Kenny's POV

"Tasha Finnigan!"

I stood there, numb.

No, it couldn't be.

I could hear my older brother, Paul, screaming at me, see him fighting with the Peacekeepers as my twin sister slowly made her way to the stage. The stage where I already stood.

"It seems as though we have, ahem, two siblings to represent District 9 today!" Millie, the announcer for our district, exclaimed delightedly, "Ooh! What fun!" Her neon green hair streaked with bright blue and purple made my eyes hurt as the sun glinted off of it and the paleness of her skin made me want to throw up.

"Go on now, shake hands!" Millie encouraged, the bright orange lipstick on her lips reminding me of a clown, or what I had read about to have been a clown, all those years ago before the districts had rebelled.

Slowly, numbly, a put out my hand and my sister took it, her face pale with fear, her eyes large and scared.

"Let's hear it for Kenny and Tasha Finnigan, representing our lovely District 9!" Millie cried, turning to the crowd, who were silent and grim.

Slowly, claps began to sound but I knew that they weren't cheering for us. They were happy that them or their children hadn't been picked. After all, our loss was their gain.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Millie told us as we were swiftly ushered off the stage and taken to the largest home in the District to say our goodbyes.

We were pushed into a large room and left alone. Tasha looked near tears.

"It'll be alright." I whispered, pulling her into a quick hug, "I'll protect you."

"There's only one winner Kenny." she whispered, her voice trembling as she pulled away, "Twenty-four go in, one comes out."

"And I'm gonna make sure that you are that one who comes out." I told my twin firmly, "I'll die for you, just make sure that if that happens you come back. For Paul's sake."

"Kenny if you die there I don't want to come back here!" Tasha exclaimed, her voice breaking as she slumped down on the large, soft bed in the middle of the room, putting her face in her hands. "I just wanna go home to Paul!"

I sighed, sitting down next to her and taking her hand in mine. "Tasha, I swear to you, I will do all I can to keep you alive through this!" I promised, my voice hoarse with my own fear.

I was only thirteen but ever since I was four I had been training to defend myself in case I was ever chosen. If I was ever reaped I had promised myself that I would win and return to help Paul take care of Tasha. But now we were both in this and all the training I had done would be worth nothing if I couldn't protect my sister. I couldn't even protect Paul from the pain of watching more of our family die.

I barely knew my parents, they had both died so soon after Tasha and I were born. I had been only two, and Tasha and I were playing with Paul near the fields when the fire started. My parents had been in the fields that day and the grain burned so easily that there was nothing left after the fire was finally put out. Till this day I still couldn't stand fire. I knew it could be tamed but it was still so wild and dangerous that it scared the wits out of me, no matter how hard I tried to control my fear.

There was a knock at the door and Paul was pushed in. Tasha leaped to her feet and ran to our older brother, locking her arms around him in a tight hug. More slowly, I stood and did the same as Paul swept us into his strong, warm arms.

"Kenny, Tasha I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." Paul sobbed, holding us close to him as if he would never let go, "If only I wasn't too old to volunteer-"

"I-it's not your fault Paul." Tasha cried into his chest. I didn't say anything, just slowly pulled away from my brother's arms. I couldn't show any weakness, I had to be strong for Tasha.

"You guys can't give up, okay?" Paul told us, his eyes deadly serious and his face grim, "No matter what happens you have to remember, there's always a way to win."

I grimaced. I hated it when Paul used that saying. They were Da's words, not his. He didn't have the right to say them.

"But we both can't win!" I said instead, my voice tight and choked. I quickly quoted my sister's words, "Twenty-four go in, one comes out."

"And you guys have to win! I don't care what you do but just survive," Paul exclaimed, his eyes glistening with tears and his voice choked with pain, "for me."

I looked away, clenching my fists so hard that my sharp fingernails made my palms bleed. If I won, it wouldn't be for him. It would be for my district and to bring honor to my dead parents. And it would be for Tasha. If she died I would do everything in my power to win. Even if it meant becoming one of those monsters.