Written by Iridescent Bookworm

Glimmer's Story

(A/N: In my version District Four isn't a Career District.)

Glimmer's fists clenched as she stood on the metal plates under the Cornucopia. Her knees wobbled uncontrollably. She forced herself to stop moving. The slightest change of movement could blow her to bits; it didn't take much pressure to set the landmines off.

Now she stood as still as a statue but her heart was beating erratically.

'You shouldn't be scared Glimmer, you should be feared. You're a Career Tribute. The victor's crown is practically on your head.' Glimmer assured herself of this confidently. After all, she was only the most popular girl in District One. Who wouldn't sponsor her? She already had five modeling offers set up for her in the Capitol.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!" Claudius Templesmith shouted.

Glimmer could practically hear the cheers from the sponsors. Surely they were already making offerings to Cashmere, her mentor and close friend. One day she was going to be in the Capitol cheering with a huge bag of popcorn. The Hunger Games were a mere obstacle.

The gong rang out and Glimmer ran like lightning to her fellow Career Tributes. When Glimmer looked down, she already had bow and arrows in her hands. They weren't as well made as she was used to, and they certainly weren't as powerful looking as a spear, but they could work.

When she looked up, the boy from District Four was shaking like a leaf. He knew at that very second he was going to die, that she was going to kill him. He closed his eyes as she shot an arrow into his heart. She watched gleefully as he slumped to the ground, dead.

'One down.'

Blood was everywhere, splattering down on the tributes as if it were rain. Clove and Cato, the tributes from District Two, collected supplies of food while killing some poor souls along the way. Marvel, the male tribute from Glimmer's district managed to collect several different kinds of knives and a spear.

Several bodies lay on the ground when the Careers decided to clear out.

Cato and Clove's hands were stained with blood. Glimmer smiled to herself noticing this. The Careers were fairly superior to the other tributes. They trained all of their lives. Next to the Capitol, they had the finest of everything. It would take two days maximum before all the other tributes from poorer districts were cleared out.

As the Career's walked through the woods to set up camp their irritation with each other grew.

Clove eyed Marvel sharply. "I want your knives," she remarked coldly.

Glimmer couldn't help but smirk to herself. There was no way Marvel was going to listen to her. Marvel was the toughest guy in District One. If Glimmer wasn't going to win, he surely would.

"No way! If you want the knives you fight for them like a big girl."

"Clove can throw knives. I've been training with her for the past eight years; she never missed a target." Cato put in, giving Clove a secretive smile.

"I don't care! I'm older and stronger then you Clove!"

"I've killed more tributes then you in the bloodbath! I killed four and Cato killed four. How many tributes did you kill today Marvel?"

"Two." Marvel snarled, handing her his collection of knives. "How many tributes did you kill Glimmer?" He asked curiously.

"I killed one tribute." Glimmer mumbled, suddenly interested in her shoes.

The hideous sound of laughter burst Glimmer's eardrums.

"One tribute?" Clove snickered in disbelief.

"How many years have you been training?" Cato asked.

Even Marvel, the one person Glimmer truly trusted, laughed with Cato and Clove.

"It won't be one tribute I killed much longer if you don't keep your mouths shut." Glimmer hissed.

Glimmer straightened her fishtail braids with her fingers and sat down. Just then she smelled the smoke spiraling through the air. The unnatural light in the middle of the forest meant that someone was lighting a fire.

"There's a tribute nearby!" Glimmer yelled.

Just as the Careers started to run, Glimmer bumped into a boy with ash blond hair. Glimmer recognized him from the interviews the night before. He was the boy from District Twelve who admitted his passionate love for Katniss, also known as the Girl on Fire. Too bad love was only a weakness that got in the way of what was really important. The boy was probably running to find her. Despite everything, Glimmer respected the boy. He wasn't going to die at her hands because of ignorance or fear; he was going to die at her hands because he dared to love someone. Something Glimmer would never think of doing, it was too risky.

Her arrow was pointing directly at his throat when the boy began to speak.

"I can help you find Katniss! I've been watching her for the past twelve years; I know every trick she has up her sleeve."

Without saying a word, Cato motioned for the boy to join the others and they began to walk closer and closer to the smoke.

He's lying. How can Cato not see how lovesick the boy is?

When she was sure no one was looking, Glimmer let herself accept the truth. When she volunteered back at home this was nothing like she had in mind. When Glimmer looked at the sky eleven tributes replaced the stars. There were still twelve threats to her life lurking in the forest.

Don't think like that Glimmer, they're just prey.

None of the Careers, not even Marvel, respected her.

They're going to be dead anyway soon. One day back at home, you're going to laugh while you watch Clove, Cato and Marvel die.

Self-pity time was over; feeling sorry for yourself probably clogs the pores.

"Glimmer, be honest, did a tribute light the fire or did you sneak a flat iron into the arena and forget to turn it off?" Marvel snickered

Glimmer didn't even bother to look at him as rage tore through her body.

The girl from District Eight shivered in front of the fire.

You have to do something to prove yourself, show them you're their equal.

Glimmer knew what she had to do. She walked towards the girl with a knife clasped in her hand. Somehow this was different from the Bloodbath, when all of Glimmer's emotions had been replaced with adrenaline.

As Glimmer crept closer the girl started to cry.

"Please", the girl whispered. "Please don't kill me."

You're so close to getting their respect. Show the Capitol there is more to you than pretty blonde hair and living in District One.

"Sorry Eight, some wishes just won't be granted today," Glimmer replied with acid in her voice as she slit the girl's throat.

/

A Few Days Later

Glimmer heard the buzz of tracker jackers before she opened her eyes. Her body was too sore from shaking from the nightmares to run.

She heard the swift sounds of her fellow Career Tributes and the boy from Twelve running away.

"Help!" She screamed.

You're not going to die Glimmer.

No one came, no one cared.

You can still escape.

Glimmer tried to run when a sharp pain jabbed her leg. Green ooze dripped down her leg.

You can fight.

Glimmer took her bow and tried to swing the tracker jackers away, desperately clinging onto her last shred of hope that she was going to live.

She saw the multiple stingers pierce through her skin. She could hear the voice of the girl from Eight talking to her in a disturbingly close voice.

"You killed me, you deserve to die."

"No!" Glimmer roared. "I'm going to survive! I'm going to win!"

Ghosts of the fallen tributes pulled Glimmer up into the sky with them. The last thing Glimmer thought before she heard her canon roar was:

I'm not going to die

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