During the short walk from the lunch line to my table, I realized just how utterly unimportant my life was. My whole outfit was soaked in what was supposed to be my lunch, but apparently Thad had other plans for it.

Thad is what you would call a bully. Every chance he had to humiliate me, he did. Today, his method of choice was to knock my lunch tray into me while I was walking to my table. He high-fived his Neanderthal friends, as if he just accomplished something great, like reading a book that didn't involve coloring. I threw the remainder of my food away, and walked to my table. Luckily, my two best friends were there for me.

Monty gave me his jacket to cover up the stain. Monty is my very handsome man friend. He is handsome, funny, attractive, smart, and beautiful. Did I mention that he is gorgeous? I feel the need to stress the attractiveness of my friend, because he is the most perfect guy in the world, and yet he wastes his day with me. It kind of makes me feel special. And he is also really nice. He is one of the only people who actually talk to me, despite my disability.

The other perfect, gorgeous friend is Aidyyn. She was comforting me by telling me all of the horrible things that she would do to Thad. Of course, she is all talk. She couldn't really, as she said it, "gouge his eyes out with a rusty fork". If she were to do so, she would be expelled from school, and may even have to serve time at the Capitol, due to the history of her "violent outbursts".

Unfortunately, I know all too well what kind of punishment the Capitol is capable of dishing out. About 9 years ago, when I was eight, I was caught stealing food from the town market. I wasn't a delinquent or anything, it was just that my dad did not have a job at the time, so we had no income. I thought I was being helpful. Anyway, when the Peacekeeper arrived, I, helpfully, repeated every bad thing my father had ever muttered about the Capitol.

"Listen sweetie," the Peacekeeper paused to pinch my cheek, "Why don't you just give me back the food you stole earlier, and we can forget this whole thing ever happened. Go home to your mommy; it's getting late."

I snorted. "My 'mommy' died because of an illness YOUR precious Capitol couldn't fix."

The Peacekeeper flushed. "Keep it."

I realize now that he was only trying to help me, but there was pity behind his actions. Pity. Ohh, how I hate pity. So, instead of accepting his generous offer, I opened my big mouth.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"What are you deaf? I said NO!" I slapped the basket out of his hands.

He just chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked him curiously.

"Because you remind me of my son."

I recalled that this particular peacekeeper's son was in my class.

Now it was my turn to chuckle.

He looked at me quizzically. "Now, why are you laughing?"

I looked up at him with a sly smile. "Because you remind me of your son. He's dumb, fat, gross, and ugly. I finally see where he got it from."

The only nice Peacekeeper in our District and I managed to snap his patience in half.

He snatched me up and took me to the Capitol. I sat in the ship, a smirk on my face. I thought I was being brave. I was wrong, I was only being foolish.

The presented me the President himself. He examined me like I was a piece of meat. His face came so close to mine that I could smell his rotten breath. "What's your name?". Even his voice sounded reptilian.

I froze. Fear suddenly washed over me. For the first time in my life, I decided that I would try a new tactic; silence.

He repeated the question.

"I don't want to answer…" I was very uncomfortable.

He smiled. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm afraid I can't say the same about your father."

That woke me up.

"My daddy?" I searched the room frantically. "Where's my daddy?"

"He's in our custody."

"Why?"

"Because he tried to rebel."

"He won't, I promise!" My eyes were starting to water.

"Oh, I know he won't. Because we're going to kill him."

I began to scream and beg hysterically, but that only annoyed him. He grabbed me by my shoulders, and shook me so hard I got dizzy. I stopped sobbing long enough for him to bring up my mom.

"I heard that your mother died, too."

I nodded my head.

"Good, that means there will be nobody around to miss you. Send her to the Surgeon."

I didn't know who the Surgeon was, or what it was that he did. I met the Surgeon in a large, bright room. He seemed nice. He told me he was going to perform a minor operation that'll make me a better person. At first, I protested. But he promised me that if I was good, he would give me as many lollipops as I desired. I didn't know until later that he was mocking me. It was all just a sick joke to him. He performed the operation that literally left me speechless. After I healed from the surgery, I was taken to the "Academy". This was where I began my new life, the life of an Avox. This is where I unwillingly lost my virginity, humanity, and sanity.

About 5 years later, I was released. To this day, I don't know why they let me go. I was under the impression that I was going to be there for the rest of my life, and I wasn't even sure that I would last that long. I deserved that lifestyle. My dad was dead because of me. Sometimes I wished that they had taken the punishment a step further. I just didn't want to live knowing that my dad was dead because of me. Every dark night, I would plan a new way to kill myself. It's a shame, really. I was starting to get real creative.

I was sent home an orphaned Avox. Of course, I had the whole support of District 4, not that I wanted it. I was forced into counseling and put under suicide watch, and they were right to put me there. I secluded myself from everyone and spent days locked up in my house. I would miss counseling sessions, school, and meals. One day, Aidyyn, using the spare key I begrudgingly gave her, broke into my house and tried to drag me out. She said that the only thing that stopped her from completing her mission was my face. She said it looked like I was ready to kill. She joked with me, saying that after that incident, I was immediately placed under homicide watch, as well.

The next time Aidyyn broke into my house, she brought some muscle. That was when I met Monty. I was so captivated by him, that I didn't even have time to react before he scooped me up and carried me out of my house.

Aidyyn, being the intuitive best friend that she was, could tell that I was thinking about him. She smiled at me and raised her eyebrows. I went to punch her in the arm, playfully of course, but it was caught by Monty. "Harmony," Ohh yes, you could almost taste that sweet bite of irony. A girl named Harmony can't sing, let alone speak. "Save it for the games". We would all joke around about getting selected for the Hunger Games. It wasn't as funny as it was calming. It was better to joke it than to dread it.

After school, we decided to go to the docks. It was a place of nirvana. We would go there to forget about all of our troubles. Being that the Reaping was right around the corner, we needed as much peace as possible. Monty went fishing, while Aidyyn and I would jump in to go swimming. We always made sure to leave the docks before sun down, because it's been said that the monsters of the sea come out to feed at that time. I think that they are the same monsters who haunt me in my dreams.

In fact, that night, I had that dream. The dream that I have been having since I was five. In the dream, I'm swimming in the ocean with my mom and dad. We're all laughing and splashing each other. Pretending to be a dolphin, I would dive under the waves. But when I popped back up, I noticed that my mom is missing. My dad is still there, though he acts like nothing happened. So I shrug it off and go under the waves again. I emerge from the water to see that my father has gone missing too. A tsunami of emotions overcome me. Confusion, dread, anxiety, fear. Then, the skies turn dark and the winds pick up, as if a storm is approaching. The sea turns dark red and thick, like blood. Something brushes against my feet. Seaweed? I feel it again. Soon, the seaweed begins wrapping up my legs, almost like it was a serpent, coiling around my whole body and squeezing the air out of me. The creature begins to pull me into the blood-like sea. At this part, I always wake up, usually covered in sweat and gasping for a breath of fresh air.

This time, though, I woke up only to find myself in another nightmare. It was the day of the Reaping.