So this is just a little preview of what the story's going to end up being. The rest will most likely be written in first person present. Don't forget to submit a character!

4 months before the 37th Games...

Kelwin Metoph was exhausted. He'd just sat through a twelve hour meeting with all the Gamemakers for this year's Hunger Games, and he still couldn't get the buzzing of their voices out of his head. In particular, the voice of Head Gamemaker Lilibeth declaring harshly that if a good idea for this year's Games wasn't suggested soon she just might fire the entire team and start fresh. And Kelwin took her threats very seriously.

The problem was, the audience was getting bored. It has been 12 years since the last Quarter Quell, and the excitement had long since worn off. The citizens of the Capitol wanted more than just your average Games, and unfortunately the Gamemakers just weren't providing. It was hard coming up with ideas after 37 years. A lot had been done.

Kelwin sighed and pulled his car into the driveway. At least he was home now, and he'd have a few hours respite before he had to go back to the office and repeat the whole day over again. He was not looking forward to that.

The lights in the house blinked on as he stepped across the threshold, breathing in the lingering scents of steak and potatoes. It smelled divine. He closed the door behind him and headed towards the kitchen, following his nose. Ah, wonderful, his dear Verena had left some out for him. He sat down at the table and began to eat just as his wife walked through the door.

"Hello dear. How was work?" She asked, leaning against the doorframe, already in her nightgown. She came over to him and began to massage his neck. "Difficult day?"

"Absolutely awful," he said through a mouthful of steak. He washed it down with some milk and continued. "Lilibeth's getting on our case about the arena idea this year. Says nothing's "creative" enough."

"Mm, well, I'm sure you'll think of something." She smiled. "You always do."

He blushed. It wasn't always him to come up with the idea. He'd just happened to have a good one a few years previously where it was as though the tributes were shrunk and the arena was huge. It had gone over pretty well with the Capitol audience. Unfortunately that meant that Lilibeth was constantly expecting him to come up with an idea this time around. And if he didn't he'd be out of a job. He sighed; the life of a Gamemaker wasn't easy. He glanced over at his wife and noticed the strange new design on her arm. "What's that?" he asked.

"This?" She asked, gesturing to the long, green tattoo that wound up and around her arm like a giant vine. "It's a beanstalk. From one of those old fairytale stories. They're all the rage right now."

Old fairytales? He hadn't heard of this fad. Mind you, he spent more and more of his days at the office than at home the past few months, so it was understandable. He was pulled from his thoughts as his wife continued to speak. "Which reminds me, the kids are waiting for you."

"Ah, right. Guess I'd better not keep them waiting." Despite the various technologies being made to entertain children, Kelwin's kids still enjoyed it more if it was him reading them a bedtime story and not some small electronic device.

"I picked up a new book for them today," Verena said, following him out of the kitchen and up the stairs. "Have fun dear." He nodded and entered his kids' bedroom, only to be attacked as two small beings launched themselves at him with cries of "Daddy!"

"Whoa, calm down there kids, Daddy's going to fall over." Reluctantly six year-old Breccan detached himself from Kelwin's leg while nine year-old Annora settled herself on one of the two beds in the room waiting for him to come sit by her. Though the house was pretty big the kids still shared a room, partly because their mother thought it would be good bonding for them and also because when Kelwin had asked them whether they wanted separate bedrooms or two rooms just for toys they'd responded the latter without a doubt.

"Mommy got us a new book to read!" Annora said, holding up the big, aged looking book proudly for her father to see.

"I wanna hold it!" Breccan cried, but Annora yanked it away from him.

"I'm oldest, I get to hold it."

"But I wanna!"

"Alright kids, why don't we let Daddy hold the book, okay?" The two stopped bickering and Annora eagerly held the book out to her father. He took it and settled down on the bed while she leaned in close and Breccan hopped onto Kelwin's lap. "Here we go," Kelwin said, opening the book and gazing at the contents. It seemed to be not one story, but a collection of tales bound together in one tome.

"Read the one about the pr-princess," Annora said, slowly sounding out the word and pointing at the table of contents.

"I don't wanna read about princesses!" Breccan wailed.

"Well I do and I'm oldest so-"

"How about we read Hansel and Gretel," said Kelwin, trying to find a story they'd both like. They certainly have odd names in this book, he thought, turning to the page where the tale began. "Look," he said, gesturing to the pictures accompanying the story. "There's a boy and a girl, just like the two of you."

The kids thought about this for a second, then nodded and Kelwin began the story. But it seemed his children were more interested in the vibrant illustrations. He had to admit, they were enchanting. A scary forest, a house made of candy (which his kids seemed to love). A lot of creativity was put into these stories. Creativity. Just like what the Games needed.

"Can we have a house made out of candy?" Annora asked sleepily as he tucked her into bed. Breccan nodded vigorously and started chewing on one of his many teddy bears for effect. "Breccan our house isn't candy yet," she scolded her brother, but he just smiled and said, "Yum."

"We'll see honey," Kelwin said, eager to put the kids to bed as fast as possible. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Daddy!" they chorused, and he got up and flicked off the lights. Slowly he made his way down the hall until he was intercepted by his wife, who had come out of their bedroom.

"Are you going to tuck me in now, Daddy?" she asked with a playful smile. He grinned back, but he couldn't sleep, not yet. He had important work to do.

"I'm sorry honey, but I have to get this work done first."

"Work," she echoed, glancing at the book of children's tales under his arm. "Alright, but come to bed soon. You need some rest."

"I will," he said, giving her a light kiss before heading back downstairs to his study. He plopped the book onto his desk and began flipping through it, eying each illustration with care. This just might work. He grabbed the phone and dialled Lilibeth's number, knowing she wouldn't enjoy being called at this hour, but it didn't matter. The phone rang twice before it was picked up and a crisp "Hello?" reached his ear.

"Lilibeth, its Kelwin, one of the senior Gamemakers," he said, still scanning the book. A miniature house, a tall, looming tower, the giant beanstalk Verena had told him about. This just might work.

"Gamemaker Kelwin, have you any idea what time it is?"

"I know ma'am and I'm sorry. But listen," Kelwin smiled. This was his big moment. "I have an idea that's going to make these the most magical Games yet!"