The Writer Games | Once In A Lifetime & World Edition

District Twelve Female: Cobalt Jennings

"I always  love to see a new tribute join us... We never know what they'll be like,  or what they've got up their sleeves." -FIllius Ravenscar

Name: Cobalt Jennings

Age: 16

Gender: Female

District: 12

Physical Description:  about 5' 8", long red hair typically kept in a braided bun at the nape  of her neck, paleish skin, blue eyes, strong for a girl

Personality: Enjoys  life, she doesn't care what others think of her and is always herself.  She's smart in math and science, but has little street smarts

Craft: works in the nuclear engineering department

Skills: able to make things will little at hand

Weapon of Choice: doesn't matter, she can usually make what she needs out of anything

Token: A silver anklet her older brother gave her before he went to work in the capital

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

District Thirteen: Cobalt Jennings

"Cobalt, look at me,"  his voice is serious. I slowly look him in the eyes, he's got the same  blue eyes at me. "I'll come back and visit. I know you and I are close,  but I have to do this. If I don't I'll never get out of this hell hole."

"Indium! I don't want  you to go, you're my best friend, the only person I trust to tell  anything. I cant really tell Mercury anything she's a baby, and Thallium  blurts out everything. I can't trust her, the way I can trust you."

"I know I'm your only  brother, and your only older sibling. I need you to stay here and help  mom with the dress shop. Dad's gone now, and I have to go away to make a  living. I'll come back soon!"

**

I startle awake. Those  were the best words I'd heard that day, but I haven't seen him since.  I'm afraid that something has happened to him. I was 11 that year, and  he was 19. Five years ago, that was the one reaping when my mother  didn't have one of her children's names in that glass bowl.

I'm sixteen now,  Thallium is 12, and Mercury is 5. I get up and go make breakfast. Eggs,  toast, sausage, and orange juice. I know that mom has been up, dressed,  and left for the dress shop so those last minute Reaping dress shoppers  can get their dress.

"Thallium! Come on! Grab  your sister and come eat!" I hear her roll out of bed and get Mercury.  They stumble into the kitchen and sit down.

"What am I going to wear today?" Thallium asks, making sure Mercury is ready to eat, and then sits.

"You are going to wear  my old reaping dress, my first one. I am going to wear the newest one  that mom's made. I'm going to go get ready, make sure Mercury eats and  then go get her dressed. I'll watch her while you're getting ready." I  rush out of the room, toast in my mouth. When I reach the bathroom I  shower, get dressed, and brush my hair. I let the long girls hang around  my shoulders. It ends around midback. I put the little amount of makeup  we own on, gold eye shadow, black eye liner under the eye, and mascara.  It's not much, but more than I normally have. My dress is a short knee  length blue strapless thing.

When I'm done I head to the kitchen where Mercury sits in a blue dress. "Your turn Thallium."

It's not too long before  she comes back wearing the first dress I ever wore, a light, rose pink  dress. We run out of the house, knowing that mom will meet us at the  square.

I pick Mercury up, and  scan the growing crowd for her. I find her. "Thallium, stay here, I'll  be back in a minute," I run to mom and place my littlest sister in her  arms. I run back to Thallium where she waits where I told her to. "Come  on," I take her to the sign in table where she and I do the exact same  thing. Wait while they take our names and check that we're really us.  We're separated, and I lose sight of her. The sixteen year old boys and  girls are right next to each other, but roped off and on opposite sides  of the square, with a walking path in between. Ren is nearest the  middle, as am I. We know not to talk.

I think back to my  horrific dream I had this morning. It's not long before the sounds  around me fade and I'm transported back to that day.

I watch him board the  train. He had gotten a job offering in the capital to build weapons. I  knew we needed the money, but since then we haven't seen a penny. He  turns back to me. "Cobalt, you're my sister, and because I don't want  you to forget me, though I doubt you would, I got you this," he hands me  a small chain too big for my wrist, but too small for my neck.

"It's an anklet. I figured it wouldn't get broken as easily." He places it in my hand, then turns and disappears on the train

**

"Ladies first!" the  woman puts her hand in glass bowl, and I tense, thinking my sister is  going to get pulled. "Cobalt Jennings!" I stumble on stage.

"Next, gentlemen!" her hand plunges into the next bowl. She snatches a paper, and reads it. "Ren Kishan!"

I almost fall off the  stage. My best friend since forever is now going into the arena with me.  He's a huge target, and so am I, so our chances of winning, not very  good.