The Fifth Annual Writer Games: The Fall

District Five Female: Maggie Clearbrook [lunatonica]

Name: Maggie Clearbrook

Age: 13

District: 5

Sex: Female

Physical Appearance: Maggie's looks are soft, round; everything about her radiates a sort of gentleness, and her appearance is no exception. Her mother used to cut her hair when she was younger, but she likes it better when it's big, so she lets it grow out naturally. Her skin is mostly a clean slate, but the effects of puberty have not been avoided by her - pimples dot her skin in all of the places she hates the most. But her body is free from the marks of hardship that the adults in her district have. But that's alright! Maybe she'll get some neat scars while she's in the Games. That wouldn't be so bad, right?

Personality: If curiosity killed the cat, Maggie would be long dead. She's never been satisfied by the limits of her District, always dreamed of climbing over the barriers and into the forest. She could never leave, but she's always dreamed of it. Around family, she shows all of the passions of a young girl; the longing for adventure, the playful, innocent flamboyance a child is somehow able to maintain. Around outsiders, she's quite the opposite. Timid, wary and untrustworthy of everyone who surrounds her - everything she does around strangers is careful, calculated. Her mother taught her to think before she moves. Her mother also taught her to never trust anyone. Trust is a certain level of innocence that Maggie has lost, and she's all the better for it.

Background: Maggie was born into a mostly deaf family; her mother, older brother, and grandparents are all fully deaf, as is she. Since birth she's been unable to hear, completely deaf in both ears. She's always considered herself one of the more fortunate ones; her mother says that while many languages were lost in the time Before, her grandparents had retained enough sign language for the family to communicate, at least with each other. Her father, being of hearing, has had to act as a translator between her family and the rest of the District for as long as Maggie can remember, but in recent years they've become secluded, not bothering to communicate with anyone outside of family and friends. Everything Maggie knows, she's been taught by her mother. Her mother taught her to read and write, a valuable skill commonly lost among her peers. Literacy wasn't exactly a priority when the world was falling to pieces around you. Her mother taught her how to be polite, how to find ways to communicate with hearing people, how to cook and clean. The one thing her mother could not teach her was how to survive in the Games. She'll have to figure that part out for herself. But her mother says she's smart, says she learns quickly, so she's not too worried.

Reaped or Volunteered?: Reaped.

Weapon of Choice: Bow and arrow. She doesn't know how to properly use any sort of weapon, but at least a bow allows her to fight from a distance.

Token: Her grandfather's old wristwatch. The glass has long since shattered and the hands no longer move, but the feeling of the worn-out leather on her wrist is a comfort to her.