Chapter 1

Cleaning up her little sister's bleeding nose in the school's nurse's office, sixteen-year-old Clove Cassandra Charles sighs.

Clove has three younger sisters. Taylor Skylar, who is fifteen. Alexandra Lynn Rose, who is twelve. And finally Ramona Allison, who is turning eleven soon. Their father walked out on the family nine years ago, before their mother quickly followed him seven years ago.

Being the oldest, Clove took it upon herself to take care of her siblings with Taylor's help. Clove's eighteen-year-old boyfriend, Cato Jeffery Perry protects the girls at school and with his mother's help; they took the girls into their home.

Looking at her work, Clove smiles the only smile that is for Cato, Cato's mom and her siblings.

"Is it better?" Ramona asks, her throat scratchy from not speaking.

"Yes it is. Ready to go to class?" Clove questions kissing her sister's forehead.

"I guess." Ramona sighs jumping off the rusty table.

"Hey, remember today is the day that we get to go to each District because of our training camp." Clove reminds the ten-year-old.

"Oh yeah! I forgot." Ramona grins.

Once every four years the training camp visits the Districts to look at the competition for The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a fight for survival, for both the people in the arena, but also for the District. Each District elects one boy and one girl to represent them in the arena. But this year it's different. The president, President Snow, has yet to reveal what is different.

In the training camp, the boys and girls all over District Two, immediately start training for The Hunger Games at the age of ten. To find out who will represent the District, every age group between twelve and eighteen, compete against one another until there is one winner in each category, the girls against each other and the boys against each other. Once there is the winner of twelve and thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, sixteen and seventeen compete against each other. They keep competing until one stands. Once there is, that one person fights against the eighteen-year-old. The winner represents the District.

~A&C~

Sitting on the train with her siblings and Cato, Clove has her mask on, emotionless. The siblings and Cato are sitting in their training clothes just like the rest of the training camp and their instructors, who won the previous Games. Before Cato's mom took the girls in, they lived in the cave they found and Clove and Taylor would trade their belongings for food. Happy that they don't have to do it anymore, they still trade for food, but at least they aren't stingy on food, right?

Feeling the train slow down, Clove's twelve-year-old sister, Alex for short, looks out of the window to find them at District Three. Standing up, the girls and Cato split up going into their places in the lines. With their faces hard as stone, the training camp climbs off with District One.

Standing on the stage in the middle of the district, their trainers are holding the signs telling the audience what their district is.

"Here are the two training camps from District One and District Two. Because I am in contact with all of the mayors of their districts, every few years we agreed that they will travel to all districts so we will get a look at our competition." The mayor of the district informs, "So please give a round of applause to District One and District Two."

Hearing the applause, Alex's brown eyes roam the crowd standing tall with her hands behind her back.

"Do any people have questions for our training students?" The trainer from District One asks the crowd.

"I have a question for District Two." A boy around seventeen calls out.

"Yes?" The head trainer questions.

"What is your age group?"

"At our camp, you start training from ten to eighteen. And it's only if your parents sign you up."

"Why start at ten?" A woman from the crowd frowns.

"For they can have a smoother transition from being a child to start getting ready for the Games."

At the end of the questions and seeking answers, the students climb back onto the train to go to the next district.

~C&A~

Arriving at District Eleven, they immediately take formation on the stage. To Alex's shock, a Peacekeeper shoots a guy in the head.

"Ten and eleven-year-old go between sixteen and seventeen." The head trainer orders.

Alex takes a few steps forward with her formation as the ten and eleven-year-olds do as they are told.

Standing tall, Alex watches the crowd forms as the 'white coats' as Alex calls them, takes the dead man away.

Going through the same routine, Alex looks into the crowd. Surprised to find the other children tied up in sections, and the adults are on the sides and the back with children under six-years-old, Alex could easily make out the possible competition.

With Clove, she is happy that Ramona is behind her directly. Secretly gripping the sleeve of her training shirt, Clove will never let anything happen to her.

"Dismissed!" Turning on the spot, Clove faces District One waiting for her row to be able to go back on the train. Watching Alex leave with her eyes, Clove waits for Taylor to leave. Leading her row back onto the train, Clove steps onto the side until Ramona climbs on. Taking her arm Clove walks them over to Alex and Taylor, before taking a seat.

Walking onto the train, Cato glares at everyone around him, as he walks over to his girlfriend. Sitting down, the group sits silently as people whisper around them.

As they leave the station, Cato looks at each girl, who all has a braid or two in their hair. Clove's hair has one braid along with Taylor. Ramona and Alex both have two braids.

Taking less than three hours, they finally arrive to District Twelve.

"Eighteen-year-olds go first." Cato smirks inside knowing in just one year, he will never have to take part in the Games ever again. Standing up, Cato nods to Clove and her siblings before leading his age group off the train.

Walking single file, Clove's eyes stay forward but every once in a while drift around her. Behind her, the head trainer ordered the ten and eleven age group to go behind the sixteen-year-olds group, and in front of the fifteen-year-olds.

Being the last one off the train, Alex marches behind everyone with the head trainer next to her.

Looking around with her eyes, Alex is surprised; District Twelve has less food than her district.

What is worse, one person from each age group is chosen to stay three days in District Twelve. They are paired up with someone their age to train, which is why the head trainer is carrying a bag full of fake weapons.

Arriving at the stage, the mayor of the district informs the already silent gathered audience of the plans.

"Now, the head trainer of District Two has given me the names of the best students of each age group from twelve to eighteen. I will randomly draw a name of each age and those people will be paired up together for three days. Now, let's begin."

Happy that District One is not involved, Alex relaxed slightly but not visibly.

"Let's start with the oldest."

Ecstatic to not hear Cato's name, Clove's or Taylor's from their groups, Alex begins to shake.

"Last group, the twelve-year-olds."

Watching the mayor's hand pull out a piece of paper, Alex freezes.

"Alexandra Lynn Rose Charles."

The world feels like it's stopped turning for Alex.