MICKEY JAMES WALTZ
DISTRICT , TWENTY-NINE , D2 MALE MENTOR , JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT , TONY

"Mickey Waltz." she said. I made my way up to the stage slowly, and the District grew quiet. Mostly because they didn't know who I was. The truth is, I didn't either at the moment. As the woman continued talking about me and the girl, my mind went completely blank, and I blocked everything out. I couldn't think straight. I was 17, no one was going to volunteer for me. If I was 12 or 13, or maybe even 14, someone would run up to the stage so quick I wouldn't even get the chance to get all the way up the stage's stairs. I guess people expected so much from me just because I was older, I was fit, and I had a good chance of winning because I was from Two. No doubt in their minds.
Within minutes, I was escorted into the Justice Building, which I had never seen the inside of before, and put into a room. I had no idea what to do. How to do so. My mother and father then entered the room. "Baby," she said. "Your name is Waltz for a reason. Dance babe, you dance." she said. Dance? What did she mean? I'm going into the Hunger Games, what time do I have to dance? And since when could I dance? My rhythm is worse than lightning striking in the sky. Then my dad put his hands on my shoulders from behind. "Don't be afraid. We have your back, so you won't fall." he said. I was an only child. I could get what I want. Do they mean that they would just be sending me stuff during the Games to stay alive? I won't have to work? This isn't right.
On the train ride to the Capitol, I got to know my District Partner, Andrea who was 18. She was so determined to win, and I hoped that she did, because I knew I wouldn't. Our mentor, a woman, striking she looked, won the first Games for District Two, and was our only Victor. This meant that she had to mentor both of us, rather than having a male and a female mentor. The male for me, and female for Andrea. The woman told us about her Games, how she specifically tried to her best, and that's all we had to do. However, I didn't know if she was lying or not. I never saw her Games. Well if I did, I don't remember. But I don't want to watch it. The Hunger Games bring out the worst in people, which I had to witness for myself.
In my interview, I was asked so many questions. What do you think separates you from the other Tributes? and Do you think you'll win? By force, I mostly lied on all of the questions, except one. What separated me from the other Tributes is that I was expected so much of. Simply because my age and how I look. That's what separated me from the other Tributes, that only thing. In other words, we were all the same. Forced to fight in a Game to kill each other, which no one wants to do. Any how was I going to become.. A muderer?
The pedestal lifted me up into the Arena, and I looked around me. It just looked like forest, only forest. I saw no buildings at all. So the Gamemakers must have liked nature this year. The countdown was almost over. 3.....2...1. I raced towards the Cornucopia with all of my might. Upon reaching it, I was not attacked. It seemed like the Tributes were scared of me already. This could be a good advantage. I grabbed a bookbag and dualswords which were in a case, and threw both on my back. Andrea was fighting off a District Three Tribute who seemed to have attacked her first, she eventually slit his throat, and then ran. I ran after her, hoping that we could still be allies and she wasn't just leaving me, but playing a trick on the others to make it seem like I was chasing her. I reached her in the outer forest. We were both panting and tired of running. "Can't believe I did that," she said. "I killed someone." I thought for a second. "But he attacked you first, so it's his fault. Don't make yourself feel bad over him." I said. I usually wouldn't encourage death, but it was true, the boy came at her first. And was she just supposed to let him kill her? Then the cannons started. Andrea began counting before I could, "One..two.. eight." she stopped, and they did too. That means that 16 of us left, only 15 people between me and the prize. However, Andrea was one of them. Then she broke the silence. "What'd you get?" she asked. I scrambled through the bag. "It's a first-aid kit, some rope, and an empty water bottle. Oh and dualswords on my back." I answered.
The first night was surprisingly peaceful. Andrea woke me up. "Morning sleepy-head," she said with a smile. Andrea's hand was on my abs, which were clean of hair because of the Prep Team before the interview. Was she doing this on purpose? I was complaining, trust me, but it was just.. weird. If that's a word for it. "We should find the other Careers." I said, and sat up. She shook her head, "No. You fell asleep before the Anthem but I didn't. None of them are dead. For all we know they could be planning attacks on us already, and there's four of them and two of us. Plus, most likely they killed all the dead Tributes." she said. And she I admit was actually right. Any Career especially from One won't be waiting around for anyone to show up. We could be marked on the Kill List now. Andrea and I moved, because we had to find some food so we could stay alive, and would be up to fight. We eventually found a stream, but then we heard a very high-pitched scream. It was a girl. From the distance, I recognized the girl from District 11 being eaten by something of a large bird. Afterwhich, it looked at us, and then disappeared into the forest. Then a canon sounded. "Let's go," Andrea said. We headed in the opposite direction of where we saw the girl get eaten by the bird, and then stopped. "With this water I got from the lake, we can boil it. I got a pot from the cornucopia, and we can use all of these trees and such to make a fire, but we'll have to contain it, so we won't be found." Andrea suggested. Without saying a word, I went to go find sticks, and I did. I also found some rocks to contain the fire. Then I heard it. Three canons. Quickly, I ran to find Andrea, hoping that no one had gotten to her yet, and she wasn't one of the three. We eventually ran into each other. And she looked at me. "They've started hunting." I said. It was clear that the Careers obviously weren't playing on our side. They were just killing all the other Tributes, one by one. Then I smelled it. "Fire, run!" Andrea yelled. We saw the fire, but it wasn't started from our fire, it hadn't been lit. The forest gradually was burning away. It seemed like it wanted us to head to the center.
As we reached the Cornucopia, we heard screams of pain. Some people must have gotten caught in the fire. We saw 7 other Tributes arive as well. The D1's, D3 Girl, D4 Girl and Boy, D5 Girl and Boy. Then a voice boomed over the Arena. "Attention Tributes, welcome to the feast. This Hunger Games will be coming to a close.. May the odds be ever in your favour." As it spoke, a table with food fell to the center. All of us were hungry. It seemed as if this arena has the animals attacking us, not the other way around. Immediately, the D3 Girl ran towards us with her axe. She had blood on her face, like she had been on a killing spree. Maybe it was her, not the careers. Then I saw a knife dart and catch the girl's neck, and she fell. It was the Careers. Then the four of them ran after the two D5s left. Eventually, the D4 Boy got a sword to his back, and the D4 girl was stabbed in the chest, leaving the D1s and 5s to battle it out. We decided not to join the fight. The D1 boy used a hooked end of is sword and brought the 5 girl to him, and then he snapped his neck. Boom. The D5 girl got an axe to her back by the D1 girl. Then the 1s turned to us. The girl threw her axe, and retrieved another from her back. We quickly dodged and ran for it. The boy swung at me, but I knocked his sword from his hand, then, he tried punching me, but it was too late, I had already got him with the knife, in the stomach. He fell slowly, "I love you, C--" he began to say, and boom. Andrea and the D1 girl were basically wrestling. The girl was winning, and she had a knife to Andrea's throat. Quickly I took my sword and stuck it through her back, but it was too late, she had already cut Andrea's throat. And two canons sounded.
"Congratulations, Mickey Waltz! You have won the second Hunger Games for District 2!" And to think, I had no help. I did this, all on my own.