This is mostly based off of the books, with a few movie references. So, go read the books and come back later. I will probably have come up with a bit more.

The rest of my family is asleep. Somehow, they've convinced their bodies to ignore the dawn light that's been coming over the horizon for fifteen minutes. Even the sun is lazy today.

Rising from my bed, I stare out the window. The sun sends red streaks through the sky, making it look like someone has lit it on fire. Fire. This thought sends me back to two years ago, when Katniss Everdeen came out of the doors of the Remake Center in the Capitol ablaze with orange tongues of flame. When she and her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, stood on a gold chariot behind 22 other tributes who would later die in the Hunger Games. No, don't think about the Games. Don't think about reapings. Don't think about children like me who, on this day years ago, have been selected to die for the rebellion of our ancestors.

My twin brother, Quinn snores as if to wake the whole district. I decide to let him sleep, because today is the reaping and sleeping is a way to avoid thinking about it. Being 13, we're both eligible for the Hunger Games, but neither of us have taken tesserae. Quinn is the only one worried about us. I've been telling him there's nothing to worry about, but he's still scared. I am, too. If District 5's escort, Fantasia Gemstone, reads one of our names from that tiny piece of paper… I've decided not to think that far ahead.

I take a long bath. The water's cold, as our water heater is solar powered and the expensive battery that stores the power needs replacing. Wrapped in a rough towel, I dig through a box in a room I share with my two brothers. At the bottom is my only dress, a tight, sleeveless black velvet thing. I lay it on my bed for later. It's my mother's, from when her family lived in the Capitol before running away. Her father had been arrested for an unnamed crime and the entire family, even the children, were accused of helping. After Peacekeepers arrived at their door summoning them to court the next week, they gathered a few belongings and ran. Mother, 9 at the time, was the only one who survived the hovercraft long enough to make it to 5. She took the place of a recently deceased child who happened to look like her and took her name, Abagael. She says in the Capitol, black is the color of mourning. Fitting for a reaping dress.

I brush my rust-colored hair and twist it into a small bun behind my head. Nearer to the top of my box is a simple white shirt with dark blue leggings – also from my mother. I put them on and head downstairs to wait for my family. Our small candy shop feels deserted without them down here working. Mother got the shop from the previous owners when she turned 18. Their daughter had died in the recent Quarter Quell, and they were too old to continue making the candy. My mother was their adopted niece, so they gave the shop to her.

I grab the "Staff Only" peppermints from under the counter. I don't make the candy, not since I've proved I have absolutely no talent in the craft, but Mother lets me work at the desk and eat the peppermints. We eat a lot of the candies we make, actually. Not many people in District 5 have time for candy. But we get enough money from those who do, like Topp Kiedar. He comes in now and tosses two coins onto the counter.

"We're closed," I say, but I give him the candy anyway. He pops a bright yellow butterscotch into his mouth. Topp's always loved peppermints, but ever since he discovered butterscotch, he can't get enough.

"Too late now, Vape," he says, hugging the bag to his chest. "You won't get these back." Topp loves to give people nicknames. He calls his sister Marchen "Mar," and Quinn is simply "Q." He gave me the name Vape, since my real name is Vaper.

"I see that," I say. "Those are lucky, you know. You're going to want to save some for the reaping."

Topp eats another two before answering. "I actually came here to wish you good luck today. And to get some candy. But mostly to wish you good luck."

I grin. "Good luck to you, too, Topp, dear," I warble in my best Capitol accent. Not to brag, but I do have the best Capitol accent in the district.

"Thank you, Vaper," he squeaks. While my Capitol accent is the most realistic, Topp's is the funniest. We laugh so hard even Quinn's loud snoring temporarily ceases. Finally he says, "I have to go. My mother will want some of these. Also, I'm hungry."

"I keep telling you, you can't fill a belly on candy," I groan.

"You can if you eat half a bag!" he says as he walks out the door.

"Don't make yourself sick," I call after him. He doesn't hear me, but Gary, my older brother, does. He plods down the stairs and yawns.

"You two were so loud, I couldn't hear Quinn. How's a man to get any sleep?" he says.

"The only man in the house is Father," I retort, tossing him the bag of peppermints. "Don't eat all of those." In reply, he stuffs four into his mouth and goes back upstairs, presumably back to bed.

Having writer's block for this one - for some reason my brain wants me to work on Secret Child. :/ Please leave a review on how it is so far :)