I'm Mat Zanders, I won the Twenty Third Hunger Games, I'm fifteen years old, I am from District Three, and this is my story on how I survived. Living in District Three was never what everything it was hyped up to be, yes we may be the smartest district in Panem, but who ever won The Hunger Games with brains? It's either to fight to the end, or die right then and there. Its three days before the reaping and I'm not looking forward to it. As I walk from school to the bomb-making factory, I wonder what if I get called? What I get to go to the Games? As I panic for the two hundred ad seventh time " Hey Mat", said Alice "get your booty over here and start working on these land mines, ""coming I said, Today is the biggest day for the bomb factory, its day where we get to make the land mines for the Hunger Games. That some sort of advantage, we can deactivate the bombs and reactivate them for future use. Like everyone knows, we cannot try to mess with the landmines below us in the arena during our sixty seconds to plan out our strategy. Five years ago, one girl tried to deactivate the bombs, she ended up blowing herself up. There's so much to do to prepare. Now we are not those careers (which are Districts one, two, four, and nine) that train since they are born, even thou its against the rules of the Games to have train for the Games. We consider ourselves low-level careers, since we have some sort of knowledge and power for the Games. After my shift at the factory I walk straight home to my one story home with my parents and one brother, there's not many poor people in the district, it isn't like the robotic, high technical home for the Victors that are located in the far east side of the district. Two days later doing the same thing as last few days, it's finally the day of the reaping. I go through my closet looking for something to wear. Looking through my thousand of clothing. I finally picked out an outfit, a suit with a blue and silver tie and brown shiny shoes, I walk to my Living room waiting for my parents, and my older brother to be ready, About thirty minutes later my Dad comes out in his clockworks suit, My dad was close to being a tribute in the Fifth Hunger Games but someone named Kenton Relity Volunteered and they weren't any relation at all, he died two days after the Games have started by a fire explosion. Five minutes later my mom comes out and she is wearing a floral dress, "well you both look rather dashing today, Happy Hunger Games" she said peppy, It reminds me of Ilen Trinket, the District Twelve Escort, bit I know she trying to hide the fact I might go into the Games, how ever she isn't worried about my brother who walks in the room with regular clothing, this last year being eligible to going the Hunger Games." You aren't going to the Town Square in that Kyler." Said my mother " why? It's my last year, and I know I'm not going in the Games so what's the point?" said my brother "fine, let's go!" said my mother. As we walk to the town square m I get sorted into the one5-year-old boys section. As Mayor Drake Welcomes us, Shares the history of the Panem, how the Hunger Games got started, Honoring the two Victors from our district, A girl named Wheat Donter, who won the Twelfth Hunger Games and Jack Lingster, the boy victor of the Ninth Hunger Games. The District Three Escort Colton Zolumtam, a strictly peppy man, who wears a green wig over his oddly bronze hair, and his multicolored bow ties, comes to stage. With his deep accent he says, " Happy Hunger Games all, now its time for the reaping, first off the ladies". He walks up to the round glass bowl with every girls name in it. He picks out a paper and goes to the microphone and started to say" Alex Samatro". I never knew her but she looks to be eighteen as she walks to stage in her orange denim dress, once on the stage she is staring out in the crowd. Colton then says" Any Volunteers?" which is pointless because no one ever does that often, no one replies. My heart is pounding Twenty times faster; my face is sweating up a storm, palms getting clammy as I wait for the boy tribute to be called. He walks up to the boys bowl, even thou my name is in there only four times unlike some other boys who take out tessera, a way for the children who have starving families can get food in exchange for more names in the reaping, I never did the tessera. Colton grabs a paper and opens it up and says clear into the microphone, " Mat Zanders ". My heart froze, as I walk up to the stage and stare out into the crowd, hoping for someone to volunteer for me, no one does, not even my own brother. " Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Join me in honoring the Twenty Third Hunger Games tributes for District Three ". Going in my mind, I'm going into the Games, and I am going to die. I shake hands with Alex as we are escorted into the Justice Building.