Lena:

Fear gripped every part of my body. I tried to move but my sisters hand gripped tighter around my waist. She knew, even in her sleepy state, what today was. In a matter of hours, I will be standing with my year, waiting for someones name to be called. It could be mine, or it could be one of my siblings, Sarah and Tripp.

"Lena." My father whispered, trying to catch my attention, but trying not to wake Sarah. "You can bathe first."

I look at him, and gesture for him to help me remove Sarahs's arms. He quietly tip-toed to the other side of the bed, and grabbed my sisters wrists. Slowly, he pried them off, long enough for me to roll out of bed. I padded over to the small room we called the bathroom. It had a small wooden tub, toilet, and sink. I leaned over and turned a knob and watched at the water steamed into the tub before peeling off my night gown.

Twenty minutes later, I was dressed in a knee length black dress with what looked like confettiover it. My dark hair was pulled back with a twisting headband. And my mothers necklace hung low on my chest. I was pulling on my ring when little Tripp came in rubbing his fists against his eyes.

"Good morning, Lena." He yawned, staring at me with his wide five year old eyes. "Do I get a bath too?"

I smiled at him and placed him on my hip. "Not today, buddy. Sarah needs to take a bath still." He bobbed his head up and down as though he understood why he wasnt getting a bath. I shook my head at him and told him to go wake her up.

He scurried off on his chubby legs, whispered Sarahs name very loud. A few seconds she came inside the bathroom the same way Tripp had, rubbing her eyes with the back of her fists. I waited by trying to coax my curls into waves, and sliding my feet into the snakey heels my father had layed out for me. Sarah came into the room and sat on the edge of our bed. She had put on the same dress I had worn when I was twelve. A teal polka dot dress with a white belt, and white flats. The only difference was, Sarah had the locket my mother used to wear hanging around her neck.

"How do you want me to do your hair, little one?" I asked, running a comb through her ravenous hair.

Sarah seemed to think about it for a second before simply saying, "Braid."

I laced my sisters hair through my fingers and slowly began to braid the straight tresses. She had gotten lucky and got my fathers straight hair while I got my mothers crazy waves. I was a spitting image of my mother, she died while giving birth to Tripp. I was only 11. We got lucky that the bakery needed someone to run the shop after the previous owner passed away. I was broken out of my thoughts when Sarah shivered beneath me.

"Are you okay, little bear?" I asked tying off her braid.

"I'm scared, Lena. What if I get chosen?" She asked me, her voice cracking a little more with each word. I walk around to where I was crouched in front of her.

"Its your first year, you wont get chosen." At least, thats what I hoped. Ten years ago, a girl from our district had to volunteer in place of her sister. Who was the same age as Sarah. I shook my head. I cant afford to think like that.

Sarah nodded and swallowed hard. I grabbed her hand as my father knocked on the door.

"Come on, girls. Time to go."

,*.

It took at least thirty minutes to get from our small house on the outskirts of District 12 to the square. Everyone was already crowded around the stage. Effie Trinket, the "stylish" escort of District 12, was standing in a ruffly purple dress that barely brushed the floor. Her heels were at least 3-4 inches high and it was painful to watch her strut across the stage.

I was shoved away from Sarah as soon as our fingers were pricked. She looked back at me, despair evident on her face. I tried to give her my best sympathetic look, but Im still worried about myself. Since we were fortunate enough to get bread from the bakery, I didnt have to enter my name extra times. But something in my gut told me that today the odds were not in my favor.

"Hello?" Effie's shrill voice asked through the microphone. "Happy Hunger Games!"

She raised her arms, as if hoping for a round of applause, but nothing but a few awkward coughs and shuffles could be heard. Effie awkwardly clears her throat before carrying on.

"I would like to mix it up this year." She said with a little wink. "Men first!" Effie reached into the reaping bowl and yanked a name in one snatching process. Her mouth forming an 'O'. "Canton Jansen!"

There was a boy, a few people down from me, completely frozen in place. He had dark brown hair that flopped over his gray eyes. Slowly, he made his way to the stage, the muscles in his back tense. My heart went out to him momentarily before going back to thinking about Sarah. I stopped thinking when Effie pulled out another name and yelled it out loud. I couldnt move, I couldnt think.

"Adelina Cornett!"