Chapter 1

I wake up to the annoying buzzing of my alarm. It's 4:30, time to get ready for training. I get out of bed and put on my regular training clothes: a black tank top and my shorts. Down the hall I can here my dads muffled snores. Asleep is the way I like my dad. If he's asleep he can't yell at me or tell me how worthless I am or hit me. Sure I hate him and what he does but it's my hate that pushes me to work hard. It makes me tougher and I'm able to withstand anything that's thrown at me. I take a look in the mirror and pull my long black hair in a ponytail to reveal the bruise on my forehead. I always let my wounds show it intimidates my opponents and shows that even though I'm small I'm not weak. I turn away for the mirror and quietly make my way downstairs, out the door and start the 20-minute walk to the training center.

When I arrive at the training center I remember that today is the day where they select the people who will volunteer for the reaping. Although I'm only 16 I know I will win. My specialty is knives when I throw I never miss. Ever. People are generally afraid of me even adults, not at first but after they see me with knives they are always intimidated. I weave through the crowd and make my way to the knife throwing station, but when I get there there's a group of 12 year olds girls blocking my way.

"Excuse me, what do u think your doing here?" I ask a pretty blonde girl.

"Were trying out to be tributes duh," She responds as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Pathetic. Do these little girls really think they could win? They'd be dead before the end of the first day.

"Look you must be new here because that's not how it works. No 12 year old is going to go to the games" I say

"Really and you think your going to be in the games?" She says with a mocking smile "How old are you 14? If were not going to be in the games, neither are you." She finishes and her and her friends all laugh.

I frown. I hate when people think I'm younger then I am. They think that just because I'm small I'm weak. Well I'll show them.

A sarcastic mean smile replaces the frown and I turn back to the blonde girl

"I'll show you," I say in a sickly sweet voice.

I grab 10 knives off the rack and when I'm sure the girls are watching, I throw all 10 knives one after another and watch them all hit dead center.

I turn back to the girls and smile at there scared, shocked expressions.

"What were you saying again?" I say in a mocking voice, while I twirl a knife between my fingers.

I watch satisfied as they run away through the crowd.

"That's what I thought" I murmur to myself as I watch them disappear out of sight.

I keep practicing with my knives until everyone who is volunteering is called together. I scan the crowd for any real competition and my eyes land on a huge buff guy with spiky blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. I've seen him around his name is Cato and he is amazing with a sword. I know that I won't be able to kill him so I guess I'll just have to get him on my team. But before I can talk to him the trainers separate the girls and the boys for evaluation. We line up and I watch as all the girls try different stations. A few are good but none are good enough to beat me. I'm last so when it's finally my turn all eyes are on me. Perfect. I of course go straight to the knife station, grab a few knives and go stand in front of a dummy. I first throw one to the neck, then to the heart then right into the eye. I don't even bother checking to see if it hit, I know they did. I keep throwing until the dummy is completely destroyed and then turn back to the crowd. Then the trainer turns around and announces to the room

"Congratulations to are newest Tributes, Clove Sevina and Cato Larek!"

I don't bother to look surprised; it was pretty obvious that I was going to win, so I just go back to my knives.