Hyden Hawkins- District One, eighteen
Last year's Games was widely considered to be the worst in the ten years they'd gone on. It was over in four days and the only battles were panicked Tributes thrashing at the monsters that couldn't even tell they were fighting back. Worst of all, the pair from One both drowned in the Bloodbath, before they got in a single kill. Four didn't let us forget that, even with the performance of their own Tributes. The Gamemaker's popularity plummeted in the Capitol, and they were determined not to let it happen again. Their only success had been the new "muttations", and I was sure I'd see more of those in my Arena.
I soaked in the color of the Arena around me. Flowers in jewel tones as vibrant as the gems back home draped over towering emerald trees. Sun glinted off the water collected on the leaves and the air was thick with perfume. Soft ferns curled around my feet. In the distance, a waterfall churned softly. It was a beautiful place to die.
I frowned when a cannon went off. Fifteen of us were gone already, and if I wanted to set a record that would last, I needed to make the most of what was left. I adjusted a blade of grass resting inside the reed I'd hollowed and held it to my lips. A thin cry emanated from it. Before the Games started, I would have laughed if someone told me my most valuable weapon would be a trick I used to amuse myself as a child, but four of my kills had been attracted by its siren call. I knew it was the sound of a common killdeer, a bird that no more lived in a rainforest than I did, but to the other Tributes, it just sounded like food.
I climbed into a tree and sent out my call again and again. It wasn't long before I heard rustling in the undergrowth. A boy about my size stepped out of the grass. He paused to listen, and I obligingly called again. I waited until he looked up at me to throw the spear. It was more fun that way. His dark eyes grew to the size of saucers, and a scream died on his lips. It passed through him so easily, like he was a whisper of fabric. In the shining light, his blood looked almost like rubies.
Another cannon, and there were eight of us left. Six of the cannons were mine so far, including my District partner Nellie's. It was poor form, but it left more victims for me. I'd already killed the boy from Two as well, so the rest were mine for the taking. The way I saw it, my goal was fourteen kills. I would be not only One's first male Victor, but its best.
Thoughts of One's only Victor filled my head. Estrella, with her bronze skin and her sultry voice. I was lucky to have such a mentor. Right away she saw I didn't need training, so our sessions were so much more personal. She saw me off with a kiss for luck and a confident smile. She knew I was coming back. She was all the reason I needed. Setting the record was just the icing on the cake.
As I finished this chapter, I impulsively decided to pair up Estrella and Hyden. The Capitol will love that- the deadly lovers.
I finally gave Hyden a last name, and it's not Seek. However, it is a similar reference. His last name came from Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island, which of course was written by Robert Louis Stevenson. He also wrote Dr. Jekyll and My. Hyde, in which someone said "If he shall be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek." I can never resist a pun.