"Welcome to the Hunger Games! May the Grace be ever in your favor!" Silence met Effie's words. Her pink wig bobbed up and down as she glided over to the raffle buckets. I turned my head to search for Po, who I know would be watching me in return. He was, as his Grace allowed him to sense it. Our eyes locked.

Good luck, I thought. With the slightest of movements, he nodded. Then his attention was on Effie, who had arrived at the first box of names.

"Ladies first!" she exclaimed. I snorted, wondering how she could possibly be so happy to send two children to their deaths. Capitol people would never learn. My eyes darted to the bucket that held my name, along with over fifty other girls in District six that were Gracelings. The only time a normal child was entered in the Games was in the second Quarter Quell, where both Gracelings and regular children were allowed in. I let out a shaky breath. Being Randa's niece, the district mayor, I only had to enter my name once as I had no need for the tesserae. Randa was wealthy. I was wealthy.

Po was not.

His name was in the Reaping twenty times. It would have been more if he and his brothers hadn't split up the price, each vowing to divvy up the tesserae between their large family. But that meant nothing to me, because now he could be easily chosen among the boys. I swallowed.

Effie reached in and picked out a name. Unfolding the card she read it, smiled, and walked back to the microphone, tottering in her pink high heeled shoes.

"This year's female tribute in the Hunger Games shall be Katsa Middlun!"

My stomach dropped. Me. The world took on a gray sheen as cold claws gripped my heart. I was going into the Hunger Games. Sure, my Grace was fighting, but that did not ensure my survival. I've been watching the Games for years, and the Game-makers work around Graces to ensure good entertainment. My chances were not good.

A peacemaker undid the latch that would let me out so I could walk up stage. At first my feet resisted movement. Then a girl pushed me from behind. I could feel Po's eyes on my back, which gave me the heart to push forward through my disbelief. On the stage Effie shook my hand, smiling all the while. No one else kept eye contact. The other children kept their focus elsewhere, anywhere but on me.

"Any volunteers?" Effie asked. After a moment of silence she frowned, seemingly disappointed by the lack of spirit. District six did have occasional volunteers, those stupid enough to sign away their lives, but this was not one of those years. My heart thundered in my chest.

"Well then, on to the gentlemen." Again she strode to a bucket, plucked a card from it, and read off the name. "Loerd Klive!" A twelve year old, hard faced boy dragged his feet up to the stage. I was not familiar with him, but his eyes were two different shades of brown. I wondered what his Grace was. I supposed I was going to find out sooner or later.

"Volunteers?" Effie almost sounded desperate.

She was just about to end the Reaping when a man shouted, "I will volunteer!"

My head shot up at the voice. It was Po, trotting down the pathway toward me. I shook my head rapidly. What are you doing! Take it back! Take it back! I was mentally shouting with everything I had. He winced at the noise nobody but us could hear. He kept coming though, until he replaced Loerd's spot next to Effie Trinket. My mouth fell slack-jawed. Po just killed himself.

"Well, bravo!" gushes the host. "I'll be keeping my eye on this one!" I'm sure she will. Po tells her his name, and in minutes we're off the stage and ushered into the town hall where our friend and family will say goodbye and a train will pick us up. The whole time, Po's gaze never leaves me and my thoughts never leave him.

As expected, Randa does not come. I did not want him to, anyway. He would only say something to make the situation worse. He would say I deserve it, or that he will wait for his little assassin to come home and return to duty.

A visitor does come, though. Sky, Po's brother, walks in while I'm thinking to Po a lengthy scold. I stop mid-sentence and watch as the tall boy, who's last year in the Reaping was today, closes the door and sits down beside me. For a moment we are quiet, content to sit in each other's company. I realize this will be the last time I ever see him, and uneasiness overcomes me in such a wave that unwanted tears threaten to fall. Then he says, "Take care of Po. He's a great fighter, but he's not you, Katsa. I fear he's in over his head this time."

"Agreed." For a time we just sat there. Then a Peacemaker comes in and demands he leave. Sky, who had two perfectly normal blue eyes, hugged me fiercely and left without a backward glance. That was the only person who cared enough to talk, for nobody else entered.

Then the time came where I was escorted with Po to a glass door. A train pulled up and stopped, allowing the two of us passage. Standing strait I took three big steps, crossing into the threshold. The sliding door closed behind me and in seconds the only world I had ever known passed by, hidden behind tall, foreboding green trees.