Victor Fry, 12
District 10 Male
Fire illuminated the distant fields of 10 and smoke burned my lungs. I relished the discomfort, and watched in delight as the embers faded into the night sky. The screams from inside the house had faded a little while ago, and I was certain my parents were dead, or if not, dying. A satisfied smirk crossed my face. I was free.
Ma knocked on my door, bringing me back from the land of sleep.
"Victor!" she called. "Breakfast is ready."
"Alright," I mumbled, finishing with a yawn. I laid on my back for a few more moments, basking in the wild, free feeling that always came with my remembering my parents' murder. When I overheard that they wanted to put me on medication, I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands, and the fire that caused their death burned beautifully.
Now I had Ma and Mum, and they were much more understanding and loving than my birth parents were. They even had my adoption certificate framed in their bedroom. It was a sweet gesture that always made me smile.
The smell of warm bacon drifted into my room from the kitchen and I climbed out of bed, hunger beginning to gnaw at my stomach. It was a familiar feeling. At the orphanage, I never had enough to eat and my meals were often taken from me by the older kids. There was one girl named Elaine that I particularly hated. She'd been very fun to kill.
Mum was just setting down a plate of fried eggs and bacon when I came into the kitchen. She smiled at me and tousled my brown hair, making me frown and Ma laugh.
"Leave his hair be," she told her wife with a giggle. "It's bad enough as is."
"Rude," I said, sticking out my tongue.
"It's perfect," Mum said. "But you are overdue for a haircut. We can do that tonight, ahead of the reaping tomorrow."
We all went quiet at the mention of the reaping. It would be my first year, and all of us were nervous. I had killed before, but there were professional killers in the Hunger Games, and I was out of practice. Ma and Mum adopted me when I was 9, and I hadn't killed anyone since.
Mum put a hand over mine and smiled a little.
"Victor, you have nothing to fear," she said. "Your name will only be in that bowl once." I nodded, accepting her comforting words. She was right. The chances of me getting reaped were insanely low. And if it did happen? I figured I stood a better chance than many others.
We sat in silence for a few moments before I spoke up again.
"May I go outside?" I asked, subtly slipping a piece of bacon onto my lap and then into my pocket.
"Of course!" Ma said with a smile. "We'll clean up in here."
With a smile and a nod, I pulled on my beat up sneakers and left my mothers inside to go find Baxter. He was an old bloodhound I'd befriended shortly after killing Elaine, and while I wanted to adopt him, I doubted my mothers would say yes. We were a bit strapped for cash, and dogs were expensive. But I always saved some of my breakfast for him. After all, dogs were much better than people.
Kerra Rathbone, 17
District 10 Female
Days off were both a blessing and a curse. While I enjoyed having the freedom to do as I pleased, it was odd to spend the day without the routine of work. At my old job, before my parents were arrested, I never had days off. Mr. Herne's work policies were different from my parents', and even two years later, I still hadn't adjusted.
On my last day off, I played poker with the older ranch hands and lost miserably. So today I was going to do something different. Tom, one of the ranch hands, said there was a swimming hole about a mile's walk from the ranch. He wanted to bring his kids, but it was too far away. So I was going to check it out.
The summer sun beat down on the back of my neck as I walked. Over the years, I'd developed the habit of slouching, and was only now trying to correct it. Standing at 6'2", I could be quite the intimidating figure, and I didn't like it. I already got enough bad rep from my parents.
As I walked, I realized the route I was taking would bring me past our old farm. The one my parents lost. After failing to make the proper payments, they were both sentenced to five years in jail. No one seemed to care what happened to their kid. Except for Mr. Herne.
I paused to examine the old building. It stood empty now, and it had been for the past two years. The windows were grimy and it looked like a tree had fallen, collapsing some of the fence. It was frustrating to see my childhood home in such disrepair, but there was nothing I could do. I'd fought tooth and nail to prove myself on the Herne Ranch, and I wasn't about to throw it all away over a crazy dream like getting the Rathbone Ranch back.
But sometimes, as I was falling asleep, I'd let myself have those crazy dreams. The monotony of work had been drilled into me, but that didn't mean that I couldn't be curious about a life outside of it. That was part of why I gambled. It was a small bit of freedom, of randomness and chaos. And I could use my brain for a change.
I reached the forested area of 10 and began to follow the narrow path leading deeper into the woods. There were rumors of a girl living here, but I wasn't afraid. She wasn't known to hurt anyone.
I followed Tom's directions, and sure enough, I came across a large pond in a secluded glade. The water was warm from the sun and sparkled in the light. I stripped down to my undergarments and slowly stepped into the water, watching the ripples spread. It was calming and wondrous. Just what I needed.
Signy Freyda, 20
District 10 Victor of the 53rd Hunger Games
I hated reaping day. Every year, I'd have to dress up pretty for the cameras and go onstage with Marietta, Belle, Una and Darcia and pretend to be happy while two kids were selected to die. All I wanted to do was paint, but instead I was sweating in the sun.
Darcia looked even more miserable than I was. I was mentoring this year, alongside Una, since Darcia was heavily pregnant with her third child. It would only be my second time, and I was beyond nervous. It only added to my hatred of reaping day.
Arturo took the stage in a sparkly blue jumpsuit.
"Hello District 10!" he shouted, elongated his words for dramatic effect. "I am so thrilled to be back with you all! Let's bring home another victor this year!"
The crowd clapped half-heartedly at that, and I tried to smile.
As Arturo played the Capitol propaganda video, I leaned over to Darcia.
"You okay?" I whispered. She took my hand.
"Just hot," she murmured back, but I could tell something more was bothering her. Still this was not the time to pry.
The film ended and we applauded along with the crowd. Then Arturo took the mic again.
"Now, in honor of our all-female victor line-up, I say we start with the ladies." He marched over the girl's bowl, wobbling slightly on his stilettos, and plucked a slip from the top. No one moved. No one breathed as he unfolded it.
"Kerra Rathbone!" he called. A tall 17-year-old shouldered her way forward. She had cropped black hair and was easily over six feet tall. Her muscles bulged under a blouse that looked too small. Her eyes briefly met mine but she quickly looked away, fixing her gaze somewhere else. She appeared to be muttering something under her breath, but I couldn't make out what.
"Kerra!" Arturo cried. "Lovely to meet you!" She continued staring out at the crowd, not bothering to even nod. Arturo quickly took the hint.
"Now, let's select Kerra's district partner!" Again, he tottered over to the glass bowl and plunged a hand in. He swirled it around for a moment before selecting a slip of paper and reading the name.
"Victor Fry!" he called. A small, freckled 12-year-old with messy brown hair burst into tears, and I heard a woman in the adult crowd cry out. A Peacekeeper pushed through the younger boys to grab Victor by the shoulder and guide him to the stage as he sobbed. I bit my lip. That poor kid was doomed.
He stood sniffling beside Kerra as Arturo patted him awkwardly on the back.
"Victor!" he said cheerfully. "What an auspicious name. Welcome, my boy. Now, shake hands you two!"
Kerra turned promptly and stuck out her hand, making Victor flinch before reaching out to shake. As they did, Arturo announced their names again.
"Panem, I give you District 10's tributes: Kerra Rathbone and Victor Fry!"
Hey everyone! Here are the first intros for DaaHF! Thank you to Ace-0f-Sw0rds for Kerra and wiifan2002 for Victor; I had a blast writing them both. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of these two! I think District 4 will be up next, but we'll see. Thanks for reading!
Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!
- Fiona