I sat in the room where you talk to your loved ones for the last time before you hop onto the train to the capitol. I waited, anticipating on who will come through the door first. The door started to creak open, I looked towards it to see that Mother and my sisters were there.

I ran up to them and engulfed my mother into a hug, warm tears starting to reveille themselves. I prayed that there were no cameras here too see me. Then we all pulled away and my mother looked me dead in the eyes.

"Rue," She began, still crying and choking out sobs. "you have to promise us something. Come back alive. I don't want to lose you too, no one wants to lose you." She managed to choke out. Then Anne and Rachel ran up and hugged me.

"Why were you chosen?" they said in unison, crying into me. I rubbed their backs, still crying myself. I pulled away and took Anne to the side.

"Anne, you're the oldest in the family now. Promise me that you will protect them, especially Hailey and mother. Promise?" I said, looking her dead in the eyes. She nodded and mumbled a yes. I pulled her into a tight hug and held her close.

I felt mother and everyone else join the hug. We all cried into each other for the rest of the time we had together. The peacekeepers came in and then told my family to leave and the three minutes is up.

They complied and gave me one last hug each before leaving, my mother's lasting the longest. The peacekeepers closed the door when they left, leaving me alone again.

After around five minutes of waiting, the door opened again. I braced myself in case the peacekeepers drag me out of the room.

But that didn't happen. Instead, Kayleen and Nate came in. They ran up to me and hugged me.

"You kids got three minutes," The peacekeeper said before shutting the door behind them.

Kayleen and Nate then pulled away leaving a hand on each of my shoulders. I now got a good look at their faces. Kayleen had a black eye and dried up blood from her head and nose. Nate had tear stains on his face and puffy eyes, just like Kayleen but with less damage.

"Rue, please don't leave us," Nate managed to say before breaking down into sobs. I managed to put on a weak smile and pulled him in for another hug.

I heard some giggling coming from Kayleen. "You two act so much like a couple you know that?" I felt some heat come to my cheeks and let out a small chuckle, releasing Nate from my arms. I smirked at her; still slightly red-faced.

"And you and Dante aren't?" This time, her face when completely red and playfully hit my arm. She pulled me to her and hugged me. I returned and smiled lightly. I reached my hand out and grabbed Nate's and pulled him in with us.

I pulled back after a minute and looked them straight into the eyes.

"I want to ask you both a favour," they both nodded. "please take care of mother and my sisters. I don't want them to get hurt." They both smiled warmly and nodded.

"We promise to protect them," Kayleen and Nate said in unison. The peacekeeper from before came in right after they said that.

They signalled that their time is up, and they have to leave. They both nodded and hugged me for the last time before exiting the room.

I thought that they would be the last ones that I would see, but I was wrong. My teacher came in.

I was surprised. I would've thought that she had a class to teach, but I guess she didn't. She walked up to me and held my head in her hands.

"I know what you're going to say. I promise that I'll protect your family with my life," I looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back and pulled me into a hug. I returned it.

After a while, she pulled away and looked me in the eyes. I looked back and as she started to take off her necklace.

What she did next was something I didn't see coming. She started to put her necklace around my neck. I tried to push her hand away from me but failed due to her being much stronger. If I can't manage to push her hand away, what hopes are there for me winning the games and coming back home?

"Rue," she said coldly. "I want you to wear this into the arena. They will allow you to wear one thing from your district, promise me that you will wear it and never take it off?" I mumbled an 'I promise' back as she put the necklace around my neck.

Once she was done, she looked at me again before pulling me into another hug. The peacekeeper came in one last time and told her it was time for her to leave.

She nodded and ruffled my head before whispering a 'good luck' to me as she left the room. There I was again, alone in the dark room. By myself.

The peacekeepers came back in and signalled me out of the room. I complied and quickly made my way out of there, secretly I hoped that there would be one more person that came so I wouldn't have to go.

A/N: Okay, so I was contemplating on whether to make this chapter sad or happy...so I made it a bit sad!