Morton "Ren" Moreno, 18
June 17th, 2427
Three days Prior to the Reapings
District Eight
Lower West Fleeville
21:00
Twill is a textile factory worker in his early thirties; he's returning home after a hard day's work and a trip to the local market to buy some groceries. He crosses the grey, smog-filled, gravel pathway to his small apartment on the edge of Fleeville with the bag of groceries in his hand. The man rattles with his keys before pushing them into the lock of his door and making his way inside.
"Dad!" His two kids call from the kitchen.
He greets them with a smile and rubs their hair.
"It's late! We were starting to get worried," one says.
"I took a trip to the market," Twill replies, gesturing to his grocery shopping.
"But… we have enough food," the other retorts.
"Not for us, for our… guest," Twill says in a hushed voice.
"Oh…"
For the last two weeks, Twill had been keeping a guest in his attic; a young stranger, no older than eighteen. He told them his name is Ren, and that he's wanted by the Peacekeepers. For what, he didn't say, and Twill didn't ask. Ren turned up with a pretty sum of cash in their hand; something that's been helping pay for Twill's bills.
Twill observes his kids for a moment, they appear nervous at even the mention of their "guest."
Twill crouches down to their level. "What's wrong?" he asks.
"Nothing… It's just… he gives us the creeps, a little."
The father stands up straight. "Don't worry about it. We're keeping them alive, so they have no reason to harm us. Now, let me take them the groceries, then I'll be right back," he smiles.
Twill heads upstairs with the bag of food, climbs up the ladder to the attic, and pulls open the latch.
A match is ignited, from inside the darkness, revealing a boy with dark, curly black hair hanging over his face. He has a pointy chin and ice-cold eyes. "What took you? I'm starving," Ren questions.
Twill leans into the attic, handing Ren his food.
"Careful with that match, we wouldn't want the place going up in flames now, would we?"
Ren ignores him and begins to rummage around in the bag. "You forgot my cheese," they say, monotone but with a hint of anger in their voice.
"Just be grateful I'm letting you stay here. It's been gettin' more difficult ya know. Peacekeepers turned up at work today… askin' about you."
Ren peers up at him from their bag. "What did you tell them?"
"Nothing, but I can't keep this up. I've got kids to think about."
"I know, I know." Ren stands up, and heads across the attic to fetch something from a cupboard.
He returns with a handful of cash. "Don't forget, I'm helping to keep your children alive," Ren says, handing the man his rent.
"Fine," Twill responds, snatching it from him. "But you never told me why they're hunting you. What did you do? And how did you get so much money? If I'm gonna keep lying for you then it would be good to have something to go on."
Ren glares at the factory worker intently for a few moments, and Twill thinks he may have crossed a line.
Ren tutts and waves their finger. "That's not how this works, remember? I pay you and you keep me alive with no questions asked. That was the deal."
Twill nods, finally conceiving defeat. "Suit yourself, see you tomorrow." He descends back down the ladder, closing the hatch as he does it.
"See you tomorrow," Ren whispers back as they are shut away in the darkness.
September 5th, 2425
Two years Prior to the Reapings
District Eight
09:00
Morton had just completed his third extraction; a promotion from simply cleaning people's teeth.
"So…" he faced his mum. "My third extraction… how am I doing?" He asked, hanging up his apron.
His mother stared at him sheepishly. "Urm… good, I mean great! You're doing great honey! But there's definitely room for improvement-"
"Thought so. With me in charge, we'll turn this place around. We'll have more clients than ever before."
The sound of the door ringing alerted Morton to someone new entering the practice.
"Another client?" Morton asked, furrowing their eyebrows.
His mother shook her head. "No, in fact, we have some exciting news! We've decided to expand the team to introduce a new member. Her name is Shayna, and this will be her first day. So please make her feel welcome."
Morton bit their lip and clenched their fist. "A new member?"
"That's right!"
Morton's dad entered the practice with this new girl by his side. She looked about his age - possibly slightly older, and she had a big, beaming smile on her face that practically brought sunshine into the practice. She seemed… exactly the person his parents had been looking for all this time.
"Morton… this is Shayna Martin. Shayna, this is Morton Moreno - our son."
Shayna offered out her hand with a smile. "Pleased to meet ya!"
Morton reached forward and reluctantly shook it.
June 18th, 2427
Two days Prior to the Reapings
District Eight
Lower West Fleeville
21:00
The sounds of three firm knocks echo into the attic from downstairs.
Ren places his ear against the latch, trying to listen intently. The front door opens, and voices follow. Ren can only make out bits and pieces of what they're saying.
The first is Twill's- "How can I help you?"
"I'm Detective Blake," A woman introduces herself. What follows is muffled, and Ren can't quite make it out but then the voices become clearer again.
"We need to search your apartment."
"Of course, but I assure you that you're wasting your time. I've not seen anything of this suspect you're talking about."
Ren's heart is racing. At least Twill lowered the ladder but they'll just have to hope that the detectives don't notice the latch.
Boots begin creaking on the wooden staircase, becoming louder when they make it upstairs.
The footsteps are directly below Ren now. They lift their head from the latch - careful not to make a sound.
"And how long did you say you've had this place?" The detective asks.
"Three years. We're hoping to move out at the end of the year."
"Hmm. Give us a call if you see anything. Anyone caught assisting a suspect in escaping justice is equally guilty and could face a lifetime in Fourteen," the detective warns him sternly.
"I understand. I'll do what I can to help you."
With that, the boots disappear back downstairs, and Ren breathes a sigh of relief. The question is: how long can he keep this up? And for what? They have one other option, one last way out of this. But they'll have to decide quickly - The Reapings are approaching.
January 22nd, 2427
Five months Prior to the Reapings
District Eight
17:00
"Argh!"
Morton Moreno's client groaned in pain as the young dentist finished removing his ingrown tooth. Morton inspected it for a few seconds before placing it on a cloth.
The client sat up from the dentist's chair, rubbing his red cheek. "Maybe next time, use a general anesthetic," the client suggested with a bitter tone.
Morton gritted their teeth. "Who's the dentist here again, remind me?"
"Morton!"
Morton's mother was watching from across the practice with her arms folded.
"I mean… of course, whatever you prefer," the training dentist said to the man.
After he finished with his client, Morton hung their apron up in anger, having only completed four extractions that week compared to Shayna's fifteen. What makes it harder is that patients had been requesting Shayna over Morton - he couldn't imagine why. They just preferred her to him, and there was nothing he could do about it. She was going to ruin everything at this rate - everything he always wanted.
Their mother appeared in the room and leaned against the wall. "Morton, please come to the office. I have an important announcement."
Morton's stomach ached suddenly like it had been swarmed with butterflies. They had a feeling deep down what this was going to be about. Their father had fallen ill, and that naturally meant that they would need someone to be promoted to his position; to take over the practice. They had to choose Morton, he was their son, their heir.
Morton joined his mother in her office with Shayna standing next to him - still in her dentist apron.
"Now, as you know with Lance ill at the moment, we wanted someone to fill his shoes as co-head of the practice." His mother then turned to Shayna with a smile. "And we think it should be you, Shayna."
Shayna's eyes lit up with surprise and joy. "Me?"
"You have been over-performing in all areas, and the practice has grown beyond our wildest dreams with you as an employee. Every client loves you and has recommended this place because of you. You deserve it."
Morton clenched his fists tight and shot daggers at their mother and Shayna.
Shayna stared back at them and tried to give them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Morty, we're gonna create the best dentist practice in District Eight, together."
Shayna left Morton alone with his mother and began preparing to go home.
"Look, I know you were expecting us to choose you, but we just believed this is the best decision for the practice at the moment, you'll get your time, I promise," their mother said, with sympathetic eyes.
She then reached forward to hug him, but he pushed her away before storming out of the office.
He headed to the supply cupboard where they keep their sedatives for patients. Aggressively, he pulled his dentist's gloves over his hands, he took out a needle filling it full of general anaesthetic. He flicked the edge of the needle with a smirk. There was one simple sound in the room - the ticking of a clock. Morton paused for a second to listen to it.
"Tick. Tick. Tick."
After hiding the needle in their pocket, they headed back out into the main room. Their mother had already left but Shayna was still there with her coat in her arm.
"See you on Monday, Morton."
"Actually, Mum requested you stay behind for some quick admin work, if you don't mind?"
Shayna frowned, clearly a little suspicious but agreed, nonetheless. "Sure… no problem."
Morton moved his hand towards the needle in his pocket. "If you'll follow me."
June 19th, 2427
One day Prior to the Reapings
District Eight
Lower West Fleeville
23:00
"Freeze! Don't move," Detective Blake's voice calls from behind Ren.
However, it happens to be a particularly misty night, allowing the dentist to duck and dive behind several abandoned containers.
The Detective can't get a shot off, nor can any of her officers. But Ren is fast running out of breath. He stops in front of a container with a loose door, and quickly, but discreetly locks himself inside.
Heavy boots thud against the gravel outside, and Ren slows their breathing right down. The sounds of the boots die down, eventually vanishing completely. Deep down though, Ren knows that it is only a matter of time. That there's only one way out of this; The Reapings are tomorrow.
What proceeded was the longest night of Ren's life. He barely slept, only listening out for the sounds of boots constantly.
But in the morning, when it is clear to exit the container, Ren finds Twill waiting outside with his arms crossed.
Ren rubs their eyes from the glare of the sun. "So, you came back."
Twill doesn't respond and keeps his arms crossed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't I tell you what?"
"That you murdered an innocent girl. That I've been helping a sick killer this entire time!"
Ren chuckles. "You knew you were helping a criminal, yet that didn't stop you, did it? As long as I paid you, what difference does it make what I did?"
Twill doesn't answer, continuing to glare at Ren. "I should turn you in," he says.
Ren tosses the man the bag of the last of their remaining money. "Our final deal. You keep your mouth shut; I won't be needing it anyway. Tomorrow I will be out of here."
Twill glances at the bag of money, then back up at Ren. "You're gonna volunteer?"
Ren nods.
"Good. It's the least you deserve."
Ren snarls at Twill but the man leaves him on his own. They only have to make it to the reaping square now, then utter the words "I volunteer."
Perhaps it's what Ren has wanted all along. Perhaps The Hunger Games will finally let him make a name for himself. Perhaps, he'll finally get the recognition that his parents never gave him.
January 22nd, 2427
Five months Prior to the Reapings
District Eight
19:15
Ren's face and plain white dentist coat were stained red with blood as he dragged the bag, that contained the body of Shayna, out of the back door of his parent's practice. Heaving, and puffing, they placed the body into the stoney yard out-back.
Morton didn't really think it through. They are usually a schemer, but that day they just acted out of pure anger and didn't have time to plan out the murder properly.
But, if Morton was fast, then he could bury the body deep enough under the solid ground so that they wouldn't find her. The problem was that his heart was racing so loud that he couldn't even hear his own thoughts.
"Hey!" A voice calls through the night.
Several silhouettes of people were running toward him from the distance.
"Shit!" Ren hissed to themself.
They turned tail, and ran back into the practice, slipping on the way. Once inside, they headed for the office where their parents kept the emergency cash for the business. Their hands shook as they pressed the buttons to extract the money from their parent's safe; surprisingly, in such an adrenaline-filled situation, Ren found that they were able to think quickly.
He took one last look at the practice, knowing full well that he would never see it again. Then he grabbed his coat, and disappeared into the streets of Eight…
Genevieve Ardelean, 17
June 14th, 2427
One Week Prior to the Reapings
District One
17:00
Geneve evades a swing from her academy mate's dummy sword, managing to successfully duck her six-foot frame underneath it. The red-headed girl stares at her opponent intensely, and fear appears in his eyes. But he straightens up again and lunges at her - this time with more force.
Geneve gasps; she manages to block the boy's strike with her own dummy sword; but she is thrown back across the training mat, only just managing to keep her footing.
Her sparring partner twirls his sword and sends her a cocky grin. "Your mummy's spells aren't helping you now, are they?"
(Geneve's mother's spell book is one of the last memories she has of her family after they were murdered.).
Geneve's face is suddenly redder than her hair. She gives the boy a death stare and grits her teeth. Consequently, when he moves forward to attack her again, she leaps through the air to meet him. She easily swats his dummy sword out of the way then lands a powerful right cross on his jaw! Her sparring partner crumbles to the floor, clutching his face in agony.
"Don't you dare talk about my mother again," She yells. She throws down her dummy sword and then storms off, while her trainers check on her injured academy mate.
Once outside, she rubs her face with her hands and leans against the academy. How could she let him rattle her cage like that?
(She can't stand the idea of her trainers looking at her with disapproval. Especially after they chose her to compete in the games this year.)
"You ok?"
Geneve's girlfriend, Lexi, is waiting for her outside of the academy. The career removes her hands from her face and gives the smaller girl a nod.
"You don't look it…"
"What gave it away?"
"Your cheeks are flushed red, your intense stare… I know you always have an intense stare, but still…"
Geneve finally concedes and lets out a chuckle. "H-he… he was talking about my mother's spell book again… I-I didn't mean to lose my temper… anyway can we just drop it?"
Lexi steps closer to her. "It's alright." She plants a kiss on Geneve's lips, and then they begin heading home - through the tight, bustling streets of One.
The sun is just beginning to dip down on this warm summer day, and the streams of orange are reflecting in between the windows.
"So… know anything about who your district partner will be?" Lexi asks as they duck under a market stall, which is just closing down for the day.
"Of course," Geneve answers. "The red-haired boy that likes to spend his evenings jumping between rooftops; he's come to be known as "The Leaper"."
"You close?" Lexi questions.
Geneve shakes her head. "We've chatted a couple of times."
"Good, because both of you aren't making it out of this."
"Don't worry - I'm well aware of the risks."
"I know… I just can't stand to lose you," Lexi says, looking into her girlfriend's sea-green eyes.
After a final kiss goodbye, the couple part ways. Geneve joins the main road that leads to the station. Ever since the murder of her parents, crime has been skyrocketing in the district, and thus the number of Peacekeepers has gone up as well - in particular detectives.
Geneve pushes the glass door open to the station, only to be met with stares and whispers from the various Peacekeepers working there. Geneve squints her eyes back at them; even after all the crimes she has solved on their behalf, they still treat her like an outsider.
She hesitantly pushes her way into the main office. Inside, Cesar Luiz, The Head Peacekeeper, is leaning on his desk, and lecturing his other detectives. That is until he notices Geneve and gives her a warm smile. "Geneve!"
The tall Peacekeeper throws his arms out to greet her. "How's my favourite detective?"
"I'm good, Sir," Geneve lies, managing a smile back.
"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Cesar, hm?"
(After the deaths of Geneve's family, Cesar took her under his wing. Together, they solved the case of her family's murder, and many more since.)
Cesar receives a piece of paper from one of his officers before glancing it over. His dark eyes move back up to Geneve. "Well, looks like you came just at the right moment."
Geneve raises an eyebrow. "Oh, a case?"
Cesar nods.
Geneve can't contain the excitement within herself. This is her life. Besides, it's another chance to prove herself to Cesar. But more importantly, another chance to prove herself to the other detectives who constantly look down on her.
Geneve showers as quickly as she can in the bathroom. Then she gets dressed in a black dress and ties her hair back into a bun. Finally, she feels ready to head back out into the office.
"Ready?" Cesar smiles.
"Ready," Geneve smiles back.
"Then let's go Detective Gene."
This garners some eyerolls from the other detectives around them but Cesar and Geneve do their best to ignore it.
That evening, Geneve and The Head Peacekeeper arrive together at the scene of the crime. It is a secluded mansion on the edge of the district.
Inside the mansion, it is dark and hollow. A cool breeze sweeps through the entire building and sends a shiver through Geneve's spine. The young Detective peers around the inside of the mansion in awe. Her family always struggled to make ends meet, so seeing a home this size for two people is still slightly incomprehensible for her.
The young Detective is well camouflaged in the darkness but the same cannot be said for the Peacekeepers - whose white uniforms stand out like lanterns in the night.
Cesar and Geneve follow the two rows of Peacekeepers through the hallway, right up until they reach the dining room.
"At first we thought it was a simple double homicide," Cesar says as they enter the room.
Inside, Geneve finds a large dining table in the center of an even larger room. There are two bodies; a middle-aged man, face down on the table with a gunshot wound in his head. To the left of him is a woman slumped against her chair, also with a gunshot wound.
"At the moment it's down as a murder-suicide," Cesar finishes.
Geneve looks at the handgun, still inside the man's hand on the table.
"Who were they?" She asks, beginning to step around the table, and scanning every detail of it.
"Husband and wife. Both were large shareholders in exporting jewelry to the Capitol."
Geneve finally takes a seat at the end of the huge, shining, wooden dining table, and lowers her eyes to the level of the dead man. "So, if the case is closed then what's going on?"
"I never said it's closed. That's what everyone else thinks-"
"And that's why we're here," Geneve interjects, squinting her eyes at the body in front of her like she's looking down the barrel of a gun.
Cesar nods. "You always have a knack for seeing things that no one else does."
Geneve's heart is filled with warmth, to finally be able to impress someone like Cesar. A smile forms on her face for a second before returning to concentration. "So… no fingerprints, I take it?"
"Other than the husband and wife? No."
Geneve strokes her chin. "Curious."
"We've analysed the bullets too. They match the gun on the table."
Geneve pushes herself up from the chair. "But the crime misses one key ingredient… a motivation," she says, moving over to the window.
"Exactly."
Geneve went to her room early that night, the case solely occupying her mind. She got the third room in Cesar and his wife Ophelia's home. The room appears more cramped than it is. Furniture and ornaments take up most of it, along with piles of paper from her studying. On the walls are symbols that the girl has drawn from her mother's spell book - they always help to induce her lucid dreams when she needs them.
(Geneve isn't quite sure why Cesar and Ophelia took her into her care, but she supposes it could be because they can't have a child of their own.)
Her eyes are heavy as soon as she's in bed, and it doesn't take long for her to slip into the dream world.
She is sitting at the dining table back in the mansion where the murders took place. The husband and wife are enjoying their dinner until masked intruders suddenly burst in. The couple screams in panic as they are forced back down to the table at gunpoint.
Geneve rests her chin on her hand, observing the scene play out in front of her eyes.
BOOM
One of the masked figures fires a shot through the man's head, the bullet hits his wife on the way out - killing them both in the process.
Just as the killer is cleaning the weapon of fingerprints and placing it in the husband's hand, Geneve stands up from the table and pauses the dream with a remote. She strokes her chin in confusion. "It just doesn't make sense."
The next day, after training, Geneve is walking home to the police station again, with Lexi.
Training today has been hard. Not because it was physically challenging but because Geneve had spent all day in the library - researching the victims of the homicide.
"So it turns out that the wife had a brother who wanted to see their business end," Geneve explains over a mouthful of a baguette.
"There's definitely something fishy going on there… maybe you should call the fish police," Lexi chuckles. "So, you think he's the killer?"
Geneve nods. "But the husband and wife's positions at the table match perfectly with a murder-suicide - making my theory impossible to prove."
Lexi sighs. "Shame. It's not like the husband could have just been placed there either. Anywho, why not take the night off and come stay at mine?"
Geneve pauses. "Wait a minute, say that again."
Lexi furrows her eyebrows. "Why not take the night off and come stay at mine?"
"No, before that."
"Oh, it's not like the husband could have been placed there either…"
"But… that's exactly what happened, wasn't it?" Geneve exclaims. The tall muscular girl then takes off at full speed towards the station - not even remembering to say goodbye to Lexi.
"So… I guess it's a no to coming over to my place?" Lexi mutters.
Geneve arrives at the police station almost in a flash. She bursts into the main office causing all the officers to jump in surprise.
Cesar lowers the papers that he's reading. "Gene? What is it?"
Geneve rests her arm against his shoulder, panting for air. "The case… the case… I've figured it out… with some help."
One of the officers throws his hands out. "Oh come on!"
But Cesar holds out his hand to the officer. "Just… take a minute to catch your breath, and then explain."
After collecting her thoughts, Geneve spends the next few minutes explaining her theory with the help of a diagram of the murder scene, which she has neatly drawn on a whiteboard.
Afterward, the team of officers has no choice but to begin re-investigating the crime scene.
Geneve turns back to Cesar with a victorious smile on her face. "So… not bad, huh?" She scratches the back of her neck. "Although, some of the credit has to go to Lexi."
Cesar sits back down on his desk and rubs his eyes.
"What's wrong? Aren't you impressed?"
The Head Peacekeeper removes his hand from his face. "Huh, oh no, I am I am… it's just…"
"What?"
He sighs. "You're going off to the games in a week. Is that really what you want? Fame and fortune? Our life here could go on, you'll be an amazing Detective and you know it."
Geneve steps closer but her eyes go to the floor. "My family wanted me to be a career tribute. I believe they still do, wherever they are. I won't let them down, just like I won't let you down," She assures him.
Then she reaches forward to give him a hug. "I know you're worried about me, but I'll come out of this victorious. I've seen it in my dreams, down to every last detail. I've seen exactly how I win…"
Hey everyone! We're at the end of the reapings with a detective and a murderer. Thank you to Goldie031 for Ren and Averyrandomauthor for Geneve. Now we move onto the pregames where the plot and subplot heat up. Stay tuned for the Reaping recaps!