Jinx woke up at the same time as every other morning. He crept out of the room, not wanting to wake his twelve year old brother up. He grabbed his clothes on the end of his bed and quickly got dressed. He left the room, closing the door slowly to not wake his brother. He crept down the stairs and found a quick snack to eat. His twin sister entered the room and grabbed an apple.

"Let's go," she said and the two sixteen year olds left the house. It was only a fifteen minute walk to get to the laboratory. In District 3, where they lived, they spent a lot of time working on technology. All the kids, unless they had rich parents, started working at the age of fifteen. Along with his sister Hunter, Jinx had started working in a hydroelectricity laboratory the previous year. The central water source was in District 4 but they were able to maintain that from a distant location. Jinx and Hunter worked with a large group of other teens with a minor aspect of the field under supervision of adults. Their parents worked in the same building but at a higher level. Cass, their sister who was fourteen would be starting in a year and their youngest brother Orion would be starting in three years.

They only had three hours to work that day because of the Reaping. Jinx was worried, just as worried as he had been the previous years. He had no idea who anyone would choose, other than his siblings. They had been told that if you were male and had a brother, you would choose your brother. If you were female and had a sister you would choose your sister. If not, you could choose a sibling of the opposite gender. Since there were two boys and two girls they each only had one option.

Jinx sat at the desk mindlessly doing the same as every other day. His work did not require much thought as long as you knew what you were doing. Jinx thought about what he would do if he was in the Hunger Games. He remembered hearing about a previous victor from his own district who had made an electrical trap killing the last six tributes other than him but Jinx couldn't remember his name. Jinx and Hunter had been bringing home some extra wires and other parts to practice. They had figured out how to make a small fire using a certain method but that was mostly all they had figured out. Fires were also proven to not work in the games because the smoke could be seen easily and the others would be able to hunt you down.

Soon, the bell rang and it was time for everyone to leave and start walking over to the Reaping. Jinx walked out alongside Hunter and a few of their friends, Dominique and Carter.

"I'm not worried," Dominique said. "I've got no siblings. The only people I could think of to choose me are you three and there's a total of five slips out of all the girls and fifteen out of all the boys. That's a very small percentage."

"What about someone who gets freaked out and doesn't want to send any of their friends into the games. There's no one this person hates either, they're a genuinely good person. So, they start to freak out. Then, a random name comes to mind. They heard it once and they blurt it out. That name is Dominique Fellow."

"Okay, I've got, like, ten slips in the girl's side and twenty-five in the boy's side," Dominique said, "still a fat chance." All four of them laughed but soon stopped when they remembered how serious the situation was.

"So, just to review," Dominique said. "I would pick Hunter."

"Yeah," Hunter said, "and I would pick you."

"I would pick Carter," Jinx said.

"And I would pick Jinx," Carter replied.

They made it to the Reaping and made their way to their lines, Jinx and Carter on one side and Dominique and Hunter on the other side. All too soon, the escort, Trinity entered the stage with a beaming face.

"Hello everybody!" she shouted. "Are you ready to start this thing?" Nobody answered. "Then, let's get started with the young ladies in the crowd. Let me say, there are so many names in this bowl, like, wow! Either way, one girl will be chosen. Let's see who it will be!" She fished her hand through the bowl, doing it slowly and smoothly. She found a name and then pulled it out of the bowl. "Now, the girl who will be coming up to the stage is, Hunter Donaire!" Jinx felt his heart stop. He looked over to his sister in shock. She started moving towards the stage at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Who do you choose, darling?" Trinity asked.

Hunter glared at Trinity then responded, "For a sibling, my sister Cass and then also Dominique Fellow." Hunter looked at both Cass and Dominique with regret. Cass was walking up to the stage but she was trying, unsuccessfully to stop crying. There were often two plans the tributes had for people to see them as, either a fierce and strong competitor that you definitely want to stay away from or a weak and scared tribute who isn't any threat. Often, people without even trying would end up crying, it was a traumatic experience. Dominique who was also walking up looked fierce and strong but Jinx could see through the disguise, she was very, very scared.

"Next up," Trinity said, still with a huge smile on her face. "From the boys, we have," Trinity swirled her hand through the names and snatched at one in the middle. "Orion Donaire! Wow, are these two siblings?" Trinity looked over to Hunter and Cass but Hunter was too busy comforting Cass and watching as Orion came up to the stage. Jinx was too stunned to even think. He was the only option for Orion to choose, he would be going into the Hunger Games. He would be going in with Cass. Jinx knew, right at that moment that he would die in the Hunger Games, he would never let any harm come to Cass. He would protect Cass's life and if it came down to the two of them, he would be the one to die.

"Who do you choose, honey?" Trinity asked.

"Uh, I choose- my brother." Orion said. "J-Jinx." Jinx moved his way through the crowd and up to the stage.

"And?"

"Uh- I also choose-" Orion said, pausing. "L-louis W-way-ne." Louis Wayne, a boy Jinx had seen a couple times but did not know came up to the front. He was a couple years young than Jinx, probably thirteen. He was a few inches shorter than Jinx as well but much larger. He looked like he had been lifting weights or something like that with the muscles he had. He stood out against the other District Three citizens who were on the most part rather skinny with no muscles since lots of them did very minimal exercise or outdoor work, unlike some of the other districts.

It was time for them to go for the last goodbyes with their family and friends. The four siblings went into the same room and before their parent came into the room they had a chance to talk.

"Okay," Hunter said. "Jinx and Cass are going into the Games."

"I'll protect you," Jinx said. "That's my goal in the game, to get you out alive."

"You can't do that," Cass said. "You have to fight to get out too."

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do," Cass said. "Right?" She asked looking at Hunter for conformation.

"Actually, he doesn't." Hunter said.

"Who's Louis Wayne, by the way?" Jinx asked.

"Oh, he's just this guy who goes to my school. He's in my grade and he kept talking about how he really wanted to go into the Hunger Games. I panicked and he was the first name I thought of."

At that moment, their mom and dad walked into the room.

"Oh, Cass! Jinx!" their mom started to cry. By the time the Games ended their mom would have only three or, more likely, only two kids.

The kids each had friends coming in to say goodbye and then it was time to leave. All of them were leaving, even the two who were not tributes but were instead the ones who had been picked from the reaping bowl.