Hello readers! I have got a lot of hits but not many reviews but that doesn't really matter much to me. If I only did it for the reviews then what kind of author would I be? Thanks a lot though to my first reviewer and I'm glad you like the character and my writing style. I'll shut up now so you can read the goodbyes and sorry that it is shorter then the last two chapters. If I had gone any farther then the next chapter would have been short too.

Goodbyes

Is it really this easy to hide all of the tears tributes have shed over the years with this plush room? The couch they had told me to sit in was rather comfortable and I'd even prefer to sleep on it rather then my bed in the home. I wonder what they will do with my bed after I'm gone? If I was them, I'd throw it out.

Besides the deep red couch, the room was also decorated with wooden carvings, seeing as how 7 is the lumber district, and I quickly find myself looking at them. I study how every flower curves the same as every other flower around it. I wonder how much thought went into decorating this one room for the walking dead.

"Isis?" I look up from the carvings on the wall to see Fiona, the caretaker. She had been nodding when I was reaped and I need to know why.

"Hey Fiona," I say casually as if I was passing her in the hallway. "Take a seat." I suggest, seeing that she looked rather uncomfortable standing. Fiona was holding her left elbow with her right hand, obviously feeling awkward. Fiona is use to being in control so when not one but two of her kids got reaped well she is probably crushed.

"I'm sorry this happened, Isis." she says, taking a seat next to me. Fiona takes my hands and smiles kindly. "I'm just glad that it was you."

"What? What do you mean?" I say, my voice a little angry but not enough to make her upset. Why did she want me to be reaped? Is my smart mouth bad enough that she wants me dead?

Fiona laughs, seeing that I took it the way I did. "Isis, I mean that it would better you then Rose or Lily. You see, you have a shot unlike the um younger ones."

"Oh." is all I have to say. I thought she wanted me dead but no she thinks I have a shot. Well maybe if all of the careers are wimps this year and if Jaxx dies in the bloodbath. Maybe then I'll have a chance. "Are you visiting Jaxx too?" I say with a slight frown.

Fiona looks at the ground, as if the wooden tiling interest her. It did look better then the dirt concrete floor at the home. "Yes," she says finally "I just thought you had a better chance at you know. Living. Sorry, that was uncalled for. I should love all of my kids equal-" I stop Fiona and hug her tightly.

"It's ok. I love you more then the rest of them too." Fiona starts crying and I rub her back. I actually would rather make her feel better then myself. My past can't change, I was reaped, and crying about it would just slow me down. While as Fiona still has the other kids to think about, I only have to worry about me.

"I'm sorry for breaking down. Here, I needed to give you this before leaving." Fiona digs something out of her pocket and I smile slightly, wanting to ease any tension left between us. She finally grasps the object and puts it into my hand.

At first, when looking at it, I thought it was a wooden coin until I saw that a leather string was looped through it. A necklace. The string was rough, brown leather, just like the boots I'm wearing, and on the end of it was a wooden circle. I flipped it over in my hand, afraid that my rough hands may break it, and see that a carving is engraved on the wooden coin.

"It's a lumberjack." Fiona tells me and I nod. On the carving is a tree and a figure is swinging an axe, the last swing before the tree falls.

"No," I say with a small smile "A lumberjill." I look up, hoping to see Fiona smiling as well, but instead see nothing. "Fiona?" I say and my eye catches the door closing. I didn't even get to say thank you or even goodbye.

The necklace seems out of place on my callused hand so I quickly put it over my brown hair and let it fall to my neck. Fiona, of course, got to decide what token I will bring into the arena.

"Isis!" a crowd of squeaky voices yell and I look up from my neck to see a crowd of flower children stampeding towards me, having to file in a line in order to get through the door. Leading the pack was little Rose who had tear stained cheeks but a smile on her face. They all plop down next to me on the couch or on the ground at my feet. I've got about ten of them in here, about three of them weren't even eligible for the reaping yet.

"Hey, flower children." I say smiling. If they think I'm happy or not broken up about being reaped then they won't all break down into tears, wiping their snotty noses all over me. I love them all but community home kids are sticky and nasty sometimes. "How are you all doing?"

"We just want you to win, that's all." says Lily, bouncing up and down the couch. This room must look so alien to these poor kids. Most of them are looking around the room, intrigued with the riches that can be contained in one single room.

"I will, I promise." I say with a very small smile. The kids all cast their eyes to the ground and I try to perk up. "And when I get back, I'll take you all to my new house. We'll have a feast! How would everyone like that?' I say, smiling. I feel as though it is story time and I'm telling them a story about rich people because they are hanging onto every word I'm saying.

All of the children cheer, obviously surprising any of the other guests waiting to visit me or Jaxx. We all laugh, many of them telling me what they want at the feast.

"I want chicken!"

"I don't like chicken!"

"What's chicken?"

I laugh as they all explain to each other what foods they want and describe what the food is. Eventually the peacekeeper comes and ushers them all out, Rose just happens to be the one to stay behind. Typical Rose.

"Your my favorite, Isis. So kick some career ass and win or I'll kick your ass." she says before leaving the room. That girl has a potty mouth but look whose talking.

The next and last person to visit me is Cossy. She is still crying and she rushes into the room, hugging me. Her tears are so different from the kids cheers about the feast I promised them. I'm not sure which one I like better, the happy and clueless kids or my grieving best friend.

"I'm so sorry, Isis." she says, her breaths quick and short.

"For what?" I asks with confusion on my face. What does she have to apologize for? For crying? That's expected of her!

Cossy wipes her tears away and says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world "For not volunteering, of course. All I did was stand there and cry, afraid to look at you on that stage. I'm so sorry." she collapses into me, crying loudly now. I try to calm her, hoping the flower children can't hear her outside.

"Are you crazy? First, you look for me on the ground and now you think I expect you to volunteer for me. Are you kidding me? You have so much going for you Cossy and I don't. You're better off alive then dead." I finish my little monologue and start to breath heavy. "Don't ever apologize for that again!" I say when she doesn't respond after a few seconds.

"But, I thought. I thought you wanted me too." shes says, shaking her head as if she is trying to remember me saying something like that to her. "Ok, then. Just please don't die or I'll hate myself forever. I mean it, don' die!" she says pointing her finger at face to show that she was being stern.

"I'll be sure to put that on the old to-do list, right before the flower children's feast." I say with a smile. Cossy is yet again confused so I tell her all about the feast. We laugh together and I memorize the exact sound of her laugh, the ways he smiles with a smirk, how her curly hair looks like a pigs tail. I laugh at my own joke which makes Cossy laugh nervously, unsure of why I'm laughing to myself. I'll miss her and her confusion.

"I'm sorry, for being such a handful." I say when I notice the clock says we only have a minute or two left.

"A handful? You've been the best friend I could ever had, Isis. Just please don't die." she says for about the millionth time and that's when the peacekeeper walks in. We look into one another's eyes before embracing each other one last time. We stay this way until the peacekeeper tells us that it is essential that Cossy leaves right then. Breaking apart, I see that Cossy is no longer crying.

"Hello, you." says Cossy and I look up to see the peacekeeper. The one who caught us talking during the Capitol video. Cossy leaves, leaving me with the guard peacekeeper and I smile at him.

"Karma,"

"What?"

"It was probably karma when I was reaped. You know, talk during the reaping and you get reaped."

"Sure, whatever you say, kid."

I sigh and walk out of the door with the peacekeeper guy. We make it about two steps out of the door when I see Jaxx, no tears in his eyes either. Damn. I was hoping that he would finally crack so that the announcers would portray him as a weakling that put on an act. Jaxx sees me and gives a light shrug.

"Dumbass," I mumble and the peacekeeper guy stops in front of me, turning to face me.

"What did you say to me?" he says all serious-like.

"Nothing, sir." I say and he watches me for a little longer before turning back around.

Jaxx and I burst out laughing but the peacekeeper guy just keeps walking, taking us towards a crowd of photographers. Sure, I have to kill Jaxx but why be a sourpuss while he is still alive. Or while I'm still alive.