I run the comb a dozen times more through my hair, knowing that as soon as I stop getting ready I will be one step closer to the Reaping. One step closer to finding out if myself or someone I know will be on their way to a death sentence. A death sentence that was supposed to have stopped many month ago, but not for us.

We, the children of the Capitol, would be the final victims in this battle. Katniss Everdeen would make sure of that.

"Elsa?"

I turn and see my two siblings standing at the door, both dressed in freshly pressed garments just as we'd been told. Lisette smiles weakly at me, Alcander silent behind her. I can do nothing but divert my eyes to the floor and run the comb through my hair a couple more times.

"Mom said we have to go over soon," she says softly. "It starts at 9, we can't be late."

"Can't we?" I shrug, knowing full well that she is correct. Any eligible Capitolite found to be missing this morning would be punished, and with each of having ID devices implanted in our hands for ease of shopping I know they could make good on that promise quite easily.

I take a moment to straighten my dress, holding onto these last few seconds before we leave- for Alcander and I, possibly forever. "Okay, I'm ready."

Lisette and Alcander head down the hallway towards the kitchen. When I reach my door I take another look back at my room, knowing deep in the pit of my stomach that I could never return here again. I swallow thickly and close my door. If I am chosen today, I don't want Lisette to have to walk by my open door on her way to her bedroom.

I reach the kitchen a few steps behind Alcander and I see my parents waiting at the table for us. I had breakfast brought to my room this morning, though all of it went eventually to the trash as the thought of eating made me sick to my stomach. My dad takes a last long sip of coffee before placing it back on the table and straightening the bowtie at his neck.

"You know you all don't have to come," Alcander says, his voice ripping through the silence. "Only Elsa and I are eligible, the rest of you don't have to be there. It's going to be crowded."

"Oh, sweetheart," Mom says, her eyes dewy as she wraps him in a tight hug. "We don't mind the crowds."

Alcander only stiffens at her touch. "I'm just saying there's no point in going. You could watch the whole thing on the relay here at home."

My father places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes firmly. "Ander, we're coming and that's that."

Alcander turns to me, his eyes narrowing as he realizes that I am going to be no help to him in this situation. I know that my parents will not take no for an answer, not even to save Lisette from possibly seeing her brother or sister get drafted into something she's always hated seeing on the relay. My parents will not miss any public appearance, it's just not their way.

"We better get going then," I say, doing well to hide the slight hitch in my voice. "We don't want to be late."

The walk to the President's Mansion is fast, as we have always lived just two streets over from the monument. As we approach I can feel Lisette's grip tighten on my arm. For the first time in weeks I want to throw her arm off of me and scream at my little sister. What right does she have to be afraid? She's too young to be chosen. Today my name could be read out as one of the tributes in this sick reboot of the Hunger Games. She has no right to lean on me for support today.

It's hard to miss the check in table, the line stretches a few dozen people long at found places along the table. I hand Lisette off to my mother and follow Alcander over, turning my wrist out to the plain looking district woman who scans me in. She directs me towards the right hand side, where I see many other girls making there way through a small gate that opens into the area in front of the stage.

Alcander is scanned next and he is directed to the left. I nod in his direction, knowing that I must not embarrass him or he'll be upset with me later. To my surprise, he wraps me in a tight hug. "Good luck, sis."

"You too," I whisper, feeling tears begin to fall down my cheeks. He lets me go and gives me just enough of a push towards my gate that I start walking. There are more district people inside the gate once I enter, and one woman takes my wrist and scans it once again.

"Third from the front," she says, pointing me down a thin aisle surrounded on both sides by swarms of girls held back only by a thin bar of fabric at hip's height.

I follow the crowd down, stopping in front of a woman who appears again plain enough to certainly not be from the Capitol. She scans my wrist a third time, harshly grabbing it from my side and releasing it just as quickly. She nods at her device, apparently pleased for some reason, before allowing me into the section.

I am surrounded on all sides by girls who appear to be about my age, sixteen or so. There must be hundreds of us all crammed into one area and more being let in every few minutes. I walk aimlessly through the crowd, not quite sure what or whom I am looking for until I find her.

"Elsa!" I barely hear her before I feel Terra's arms fling around me. I am stunned, I really can't remember the last time Terra hugged me. Especially after last night's call between us, I didn't think she'd even want to be around me. Nevertheless, she smiles as she pulls away. To anyone else she would appear carefree, maybe even happy, but I know my best friend. Her eyes can't hide a thing from me.

I open my mouth, unsure really what I can even bring myself to say at this point, before a crackling microphone cuts me off. Both of us turn immediately towards the stage along with every other head in the crowd around us. Why I am surprised I can't quite say, but my hand comes up to cover a gasp when I see none other than the star-crossed lovers of District 12 standing on stage only meters away from us.

"Welcome, welcome everyone." I can tell by the look on Katniss Everdeen's face that standing on stage in front of us this morning was not her first choice of activity. That makes two of us I suppose.

"Welcome to the final, the 76th Hunger Games." There are small scatters of clapping around the square, though no one seems quite sure what to do. Most, at least those in the crowds of candidates around me, stand motionless. I may be forced to be here, but I will not make her welcome in our city. Not when she seems to want nothing more than to destroy it.

"This year, the twenty four tributes will be selected from the pool of Capitol children between the ages of twelve and eighteen, half of them male and half female. Today I, as well as my fellow Victors who have chosen to join me today, will be pulling the names of those selected. If your name is called, you must make your way to the stage immediately. All previous rules with regards to volunteering remain in place. I trust that all of you are familiar with these rules."

The way her eyes scan across the crowd makes a chill run down my spine. Her eyes show nothing, not disgust like earlier, not pity for the lives she will take away. Nothing. I glance over at Terra whose hand shakes in mine. She is wrong. President Snow may have made some terrible choices, but Katniss Everdeen is a monster.

"Without further delay I welcome our Victors."

I recognize each one as they march on stage to stand with our gracious host even without her introductions. Haymitch Abernathy is the first, followed by Enobaria, then Johanna Mason. Five Victors that were given everything the could have ever wanted by a Capitol that they now wanted to destroy. I want nothing more than to scream at them, to tell them what they've done and make them understand. A part of me, however, hopes I will never get that close to them to be able to do so.

Haymitch Abernathy is the first to step forward. We watch, many of us holding our breath, as he saunters over to the large bowl on the left of the stage. He looks up, giving us a bright smile before his hand reaches down into the bowl searching for the name of the first ever Capitol tribute.

A/N: Why not upload a chapter of a story I haven't touched in years during a school break?