Clover leaf

Chapter 1
“Clover, wake up” My best friend, Connor, said, chucking one of my many pillows at my head. I groaned and rolled over to look up at him. He smiled down at me. “Morning sleepy head.” He said cheerfully. I rolled my eyes at him and sat up. I stretched and chucked a pillow at him. He caught it before it could touch him. The thing about Connor is that he has, literally, cat-like reflexes. Me, not so much. I stood up and went over to my closet. I found a dark green shirt and light beige trousers and changed into them. Connor looked away, a habit I was grateful that he had developed now that we were older. I looked at the tiny calendar, a rare luxury in district 12, and groaned. Today was the day of the reaping. Every year, as a reminder that the dark days must never be repeated, one girl and one boy were selected from each district to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death with only one victor. This year would be the 100th Quarter Quell, a Hunger Games with an extra rule added to make the tributes lives even more miserable in the arena than usual. This year, the extra rule was that each tribute must take on a partner from another district, after which the female tribute will be ‘adopted’ by that district. It was a reminder that all of those that teamed up to form the rebellion were brought down.

Connor and I headed downstairs silently and slipped out the door. We headed quickly to the chain-link fence that surrounded district 12 and searched for the hole that we normally slipped under. I found it and we crawled under it. I retrieved my small dagger and Connor retrieved his bow and sheath full of arrows. Then we headed out towards a lake that Katniss Everdeen, a former victor of the Hunger Games, showed me before she died of pneumonia. Once we arrived at the lake, I dug through my game bag, which I had packed with a few goodies for breakfast. I pulled out a loaf of bread, a wheel of goat cheese, and some strawberries. I split the treats between the two of us and we ate in silence. When Connor finally broke the silence I was in the middle of chewing a strawberry. “Happy Hunger Games” He said, mimicking our districts escort, Akiera Mackintosh’s, voice exactly. I giggled. “And May the Odds.” I said. “Be ever in your favour” He finished. We both laughed. Then we sobered. “We should get back.” He said. I nodded and we headed back to the fence. I listened for the tell tale sign that the fence was live and heard silence. We crawled back under the fence and made our way back across the meadow.

As soon as I entered the house, my mother, Jane, sent me upstairs to bathe. I took a bath and went into my room. On my bed was a pretty violet and white dress with lace. I put it on and put my hair into its signature half up half down style. Then I went downstairs again to see my mother getting ready to go. She smiled grimly at me.

Connor walked with my mother and I towards the town square where a temporary stage was set up. Akiera and our districts only still living victor, Peeta Mellark, sat onstage with Mayoress Undersee. I said a quick good-bye to Connor and my mother and went off to join the other girls my age. A few of the girls from school smiled at me when they saw me and I soon spotted Connors younger sister, Mina. She took hold of my hand for comfort as the Mayoress started her speech about how, in a place once known as North America, Panem rose from the ashes. She talked about the Dark Days and how, as a reminder that those days must never be repeated, one girl and one boy is selected each year to participate in the annual hunger games. That is when Akiera steps up to the microphone. “We’ll start with the ladies.” She said in her weird capitol accent. She put her hand into the reaping bowl and pull out a name. “Cloverleaf Maple” She said.

At first, I am too confused until a group of peacekeepers pushed me from behind. I walked up slowly and Akiera puts her hand into the males reaping bowl. “Jared Everdeen.” She said. That was Connors younger brother. I watched as Connor stepped forward. “I volunteer as tribute” He said calmly. I stared in horror as he walked up. I threw my arms around him. “Not you too. I can’t lose you.” I said softly in his ear. He hugged me back. A few moments later we were escorted into the justice building.
Chapter 2
As I sat in the visiting room of the justice building, my mother entered alone. She took me in her arms and I felt tears fall onto my hair. “You have to come back” She told me. I nodded, afraid of what would happen if she lost me, like she lost my father. My mother was 18 and so was my father when he got reaped to take part in the games. He was killed in a bloody fight with one of the careers. I know that my mother still mourns for him and, whats worse, her only reminder of him will also be going to her death because of the wretched games. I felt tears stream from my face as the peacekeepers came to take her away. In her place, I was surprised to see Connors family come into the room. Mina threw her arms around me and started to cry. I tried to hold back tears as Connors mother gave me a hug. I noticed that Jared wasn’t there to say good-bye.

Once all of our good-byes were finished, Akiera came to retrieve us, along with Peeta and a few peacekeepers. A car was waiting outside of the justice building for us and I watched in awe as the world flew past us. At the train station there were cameras everywhere. Connor took my hand. “Smile.” He whispered in my ear. I nodded and smiled as we boarded the train. Once we were on the train, Akiera set us free to go to our cabins and get ready for dinner. I went into my room and found that it was even more luxurious than the justice building. I stripped off the dress I was wearing and went into the bathroom. I took a warm shower for the first time. In district 12, there was rarely any hot running water other than what you boiled yourself. It was like standing in a summer rain only warmer and more relaxing against my skin.

I went into the dining hall to find Connor and Peeta enthralled in a conversation. It was clear that they were quickly becoming friends. I sat down next to Connor just as Akiera entered. She smiled at us. I tried to smile back but found it felt more like a grimace. “Eat up. Tomorrows a big, big day.” She said enthusiastically. I grimaced at Connor. He nodded to me. Suddenly, the most delicious and delightful smelling food appeared in front of me. Connor and I ate until we couldn’t eat any more. Then I headed back to my room and changed into a pair of pajamas.

A soft knock on my door in the middle of the night woke me from a nightmare. I had dreamed that I was in the arena and was waiting for the gong to sound when Connor stepped off the platform and was blown to bits. I opened the door to find Connor standing outside my door, safe and in one piece. He came into the room and sat down on my bed. “Couldn’t sleep?” I asked. He nodded. “I also came to give you something that my sister wanted to give to you but didn’t get the chance.” He said, pulling something out of his pocket. He held out his and and dropped something into my hand. It was a necklace with a small clover leaf and maple leaf attached to it. I held it in the palm of my hand, examining it. Then I put it around my neck. The metal was cool against my skin. “I love it.” I said softly. Tears threatened at the edges of my eyes and I blinked them away. Mina was like a younger sister to me. This gift would be a reminder of her when I went into the arena. I hugged Connor and lay back down on my bed. I fell asleep and dreamed about Mina.
Chapter 3 Connor
I awoke from an awful nightmare to find myself still on the wretched train. We had been on the train for a full day and we would be arriving in the capitol soon. I took a shower and put on a pair of black trousers and a white dress shirt. Clover knocked on my door. “It’s time for breakfast. Peeta wants you in the dining hall.” She called through the door. Clover and I have been friends ever since that day I found her in the woods crying over a fight with her mother. She hasn’t had an extremely difficult life but she has had a few hard times. Her father died before she was born. He was 18 and was reaped for a Hunger Games where he died in a bloody fight with a career. I went out into the dining hall and found Peeta, Akiera, and Clover waiting for me. I sat next to Clover as food was served to us. “Alright, we need to start working on stratagy.” Peeta said. “What can you two do?” He asked us. “I can use a bow and arrows for hunting.” I replied. “I can use throwing knives.” Clover replied. Peeta nodded. “Good, I’ve got something to work with.” He said.

We talked about stratagy until the daylight outside the window was replaced with black. Clover rushed to the window and Peeta nodded to me to follow her. I went over to the window and looked out. We were going through the tunnels that led to the capitol. The thought of how much rock was above my head made me feel slightly claustrophobic. I knew Clover felt the same way because she grabbed my hand, a gesture that she only ever made when she was scared. I squeezed her hand in reassurance. Suddenly we were blinded by bright lights. The pictures that I had seen at home on my little beat up tv paled compared to what the capitol actually looked like. As strange looking people saw our train they started to wave and cheer. “Smile” I whispered to Clover. She nodded and put on her best smile. The crowd loved it.

Once we pulled up tp the train station, we were greeted by a huge crowd with lots of cameras taking our picture. We smiled and waved to the crowd. The people of the capitol certainly looked strange. Some had piercings, others had their skin dyed different colours, while others looked so unhuman it was hard not to pity them. We were escorted through the crowds towards the training center which would be our homes until the actual games began in two weeks. This week would be when the tributes were ‘adopted’ by the other districts, then next week would be the opening ceremonies. I followed Akiera towards an elevator that was made of glass and, after she pressed the twelve button, shot up, away from the earth. Clover kept hold of my hand as we stepped off the elevator and onto her, most likely temporary, floor. I was led to a room that was right beside Clovers. She disappeared into her room so I went into mine. The room was even more amazing than the one on the train. At the sound of my voice in a little microphone, I could have any food I wanted. I ordered chicken coated in creamy orange sauce and stuffed with Cranberries and a strange yellow fruit that I later found out was called Pineapple. For desert I ordered some sort of chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. No matter how much I tossed and turned, I couldn’t get comfortable. I finally got up and went over to Clovers room. She was sitting on her bed and looked up as I came in. “Can’t sleep?” She asked. I nodded. She made room for me beside her and I sat down. She played with the maple leaf that hung around her neck. The one that my sister had given her. Then she leaned her head against my shoulder and I felt her tears fall onto my shirt. I put my arm around her shoulder. We sat there for a long time until she eventually fell asleep. I layed her back onto her bed softly and pulled the covers over her. Then I layed down beside her. I’d protect her against the nightmares. I would keep the horrors from hurting her.
Chapter 4 Clover
I woke up to find Connor still there. I looked up at him and smiled. Today would be the first day when the tributes got to interact with each other freely. I went for a quick shower and my hair was blowdryed. Then I put on a nice pair of trousers and a light green shirt. I put my necklace on and went with Connor to breakfast. Akiera was the only person in the dining hall when we entered. She smiled at us. “Good morning. Todays a big, big day” She said cheerfully. I smiled at her. Ham, bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, cereal, and a huge bowl of fruit were set up for us. I took a plate and filled it with fruit. Then I sat down at the table. I ate until I couldn’t eat any more.

Connor and I headed down to the training area, where for the next week, we were expected to socialize with other tributes. The tributes from districts 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 were already there. I looked around at the people around me. They all varied in age. 2 people stood out to me. A girl from district 10 who looked to be about 12 or 13 years old and the boy from district 2 who didn’t look to be older than myself. The girl from 10 struck me because of how much she resembled Mina in that they were the same height and had that same look to them, an innocence of sorts that made you want to protect them.

Once all the tributes had assembled, the instructor, a middle aged woman names Tammy, explained how this would work. The males had one week to pick a female from any district other than his own. When a male picked his partner he must kiss her on the cheek and hug her around her waist. When she released us I went over to the girl from district 10 and introduced myself. She smiled at me and introduced herself as Rose. While we chatted I felt myself relax a little. She lived with her mother and father on a small ranch in district 10 and raised horses. She owned a horse named Chance who she had received for her 8th birthday. I told her about my life and how I helped my mom with her shop in the town square. She suddenly focused on something behind me and I turned to see Connor talking to a group of other tributes. Rose eyed him with longing. “You know that he’s 16 right?” I asked. She nodded. “I can talk to him if you want.” I said. She stared at me in astonishment. “You’d do that for me?” she asked in disbelief. I nodded. “Yes please.” She said.

I was talking with Rose when a strong pair of arms encircled me. I looked back to see the boy from district 2 who had caugh my attention the day before staring back at me. “Hello, Clover. I’m Derrick and I’ve been watching you from afar. You seem like a good choice for a partner.” He said. “Alright. We can be partners on one condition.” I said. “Anything.” He said. “That you leave Rose and Connor alone when we’re in the arena.” I said. “Deal” He said. He kissed me on the cheek and Rose stared at me in astonishment. I stared back at her with the same astonishment.
Chapter 5 Rose
When I walked into the training area, I walked over to Clover, a girl from district 12. She smiled at me. “Good morning Rose” She greeted. “Good morning.” I said. Suddenly a pair of arms encircled me. I turned back to see Clovers fellow tribute from district 12, Connor, stared back at me. “Would you like to be my partner?” He asked. I stared at Clover in astonishment. Then I nodded. Connor kissed me on the cheek and I felt my face grow hot.

At the end of the week, I finally met my stylist. A young man with no other capirol alteration other than the gold eyeliner that highlighted the similar coloured flecks in his green eyes. He smiled at me. That was when three odd looking people burst into the room. My stylist left as my prep team introduced themselves. A woman with light pink skin was Sylvia, the man with dark red curls was Octavian, and a woman with deep indigo hair was Fulvia. They ripped all of the hair off of my body except for the hair on my head. Then they soaked me in a bath of strong smelling liquid that made my skin tingle.

Once I was up to the standards of my stylist, my prep team left and he entered again. “My name is Cinna. Your Rose right?” He asked. I nodded. “I think you’re going to make quite a splash at the opening ceremonies tonight.” He said with a smile at me. I remember that Cinna had been Katniss Everdeen, AKA the girl on fire’s, stylist. She had looked amazing in her opening ceremonies. Hopefully he could make me look that good. He applied some bright orange eyeshadow and light pink powder. Then he unzipped the canvas bag that he had been carrying to reveal a soft gold and red dress that was made of shimmering material. Cinna slipped the dress over my head and zipped me into it. Then he placed a small red crown on my head. “There will be synthetic fire that wil come out of the crown.” He said. I nodded.
Chapter 6 Derrick
My mentor hit the roof when he found out who my partner was. He scolded me for picking a girl from district 12 but I think I made a good choice because she has spirit. I walked down the hallway towards the elevator that would bring me to the second floor of the training center and watched the ground shoot away from me. Once I was on my floor, I went into my room and found Clover sitting on a chair beside the window. “Hey” I said. She turned to look at me. “Why me?” She asked. “Because, I can feel that you’re a fighter.” I replied. She shook her head in disbelief and left my room. I heard her door close loudly and I plopped onto my bed.

I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep until Gavin, my mentor, shook me awake. “Get up, Derrick. Its time for you to meet your prep team and stylist.” He said. I got up and followed him downstairs. Three strange looking people greeted me and led me down a corridoor. One of them, a lady with bright orange hair and red flame tattoo’s on her face, introduced herself as Hermia. They led me into a huge room and began waxing and polishing me. By the time they were done with me, I barely looked like a guy anymore.

My stylist entered the room. She was an outrageous looking woman with ivy covering her entire body. Her name was Ivy and I wondered if her parents named her that or if she changed her name to match the vines. She smiled at me and unzipped a canvas bag. Inside was a suit that sparkled all over. I put it on carefully and looked in the mirror. The light shone off the gems sewn in, making it appear to be made of them. When she was finished with me, we went to meet Clover.
Chapter 7 Clover
The dress my stylist put me in was amazing. It was a beautiful light blue gauzy material covered in blue gems that sparkled in the light. My stylist, Corbin, applied a soft blue powder to my eyes and a pretty pink powder to my cheeks before telling me to spin. He nodded in approval as I twirled a few times. I followed him towards the huge room that held the carriages. Derrick was waiting near one of the carriages that had the number 2 on it and I assumed that that was our carriage. He smiled at me. “You look lovely” He said. I blushed. Connor and Rose came over to us. “Wow, Clover, you look amazing.” Rose gushed. I smiled. She had on a beautiful gold and red dress with a gold crown that was on fire. She looked amazing. “You look amazing too.” I said. She blushed. Just then the announcer came over the speaker and told us to get into our places as the opening ceremonies were about to start. I went back over to my carriage and Derrick helped me up.

When the music started, our carriage started moving. “Smile and wave.” Corbin said in my ear. I turned on my biggest smile and waved to the crowd. They loved us until Connor and Rose came out. Then the camera’s kept going between us and them. I caught a few roses that were thrown to me and actually thoroughly enjoyed myself. When we arrived at the front of the Presidents home, we circled the square once befoe coming to a stop right out front. President Snow Jr. greeted us from her balcony above us and gave her speil about how, to remind us all that the dark days must never be repeated, each district must send a girl and a boy to participate in the annual Hunger Games. When she was finished she wished us all good luck and retreated back into her home. We were taken back to the training center and I went into my room. I stripped off my outfit and washed all of the make-up off of my face. Then I took a shower and put on a nightgown. I flopped on my bed and fell asleep dreaming about home.

I woke up to the sound of my escort, Numbria Delrosario, nocking on the door. “Come on, we’ve got a big, big day of training ahead of us.” She chirped in her odd capitol accent. I got up and went over to the closet. I programmed it for a pair of light beige trousers, a green shirt and a brown tunic. Then I went outside for breakfast. Numbria smiled at me as I filled my plate with rich capitol food. I ate until I just about threw up. Derrick came into the dining hall a few moments after I sat down and filled his plate. What a shame that I’m going to have to kill him soon. I thought.

Once we were finished breakfast, Numbria brought us down to the training area. The other tributes were already there. A middle-aged woman gave us some instructions and layed out the rules. We were not allowed to partake in any physical combat with other tributes and we were not allowed to cause any harm to other tributes. When we were released, I went over to the archery station, where some of the careers were trying to shoot arrows at targets. None of them were very good at it. When they saw me, they smiled and welcomed me. It felt good to have allies.
Chapter 8 Rose
Connor and I headed over to the knot tieing station and he taught me how to tie snares. Once we’d learned all the instructor could teach us we moved on to the edible plants and berries. I aced the test and helped the instructor teach Connor about some of the plants that look similar but could be poisonous. Over the course of the three days we tried all of the stations except for the archery station.

On the final day of training we had our private session where we show the gamemakers our skills and they give us a number between 1 and 12. 1 being the worst and 12 being the absolute best. I sit next to Connor as we waited for our turn. The private sessions went in order by district starting with the boy tribute then going on to the girl tribute. When Connor was called in, I sat alone, twidling my thumbs and thinking about Chance back at home. When I was finally called in, I entered the training area and went over to the slingshot station and set up a few practice dummies. I picked up one of the slingshots and fire a number of items at the dummies, each of the items hitting their targets. Then I went onto the throwing knives station and threw a few of them into the dummies. Hitting each of the target. “Thank you, miss Carterson. You may leave now.” The head gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee said. I nodded and left the training area.

That night, after dinner, we gathered around the tv to see our training scores. Derrick got an 8, Clover got a 9, Mitchel got a 7, Connor got a 10 and I got a 9. Those were pretty good scores. I went back to my room and took a nice hot shower. My hair was washed and rinsed, then it was dried. Once I was finished in the shower I programmed the closet for a soft red nightgown. Then I crawled into the too-soft bed and tossed and turned before finally falling into a restless sleep.
Chapter 9 Connor
I was dreaming. I was in the arena and Clover was beside me. We ran through the forest only to come to a screeching halt when we were confronted by Careers. They attacked us. I tried to protect Clover but got distracted and the next thing I knew, one of the Careers had driven a knife through her heart. I woke screaming. My partner from district 10, Rose, knocked on the door. “Connor? Are you alright?” She asked, opening the door a crack. “Just a nightmare. Go back to sleep” I replied. Rose was only 13, the same age as my sister Mina. I wanted to protect her and keep her safe. I listened as she walked across the hall back to her room and closed the door softly. Then I rolled over and got up. I went over to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. It was just a dream. I told myself, but it was hard to believe because it had seemed so lifelike. I went back to my bed but couldn’t get back to sleep. I had to know that she was alright. Soon. I promised myself.

The next morning my mentor, Peeta, knocked on my door and told me to be in the dining room in ten minutes. I got dressed quickly and headed down the hall. Akiera, Peeta, and Rose were all already there. Today we would be coached by Akiera and Peeta for our interview. I watched as Rose and Akiera went off to work on appearance leaving me with Peeta to work on content. “Take a seat.” He encouraged. I sat down on one of the plush chairs and waited for further instructions. After a while of silence I finally couldn’t stand it any longer. “What?” I asked. “I’m trying to think of the best way to present you. I’m thinking likable or Courageous. Lets try it.” He replied. I nodded.

After a while it was clear that I was good at being Funny and likable. I could easily come up with funny jokes and my answers were sincere. At the end of my session, Peeta looked very pleased. “Now lets hope we can have the same success with Rose” He said quietly before she entered the room. I followed Akiera into my room and she dressed me up in a suit and tie. For 3 hours we worked on posture and how to walk with dignity up to Ceasar. At the end of the four hours my back was killing me from being straight and stiff for so long.

Once we were dismissed for the night, I went straight to my room and took a shower. The hot water felt soothing on my aching back. When I was finished in the shower, hot air blowdried me and I picked out a t-shirt and shorts for pajamas. Then I got into bed. I tossed and turned, thinking of the dream from the night before. I knew I had to check on her but I couldn’t get to her. We were confined to our floor. I cursed the capitol for separating us and forcing us to be partnered with members of the other districts. I hate them. I rolled onto my stomach and burried my face in the goosefeather pillow as tears ran down my cheeks and soaked my pillow.
Chapter 10 Clover
My feet hurt from walking around in 6 inch heals all afternoon. I knew I would have to live with it though. The interviews were tomorrow night and I was bound to have to wear heals again. I went into the dining hall where my new mentor, Gavin was waiting for me. I took a seat across from him and he studied me for a few moments. “I think we will try a sexy and mysterious angle. When answering questions, flirt with the audience and avoid the actual questions. Even if people want to know who you are, don’t let them in. They don’t deserve to know the real you.” He said after a few moments. At first I was shocked by what he said, then it sank in; he didn’t like the capitol any more than I did. He hated seeing these kids die for entertainment. I nodded and gave it a go.

By the end of my session with Gavin, I was pretty impressed with myself. I could be sexy and mysterious. I could dodge questions and flirt with the audience. I would do well in the interview. When I went into my room, a sudden pang of lonliness brought me up short. I wonder how Connor’s doing. I thought. I ploppled down on my bed and tears threaten behind my eyelids. I wouldn’t cry. That’s what I kept telling myself until I finally gave in and cried my eyes out.

I don’t know when he came in, but sometime during my crying Derrick had snuck in and sat down beside me. “It’s gonna be alright. You’ll see.” He soothed. “No it’s not. 24 of us are going into the arena and only one of us is coming out. You can basically guarentee that I’m never going to see my best friend ever again.” I sobbed. He put his arm around me as I cried. I finally managed to cry myself to sleep.

The next morning, I was shaken awake by one of the members of my prep team. She had bright pink, red, orange, blue, and yellow hair that stuck out at odd angles. I was taken into the bathroom where I was bathed in a strong smelling lotion that made my skin tingle and was waxed. All the hair that had grown in over the last week was ripped out, leaving my skin feeling tender. Then they erased my face and drew my features back out using eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, and lipstick. When they were finished with me, I hardly recognized the girl in the mirror. I looked mysterious. My eyes were shaded and my hair hung in soft ringlettes down my back.

My stylist, Corbin, entered with a canvas bag and a shoe box. He unzipped the canvas bag and told me to turn away from him. “Close your eyes and lift up your arms” He said. I did as I was told and he slipped the outfit over my head. “Okay you can open your eyes.” He said. I opened my eyes and stared at the girl in the mirror. She looked sexy and mysterious. I found it hard to believe that it was me. It was a beautiful strapless blue shimmery dress that was slightly see through and went to just above my knees. I stepped into a pair of matching heels that were lower than the ones Numbria had had me practice in. For this I was grateful because I would have surely fallen in those heels. “Spin for me” Corbin said. I twirled a few times and he gave me an approving nod. “Perfect” He said.
Chapter 11 Rose
My feet hurt from walking in heels during my time with Akiera. She taught me how to walk and sit properly and about good posture. For four hours, she forced me to walk around and sit with 6 inch heels on. It was insane. When my four hours with her were up, I almost cried in relief. I walked down the hall towards the dining hall where Peeta was waiting. He smiled at me as I sat down across from him. “What shall we do with you? I was thinking of having you act sweet and innocent for the audience but I wasn’t sure if you would like it.” He said. “I think that’s a great Idea” I said enthusiastically. He smiled at me. “Alright lets try it” He said. I nodded.

The next morning I woke to find my prep team waiting in my room for me. I was soaked in a bath of exotic smelling oil and my hair was washed and conditioned until it shone. Then my prep team left, leaving me in Cinna’s highly capable hands. He came in with a canvas bag and a shoebox. He unzipped the canvas bag and pulled out a beautiful soft red gown with touches of gold added to it. He slipped the material over my head and brushed my hair into soft ringlettes down my back. “Look in the mirror.” He instructed. I obeyed and gasped at the sight of the girl staring back at me. She looked dazzling, but soft and sweet. I turned to Cinna and gave him a hug. “Thank you, its amazing.” I said. He hugged me back then led me to where the interviews would take place.

The theatre that would hold the interviews was huge. On stage, twenty-four chairs were set up in a semi-circle, starting with district 1 on the right and district 12 on the left. I watched from backstage as Ceasar Flickerman, the host, introduced himself and told a few jokes before welcoming the tributes. I followed Connor and took my seat beside him. He wore a pair of black dress pants with a soft red and gold dress shirt. He looked very handsome. “Good luck” He whispered in my ear. I nodded. “You too” I said. He smiled. “All right, ladies and gentlemen, lets get this show on the road.” Ceasar said. He called up first the boy, than the girl from each district. As soon as I saw Clover, I knew what angle her mentor was going for; Sexy and mysterious. She dodged questions and flirted with the audience.

When I was finally called up, I walked up and took a seat across from Ceasar. He shook my hand and admired my outfit for a few moments before getting down to it. “So, Rosalina, is there anyone back at home you want to send a shout out to?” He asked. “My sister, Katerina who raised me after our parents were killed in a barn fire.” I replied. Ceasar wiped a tear from his eye. “That’s just absolutely tragic.” He said, patting me on the back. “Your costume is amazing. Why don’t you spin for us” He said once he’d composed himself. I smiled and twirled a few times, letting the audience see the beautiful gown Cinna had designed for me. They oohed and awed as I spun. Then the bell rang, signalling the end of my alotted time. I sat back down next to Connor and he winked at me. “Good job” He said. I smiled.
Chapter 12 Clover
I went back up to my room after the interview and stripped out of my gown. I layed it carefully over the back of a chair and took off the heals. Then I went straight to the bathroom and washed the make-up from my face. After I looked like myself again, I went over to the closet and put on a pair of pajamas. I crawled under the covers and replayed the events from the day. The interview had gone smoothly as Numbria and Gavin had predicted. Rose had looked amazing and had played up the innocent and sweet act. Connor had been a bit more serious, playing strong and clever. He’d worn black dress pants and a soft red and gold dress shirt. /He looked hot/ the thought brought me up short. I had never seen Connor as more than a friend. If we started a family, there was a risk of our children going into the games, and that was a risk I couldn’t take. I finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke to Corbin shaking me awake. He handed me a shift and led me out onto the roof. A hovercraft was waiting for us. A ladder dropped down and I grabbed onto it. An electric current immediately paralized me as I was lifted onto the hovercraft. Once safely onboard, a woman in a white jacket and a syringe approached me. She jabbed the syringe into my forarm and injected the small tracking device well below the surface of my skin. Then the electric current stopped and I was able to move again. I sat down next to Corbin and watched the training center grow small as we flew up. We flew for about 15 minutes before the windows blacked out, suggesting that we were nearing the arena. When the craft landed, we were lowered into a black tube into the launch room. A room that would only be used once. I ate breakfast and showered. Then Corbin helped me into the outfit that we would wear in the arena. A pair of black trousers, a black t-shirt, a black tunic, and a pair of sturdy black hiking boots. He did my hair in its signature ringlettes then I put on the black heat reflecting jacket. We sat on a couch while we waited for the call to prepare for launch. We didn’t speak for a few moments then Corbin lifted me into a huge hug. “Good luck out there. I’m not allowed to place a bet but if I could, my money would be on you. Remember what Gavin told you, clear out of there as fast as you can. Don’t worry about Derrick, he’ll be fine.” He said. I nodded. Then a pleasant womans voice came over the speakers and told us to get ready for launch. I stepped onto the metal plate as butterflies fluttered in my stomach. A glass tube dropped down over me and Corbin gave me a sad smile before I was lifted into darkness.

When I was lifted into the arena, I was awed and horrified by the arena. It was split into four different pieces: A tropical jungle, a pine forest, a dessert, and mountains with waterfalls. The place was beautiful. “Let the 100th Hunger Games begin” Claudius Templesmith boomed. Technically we weren’t allowed to go for 60 seconds. Step off your plate before the sixty seconds are up and land mines blow you to bits. I looked around at the giant cornucopia and saw all of the essential items we would need in order to survive as well as weapons all stacked inside the golden horn.When the gong sounded, I sprinted to the cornucopia, grabbed a backpack, some throwing knives, and a dart gun and sprinted off towards the pine forest. I kept running until I was well away from the bloodbath, then I slowed to a light jog. The cameras would not be focused on me because the bloodbath at the cornucopia would be more interesting.

When I finally stopped for the night, I became aware that I had someone on my tail. I looked around and spotted Derrick behind a tree. “Why didn’t you stay with the other carreers? I thought you guys were allies” I said in disbelief. He shook his head and came to sit beside me. I opened up the pack and started sorting through it. Inside were 2 big packages of dried meat, a full water bottle, a first aid kit, and a warm blanket. Derrick carried another backpack that contained some dried fruit, a package of crackers, a water bottle, and an extra pair of socks. He also carried a sword and a net of some kind. “We need to get up high, just in case the others decide to hunt us down tonight” I said. He shook his head. “They made a promise to leave us alone until there are only a handful of us left. We’ll be safe until then.” He said, soundng confident. Despite this, I climbed a tree and settled down for the night. The anthem played and 10 faces appeared. I was relieved to find that Rose and Connor had survived the first day. When the anthem ended and the sky went dark I called down to Derrick. “Come on up, I’ve found a branch that you should be able to get to and it should support your weight” I called. He nodded and began climbing slowly. When he reached my branch, I wriggled over and let him under the blanket. I fell asleep cocooned in his arms.
Chapter 13 Connor
I ran alongside Rose away from the cornucopia towards the tropical rainforest. Once we entered the tree’s we slowed to a steady jog. She kept pace pretty well for her size. I carried a bow and a quiver of arrows from the Cornucopia while she had a small dagger. We both also carried backpacks. We kept running until we were sure the carreers would not be able to find us. Then we stopped. Rose was bleeding from a cut on her right shoulder and blood oozed out of a wound above my left eye where one of the carreers cut me. Hot afternoon sun baked us as we tried to cool down. I opened my backpack and was relieved to find a full water skin. I took a drink then I offered it to Rose. She drank a few sips before handing it back. I sat down in the shade of one of the trees that had a whole bunch of vines growing out of it. Rose sat down beside me and dug around in her backpack before producing a first aid kit. Inside were bandages, fever pills, and some medicine for shock. She wrapped the wound above my eye, then I wrapped up her shoulder. The canons started to fire. I counted 10 shots before the arena was once again silent. The bloodbath was over.

A soft buzzing sound roused me from a light sleep. I looked around for the source of the noise and spotted something that frightened me more than anything. A tracker jacker nest. They were a capitol creation used during the dark days. They were called tracker jackers because they would track anyone that disturbed their nest and would not give up until they found their target. I quietly woke Rose and pointed out the nest. She nodded to me and we packed up swiftly. Then we took off in the direction of the pine forest. Luckily the trackers had not seen us.

We continued running until we came to a clearing that seperated the jungle from the pine forest. I stopped just inside the trees and looked around for a few moments. I listened for any sounds of other tributes and when I felt it was safe, I beckoned Rose to join me. We sprinted across the open ground to the safety of the trees. Once under cover, we headed north until the sky began to darken. Then we settled down in a tall tree. The anthem played above us and reported that their had been no deaths today. We fell asleep to the soft sound of insects.
Chapter 14 Clover
I woke to the sound of soft footsteps below me. I blinked open my eyes and stared down below me. I spotted Connor leading Rose. I woke Derrick and whistled Connor and my’s meeting call. Connors head snapped up and he looked around. I called again and his eyes came to rest on me. He stopped and nudged Rose, who’s eyes met mine and we smiled at each other. I climbed down and heard a soft thump behind me as Derrick landed. “Do you guys want to team up?” Connor asked. Derrick looked at me questioningly. “Sure” Derrick replied. I nodded. We packed up our things and took off.

We kept running until, suddenly, smoke filled the air. I heard a whistling sound and a fireball flew past me. Rose screamed as the tree next to her went up in flames. “Run” I cried. We took off away from the flames. One of the fireballs flew past my face and burned my right cheek. Whenever we stopped for a moment and thought it was over there would always be another wave. Finally, after about an hour of running, the fireballs stopped completely. We stopped and I vomited up ash and whatever was left in my stomach. I looked around and inspected the injuries. Rose had a severe burn on her calf and a minor burn on her arm. Connor had a minor burn on his chest, and Derrick had a few minor burns. I dug inside the first aid kit but couldn’t find anything that would help. The burn on my cheek felt numb and the skin felt tender. I hoped I hadn’t permenantly damaged anything. Suddenly, a silver parachute floated down and landed beside me. I opened the tube and pulled out a a bottle of something that looked gross. I opened it and tested it on my burn. Instant relief washed through me. Connor looked over at me questioningly. “Burn medicine” I said. “Thank you” I said to the sky. I applied some to Rose while Connor and Derrick helped each other apply the medicine. Then we continued on our way.

After about twenty minutes of walking, I noticed that we were getting closer to the cornucopia. I saw flashes of gold as we walked. Suddenly Connor stopped and motioned for us to get down. I crouched beside Derrick behind a bush of blueberries and peeked out. From there I could see the carreers camp beside the cornucopia. The camp was guarded by the tributes from district 4. I looked to Connor, who was crouched beside Rose behind a bush of nightlock, for what to do next. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rose reach out to the berries and pick one. She was about to eat it when Connor elbowed her. “Don’t eat those, those are nightlock. They’ll kill you before they reach your stomach.” He said softly. She dropped the berries and looked at Connor in fear that she had almost killed herself. That’s when I got an idea. “Connor, pick some of those berries, if Rose almost ate them by mistake, then maybe we can use them to fool the carreers.” I said softly. He nodded. He took out a little pouch from his pack and filled it with the deadly berries.
Chapter 15 Rose
I stared fearfully at the berries that I had almost eaten. They looked almost exactly like blueberries. I dropped the berries and kicked them away with my boot. Connor picked a few of the berries and put them into a pouch. Then he stood up. I stayed in my crouch until he tapped my shoulder. The carreers were gone from their camp, leaving a pile of supplies unprotected. We carefully entered the clearing, watching for signs of the carreers returning. They didn’t make an appearance. “You guys stay here, since I’m the smallest, I’ll be the fastest to get the supplies and get out.” I said. Clover looked at me with concern. “Let her go.” Connor said after a few moments. I nodded and carefully went over to the pile of supplies. I took a little bit of everything to keep the carreers from getting suspicious and ran back to where the others were waiting. They nodded approvingly before we headed off again.

The sound of footsteps woke me the next morning. I sat up in alarm and shook Clover awake. She blinked open her eyes and stared up at me. “Keep your voice quiet” I said softly. She nodded. “Whats going on?” She asked in a hushed voice. “Listen, footsteps” I replied softly. She listened and nodded. “The carreers, I think. They must be hunting.” She said quietly. I nodded. Derrick and Connor were both awake and were listening to the footsteps. Suddenly, four carreers bursted through the tree’s. I lept to my feet and drew my dagger. One of the carreers, a girl from district 1, grabbed me from behind. I thrust my dagger back and stabbed her in the stomach. She let out a startled cry and let go of me. I turned on her but she was now ready. I ran at her with my dagger and she met me with her sword. We clashed for a few moments before she knocked me to the ground. She pinned me under her and smiled wickedly down at me. I screamed but the others were too far away to hear. “Scream all you want, your allies are too far away to hear you. And trust me, you won’t be screaming for long.” She said. She took out a small knife and sliced across my mouth. I tasted blood on my toung. I closed my eyes as she continued to cut. Pain filled my every breath until finally she grew tired of the game she played and, in one swift motion, she slit my throat and the world went dark.
Chapter 16 Clover
A canon fired and fear washed through me. My first instinct was that Rose was dead, but my heart refused to believe it. The carreers had separated us. I fought against a girl from district 4 and managed to kill her. Her canon sounded and the other carreers retreated. Connor, Derrick, and I had been good fighting partners. I raced through the forest to where the girl from district 1 was standing victoriously over a blood covered Rose. Rage filled me and with a cry, I slammed into her and knocked her to the ground. She cried out in shock as I buried a dagger in her chest. This mortally wounded her but it didn’t kill her. I retrieved my dagger and slit her throat. Her cannon fired and I pushed her away in disgust. I rushed over to where Rose lay motionless and tears ran down my face. Suddenly, I saw her standing in front of me as she had been in the training center; happy and worry free. Startled, I looked over at Connor and saw that he couldn’t see Rose standing there. Was I going crazy? A moment later, Rose disappeared.

A canon woke me from a restless sleep. I looked around and spotted a hovercraft not far from us pick up a tribute. Another tribute dead. There were only 4 of us left. The gamemakers had left us alone for most of the games but now, we would be in for some sort of show. Mutts, fire, anything to drive us together and force us to fight. Suddenly the trumpets blared across the arena and Claudius Templesmith came over the speakers. “Congratulations tributes on making it this far. There has been a rule change. If two people from the same alligiance are the last two standing, they will both be crowned victor.” He boomed. He repeated the rule change and it sunk in. Connor and I could both win this. He hugged me tightly as the news sunk in for him. “We can both go home” He whispered in my ear. I nodded as joy filled me.

“There are only three of us left” I said. Connor nodded. Just us and the boy from district 1. “We have to hunt him down” he said. I nodded and we took off. I kept looking around for anymore spirits and spotted Rose running with us. She smiled and laughed as we ran. Her voice bringing tears to my eyes. When Connor and I stopped, we drank some water and ate a bit of the food that was still left. Suddenly, a branch broke behind us and I spun on my heal. The boy from district 1 stood there with a sword at his side. Then he lunged at us.
Chapter 17 Connor
I loaded my bow and shot an arrow at the boy as he ran towards us. The arrow pierced his heart and he collapsed into a pool of blood. The final canon fired and Claudius Templesmith came over the speaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Connor Everdeen and Cloverleaf Maple. Victors of the 100th Hunger Games” He boomed. Cheers filled the arena as the reaction in the Capitol was played live. A hovercraft materialized above us and a ladder dropped down. I held Clover and grabbed on. I was instantly paralized by an electric current and lifted onto the hovercraft.

Once onboard, we were put into separate rooms. I could hear Clover screaming for me as they put her into a room. Her cries were terrible and it took all of my will not to do the same. Why were they seperating us after all this time? It didn’t make sense. A woman came into my room and put a glass next to me. It contained a clear liquid with a small umbrella sticking out of it. It looked too perfect for me, with my dirty hands. I suddenly felt a sharp poke in my side and I blacked out.

I came too in one of the Capitol hospitals. Tubes attatched me to monitors that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the meaning of. I stared down at my hands to find that they were smooth and scar-free. I reached up with the hand that wasn’t attatched to any tubes and felt my forehead for the scar from when I got burned when I was nine. The skin where it should have been was completely smooth. A nurse came in with a tray and placed it over the bed. She raised it so that I could eat. The tray had a bowl full of watery soup, a bread roll, and some medication on it. I ate slowly, allowing my body to digest. When I was done, I rang a bell and an Avox girl came in to collect the tray. She looked very sad and I wondered for a moment why. “Is She alright?” I asked. The Avox nodded. Clover was safe, for now.
Chapter 18 Clover
I screamed for Connor as they seperated us. They couldn’t do this to us, not after all we had been through. The spirits of the other tributes piled around me, threatening to suffocate me. Many of them wanted revenge, while others, like Rose, just wanted to say good-bye. I couldn’t stand to see them. “Get away. Go. Stay away from me” I cried at them. Many of them obeyed but a few, like the girl from district 1 who I had killed, lingered. She scowled at me before disappearing. I knew then that she would be one of the spirits that stayed with me. I turned to Rose and saw her smile before a woman from the Capitol walked through her and she disappeared. The woman placed a cup next to me full of clear liquid. I didn’t trust it. Suddenly something sharp was poked into me and the world went dark

I awoke in a stark white room with tubes sticking out of my right arm. The tubes attached me to a whole bunch of monitors. I lifted my left arm to inspect and found that all of the scars from the games and before were gone, erased completely. I felt my face and found that all of the imperfections were gone like the mole under my nose. My arms were restrained and I assumed it was from all the thrashing I tended to do when I had a nightmare. Rose’s spirit stood off to the side of me, her hands brushing through my hair softly. Her lips moved but I couldn’t understand what she said. As I blacked out again, I finally heard “I’ll never leave you”.

I came to a few times after that and each time I looked better. Finally I came too without any tubes attatched to me and I was free to move around. I expected my legs to be rubbery but they were healthy and strong. I walked down the hallway and was met by Peeta. He smiled at me. “Good to see you awake.” He said warmly. “Where’s Connor?” I asked. “The gamemakers think that it would be a good idea for you two to be reunited on the night of the interview. Until then, I’ve been instructed to keep you two apart.” He replied. I sighed. “He’s alright though, right?” I asked. He nodded. I walked back to my room and found my prep team waiting for me. They ran at me and I was pulled into a huge group hug. Saphrina, a woman with deep red curls, gushed about the games as she began filing my nails into perect ovals. Octavian, a man with purple skin, went to work on applying white powder on my face. Stephanie, the most normal looking of the three, went to work on my hair. All the while, they chatted about what they had been doing when each event happened and their reactions. I tuned them out so that I wouldn’t hate them. Of course they didn’t care about the children who died in the games. They were raised on them and that was what they were taught.

When my prep team was finished, Corbin entered the room. I threw my arms around him and he embraced me tightly. “Hows my little star?” He asked. “I think I’m a bit damaged mentally but other than that I’m fine.” I replied honestly. He nodded. He unzipped a canvas bag and revealed a beautiful golden dress that sparkled in the fading sunlight. He slipped it over my head and did it up in the back. Then he helped me into a pair of golden heals. When I looked in the mirror, I hardly recognized the girl staring back at me. She was living gold. With her dress shimmering in the sunlight and the make-up giving her a beautiful aura. “Twirl for me” He instructed. I twirled and set sparkling spots of light reflecting on the wall. “Perfect. Come on, the world of Panems waiting for you” He said.
Chapter 19 Connor
I followed my stylist, Jessabelle, down below the training center to the stage that we had had our interviews with Ceasar the night before going into the arena. I was taken below the stage where a wooden platform had been created so that I rose out of the floor. The anthem began playing and soon I was lifted onto the stage. The audience went insane but my eyes were only on Clover. She looked stunning in a beautiful golden dress that sparkled in the light. She ran into my arms and I embraced her tightly. It took Ceasar a few minutes to separate us but I now knew that she was safe. We sat down on the loveseat and Clover kicked her heals off. She tucked her feet under her and leaned against me.

Every year the recap of the games has a theme. This years theme was a love story. I watched as they zoomed in on the Bloodbath the first day and offered commentary. It was like watching strangers in another hunger games. It began from the perspective of a tribute as he rose from beneath the arena and looked around at what was around him. Then it cut to images of the initial bloodbath. 8 tributes died. They showed our fight with the carreers. First Derrick throwing himself infront of Clover to protect her and then Rose’s death. Clovers tears streamed down my suit as she cried for both of them. When the show was over I felt relief flood through me.

I went back to my room and stripped off my suit. Then I headed to the washroom and took a hot shower. When I was done, I put on a light green shirt and matching trousers before I sat down on my bed. I heard a soft knock at my door and went over to open it. Clover stood in the doorway, her face blotchy and red from crying. I put my arm around her and walked her over to the bed. She sat down and I let her cry it out. I felt tears threatening in my eyes and I blinked to clear them. I tried to soothe her but after a while I just let her cry. She needed this, to let it all out. When she is finished, her voice is groggy. “Connor, don’t leave me please” She said in a hoarse whisper. I nodded. Her eyes closed and after a few moments she was asleep. I layed her on the bed softly, careful not to wake her up. Then I went into the bathroom and wet a washcloth. I put it on her forehead to clean away the tears.
Chapter 20 Clover
I awoke in Connors room in the training center but Connor was not there. I heard the shower on in the other room and assumed he was taking a shower. Rose stood at my bedside, staring at me with a sad expression. I knew she had wanted to live. She had been there with me at the recaps the night before and I had watched silent tears stream down her face when they showed her death. I felt a wave of sorrow wash through me as I realized how young she actually was. She was only about 13 years old. I heard the water turn off and Connor came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. “Hey, good to see you awake.” He said. I smiled sadly at him. “Tonight, after the interviews, we can go home” He said enthusiastically. I nodded, feeling slightly happier.

Corbin pulled a soft green dress over my head and latched my necklace for me. The clover leaf and maple leaf hung on it and rested against my skin. I looked in the full length mirror and saw that I looked beautiful. The dress matched my name completely. I looked like a lucky clover. The accents of the dress were soft maple leaf red. I wore my hair down and on my feet were simple green flats.

I followed my stylist down below of the training center to a small room that had been prepared for the interviews. Rose petals were spread all over the place with a soft red loveseat for Connor and I. Ceasar Flickerman smiled at me as I entered. I sat down on the loveseat beside Connor and kicked off my shoes. I tucked my feet under me and Connor put his arm around me. “We’re on in five, four, three, two, one. Your live.” Said the cameraman. Ceasar welcomes the audience with a few jokes before getting down to business. We didn’t have a live audience but everyone in Panem could see us. It would be mandatory viewing. “So, Connor, what are your thoughts about being able to go home?” He asked. “Well, Ceasar, I’m looking forward to being able to see my younger sister, Mina, and I can hardly wait to see my family.” Connor replied. “I see. Clover, who do you miss the most back home?” Ceasar asked me. “My mother Jane, and Mina.” I replied. “Mina’s like a little sister to me and I promised her I would come back.” I continued. Ceasar nodded. “Well you upheld your promise” He said. I nodded.

When the interviews were done, we were taken back to our rooms for the final night. The next morning we would be taken to the train station and would be on our way home. I stripped off the dress and layed it out on the bed. Then I went into the washroom and programmed the shower for strawberry scented shampoo and soap and let the hot water wash away all my fears. When I stepped out of the shower, Rose’s spirit scared the bejesus out of me. “Rose, don’t do that.” I said. She smiled and made the motion as if she were laughing but no sound came from her. I was blowdried and my hair was detangled before I went back into the room.