Panem

Rue walked out into the clearing of district 12. She sighed looking around. It was reaping day. The day they would pick two children a boy and a girl from each district to play in the hunger games a fight to the death. She thought she wouldn't get picked. She doesnt really know yet but since its her first year she thinks she wont.

Aw, shit...oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit! That was about all that ran through Jack's mind as he shot through the forest like a ghost in the dark, moving so fast he was having trouble keeping up with himself. A sound like a banshee came shrieking thorugh the air and made Jack stop to cover his ears. It'd be better for the situation if he could just become deaf, but that would screw up his life. He'd rather be dead.

A drone, about a head in size and general shape, sank lazily through the trees right in front of Jack. The air was pulsating with the sound now, and Jack knew he'd probably die if his arms moved at all. Instead of working a weapon, he jumped off his tree and landed on the drone, then kicked his heel into the speakers or whatever was making the terrible noise. Thankfully, the entire drone fell into the foliage just as Jack hopped off. He took a moment to breathe, then pulled off the bandana that'd previously occupied his face. Jack hadn't been caught yet, and he intended to keep it that way.

Now free of drones, Jack made a fast way north, then back into District Twelve. Of course, no one saw him. Still, Jack was careful to move quickly, but miscalculated and almost barreled into Rue. He caught himself and the small girl before they fell and nodded in appology, "Sorry."

Iris delivered the other fighter in the ring a neat roundhouse kick, ducking in to hit the 18-year old with a smooth sucker punch. He keeled over, groaning, as she stood, backing out of the arena. Her trainers yelled praises at her as they all sprinted to the reaping, not wanting to miss it. Carefully, as she ran, Iris pulled her brown hair out of it's ponytail to fly around her face. It was much better that way.

Finally, she arrived just in time. She was herded in with the others, waiting, waiting. Her name was called and it all went by so fast, so fast, that she shuffled to the front amongst cheers and her parents smiled through their tears, hoping, no, believing she would win. Iris didn't want this, no, no it was bad, very bad, she could die or kill people and it wasn't good, it was very bad.

She didn't have time to herself for a while until the train, and her thoughts sorted themselves out to a realistic jabber. This was her job now. Iris had to return.

Rue looked at Jack. "Hey!" she said smiling. She hugged her friend. "It's almost time for the drawing." she told him. She thought she wasn't going to get picked. Her name was among thousands. When the drawing came the girls name was always picked first. She stood there waiting looking up at Jack. Her friend. She smiled lightly at him.

It was now time for the drawing. She sighed looking around. The girls name was drawn.....the name that the woman on stage said was "Rue..." everyone drew silent. The small child walked away from Jack and through the crowd. She was scared. She was strong but Rue never knew she'd get called. The new tribute walked up the stairs and to the stage. zher face emotionless. The looked to see Jack in the crowd.

Before the boy's name was picked, Jack stepped forward, emotionless, "I volunteer to be the male tribute."

His voice was calm and without remorse. At that moment, any ties he had with Rue cut themselves for the sake of survival. The thought that he could give up after he dealt with the others did not cross his mind. Good as she was, Rue probably wouldn't survive that long. Jack was better off going Ghost as soon as he went in, vanishing into whatever there was to vanish into before the real fighting started. He wouldn't touch the Cornecopia except for to get a knife. From there was free roam, just how Jack liked it.

He cracked a half smile at his thoughts. He wasn't even confirmed yet and he was already planning how to kill everyone.

Rue's head was spinning. She looked at Jack. Her face now stricken with fear. She liked, no, loved Jack. She Couldn't kill him. She held her tears. Her parents looked at her face which was almost hard to read. She stared at Jack. In her head she was thinking He's gonna wanna kill me...he doesn't love me...never did...She held her head low. She looked at her feet. Soon they would be going to eat. And she would be able to talk to him. If he wanted to talk to her back. Maybe he would try to protect her and then let them kill her in the end. Would he do that?

Rue knew she wouldn't have to go to the cornucopia because she was good with hand to hand combat. And she'd find the pack and get to it. Then she'd hunt. And kill. She would get medical herbs. She now needed to talk to Jack. She had an idea to make sure either of them win. If she didn't win she sure wanted him to win. She sighed and looked around. Then soon enough they were being dragged through doors. They were seated at a table filled with food. She looked around the table.

The food looked brilliant. Good, rich, greasy. Enough to make a district twelve person sick.

Harper commonly lost track of time. She'd sit down at her desk to try and discover any flaws in her design and sit there for hours without getting up at all. It was reaping day and she had woken up early. She sat at her small rickety desk to fix the unknown flaw in her electrical wiring. After what seemed like no time at all she looked up and noticed that she was terribly late. She was no where near ready and the reaping was in less than an hour. She still had to finish her dress.

Harper ran through the house and into the shower, jumped in without leaving any time at all for it to warm up, and rinsed her hair as fast as she could possibly manage. She pulled her brush through her knotted hair quickly, wishing she had kept the electronic hair brush she had invented weeks before. She grabbed the hair ribbon she had made out of vines in an intricate braided pattern and placed it precisely down on her tresses. She picked up the shirt she had been wearing in the morning, threw it on, and ran to finish her dress.

After 15 minutes of work she finally twisted a handful of materials together quickly and skillfully into a strap and attached it to the dress. Harper pulled it over her head while praying that she had made the dress the correct size. The second the dress slid onto her body she ran out the door and toward the reaping, fearing what might happen if she was late.

"Flex Gontier!"
His eyes had been on the ground during the reaping, but he lifted his head and gave the announcer his best "I will kill you" stare. The announcer flinched, and looked away as Flex made his way to the stage and finally to the train. Now, as he stared out the window of his compartment, he let his mind soar.
He was a tribute. He was going to be in the Games. He was going to kill people and maybe die himself. He might even have to kill a girl from his own tribute. Whatsername.
Alright. Whatever.
He didn't care. Flex didn't care what happened next. No one was waiting back at home. He was already ready to commit suicide himself so there was really no problem.
He just hated the fact that he was heading to the worst place on Earth, the Capitol. He just hated the fact that he was going to be a tool of the stupid President.
Well... he thought to himself, feeling a smile play across his lips. Maybe I can fix that.

Iris swung around, having just put on her fighting gloves. "What now, Flex?" She nearly sighed. Almost, almost! If only tributes were allowed fighting. With clean efficency, she put up her hair and began punching the living daylights out of her punchbag, even going so far as to rip it with sheer strength. And style, of course. "I'm in my room. Come in." She took a brief pause to unlatch the door and leaned against the wall. "What's up?"

(Don't you mean Flex?)