Arianna's POV
I sat in the tree, snuggled between the joint of the branch and the main stem of the tree. I had my legs drawn into me, my arms wrapped around them to keep them there.
It was time.
Another year was here, the time had come and this time I wasn't going to be just another face in the crowd, buying her time.
I watched underneath me as people walked back and forth, carrying things like chairs, a podium and wood to build the stage. In the distance I could hear the nailing and sawing of the wood.
They put so much effort into sending kids to their deaths.
This year would be different though.
My name is Arianna Odair, I prefer Ari though.
I live in district 4. I'm 16.
People around my district just think of me as assume I'm just the poor love child of Finnick Odair, but I'm so much more than that.
Finnick isn't my father, he's my uncle. Not many people remember that uncle Finnick had a sister, Flairabell.
Flairabell was easily an Odair, she was beautiful.
When uncle Finnick won the games she was sent to the Capitol to sell her body, she was practically forced to be a prostitute. She is my mother.
She died giving birth to me, but it's my father who is the same of my family.
No one but me knows President Snow has a fascination with prostitutes.
My real name is Arianna Snow.
Dad took me as his own, but didn't let anyone know I existed. For someone who pretended I didn't exist, he sure loved me. He let me do anything I wanted; he gave me everything I wanted, except freedom.
Despite what my father thought, I dug into my family history and discovered who my mum was and that I had an uncle.
Apparently mum had told uncle Finnick about me, so whenever he was in the Capitol he would come visit me.
When I was 12 I watched as uncle Finnick was once again thrown into the games. I loathed the games, I loathed my father. I don't care how much he loved me, he was an evil man.
That year I found out that uncle Finnick had died in the rebellion war.
That was the last straw. That night I managed to sneak out of the Capitol and catch a train to district 4.
I discovered uncle Finnick had a wife named Annie. I met her, told her the whole thing. She took me in and a few months later she even gave birth to my cousin Finnick jr.
No one knew where I came from, but that was about to change.
Like everyone else I eventually headed down to the reaping.
Today was special. Today I was about to make history.
I wore an old black dress that cut off mid-thigh. It was strapless and tight. My hair was down; it was cut in a wind-tossed style and was bronze. My eyes were ocean coloured.
We all lined up in our places and a woman, clearly from Capitol from her weird shinny space clothes, stood up on stage.
"Welcome, welcome" she grinned like this was some kind of entertaining game.
They dragged on about the dark days, and even the latest rebellion that bombed 12. If they kept bombing districts, soon we'd all go extinct.
Finally the time came.
"And the girl tribute is, Lyra Bliss" the woman called. Everyone watched as a small girl, only 12, made her way up shakily.
"Please, anyone, please" her father begged from the crowd.
"I volunteer" I called out loud and clear.
Everyone went silent.
I slowly made my way up to the stage, making it dramatic. I hoped my father was watching, I hope he would recognise me.
I stood up on stage and the woman grabbed my shoulders and pointed me at the camera.
"So what's your name dear?" She asked me.
"Arianna Snow" I said loudly.
I'm pretty sure I could hear the world go into silence.