Child of the Wind: The 109th Hunger Games

These games are something else... a little bit of difference.

Tribute List
Just like the original games, there will be 2 tributes from districts 1-12, one male, one female, for a total of 24 tributes.

Alliances
Key: Bold is leader, italics is co-leader, crossed out is dead.

Careers: Andrew (1M), Hanna (1F), Jose (2M), Maria (2F), Harvey (4M), Irma (4F)

Anti-Careers:

Dynamic Duo: Guillermo Espinar (6M), Katrina Von Hardenberg (10F)

Loners:

District 6 Reapings, Guillermo Espinar
'Snap! 'I look down on the deed I had just done, the Crow Runner gangmember I'd been locked in combat for a few minutes now dead at my feet, neck twisted at an awkward angle. "Seems you guys never learn." I mutter, as I exit the building I'd been sheltered in for the past week. It had been a sufficient hiding place, but it seems it couldn't even keep out of the gang's eyes.

I move quietly through the streets, this part of the district known for it's violence and was often avoided by the general populace. It was good enough for me to hide in for the time being, but now that I had been found, it was definetly time to find a new spot.

I quickly continue down the cobble streets, before I hear a dreadful call.

"There's the traitor! Get him!"

I turn around, seeing a group of about 10 or so Crow Runner gang members several yards away. They start running towards me, and while I would usually fight two or three of these guys at a time, ten was a different story.

I eventually get out of the criminal district of the city, heading into the main one. I push through the crowds of people, this section of the district busy as ever. Eventually, my pursuers get lost in the large crowd, as I duck in between the city bustle, further hiding from their view. Then, I realize why it's so crowded...

...today was reaping day...

I remember that I was eighteen, and still had at least one year of putting up with this shit. Sighing, I get into the line with the other older boys, just wanting to get this stupid ceremony over with so I could get back to my fight against the Crow Runner gang.

"Better have disinfected those." I sarcastically tell the woman who pricks my finger, her expression telling me that not many reapees spoke to her. Before she can respond to my statement, I move forward, just wanting to get this over with.

After everyone is settled, the district escort comes in. He looks like a used car salesman, with a large smile, slicked back hair, and well ironed clothing. "Testing, testing, one two... heheh I know this thing works." the man jokes, but no one laughs.

Looking dejected, the man gets on to the more serious part of the reaping. "As you know, ever year two of you are selected. I don't feel like sitting in this hot sun much longer, so I'll spare you the pain of the yearly propgandic video."

He then goes to the reaping bowl, already bending the rules. As he draws the female's name, I feel someone tug on my shoulder. When I turn, I am slammed in the face by a large fist, sending me back from the force of the blow. I turn around, and notice one of the brutes of the Crow Runner gang, Hugh, coming after me.

He tries to punch me again, but this time I grab his long arm with both my hands, pulling his big body close enough for me to knee his chest. Our fight gains attention of the crowd and peacekeeping force, as even the escort halts her reading of the boy name to watch.

Hugh manages to land one kick in, and that's when I grow tired of him. After the hit, I rush forward, smashing my fist into Hugh's jaw, before grabbing the back of his head and letting his face meet my knee. As he falls to the ground, I grab his head, pounding his skull into the pavement of the reaping square, over and over again until I feel several hands grab around my arms.

"I think this one will do." a spectator calls out, as peacekeepers grab my arms. Hell no, I wasn't being thrown into some competition like a gladiator!

Ripping my arms free, I knock the helmet off of a peacekeeper with a high kick, before throwing the helmetless man into his accomplice. Both men tumble over each other as I hop over them, trying to run out of the reaping square. I nearly make it, when I feel a sharp pain in my thigh.

My fingers clasp around something metal, as I rip the object out. A dart, which I soon recognize to be a tranquilizer. "You gotta be fucking kiddi-" I groan, as I soon fade out, my last sight being that of the increasing proximity of the ground to my face.

District 10 reapings, Katrina Von Hardenburg
I'm scared out of my mind for this reaping. I've had this gut feeling all day and I can't rid myself of it, no matter how hard I try.

I started this morning just like every other morning. I picked a bunch of wildflowers and set them on my sister, Katia's grave. She volunteered for me when I was reaped as a young twelve year old and I can't shake the thought of her death being my fault.

She had been killed by the stupid district two male, who had sent a katana right through her throat. She was in the final seven and had only killed one person, the District 3 Male in self-defense. After her death, I remember crying for days and days, and no one could comfort me. She was only fifteen! She shouldn't have died. I should have been the one to die. She would have been free by now.

Mama had grieved along with me. She was sad that one of her three daughters had been killed. Kaitlyn, my youngest sister had grieved too, but since she was eight at the time, she really didn't understand the concept of death.

This was her first year with any remote chance of getting reaped, but I'm scared out of my mind. I would much rather be reaped.

Dad had died a long time ago, in some sort of freak Peacekeeper accident, leaving the three of us and Mom to fend for ourselves. We weren't too bad off without him but it was better with him there. If he was there when Katia had died, he would have cried. I never remember him crying.

I push all of that away as I dress in a pink dress with white lace. It feels weird to be wearing it because it used to belong to Katia. It's the dress she wore when she was reaped. There's something not right about wearing it, but if it will help me honour her memory, then I'll do anything. Katia Von Hardenburg will not be forgotten.

The three of us walk down to the plaza where it seems like millions of people have gathered. The lines take forever and something inside me just wants to get it over with. I don't really want to watch another one of us District 10 people die. I get my blood put on the sheet of paper that they use to identify me and blow a kiss to my sister. I walk over to the sixteen year olds section.

I know I really shouldn't be tuning out everything that our escort is saying, but his voice lulls me into sleepiness and I feel the urge to fall asleep when the escort calls out the female name, "Kaitlyn Von Hardenburg."

This can't be happening, I think to myself. She can't be reaped, there's millions of names in there.

The words "I volunteer" leave my mouth before I can process anything.

Guillermo Espinar
I awaken in the capitol bed, the events happening last night still in my mind. The tribute parades, all the crowd, all the dumb capitol traditions... just a bunch of nonsense if you ask me.

I exit my bedroom, entering the main room of the district 6 floor. "Good morning Guillermo!" my district partner calls, her cheery attitude something I wasn't in the mood for.

"You explain to me what's so good about waking up in this shithole, then I'll pretend to care." I retort, brushing past her. As I leave the residential area, I hear the escort call my name. "Guillermo, get back here!"

"You need to look more presentable!" the escort complains, and me, being annoyed with him, grab his shirt collar and hold him against a wall.

"What do you expect me to do, style my hair? Trust me, I would, if it wasn't shaved off." I let the escort go, exiting the residential area and boarding the elevator.

"Guillermo wait!" I look up to see my district partner, who runs towards the closing elevator doors. Sighing, I hold the doors open so she can enter, before letting them close. "Thanks." she pants. "Don't worry about it." I respond gruffly, not wishing to make friends with anyone.

The elevator stops on it's way down, when the dick brigade enters. Probably all slept in the same bed so they could wake up extra early to go train. Typical careers they were too, obnoxious and loud and just wanting everybody to know their presence.

"So, this guy walks into the academy, and he's got a bad case of "alpha male" complex. Dude challenges me to a sword fight to impress his smoking hot girl friend. You should've seen how embarassed he was when I beat him in ten seconds with little effort."

Typical district 1 male, all looks and arrogance. I'd say something smarmy to anger him, but I was trying to not make enemies. I was sick of getting into situations where only a fistfight would get me out. But now, it seems that I still wouldn't get out of this elevator without some blood being spilled.

"Hey buddy, you got a staring problem?" The 1 male shouts across the elevator. I think he's talking to me, but I realize he isn't, instead directing his words to my district partner. "N-No..." she stammers, as the boy walks over, getting up in her face.

"You listen here, I don't like your attitude. Get off this elevator and take the stairs ponytails, or I'll turn your cute little face into ground up beef."

While I could care less about her, I still didn't like the poor treatment of defenseless individuals. I step in front of the girl, looking the 1 male down.

"Let's not do that."

The boy looks at me, before laughing at his career buddies. "This guy, am I right?" He turns back around, punching me in the nose. I feel blood begin to come out of it, and when I recover from the blow, and see what he'd done, rage boils up inside of me. I did NOT like people touching me.

"Not so tough pal. Maybe you should leave with your fri-" I cut his sentence off by grabbing him by the throat, and choke slamming him into the ground. His buddy from district 2 rushes me, but I slam my fist into his forehead, stopping him momentum and knocking him out cold.

The girls from 1 and 2 look wary at me, as I kick the boy from 1 while he's still down. "I'm not afraid to hit a girl. So try your luck." I warn the two, but they stay back... until the elevator door opens up.

"What's all this?"

The two missing careers... the duo from District 4. Now I had a target on my head.