Salem Lancove; District 4

Salem has always been athletically gifted. He was six feet tall by the age of thirteen and could swim faster than all the kids in his class. His hair is soft and sticks out in almost every direction, tinted a sandy brown color, matching the tan color of his skin. Years of swimming and fishing have given him toned muscles and his bronze skin. His face is also full of freckles. His most impressive feature is his dazzling smile. He can manipulate people and attract girls much more easily if his winning smile is present.

Although it possibly makes him a better swimmer, Salem has abnormally large feet. Shoes are rather hard to come by, so he usually has to have them adjusted or custom made. He has a scar running vertically down the left side of his face, starting at the eyebrow and ending just below his cheekbone. People tend to notice this scar a lot, leaving him a little bit self conscious, although he doesn't show it. Instead he pretends to view it as a symbol of pride.

Salem never has problems making friends. He's considered "cool" around school, and girls have always liked him. But, he's very controlling. He might seem like a somewhat kind guy, but his cold side comes out in plenty of circumstances. Even group projects are a problem, because everything has to go his way, or he can't handle it. Most of the relationships he has been in have ended because of his manipulative nature. He's very good at getting what he wants out of people, including his friends, without them even realizing what he's doing.

Salem is one of those people who puts on a facade - he puts on a fake sense of pride to mask what he truly feels. His home life is horrible, which causes him to try a little too hard to seem like he's "all that." He's very cocky around people, especially those he's met for the first time. However, for the few people who he is truly close to and can trust, he's much more humble and honest. Still, his need for control exists even with them. Salem's close friends know this, and he tries to rid himself of this demanding nature.

Because he is so cocky, Salem has led himself to become quite a talented person. By making himself seem so cool, he started living up to his tales. He doesn't realize it, but he actually strives hard to be all that he can be. An excellent fisher and swimmer, good with words, athletic, witty. He also has quick reflexes and can come up with an excuse or a lie at a moment's notice.

When Salem was only seven years old, he was involved in a horrible fishing accident. His leg had gotten caught in a fishing net and was pulled out of his boat and into the sea. Luckily he didn't drown, but a spear slashed the left side of his face, leaving him blind in his left eye. He still has nightmares about this tragic event, never forgetting the feelings of terror that flushed over him as he plunged into the water.

Apparently fishing accidents run in the family. Salem's father died at sea when his mother was pregnant with him. Rather than grieving her husband's death, Mrs. Lancove turned sour. She forced Salem and his brother, who is only two years older than him, to work to support their family from a very young age. She regularly shouts and smacks her two sons, failing to appreciate them. Salem deeply resents her for it, often leaving the house to sit on the beach alone or with a girl.

Salem has always been an attention-grabbing student in school. He almost always got away with things with his sneaky and manipulative tactics. Every teacher he has ever had remembers him for it. You could say his name to almost any student and they would know of him, both because of this and his athletic prowess. He's a model athlete, gaining envy from other boys and crushes from girls. This, of course, has all gone straight to his head.

My imagination ran a bit dry.