Another year, another twenty three children that would be lost... I wish it didn't have to be like this but who else would have done this? I had to look out for my children and wife... I need to pay the bills and provide them with a life worth living but is it rally worth it if it is in the sake of killing others for no real reason at all? I have no choice... This is my fate and I this is my destiny. The berries in my hand stain my fingertips, "Nightlock... Nightlock..." I sigh, "Nightlock." I guess if this is the last moments of my life, I have the right to reflect on it all. It seemed like just yesterday... He gave me the job of a lifetime...

"Seneca Crane," he hissed devilishly, "Welcome to the team."

"Thank you sir! Thank you, I won't let you down!" See, I said that and I was able to follow it with a very empty persona until the 74th... When I met the Girl on Fire.

Flashback: The carriages are lovely, last carriage in 3...2...1, "Wow..."

"What is that?" a voice next to me yearned.

"Beautiful..." I crane my head and see a light cascading down the lane, fierce and brighter than any light in the room. The crowd went crazy, my heart went numb. I can tell... She is special. Snow gave me a disassuring glare that meant don't root for her. I couldn't help it, she was lovely. I stood up and clapped for her when I saw the pair join hands, she is going to change everything. So sad she has to leave so soon...

President Snow stood and talked about the tributes but I stood in a trance, memorized by the pair from District 12. This time next week, I will be killing them. All in the name of food and safety for my family.

We leave the ceremony leave for home, I know this will be the last time in a long time I will see my family. I hope they are awake... The light on the front door is on, they must be awake, "I'm home.."

"Father!" my beautiful little brown eyed girl greeted me with a hug at the door.

"Dinner is ready, we waited for you," I saw my wife's soft smile from the kitchen walk toward the table.

"Let's get going little one," she smiled cheekly and I picked her up in my arms to take her to the table. It was a simple fruit and pork salad, my wife was really a great chef, "Looks delicious." We ate like everyother night, laughing about our days and enjoying the food and company; my wife took the dishes and I kissed my daughter goodnight, "Brush your teeth and see you in a few weeks sunshine."

"Night father, see you soon!" She smiled and walked out of the kitchen as I helped pick up the rest of the dishes. I walked into our bedroom down the hall and waited for my wife, getting undressed and ready for bed. I wait in the covers staring at the ceiling... Knowing that 23 other children like my own are dying by my own hand... Ugh, I hate my job but I love my family...

"Hun, don't worry about it. It cannot be helped," she crawled next to me lining her face near mine and clinging to my own skin.

"I know... Everything I do is so delicate.. It can all change so quickly..."

"Shhh..." she hummed, laying her head on my chest, "Night."

"Night love."

I woke up the usual time, early before the rest of my family. I exit my home without a single goodbye, my car was out front and my prep team was inside, "I am going to sleep some more while you get me ready,"

"Yes sir," I hear in unison and drift into more sleep. I am awoken by tap on the shoulder, we have arrived and I am not looking presentable for the day. The walk to the arena center was rather long this time but it means nothing, not my children in there. I am here to judge them on numbers.

The days went by rather fast until the judging, I am so sick of this not that I would rather it be over. How many more people are left? Two? I think it is District 12, oh I wanted to see them. I take a sip of wine and hope she shows me a good show. Oh everyone is so drunk already, such fun being a gamemaker in times like these, "Hahaha you guys!"

"Katniss Everdeen," we all hear her speak in a high pitched alert. We all stop what we are doing to watch her handle the bow. It looks new to her, like she never picked up such a stunningly made one before. The silence could make a pin drop... And we waited s she pulled back her bow to draw an arrow. It flew as fast as light, right back the outline of the body... I guess the girl on fire was just talk.. I chuckled silently,

"All flames, no spark." Back to drinking, everyone is funny again, and oh the chairmen arrived! "Who brought this guy? Huh? Who brought this king! Look at this pig!" I made them all laugh as we crowded our meal with my arm around the chairmen when suddenly- Clang!

An arrow was shot- Straight by my face in the apple of the meal's mouth- Into the wall. That got my attention. I guess she was was just not use to our archery equipment... I can only stare back...

She bowed hastily and rather annoyed, "Thank you for the consideration," she said with a raised voice before marching out of the gym... Brilliant. I am going to give her an 11.

They announced the scores and I am pleased, I bet the Girl on Fire was just as pleased also. And then the phone rang in the Gamecenter, "Hello?"

"Come see me, Mr. Crane," said Snow. I breathed heavily and had my driver take me to the President's Esate. After a few minutes of self-refection, we make it and I step out to enter through the back way into the garden.

"Seneca..."

"Mr President! Hello!"

"An eleven?"

"She earned it," I coughed out.

"She shot an arrow at your head!"

"Well, at an apple..."

"Near your head. Sit down, tell me what you think of an underdog..."

I sit and smile cheerfully and sit beside him, "Everyone likes an underdog!"

"I don't," I am speechless and have no idea what to say... I could only stare back. Was I wrong?

"Seneca... Why do you think we have a winner?"

I am confused and it causes my lips to curl in a disappointed direction, "What do you mean?"

"Hope."

"Hope?"

"Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous... Spark is fine, as long as it's contained."

I look back speechless again and chuckle a little, "Soo?"

"So, contain it," oh he meant the Girl on Fire. The girl I rooted for... She is just a girl. I nod my head in understanding and leave hi garden getting ready for the day. I get a lump in my throat and start to leave his garden and begin the Games. Time to kill the spark. My driver is outside and I step into the car and pull out my syringe from my pocket and slowly start to slip it into my skin... The warm rush of feeling is the only thing that keeps away the guilt of killing children," Ahh... Morphling." I sit in silence for a few moments, memorized by the feeling and surroundings of my world. Time to play God.

I enter the Game Center and watch and direct the Games, somewhat bored and out of it I go along with things. I am directing it all, telling the others when to show symbols and when to change the sun to dusk. The first work routine is almost done I am enjoying my high when suddenly I hear a game-adviser speak, "12 is almost 2 kl away from the nearest tribute,"

"Well we will just have to turn her around then." This is it, I am going to kill this girl on fire, "Use fire." Just imagine, her burn like the girl on fire she is.. I let out a chuckle. I watch it play out, her running for her life.

"Killing another on my account," says another game-adviser as I let our another laugh when suddenly she dodges it. She ducks and runs for her life like it is all she has left in this world... I was so close... But she is so... Brilliant.

"Damn, next time." I sigh. I leave the game-center and head off the my suite when I run into Haymitch, the mentor from District 12 I believe,

"Can we talk?"

"Yes what for, 12?"

"A change..."

"Change?"

"Think of it this way, Star-crossed lovers..."

"Why?"

"One word: Hope." Hope... Brilliant. I give him a smirk and silently walk away. What a fun idea. I enter my room and call Snow before heading to bed, "Star Crossed Lovers."

"Are you saying...?"

"Yes, two winner but only if they are from the same district. Make the show more interesting."

"Alright, but this is on your head. Just remember that." I smile and hangup the phone, undressing and heading to bed. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day...

I wake up to the sunlight and make my way into the prep room, I pull out another syringe from my sleeve to insert more life into my godly skin...

"Prep me now," I fade out and blur into darkness only to wake up in the elevator, on my way to the game-center. Perks of being high-class. I open the doors with news of more deaths, "And the girl from 12?"

"Still alive." I smiled a little because i felt some hope for her. Hope..., "Speaking of that, what do you think?" my game-adviser showed a mutt, expertly designed and ready to be used.

"Excellent, put it in the center," she does and I am happy with the results, "Put in the ring on my mark... In 25..24... And the screaming began, the last four, the black boy died, Cato is pretty beat up and the twelves are very close to their death... Game is over very soon.

The twelves seemed to have shot some down, but we got more mutts, and they ran straight into the cornucopia to meet their death. Cato thrashed at them, almost killing them then is now holding the boy the girl has been fond of, Cato makes a speech of death and I feel a pang of guilt then it happens. Her arrows flew like it did in the gym, as a direct hit into the Cato's hand which in turn made the boy from 12 throw him off into his death of mutts... Unexpected but brilliant.

They hug and then are stung to the end, I listen closely and hear Cato screaming and it hit me, this is wrong. The Games is wrong.

"Just kill me!" he cried, Please..." I let a tear fall down my face not because he was dying but because I did this and Katniss let him die a painless death. She shot him in the eye and it was over, I felt pity for all of the children who have died by me... I did not allow them a chance to live... Or die peacefully... Thank you Katniss. Suddenly the phone rang,

"Hello?" I said.

"Crane, change of rules-" I echoed his words into the Game and made it so only one winner could win... The look on their face was worse than death... I have to get over this. I stood waiting for a last canon to fire when suddenly she pulled out the berries...

"At the count of 3..." and the count down begun... No, no, no! This can not happen! There MUST be a winner!

"Aliright stop! Stop!" I scream in the microphone, "Change of rules, stop, stop, the two winners of the 74th Hunger Games are Peter Malark and Katniss Everdeen of Distrct 12..." I sigh in defeat. She was special, and surprised me to the very end... I am glad I did not kill them to be honest. As soon as it was over, two peace keepers took me by my will and lead me into dark hallway to a large marble door. The peace keepers lead me inside and then shut the door behind me... I do not uderstand what is happening until I notice the door will not open and there was a bowl in the center of the room... Filled with Nightlock.

Present time: I sigh, recalling the moments that lead up to this. I have helped the Mockingjay. I never got to say goodbye to my wife and daughter, I never got to tell them I loved them... but what I can do is take the berries and hope to god Katniss is the rebellion and wins. I take the handful of berries and stare one last time, I let a single tear fall from my face and eat a handful of the toxic berries.. I am sorry I tried to kill her and the boy, I am sorry I killed hundreds of children before them but I am glad I am part of it ending. This is it... Everything is going blurry and fading to black... I will not die in vain, this is destiny.

"You get them... Girl on fire."