Marley Young, District 4, 17
The dummy fell with a sickening thud as Marley's axe finished its stroke. The trident and net were her favorite weapons, as were most of the people of District 4's, the ones with which she had been training with her whole life.
Here though, at the training facility, it wasn't uncommon to see the trident and net rack completely empty. Glory and honor the Games brought, and Marley a thousand percent agreed with this philosophy.
But, she knew her parents. Two wealthy fishermen they were, Mariana and Jeffery Young. That is, until her mother died two years ago. Her father hadn't been able to cope, but Marley knew deep down that her father loved her with all his heart.
Marley's net entangled itself around another dummy, just as a chirpy voice came from the entrance, "Marley? You in here? Been looking for you all day..." Marley took in an exasperated breath.
It was Nelson, Nelson Cho.
It was Nelson, Nelson Cho, the most annoying 14-year-old you could ever meet. While he understood her, after all he was raised by his single mother and had three other siblings, all too young to witness the horror of the games, Marley knew he didn't fully.
Nelson was naive, childish, sheltered. Marley prayed daily he would be reaped, just to get him off her back. Nelson's pitch-black hair shone under the luminescents, as he strode over to her, grinning. "You know, you should really practice your form, unorthodox." Marley rolled her eyes, Nelson was a bit of a get-into-your-face kind of guy, but he was right.
Marley was distracted, and she knew it. Nelson reached for her hand, but she pulled away. He had a crush on her, and it was well known. Marley...didn't reciprocate those feelings, no matter how often they saw each other, not necessarily by choice.
She glanced at the clock, 11:35. Nelson tugged at her hand, trying to get her to the door. Marley, for once, let herself get dragged along. She forgot all about the reaping, reality not setting in until the Peacekeeper took her blood and ordered her inside. Nelson wandered over to the Boys, 14 section, and Marley to the Girls, 17.
People were gossipping, probably shipping Marley and Nelson, talking about how they were dating, which was not true. The white-faced escort, Selena Santiago, with her ginger hair and striped face, pranced onto the stage.
Mayor's boring speech, and then Marley drifted back. "And the female tribute for District 4 is...MARLEY YOUNG!" Marley fainted, only hearing the escort's last words, "And the male tribute for District 4 is...NELSON CHO!" Her dream had come true.
But never in the way she imagined it.