A/N: Hey! Does anyone still follow this story? I'll still keep writing for it regardless. I'm just wondering if anyone is reading. If you're seeing this, please lemme know :D


Electra Node, 19

Escort for District 3

My eyes are transfixed on the holograph television screen. The sensation of brushes gliding across my face is distant. They're currently interviewing the twelve survivors of the District 5 and 8 competition. Overall, I'm happy with the twelve that made it out. I was hoping Patternia would survive, as she was one of my favorites, but what can you do?

"I honestly never thought I'd get this far," one of the tributes, Dawson, says. "But I'm glad. And I'm hoping I can continue this lucky streak all the way to victory."

Brigitta spends several minutes talking. Because of her peacekeeper father, she knows all about Panem's businesses and politics. She really has a way with words, and she knows how to play the crowd. She could seriously go far.

"Ma'am, the reaping begins in sixty seconds," a peacekeeper says, poking his head into the room.

I pull a small mirror out of my purse, taking a look at my stunning makeup. I adjust my wig and dab at my sparkly orange blush, then follow the peacekeeper out of the room.

"Welcome, District 3!" I shout, clapping my hands over my head. A few polite people cheer.

"I must say I expected better. Let's try that again. Are we ready?"

That gets more of the crowd excited. "That's great to hear. And it's also great that twenty-four of you are about to become tributes in the final Hunger Games. We'll do this in an alternating fashion, first a girl, then a boy, then a girl, and so on."

"Lo…"

"I volunteer as tribute!" A young but stocky career girl steps out of the crowd.

"Can you give us a name and age, please?" I ask.

The girl smiles. "I'm Cordaire Stevens. I'm 16."

I reap the first boy. "Mo…"

"I volunteer as tribute!" A muscled boy with curly dark hair walks to the stage.

"I'm Socket Alexial," he says. "And I'm a career. I'm 17."

"That's great!" I pick a girl. "Momenta Clarence!" A 15 year old girl, shaking, walks to the stage.

"Taure Sooks!" A 12 year boy starts crying within the crowd. The crowd clears, and two peacekeepers tug him along like a rag doll.

"Milly Lockwood!" A 13 year old girl steps forward, dazed.

"Huxley Grunge!" A tall, healthy 18 year old shuffles to the stage.

"Kaicee Mitchell!" Another 18 year old, tall and thin, towers over tiny Momenta, Taure, and Milly.

"Caden Yallenson!" A thin and malnourished 18 year old takes the fourth male slot.

A girl. "Tallie Chett!" The 14 year old moves slowly to the stage, begging to be saved. She whispers her age into my ear. "Tallie is 14, everyone!"

I draw a boy. "Oshea Taverns!" A muscular tribute, over six feet tall, climbs the steps, making the young tributes quiver. Even Cordaire and Socket, the careers, seem somewhat taken aback.

"I trained as a career for about five years," Oshea explains. "But then I dropped out. You could call me an ex-career."

I nod and draw a girl. "Laurisa Caver!" A forgettable 17 year old takes the stage, fidgeting anxiously.

"Bolt Reuben!" A 16 year old boy clumsily stumbles to the stage, clearly a ditz. The reaping is now halfway over.

"Fusae Soccorso!" A completely bald 16 year old girl sprints to the stage.

"I have a condition called alopecia," Fusae explains. "It makes me lose my hair. Don't worry, it isn't contagious."

"Verney Dorsin!" A 13 year old boy shuffles to the stage, giggling like a little kid.

"I volunteer as tribute!" someone shouts. A 16 year old boy guides Verney back into the crowd and then walks to the stage, tears in his eyes.

"Are you a career?" I ask the volunteer.

"No," he says. "I'm Coco Dorsin. That's my brother. He's severely disabled."

Silently, I draw the eighth girl. "Telata Landers!" A surprisingly stoic 13 year old steps forward.

"Cache Marksens!" An undernourished factory worker, age 14, struggles to move to the stage. He needs a loaf of bread.

"Prota Carys!" A 17 year old girl, thin but muscled, runs to the stage, shaking her head in denial.

"Pad Nemrose!" A tiny 12 year old dressed in rags has to be dragged to the stage by peacekeepers. He fights and screams but is unable to escape. Two other tributes, Laurisa and Cache, try to console him.

"Katya Audrin!" An 18 year old with curly blond hair and an unhealthy amount of red lipstick sprints to the stage. I notice she's wearing lots of other makeup as well. How she can afford all of that, I have no idea.

"Datum Gemsie!" A sobbing 13 year old boy runs to the stage with his face in his hands.

I pick the eleventh girl. "Mitzi Tanner!" A forgettable 16 year old steps out of the crowd.

"Silicon Blackmar!" The square falls silent as the impressively muscled, attractive 18 year old jogs to the stage. The careers and Oshea stare daggers at him.

"Juliya Bethe!" Juliya is a 15 year old with a yellow, sunken face and dirty skin. Even next to tributes like Datum and Mitzi, her appearance is pathetic.

"And finally, Spur Holwell!" A dazed 16 year old shuffles up the steps.

"That's all for now!" I shout, turning around and facing the tributes. "Congratulations to Cordaire, Socket, Momenta, Taure, Milly, Huxley, Kaicee, Caden, Tallie, Oshea, Laurisa, Bolt, Fusae, Coco, Telata, Cache, Prota, Pad, Katya, Datum, Mitzi, Silicon, Juliya, and Spurr!"

The crowd starts to disperse as I lead the tributes into the Justice Building. Which of these tributes will make it past the first stage?


Azolla Roselock, 27

Escort for District 9

"Welcome, District 9!" I shout. "Now, let's get down to business. We'll do this in an alternating fashion, first a girl, then a boy, then a girl, and so on!"

"Tu…"

"I volunteer as tribute!" A pretty 17 year old girl with a bright smile takes the stage.

"You sure seem happy!" I shout. "Can you give us a name and age?"

The girl takes the microphone. "I'm Maizie Nash. I'm 17."

I draw the first male name. "Ra…"

"I volunteer as tribute!" A broad-shouldered, muscular academy student steps forward.

"I'm Sorghum Bunker, and I'm 18 years old," he says.

"Aluma Barton!" A shuddering 16 year old stumbles to the stage, clutching her chest.

"Kenneth Spino!" A forgettable 14 year old boy, sweating, runs to the stage. Unless a career is pulling off an Electron-like gambit, I don't think we're getting any more careers from District 9.

"Abeline Carron!" A malnourished 13 year old drags her way to the stage.

"Basil Huchra!" A 15 year old boy, sobbing and shaking, shuffles up the steps.

I pick a girl. "Bryony Withers!" The first healthy tribute since Sorghum jogs to the stage, looking stoic.

A boy. "Olivo Trunks!" An average-looking 17 year old hesitantly runs forward.

"Teff Stellar!" The thin 15 year old girl looks dazed.

"Cabot Lampkin!" A small 13 year old, tiny from undernourishment, struggles to make his way to the stage.

"Desdemona Brooks!" A willowy girl, age 18, jogs to the stage.

"Othello Brooks!" A tall and muscular boy, also age 18, joins Desdemona on the stage.

"We're twins," Othello explains, pointing between himself and Desdemona.

I nod, drawing a girl. "Gwenith Lissen!" A thin 16 year old, whimpering, steps forward.

A boy. "Danton Robbins!" Danton reaches the stage and swallows hard, staring longingly back at the 16 year old section.

"Elodie Pike!" A 15 year old girl collapses within the crowd, screaming at the top of her lungs. Two peacekeepers pull her to the stage.

"Harvey Reynolds!" A 17 year old boy sprints to the stage, jaw set and lips formed into a solid line. He seems to be trying hard not to cry.

A girl. "Lena Munger!" The scrawny 14 year old girl clutches her chest, sobbing noiselessly.

A boy. "Florian Stone!" A 12 year old, surprisingly tall and fast for his age, runs to the stage.

Another girl. "Secala Wade!" Secala silently saunters out of the 17 year old section, staring at the ground.

And another boy. "Liose Coster!" A 16 year old hobbles to the stage, a crutch tucked under his right elbow. It takes me too long to realize his left arm is completely missing. "What happened?" I ask.

"There was an accident with a tractor," Liose says. "Six months ago." He shivers, and I don't ask him to explain more.

"Ida Gleaves!" A hyperventilating 16 year old moves slowly to the stage, crying for help.

"Oswald Downs!" A 13 year old with a completely yellow face and sunken features walks to the stage. That color can only come from morphling. I've never seen an addict outside of District 6 before.

"Demi Claren!" The final girl, a 16 year old with a freezing cold gaze, flips me off and grudgingly stands with the other tributes.

And the final tribute. "Ronan Stuart!" A 16 year old boy, pale with shock, sprints to the stage.

"Wow, District 9!" I cry out, spreading my arms. "There you have it. Congratulations to Maizie, Sorghum, Aluma, Kenneth, Abilene, Basil, Bryony, Olivo, Teff, Cabot, Desdemona, Othello, Gwenith, Danton, Elodie, Harvey, Lena, Florian, Secala, Liose, Ida, Oswald, Demi, and Ronan!"

I can't deny that I'm a little let down by this bunch. I look them over as they disappear into the Justice Building one by one, wondering which of them will make it past the first stage.