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District 2 Female: Melody Hart

Song Choice: Writings On The Wall - Sam Smith

It was doubt that vanquished her own emotions; the string of uncertainty entwined with the flat shades of black and white was thick as it twisted throughout. Her past had faded, dissipating to nothingness as it disappeared into a void, a gray of absolute emptiness, that her mind had created. Her future looked bleak; it was not knowing that destroyed one from the very core after all. A mist of obscurity, invisible to the eye it would seem, moved across the air as it curled and twisted in a mysterious dance. It trickled into her, seeping through her very skin as the darkness, the fear of not only not knowing, but also not remembering, possessed her heart.

The unknown had consumed her.

A heart, her own, thumped louder against her chest as its pace quickened. The blood that coursed through her veins mixed with something else as her body warmed. Dismay, dread, and fright conquered the emotions she felt had once been her own. She was stripped of her control, and that feeling, to be utterly lost without even a single thread to pull her back, was terrifying. A silent scream hung at her parted lips, and the tears that had once hung at her eyelashes began their descent. Her own identity was lost with her precious memories that had made her who she was, and that was brought the truest terror upon her.

The scream caught in her throat as it burst into flames. Fire burned inside of her, raging uncontrollably. She ignored the pain as she looked inside of her mind. She just needed one single thread, one single connection, that linked to her past and identity. She wanted even just one memory, and so she tried. Searching through her mind she wandered, the blank space of white seemingly bare and vacant at her feet. It stretched, infinitely it would seem, in every possible direction. As her eyelids fluttered to a close, she felt a tug. She was pulled by her puppet strings as she descended into the past, and into where she knew some of her questions about herself and her past would be answered.

. - . - .

She stood amidst a snowstorm.

The white surrounded her in tiny snowflakes, dancing within the air as if they were winter fairies. It coated the ground in a thick layer of a soft white, and her boots imprinted footprints within the snow. The snow, the air, and the world around her brought some sense of familiarity upon her; the thought of having been there before was vivid. A glance behind her, and she saw the brunette hair of a girl who seemed to be just a bit younger than her own age, and she watched as the snowflakes swirled in an elegant dance before gently dotting the brown strands of hair which were whipped by the howling wind. Her honey-colored eyes seemed genuine, and recognition flared inside of her mind.

"Skye," she said, the name foreign on her lips.

"Melody, are you alright?" The girl, Skye, asked with her head slightly tilted. Her own lips moved upwards as they formed a reassuring smile. Yet, before she could reply with a simple answer, she felt a jolt of some sort of electricity shake her and she closed her eyes. Her mind, once a blank sheet of white, projected an image of a girl upon her. The black hair, so similar to her own, and the sparkling green eyes that never seemed to lose hope bled into her mind. It was her sister, Aria. She was swept into a memory inside of a memory, and she saw the sister she knew she loved once more.

"Where are you, Ari?" The words - consisting of her sister's childhood nickname - were her own. Quiet giggles sounded from just behind the bush beside her, and Melody used her hands to gently brush the lush greens out of the way to reveal the radiant face of her little sister. She was crouched, trying to hide from her sister's eye, but the giggles couldn't halt. Melody joined in as she laughed, the sound like tinkling bells- beautiful. Dropping to her own knees, she held out her hand for her sister to take. Aria's fingers rose in the air as she laced them with Melody's.

"Mel! Let's play again, please! I know the best hiding spot!" Aria's voice was childish and soft, yet excitement was clearly knitted within the wonderful tone. Melody nodded as a bright smile formed on her lips, her eyes holding her sister's ecstatic gaze.

"Of course, Ari. I'll always play with you," she responded. Her sister frowned.

"Just play? What about hug me or read me a book in bed?" She asked, her eyes wide with disappointment. Melody laughed.

"That too. I'll always be there for you," she paused as she let her gaze turn slightly serious. "You know that right? We're sisters, and that means we look out for each other." Aria's head bobbed up and down as yet another childish grin played on her lips, a hint of the white of her teeth showing.

"Yes, Mel. I would never dream of leaving you. You're the bestest sister anyone could ask for," Aria responded, her voice twinkling with a hint of natural beauty. Melody nodded as she wrapped her arms around her sister's smaller frame, pulling her closer. Placing a small peck on her forehead, she let her fingers run through her silky black hair, cradling the one she loved the most. If only she could stay in that moment forever.

But she truly couldn't.

As the scene disappeared, the colors fading until she was back in the white snowstorm of her first memory, she found her breath catch in her throat. Without Aria's warmth beside her, and her sweet voice receded, she felt as if she was worth nothing. She forgot how to breathe, and all of a sudden she felt as if she was suffocating. A scream caught in her throat- a scream for the sister she loved so much. Beside her, she saw Skye's lips moving, but she had already drowned out all the sounds. Her words were lost in the air, disappeared to an emptiness where nothing could be retrieved. Images of her sister flooded her mind, taking control of her heart. She felt empty; she felt as if she was nothing. Was this what it meant to forgot how to live? Was this what it meant to crave love? Was this what it meant to feel so desperate?

The tears she shedded ripped at her scarred heart.

But there was a chance, wasn't there? She could murder; she could try. If she won the Hunger Games, she'd be able to see her sister again. Aria would be hers once more. It was a fantasy that was seemingly just in reach, and it was truly dangerous. Her cries and sobs slowed as her eyes raked the snowy landscape around her. Her sister meant the world to her, and that meant she was willing to do anything for her. She might need to be reckless, and commit murder, but it would all be worth it. Her sister was worth it. This was a war she knew was worth fighting.

As the darkness drowned her, she let her tears transform to determination.

. - . - .

The memories were coming tumbling back, and Melody finally remembered more. She saw her sister, her parents, and her own blade in Emily's heart. She saw Skye, and she recalled making a vow to die for her. But that was a vow she would have to break. Her sister meant more than a promise she had made; her sister meant more to her than Skye. Aria was what would drive her forward because she wanted to feel her love once more. She wanted to see her beautiful eyes, hear the voice she had come to love, and let the warmth of her affection engulf her. Even if hope began to dull, and the light began to fade, Melody knew that she wouldn't be afraid.

For her sister, she knew that she would risk it all.

<><><>

District 4 Female: Maaike Stolburg

Song Choice: Apocalypse - Jackie Evancho

The nameless girl awoke with a pounding her head and no memory, save for a few, darting wisps of recollection that seemed intent on escaping her grasp. Her vision blurred, perhaps from the pain of her collision with the stone floor, or perhaps from tears she did not remember shedding – it didn't matter. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, mind already buzzing with questions, and almost collapsed immediately. Her whole body ached with pain, goosebumps from the bitter cold prickling her skin, and concentrated, with all of her heart and soul, on that one memory on her fingertips.

She had nothing.

No name, no age, no identity.

But she had that memory.

She had him.

She was a nameless girl, but he was no nameless boy. The memory stopped evading her grasp – instead, it began to beckon to her, reaching out a hand, softly calling out for her to take it. Deep down, somewhere inside her, she knew that she shouldn't. Call it whatever you want – primal instinct, gut feeling, intuition – but something screamed at her not to fall into the memory's clutches. But then again, there was another part of her, a stronger, bigger part, that was curious. She had nothing left – what did she have to lose?

So she stretched out one dainty hand, and let the memory pull her deeper into herself.

When her hazel eyes fluttered open, she was no longer in a world of ice and snow. No, here, the sun was shining brightly, as if it was beaming down just at her. Here, a gentle breeze caressed her cheek, soft and welcoming. Without knowing it, her lips lost their frozen blueness and curled into a small smile. Something about the place she was in was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Was it her house? Her street? Her own little paradise? However, her thoughts were cut off by the sound of approaching giggles and laughter, and the pitter-patter of feet on the concrete. She turned, looked, and let the tiniest of gasps escape her lips.

It was her.

She was younger here, shorter. Her face rounder and more delicate. She was running down the road, giggling like a maniac, being chased by a boy with tousled brown hair, eyes as bright as sapphires, and a mischievous grin that sent her heart racing. He caught up to the younger version of herself, then tapped her on the shoulder, yelling out a triumphant, "Tag!"

The girl giggled, dug her little feet into the asphalt, and screeched to a stop. "Not fair, Thomas!" She whined, "You're bigger than me!"

"You should've thought of that before you agreed to play tag," the boy – Thomas – replied, eyes twinkling.

They stood there for a while, panting and grinning like idiots, getting their breaths back. No words were exchanged between them, but no words were needed. The sound of birdsong filled the summer air. To her young, innocent ears, it was the sound of a new day, a new beginning. For all of her short life, she had been kept locked away in her house, poor and constantly ill, watching the outside world move by through her dusty window. She remembered how she longed to go out, to make friends, to run and play and live like all the other girls her age. The normal girls.

And for a long time, she thought she couldn't have that.

Until she met Thomas.

As the memory began to fade, the nameless girl returned to her world of blood and cold and death, she realized something. No, she didn't remember her name, or her age, or where she came from. She didn't remember why she was here, shivering and freezing and cold. She only realized that what the younger version of herself felt as a child towards Thomas was not love. She was too young to feel love then, too naïve. She didn't understand what love was.

No, Thomas was not her lover.

Thomas was her family.

And family didn't end with blood.

She looked out into the swirling darkness, snowflakes blinding her fragile eyes. Deep inside her – although she didn't know how – she knew a storm was coming. An Armageddon. And to face the oncoming apocalypse, she needed her family by her side.

It was the only way she would survive.

<><><>

District 5 Female: Janet Qiang

Song Choice: Talk Me Down - Troye Sivan

The most difficult battles in life are those we fight within. ~Chinese Proverb

It felt like an eternity ago when I found myself walking alone in this vast and beautiful wonderland full of ice and snow--a place that, ironically, sparkled and glinted more with danger than actual innocent beauty. Of course, that could only be done at the hands of the Gamemakers, the ones behind every obstacle that we had to overcome in the arena thus far; I found that the longer the Games lasted, the more I wanted to escape from the fear that was snaring my heart, my lungs, my mind. With the soft crunches of the snow beneath my feet matching the ominous, though silent, ticking of what could only be the remainder of my life came a strong desire to get my things together and decide upon the next step in my weirdly improvised plan that had no direction whatsoever.

Barely had I stepped foot into another clearing, however, when I felt the ground beneath me beginning to creak and split, the jagged cracks lengthening over the surface. 

I didn't even get a chance to scream.

It was all I could do to keep my head held high as I plunged through the thin slippery ice into frozen waters, the force of the impact ripping the spear out of my hands as it plummeted into the dark depths below. An unexpected chill slowly seeped through my clothes, and at the same time I felt an incomprehensible dizziness slam full force into my conscience, my eyes fixated towards the light above the water without a single clue of what was going on, as if I had completely lost my mind.

As if I had completely lost my memory.              

What was I doing in the middle of this lake, let alone this place filled with merciless bitter cold? I tried to snap my fingers, call up some sort of recollection of the past, but somehow I couldn't recall anything. I couldn't remember who I was. I couldn't figure out why I was here. With every second I felt my limbs grow numb, an inexplicable ice cold current seeping through my entire body, and all the while my lungs were screaming mercilessly for a deep intake of oxygen. Under normal circumstances I would rise to the surface, but this time around I couldn't seem to find a reason to. Why should I fight against the cold that was possessing me, the water that was undoubtedly suffocating me, when I had no idea what I was fighting for anymore?

Suddenly, off to my right I caught a glimpse of something silver glowing in the water, the light slowly brightening as it approached me. It didn't take long for me to recognize a long Chinese silver dragon, similar to the miniature one wrapped round my wrist, slowly slithering its way through the water towards me, its eyes ablaze with a fire only unique to itself, its mouth set in a slight scowl.

It was in that moment, however, when I lost all consciousness, fatigue settling in my body as I allowed myself to sink, my vision slowly swirling into black.

---

It was a dark day.

From the storm clouds hanging above, raindrops were steadily falling, drumming on the grassy surface below my feet with dull slick thuds, sharply tapping on the surface of my black umbrella reminding me of the reason I had to stand under the crying heavens. My hands gripped tightly on the handle of the umbrella, my knuckles no doubt whitening as my entire body trembled from disbelief, shock, and undeniable terror. I couldn't bring myself to raise my head, to take a final look at the gravestones that had marked the places where my parents were buried just 24 hours ago.

No matter how hard I wanted to deny it, I couldn't run away from the truth.

I was now an orphan.

I couldn't even seem to call it a coincidence that the worst of luck had to befall on me at the age of 13, when one was finally starting to distinguish inevitable reality from idealistic fantasies, to finally understand that childish visions and dreams would never come true. And it was at this age too where I had finally figured out how cruel death could be to the ones who clearly didn't deserve it. Perhaps it came from watching the Hunger Games with wide eyes alight in fright all these years, or perhaps it came from the fresh onset of horror after spending one year in the reaping pen, bidding farewell to the unlucky tributes with a silent salute. Either way, it made me realize that death was a horrible thing. To have it happen to innocent souls, the bewildered and the humble and even the unsuspecting, had never made me want to scream more for justice. The Capitol had taken the lives of so many children in the past, especially the ones from our district, save for one person they had to crown as the victor of their Hunger Games--and for what purpose, really? It didn't do anything to compensate for all we've lost. Forcing us to treat the Games like a circus while ignoring what goes on behind the scenes was like forcing a young child to treat poison like a piece of candy which inevitably would do more harm to us than help the more we consume it like a naive little child.

Death itself just sounded so inhumane.

I closed my eyes as I heard the minister's voice echo through my mind.

"We are gathered here...today...to honour the lives of all who have been killed in the explosion at Power Plant number 169 at 4:18 yesterday afternoon..."

Contrary to popular belief, nuclear explosions at our power plants in District 5 were actually very uncommon. It would only take a deliberate hand for a life to be taken, for an explosion that powerful to actually occur. Most of the workers actually do ensure that the grounds would be safe for everyone, but there was no guarantee that absolutely nothing could go wrong at the power plants. The explosion that occurred yesterday was a result of a major accident, and many workers, including my parents, were brutally killed. The casualty rate was so high that a massive funeral service for all who died was held just yesterday in their honour.

The funeral itself was saddening. All around me, I could hear the wails of several children much younger than I echoing through the air, their eyes clouded with so much woe not one single ray of the sun could penetrate through their hardened shells. I heard mothers and wives weeping, fathers and husbands alike clutching tightly onto heavily soiled handkerchiefs or a remnant of their fallen one. Everyone was holding onto someone in tight embraces, tears falling fast and free down their cheeks, as they heard the minister conducting the funeral drone on, in a monotonous voice, about the great service they have done us, for our nation, and how unfortunate it was to have lost them in such a tragic accident...

With my head still bowed now, I slowly made my way to the shining white gravestones, shivering as the rainwater began to lace my knee-length black dress, soak through my black dress shoes that sank into the dirt with every step, and collapsed on my knees in front of them.

"Mom," I managed to croak out after a few seconds of tense silence. "Dad."

A cough escaped my mouth as I lowered my umbrella down to the ground, allowing the rain to streak my delicate face the same way the tears have for the last few minutes. It was hard to believe that this would be one of the last times I would be able to say those words. Never in my 13 years have I ever thought that this would even happen to my parents, and now that the truth had hit me, there was nowhere for the truth to hide.

"I...I just wanted to say...I already miss you," I began hoarsely, clearing my throat from the building phlegm before continuing. "Funny, isn't it, how last week I was still able to confide my deepest nightmares to you both, knowing that...you would still be here to listen and guide me along the right path...and now I won't be able to hear your voices again. It's always been hard to imagine a life without your smiles, your advice, your lessons that have brought me to where we--no, I--stand now."

I closed my eyes as I recalled how clipped the delivery of my final respects were, not just to the workers who died but also to my parents who had expected so much more from me before their fates were permanently sealed by the earth below. Several people have stepped forth with a slip of paper in hand, but I found it to be utterly unnecessary. When it called for someone to deliver a speech from the heart, pen and paper could not do enough justice for someone to be fully able to express their sentiments, as tender as they could most possibly be.

"All I had ever wanted to do since I was born was stay with you, every minute of my life," I finally managed to sob. "I still want to sleep next to you, mom. I still want to embrace every moment of comfort with every nightmare that had once plagued my dreams. Dad, I...I want to hold hands with you, just like we always have in better days. And that's all I want to do right now.

"The truth is, I'm scared. There were days when I couldn't trust myself with my 3 AM shadow, the one that constantly terrified me and my young naive mind. There were days where even the most joyful of memories couldn't completely erase the terror that the real world had to offer. And right now there's nothing that I want more than your guidance. All I want is some sort of sign, a light over a path that I should be designated to take. Without you, I'm lost. I'm frightened of the future. I'm frightened of revisiting the past. I just don't know where I stand.

"I don't want to forget everything we have ever done together. I still remember the good old days where I learned martial arts from dad, or gained a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture from mom. I still remember the happiness we shared, even if fleeting, from the laughter ringing as we skated on the ice frozen over the lake by our house, or the cheers during our small-scale Chinese New Year celebrations...even though they weren't very much recognized in Panem..." I let out a bitter laugh, the sound forced from my throat turning it into a dry cough just shortly after. "There were times when everything seemed to have such a cheerful outlook, when we didn't need to give another care in the world. But now even those times seem nonexistent. Honestly, by this point, I'd rather fuel a fantasy than deal with this alone. I'd rather hide from the truth than let it slap me in the face every day, but you can't have everything in the world, right? Nothing's always going to go a certain way. Right now, I'd gladly walk that fine line between life and death just to see you smile at me once more." I bowed my head once more, fingers absentmindedly swirling around in the mud by my legs before they curled into my palms, fingernails digging deep into my flesh delivering a new wave of pain.

"Just come over to me now, and talk me down."

Thunder rumbled above me in response, the rain continuing to soak through my paper-thin skin as if I have been hit by a shower of bullets rather than a deluge of harmless raindrops, my confidence crumbling into a deep dark abyss within me that I have carved out of my own misery. The sobbing had ultimately taken its toll on my strength, and I slumped forward onto the ground, my head hitting the softened dirt as I laid directly in the middle of both of the tombstones, nestled right between my parents.

I didn't care about what would happen to me anymore. For the moment, lying by my parents, even if it's just their graves, just felt so right.

"Janet, what on Earth are you doing, lying on the ground like that?"

I scrambled up now to see my aunt Meredith standing under her own red umbrella glaring at me crossly from afar, the steely look in her eyes casting off the comfort that had once enveloped me, my soul, my entire being.

"Why do you need to know?" I demanded bitterly, raising a hand to my hair which had turned stringy and wet from the storm.

Aunt Meredith scoffed, tossing her own black hair behind her in sheer retaliation. "Is that really how you answer me whenever I ask you a question, Janet? Do you not acknowledge the fact that I care for you?"

"You, care for me? That is an absolute lie," I fired, spitting out the vile words like venom, crossing my arms indignantly.

Aunt Meredith flinched violently at my sudden retort, but I still stood my ground. It was true that I didn't trust my aunt; after the funeral yesterday she had made absolutely no effort in trying to offer me words of comfort, or even a simple hug that could wash my fears away, if only for a moment. She had left me in so much pain and misery it was a wonder I still wasn't broken yet. Resisting her was the only thing I could do to defend my family, but even I knew that eventually it wouldn't be enough. What with their deaths forever tainting a once happy childhood, I didn't want another reason to feel any more miserable than I already am.

"Stop being so ridiculous, Janet," she finally scoffed. "You know you can't mourn for them forever. The less time you spend crying over their graves, the less you need to heal."

"No. I'm done listening to you. I know it's barely been a day, but one day's enough for me to know that you DON'T care. Is that true? For all the shit you've said about my parents last night, I know that isn't something to easily forgive you for." 

Words like these should have resulted in a beating, but she seemed much too shocked to even move. I felt myself slowly sink into the mud, but I didn't dare break my gaze. Eventually, she let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head in defeat. "If that's how you really think, Janet, then fine, so be it. I'm sick and tired of hearing you complain about your parents. This is becoming rather intolerable, and I can't believe you're making such a big deal out of this. If I were you, I'd leave right now. You'd have to move on at some point."

With that, she turned on her heel and stalked off.

I glanced at my parents' tombstones once more, fists still clenched tightly, and whispered one more thing before following my aunt.

"I'll make you proud. I promise."
---

The strange warmth that surrounded me from head to toe made me open my eyes drowsily long after the memory had faded into my conscience. As I lifted my head, blinking rapidly to clear the blur that clouded my vision, I realized I was lying in what looked like a huge glass ball, the water around me as murky and dark as I remembered it but was in no ways making any contact with me. A silver flash suddenly blinded my vision out of nowhere and I winced, puzzled, before I recognized the dragon that I must have seen before passing out, sinking deep into oblivion...

I see you have awaken, Zhen Xin Qiang. 

At the sound of his deep voice addressing me in Mandarin penetrating through my head, I scrambled up to my feet, shocked.

"What the--did you--"

Your parents would have been very disappointed in me if I let you drown. After all, I am your guardian spirit, the same one that is wrapped around your wrist right now. I serve to protect you just as I have your parents and your ancestors.

I shook my head, responding to him in the same tongue now. "That isn't possible."

As hard as it is for you to believe, it's true. And I assure you, they would be most upset if they saw that their only daughter had given up.

"So you claim to be my guardian? Tell me, then. How could I have lost my memory? How could I have no recollection of anything in my past except for that one day in front of my parents' graves?" I demanded, my voice almost breaking in disbelief.

Not all of your memories were lost when you fell through the ice. From what I saw, only one memory still stood. Only one memory has been retained. And that was the memory which had affected your life completely, served you a window to all the other, shall I say, 'insignificant' details of your past.

For a moment, we locked eyes, and slowly everything else seemed to come back. That was the only time I have visited my parents, the only time I was able to seek out comfort from them even if they no longer walk the earth like before. It turned out that my aunt was wrong--the more time I spent away from their graves, the more I needed their guidance. My only resolve in remembering them to the best of my ability laid in the bracelet they gave me when I was 12--the bracelet that I still wear now in honour of them. It soon became an object to which I have binded a vow--a vow to recognize what I should do and what I should become.

So have you managed to figure out who you are?

"Yes. I am Janet Qiang, called by my parents as Zhen Xin Qiang, meaning 'the strongest'. I'm a tribute of the 101st Hunger Games, battling to the death in an arena full of ice and snow. My memory may have been lost, but I still have reasons to stay on my feet and keep fighting. To move on from the past, to fully discover what lies in my future, means to embrace everything that has happened and anticipate what is yet to come. And I'm not ready to let my parents down yet."

Good. The dragon hummed lowly in satisfaction. Then take your pride and dignity, little warrior, and show the world just what you have yet to show them.

I nodded.

Before you go... The dragon opened his mouth, and a Chinese-styled sword with a slightly curved blade slipped out of his jaws into his claws.

Take this in place of the weapons you have lost, he said. Use it wisely, and use it well.

As I found myself shooting upwards towards the rippling light above me, all I could think about was my parents and how they have never wanted me to give up no matter how long they have remained in their graves. The message had sunk into my conscience many times before, repeated from my lips in quiet whispers for the last 4 years I spent without them, but this time I have finally found the pivot that helped me find the answers I needed and the consolations I had so desperately desired.

Not all hope was lost so long as someone still so firmly believed in it.

And not all resolve was lost so long as someone still had the nerve to keep moving forward.

I lifted my chin once more as I felt myself propel even faster towards the surface.

I'll make you proud. I promise.

<><><>

District 7 Female: Skye McGill

Song Choice: Stone Cold - Demi Lovato

Feelings would only ever be curses.

Perhaps they hadn't been so, ages prior - a time before every word rolled off one's tongue was only to ensure their own survival, to see that they'd be safe. Perhaps they had once been perceived as blessings, even - when every action that was executed by men did not tumble into a frenzy of knife-point sharp emotions, both within watchers and performers alike. But that was the history - words inked into paper with uniform precision, telling of all the stories that intertwined with romance and laughter, passions and fears.

Any blessing that once may have been carved into those impalpable things, called feelings and emotions, had long since vanished, the only traces left in a facade - but it was a convincible facade, so foolproof and so conceivable. And then one was trapped in the ever-swirling vortex of surging emotions - escaping could be but a dream - but they denied themselves. For, surely, those mere moments of bliss were worth the hours of stabbing sorrow, despite always brushing barely out of reach of their fingertips. Surely, those mere seconds of laughing joy would be level to the nights spent trembling, shivering to fear's torment. When they were shrouded by dark shadows they despairingly searched for the light, because there must have been an escape from the torture, must have been relief somewhere amidst the anguish.

But the thoughts of Skye McGill wandered.

For it would be much more convenient to feel nothing at all, she wagered to herself - because fear was the inevitable root of all actions, all other feelings. It was the first and only ruler of emotions, ruthlessly conquering joy and light; it morphed into the sadistic horrors that flew as plagues, carving its marks eternally into the structure of humanity. Like the snake that awaited to snatch its innocent, unknowing prey, the monsters of fear remained concealed within endless shadows, only biding time until it would strike savagely.

Yes; if one simply refused to show their feelings - oh, to truly be stone cold was an feat desirable, but so very impossible - perhaps the shadows would dissipate, even as the light too began to fade.

Perhaps if the tears didn't fall, the anguish wouldn't come.

Perhaps the only memory Skye had wouldn't hurt so much.

It was a single onslaught of imagery, decorated with mist that swirled in and out, obscuring sounds and visions alike. Skye could only make out the faint outline of a squared box, then her own hands as they clutched a pillow between her body and her legs. Her vision gradually cleared, showing the box as a television.

Her mind raced frantically to place what the flashing pictures signified, their meaning among the muddled recollections she could find. And she recognized the seed of dread that had then buried itself deeply into her gut. It was planted with spikes sharp as the tips of her knives, radiating the power of poison. It was venom that spread, toxic tendrils of fear that began to unfurl within Skye, for it had flown atop the wings of knowledge that had so suddenly soared towards her, casting away the mystery of her memories.

Because she was watching the Hunger Games.

No, she was in the Hunger Games.

And it was in the Hunger Games that her brother had died.

They battled on the screen - him, and his allies.

"Sorry about this, Seven. We didn't want to, but we have to," one spoke, a sneer adorning his face - he was the one with a healing scar slashed across his face. He was the one who had invoked the girl called Nyssa, tiptoed to the bushes where Austin stood. He was the Career from District Four, whom Skye had grinded her teeth in disgust the moment Austin had shown to give a piece of trust to him.

He was the one who killed Austin.

Skye wanted to advert her gaze to the wall behind her; she wished upon all the stars in the night sky to tear apart the television - because perhaps if it did not exist in her sight, it would not exist at all. It was an anguish, a pain she had never known before, that erupted within her - more than anything she had ever before knew of - shredding her heart into fragments that were sparking with fire. It was the blood that set them ablaze to burn; crimson liquid that puddled endlessly on the grass he lay in, encasing the puncture wounds in the linen cloth of his jacket.

And it was a scream that piled up upon itself in Skye's throat, clawing its way out of her mouth, draping the air with a single, piercing sound. But it was so much more than simply a sole remembrance of her brain, no; it was too something that escaped her mouth once more, twice more in the air of the arena. The truth she might have taken with both of her hands, but it was a truth she could not comprehend, would not allow herself to understand.

Berries rolled off his hands, trails of magenta-hued juice trickling over his fingertips and onto the grass, merging with his blood - a liquid like the melted form of scarlet gems. Yet those details seemed to only brush against Skye's conscience, for it was something else that squeezed tightly whatever remained of her emotions - his eyes. They were supposed to be a deep, rich honey-brown, twinkling with laughter; not gone, staring into another dimension entirely, the colour faded away, replaced with a layer of deathly fog.

Skye was so sure that he - Austin - had been her very twin brother.

They had peered into each other's eyes at birth - but they never would again.

Possibly, it was because they were twins - shared the same thoughts, shared their space in the wombs, shared their whole lives together - some persistent thought within the screaming ones was identified. . . that Skye was not supposed to hurt so, no. It was a little voice, timid and meek among the ones that rampaged fiercely, but it spoke defiantly; perhaps Austin would not want her to feel so much.

Perhaps he was happy.

For amidst the drained gaze of his perished eyes, there was a sense of peacefulness that perhaps fluttered within, calling to Skye. Because two of his fingers were weakly curled to touch each other; the symbol of okay that they had mutually shared with each other, promised each other to communicate with if they were drawn. And he faced the sky, even being impaled from behind - a place he had always cherished in his heart.

Perhaps he was one of the stars that twinkled in the night Skye laid under. Perhaps if he was happy, he would wish for her to be happy as well. It was an emotion of hopefulness that tugged a smile faintly at her lips. Yet, just as it had bloomed inside of her, the wave of fire had crumbled it once more.

Perhaps she wanted to feel - wanted to hold the flower of assurance, to feel a sense of happiness for her brother.

But she never would be able to.

<><><>

District 11 Female: Alicia Minami

Song Choice: Better Place - Rachel Platten

Her mind was a blank slate at this point.

After the battle with the Ice Witch, she couldn't stop thinking about her words.

Was she a monster?

Sure, she killed a few people, the boy from 2, the other boy from 12...

But it was for survival! She keeps telling herself but all she sees is the blood from tge poor innocent boys who probably had families maybe silbing that loved them...

She shook the memory out of her head and looks around for any sign of life.

Being in the cold, icy cornucopia for two days (or was it three? Alicia couldn't remember much at this point.) does wonders to the brain.

The blood from her cuts and scraps were frozen solid on her hands. Her cuts and scraps weren't doing so well but at least they were healing. She had no weapons except for the homemade knives she made back at the mansion. Food was scares and difficult to find so she often had to move quickly.

At this rate, she had a feeling she was going to die. But she had hope. Hope that she could win and give her family the life they deserve.

After walking for a long time, Alicia decides to sit beside a tree and sleep for a while. She sits beside the tree and as she's about to go to sleep, she hears someone call her name. Now, she's wide awake.

"Hello?" She whispers, looking around for the person but still sees no one.

She starts to walk around and listens closely for the voice.

"Alicia?"

There it was. As clear as day and not only was it calling for her, she reconizes the voice.

"Annabel?"

"Alicia?"

She immediately runs towards the voice, knowing that her friend is in this hell with her. But everytime she thought she was close to the voice, it sounded even further away than before.

She then starts to shout, "Annabel? Annabel, where are you?"

"Over here Alicia!" The voice, Annabel, says, and Alicia can tell that it's nearby.

She runs to the darkest part of the forest and in the middle of it all, she sees her red-haired friend smiling at her.

"Annabel!"

She runs over to her to go hug her but instead, she goes right through her. She turns to "Annabel" and examines her. She looks normal and acts normal. She sticks her hand through her.

It's hologram....

Alicia's posture slumps as she realizes she's all alone.

Or so she thought.

She could hear behind her the heavy footstep of someone. It wasn't a tribute. Tributes knew better than to have heavy footsteps. She tightens her grip on her knife as she feels someone approaching her. In an instant, she goes to attack and lunges herself at the stranger.

The stranger turns out to be a short but broad man. Alicia goes for the attack while "Annabel" watches.

"Tsk. Tsk. I thought you were better than that Alicia."

Alicia turns to "Annabel", only to get pulled by her ponytail. She yelps and stabs the man's hand, causing him to let go of her hair.

"Look at you," The hologram continues to say, "Hurting people that are innocent. Why you're no better than that Ice Witch."

Alicia throws one of her knifes at "Annabel",  forgeting she's a hologram for a moment.

"Annabel's" eyes widen, "Where you going to kill me?"

"I know you're not real."

"Oh do you now?"

Suddenly, she feels something sharp going into her neck. Alicia crumbles to the snow, feeling weak in an instant. She weakly looks up to see "Annabel" smirking at her.

"Tell me, do you see red?"

That's when Alicia's world turns black.

**************

~ It was chaos in the Minami house.

Alicia had just started working with the fields with her family, her mother was pregnant with another child, her father was busy with work and her brother was....well, her brother. He's too young to do anything really.

Everyone had something to do.

But they never had time for each other.

Everyone was so busy trying to maintain the family afloat that they didn't know that some of their members where drowning.

It was sad, really. A family that has no time for each other? How harmonious is that family really? And when Alicia becomes of age for the Hunger Games, how would the family keep her going?

Everything looked bleek for the Minami family. And that's how it was for a while.

One day, while working in the fields alone, Alicia started to hum a song her mother use to sing to her and her brother.

* I'll tell the world, I'll sing a song
It's a better place since you came along
Since you came along
Your touch is sunlight through the trees
Your kisses are the ocean breeze
Everything's alright when you're with me. *

Alicia sniffles and quickly wipes away her tears. Oh how she loves that lullaby. Her mother would always tell her that she loved her and that she would always be there for her.

Then where is she now when she was down on her luck?

She sighs and continues to collect the crops in the hot boiling sun.

After a long day in the field, she walks into her house and notices that no one is inside. She goes to open the fridge but sees a note taped to it.

"Alicia," She reads out loud, "I've gone out to negotiate a few things with a few workers. Tell your mother that I'll be back soon. Love, Dad."

Alicia sighs and throws the note away. She goes upstairs to tell her mother the news but finds her in the living room with her brother.

"Alicia!" Her brother shouts, waddling over to her and giving her a hug.

She smiles and ruffles his hair, "Hey bud."

Alicia turns to her mother and she sees a bit of tears in her eyes.

She frowns, "Mom? Are you okay?"

Her mother waves it off, "It's nothing Alicia. I'm fine."

"No you're not. You look like you were crying."

"I-I wasn't..."

"Don't lie."

Her mother sighs, "I was just.....thinking."

"About?"

"About....how terrible a family we are."

Alicia blinks a few times in order to process the information her mother had just told her.

Her mother notices her expression and sighs, "Oh, don't give me that look Alicia! You know exactly what I said!"

Alicia doesn't respond. She just looks at her mother with a mix of confusion and sadness.

Finally, she speaks, "Mom.....You and dad are just.....trying your best to keep us afloat and stable."

"But we're such poor parents."

"Mom, we're poor! You and I both know we need the money!"

"But maybe the money isn't what we need!"

Alicia looks at her mother with a shocked expression as her mother continues to speak.

"Maybe, what we need is each other to stay afloat. Alicia, you're almost of age for the Hunger Games. If we keep living this way, you have no motive to win. And you and I both know that we need you back here alive."

Alicia tears up and she engulfs her mother in a bear hug. Her brother, who was hugging her knees during the whole conversation, joins in on the hug as well.

"We maybe poor but I swear that your father and I will try to be there for you. And we'll try to be good parents. You'll see."

Her mother gently hums te lullaby to her two children. The two she holds dear to her heart.

* And ah ah ah ah ah, you're my favorite thing
Ah ah ah ah ah, all the love that you bring
But it feels like I've opened my eyes again
And the colors are golden and bright again
There's a song in my heart, I feel like I belong
It's a better place since you came along
It's a better place since you came along. *

Ever since then, Alicia believed in miracles. Because of how much she begged and hoped and prayed, her family started to mend themselves.

And that was all she ever wanted. ~

************

Waking up to the cold sensation of snow wasn't how Alicia wanted to wake up after what felt like days of rest. She runs her eyes and looks around.

Trees, Trees and more trees....

Her eyes widen to realize that she's in an unfamiliar place. It was cold and covered in a thick layer of ice and the snow was tainted with blood from who knows what.

"Where am I?" She yells to no one in particular.

"You're in the Hunger Games."

Alicia turns to see her best friend, Annabel, leaning against a tree.

"How come I don't remember coming here?"

"It's nothing to worry about Alicia." Annabel says, fiddling with a knife in her hands.

Alicia tries to rack her brain of her time in these games but she finds nothing. In fact, she barely remembers anything.

"How come I can't remember anything?"

Annabel sighs, "Like I said, don't worry about it."

Alicia's breaths become quicker as she starts to panic. She doesn't know what she's doing here or how she even got here. All her memories are gone and she doesn't even know how.

"I just want one thing from you Alicia." Her friend's voice brings her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

She smirks, "I want you to kill everyone and anyone who gets in between you and winning."

<><><>

District 12 Male: Louis Whitmore

Song Choice: Say Something - A Great Big World

Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'll be the one if you want me to
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you

Something felt different as I woke up that morning. I couldn't remember where I was. I couldn't see anything. Everything around me felt blurred out. It felt as if I was missing something important to me but I didn't know what it was.

I looked around trying to catch a glimpse of something I could remember what this was. What was going on. Why couldn't I remember what happened yesterday or the day before. Where was I what was going on? Until a name came to me and I stood stumbling a little at how dizzy I was.

I ran down a narrowly lit path trying to figure out where she was. The one person I could remember.

Maria Ridgeberg.

Where was she? I ran down the street knowing that she couldn't be alone for too long. I ran to the lowly lit street in District 12. One that was isolated late at night. I saw her leaning against a rail.

Her dark brown wavy hair that went down to her mid-back. The hazel eyes that no longer gleamed when she looked at me.

"Maria," I spoke out a breath.

She didn't answer only flinched as I got closer to her. I wrapped my arms around her waist bringing her close to me.

"I love you,"

She never answered anymore but it didn't matter I would love and protect her at all costs, that would never change. My pride wouldn't allow me too.

No words were spoken as we looked at the moon that was shining down at us. She fell asleep, her head on my shoulder. In this light she looked even more like a fallen angel. I didn't care about the bags under her eyes. I took her home making sure she was comfortable in my arms.

The door opened and I saw her mother looking at her in my arms. Her gathered with tears as she whispered a thank you for bringing her home safe and sound. The silence in the house was unbearingly quiet.

I took her to her bed tucking her in under the covers. I grabbed her arms looking at the skin that used to be so pure. Skin that was now destroyed by her own hands. A tear fell on her skin, I shook my head bringing her arm up to my lips pressing light kisses to the scars. It didn't matter I would always love her in the end.

"Maria no no baby! Don't do that! I love you baby!"

I yelled the morning after as she curled up in a ball crying at the picture that now laid on the floor.

"I don't want to be here! Louis! Let me die! I want to see him! Please!" She yelled out her eyes bloodshot red as she thought of her younger brother. She kept begging for me to let her go. I couldn't let her go though. I needed her. Her mom needed her. She was so loved. I needed to be selfish this one time.

I kissed her hair as she cried into my chest. Finally she fell asleep. Her mom sat a few feet away. Her tears dried up as she ran her fingers through her only child's hair left.

Later that evening we took her to the doctor.

"Depression," he told us. His eyes weary as if he got cases like these all the time. I couldn't help but think he probably did. He gave us prescribed medicine for her she looked at me with anger in her eyes.

"I hate you." she spat at me.

Something in my heart snapped as she said those words. I didn't know anything at all. I loved her so much I didn't want her to leave me. She still had so much to see.

"She doesn't want to see anything but her brother Louis, she misses him so much, he was so young when he got reaped barely only twelve. I can't thank you enough for trying to bring her back, anyone else would have left already."

I didn't want to say that I was giving up on her. I didn't know what else to do to help her.

And I... am feeling so small
It was over my head
I know nothing at all
And I... will stumble and fall

I was there with her everyday as she drank her medicine but each time she did it was as if nothing changed. She talked less, she went out less, she no longer cried either. She stayed still as if she was numb.

This was too much I didn't know, I thought I could save her. The only person who could save her was herself but that didn't mean I wouldn't try to save her as much as I could.

"Louis," she whispered one night as I sat beside her.

"Yeah?" I grabbed her hand squeezing it lightly hoping she would say she loved like before.

"Open the window please,"

I nodded knowing she liked the moonlight. I opened it and I saw a hint of a smile crawl on her face. My heart felt a little light at that. She was improving I knew she was that made me all the more happier.

Except tears came to her eyes as she looked at the clear sky. I tried to hug her but she moved away rather curling up into her body. Her knees were up as she cried into them.

What happened why was she sad all over again.

The next day we took her back to the doctor, she went in alone not wanting us to be their. She came out with tears in her eyes and the doctor looking grave but he said nothing.

She couldn't take the pills anymore but we didn't know why.

Rather, she wouldn't tell us why.

I'm still learning to love
Just starting to crawl

I'm only fifteen but I feel like I'm older then what I really am. Maria is barely sixteen a year older than I but that never stopped me from liking her. We were both still young, we still had so much to live for. It's like when you're learning to crawl. I felt like a new person at times I didn't know how to act around her.

She couldn't let the death of her brother in the games stop her! He wouldn't want her to be like this.

Why couldn't she see that?

In the morning I would take her out into the town but she never smiled anymore. Instead she got glances of pity from the townsfolk as we walked by them. It made me want to scream at them as they stared. Didn't they have something else to do but stare.

The victors tour was one day, she cried her eyes out as the female from district four passed by us. She tried to scream at me to let her and attack the new victor. I didn't I held new scratches that day.

She was almost crazy like as she screamed. I noticed the victor turn away with tears in her eyes. I dragged Maria away knowing it would be for the best.

It was too much for her.

Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you

I needed her to say something. She was quiet all over again for some reason. I couldn't seem to understand why. It was like an incomplete circle that never closed. She would fall back into her old habits.

I wanted to help her so bad but I didn't know how to save a person who didn't want to be saved. I begged her to tell me what was wrong but she never listened. I wanted to tear my hair out and give up but I couldn't allow myself to do so. I had never felt more selfish than I did in that moment.

I kept telling her I loved her but she never listened it's like she stopped functioning.

"I'm a killer," She said one night as she laid in bed looking at the ceiling. I shook my head telling her she wasn't that at all. I couldn't seem to understand why she kept saying that.

She cried into her pillow soaking it completely. I rubbed her back but she flinched back yelling at me to leave, that she hated me. She never wanted to see me again.

I couldn't let her words get to me but something just broke in me after hearing her say that she hated me it was getting harder and harder not to believe that she still actually did love me.

I felt so bad to even think about giving up on her but I didn't know what else to do to help her. That night I cried beside her as she was asleep. In her sleep was the only time she looked peaceful. Like she was still human.

I would have followed her wherever she wanted but she no longer seemed to give me the time of day but it didn't matter for I needed her.

I couldn't just let her go.

And I... will swallow my pride
You're the one that I love
And I'm saying goodbye

She volunteered as tribute that year for the Games. I yelled out begging her. I was going to follow but another male had beat me to it as he spoke up first.

She was in the room saying goodbye to her mother as she walked away she patted my shoulder. I took a deep breath getting closer to her.

She moved to the window looking at the cloudy sky.

"I deserve to die," She whispered not looking at me.

I swallowed thickly telling her no she didn't but she wouldn't listen. I told her I loved her one last time but she shook her head not even giving me a glance.

I took a deep breath my throat getting clogged up thickly. I looked down at the floor, "Goodbye Maria. You are the one that I love," she didn't respond as I walked out the door.

I punched a wall roughly anger coursing through me. Maria please don't leave me I need you so bad I don't have nobody else in my life to love me but you.

Except she didn't love me like before.

Maria didn't survive the bloodbath. She didn't even try as she got killed brutally by the careers. I was walking with no place in mind when Maria's doctor stopped me.

Say something, I'm giving up on you
And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
And anywhere I would've followed you (Oh-Ooh)
Say something, I'm giving up on you
                        
"She kept saying she was a killer but I don't understand why," I told him.

He sighed looking at me with what was clear pity in his eyes.

"Louis, you mustn't blame yourself but Maria was pregnant.. She said she hadn't had any sexual intercourse when I gave her the medicine. She lost her baby in the first month because of the medicine she was prescribed"

"You're lying please tell me you're lying!" I yelled at the doctor trying to get him to say it was all a lie that it was a badly pulled joke. Yet he didn't.

"Louis, it was an accident that couldn't be prevented," he told me his voice getting grave.

"I should have known! I should have tried harder for her to have said something!" I told him angry that I hadn't noticed this before.

The doctor brought me into a tight hug as he whispered words of comfort but they did nothing to me. I felt nothing but a deep hatred in myself. How could I have let this have happened.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you," I cried out into the night sky as the rain came tumbling down. I stumbled a little to get home but everything was to dizzy. I couldn't see clearly. My thoughts were too loud as they spoke words of self disgust. How could I even think not to blame myself. It was all my fault I should have noticed that something was wrong.

I didn't even know that I had lost two people in the last few weeks.

I didn't even notice I was on street lying down hoping I could wake up from this nightmare. This dark cloud that I couldn't seem to escape.

I heard a loud shout coming to my left as a person pulled me off the ground I was on.

I couldn't see clearly but I was in this person's arms as I heard a shout, "Fabian help me!" it was clearly a female that was trying to help me.

"Sierra," Another male spoke and I felt another pair of arms get me.

I looked at the female seeing only a blur of blonde hair.

Sierra, was she my angel? An angel to save me from this dark void that filled my world?

Say something, I'm giving up on you
  Say something...

My head was pounding as I escaped the memory I tried so hard to repress every day. The memory of my first love Maria. The memory of how dark my life was without Sierra in it. The memory that my life wouldn't be what it is right now if I hadn't met Sierra that night. It was a turning point in my life.

Yet the heart that now beats for Sierra once pounded the same beats for Maria.

I couldn't see other tributes around me, in that moment I let myself be weak as I remembered my first love.

'I'm so sorry I gave up on you Maria,' I thought to myself as I cried into the white floor beneath me.

I wanted to be strong but this was too much. I didn't want history to repeat it self with Sierra if I didn't come back to her alive.

'Please forgive me for being weak.'

<><><>