4F: Monroe Saunders (15)

Pre-Reaping

"Hey, Monroe! Want to come to the beach with us?" One of my friends, Tida, asks. She's in her swimsuit, a luxury only some of us can afford, and a few other girls (including Serenity, my best friend) are gathered around.

"Sure," I respond. "Just let me get my stuff."

I run into my house, grabbing the small beach bag that hangs over the back of the chair. "Going to the beach, I see," my mom comments. "Be back before eleven, ten thirty if you want breakfast!" I nod, then rush to the closet that my brother, Evan, and I share. A beach towel and some clothes to change into afterwards are thrown into the bag, and then I grab my swimsuit and quickly change. Finally, some sunscreen and I'm good to go.

Outside, everyone's waiting. "Quick, Tida remarks. "Good for when you're in the arena. Plus, you can swim wicked fast, so all in all, it's not surprising that you're the female volunteer."

"Oh, Tida," Serenity sighs.

Tida puts her face in an expression of mock-hurt. "Did you just 'oh, Tida' me?" she asks. "Oh, I am mortally wounded by this...oh, I'm dying…" she clutches her chest and lets out a fake cough.

"You're good." She smiles at my praise.

We keep walking. My house is in the middle part of Four, so we still have about a mile to walk. Fortunately, Academy training means that we're stronger than a lot of other districts and it's no problem for us to get there quickly. We push past the gates. And—

It's a celebration, for me. A large green banner hangs from two poles, spelling out my name and 300th HG victor. There's cake, snacks, breakfast, everything. I gasp.

"What...is this actually real?" I ask.

Tida piles pancakes onto her plate. "I should hope so," she remarks.

"We reserved the beach to ourselves. Do you want the first slice of cake?" Serenity asks.

I nod. "Of course." We walk over to the table. The cake is quite large, vanilla cake with buttercream frosting dyed blue. The different shades of blue make for a marbled effect, and the words Good luck Monroe are artfully written on the cake. Serenity takes a plastic knife and cuts a reasonable sized slice of cake off. She slides it on a paper plate, and then continues to cut one for herself and then everyone else who wants cake. I grab a fork and take a bite.

"Where did you get this?" I ask. It had to be one of the more expensive bakers, as none of the poor-side bakers could sell something this good. It's fluffy and moist, delicious.

"There was a new bakery that opened a few days ago. We went yesterday and got the cake, and I'm glad to know it's as good as everyone else says it is." I nod in agreement. Serenity and I talk for a while in between bites of cake, mainly the Hunger Games, but of course we do. The reapings are today, and pretty much everything about life in District Four revolves around the Hunger Games, whether it's the Academy or the Capitol's new demand for salmon (because, surprise surprise, our female tribute from the Hunger Games loved it).

Finishing the last bite of cake, I put the fork and plate in the garbage bag that my friends brought along. Tida suggests that we all go swimming, which everyone agrees to. We run into the water and splash around before Serenity thinks of something we could do.

"We should ride the waves!" Everyone cheers, because wave riding is one of our favorite things to do. I grab the boards, and soon we're all ready.

"I see a big one coming up," I comment. "Three, two, one, let's go!"

We all jump in the wave, getting a lot of spray in our faces. It stings slightly, but it's so fun we have to do it again. About ten times again.

Serenity suggests Castle Wars after that, which is just as great. Basically, each group builds a castle, and the other team has to hurl sand and small shells at it to destroy it. It's not fun in the same way as wave riding, as the castles take a while to build, but it's great fun to throw shells at the other group's castle.

I'm elected leader of one team, and Tida of the other. We build our sandcastle carefully, as we have to win. Most of the castle is solid, but we've added details such as windows and balconies. There's even a few people outside the castle.

Once everyone's finished building, we spend a few minutes gathering shells before the wars can begin.

"Ready to lose?" Tida asks.

I smirk. "Not if we can help it." And then the wars begin.

You're not allowed to touch the castles after the wars begin, for obvious reasons. So, everyone is on offense, because nobody wants to be pelted with shells. Fortunately, I have relatively good aim and I'm able to hit the castle most of the time.

"Your castle collapsed! We win!" I shout once it collapses. Tida sighs and admits defeat. "Good game, though. I'm going to miss these." Hanging out on the beach with friends, playing castle wars and...everything about District Four.

"We've gotta go, the Reaping's soon," Serenity says. We nod and start to pack up. I offer to take the cake home, as I know Evan, my eleven year old brother, will love it.

"This was a great party," I say as we head out. "I'll miss you guys when I'm in the arena."

At home, my reaping dress has already been set out. It's blue-green in color, and my I purposefully did that to show District Four pride. I change and then I'm ready.

"Ready to go?" Evan asks. Our mom is just doing up the last button on his shirt.

I nod. "I'm ready."

4M: Drake Marquisse (15)

Pre-Reaping, Reaping

Azora slides her red counter across the board. "I win," she announces triumphantly.

"No, you don't," I say, pushing my red counter on the spot hers formerly occupied. "I win."

She frowns. "I don't think that's how it works...Alright, fine. You win."

At that second, my brother Cook walks up to us. "Having a good time?" he asks. He's just come back from the morning shift at my dad's shipwright factory. Usually, I would be there too, but I get the day off as I'm volunteering for the Hunger Games. My mother needs the money, desperately. I wasn't the chosen volunteer, but after a bit of convincing my dad was able to get me a guaranteed spot as volunteer. Speaking of my mom, she's still asleep, letting out a few feeble coughs.

"You bet," I answer. "I beat Azora for the second time this week." I smile while I say that last part, and my sister scowls. Azora is usually great at board games, but since mother's only getting worse and worse, it's hard not to blame her for worrying and being distracted.

"It's nearly time for the reaping. Have you eaten yet?" my dad asks, walking in. I shake my head; I can just eat on the train to the Capitol. "What do you want?"

I shrug. "I don't need anything, but if you insist that I eat I guess I'll just have toast."

"Seriously? You can have anything you want and you ask for toast?" Azora scoffs.

But my dad nods and puts three slices of bread in our toaster. I grab the butter and, once the food is finished, spread it on. My sister reluctantly grabs a slice and starts putting butter on it.

After I've finished eating, I get changed for the reaping. "I'll be at the academy," I say as I rush out the door.

I don't go to the academy, not really. There's a spot in Four, like a cliff but quite low, that I often like going to. It's quiet, and nobody really pays attention to it. I'm sure that at some point, my dad will check in with the academy and see that I haven't been going there as much as I say I do. I mean, of course I still go, but just not as often. And my dad gets worried about us when we're by ourselves. Mainly because one less person means less money put in our medicine fund, but that doesn't really change anything.

The cliff is a place where I can just think, a place where I don't have to worry. That's the main reason I love it, I think. And right now I do think. About the Games.

I wish my mother wasn't sick. We could just be a...a normal family. A lot of people at school say that normal is boring, but if their mother was dying I bet they'd feel differently. And I wouldn't have to volunteer, which I don't really want to do.

The waves are tall today. A few even reach near the bottoms of my shoes, but none reach me. A good thing that they don't. I couldn't go back wet.

I pick my feet up and start walking home. Azora and Cook have changed into their reaping clothes, and are ready to go. Our dad joins us about a minute later

"Should we bring her?" I ask my dad, referring to my mom. He shakes his head, reasoning that the Peacekeepers will probably understand how weak she is.

We silently wait in line to sign in. Once Cook (who was in front of me) leaves to the fifteen year olds' section, I step forwards. I stick my finger out and let them scan it. Finally, I can go.

"Welcome, District Four!" our escort says although according to logic, it's us that should be welcoming him. He reads out the Treaty of the Treason and plays a video, then it's time for the girls' reaping. "Before we begin, are there any volunteers?" he asks as he always does. In a district where nine out of ten times there's a volunteer, our escort has just gotten too lazy to pick out a slip.

Instantly, a girl from the fifteen year old section raises her hand and walks towards the stage. She has light brown, curly hair and blue eyes.

"Excellent! What's your name?" the escort asks.

"Monroe Saunders," the girl responds.

"Welcome, Monroe! Now, onto the boys: any volunteers?"

"I volunteer!" I say, walking towards the stage. Before he can ask me for my name, I tell him. "Drake Marquisse."

"Lovely!" Fortunately, our escort doesn't bother with questions. We shake hands. "Your tributes from District Four!"

4F: Monroe Saunders (15)

Post-Reaping

My family are the first people to see me. Evan pulls me into a hug and I smile. "Be careful out there, Monroe. You can win."

"I will," I respond. "I've been training for so long. I'll hopefully be soon before you know it."

"You can do it, Monroe. We know it," my mom says. I tell them everything they need to do now that I'm in the Games—or going to them, anyways. About the cake, and how to continue enlisting Evan in the academy. After that, we just sit there quietly until they have to go.

"I love you!" I shout as the Peacekeepers escort them out.

"Love you too!" Evan shouts.

Serenity and Tida are next. "Good luck. Remember, you can swim. And you know about plants, which most of your allies won't," Tida says.

"Just know that we'll be cheering for you every step of the way."

They give me words of encouragement until they, too, have to leave. I'll miss them.

But I can't think about them right now. After all, I need to win the Hunger Games.

4M: Drake Marquisse (15)

Post-Reaping

My family are naturally the first people in, and the only. "Here," Azora offers, holding out a polished rock. "A token."

"Thanks."

She smiles. "I suppose the next time you see us will be when we get the medicine for Mom. Don't let us down."

"I'm not planning on dying, Azora."

"You can win, Drake. We know you can," Cook adds.

"Just don't forget to watch your back," my dad adds.

I nod. "Thanks, guys."

Once they leave, I'm left all alone.

We are shown to a taxicab once we exit, where reporters swarm. I try to ignore them, focusing on other things. Soon, the train station comes into view and we board one of the trains that are taking twenty-three children to their certain deaths.

Wow, I was not expecting this to finish this quickly! I still need those last two submissions, so please submit! Guests can submit now.

1. Who's your favorite Career?

2. Favorite Career of the opposite gender? (my favorite is Lazuli, so my favorite male character)

3. Where is Monroe's beach bag usually located?

4. What color was the counter mentioned in the game Drake and Azora were playing?

Remember to review!

~Dragon