I rest my arms on the rickety wooden balcony and look out to sea, and I wonder if this would be the last morning I ever see it over it, I am seventeen, and although I only have my name in the required number of times, the nerves still ebbed over me, like tidal waves. In an attempt to relax myself I shut my eyes, sighing deeply as I inhale the sea air. Oh, how I loved it here, how I loved watching the sun rise, up from the horizon, emerging from out to sea and sends sparkling glittering light across the sea like a hundred diamonds, clear as day. Watching the fishermen would sail out with their blue and white boats and return with hundreds of silver fish, people would often walk down by the shores where the sea met the sand, swimmers would dive into the deep blue sea and to the outside world, days in District Four, looked the picture of relaxation and usually they would be.
Expect today. It is the day of the Reaping.
Soon, one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts would be chosen to compete in the 74th annual Hunger Games, a brutal fight to the death where one victor would ultimately be crowned.
"Hey, Alexa," my younger brother elbows me "Watcha thinking about," He looks up at me, with his warm eyes shining with innocence. He was eleven, so was not yet eligible, that was something to be thankful for.
"Just how much I love it here, Jasper," I lean forward "Promise me, when it's your turn, no tessera, we don't need it,"
Jasper manages a nod "You'll be okay Alexa, it won't be you," he blinks and hugs me tightly.
"Thanks," I squeeze his hand, and push the lump that was forming in my throat down and taking one last look out over the sea, I head back off into the house to dress for the Reaping. I wore the same loose fitting cream and fuchsia dress I always wore to the Reapings; it smells like the sea, a pair of worn-in sandals and I left my copper brown hair fall in waves to just above my ribs "You look a picture darling," my father, a renowned ship captain of the district was the first to speak, he nudges my breakfast closer "Eat something,"
I take an bite of bread and find myself wondering if this would be the last time I tasted the wonderful salted, green bread of my beautiful district and ate the whole piece before helping myself to another until my plate was cleared.
And then after that it seemed to steamroll.
I was ushered out of the house with my father and brother providing reassuring statements before we reached the town centre and I was herded off to give a quick sample of blood and then led into a pen with the other seventeen year olds, and stood rigidly, watching the stage ahead of me, trying not to sway or faint.

A woman dressed in an absurd turquoise suit with large pink panels and rhinestones on the shoulders, she struts up to the microphone in a pair of clear platforms with no heels. She throws her head back, her blue and green wig wobbling uncertainly on top of her head
"Happy Hunger Games!" she exclaims into the microphone "And may the odds be ever in your favour," That really was an unfortunate accent. "I am your Districts escort Jewel Declair,"
A film with a message from the Capitol played and everyone turned to the screen, although I sense not many were actually watching, this was just a filler, something to drag out the time. It's the same video as always, the Dark Days, the message from the Capitol, and so on. It was almost as if they'd expect everyone to forget. As if you could.
Jewel sighs and turns her attention back to the crowd.
"Now, on to finding our tributes, as always… ladies first," Jewel sticks her hand into the reaping bowl and swishes it around a couple of times for dramatic effect, before she picks one up between two of her preened purple fingernails and taking it out. She clutches it for a few seconds before she unfurls it and reads out the name.
"Alexa Calder," she screeches into the mircophone, the announcement booms around a couple of times before it hits me. The people around me stare; a mixture of pity, relief and shock on their faces. The girl nearest me cowers back as if I were now contagious or something. Then as without thinking, I find myself moving slightly, my feet carrying me towards the stage, I wonder if one of the Districts careers would step forward, although not as famous for its careers as district one or two, they existed and now, and I think would be a fantastic time for a muscle bound wannabe with a hero complex to step forward. I reach the stage and manage to use the stairs to stand next to Jewel, blankly.
"How lovely, congratulations, well done, Alexa. Our female tribute everyone!" she exclaims to dead silence. "On to the boys now!" she struts back to the boys reaping bowl and this time didn't hold back. She plucks out the first name her hands brush and I couldn't help but wonder if she'd applied the same tactic to picking a female would I be here, standing like a lamb picked for slaughter.
"Dillon Ronan," she announces and the crowd parts for a fifteen year old boy to walk to the stage in the same robotically, slow motion I had. I smile thinly then stop immediately, aware everyone was now watching my every move. I recognise Dillion, if only from school. He was the youngest of four, usually a loud and bold character, a stark contrast to the ashen faced young man he now was.
"There we have it ladies and gentlemen!" Dillon has barely set foot on the stage when Jewel announces the pair as tributes. Dillon extends his hand as a token gesture and I shake it firmly, eyeing him, hoping he wasn't trying to work me out already.
Then as quick as it had begun, it is over and we are lead to the Justice Building.

"Three minutes, go," a peacekeeper spoke and the door I had been eyeing swung open and my father and brother run in and hug me quickly
"You can win sweetheart," my father tells me "You're a fair climber, a good swimmer and I know you can be resourceful, make things, listen to me," he holds my shoulders "Get to a spear, you're good with a spear,"
I nod, numb.
Jasper doesn't say anything, he just clings to me, tears running down his face. "Alexa, I'm scared,"
Me too. I think but instead I brush his copper hair back from his eyes and take in what I am sure is my last look into those warm olive green eyes.
"Don't you worry about me, Jasper, like dad said, I can win," I speak, unsure of who I am trying to convince. "You've got to be strong, now," I give him one last hug until the peacekeeper opens the door
"Times up,"
One in, one out. Final goodbyes. How much of this is routine, impersonal for them.

I watch them leave, the only family I have, I'm left alone for a few minutes and in this time I wonder what my chances are, I wonder if I'll see them again and I wonder how long I'd realistically last, what chance did I have against one of the careers or even one of the stronger built tributes. I was a dead woman walking.

It wasn't too long before I was escorted off again, this time on to the train which would take me to the Capitol, it was large, extravagant and adorned with marble surfaces. Every type of food I could have imagined lay as a full spread ahead of her, being from District Four, I did not go without, but even I would admit; I had never seen this kind of wealth before, cakes of all shapes and sizes, dips, pastries and bread; the smell hangs heavily in the air, sweet compared to the fresh outdoors, and I suddenly feel my head spinning.
There is a jolt and the train begins to move. I take one last look out of the window, gazing out at the District I'd always called home. It was painful to think I'd never walk along the sand again, barefoot and the breeze lifting her my back, at peace with the world, I'd never swim in the ocean again.
Dillon stood behind me, still holding the same expression he'd held at the reaping. Jewel just behind him.
"Well," she dips her finger into some sort of icing pot and raises it to her mouth "Delicious!" She turns back "I'll go get your mentor, shall I?" She claps her hands together and then winks, flashing one of her purple eyelashes at me "He's a dream, you'll love him, all the girls do," and then she staggers off. I roll my eyes and take a seat on one of the plush royal blue sofas.

Mere moments later Jewel staggers back in her ridiculous shoes, followed by a tall, tanned man in his mid-twenties, who I recognised as Finnick Odair, a previous District Four victor and arguably the best one. He brushes his bronze hair back and looks at us both, studying us carefully with a smile.
"These are the tributes this year," Jewel giggles and tosses her hair about. "Alexa Calder and Dillon Ronan," I manage a twitch of a smile, more through amusement at Jewel's pathetic flirting, Dillon just stares out of the window.
"I'll leave you three alone," Jewel hovers for a second then left. Finnick looks somewhat relieved.
"Okay, Alexa so…what are your strengths," he addresses me first.
"I can swim, I'm pretty good with being resourceful, and I'm good with a spear," I reel off, hoping it sounds as good to Finnick as it did in my head.
"We can work with that," he shoots me a winning smile. "When you get to the training station, try get there when its' quieter, play to your strengths, if you want to make alliances, make sure they're solid and with the right people, if there's no spear find something else, you can make it work " he turns to Dillon "What about you," There is a silence and I wonder if I should interject.
"He's been quiet for-," I start to say before Dillon speaks
" I can speak for myself, Nothing, okay, I'm not good at anything, I'm going to be dead on the first day, I have no chance, you might as well forget it,"
"If you don't let me help you then yes, but I'm here to help keep you alive so if there's anything, anything at all, you need to tell me,"
"I have no chance," Dillon repeats looked back to the window. And before Finnick has a chance to respond, Jewel remerges, looking excited "Come, come, lets watch; They're showing the Reapings now!" She presses a few buttons and a large screen begins playing
First District One; and, two Careers volunteer, District Two follow the pattern as predicted. When it is District Fours turn, I turn her attention back to the screen, and study my own expression, I think I look okay, there's shock there but I don't look as scared as I felt.
The rest of the Districts follow as suit, until District 12, proves itself interesting with a girl of around sixteen; Katniss Everdeen volunteering in place of her twelve year old sister in a feat of admirable bravery.
I feel my heart pull, twelve, only a year older than Jasper.
"So…" Jewel looks at both Dillon and Alexa "Any potential allies? Who to look out for?"
"Guy from One, both from two, girl from twelve, boy from eleven," I reel off and Dillon looks at me. "Think they're ones to watch,"
"Both from District Two? Are you kidding me?" Dillon asks
"It might not be such a bad idea to have careers on side,"
"Yeah until one of them snaps your neck while you sleep, I think I'll be working alone," Dillon stands up and leaves, heading down the train compartments.
There's a pause. "Do you think you could work with the Careers?" Jewel ventures slowly
I shrug "I don't know," I look from Jewel to Finnick "It's been a long day, I think I'm going to go rest…" and with that I leave and head down to my room.

In my dreams; I am chased time and time again, I'm running from someone, something, it's chasing me and just as it closes in for the kill, I feel something hit my back and I wake up, hot and breathless. I can't sleep, I drift in and out of these nightmares until morning.
When I wake, I look around at my unfamiliar settings and let it all sink in. I am Alexa Calder, I am District Four's tribute and I am in the Hunger Games. Its beginning to sound more and more real.
Not wanting to dwell on it; I shower, and get dressed in my reaping clothes and head back out. I see Dillon has returned and is sitting alongside Finnick and Jewel over breakfast. Today Jewel is wearing a silver skirt and silky red shirt, her wig is a white and red curly mound and her shoes yellow boots.
"There you are, come, sit," she waves me over and I take the seat opposite and help myself to a bizarre looking pastry.
"We'll be arriving in the Capitol in under an hour," Finnick tells Dillon and I. "They'll take you off to the Remake Centre to get you ready for the Opening Cermony,"
"Get us ready?" Dillon asks and I am sure he's picturing last year, when District Four were dressed as fish, tails, scales and all.
"To present you to the Capitol, help you begin to get sponsers," Jewel takes over the explaining, she beams at us both. "And I just can't wait to see what they do with you two,"
Finnick looks at us sympathetically. He knows what this is like, he's done this already. "They just want a show, people to root for, smile, wave, make an impression,"
We're drawing ever closer, the Capitol is in plain sight now. My curiosity gets the better of me and I peer out of the window. It really is a extravagant site, big buildings tower around us, we fly into a tunnel and I sit back, as the blackness whips around us and for a few moments I relax before; lightness feeds into the slowing train and suddenly I am aware I am being watched. Hundreds, literally hundreds of people are staring in at Dillon and I. I feel an elbow in my ribs and I begin to wave and smile at them.
They grin and beam and wave back as if we some sort of celebrities.