'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.

What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone. '

I remember my name, Cecil Elizabeth Taylor. I might not remember my birth parents; it never mattered to me. They rejected me, since I was not perfect for their pesky Capitol standards. I did not need them, even if the community home was not the ideal place to live. I survived with out parents for all these years; I have lasted with out support and comfort. I lived with dim gray walls all my life; I have lived with out color all my life. Even my clothes where a depressing gray, and I did not go to school due to my Dyslexia, so my life lacked color. Well I had one colorful thing, an eggshell, white ribbon that I tied my hair up in.

There was a bell; it was time for roll call. I get up from my bed and head towards the cafeteria area. Kids start packing the small area and sit at the their assigned tables. A small, paunchy, dark haired man with a small set of wire glasses stands on the stage. He was the head of the home and was the one who conducted roll call. Usually this would only last a couple of minutes and we would dissipate; however, he keeps us there longer. "There are going to be a transfer of some of our members to District Three, if your name is called, pleases walk onto the stage," his monotone voice announces, "you will be able to grab your personal belongings before you go."

He starts to read the last names from the list, "Sacramento…Said…Sailer…Saint…Taylor…" Did he just say Taylor? My heart was racing as I stood up and walked onto the stage. There were about twenty of us when he reads off the last name on the list. We all stand on stage, with unison of silence. Why were they moving us to another district? Looking around most of the people that were standing with me were my age, eleven. "Sit, sit, sit where ever you wish to sit, make sure it is in the front so you can hear," he smiles at us.

I jump off the stage and sit right in front of the head of the home, my eyes glued to him. His gray eyes meet mine for only a second, but that second felt like forever. I could see the pain underneath his pride, the words of comfort between the words of sorrow. There was no reason that I needed my parents, I learned to see through people's emotions. "You all are going to have a better life, I know you will not get what is going on at school, just try your best. You all will be able to get out, we all will miss you," the head smiles at all of us, "now go, get your things and meet me back here."

We all exit the room and head towards the mass bedroom. I head over to my bed, the white covers already pulled off leaving the mattress. I pull a box from under the bed, which held all of my personal items. I laid it on top of the bed and pulled out a small, brown, leather messenger bag. I dug through the box, placing the items into the bag. A box of pencils, a note pad, sticky notes, a sketchpad defined my life. What a pity existence, I always wanted to be greater.

I peer through the box one more time; there was nothing else but a broken pair of glasses and a small piece of crumbled paper. I pick of the cardboard, and throw it in the garbage on my way out from this place. I head back into the cafeteria, and turn out to be the last one to arrive. The head grumbles something under his breath as I sit down at the table everyone else was. A group of peacekeepers keep their eyes on us as we receive our last instructions, "okay, you all must not tell about your lives in District Five. Just say you had been home schooled all of your life outside of the Community Home in three. Got it?"

We all nod our heads and the Peacekeepers place us in groups of five. They walk two per group as we head out into the outside of District Five. The sun beats down onto my eyes, I close them I tight as I could. The air was warm, the sun felt good on my pale skin. We walk through the main square to get to the train station. Citizens and passersby were staring at us, why they were was a mystery. I just ignore their arrogant talk about the 'poor little bastards, do not know what is coming to them.' I let the comments go, I had to. They all would see, when I leave a mark on this world, that I would be stronger than them.

My group was the first to arrive to the train station, and we step on.

The train was a mess, broken bottles, chandeliers, and lamps were scattered everywhere. The smell was repulsive and nauseating, a mixture of old gym socks and decaying bodies. I head over to a small room; there was a window that I just stared out of. Everybody else went into the larger bedrooms, but I wanted this one room to myself. There was a roll call, but not as a group. Peacekeepers knocked at my door, making sure I was still alive. "I am here," I whispered, I just kept my eyes out the window. They moved on and the room kept quiet. The silence was nice.

There was no bed in my room; I did not want a bed. I just kept up the whole night, I wrote notes to myself. 'Try your best', 'Keep true to yourself', 'District Three is going to be your rise from your falling life'.

Dawn stretched out across the land; the sky was painted with pink and orange hues. The grass was an unnatural green; the rolling hills had a calming feature with out a disturbance on the horizon. We passed by trees, they blurred into small green blobs. We continue to make the path up a hill, making an agile assault towards District Three. I could hear my stomach growl as the sun finally woke up from its daily nap. There was a loud bang from the outside; I guess they were trying to make us food.

"Everybody up, roll call in the kitchen," a peacekeeper with an irked tone shouts from the hall. I pack up my notepad and head into the hallway. There was a young peacekeeper stood in front of my door. "Hello Ms. Taylor, follow me, I will be your escort into District Three." It turns out only eight of us were going to District Three, the others to Ten. My peacekeeper was a kind, good hearted, twenty something with a smile that lit up the room. I could always remember that smile; from what place did it come from? I never understood why he was so joyful in this hell of a position.

"Taylor, Sacramento, Carley, Said, Marks, Tony, Yoki, Maylee," our names were called out, "get ready your stop is coming up in ten minutes. Get your personal belongings." My peacekeeper, whose name was Ince, was staring at me. I just nodded my head and patted my messenger bag. I was already ready for this event.

"One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live."
Elie Wiesel, Night

District Three was a dim place, just like Five. It was cloudy, everybody looked the same in my eyes, my ADHD wanted to explore, and my brain knew that might mean death. I peer up at Ince, who just holds onto my hand and walks me through the streets. Everybody who passed us smiled and gave us small waves. They where so kind here, again what world did this kindness come from?

We all head into a large building with many windows, the outside where made of wood and stone. I felt like I was going to love this place Ince and me step inside the building and instantly we are greeted with the head of the house. It was an older man, large glasses, small frame, and black hair. He smiles at me, "you must be from Five?"

I nod my head, "yes, hello."

"Hello to you miss, welcome to District Three's community home. May I ask what your name is? So I may get your room assignment and give you some more information," The head asked, dabbing his forehead with a towel. The other workers greeted the other kids that came from five.

"I am Cecil Elizabeth Taylor," I did not show emotion; I kept my information to the least I could say. There still was no trust from this place. The man smiled and looked down at his clipboard and grabbed onto my hand. I quickly say goodbye to Ince before walking away with this mysterious man.

The head of the building leads me down a blue hallway. He never lets go of my hand as we walk down the hall; I could hear the steady beat of our shoes on the wood floor. Nobody else was in this hallway. He stops in front of a door second to last by small, what looked like a palm tree. The man takes out his master keys from his pocket. The door opened and the dim light from outside hit me. At first I believe I am outside, but my eyes adjust and I notice the room was large. On one side windows lined the walls, the other walls were light blue. The ceiling made of wood. My personality was pleased.

"If you would like some paint, just ask," the head explained to me, "you are allowed to do what you want. We will bring in your bed and desk later. We just need to know what size you need. You look like you can fit a twin. I guess that is what you need. Okay, get adjusted to you room, I will be back in about twenty minutes to see how you are doing. Dinner is at five." The man bowed his and left my new room.

I sat down on the dark wood floor and stared out the window. You could see the factories, the smoke that swirled from the towers to the sky. The sky was gray from all the smog. I just sat there for the twenty minutes, when the head came back to check on me he mentioned my closet and dinner. He left once again and I was curious what I was going to be able to wear for now on.

On the adjacent wall on the windows, there was a small brown closet. I flung the doors opened and noticed the color of my wardrobe. It was in many hues, except one white dress, that I guessed would be for when I start going to the reaping. I barely missed this year's reaping, when double the tributes went into the arena.

At five I went to dinner, there was a hand full of kids from three in there. Maybe about seventeen at the most, the rest of the group was from my group. I was exhausted by this time and slid into a seat by a three boy. Tonight dinner was eggs and apples. Perfect, I did not care what I ate as long as I got food. I devoured it; I have not had food since yesterday. I was forced to mingle with the boy next to me since we were still yet to leave. "So what is your name?" the boy asked me, pushing up his glasses and staring down at a small box.

"Cecil, yours?" I ask back, staring down at the box he was playing with as well.

"Circuit, pleasure to meet you Cecil," he quickly glances up, "why are you in the community home?"

I did not trust this boy, so I lied, "my father died from a poisonous snake in the genetic engineering lab."

"Oh really? At least you met your father, my mom and dad died when I was a baby. I have been here for seven years."

"At least got this good of a place," I rolled my eyes, he was spoiled with this place. I had to survive in the mass bedroom, peacekeepers beating me everyday and calling me a stupid reject, and he said he had it bad? "How was your old community home?" the boy asked, "was it horrible."

"It surely was hell, " I leaned back into my chair, biting at my nails. They were already horrible, might as well not stop this habit. The other children were looking at me like I was a monster; I just ignored their stares. Nothing was wrong with me; I was perfect in my own way.

Once I was able to leave, I left. I ran into my room and just stared out the window once again. The sun was starting its descend back its nightly slumber. I stare at it until there is a knock on the door. "Come in," I whisper and start biting my nails once again. The head walks in and sits on the bed, he just stares at me for a couple of minutes. "Do you know why you are here?" he asks me.

I shake my head, "no sir I do not."

"Children that are abandoned in three of course are here, but those who have potential are also sent here. Darling Dr. Mengele, your last head, sent you here because he always told me that you were the only one that he though would become something. You showed me that today. I want to work with you and I want to learn more about you. By the way you may call me J," the head explains to me, "meet me in room 201 tomorrow after breakfast. I want to talk to you some more. Be in bed by ten." He steps up, dusts himself off and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. I notice my desk and bed, I get up and throw my messenger bag over the desk chair and lay down on my navy blue comforter.

I force my self to sleep that night, and I have dreams of the hell that I suffered weeks before.

There was a young man, no more than twenty-five, standing in front of me. He had dark blue hair and silver eyes. His neck was pierced with crystals. He was from the Capitol. "No, no, no! Please do not leave me here daddy!" I shout to him. The man puts his face up in disgust and slams the door onto my face. I grumbled cuss words to myself and the peacekeepers ran into the room. This meant life and death right now. I just sat there and a gunshot ran out.

White, white is all that I saw. There was a bright light that I entered. "Cecil, wake up," I heard a gentle voice called. I shook it off and tried to see where I was going. The voice rang out again, the same words that it spoke moments before. It echoed now. "Cecil darling, it is time for breakfast," the voice suddenly said again.

My eyes open, the sun was out already and the light was blaring into my room. The Head stands over me and takes a step back as I pull myself up. He smiles and leaves the room. It was going to be a long morning. I get dressed into some black, tight jeans and a white t-shirt. I pull over a hooded jacket and head out into hall.

During Breakfast I ate silently and alone; everyone must be scared of me. I ate while staring out at the sea of black from the people of District Three. They all were heading towards the square for the last final moments of the Hunger Games. Luckily we did not have to go, but we were forced to watch in the sitting room. I did not pay attention to the last moments, but I knew there was a new winner.

When that was over, the head dragged me into his office. He sat me one of the black, fuzzy, chairs that were across from his desk. He tapped his hand on top of the wood of his desk. I glanced around; there were pictures of his family on top of every piece of furniture. "What do you want to know about me?" I ask him.

"Who are your birthparents?" he questioned me.

"I did not know my birthparents, they did not want me in their life since I was ADHD and Dyslexic. All I know about them was that they were in the Capitol. They wanted me to be a champion," I whisper to him, tapping my thigh with my long fingers.

"They do that to you poor kids, they do not want to have the trouble of working with wonderful kids who will turn out to be better than their parents," J whispers, his dark brown eyes glued to mine, "how about your talents?"

"I sketch mostly, that probably is my biggest talent," I reply, turning my head to get my eyes off of his.

"That is a great talent. How about favorite color?"

"Navy Blue."

"Why are you so secure about giving information to people? Do you have trust issues?"

"Of course I have trust issues, what makes you think I do not?"

He turned in his chair, and stood up opening the door, "I am going to set up a plan for you, that will include your schedule for school, it starts next month. Thank you for your time." I nod my head and exit his office; he slams the door behind me. There was no sound, everybody must have gone somewhere; it was perfect setting for me. I head back to my room and just sleep; I was too exhausted to do much. Maybe J would help me reach my full potential as a person, and actually sees me as a person.