Stephanie Fox
My mother has always told me that I am too much of a hopeless romantic for my own good. She tells me that I need to stop chasing after boys, and then I would stop getting my heart broken.
My boyfriend broke up with me two days ago for no apparent reason. He pretty much used me, and then dumped me the next day. Ever since then I've been depressed, and I can't believe how trusting I was of him.
My mother keeps telling me that I am young, and that it doesn't matter. It does matter though. I'm feeling broken and I can't change that feeling, so it must matter.
"Stephanie!"
"Huh?" I look over to see my mother pulling a giant cake from the oven. I know that's my cue to run over and grab the other side before it drops to the floor.
"You need to stop daydreaming. There's a lot of work to be done, and a lot of cakes to be made."
My mother and I run this bakery inside District 6. Since we are both women we are unable to work in the factories. Luckily my mom has an amazing talent with food, and she has been teaching me since I was able to walk.
This bakery is our only source of income, but it serves us pretty well. My father left behind a bit of money when he died, and that's what we used to invest into this shop.
"I'm going to take lunch Steph," she says as we set the cake down to cool. There's another cake in the oven, it'll probably be ready before I get back. Please do not let it burn, since your head doesn't seem to be with you right now."
"Yes Mom."
My mother has been criticizing me a lot lately. I guess it's because of the way I've been acting, but I really don't appreciate it. I'm perfectly able to run this shop when she's not here.
Fifteen minutes after my mother leaves, the shop is still silent. The cake is still cooking in the oven, and no customers have decided to walk in. That is until I see a girl who is around my age with long brown hair that is pulled back in a low-ponytail.
It's Lilia, my once best friend, who has completely shunned me. I mean I guess it had been partly my fault for blowing her off while I was with my boyfriend, but I have apologized on multiple occasions and received zero positive response.
She walks up to the counter with formality, never making eye contact with me.
"Hi Lily."
"Hello."
She glances at the cookies behind the glass, and ignores me.
"Do you need any help?" I ask politely.
"No."
The oven beeps, and I go to grab the cake. It's small and round but I under-estimate the heaviness, and it tilts towards me slipping part way off the dish. A giant chunk breaks off and falls to the floor before I can even think of trying to grab it. My mother is not going to be happy.
Lily sees my struggle and gives me a weird look.
"Um, can I have two chocolate chip cookies please?"
"Sure," I grabbed them from underneath the counter and place them in a small box. I decide to try conversation again.
"Who are you buying these for?"
"Stephanie," she finally acknowledges my identity, "just stop."
"I'm sorry Lily," I say.
She shakes her head. "These cookies are for my sisters. You know it is Reaping Day after all."
Shoot. I had almost forgotten.
"I forgive you Stephanie because if I'm reaped today I will leave you on bad terms, and the thought makes me feel awful. However, don't think that means we're friends again because we aren't." She then leaves out the door without another word.
Bex Redwood
"Jasten, Jasten, Jasten!"
I keep repeating his name over and over again in a futile attempt to calm my brother down. He is kicking and flailing around. I know he will strike me if I let go of his arms without a second thought.
There are moments of clarity with Jasten, but they are far and few. The doctor has deemed him "mentally unstable", but to me it's like my brother is dead and has been replaced by this lunatic.
I do not wish to deal with the shell of my brother. My family calls me uncaring, and my mother wishes for me to be more like my sister Nique who is only ten-years-old and cannot comprehend Jasten's condition. He has not freaked out on her. Sometimes when he goes into his 'attack mode' I fear he'll try to kill me. There have been many times when he's latched his tiny thirteen-year-old hands around my neck.
He suddenly stops his assault on me when he catches sight of my necklace. He reaches his hand out like a child and grasps it in his hands and begins pulling at it.
"Jasten don't." My voice is stern.
He releases his grip and stares at me with his big chestnut eyes. His hair is an unruly mess.
"I'm sorry sissy," he whispers. He might as well be five-years-old.
Jasten is an angel after that. He lets me finish dressing him, and I even get to work on his unruly hair.
He's mumbling about working at the factory, how he needs to fix the one machine. I wonder if that's the machine he ended up electrocuting himself on that fateful day.
"Jasten, what day is today? Do your remember?"
"It's Reaping Day." He knows.
"And what happens on Reaping Day?"
"Children's names get drawn and we have to go into an arena to kill."
My brother may be unstable, but he is aware of what is going on. My mother begged the higher authorities when they announced the Hunger Games that Jasten should be medically disqualified to participate, but they were persistent. They said the only way Jasten would not be in the reaping bowl was if he was on his deathbed.
Deep down I hope my brother is sent to the games. He is merely living. There is not a purpose behind his eyes anymore. My mother says he will be okay because he is young. There is a chance for new brain cells to grow and reanimate the dead parts of his brain as he gets older, but it's already been over a year and I hardly see an improvement.
He lets me tame his tangled hair, and I actually have him looking decent for the reapings. He hugs me after I'm done and apologizes for being so horrible.
My mother is ecstatic when she sees Jasten and hugs him. He stands like a statue and does not hug my mother back, and I roll my eyes while she isn't looking.
Jasten and I will be the only two at the reapings from my family. Nique is only ten-years-old, so she will be spared. I imagine what will happen if I am reaped today. There will be nobody to handle my brother and his extreme instability, and maybe they'll finally realize why I had wished for Jasten's death.
When we arrive at the reapings I have to chaperone Jasten to the check-in that's situated in the middle of town. The Peacekeepers know what my brother is like so they leave me alone. When we approach the check-in table they ask for a name.
"Jasten Redwood," I say for him.
That's when they take his finger, ready to prick it for a blood sample. When Jasten sees the electronic device nearing is finger he begins squirming. I hold him into place and he fights me while screaming at the top of his lungs. Peacekeepers come swarming in to hold Jasten, and finally we are able to hold him down while they prick him for a blood sample.
The Peacekeepers let him go, which is a mistake because he is still in his attack mode. Before I can block him his fist meets my jaw. Warm liquid fills the inside of my mouth and I desperately try to spit it out while holding Jasten back.
"Jasten, look at me. It's okay Jasten, everything will be fine." He doesn't listen to me and continues squirming around in my arms.
I quickly reach up and unclasp my necklace, and swing it gently in front of his eyes. He reaches up and takes it in his hands and holds it up to towards the sun. The purple gemstone is glitters in the light and Jasten suddenly entranced seems entranced by it.
I don't want him to think he can keep my necklace, but I decide it's better to just let him have it for now. I am able to get him over to his section, and the other boys immediately back away from him. They know as well as I do what he's capable of. I then go against my best instinct and leave him alone there as I make my way towards my age group.
Stephanie Fox
"In penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol and then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to the death, until a lone victor remains.
Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as 'The Hunger Games'"
Our mayor drones on and on about the Treaty of Treason and the rebellion. I am annoyed, but mostly I am frightened, especially when a woman who is covered in bright purple comes to the microphone.
"Hello to the amazing District 6! I hope you all are as excited as I am for the very first annual Hunger Games!" She begins clapping wildly and is answered with a meager obliging clap from the audience members.
"All right then," she fixes her poufy hair, which is most certainly a wig, and leans back in towards the microphone. "Now then before I draw out the names I'd like to introduce myself! My name is Diana, and I'm your district escort for the Hunger Games! I'm excited to meet our two tributes so without any further wait let's see what lucky individuals will get to compete."
She walks over the bowl on the right. Because she has not specified if it's for males or females I don't know whether I should be scared out of my mind or delaying my worries.
Her dainty hand plucks a slip of paper from the top and she eagerly makes her way back to the microphone. She opens the slip and smiles on cue.
"Our male tribute for District 6 will be… Jasten Redwood!"
It is a male I think, so I am not safe yet.
Nobody walks to the stage and the Peacekeepers begin looking for this Jasten. A kid then comes stumbling out of the aisle as though he was pushed, and falls to his knees. He gets up and begins running, but Peacekeepers are swarming him before he can slip away. As he is dragged to the stage he begins kicking and screaming loudly. I don't think he realizes that these reapings will be on national television later tonight, and the other tributes will be able to see how he is acting. He'll be an easy target I'm sure.
"Oh my!" Diana covers her mouth dramatically, and quickly goes over to the female bowl.
"Well let's hope we draw ourselves a fearless woman." She chuckles nervously, as she opens the slip.
"I think this one will be a keeper," she pauses, "Stephanie Fox!"
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. This can't be happening. I am not fearless, in fact I'll probably be have to be dragged to the stage as well. I look around trying to find an escape route. I could run and hide somewhere, anywhere.
I'm going to die. There's no way out of this. Fight or flight is telling me I am not able to fight, so I do the same as Jasten and try to make a run. The Peacekeepers are already seeing the indecisiveness in my eyes and have me before I finally make the conscious decision to move my feet.
I decide that it'll be better if I don't scream and fight so I walk to the stage willingly and hope that nobody saw my moment of fear. Jasten has already been hauled into the Justice Building for his behavior so I have to stand by myself on the stage.
"Welcome, welcome!" Diana puts her arm around me. "Looks like we have our fearless woman right here. Who knows she may be returning here soon enough!"
Diana has probably never been so wrong in her life.
Bex Redwood
My brother has defeated all odds and has been chosen as tribute! I could not be happier at this situation. No longer will I have to fight off my brother's attacks or deal with his instability. My brother can now get the peace he deserves. He should've died that day at the factory, but I guess it was just delayed.
My mother has been begging for him to be let go. She believes that there is no way he'll make it, and that he is just a scared young boy with a mental condition. I disagree. I believe that the other tributes should be the afraid of Jasten. I know I would be.
Stephanie Fox
My mother comes in to say good-bye before I must depart to the Capitol. Seeing her makes me extremely emotional and I break into tears.
"I can't do this," I tell her.
"You don't know that Stephanie."
"Yes I do! I'm so weak and I don't even know if I could kill somebody if I had that chance."
She is silent.
"It's not fair mom! When Dad died he and I were on bad terms! I've regretted it ever since. Now I have to leave on bad terms with all my friends, and I'll never get the chance to come back and reconcile."
When my mother cannot find any words of encouragement to give me. I pull a piece of paper out of my pocket and hand it to her.
"Will you give this to Lilia please? It would mean the world to me."
"Of course I will dear."
I begin to think of how my mother will cope without me. I was her only child and the only other worker at the bakery. When she leaves this room she will be officially alone. Her husband and daughter will both be gone, and I don't know what she will do. I feel sorrow for her and more tears trail down from my eyes.
"Time's up!" A Peacekeeper yells, and my mother kisses the top of my head before leaving.
I feel as though I will shatter into a million pieces.