Aruana Louvar, 18, D4F
"Goodbye, Aruana." Nessie says with a quiver of her lip. "Bye, Nes." We hug each other and go our separate ways. I walk up to the woman who pricks everyone's finger. The girl in front of me starts crying and screaming. A Peacekeeper came over and tried to settle her and picked her up but she kicked him in places that shouldn't be kicked. She got hauled away by her mother and she said sorry to the Peacekeeper about a million times. It slowed down the line and I had to wait a bit. I'm really impatient and I started to huff and puff. I got my finger pricked but they had to check my blood twice because the thing wouldn't work and said I wasn't a citizen. They really need replace some things around here. And I'm not just talking about technology. Some of these people just don't know how to do their job right.
I glance over to see Nessie, a tear streaked across her face. I'm sorry Nes. I'm so, so sorry. But I have to. I'm volunteering today. I told her last week. She disagreed with me at first because you see out parents died last year and since Nessie is 23 she can take care of me and be my legal guardian. I'm the only thing she has left. But I've been suffering from great depression and I just don't care anymore. I don't want to live. Why not go out with a bang? When the female tribute is announced by the Escort Misha Solow, I pretty much screamed out, "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" I very quickly run up the stairs and stand in front of the microphone. "I'm Aruana Louvar and I'm as dead as dirt."
Sole Gallus, 15, D4M
My mom bursts into my bedroom wearing a big fluffy jacket and snow boots. "Mom it's only Autumn; you don't have to dress in that." I said sleepily. "What do you mean?" My mom retorted. "It's absolutely freezing out there!" It really isn't. It's actually perfect weather. I don't even know what she's talking about. Sometimes I think my mom should be in the looney bin. She hears things and says that someone's in her oatmeal. She also keeps saying how wonderful her "rainbow world" is. She really scares me sometimes.
I get dressed, brush my teeth, comb my hair, and eat some band oatmeal. We can't afford anything other than gross and flavorless oatmeal for breakfast. Sometimes I find things in there that I can't even identify. Once I think mom put tofu in mine. I didn't eat it and instead fed it to my cat Tomi. He didn't like it and pushed the bowl over. I had to clean it up before my mom saw or else she'd throw a fit. I mean sometimes she's sensible but it's a rare occasion. I think the reason why she went "coo-coo" is because my sister died in the Games three years ago. She actually made it to the final 5 but her head was ripped off by a crazy bear mutt. My mom wouldn't talk for weeks on end after that and when she did it was very few words. Eventually she started talking again but a lot of it didn't make sense. I wish she was just the way she was before.
I get to the Reaping and stand in line to get my finger pricked. Some 12-year-old freaks out and is pulled away. Luckily she wasn't punished too bad. I stand with the other boys and wait for the Reaping to begin. Misha Solow comes out in a suit that looks like paper. It's white and all crinkled up. There's little colored doodles all over it. What a strange design. My thoughts are interrupted by an ear splitting scream. I think someone said "I volunteer as tribute!", but it was really hard to tell. Misha looks a little confused at first and stumbles around at first. I think this girl is just as looney as my mom. The escort goes over to the boys bowl and stirs his finger around a bit. He then picks out a slip of paper from the top and reads it in front of the microphone. He's still a little stirred up by that screaming suicidal girl that he slurs the name a bit. I didn't catch it and I looked around at everyone else. They're looking at... me. I then realize that it was me they called. Me. I stumble a bit and almost fall over. My entire world seems to be crashing around me. It feels like it takes me forever but I finally get there. I'm sweating really bad now and I shake the crazy girls hand. She's shaking, I could feel it. Is she… scared?