*All Disclaimers Apply* However, the storyline/plot belongs to me and my co-author!

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Turning Heads

"Sep, when I give the signal, you do what I told you to." A young girl with auburn hair whispered to her friend. She tucked away a strand of hair and steadied herself behind the rows of corn. Her eyes danced with each movement of her target. Cloe steadied herself. She casually concealed something in her left hand then nudged Sep grinning mischievously. She watched as a young girl, no older than 12, had just moved away from talking with her father, she assumed, and Cloe tapped Sep on the shoulder. Sep began to walk to the young girl.

"Hey, Lark! Wait up." Sep yelled out to her. "How are you today?"

"Doing fine. Just got done talking with my father about today's work. We're making good time on all the crops. A lot better than last year he said. So, what did you want to say?" Her words came swift, with a bit of arrogance about her. Her long dark brown hair hung in one single braid that fell around her neck and concealed a necklace. Sep shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh nothing much. Just enjoying a little break," He paused putting up a hand to the back of his head giving a huge grin and took a step backwards. "So… what is exactly that your father does again? Isn't he a timekeeper for the workers?"

Cloe slowly closed in the distance between her and Lark. She got right up behind her and watched as Sep gave off a curiously huge grin. Lark tilted her head and began to look around. Cloe froze in her step just a few feet away from her target. She couldn't get caught. She clinched her teeth and gave a death glare to Sep. Instantly, he began to fall backwards and Cloe held her breath. Lark lunged forward to try to keep him from falling and was met face to face with a silkworm being shoved in her face. Cloe tossed it on her nose and began to ran with Sep close on her heels. They began laughing as they looked behind them at the scene of Lark flailing around and screaming as they ran away.

"I can't believe that you almost gave away the joke by that cheesy grin. If you hadn't pretended to fall, she would have seen me and you would have ruined the entire joke." Cloe said.

"Hey. I was not pretending. I really did fall and its not my fault. I tripped. The prank still worked. I did get her attention before she saw you behind her. The way she flailed around like that. It was great. Too bad we didn't bring anything else to do. I'm already bored. Oh well. I just hope she don't start running to her father again. You know him. He'd go straight to our parents." Sep replied with a sarcastic tone. The two friends walked away from the fields headed back home. The day was beginning to set into the later hours of the day. The sun was an hour away from kissing the mountains. The two was drenched in sweat by the time they could see the first set of houses in the distance. The whole time, they had laughed and carried on about what they had just done and planned their future pranks. If anyone in the town didn't know them, they would swear they were siblings. They hardly ever strayed too far from each other.

"Hey, Cloe? What's going on up by your house?" Sep noticed the strangely dressed men that was walking away from her front door and with her mom being escorted away. A tang of guilt befell upon Cloe for the prank. Had Larks dad gotten that mad? Had he sent someone after her? Did he go so far just to make sure that her mother found out about what they had done and now her mom was being punished for it?

"Mom! Come on Sep. Lets figure out what's going on. Who are those people?" She said. Sep followed behind her and ran with her up to the house and watched as her mom glanced back at them with a grim expression on her face. "Sep, you go find my dad, I'm going to follow her. Please? Be quick. Dad's in the outer fields today. Run!"

Cloe watched Sep run off as fast as he could, dust being kicked up as he grew smaller with distance. Cloe prayed to go back to the fields and back to earlier in the day and rethink her actions, but it was too late now. She continued to watch her mom as she was nudged several times and then disappeared around the corner. Cloe hit the wall with her fist.

In the township, men and women were being rallied into the town. The farmers and the like were being brought in from the fields and from their homes, too; even the children were being brought in. Why had they not gotten her yet? Where was Sep? She followed closely to the oddly dressed man and saw as her mom was taken to a woman. The woman's hair was white and the tips of her hair looked like they had been dipped in red paint. Cloe raised an eyebrow and chuckled for the fashion of the woman. She looked too meek and too skinny to be healthy. She jumped when a screeching noise echoed through the town. A voice called over the district at that moment with a booming voice that was neither kind nor unkind. It was robotic and cold.

ATTENTION: ALL RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT ELEVEN, GATHER IN THE TOWNSHIP. THAT IS ALL.

The voice disappeared, leaving an echo to resonate several times before silence took its place. Cloe began looking around for Sep. He had yet to appear and the towns people were flooding in. Her father was among them but her friend was not. Most of them were dripping with sweat causing their overalls to have a darker color staining them. The workers also seemed to be angered for being taken away from their work. She could hear their grumbling as they passed close by her. They didn't seem too worried about why they were called into the town but just angered about the crops that were not being picked or planted. A few people, that Cloe knew to be her neighbors, were being escorted in and some were being dragged in forcibly. Then she saw him. He was being escorted by two men dressed in olive green uniforms. She mouthed the word what happened. He had the look of disappointment on his face then he dropped his head. She also noticed his clothes were more dirty and torn, whereas, they were just fine a while ago. Had Sep been into a fight? Did he try to fight these men?

The annoying tapping of metal on glass got everyone's attention as it echoed through the microphone making a high pitch squeal. The young woman brought down the glass that she used to call their attention. She saw the last few people being brought into the town. She cleared her throat with a smile and brought her hands up to her face, clasped like she had something she was holding dear and didn't want to drop.

"Welcome to the township. I am Lady Sprite, your hostess. Now, I hope we can all be civilized human beings like the districts have been in the past. I, for one, didn't want to see tradition go to waste." She cleared her throat again and smiled to the people of district eleven. The district people just stared at her, unsure of the request she was asking of them. "I am here to bring you some wonderful news. Now, I'm sure your children here have been schooled right? Yes, right then. I'm curious if any of the children could tell me anything about the an event that took place right here over eighty years ago? Anyone? Oh? Well, I must do everything then."

She looked to her left and began speaking with someone who handed her a few papers and she smiled to the crowd. From the looks of it, she acted like she wasn't worried about wasting the worker's time and was just reading the white sheets until a man spoke up.

"We got crops going to waste, woman. Can you hurry it up? They ain't a getting picked just standing here." A dark colored man stood with folded arms. He was a big, unruly character and his voice was just as rough as he looked in the sweat drenched overalls. Lady Sprite looked stunned at the sudden outburst and put a hand to her heart.

"Yes, well, I'm sorry to take away your time. As I was going to say, THE HUNGER GAMES! Children, I do believe you are in for a surprise. I do hope that you learned something about those games in school, yes? Excellent." She turned around to a small projector that was brought in by a uniformed soldier. "First, a video from your president. Please, watch carefully."

At the present time, the video began playing. The scene played perfectly just as it did in district twelve. All around Panem, the live video feed was being watched. In every district, the people would begin protesting and causing a riot. Here in eleven, it was just the start as they began to talk amongst themselves. In the crowd, the two children that were beginning to understand all of this had started to form a plan.

"We'll, run. We have to get out of here. I know you don't follow the history lessons in class, but this is bad, Sep. Real bad. No wonder the soldier's were taking my mom. She probably wanted to protect me and keep me from being taken. They can't do this! They don't have the authority to do this to us again. We have to fight back, right? We won't let them do this to us again?" Cloe tugged on Sep's arm and drug him with her.

"But, we can't fight them. Come on. This isn't like one of our pranks. These people really mean business. If they're as bad as you say they are, then we've no choice." Sep watched as the woman began talking into the microphone and began to hear the commotion from around the township. The people were beginning to get anxious. Cloe begged Sep with a staggering look and kept tugging on his arm, pleading with him to go with her. Finally, he gave in. "Okay… I'll go. We have to be careful. So, we just going to sneak out of town?"

Cloe nodded. "Yup. Lets fool these guys. The ultimate prank. It was bad enough to read about in the history books. I'm not about to relive history."

Sep watched as she began searching for an opening through the crowd. He walked with her as they began to pass a soldier and Cloe gave Sep a grin and kept walking, knowing the soldiers eye's were following them. She knew this town like the back of her hands. Together, they knew the streets and the alleys. They knew where to hide and where to run to throw off someone on their trail. Sep and her have gotten used to running and dodging people after their pranks. They were known very well for their mischievousness. The woman's voice still echoed throughout the town. Cloe caught very few words from her. An occasional, "Your so lucky…" and "Its about time we get this game going again" made her angry. She wasn't about to let them do a history repeat on her or Sep. They rounded the corner to the apothecary and sighed. They were out of breath and bent over with their hands on their knees. They both had grins on their faces of amazement that they actually eluded the crowd and the eyes of the soldiers.

"We made it, Cloe! We made it. Now to hurry to our houses and pack our things. They have no idea we got away. This is actually kind of fun, Cloe. Dodging soldiers. We walked right under their noses. They don't know you very well." Sep took in a heavy sigh. "Three cheers for the best prankster in District Eleven! Lets go."

"Yes. Lets go!" Came a deep, almost robotic voice that boomed above the two children. They screamed and jumped in shock. The man they had passed moments ago had followed them. Cloe and Sep stared up at the man in the green uniform.

"I got lost." She spoke quickly while shrugging her shoulders, knowing her lie wouldn't work but it was all she could think of at that moment of heightened stress.

"NOW, Missy. You two, come with me! We don't want any trouble. LET'S GO!" He pushed a button on his shirt that was connected to a radio. Cloe stared at Sep and motioned with her eye's to run. Not a second later, they both took off in opposite directions, leaving the soldier dumbfounded and empty handed. "Backup over here by the apothecary. Two children trying to escape. They've split up."

Cloe took off around the back of the apothecary shop and ran for the fields. She knew the fields very well. She had gone to work in the fields with her parents since she was eight. So the many years she had been allowed to work had only added to her knowledge of the maze of corn that grew and to the wheat fields that waved in the direction she wanted. She had the advantage over these oversized soldiers. She leaped over the start of the dirt mound and disappeared into the corn.

Sep did as he was motioned to do. To run! After he split from Cloe, he ran toward his house. That was where their usual rendezvous point was; either her house or his but he knew that the soldiers had already been to her house. Sep didn't look back once. He kept on his heading. He just kept running toward his house. He would occasionally jump over a bump in the road or dodge a wheelbarrow in the way, but nothing could break his concentration. Every so often in his quick sprint, he would think about looking back, but the empty area in front of him seemed to get longer. He had no time to look and he was afraid that when he did, there was going to be a soldier biting at his heels. Not even a few feet from the door with his hand outstretched, a soldier ran out from beside his house and tackled him to the ground. It was over for Sep as they dragged him to his feet. The familiar sound of a radio crackled and the soldier said something then looked at Sep. Sep didn't fight anymore. The soldier that tried to take them the first time, walked up to him, his eyes peering into Sep's very soul.

"Take him in." The soldier said dryly and turned away from Sep. He had other pressing issues to attend to; such as the girl that gave him the slip. Raising his right hand with two fingers pointed upward, he motioned for the free soldiers to follow him.

Cloe stopped in the corn stalks and crouched down. She was exhausted. She was scared. What was going on? This was only suppose to be a prank. The peacekeepers that normally were in the town were never like this. Was this for real? Was this not a prank from the capitol or was it for the first time in so many years, actually REAL? She tried to swallow with her dry mouth as she placed her hands on the ground to rest against. Where were the soldiers now? Where was Sep?

"Sep, you idiot! You better have gotten away. Why didn't you follow me?" She whispered, her chest still rising and falling quickly and she shuddered to think of the worse case scenario. With a great sigh, she relaxed momentarily. Then a rustling came beside her. Cloe's eyes grew big and as she turned her head, two pairs of thick hands grasped around her arms and brought her quickly to a standing position. She fought earnestly. The soldier that stood in front of her had a pastel painting face. It was old and seemed to be drooping. The colors of his skin melding with other colors of his flushed skin.

"What is going on? Why are you all here?" She said.

"We have found her, boss. She was in the corn fields." The uniformed soldier said when he reached the radio, "yes, we're bringing her in."

Not a single word came from the soldier as she questioned them. She finally quit fighting. They loosened the grip on her arms and allowed her to walk with them the rest of the way to the town's center. As she reentered the town, she was thrown aback as she saw the children of the town and the adults completely separated. There was a barbed wire fence blocking the two sets of people. The children didn't seem too distressed about it but the parents were shouting questions and asking for answers. Their body movements were tense. The walk back seemed to end quickly. She felt like she took a step backward in time to the exact location she was in before she ran.

"CLOE!" Sep ran up to her as the soldiers escorted her pass the barbed wire fence.

"Sep! Oh my god. Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, they ambushed me at my house. Knocked me plum down, them big soldiers." He shook his head. "Your mom was taken away. I saw them escort a lot of people out of the town and your mom was one of them. My family still seems okay. I don't see any of them missing. They're over there."

Sep pointed over by the apothecary steps and watched as a few uniformed soldiers still lazily walked around. They began to pick through the crowd again; grabbing a few people and taking them. About the time that Sep had pointed out where his family was, he saw the soldier grab his mother as well. Sep was in shock. He began to shake his head in protest and muttering the word 'No' under his breath. Cloe watched as his face drained of color and began to get anxious standing where he was.

"Sep… calm down. The soldiers will not take you down again. I won't let them." Cloe held onto Sep's shoulders and comforted him and watched as his mother and a few more men were taken and disappeared behind the business building.

"I think that is all of them. Now, let us continue." Lady Sprite began to administer her round of approval and brought her hands down and clasped them together. "The hunger games children, is something that we don't take lightly. As done in tradition many years ago, we will be choosing one young woman and one young man to perform a series of demonstrations for us in the capitol. You all are so lucky to be the FIRST in over eighty years to start the tradition again. The only difference is that, many of you are related to a chain of rebellion fighters. Those of you, young people, that are related to those who have challenged the capitol, will now be in for a chance to bring your district honor and reprise for what your kin did to us so many years ago. Now, we have here all the names of the children from various ages, not exceeding eighteen. Two of you will be chosen and I do hope you will put on a good show for us. Lets see here, now."

Lady Sprite had two small bowls being held by the soldiers and grabbed into each of them at the same time; one slip of paper per hand. She turned around and smiled generously at the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I would like to announce your two district tributes," She began to open up the first piece of paper then proceeded to open the second one, giving off a pause to anger the crowd unknowingly. "Cloe Brigens and Sep Persius!"

In District 10, the reaping had started the exact same way that it did for District Eleven; like any other normal day.

The people of District Ten were going about their usual daily routines. Each farmer, rancher and butcher, alike, went about their day without a second thought. Waking up early and going to work for some, while others were busy tending to their cattle or children. The living conditions were favorably better than their two lesser districts before them, but that didn't mean they didn't have the same hardships. The housing was much more spaced out. Fields of green blanketed the outer areas of their district, perfect for their grazing cattle. Children seemed to go to work sooner in this district, having the option to care for their families livestock and the chickens that ran around freely throughout the district. Unlike their neighboring districts, District Ten was quiet; too quiet.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a young man leaving the house with the intent to tend to his cattle later on in the day. The sun was high, threatening to scald even the coolest of tree shaded spots. Around this particular mans home, the odor that lurched from the stables didn't make his nose flinch at all. Temper Steel just simply walked in. He stretched away some aching muscles and began to feed the horses, and giving each a handful or two of hay and a generous portion of grains.

"Horse's fit for the capitol. You lucky beasts do nothing but eat and sleep. Don't have to do a thing in the world and you get treated like your royalty." He mumbled out, as he reached the last stall and looked at the aspiring gelding. He was a gentle beast and he stood at a height of sixteen hands. The horse seemed to thank Temp for the fresh hay as his nose pressed up against his hand. Temp smiled. He would love to keep him for himself if he didn't have to sell him to make his earnings for his family. He began to think about thee morning events as he began to drift out of conscious awareness.

He had woke up at the crack of dawn to see his sister had already made breakfast. His mother was already dressed with a foot out of the door. Then, he after he ate, he took off to care for the two sheep his family invested in. One happened to be a black merino ewe, its color was rare so it brought in quite a sum each spring. The other was a ram and with its size, it was very profitable. Between the two, it made enough wool to sell for food from the butcher to last them quite a while. Temp sighed after putting the sheep out into the fenced-in field and then that's when he found himself staring at this gelding, daydreaming. It wasn't a second later that he jerked his head around when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. He left the stables behind.

"TEMPER! Good morning!" Temper put a hand up to his forehead to block out the sun and smiled and returned a wave back at the young girl that was coming his way. He had known this girl for years. He had grown up with her and found it easy to talk to her about anything. She was the one who had given him the black ewe when it was just old enough to be weaned from the mother. He begged his mother, when he was twelve, to keep the little lamb for shearing instead of taking it to the butcher when it grew older. After days of trying to convince her, she allowed him to keep it as a pet instead.

"Dawn. How are things out your way. How's your Ma doing?" Temp asked wiping away the beads of sweat that rolled down his face.

"She's alright, she's resting right now. Oh, we've got another ewe expecting. We're hoping for another rare black one like that one I gave you. Interested in another lamb? Maybe this time, we could make a deal for this one?" Dawn patted down her hair that seemed to have frizzed in the humidity of the high noon sun.

"I would love to, but I've got enough chores to do every morning with the horses and cattle and the two sheep we've got now. It's just makes it one more mouth to feed and I really can't do that right now. Perhaps, you'll get Buck to make a deal with you? I know his little sister was wanting one, remember? Perhaps he would get it for her for a birthday present?" He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the stables. "Where is Buck anyways? He said to me yesterday that he was going to help me muck the stalls today."

"No idea. He's not the one to go back on his word. Maybe his dad has him working today. I know he wouldn't just disappear when there's work to be done." Dawn shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't mind to help you out. If you wanted me to?"

"Sure. I'd love the help!" Temp nodded in agreement and she followed him into the stables. A faint smile played on her lips as she followed him. It was a look of admiration for one who knew what that kind of smile looked like. Obviously, Temp overlooked it.

"Any offers on your horse?" She motioned toward the gelding on the end that whinnied when the horse noticed the extra presence.

"Not yet. I'm hoping he'll stay a while here. I've enjoyed having his company. I'm planning to break him next week. A riding horse sells better these days then just a domesticated horse. Would you want to come over when I break him? I'm sure it would be interesting to watch."

"Sure. I'd like that." She said. Together, they started working on the first two stalls. Not a word crossed between the wooden walls, but Dawn would glance in his direction every so often. A lingering glance that held onto those moments when Temp wasn't looking.

"TEMP! Temp where are you?" A frantic voice yelled. Both Dawn and Temp looked at each other with concern, the dirty hay falling from their tools.

"Who is that, Dawn? Who?"

"It sounds like Buck?" She questioned him and Temper threw down his rake. Dawn followed him out of the barn. The look of dread followed them as he ran to his friend who began to stumble in his footing as he ran. Temper reached him in time to steady him before he had fallen.

"Buck. What's wrong? What's going on?" Temp said.

"Soldiers are in the town. They've gone crazy mad, Temp. They are wrecking the town. They started yelling out orders. They just barged into the butcher shop and started to herd people out like cattle. I managed to make it out the back, but I didn't see anyone else get out. Temp, I need your help. They took my little brother, Blake. Why would they take him? Please, help me?"

Dawn shook her head. Temp began to look around, his eyes darting back and forth from the barn to his house in the distance. "Dawn, go tell my mom what's going on. Meet us back here at the barn. I will be back as soon as we can. Alright? Stay safe. Don't do anything to give yourselves away."

Buck and Temp ran off to the direction of the butcher shop. Not a single person could be found except the dust cloud that lingered in the air. Buck shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea where they would have taken them. Temp, my mom is still at home. Do you think she's alright?"

Temp swallowed. He truly had no idea who was going to be alright. He didn't even know what the soldiers were in their district for. They had done nothing wrong as of late. The meats they sold were in perfect condition and clean. They didn't sell bad meat to the capitol. The reasoning for their being in his home district confused him as well as it confused the crowd of people they began to hear shouting from over at the next shop. They ran as fast as they could to see what the commotion was about. As they began to come into view of the scene, Temp's mouth dropped. There were several men and women, some his age, on a makeshift stage. Their expressions told nothing but horror. Temp suddenly grabbed Buck by his shoulders.

"Go get your mother. Make sure she is alright. Tell her to hide in the barn with my mom and Dawn. We have to protect our own until we know what is going on. Something isn't right. Not in the least. Go now! Get back here as soon as possible. I'll try to find out what is going on."

Buck nodded and turned on his heel, stumbling yet again but recovering his footing. Temp began to get closer to the crowds. Soldiers were raising their hands and shouting commands. If Temp knew any better, it looked like an old uprising he had seen videos of in his lessons.

"THESE PEOPLE ARE PART OF THE REBELLION!" A soldier said over the microphone. He pointed to the lot of men on his right side. They looked like they had been through the mud hole with the pigs. Their clothes were covered in mud and their hands were shackled together. It was an awful sight as Temp hated to see it. He clinched his teeth. He hated to see anyone being mistreated. What had these men done to deserve this kind of treatment. Even the women looked like they had been in a fight. Their clothes unkempt, but they didn't seem to be as bad as the men opposite them.

"THE CHILDREN OF THESE PEOPLE WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE FOR THEIR RELATIVES ACTIONS AGAINT THE CAPITOL. THEY WILL PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES!" Shouted another soldier. Temp couldn't stand there watching anymore. He needed to get back and tell Buck not to return. He had to protect his friends and his family. He felt obligated to do so. He was the man of his household. His old man wouldn't have done anything. He would have let it happen. He didn't give a damn about his family or it would be him in Temper's place right now, worrying about how to protect the family. A decision was made. He had to get back.

Just then, a pair of hands on his shoulders made him jump. As he turned, he was caught off guard as the soldiers hit him from behind his knees. He fell hard onto his knees, allowing the mans grip on his shirt collar the only thing that didn't let him fall the rest of the way. down "NAME?"

"Why do you want…."

"NAME? I won't ask again."

"Temp Steel… What's this about?" Temper struggled out of the soldiers grasp only to be brought back up to a standing position by the same pair of hands. With a push, the man ordered Temp to walk.

"You're coming with us. We have nothing more to say to you." The soldier lead him into the crowd and the soldiers that were once yelling out demands, parted ways for him to pass through. A few snickers and uncivilized words passed through the air, but it didn't seem to bother Temp.

"Anj, be safe. Stay hidden. Buck… Dawn…" He whispered almost inaudibly. He was shoved into an area that held half his schoolmates. Some where younger but not by much. The younger kids he finally realized were being held in a separate area guarded by soldiers. Time inched by as more and more children were brought into their age groups. Temp just kept looking for any sign of Buck or Dawn. He was terrified that they would be found but seeing as how they were nowhere to be seen, he assumed that they were still safe with his sister, Angela. The high noon sun, finally gave its decent and the five o'clock shadows began to appear. He had been sitting with the group of kids for almost three hours. When would the soldiers make their move? When would he be set free or at least know why they were detaining half the children in the district. The people on stage also began to falter under the suns harsh glare through these hours. When would this be over?

"Temp?" A hoarse voice whispered out. Temp was sitting with his legs propped up and he was leaned over his knees. At the sound of the voice, his head shot up.

"DAWN? Dawn!" He looked up to see her being half carried in by one of the soldiers and ran to her as fast as he could, taking her away from the soldiers grasp quickly. He helped her walk over to where the rest of the kids were standing. "Dawn, what happened? What's wrong?"

"They stormed into the barn. They found us. I don't know how, but they did. Buck tried to fight them off but they didn't want anything to do with him. They just left him laying there. Your mom's okay. They didn't bring her. They left her behind too. He tried to save me, Temper. It's all my fault. It really is." Dawn accepted the help from Temp to help her sit.

"It is not your fault. If I was there, I would have done the same thing. What did they do to you?" Temp felt anger and heat radiating off his face. Who would ever hit a girl? Whoever could do that was a pig. An absolute pig.

"I'm alright. Just took a hit like man… in the side" She lifted her chin up to show her strength and then joked, "can't keep me down for long."

Temp looked to each of the soldiers. As much as he hated to be angered, he was. After what seemed like hours, without a drink or morsel to eat, a noise belted out. It was more of a coughing gag that caught his attention and both Dawn and him looked up to see man who wore a bright, lime green tux stand in front of the microphone. He raised his hands in the air to seek attention for what he was about to say.

"District Ten. Welcome Children. I am Per-seive!" He purposely paused in the middle of his name to accent the French tone. He waved his hand about a few times before he talking again. "Children, you have been chosen. Not of your own accord, but from the capitol. Yes, those people who buy your livestock, your meat, your pets. We have news that you might want to hear. Now pay attention. See these people on stage my children? They are the faces of what is left from the rebellion. Each and every one of these 'being's' are the reason why you are here."

Temp at that moment was confused. He knew non of them on stage. He looked over at Dawn, whose mouth dropped at the sight of someone on stage. She mouthed out the word "Aunt" before covering her mouth. Dawn didn't notice her at first, but her aunt must have seen her too because she started yelling out to Dawn.

"I'm sorry Dawn… I'm sorry baby! Please… forgive me. I didn't know this would happen." Her aunt was restrained and Per-seive began to talk again.

"As I was saying. Each of these people are to blame for you being here. Lets see, if we can name a few and their crime, shall we? This man here, his name is Dusken Tobes. Father of Lara Tobes. His crime is setting up again the capitol and wounding a soldier almost thirty years ago." He proceeded to go to various ones, picking out the worse ones to reprimand. "This woman here, Marlaine is the aunt of a Dawn Boone. She purposely sold rotten meat to soldiers, causing illness to run rampant throughout the camp. And this man here is Flint Steel."

Temp's attention bound up to the man in the mud caked clothes. Steel? Flint Steel? Could it be his father? The one that ran out on his mother and his family so many years ago? His hair was very short and a mustache and beard accented his face. He didn't have the luxury of age on his side. The sun burnt face also masked who he truly was. Dawn nudged him in disbelief.

"Temp. Is that really him?" Dawn asked.

"Yes." Was all that Temp answered. He pursed his lips together.

Temp missed the first few words but caught on as he began to mention the crime that his father had committed. "…was known for committing one of the worse crimes imaginable. Killing a soldier, not to mention the man in charge of bringing together a group of people to riot against us and was the instigator in attacks in your district. These people you see before you will no longer be held responsible. Instead, you all are going to rid them of their crimes and punishments. The capitol's hierarchy and President Cuof has brought back the age old, Hunger Games."

Commotion ran through the crowds of children. Per-seive began fumbling with a piece of paper in his hands and unfolded it. He brought the piece of paper up closer to his eyes. He didn't care to look out into the crowd. With an uncomfortable silence, it only grew louder as two names were called out.

"Morgan Tressean and Temper Steel."

Dawn grabbed on to Temp's arm as the soldiers began to take him away to the stage. Across the yard, in the younger area, a girl was screaming as a soldier had her in his arms taking her to the stage as well. The girl didn't let up. Finally, another solider had to restrain her other arm from hitting the soldier as a woman on stage was yelling at her in an apologetic tone and gasping came from her crying form.

"Temper.. Fight for your life. Don't let them.. TEMPER!" She didn't have any more time to speak to him as he was taken away from her. Soldiers kept her from following them. "TEMPER… YOU COME BACK TO ME, YOU HEAR?!"

Temper heard her scream out to him as he being forced to walk. So many things were going through is mind. His father is to blame for this. His father ran out on the family. Because of his father, he knew he was going to die. What sort of punishment could they do to him that was worse than finding out that his father was worse than dirt. Now, he was going to die for his fathers actions. The young girl disappeared through the towns justice center doors and he was taken in as quickly as she was and thrown into a room where she was sitting on the ground. Temp walked over to her.

"You okay?"

"No. Are you?" She looked up with tear stained cheeks. Temp would have guessed she was around fourteen or fifteen. Her mousey brown hair hung over her eyes and concealed a lot of her freckles. She wiped her face. "I'm scared. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. I really don't know. Morgan, was it?" She nodded. "We'll fight this thing. We won't go down without a fight. I promise you that. My name is Temp."

…. ….. ….. … …

Another two districts down and 9 more to go. Are you liking it? Hating it? I apologize for the long update. This past week has been horrible for me. Working double shifts and all. But as I promised, a little later than normal, an update with D11 and D10 reaping! Enjoy! - Marree