The Hunger Games- they happened every year in Panem. They never differed, apart from the Quarter Quells, and everytime, all but one died. No one from the Capitol ever participated; they were never forced to sell their children to the slaughter. Because that wouldn't be entertainment, silly. It would be 'cruel' and 'heartless' to the Capitol's loving citizens. Like they cared what the Districts thought about it.

But this year was a very different year.

And it wasn't a Quarter Quell.

Whether it was the Capitol's imagining of a cruel joke or them trying to make their beloved games more 'entertaining', they had advertised a new horror to the Districts of Panem. The week before the Reaping, they made the announcement. Even to those with no family and without the worry of having to participate in the dreaded Hunger Games, it sent a chill down their spine.

It has come to our attention- came President Snow's crackly voice- that the the Games have been... redundant. The Quells are artfully done, yes. But the others are the same thing, just a different background. Caves, forests, blizzards, plains, savannas, plateaus. It's all the same after 73 years of it. We aim for entertainment, but have been making it a bore to watch and witness.

Unlike Effie, when she had come to District 12 to announce the tributes, he didn't bother to sugarcoat it. He enjoyed their suffering and loss. The bastard enjoyed it.

So we have announced changes. Instead of there being 24 tributes, there will be 30. Six of the tributes will be sent from our own Capitol-

The Districts felt small shudders of brutish happiness at the thought of fat, spiteful Capitol teens getting what they deserve for being the way they were. But... he wasn't finished.

-and at least five of them will die. One District, and one Capitol tribute will remain. The tributes from the Capitol... have been altered for your entertainment.

All of the Districts were silent that night. Of course, they would have guessed the Capitol would want one of its own to survive, so they made a way for it by allowing two victors instead of one.

But what did they mean by 'altered'?

In District 2, the future tribute couldn't help but think how exciting this year would be.

The Capitol was in a state of absolute rejoice. Even though the kids were from their own home, they weren't worried. It was well known by then that they were orphans, nothing less than dirt by Capitol standards. If you didn't have the best clothes, hair, and skin color and alterations, you weren't perfect or glamorous.

The citizens justified themselves by saying those kids didn't want their help- which was completely true. They were a pack, a clan; something even the richest and most well-to-do were beginning to fear. Not just because of the absolute absurdity of their existence in their wonderful utopia... it was also because of the way they held themselves.

The girls weren't dainty.

The boys didn't hold themselves with an air of cool, gentlemanly poise.

They were different. They were an anomaly in their perfect society, filled with perfect people with perfect lives and perfect pets and perfect houses.

These kids were anything but perfect.