hallway, unfamiliar to her as the pounding in her head returns. She holds onto her head, her black hair slightly messy from it's normal wavy form. She tries her best to comb it with her hands, going down the hallway down the stairs.

When she makes it down, she realises she's still in the tavern. She sighs in relief thinking that she doesn't have to walk a long way back to her home. She walks past empty chairs and messy tables and out the exit into the dusty streets of Ten.

She makes her way back to the house, her feet aching along with everything else. Thanking herself for waking up early so that barely anyone had to watch her do the walk of shame. She sees closed stores and stalls, the normal bustling Ten in standstill so early in the morning.

Mallory looks at the Justice Building, the scaffolding and stage already set up for the Reapings tomorrow; her last one. She looks past the building and onto the nicely arranged houses, or could they be considered mansions as she traverses dusty roads into one of the bigger houses, ignoring the looks from some of the early risers in Ten.

She enters through large doors, squeezing into the inside to meet utter silence. Her heels meet red carpets, lavish in its look. She never gets sick of the look of the house. Polished wooden walls, high ceilings with a massive twinkling chandelier hanging from it.

The mezzanine is the only thing that greets her, inviting her up the stairs and into her room. She makes her way through the hallways, careful not to wake any of the workers and the owners of the house. She reaches her room, opening the door slightly and slipping in like a thief in the night.

The Corbrey House is big, but not as big as some of the other houses closer to the mayoral house. She knows that their rich, and she also knows that she doesn't belong here. The last year has been a whirlwind of sadness, anger, and desire.

She strips her clothes fast, the black dress pooling by her legs, the heels being kicked off beside it. She feels drained and she knows that this has become her new normal. There are days where Mallory just lays in her bed looking at the walls, and there are days like today where she spends the entire night away, slipping in only in the mornings, normally with a sore head like now.

The water feels warm against her skin, she scrubs cleanly, her headache and sore stomach easing with each drop of the water. She washes her hair and as soon as she finishes she wraps a white towel around her body leaving the warmth of the bathroom and diving straight for the bed.

She looks up at the ceiling, white and gold embroidery decorates everything. Her whole room screams lavishness. The wealth is all here, and she loved eery minute of it. However, she knows that her days are numbered.

It's been a year since her husband had died. Malik Corbrey was murdered in the Capitol last year and ever since then her dream of luxury has collapsed in on itself. His parents had been kind and let her stay, after the funeral all three of them existed in harmony.

They allowed her to continue experiencing the lap of luxury, and yet she can sense that they too are trying to move on from the death of their son. She felt happiness, her joy brought them happiness, they coexisted in their grief together, but recently they felt so distant.

She's so angry at the world. She had it, that dream of escaping her mundane life, she held onto it with an iron grip. However, fate had other plans for her, ripping it off her hands with such force that sometimes she feels like she's falling so fast.

She falls back to what her life was like before meeting Malik, back to the backwater farm working with her parents for the rest of her existence. She doesn't want that. Mallory does not want to go back to being miserable after tasting what life can offer.

She didn't want that for herself. It's not her, she knows that. She had always been a person that strived for greatness, someone that would stop at nothing to get what she wants. Stepping on whatever head, arm, hand, or foot to get to the top.

She had it once, but she had to let it go. She clenches her fists, the feeling of screaming reaching her once more as she hits her bed over and over.


Hello! I am glad to announce that I have returned from a long break to start the intro chapters! All of these intros will happen over the course of one day. The day before the Reapings. I liken intros to just slice of life, advancing the overall themes slowly. I also drew one card for each POV and used that as the basis for the POV. All results will be posted after the intros.

Then from then on the Pre-Games will happen, Reaping + Goodbyes, Train Rides, Chariots etc. I don't have a concrete roadmap for when all of that are happening but rest assured I will try my best to have somewhat of a regular upload schedule.

Regardless, here are the first four tributes to debut my third SYOT. A big thank you to rising-balloons for Lily-Rose; goldie013 for Briar; SageMintAndOtherHerbs for Riley and Remus98 for Mallory. Hope you all enjoyed reading about them and I hope you don't think they're too out of character, I'm still a bit rusty at writing.

Also! I would like to shout out to the wonderful Ben, my-mental-mind for waiting for me and uploading at the same time! I appreciate it quite a bit. Go check out the latest BT chapter! (I know I will). He's being such a good sport because Ilia is legit on the final intros.

Also, Also! I listen to k-pop and this is dedicated to Seventeen and their new comeback. Give them a listen they're wonderful boys.

Cheers!
~Alec