Iben Sheffer, District 8

Iben is tall for a 13 year-old – she’s almost 1.65 cm tall. Her hair is long and naturally straightened and is a cold, blonde colour. She doesn’t have a particular haircut, but Iben is careful with never having it the same style two days in a row. One day it can be curly, the next in a ponytail. Her blue/grey eyes are framed by dark eyelashes and untidy brows. She has “piano hands” (long fingers), which is useful when she’s working shifts on a factory after school. Iben’s lips are plump and in a nude colour.

Her skinny body is not yet curvy; her chest is flat and the body straight. Despite her skinny arms and legs, she’s quite a runner, and is the fastest girl in class. Her skin is pale, and she constantly has blue marks under her eyes, caused of her lack of sleep. Iben rarely smiles, and her face characterized by seriousness. The few times she smiles you wouldn’t recognize her. Her whole face smiles, and if you look closely, you’ll notice dimples in both corners of her mouth.

Her dutifull personality makes Iben a typical ‘good girl’. Her grades are exceptional, and she does whatever an autorized person tells her to. Her need to do what people say makes her insecure of herself. Can she make any choices on her own? Iben is quite pleased. When she’s around people she manages to forget her past, though she’s not encircled by happiness. She tries not to attach to other people, but she finds it hard not to love the people she enjoys hanging out with.

Iben is the girl who’s joking about everything, especially insults. Her way to say hello is “you look awful.” She always keeps her serious mask, even when she’s joking. Luckily, her friends know she never means what she says. Iben is careful with saying what she truly thinks. This is because of her horror of authorities.

Sometimes Iben’s struggle of being the best seems desperate. She is a competitive person, and hates being the next best. She wants her parents to be impressed and proud of her, because she feels like she’s never been loved. Also, she’s a perfectionist. The old, untuned piano in the attic helps Iben express her emotions.

Iben grew up with both her parents and two elder brothers. With her parents both working full time at a factory making fabric for Capitol-use, her brothers had to take care of Iben. Her parents could not afford enough food for the whole family, so the oldest brother was forced to steal food. One day he was caught in action, and the peacekeepers whipped him to death. Her brother’s death made Iben careful and protective, especially when it comes to do things forbidden at law.

Her parents grief over her brother, made them neglect Iben in the age of five. To her, it doesn’t seem like they care about her and that she’s only a burden, almost like she was responsible for her brother’s death. Her brother moving with his wife two years ago was devastating to her. Luckily she had many good friends whom she considers family.

When Iben started at school, she had trouble finding friends. She got along with her classmates, but didn't want to bond to them. The only person she felt she could trust was her brother. Besides, she couldn't bare being neglected again. Getting older, her confidence grew, mainly because of her good grades. When she finally dared, she got many friends who she trust.