Chapter 8: I rather be a fighter than a lover

Diana Lane, 18, District 2 female, day before the reaping

I used to hold my freak back

Now I'm letting go

I make my own choice

Bitch, I run this show

~~ Confident by Demi Lovato

There wasn't a single soul in District 2 that loved animals more than Diana Lane did.

Everybody knew about the girl with eleven cats who spent her free time working at the district's vet. Since she was also a successful trainee in the academy, people gave her the nickname "the beast". Personally, she didn't understand why because Diana was probably the gentlest and kindest person in District 2. Just because the citizen of 2 saw animals as monsters, not as the beautiful creatures they were.

Diana picked Cupid, the youngest of her cats, up and lifted him into the bathtub. The other cats always fought against it, but in the end they were cleaner than before. Diana gently massaged the fur care into the wet fur of the cat and calmly summed in front of her. Her mother had told her that tomorrow all cats would have to be flashy, otherwise her parents would not take her to the city hall to say goodbye. Diana was chosen as a designed trainée because her skills were good enough to take part in the Hunger Games. Tomorrow at the Reaping, she would volunteer and then drive to the Capitol. Most volunteered to bring fame and glory to their families, but Diana did not do so for that reason. Since she was little, she wanted to do something different with the profit. Cupid quietly addressed her. He enjoyed his bath. Diana sighed. If only all cats were so easy to wash. She screwed on the shower head and carefully let lukewarm water run over the cat.

Diana took a towel and rubbed the cat dry. "You're ready! Don't go outside anymore, do you understand me?" she said to Cupid. Diana hoped her mother had closed the backdoor, otherwise her work would have been for nothing. The cat jumped out of her arms and disappeared around the next corner. Only ten others, then she could visit Tiara, her boss at the shelter, and say goodbye to her.

"Do you need help, darling?" her mother asked as she entered the bathroom. Unlike Diana's father, her mother had been enthusiastic about the cats from the beginning. Unable to afford to have a pet in her childhood, she supported her daughter with the animals without even complaining about the dirt. Diana got up with shaky knees.

"I know it was supposed to be my exercise, but could you wash the other cats? The vet is closing in twenty minutes and I wanted to say goodbye to Tiara," she explained. Diana dried her wet hands on the towel. Her mother waved a smile. "Go, I'm sure Tiara will be happy that you said goodbye," she told her daughter and lifted Medusa up. "And you're next in the tub."

Diana jogged through the cool dusk. The district had officially stopped being productive hours ago. It was quiet and she only saw a few people in a hurry to come home. The streetlights had been approached and shrouded the sidewalk in warm light. Behind the district's main village, the Capitol's military base, the Nut, towered into the sky. There was something magical about the district that Diana very much enjoyed. After ten minutes, she reached the vet. Inside, light was still burning, but the sign was turned on "Closed". She knocked on the glass door and looked inside. Pluto, Tiara's dog, came barking around the corner. When he discovered Diana, he lay down and looked at her with anticipation. A woman in her forties came to light. She opened the door and let Diana in. With her arms outstretched, she hugs Diana. "I'm very happy that you came by, Di," Tiara whispered. The woman sounded sad. She would lose her best help to the Games if Diana failed to win.

"You know I would never get on the train without saying goodbye," Diana said, smiling. Tiara stroked her hand maternal through thick Diana's curly hair. "The animals and I will miss you very much. I hope with all my heart that you win. The district really needs a new nursing center," Tiara said, moving Diana into a narrow hallway.

"Where are we going? The animals are in a different tract," Diana asked. She didn't like tight spaces. An oppressive feeling spread in her custom. But Tiara did not stop but moved her to a room where Diana had never been before. She was supposed to be everywhere, but Tiara pulled a big keychain out of her jeans. The keys clenched as she opened the door. Diana's curiosity was aroused. What was in the room?

The door jumped open. "You first," Tiara demanded with a mischievous smile. Diana stepped into the dark room and groped the wall for a light switch. When she found it, the light went on and a room full of clothes was revealed. "That's unbelievable here! Does it all belong to you?" said Diana, her mouth folded down to her chin. Some dresses were embroidered with sequins, high shoes were under the full clothes racks. It sparkled and sparkled like a starry sky.

"Your mother has told me that you have not yet chosen a token. I thought you might find something here that you like," Tiara said. "No matter what?" asked Diana, overwhelmed.

"No matter, the main thing you like," she assured her, pointing to a dusty watch with a hand gesture. "I'll pick you up in an hour. Have fun!"

After half an hour, Diana had taken a half-time overview. She had scrambled through a dusty shoe collection, found some hats with large bows and horrible patterns, and discovered ancient gloves that date back to the days before the dark days. She liked most of the parts, but none was suitable as a token. She sighed quietly. She hadn't even looked at the evening gowns, but a small box had caught her eye. Carefully, she pulled them off the shelf. The lid was totally dusty, the package tape with which it was closed was totally loose. She was pumping over the box and the dust swirled into the air. "Let's see what's in it," she whispered, not trusting her eyes when she saw what was in it. Laughing, Diana pulled a brightly colored pair of socks out of the box. They were embroidered with an absolutely horrible pattern of sunflowers, cat heads and cherries. The socks were so extraordinary that they really only liked Diana. Her parents always wondered what she was wearing with a ruffled forehead. Diana's style could be described as extraordinary. She liked to portray herself in her own way, whether it was through her clothes or drawings, it didn't matter. Diana stood out and she was already thrown at some skewed glances. She didn't care because she just showed people who she was. She was not a monster like in people's minds, no, she was a creature of herself. Not everyone understood or got along with it, but Diana knew who the real monster was.

Rolan Joralemon, 17, District 6 male, four months before the reaping

But mama I'm in love with a criminal

And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical

Mama please don't cry, I will be alright

All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy

~~ Criminal by Britney Spears

Although it was April, you could only feel a biting morning cold that drove into your bones and suddenly disappeared after a few hours. Rolan let his hands slide into his pockets. His breath formed white clouds. There was little going on on the streets. Most factory workers were already in the factories, the shops on the market only opened in an hour. The only noise he noticed was the quiet buzzing from the vehicles of the peacekeepers. When Rolan bent around the next corner, he almost ran into one.

Apologetically, he raised his hands to signal that he was not armed or possessed drugs to sell. The peacekeeper nodded briefly and continued his march toward the prison. A vehicle slammed past on the street; the windows covered with black foil that no one could see in. Probably a small coup had been made in the drug scene again and the prisoners were taken to the small judicial building for their hearing. Violence, drug possession and beatings were commonplace in District 6. There was not one person here who did not know anyone who was in. Rolan ignored the peacekeepers, who now came by in droves and cast him skewed glances. To be outside the time seemed suspicious and Rolan increased his pace because he didn't want to spend the night in a disgusting cell. The traders were already making their way to the marketplace. If he had a bit more money in his pockets, he would buy his mother a new roll of yarn. Criton waved to him from the other side. He had put his black hair back with a lot of gel, which honestly looked a bit shitty, and thick leather boots on.

"Hey, bro, what's going on?" Criton asked him. Rolan found this way of speaking childish and immature, but he didn't want to say anything. "So far quite good. I haven't seen you for a while, where were you?" said Rolan, suggesting that the answer was prison. Criton fiddled in the air until he decided to answer.

"You know these new cool high-speed trains, don't you? I thought, let's finally get out of this dirt hole of District 6 and sneak in into the luggage. The peacekeepers discovered me in District 5 and put me in jail for two months until they found a train back here. They said that I should be happy not to have been shot right away. Well, now I'm back," he said.

"You know you can be really happy not to be dead. Don't try to downplay it like that," Rolan said, driving through his hair in horror. Criton pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lit it. "Would you want one too? Are the best of the legal variety," Criton said, blowing a nittotine cloud toward the sky. Rolan shook his head. He had his Bad Boy-Imagine, but he didn't want to become a smoker. What swirled around his mind much more was the fact that Criton had managed to escape from the district. He could also do so without training with the peacekeepers. They were on the trains that were allowed to travel between the districts, along with the train drivers and attendants. The train driver and attendant weren't jobs for him and he did not want to become a peacekeeper, because he would eventually arrest an acquaintance who ordered his criminal friends to kill him on the way home after a shift. Rolan could do without it. Because he was a real pessimist, it could also be possible that one of the thugs was his little brother Lathan, who would do anything for a bit more pocket money.

"How did you manage to get on the train? The station is guarded and peacekeepers are running around everywhere," Rolan asked, with a pre-existing disinterest, so that Criton did not understand that he was really considering escaping from the district. Criton's hands trembled from the many cigarettes he had already smoked when he answered.

"Have sneaked in during the shift change. One half of the peacekeepers have left. The other one has been a little more than that, if you know what I mean," he revealed with a wink that made Rolan's stomach contents come up.

Of course, Rolan knew what Criton meant when he put it so beautifully. Prostitution was one of the district's other major problems. But even the peacekeepers made use of it was disgusting. They had been sent here to make this a rarity. Well, it works very well.

Rolan found that love, whether sexual or not, came not from money, but from devotion to the other person. He himself lived only for it and found that prostitution lowered love to a level that any idiot could achieve. When it was true love, Rolan knew that at first sight. Most of the time, his love came along, which took a beginning of the emotional frenzy with an even faster end. The first stage, as Rolan called it, was about the external. Call it superficial because that was it. But then came the second stage, which focused on the soul and character of the person. When the third stage was reached, Rolan had practically discovered a new passion for the person. He did a lot for these people until he realized that he was only being exploited and stopped. Lathan joked that Rolan changed his partners, male and female, more often than his underwear.

"Make room for the prisoner convoy! Let's get through!" the Head Peacekeeper suddenly roared, once shooting the weapon into the air. Criton swearing at his cigarette and dragged Rolan into the door of the local bakery. Several stalls were quickly dismantled so that the four vehicles could drive directly in front of the city hall. As if on command, peacekeepers opened the vehicles and pulled at least twenty convicted criminals out of the weigh-ins. Mostly it was older men with collapsed skin, but Rolan was also able to identify younger men, at his age. The last person dragged out of the car gained his attention.

A girl, who could not be older than him, was led into the square in handcuffs. She had thick reddish-brown hair and was tall. She stood out from the crowd of old men with a proud attitude and looked at everyone who looked at her in a challenging way. Rolan's heart made a small sentence. She was beautiful and dangerous, otherwise she would hardly be the only one in handcuffs. Rolan could well imagine what they would look like as a couple. How she ruled his district as a couple, and everyone before them retreated. He couldn't take his gaze off her, even when she stared in badly. When their eyes met, Rolan was almost overturned by the hatred in her eyes. The sensuality of her lips, however, ensured that he stopped. It would certainly be the dominant in a relationship. The girl shook her head and her hair fell in her face.

"You know, Criton, I don't think I'm going to sneak on a train anytime soon. District 6 needs his favorite bad boy for a while," he said to his friend, who lit a new cigarette shrugging his shoulder.

Wow, I wrote that in less than two days! First, I had literally no idea, how to portrait them, but when I started writing them the ideas came. We met Diana and Rolan and saw the female tribute from District 6 as well. Finally, I can post the completed tribute list. The next chapters may be shorter since school is starting in two weeks again and I really need to focus on that, but I promise I will try my best to continue updating every second week with four pages for two tributes. The Capitol chapters will be much longer. Love, Athena

Tributes for the 54th Hunger Games

District 1 male: Wayne Thompson, 17 by wiifan2002

District 1 female: Lucretia Aurum, 18 by RakTurtle

District 2 male: Nolan Rhodes, 18 by wiifan2002

District 2 female: Diana Lane, 18 by ladyqueerfoot

District 3 male: Hal Prescott, 16 by ladyqueerfoot

District 3 female: Dimona Summa, 18 by 20

District 4 male: Fen Orta, 16 by dirtwolf

District 4 female: Shasta Vengari, 18 by dirtwolf

District 5 male: Solomon Canterra, 14 by Marie464

District 5 female: Alisha Crowney, 17 by cartierscrown

District 6 male: Rolan Joralemon, 17 by BradiLain

District 6 female: Brea Greensdale, 17 by Marie464

District 7 male: Paul Barrows, 18 by LadyCordeliaStuart

District 7 female: Ivy Barker, 16 by Pacecca

District 8 male: Aramed Cretonne, 13 by Joseph-District10

District 8 female: Anya Hanzar, 13 by MoonlightSalsa

District 9 male: Ceren Dolan, 14 by TheRaichuinRavenclaw

District 9 female: Amber Henthrow, 14 by theRaichuinRavenclaw

District 10 male: Jeddison Ranger, 18 by Joseph-District10

District 10 female: Horizon Havenfirth, 16 by Phoenixure

District 11 male: Qantuta Hutchinson, 14 by Phoenixure

District 11 female: Ama Carter, 17 by Axe Smelling God

District 12 male: Conan Bruce, 18 by Sparky She-Damon

District 12 female: Misty Boulevard, 18 by sherazede96