A/N: I just want to say thank you to those who followed and favorited the story! I would also appreciate it if you could leave a review, it lets me know who's reading and really lifts my motivation. :) Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Me and Graham are both locked individually in two rooms facing each other. I won't let my emotions get the best of me anymore, but I'm not in command of them. Soon the water works start spinning their gears yet again. I fall face down on the leathery sofa, staining the beautiful leather pattern in with my salty tears. I start running my fingers over the soft texture in the process. I don't know why, but it soothes me just a little bit.

My life, my whole life is over. I'm never going to be a book author like I've always dreamed of. I grip the smooth fabric as I prop myself up, wiping my tears away in the process, I then realize something.

This isn't my fault. It's their fault. They have chosen me to compete in The Hunger Games against my will. My life isn't supposed to go this way.

A wave of anger rushes over me, and I start attacking the room that I'm trapped in. I start screaming, throwing the pillows over, yelling obscenities at the areas where cameras are obviously hidden in. I don't care if they do anything, what more could they do? I'm already going to die in a while. I'm wondering if I want to debate with myself, but it's no use.

My legs are stiff from sitting on them for a while. The whole point of this is to get a single victor out of all the people they select. I'm completely out of the question, I'm in no way fit to be a victor, and I hate that about the capitol. I have never thought of it before, I used to think the capitol was going to leave me alone for the rest of my life, considering I'm a merchant. I now know that is not the case.

The sound of the doors creaking open gives me goosebumps, I whirl around to see my parents and Archie for a split second before they topple over me with hugs. My mom definitely didn't take this too good.

"My beautiful baby!" She starts wailing. "How could they take her from us?!" She cries down the length of my back. I refuse to start crying up again, but I just can't myself. I convulse as I begin sobbing, clutching my mother's beautiful purple dress as I hug her. This just can't happen anywhere else, no government is that cruel to just pry you away from your family's grasp. Except of course, the Capitol. Archie chimes in, wearing his "Proud to be a Simmons" vest on his shirt.

"Why is everyone crying, did I do something wrong?" He questions. I sad smile as I grasp his shoulders and pull them to mine.

You didn't do anything little brother, I just hope you know that I will miss you very much.

I see my dad unwrap his watch and hand it to me. "For you," he says.

"It's a little gift that you can have while… you're away." His vintage watch, the thing that marks his signature 'dad' style. It came from a time long before the dark days, where Panem was still nested in calm waters. I grasp it as I hold my brother and my mother tightly, my dad staying within a foot of us.

"Thank you so much, dad." I cough up. He nods solemnly. He's masking his sad expression, I can tell it easily. Before we all had a chance to really say anything, the doors burst wide open with two peacekeepers standing at the perimeter of the room. My family gasps as they start dragging them away. My brother is dumbfounded.

"NO!" I scream out, but they're already out the door. Just before the door closes though, I manage to shout, I love you! to them. The wind of the door frame closing by me caresses my hair. I think I just heard them say, We love you so much more.

My gaze is kept on the metal door handle even after they've left. My realizations are sharpened and my anger carries me over again. I kick the door with all my might, and shout a hate rant of places I'd rather be than here, one of the items on that list being the wretched hole of President Snow's rear. I can feel the fire leaving my throat as I end the sentence, the room falls silent for a few more seconds. Then I start to hear footsteps from outside.

I step back, expecting a peacekeeper to come and bash my head repeatedly. Instead, a completely different person comes to step through the doors. The one and only, Isaiah.

"Jesus, Hale. You really shouldn't be saying that." He says with a displeased and concerning look as he pulls me into a hug. I remain speechless and thoughtless once again.

"What's gotten into you, you haven't been like this before?" His words catch onto a part of my mind that makes me infuriated at what he just said.

"What's gotten into me?!" I start, "What's gotten into you?! I'm the one that's just gotten chosen to die in a fiery fucking wasteland!" I clench my hands into fists, I know I haven't been like this before. But in happening in the current situation that made me furious.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I know this is all hard for you. I shouldn't have said that," He says.

"But above all, I'm still here for you." I start to calm down a bit, but before I really do, I wrap him a big hug. I nuzzle my head on his chest, sniffling. He is my best friend here and has always been there for me. So it's for the best if I ignore all past predicaments.

"Hale, please listen," He starts. "I know I'm not the best at this category to give advice, but please listen, you have to survive this. You have so many gifts and talents-"

"Like what," I cut him off, crossing my arms in a protest. I don't believe I have any natural talents. So he's probably just making this up to make me feel better, and to be honest I don't really appreciate it.

"Well, for one, you're very smart." He says with a smile. Yeah, right. I don't even do that well in school, well I mean I get the work done and all. But, I'm not a grade A genius or anything like that.

"Oh yeah, how?" I look him in the eye.

"You're always one of the first kids to finish up the tests!"

I give a side smirk. Can't argue with that, I almost say.

"You're also persistent, you have a great speaking voice, and plus you know how to handle someone pretty well for a girl like yourself." He finishes with a side smirk.

I roll my eyes in response. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure having a great speaking voice isn't going to help me win The Hunger Games." I add, he sighs.

"All I'm saying is that you have potential to shine, Hale. You have to realize your strengths in order to win." He clutches my shoulders, I just stare up at him with wondrous eyes. I never realized it before, but he has really shiny eyes. It's like a forest brown, like tree bark kinda. It really brings out his other features.

"Uh… o-okay." I stammer, my hair plastered on the side of my head. I fail to come to terms that my body temperature has risen. Or it's just really hot in here. I look down.

"Hale…" he utters, fidgeting with his hands. I see that they're glowing with sweat. I find myself mimicking him.

"Y-Yes?"

"I-"

I hear the doors burst wide open. Two peacekeepers holding guns stand towering over us, one of them speaks up.

"Time's up, let's go kid." Gesturing for Isaiah to come out. I gulp, they grab his arm and pull him away without a word. Isaiah looks at me with a look sadness, his face abruptly disappears not a second later.

My hands fall to the clad of my dress, making a loud thud. For as long as I'm trapped in this hell, his words will remain a mystery to me. Why are people like this?

He might've been about to say some important things, but, of course, the Capitol doesn't have time for tribute's lives.

Everything becomes silent for a moment. The doors open once more to the one and only Valoria Tetsill, standing with her four inch stilettos.

I can't wait what she's about to announce to me, I think sarcastically.

"Alright darling, it's time to go to the train station!" She trills. At which two peacekeepers emerge from the sides clutching heavy weapons. My heart sinks as I remember what I've came here for, and I feel the color from my cheeks drain yet again.

"No, NO!" I scream. They tackle me to prevent me from fighting against them. I scream and worm around as they drag me out the door.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! LET ME GO!"

They continue to drag me on a long, narrow, grey, wooden hallway. Where I will then be exposed to a large train crowd. Tears form in my eyes as I realize my possible death is only less than a week away. At this point, I might as well just prepare myself for the outcome of this tragedy.

We get outside the justice building where a smoggy jeep awaits us. Graham and I are both shoved into the backs of it before we speed off into the endless prairie. Leaving behind our dignity and our innocence.

Once we reach the train station, Graham and I get escorted to the front of the eager crowd. Where we will wait for the train to come to take us to the Capitol. I have yet to get used to my new surroundings, and I almost topple over Graham as my knees give in. But I manage to straighten myself just before.