Storm's POV:
The Hunger Games are here, once again. The 82nd Hunger Games, if you want me to be exact. I've been lucky the past three years, I haven't been chosen. Hopefully I can get lucky a fourth time. But contrary to what Effie Trinket says, the odds aren't always in your favour.
My name is Storm Kandra and I live in District 12 with my mother and two sisters Evangeline and Tess. This is their second reaping.
I take their hands and take them over to the centre along with the other girls and take a deep breath as I do every year when Effie Trinket appears on stage.
"Welcome, welcome to the 82nd Hunger Games! It's that time of year again where it's time to choose a very brave boy and girl from District 12 to compete in the Games. Let's get started! Ladies first, as usual."
I watch her stick her hand into the mass of papers and dig right to the bottom. Please don't be my sisters, please don't be my sisters, I pray as she pulls out a neatly folded piece of paper. Their names are only in there once and so is mine. There's no way it will be them. There's no way.
"Storm Kandra!" Effie calls and I breathe a sigh of relief. My sisters are safe another year. I look down at Tess and I see the fear in her eyes. "Storm Kandra!" Effie repeats and my head snaps back to the front. I was so worried about my sisters being chosen, the possibility it could be me never crossed my mind.
"No," I breathe and that word was all it took in the silence for the Peace Keepers to find me and push me forward.
No one utters a word as I step onto the stage, still in complete shock. "Are there any volunteers?" She asks, though there never is. "No?"
And that's when I see a hand raise up in the crowd. It's the hand of my sister Evangeline. "Is that a volunteer over there?" Effie asks, pointing her long finger in my sister's direction.
"No!" I manage to say and everyone turns their attention back to me. "I want to compete." I manage to say. "I will not accept any volunteers." I say and Effie smiles.
"Well then, what a brave little soul we have over here. Now, shall we choose a brave boy to accompany Miss Kandra to the Capitol?"
I stand, looking out over the sea of faces, all the girls that are safe for another year. But this is the end for me. There's no way I could win this. I wasn't built to fight at all – I was just an average 16 year old that worked on a farm to help my family out. I wasn't a fighter.
"Luke Oakely!" Effie calls and my heart beats even faster than it was before. Because I met Luke once, a long time ago. And he's the least person I'd want to fight against.