Dragon's Tears

Hello, my name is Johanna Mason. I'm from district seven, the lumber district. I really don't like it there, but at least I don't live in district eleven or district twelve. I really wouldn't like that. I used to have a family. I used to have friends. But there was a fatal illness that was sweeping across my whole district, and my family, friends, even my teachers, were all stricken. I would've been stricken too, had I not been chosen as a tribute for the 71st annual Hunger Games. I was fifteen at the time. I'm fairly tall, and have an athletic build, but I've been on the brink of starvation my whole life, so I wasn't really ready to fight a 300 pound guy from district two. I was incredibly talented with axes, though. So I guess I could kill them easily enough if I had a good enough aim. I decided to play the role of the coward. No one was going to pay any attention to a sniveling weakling. And I won, using this strategy. And here I am, all alone in my Victor's Village house. I can hear them whispering about me as I walk along the streets. Poor Girl. And she's so young too. Not even twenty. Still a helpless little child. They've obviously forgotten about my ability to kill. I'm not a child anymore. I'm a nineteen year old woman. I can make it on my own. That's what I want to prove to these people. I'm strong enough to make it. I don't need any sympathy. I no longer need anyone to take care of me. I'm strong enough.