At the time, I wasn't really liked. At school the other kids would call me a wimp because I hated the Hunger Games. No one talked to me, except for one girl. Her name was Ramona. She hated the Hunger Games more than I did. Apparently both her brothers and her sister were chosen and were killed in the bloodbath. She's been my only friend for two years. Until that one night.

The sound of a scream wakes me up, followed by the sound of a cannon. I get up and grab my stuff and I run out of the cave as fast as I can. I see the careers as I exit the cave. I see the girl from District 9, lying on the ground dead. The careers see me and without any thinking I run. I hear their heavy footsteps behind me followed by their excitement to kill me. I look behind me and I see the careers still behind and are getting closer and closer. I then look forward and see a tree. I jump and grab the lowest branch and start climbing. I get to the top, which is about twenty feet tall, and see that all the male careers climbing up after me. I then jump to the tree next to me, but fail to grab a branch. Hitting three branches on the way down, I crash onto the ground. I am in a lot of pain and I can barley stand. I then see the female careers approach me. Waiting for death, I see something fly through the air and hit one of the careers. She grabs her neck and falls to the ground, as the other two are hit with the flying objects I assume are arrows. I finally get the strength to get up and when I do I run away from this spot as quickly as possible I hear their cannons go off.

I was with Ramona the night before a reaping a couple years back. She lived all by her self. Her parents were killed by the capitol, and all her siblings died in the Hunger Games, so me being with her was her only way for her life back. But I had to tell what was going to happen.

"Ramona."

"Yeah?"

"There's something I have to tell you."

She could already tell that what I was about to say is bad. "What is it?"

I didn't want to tell her, but I had to. "Remember when I told that my dad trained me to be in the Hunger Games?"

"Yeah."

"Well, tomorrow my dad is forcing me to volunteer at the reaping if I don't get picked."

As I told her this she started breaking down into tears. "No please don't."

"I have to."

"No you don't."

"I'm sorry."

Then all of a sudden she kisses me. When she finishes she says, "Don't leave me."

I grab both of her hands and what I want to say that I'm not going to, but instead I say, "You don't understand. My dad says I have to. If I don't he's gonna give me money to leave. He doesn't want me to embarrass him."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?"

"I have nothing left here, I'm sure."

She then pulls me in for another kiss and I embrace it.

The next morning I wake up next her, thinking about what will happen later.

We all gather at the justice building waiting to find out whose going out for the slaughter. After the mayor finishes the Treaty of Treason, the District 2 escort says, "Ladies first." I look over at Ramona, holding her hand hoping she doesn't get called, and she doesn't

Thank god, I think to myself.

The escort then says, "Now the boys."

She goes of to the other glass ball and digs in pulling out another name, and it's not mine. The boy tribute walks up with a smile on his face. Every one congratulates him, then the escort says, "Do we have any volunteers?" I'm about to raise my hand and I look over to Ramona, then at my dad. He has a smile on his face and he gives me a nod. I then leave my hand down just as the escort says, "Give it up for our tributes for the 18th Hunger Games." I look at Ramona again and then at my dad. He has a disappointed look on his face.

We leave. I tell Ramona to get her things packed and wait at her place. She agrees and I return home to receive a punch in the face.

"You little bastard." says my dad.

I got up and go in my room to find to suitcases already packed for me. I grab them and walk to the door to have my dad blocking the door.

"Where do you think your going?"

"I'm leaving. Like you told me to if I did this."

"Then what are you gonna do then?"

"I'm gonna go live somewhere else and be nothing like you."

As I go past my dad and go out the door he shouts from behind.

"Is it because of her?"

I knew he was taking about Ramona, but I didn't get where he was getting at.

"What?"

"That girl. Did she convince you to do this. I thought ." I thought about how stupid that answer was. I turned around and looked at him and said," No. You convinced me."

I turned back around and headed to Ramona's house. She was ready to leave. It took us a while to get to the station. It was already nightfall. We got the next available train to any District other than 1 or 4. We got onboard and headed towards District 9.