In the Rocky Mountains of Panem, the Capitol prepares itself for the Hunger Games—an annual circus of violence and bloodshed among tributes from the Districts.

Sure, the Games are pretty messed up. The voices of reason and resistance will argue how much this yearly blood spectacle is doing more harm than good, how cruel it is to force people to fight to the death. But unless they want to keep their heads and the heads of their loved ones, they will not utter another treasonous word. They will not protest. They will not rebel. They will stay silent, either alive or dead.

As long as the Capitol continues to care more for the wealth, the happiness, and the benefit of its shallow citizens, the Games will proceed as scheduled. The Districts have no say on the matter. Otherwise, complaints will be met by Peacekeepers and possibly a nuke if the Capitol wants a quick end to the threat. No one wants to end up like District 13.

"Fear is a powerful emotion." The President of Panem strokes the large petals of a red rose in full bloom. He breathes in the rosy aroma, turning to the young dark-skinned woman wearing a white pantsuit who had entered his rose garden a minute ago. "Do ya agree with me, Washington D.C.?"

She shrugs. "That depends."

"Oh?"

"Fear in its basic form is a reaction. With a bit of knowledge and strength, fear can easily be conquered." She adjusts her glasses. "I believe fear is only as powerful as the illusion it's based on. The more powerful the illusion, the greater the likelihood of people believing it."

He smirks. "It seems I've chosen well picking you as the Head Gamemaker." He turns his attention to the blood-red rose he had been admiring. He picks up a pair of sheers and cuts the head off with some of the stem attached. The thorns stab his palms, yet he doesn't react in pain as he approaches her with the rose. He leans close to her ear and whispers with the fragrance of blood in his breath, "I expect the Games to be great as always." He sticks the rose into the chest pocket of her suit jacket; the thorns stab her chest through the high-end fabric.

The vicious aroma makes her nauseous, yet she remains composed, responding calmly, "You won't be disappointed. I'll do you proud, ensuring the 50th Hunger Games go splendidly to your satisfaction." She watches him leave the garden with a smile on his face, waiting until he's gone to mutter, "May the odds be ever in my favor..."

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District 1

California (F)
Delaware (M)
Maryland (F)
New Jersey (M)

District 2

Colorado (M)
Indiana (F)
Nevada (M)
Virginia (F)

District 3

Connecticut (M)
Massachusetts (M)
Minnesota (F)
Utah (M)

District 4

Florida (F)
Maine (F)
Rhode Island (M)
Washington (M)

District 5

Arizona (F)
Illinois (M)
Louisiana (F)
New York (M)

District 6

Kentucky (M)
Michigan (F)
Missouri (F)
Ohio (M)

District 7

Idaho (M)
Oregon (F)
Vermont (M)
Wisconsin (F)

District 8

New Hampshire (M)
North Carolina (F)
South Carolina (F)
Tennessee (M)

District 9

Kansas (F)
North Dakota (M)
Oklahoma (M)
South Dakota (F)

District 10

Iowa (M)
Nebraska (F)
New Mexico (M)
Texas (F)

District 11

Alabama (M)
Arkansas (M)
Georgia (F)
Mississippi (F)

District 12

Montana (F)
Pennsylvania (F)
West Virginia (M)
Wyoming (M)

☆☆☆☆☆

• To be honest, I got lazy and decided not to go into detail about the Reaping. I felt it would've been repetitive to repeat the lottery four times for every district. Granted, the reactions would differ. Nevertheless, I didn't want to spend a lot of time concocting a large chapter. Though, consider this chapter useful to help remember a state from whichever district they represent.

• The tributes I've listed are divided by the industry they're known for. For example, District 12 consists of states known for producing coal. Obviously, there are states known for multiple industries that can arguably be placed in another district, and there are some states that don't exactly fit in any district, making it difficult for me to choose which district they'll fit in. Overall, just know this is the roster I'll be using for the story.

• On a side note, I'm sure some people have noticed an oddity in District 3. Two males and two females are supposed to be reaped per district. But due to a gender imbalance among my OCs representing the 48 contiguous states, District 3 will be the only district to have three males and one female. The next chapter gives an in-world excuse for why that is.

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