Cheshire Hydra, District 4

This was peculiar. This entire occurrence was peculiar. I thought this as I stroked the clopmakers that were harnessed to my chariot. There noses were velvety. I was going to build a shrine to the clopmakers once I won the Fight To The Death Ceremony.

See, I just couldn’t wrap my head around all of the off breeds of human there were. On the television screen all the tributes in the Fight To The Death Ceremony appeared human- now that I was actually here and I could smell their strange wreaks I could tell they were not apart of my race. I teamed with excitement as I scanned my eyes over all my little dissection projects just waiting to be documented.

“So. What's the deal with your sister?” My ears perked up as my dresser-upper’s whispered question reached my earlobes. “She tried to kill my prep-team.” Prep-team should not have tried to rip Cheshire’s hair out, I thought irritably, my saint-like kindness to the flufferpus breed only stretched so far.

“Cheshire?” I heard my brother’s pitchy voice whisper back. I choose to remain quiet, when in doubt of how to address stupid people remaining quiet was the best option. “I have no freaking clue. She’s insane!”

My brother was unoriginal with his insults, even I could even come up with insults better than him. I assumed that I had eaten his brain cells while we were in the womb. I spun around dropping to my haunches and jumping toward him in the traditional Challenge For Dominance manor. I let out a low growl as I approached him, his body covered in shiny iridescent scales.

Jin was supposed to be the fish, while I, dressed in an open blouse and rolled up slacks, got to be the fisherman. He cried out falling backward because his costume didn’t allow any movement in his legs. The fact he was a sissy didn’t help. I straightened up, “Don’t speak to your superiors like that!” I hissed before turning away and walking off. My stylist yelled something after me but I ignored him, as I do with all lower species. I was going to explore.

The chariots were lined up in a curving line around the huge garage holding all of the species, my chariot was fourth- which was unacceptable because I was the best. I walked toward the first chariot to assess my competition, the ones more evolved than me must die first.

The third chariot held a small girl and an even smaller boy. They both appeared weak and utterly incapable. Still… there must be something special about them if they were considered better than me. I dropped to my haunches and hopped over to them in the same Challenge For Dominance pose that I had approached Jin in.

They didn’t see me. I watched them talk to their flufferpus, their bodies coated in a black skin tight suit that has neon lights attached to them, blinking in odd combinations. It must be a code… perhaps this was how they communicate? I let out a feral growl, the female turned to stare at me, her eyes wide. “Umm hello,” She laughed nervously tucking her silky black curl behind her ear. “I’m Runa. Are you the girl from 4?”

Oh. So she wanted to dance? It was so on. “I am not 4. I am 1!” I lept forward with astonishing speed and sunk my especially sharp teeth into her leg. She shrieked and tried to shake me off but only fell backwards into her chariot

“Stop it!” She squealed. “Please stop it!” I only clenched my teeth tighter, this was war, and in war ‘please’ didn’t work.  I felt arms wrap around my waist and attempt to pull me backward, I bit down tighter and tasted the metalic taste of blood infuse my mouth.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a squabblefinder aim a gun at me, another one tried to push it down but the squabblefinder with the gun pushed him off. “Don’t worry! It’s a tranquilizer.” It grunted, I let go and turned to face it- what was this ‘tranquilizer’ they spoke of?

I felt a sharp pinch sting my body, a colorful dart protruded from my body. I stared at it, I growled at it. It was pink. Pink was the color of evil. I looked back up at the squabblefinder infuriated! How dare it! I started to run toward it, but the world started to spin! No! How dare the world spin! I felt my feet go out from under me and I collapsed on the cement floor.

Witchcraft! I thought as my vision dimmed and I was engulfed by blackness, but not before I vowed my vengeance on the squabblefinder and most importantly the female from 3.

~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~

Celesta DeLuna, District 5

Braven slowly bent forward and adjusted the button’s on my power plant worker’s costume. Our stylist sat a few paces away smoking some foul smelling substance that curled from her nostrils as if she was a dragon from one of the fairytales my Momma used to tell me. She even had scales painted on her wiry arms and golden irises. For someone so dramatic, she didn’t help us though…. I stared numbly at the very plain matching costumes she had bestowed upon Braven and I. Everyone else in the room looked so… excotic, like an assortment of birds from far away lands while we were only finches.

I felt… scared. Even though I closed my eyes and cried for most of the games, I knew this moment was important. I knew that this was when you could win over the people in the capital, and here we were not even standing a chance. I looked at my stylist once more and felt betrayed.

I shook my head. What was happening to me? I was sure she had the best intentions. I shouldn’t be mad at her, besides there would be plenty of other opportunities to win over sponsors.

“Are you okay?” Braven asked getting to his feet and looking down at me like he did the first time I saw him. Braven reminded me of a warm blanket wrapped by the fire, with him I felt completely safe. I knew some other girls my age girls who had older brothers, if I had one, I would want him to be exactly my Braven, I decided.

I smiled and nodded, even though I wasn’t so sure. I watched him nod his head a little bit, accepting my answer, though he didn’t appear convinced. He took my hand gently and led me into the chariot that was composed of a plain, shiny steel. I was barely tall enough to see over the lip, I realized with a sudden horror. What if the capital couldn’t see me? I felt sick. I was going to die, I didn’t want to die. The world was so beautiful.

I looked up as the gates opened a huge burst of sunshine broke through the dampness of the garage they had us lined up in. Our stylist walked up to us, her hands on her hips, “Okay guys. It’s go time. Good luck.” I didn’t like her voice, it sounded like gravel on a long dirt road.

I saw the district four chariot move forward- though I noticed in confusion that it only held the male, Jin I think. I wondered where the girl was, I knew it was practically unheard of for any tribute to miss the opening ceremony.

Our cart jerked forward and I stumbled from the sudden momentum, I felt Braven’s hand steady me as I shakily regained my balance. The horses hooves hit the pavement together in perfect unison as our chariot burst into the sunlight, fresh air filled my nostrils as I stared at the hoards of capital citizens cheering for us. I swallowed trying not to shrink back in sudden terror. How could all these people be excited to see us killed? I glanced up at the screen that held the live broadcast of the chariots. I swallowed, realizing we hadn’t even been glanced at. They were flipping between the careers and the boy from 11 who barely had anything on except for a few leaves in his lower regions.

How was it that I could simultaneously be so terrified to be seen and terrified not to?  

Braven suddenly leaned in toward my ear, “Celesta, we have to do something, we have to stand out or we don’t stand a chance of getting sponsors.” He whispered fervently in my ear, his apparent anxiety mirroring mine. Then he said something that made my blood run cold, “Get on my shoulders.” He bent forward, stabilizing himself by gripping the rim of the chariot.

I looked around my heart in my throat, strangling it, suffocating me. The bizarrely dressed people in the grandstands started to notice Braven’s position, I watched them whisper and point in curiosity.

I took a deep breath, praying a silent prayer as I tenuously stepped onto his broad shoulders, wobbling at the lack of stability. Braven’s hands reached up and grabbed my knees as he slowly lifted me towards the sky as he rose to his feet and I rose to the clouds.

The crowds cheered, their excited hoots and hollers as Braven and I lit up the capital live footage, Braven let his face crack into a cheeky grin. The wind was ripping at my long blonde hair, it hit me from all directions trying to make me fall, but in that moment I felt absolutely free. I let out a sudden laugh and raised my arms toward the blue infinity above me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaiden Tearzon, District 11

People like my stylist were the reason there was murder in the world. Of all the thousands of clothing combinations in the world my stylist choose a leaf- well actually it was more like 5 leaves but it certainly didn’t make much of a difference.

I was very aware of the hooting and hollering from the grandstands full of capital lapdogs, this year most of the stylists had decided to be more conservative with their costume choices- except for mine making my lack of clothing stand out even more. Even Willow had been coated in more leaves than I had, layering them  into a dress and giving her a figure.

I’d put up a fight with him, he’d just laughed and told me that I had dome this to myself by showing up to the reaping in my underwear, (which let me remind you, was not my fault) apperently I had sexulized myself and he was just carrying on what I’d already set in motion.

My face burned as I forced myself to keep a hard face and stare directly ahead. The wind from the chariot's speed ripped at my body, I didn’t dare look at the screen that held the live stream, I couldn’t bear it if it held me.

The chariots pulled into the circle in front of the president’s manor. I finally looked upward and saw the iconic figure of the capital step forward. I felt my stomach flip in anger as I stared at the man with the black hair streaked with white who was the head of the government who had so coldly killed my parents.

He smiled coyly as if he had no idea of all the hell he had caused for all of the people in the districts. “Welcome,” He started, I felt the anger churn in my stomach as I stared  at him loathingly, unable to comprehend even how he could live with himself.

Suddenly I did something, I barely realized I was doing it, I flipped up my middle finger and screamed, “Down with you bastards!” I screamed it so loud that it felt as though a cat had raked it’s claws down my throat. And everyone heard.

As quickly as the president had begun speaking he stopped, letting his jaw sag a little in shock. I felt a mixture of relief and horror as I realized the severity of what I had done, as the entire nation of Panem realized the nature of what I’d done.

I swear you could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly a dry laugh erupted from the mouth of the district seven female, I watched her reach her middle finger up as well and shout, “Suck my dick, capital bitches!” She broke into hysterical laughter as the president’s jaw clenched shut in a silent, vengeful fury.

And before all Hell broke loose they made sure to shut off the cameras.

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Sorry this is a few days later than I originally said it would be up. It didn't turn out quite as long as I was hoping but this was drama packed none-the-less. What do you think of Kaiden and Holly's little display?

Also, the next chapter is training. This is a point in the games that you cam have a lot of impact: Tell me who you ship, who you think could have possible rivalries, people you want to see in an alliance together and whatever else you can think of. There is a very large chance you could see your suggestions become real. So comment away!