We all walked in nervously in one big group. I was shaking a bit and had to steady myself for when they pricked my finger. This year we had Effie Trinket as a mentor and also a previous winner Mason Gibbs. Mason had won about twenty years ago when he was eighteen. Since then he managed to marry but they never had children. I guess he feared if they were chosen in the games. He stepped up to the podium and welcomed us here. He said a few words about how he hopes we will finally have a winner again this year and to wish us luck. When Effie Trinket came up she basically said the same thing. We then watched a video about why we do this every year. Nothing new or exciting. I was hoping just to get this over and done with as soon as possible. I had only put my name is twenty two times, plenty of other people would have put their name in more because they had big families. It was time for the name choosing; I braced myself tightly and took a deep breath.
"As always, ladies first!" Effie Trinket boomed over the whole district. She placed her hand into the bowl and teased us with forwards and backwards movements. She finally plunged her hand in and came out with a name. She showed us and then opened it.
"Eh hem. Skye Ketting!" Me. Wait...Me? Everyone turned around and looked at me with sorry eyes. I walked slowly to the podium and stepped on.
"A round of applause to our female tribute!" No one claps at all.
"Um okay! Now to our Male tribute!" She goes over to the male bowl and plunges her hand in and comes out with a name. She opens it.
"Isaac Leeds!" Oh god. Isaac? I swear to god he has hated me from the first time he ever saw me. I'm going to be the first person he wants to kill. He steps up and takes his place next to me. No one volunteered for either of us. That's usual. District 9 has never had a volunteer tribute before. We shake hands and he looks at me like he is distraught. I wonder why.

I am in the room to say goodbye to everyone. I am crying because I know I won't make two days. I have never thought of myself as a fighter. Well with my plain brown hair and eyes, I'm not the greatest tree climber but I'm okay, and I don't like to kill things, I usually nurse them back to health. The door handle opens and my mother, brother and sister come in. They are all crying too. I hug them all and cry.
"You will be alright Skye." Amelia says.
"But I won't! I'll die! I'll never make it!" I cry to my sister.
"Never say never." She kisses my forehead.
"Your sister is right Skye. I know you will be fine." My mother starts crying over me.
"You have to sell the eggs to the market to get money. Josie buys them." I blubber over them.
"We will. I work in the factories for money we will be okay Skye and you will be too." My brother hugs me tight then they have to go and I can't help but cry harder. The handle opens and my best friends Sun, Poppy and Marigold come in. We hug for a while and then Poppy says
"Please try and win Skye. You're our best friend. Try and win for everyone; including Rose." She cries out. Rose was chosen last year and died in the bloodbath. She was our friend. I nod to them and everyone then starts sobbing. Our time is up and they are taken out. I was expecting them to be my last visit but then there is one more. Josie comes in and hands me a gift wrapped in purple cloth. I unwrap it to find a silver plated broach.
"It's my Tracker Jacker broach. Remember I said it would give you luck? Luck is what you need in these games, and this will give you it."
"Thank you." I sob. Josie pins it onto my dress and kisses my forehead. She leaves and I'm left on my own. I just hopped Josie was right; that it would give me luck.