The Fifty Fifth Annual Hunger Games

The Tributes

Chanel Benz, a privileged girl from District 1, never once took an interest in the games past the interviews every year. Only ever taking the required training classes in school and barely passing, she always relied on her family's wealth, power, and other volunteers to keep her out of the games. But in an unfortunate turn of events, none of those things kept her from ending up on the stage of the reaping. Her district partner, Prosper Culet, was the exact opposite. His family wasn't the most powerful or wealthy in the district, but every Culet had an unnatural thirst for blood. Both of his parents had been volunteer career victors and so had his older brother. Training every single day since the age of twelve to volunteer to be a tribute at the age of 18, he had no intention to lose.

The Riders were also a powerful family in District 2. With two parents who work closely with the Capitol, Lyssa Rider had never intended to face the games as a tribute, despite the expectation of a volunteer from the heir of one of the most powerful families in the district. But when her younger sister's name was called, she knew the expectations had risen for her and it was her duty to take her place. She promised herself she wouldn't shame her family or her district with a loss. Ajax Mortar was a young, yet ambitious volunteer tribute. At only 14 years old, he practically volunteered before the name was read off the slip. His family was poor and he was determined to make a name for himself and take care of his family once he was crowned victor.

In District 4, the Spinners were a respected family with her mother running the delivery system for the district. They were well known and well liked, and after a brush with the games when their eldest son was reaped but volunteered for, they felt like they never had to fear the games again. But the next time their child was reaped, no one stepped forward. There were no female volunteers this year and so Levie Spinner had to face her fate. However, Caster Topwater was the top pick of the training academy to volunteer for his last eligible year. He was a smart and stoic type and held his head high up on the stage next to a wide eyed and fearful Levie.

As opposed to the former three, when Augusta Mercer's name was called out in the plaza of District 8, there was no hope of any volunteers to take her place. Her family was another that was known around her small town in the district, and liked well enough, but not enough for someone else to put their life on the line for hers. The male tribute was Sterling Temple, a boy her age she knew from school. He was kind, she recalled, and smart. But they were never close enough to be friends. His parents worked in the factory her father oversaw which separated them by class, however she never saw herself as above him.

Finally, in the poorest district, there were very few families who could be called powerful or wealthy. The Tailings were a family that garnered pity more than anything. After their father lost his leg in a mining accident, he took to tending to the small run down church in the district. It belonged to a dying religion that didn't muster up many followers those days, but every year without fail, they experienced a spike in visitations during the games. Family and friends clutching at whatever hope they could get. But they never expected to have to use those prayers for their own child. When Rosilee Tailing was reaped, her childhood best friend and neighbor, Jasper Kettle was frozen in shock. So much so, the male tribute nearly made it to the stage before he forced himself forward. "I volunteer as tribute!" He knew he had to do everything in his power to protect her.