Back again with another tribute! Shoutout to UltimateMaxmericaShipper and Guest for correctly answering the trivia, and Queen of Colours for submitting Truen!

Truen Meneghini: District 10

Submitted by Queen of Colours

I don't want to be here.

The thought played over and over in Truen's mind. There was absolutely nothing worse to him than being in the games.

Ever since his name was called, the fear pulsating through him had only gotten stronger. It was all he could do to attempt to ignore it and focus on other things. His district partner, for example.

Ardelia Soon was a tiny girl, probably about twelve. Her dark brown hair flowed past her shoulders, and her hazel eyes darted nervously around the room.

Truen noticed her hands were shaking. The poor girl was probably more scared than he was.

He decided to attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, what do you say we look at the recaps?"

Ardelia jumped, as if she had forgotten her district partner was present. "Oh, uh, s-sure."

Truen felt bad for her, but didn't say anything else. All she needed was a distraction. He grabbed the remote laying next to him, and pushed a button. The empty wall across from the seats flickered to life, revealing a man with blue skin and white hair sitting on a couch.

"Capitol fashion is so ridiculous," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. Ardelia on the other hand was paying close attention to what the man was saying. Truen tuned in in time to hear the Capitolite speak.

"And now lets switch over to District One to see the first tributes!"

The scene changed to a crowded square covered in decorations. A man that looked like a purple toothpick was drawing a name from the boys' bowl.

"Adil Hambleton!" It wasn't until the reaped boy had made it to the stage that a skinny blonde boy volunteered.

"Aurel Sayer," he said clearly into the microphone.

"He doesn't really look like a career," commented Ardelia quietly.

"Only mutants can volunteer," Truen reminded her. "Most likely the boy who planned to wasn't allowed."

The escort didn't even get the chance to read the next name before a small girl ran up to the stage, grinning. "Azalea Belevue here, volunteering as tribute!"

Truen could hardly believe it. Volunteers were rarely so young. He was beginning to get optimistic about his chances against the career pack.

Don't get your hopes up just yet, he warned himself. That's only one district.

District Two's volunteers were a confident girl who proudly showed off the flame in her palm, and a tall boy who flashed a charming smile at the cameras.

When the girl from District Three's name was called, there were a few screams in the crowd, but order remained. The boy, however, didn't stay on the stage for long before a volunteer took his place.

"That's odd," murmured Ardelia, voicing Truen's thoughts. Three rarely got volunteers.

The screen switched over to District Four.

"Fret Zacharia!" called the escort. A brief scuffle broke out somewhere in the throng before a voice called out, "I volunteer!"

"Danan Zacharia," the boy said shakily.

He volunteered for his brother, Truen realized. He wondered if the boy would join the careers.

"I'm Antheia Ruskin," said the girl volunteer, "Your next victor."

The two tributes were about to shake hands when an official studying a hologram spoke up.

"She can't; she's not a mutant!"

A murmur rose up from the crowd, but Antheia objected. "Y-yes I am!"

"Alright then, 'Theia, lets see your powers!" someone in the front row laughed.

"I... Uh..." The girl looked looked distraught.

"Take her away," ordered the escort with a disgusted look on her face.

"I'll volunteer, then," someone from the crowd announced.

"What's your name?" The Capitol woman questioned wearily.

"Ophelia Shea."

The official fiddled with his hologram, probably looking at the new volunteer's files, before nodding. "Come to the stage, Ophelia."

Truen almost felt bad for the other volunteer whose dreams were dashed, but then he remembered that her dreams involved killing children. He would never understand careers.

District Five's tributes were a shocked boy and a girl that barely looked human. She was scrawny and her arms had some sort of blade attached to them. Her teeth were sharp and fang-like, and her nails looked more like claws. Truen noticed Ardelia averting her gaze. He didn't blame her.

In District Six, someone else volunteered. Truen was growing concerned at the amount of possible careers. Seeing the girl who spoke up didn't help his nerves. She looked eager, too eager. She had a creepy grin fixed on her face that revealed long, pointed fangs. Her expression stayed the same as she shook the reaped boy's hand. Truen could tell he was trying to act calm, but was quite intimidated.

Truen stared in disbelief as the girl from District Seven was replaced by yet another volunteer. She looked mildly frightened, yet determined as she grasped her shocked district partner's hand and shook.

"Are you kidding?" He finally burst out when a boy in District Eight volunteered. He turned to Ardelia for support, but found her attention on the female.

"Odd," she murmured. "She looked scared a moment ago."

The girl reaped was indeed looking quite confident, a smirk planted on her face as she gazed into the crowd.

After one more volunteer, the girl from District Nine, it was time for Truen's district.

He was impressed at how calm he had looked on the outside, for he knew exactly what he was thinking on the inside. A whole lot of not-so-pleasant words he wouldn't want to say in front of Ardelia. He was once again overwhelmed with sympathy for the girl as he watched for the second time her face crumple into tears as her name was called.

District Eleven reaped another crying young girl, and a very angry-looking boy. Truen noticed a glow in Kelvin Corrine's hands, and figured that was his mutation.

In District Twelve, another volunteer brought a bit of confusion to the officials, and to Truen.

Why? Why? All he could do was shake his head. The boy reaped was sweating visibly, and looked like he was about to scream. Before Truen could find out if he would, however, the screen had switched back to the Capitol host.

"Well, that concludes the reaping, and how exciting was that! Let's-"

Truen had turned off the broadcast before the man could finish his sentence.

"Twelve," Ardelia whispered, staring at the blank wall.

"Hm?"

"Twelve volunteers. Half the tributes."

"Oh." Truen hadn't realized there were that many.

Half the tributes. Oh, jeez.

This will be harder than I thought.

Twelve volunteers! Crazy, right? Anyway, I'd love it if you reviewed, so what are your thoughts on Truen, Ardelia, and the other mentioned tributes? Oh, and I just recently posted a story to FictionPress, so it would be awesome if you checked that out. There's a link on my profile. Love you all! Bye!