Hi, I'm back again! Thank you all so much for your incredible support. :)
Yes, I can already tell that you've scrolled to the bottom to see if your character was accepted or not. Nonetheless, please make sure to read this chapter, and give your thoughts on it too! I would really appreciate that :)
A couple of reviewers mentioned Chekhov's gun, and I had to research it! I think you'll have to wait on the verdict for whether or not this glass button will be cropping up again...
Thank you to Metallic Shadow10, Annabeth-The-Tribute-That-Lived, writer12122121, xQueen-Of-Applesx, 20, Alec, MidnightRaven323, Sophia, EverlastingImpression, TWGnome, Remus 98, Sarah, Cloe, Littletimmy223, sock-feet-and-stirring-sand, Tom, and KittyMae98 for reviewing me!
I made a tiny reference to Life Is Strange, has anyone played/watched it? ;D
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games in any way, shape, or form. I only own the arena I have created.
I don't own the Life Is Strange reference either.
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." ~Robert Frost
Ameera Fawkes, Forty-five, Capitol Citizen
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I slowly come to, thin covers rubbing gently against my legs, and my body sinking gently into the squashy mattress beneath me. My awakening is slow, like the ascension of an escalator. The sound of my breathing comes first, followed by the twitch of my hand. I open my eyes to see a blurry world, courtesy of my sleep-induced haziness. It's a mesh of colours before I rub my eyes, ridding them of the sleep-dust that's nestled there. A loud flapping sound grabs my attention.
The blinds to my left are clashing together, flapping wildly in the cold draft that flies in through the open window. The icy breeze tickles my neck, and I adjust my hospital gown to escape its cool touch.
My room is dark, filled with living shadows that move like flickering flames in eternal fire. I feel like I'm trapped in some kind of void, floating in space, never to escape from the suffocating darkness. I'm flying in drug-induced limbo, forever lost in a maze of ever-changing walls and dead ends.
All the while, in the back of my head, the beeping drones on like a persistent snore.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I'm alone. I'm lost in myself. And somehow, nobody has managed to pull me from this madness. I'm trapped, both in my head, my heart and in this room. It would be fine they said you'll get better in no time. I would have thought that a few weeks in here would be good enough, but apparently, the doctors are still diagnosing my illness. It's been about a year since I was admitted to this ward, and I'm still here, my illness eating away at me ever so slowly.
Nobody knows what it is.
There are days when I wonder if they'll ever find out.
All I did was drink a bottle of wine. I would have thought they'd have gotten to the bottom of this mess by now, but nothing has changed. I feel useless, lying here. I should be back at home, tending to Kile and helping him go to school every day. I should be writing letters to Luca and asking him if he's alright. But still, the doctors see it fit to confine me to this box, this cell of a room, where I must lay here for hours on end. I hate how I'm too weak to walk. I hate how I'm not independent anymore. I hate not being able to do my own thing. At this time of day, I would be cooking dinner, watching the spiralling tendrils of steam rise slowly from the saucepan. I would be lounging on our sofa, settling down to late-night television with a cup of iced tea in my hand and a remote in the other. I would be kissing Kile's head goodnight, despite his groan of Mom! Stop!
Beep. Beep. Beep.
My children…so young, yet so smart and accomplished. Kile just came the top of his year in all of his subjects, and Luca is a Head Gamemaker at only twenty-five. Any Mother would be proud, and I am no exception. But I'm a different Mother. I'm not like the others, who strive for their children to be the best by forcing them to do things. All I ever want from my children is their love and their hard work. All I've ever told them is to be proud of who they are and to stand up for what they believe in. And be honest. Who gives a damn, as long as you're honest? Half the Capitol are complete liars, giggling about fashion and gossiping over which victor could secretly be sleeping with who, when really, none of it is true. It's just consumerism here. We're all fake, hiding behind our masks of make-up and whatnot, screeching about the new nails we got last week, or amazing haircut that the hairdressers have given us.
We're a shallow race, thirsty for the blood on screen, and hungry for satisfaction. And I'm a part of that. Yes, I gossip. Yes, I indulge in fashion. Yes, I love the Hunger Games. But sometimes I can't help but feel as if I look like a complete airhead. I probably do.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Through all of the blood tests and scans, the only thing my mind can focus on is Luca. He's come so far in so little time, but I worry if he's taking care of himself. When working around the President, you can't mess up. I've warned him several times about his arrogant mask. Luca's a clever lad, but he plays dangerous games. He may have won the first one by winning the President over, but the next game he plays is even harder than the one before. I've barely seen him since he started his job, but his letters have told me enough.
My life is on the line.
So is Kile's.
If he makes one wrong move, then we're both dead.
It shocked me that the President could be so harsh, but I have been sworn into secrecy, and I've not said a word of it to another soul. Luca is worried for us, but there's not much he can do about it. He must work hard, otherwise, he will be punished. We will be punished.
Ever since my husband walked out on us, Luca has worked like a dog to keep us afloat. Now he's a Head Gamemaker, his salary is large enough to support our family, with excess. It's a dangerous job, but it pays off. I just hope he keeps himself safe…I'm getting older with every passing day, and he needs to be there for Kile in case I die. I'm not in good condition, and I feel that my time is limited. It's a good thing that Luca has his life plans sorted out. It's unfair how our family can never be a normal one, but I suppose that the income is needed. I would happily make the sacrifice of my safety for the reassurance that Kile and Luca have enough money to support themselves.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I hear a small squeak and a soft creak, as someone turns the handle and opens the door to my room. Soft, cautious footsteps approach my bedside. I turn my head.
It's Luca.
"Hey, honey." I breathe excitedly, reaching for his hand.
He grabs my hand and squeezes it gently, and my heart soars. It's so strange to see him in person, but this is one of our rare, precious meetings. It will be weeks before I can see him again.
"How was it today?" he asks, his voice wrapped in his worry.
"They only did a scan and two tests today…" I mutter.
Luca smiles warmly.
"That's good news," he says. "They must be close to diagnosing your illness."
I hum in agreement, still a little drowsy.
"I brought someone with me," Luca says, his golden eyes mirroring the smile on his face. "He's very excited to see you."
Luca gestures to the window.
The door opens again, and new shoes squeak against the marble floor.
"Uh-oh," I chuckle. "Who's this?"
"Hey, Mom." Kile gives me a shy smile, his green eyes bright and his blond hair a little ruffled by the cold draft. He's so different from his usual happy-go-lucky self. The past year has truly changed him, and while he can have a laugh, there's always an undertone there. He's just as scared as I am.
"Hey, darling, how was school today?" I ask.
He sits on my bed with me, playing with my blonde curls. They used to be golden, but the dye has long faded, leaving long, limp waves tossed carelessly over my shoulder. I used to be radiant, complete with manicures and pedicures, but now I'm a mere shadow, left to hide away in this room.
"It was boring," Kile sighs, drawing it out to emphasise the hell that is school. I smile at that, pulling him and Luca in for a hug.
"I love you…" I whisper, grateful for their mere presence.
The fact that they visit me speaks volumes. They love me, and I love them. And they know that.
"We love you too, Mom," Luca reassures me. "We always will. Maybe when you get better, Kile will bring his girlfriend around for some tea."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Kile announces indignantly, blushing heavily. "W-we're just friends, okay?"
I giggle as Luca answers him.
"Yeah?" Luca questions playfully. "I bet you held her hand! Did you give her a kiss?"
"H-hey! Not true!"
"I bet it is!"
"It's not!"
"Mhm, yeah, right."
I zone out of their playful arguing, a smile on my face and the cool wind in my hair. Even when times are bad, these two are still there to pull me through. I may be trapped in this void of darkness, but they are the ones who light the way.
Even in this dark room, they will save me from my nightmares.
And for that, I will be forever grateful.
With those final thoughts, I fall asleep once more, comforted by my children's presence, and the sound of the machines next to me.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Can I just say that all of the submissions I received were easily the best bunch of submissions I've ever had? I loved every single one of them. It's been a hard, long process to decide who to choose for the tributes this year. Thank you to everyone's great efforts to send in your creations!
I've moved some tributes into different Districts, so make sure to look through all of the names to check if yours is there. I changed one or two ages as well; I needed a little bit more diversity, so sorry about that! To those who got in, congrats, and for those who didn't, I'm sorry. All of my submissions were amazing, but I only have room for twenty-four.
If you want to hang around and read/review/follow, that's great! If not, I will wish you the best of luck, and I hope to see you again in the future :D
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the tributes of Picking Up The Pieces! (Please read the chapter after this, I'd really appreciate it!)
District One
Female: Adira Linett (18) by LokiThisIsMadness
Male: Austin Ogara (18) by SomeDays
District Two
Female: Vanity Genot (17) by Jms2
Male: Landon Caruso (18) by Jalen Kun
District Three
Female: Naydene Carmello (16) by Tom139
Male: Parker Lidell (17) by NateDaMartian
District Four
Female: Aisha Cain (18) by Technicoloured Raincoat
Male: Orion Trent (18) by Elim9
District Five
Female: Isabella "Izzy" Moire (16) by BamItsTyler
Male: Shion Qing (17) by symphorophilia
District Six
Female: Leigha Tullson (18) by jakey121
Male: Geoni Proctor (13) by Nrrd-Grrl-Meg
District Seven
Female: Nova Lupin (16) by cloudy5
Male: Ashton Metz (16) by writer12122121
District Eight
Female: Cassia Foster (15) by KittyMae98
Male: Shura Blackburn (16) by FoalyWinsForever
District Nine
Female: Aline Liu (12) by 4 M4D TE4 P4RTY
Male: Barric Roland (16) by Metallic Shadow10
District Ten
Female: Lenore Van Duren (15) by MidnightRaven323
Male: Dathan Corvair (17) by Remus98
District Eleven
Female: Morgana Murray (15) by xxbookwormmockingjayxx
Male: Cleveland "Cleve" Garfield (13) by 20
District Twelve
Female: Filla Amirylis (15) by littletimmy223
Male: Lewis Coltsfoot (15) by Alecxias
A message to those who were accepted:
The more you engage with a story, the more it will engage with you. I expect readers to follow this story, to review it or comment on it, to be taken on a journey with my writing. Life gets in the way obviously, but it is polite to keep tabs on it. Aside from the character itself, discussions, reviews and polls play a part in helping me to determine how far tributes will go, so your engagement helps your tribute.
Blog link (also on my profile, take out the spaces): picking up the pieces 81 hg . blogspot . com
Only the strengths, weaknesses, and weapon of choice are up. As for scores, predictions and all the rest, that will come later. I'll alert you of that when it comes around. :D
Ew, blog reviews. I get it, they're not always fun, but I did work hard making it, so if you have any opinions do let me know~
Just drop me a chart! Feel free to be honest and critical of the tributes, but don't get trashy. That would be great! Thanks again :D
Over and out!
~Mental