Chapter 1:

I awake to the sight of my heavy breath shining in the air as it's own silver cloud. It was always cold in the litter shacks of District Four. All year round it was nightmare. The water surrounding the place kept the temperature at a horrible level. I wished for it not be there. It was too chilling. But the thought of the water kept me reasonably sane compared to what my other thoughts were dreaming.

Stepping into the cold water, my father had prepared for me to bathe in, I take a sharp breath in. I had to calm myself down.

"Honey," My mother calls. I didn't like what she usually said to me, but today I can tell that it was going to be especially bad. "You better get ready now."

"I've only just got in!" I call back, picking up the sponge to wash with.

"Five more minutes then!"

Shouting came through the closed wooden door of the bathroom. My mother and father fought a lot. Recently, they'd decided to split and live in separate quarters, but as today was both a special but daunting day, they made a promise to both be there with me. To be honest, I'd rather it be just me and my father. That's who lived with currently. Just me and him. Him and me.

Five minutes pass and so I get out of the bath washing basin. Walking back to my freezing room in just a wet towel surrounding me, I notice the stupid outfit lying on my bed. I have my mother to thank for that one. She always feels the need to make sure I'm dressed so called appropriately. I'd rather be how I normally am, dressed in a simple sort of dress. That's my way.

Slipping into the light green dress I take a look in the mirror once I finally manage to get it on. It's a one strapped dress over my left shoulder. It's not a heavy dress and it floats softly to meet the lowers parts of my legs, not reaching my ankles. The whole back of the dress was a lace pattern of leaves and flowers, resulting in not being able to wear a bra as it would be seen; how horrible! There were black buttons on the lace at the back to be able to be undone and done up, that's how you slip in and out of this thing.

I add on some black shoes that are a little too big for my rather small feet. Leaving my hair to fall past my shoulders in a messy way, I was ready.

It was time. There is a rumour that in District 12 they have a Seam just like here. Some rumours are to be believed, some are not. Whether District 12 has a Seam or not, here in District 4, we do have one and I so wish to be there right now. I'd do the usual. Take in some fish I would possible have caught this morning, then trade them for some string or some buttons so then after the reaping I could fix up one of the few dresses I had. Or I'd trade the fish for something for the home or for my father.

But no. Today, just because my mother was putting on her glorious parts, I had to go to the reaping without doing anything else first. Great. That's what I say.

I step out from my room and my father takes my hand in a tight squeeze. My mother scowls at me and tries to come at me in an attempt to tie up my hair. Luckily, so I can avoid a fight, my father growls and hisses a little and mum stops her horrible attempt of tying up my hair. Taking my dad's hand again, we all leave the house.

"Next please."

I hold out my hand to the peacekeeper who sounds rather like a woman. With a jab of a needle to my index finger, blood starts to trickle from it. I wince a little. It stung! Quite a bit actually. The peacekeeper takes my hand and marks my blood into a little booklet next to my name.

"Move on," she tells me.

"Yes," I snap back as I walk off to join the rest of my age group.

A woman dressed in slightly odd colours steps onto the stage with an overly large grin. She's wearing a blue top hat, a red suit and some orange shoes with too big a heel. Her hair was white like snow and I could swear that I saw some rainbow coloured sparkles in it! She looked hideous.

Tapping on the microphone to get everyone's attention she says, "Welcome, welcome, welcome."

I sigh and roll my eyes. The woman points to the screen and the promotional video for the hunger games shows up. After four years of seeing the video, I was sick of it! I was sixteen so I knew what the hunger games where and why we were having them. Within a few minutes, it ended and I was full of relief. That was until the woman tapped on the microphone again to speak.

"I must now choose or have two volunteers for this year's game." The woman's hand swings left over the bowl with boy's names in. "Marc Gray."

Marc. As he walked onto stage now, I can tell that I knew him. He was in a few of my classes at school. He was a shy and quiet soul, just like me really and I'd only ever spoken to him a few times when I've asked him to pass me something like a paintbrush in art or a spear in training class. He seemed alright. I guess everyone did. Until they're forced into the games, that's when everything changes.

"No volunteers?" The woman asks; No response. Her hand then wavers over the girls bowl and dives right in. With a little white slip being tugged at by her unhealthily long nails, she reads it out. "Ariel Shallot."