LEA SPARK
DISTRICT 7
F | she/her | 16 | Volunteer
To sponsor Lea, send a DM to @stxrrfruit on Instagram.
Lea is a genuinely kind and approachable girl. At home in her district, she spends a lot of time outside with her family and friends. She especially enjoys reading and climbing trees. Each Friday, her and her friends get together and venture off to the clusters of trees inside the district fence to have a little freedom. They don’t dare venture outside the fence, though. They’ve seen the consequences...
THE REAPING
“Hey, it’ll be okay, Ella.”
It was like this last reaping, too, or maybe worse since it was her first year being eligible to be reaped. And she was, although, thank god someone volunteered. That memory haunts me daily. As we stand in our assigned areas, I notice my sister down the aisle. I rush over to her. She’s eighteen years old, which means that after this reaping she’ll be safe. Hopefully.
I look up just in time to see a name being pulled from the glass bowl. My hand flies to my hair and I start playing with it. I can’t shake this habit of mine.
“Adeline-“ I don’t even hear the last name before the dead silence is filled with the screams of this girl’s mother. I do the only thing I can think of.
“I volunteer!”
Now it’s my sister’s screams that fill the air.
Lea's Reaping Outfit
THE TRIBUTE PARADE
Okay, you got this, Lea. This is your chance to gain sponsors, the difference between life and death.
I’ve been telling myself this to boost my confidence, although I’m not too sure why I’m nervous. I’m good with people, I mean, I guess it’s the idea that I’m being dressed up and made pretty just to be thrown into an arena, where there is a high chance I’ll be ripped to shreds. No need to be pretty then, right? Maybe the Capitol wants to give us this memory to hold onto while we’re dying. I laugh to myself.
“Tributes, please step onto your chariots.” I obey immediately. Five minutes later we’re riding through the Capitol streets, and it isn’t until I see myself on an immense TV that I really get to see my costume. It’s a jade green dress with sequined flower patterns. I am equipped with a cross-body strap that holds a sword full of precious gems. I catch a glint of gold on the screen and when I look down, I see a simple circular necklace. With a closer look, I see that carved into it are two little flowers. It’s not until I look up into the ecstatic audience that I realize the meaning of my costume. The color of my dress represents the depth of the forests back in District Seven, and the sword — the sword! The pieces finally click together. I am representing the Greek Goddess Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy! The sword represents the battle piece, and these flowers, I see them all the time in District Seven. They’re aster flowers that signify wisdom. My stylist must be sending me a message with this, I’m sure of it! They must have faith in me and are saying that in the arena, I need to be wise and think rationally. That’s got to be it!
The roar of the crowd knocks me out of my daze of thought and I look behind me, assuming they’ve seen Twyla and Tulle’s costumes, but they’re all pointing at me! I look again and see I’m leaving a trail of glitter behind me! I remind myself to give all of my thanks to my stylist and put on my brightest smile, catching all the roses and leaves thrown at me.
Lea's Parade Outfit
TRAINING
Lea Spark received a training score of 10.
Training days
I’m really pleased with my parade performance. I really think the Capitol loved me! My stylist is a literal lifesaver, I owe her so much. I’ve made a plan, that if I make it out alive, I’ll make sure to see her regularly, as we get along very well. My escort brings me down to training along with Lexa. I haven’t talked to her really, she seems like a pretty shy girl. I make sure to pay attention to the trainers and try to pick up every piece of information that could even be the slightest bit helpful to my survival in the arena, because I’ll need any help I can get. I make no effort to hide my skills, and when the knife throwing targets get too easy to hit, I move on to the other areas of the training room, hitting the smallest spots on the walls, and even on other pieces of equipment. I’ve improved my fire making skills, learned to identify even more plants, and tied some knots that can be very useful to trap wildlife for food, but also my enemies. One day in training as I’m tying a knot that will tie down a tribute’s legs, I take a look around at the tributes and see nothing special until I reach the knife throwing station. I see the girl from District Five attempting to throw knives, with no success. I don’t know what brought on this action of mine, but before I know it, I’m walking over to her.
“I can teach you, if you want,” I tell her. She gladly accepts my offer, and just like that, I’ve made not only an ally, but a friend. For the rest of training, we go to each station together. I teach her how to make fires and how to throw knives, and she teaches me how to use a crossbow. Violet eats with us at lunch and we exchange a few words, but all in all, I’ve found my ideal ally. I know we can help each other out, and every time the thought that only one of us can be crowned as the victor enters my mind, I push it out immediately.
Private Session
Training went surprisingly well. I met a couple of people, practiced and learnt vital survival and combat skills, and even drew a crowd when I started to hit almost impossible targets with my knife throwing. But all that is nothing compared to this, I mean, I’ve known since the moment I volunteered which of my skills I’d show the gamemakers, and I haven’t kept it a secret. As we’re waiting to be called in, the tributes around the room are in different states. Some are looking down at the ground, others are mumbling to themselves, and some are even talking to others. Me, I just watch the other tributes, trying to gain every little piece of information about them that may benefit me in the arena. As Hazel’s name is called, I give her an encouraging nod and before I know it, it’s my turn. I briskly walk past the remaining tributes and go straight to the knives. There are so many different knives, from the handle to the blade, to the tip of the blade, they’re all so different. I grab one that looks the most familiar to the ones I practiced with alongside my sisters back in District seven. Oh, how I miss them. I snap myself out of this daze. This is no place to be thinking of home1 I set my eyes on the row of dummies and am prepared to pierce them with deadly knife throws when I hear laughing. I whirl my head around and see two gamemakers standing by the ledge, having a great laugh. What idiots, I think. As I’m trying to think of a way to get their attention, the female gamemaker shove the one beside her out of laughter. The other gamemaker drops the peach he was holding, and now, it’s as if I’’m watching myself in slow-motion. He shoves her back, and down falls her pear. Before I can do anything else, I whip my knives at the fruit and they stick into the back wall with a clang. My knives hit the fruit right in the center. Well, good job to me, I guess! Still in this stage of fury and filled with adrenaline, I stomp over to the peach and pear, rip out the knives, and hold out the fruit to the gamesmakers. By this point, they’re all peering over the edge, wondering what this sixteen-year-old girl could possibly do. Well, I’ll bet they weren’t expecting my next move.
“Lost something, have you?” I yell. I throw the fruit up into their viewing area and storm out of the training room, and yell a last, “Enjoy!”
THE INTERVIEW
Hello, you look dazzling tonight! Tell us about your outfit.
Thank you! I want to thank my stylist, Calixa, for her gorgeous work on all of my outfits, and especially this one, my favourite one! It’s made of a flowing light purple silk, but when light is shone on it, it appears to be glowing! My silver makeup, heels and accessories compliment my dress quite nicely, from the eyeshadow to the gems! I am absolutely in love with my outfit!
How do you like being in the Capitol so far? What has been your favorite part?
You all have made me feel so welcome here so I want to start off by saying thank you, everyone has treated me like a queen! And well my favourite part?! How can I pick?! I’ll try and keep it simple for you all, but I can’t make any promises! Okay the silk bed sheets are THE best! I mean, if you guys here in the audience haven’t tried them out, feel free to leave my interview to do so, I promise you it’ll be worth it! Oh and the chocolate cake, when I tell you I cried of joy, I’m downright serious, please, ask my mentor, I had no words for it!
Any thoughts about the other tributes? Have you made any friends, or enemies?
I haven’t talked to many of my competitors, I’ve shared a smile here and there, and talked to a select few but other than that I’ve kind of kept to myself! Although I have made such an amazing friend, Hazel. Based on her interview, I’m sure you all now love her as much as I do!
Do you think you have what it takes to become a victor? Who or what are you fighting for?
I definitely have what it takes to be your next victor! I plan to make it back home for my family, especially my two sisters. My worst nightmare came true when my little sister Ella was reaped last year, until Ivy volunteered to save her. I’d always admired her back in our district, she was so kind and sweet and it broke my heart seeing her go into the games. We were all rooting for her, and well - you all know what happened after that. She fought hard and I plan to do the same. My friends and especially my family are my life, I need to get back to them, and I know I can do
Do you have any expectations for the arena? Perhaps a preferred terrain?
Well we all know what District Seven is like, filled with luscious forests and grass, so I’m definitely hoping we’ll get something like that, where I can identify edible plants and nuts, and hopefully get some wildlife to eat! And of course, if there are plants and animals, that means that there will be water sources!
What do you miss most from your home district? Any shoutouts for anyone back home?
My family and friends of course. I miss laughing with them, climbing trees with my friends, talking with my family and well I guess I better share this, my boyfriend. Jayden, I’ll be back. I love you all, see you soon.
Any last thoughts before we let you go?
Well you all from the Capitol, have a great night and if you bet on me, I promise, I won’t disappoint! Oh and do go try out those silk sheets, which I just realized, match my dress! Thank you all!
Lea's Interview Outfit