Vitz Morales, District 6

Numb. That's the only word I can find to describe my feelings right now. Or rather, lack of.

Why now? Why now that my life has finally started to turn around? I'd found a good, stable factory job, making cars for the Capitol, and Corolla and I are ready to settle down, ready to start our family. But then the Capitol came along and pulled it all out from under my feet.

In the back of my mind, I always knew this day would come. I was stupid to think that I'd be safe, that they'd somehow forgotten about me. But of course, I was wrong. They were just waiting, biding their time until they could strike me down when it would hurt me the most. Well it worked. I can't imagine a worse time then this.

Agh! How could I have possibly believed that I could be overlooked? Stupid, stupid, stupid! It had been such a long time since that day. I guess that's what gave me my false hope.

My mother was District 6's first female victor, winning her Games when she was just 14-years-old. Her win was mostly luck though. She'd been hiding up until the final four, waiting for the other tributes to kill each other. The other three remaining tributes were the surviving members of the Career pack, but instead of a dramatic, bloody showdown like the Capitol wanted, they chased my mother up the arena's mountain, where she managed to dislodge some boulders and crushed them all to death.

Maybe things would have worked out better if she'd just died that day. My father would still be alive, maybe even happily married with some children. Corolla would never have met me, since I wouldn't have existed, and she'd have a chance at a better life, a better life with someone who could make her happy. Unlike me. All I can ever do from now on is cause her pain. If my mother had died that day, my child wouldn't have to grow up without her father. In fact, my daughter wouldn't even exist, which is a good thing considering this messed up world we live in. And I wouldn't have to compete in the Hunger Games.

I shuddered at the thought. Even though the idea of going to the Games had been drilled into my head by my late parents the moment I could talk, the prospect of it all still terrified me. They'd known I'd be chosen. The Capitol often rigged the reapings to ensure that the offspring of past victors would be selected. They don't admit to it, but it happens far too often for it to be considered a coincidence.

So I was trained. As soon as I was brought home from the district hospital, my parents began to draw up some flash cards with pictures of weapons on them. When I could sit up, my mother started to show me all the edible plants she knew of. When I could crawl, I was taught how to crawl under things and how to roll to avoid things that were thrown at me. As soon as I could stand, I was taught combat skills and by the age of four I could use most weapons, though admittedly I wasn't very good with them. It was only when I was about seven years old that I could use the weapons flawlessly. My parents trained me like a Career, just in case their instincts proved true and I was selected for the Games. Turns out they were right all along.

I was ten when my world fell apart.

I was practicing my knife throwing in the back garden of our house in the Victor's Village, when the Peacekeepers showed up, stunning my parents and me and dragging us to the Justice Building. There, in front of the entire district, my parents both took a bullet to the head. I was left alone though. The Peacekeepers thought that witnessing my parent's deaths was scarring enough and I didn't need to be punished further for something I had no hand in. Turns out they thought my parent's were training me for some sort of rebellion, but by the time they found out the truth, it was too late. I had already been pulled out of my old life and shut away in the district orphanage. Life there wasn't too bad though. That's where I met Corolla.

She was nine years old when we met and we instantly became friends. We started dating five years later. Even now, I still don't think I deserve having someone as wonderful as her in my life. She's honestly the most amazing girl I've ever met. I couldn't have chosen anyone better to be the mother of my child.

Corolla's pregnancy came as a surprise to us, but even so we were over the moon with joy. It was the best thing that had ever happened to me in my short life, something so prefect that I thought that even I couldn't mess it up. Turns out I could after all.

The door of my room in the Justice Building slowly opened. I looked up to see Corolla standing in the doorway, her arms around her stomach and her face red from crying. I didn't say anything. I just held open my arms so that she could come sit with me. She crossed the room quickly, cuddling up close to me with her face pressed into me shoulder. I could feel her tears through my thin shift.

"How could they do this to us," she whispered into my shoulder. "You were right, we should have run away the moment we found out about Celica."

Celica. Our daughter.

"We wouldn't have gotten very far," I replied, gently stroking her hair. "You know that."

She sniffed. "Yeah, but anything would be better then this."

I didn't agree, but I didn't say anything. I'd much rather be forced into the Hunger Games then have my family killed.

"It'll be alright, you know," I said softly. "You're going to be a great mother. Celica is lucky to have someone like you, love."

"Don't say that," she said, drawing back from me and placing both hands on either side of my face. "Don't say that like you're saying good-bye. You're going to win. You're going to come home!"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that that probably wouldn't happen, that I probably wouldn't make it home. Instead, I kissed her softly, winding my arms around her waist to draw her closer to me. She didn't protest and allowed me to pull her, her delicate hands never moving from my face.

"I have something for you," she said suddenly, her lips barely touching mine. "Here."

I felt her pull away one of my hands from around her body as she pressed something into it. Looking down, I saw it was a small, silver chain with a metal plate on the end. Engraved on it was my name, her name and the name of our unborn daughter.

I kissed her again.

"I love it," I whispered. "Thank you." I paused, my forehead touching hers as I looked into her beautiful green eyes. "I actually have something for you too."

I reached into my pocket and felt my hand close around the ring. The ring I'd been planning to give to Corolla for months, but had never found the right time.

"For you, love."

I was afraid she would start crying again, but she held in her tears as she took the ring, smiling.

"It's beautiful," she said softly, leaning in to kiss me again. "Thank you." But then I felt her drop the ring back into my hand and she gently closed my fingers around it.

"Keep it," she whispered, holding tightly to my hand which held the ring. "Give it to me when you come home."

"I will. I promise."

I kissed her once more, but the moment was too short. I soon felt the Peacekeeper pulling her off me and then they were dragging her away as she struggled and screamed.

"Please win Vitz!" she cried, tears starting to run down her face again. "Come back home to me. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you in a few weeks, okay?"

And then she was gone.

That was when I broke down. I had tried to keep it in for so long, trying to stay strong for Corolla, but I knew I couldn't keep it in forever. So I just sat there with my head in my hands, crying for everything that had gone wrong in my life. Losing Corolla, our child, my parents. All that grief that I'd held inside for years just came pouring out. If only the others could see me now. Strong, tough Vitz crying his eyes out. They'd all have a good laugh.

When the tears finally stopped, I wiped my face with the back of my shirt's sleeve. I knew I had to regain composure again. I could not go to the Capitol looking like I've just been crying.

Then I remembered the ring and opened my hand. I had been clenching my fist so tightly that the ring had cut into my skin, drawing a tiny droplet of blood. I ignored it and fastened the ring onto the chain Corolla had given me. My token for the Hunger Games.

I jumped slightly as the door opened again. I wasn't expecting anymore visitors. Apart from Corolla, I had no one.

The girl standing in the doorway looked about fifteen, with light brown hair and bright blue eyes. I recognised her instantly. I'd seen her fight often enough. To most of the district, she was known as simply "X" or sometimes even "Lexi". I knew her as my district partner.

"Hey," she said awkwardly. "Mind if I come in?"

"Are you even allowed to be here?"

My reply was a little harsh, but I really wasn't in the mood to be nice.

She shrugged and moved into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"I don't know. But my visitors have all gone and I just didn't want to be alone." She looked as if she was about to cry. "I came to see if you were alright."

"Well I'm just peachy, thanks for asking."

I could tell my sarcasm ticked her off.

"Look," she said, her voice sounding slightly annoyed, "we're going to the Games and there's nothing either of us can do about it. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and your knocked up girlfriend-"

I had her pinned against the wall before she could say another word.

"Don't you darespeak about Corolla like that," I snarled, my face inches from hers. I knew it was a bad idea to attack an experienced fighter like her, but at that moment I couldn't care less. Luckily for me, she seemed too surprised by my assault to do anything about it.

"Okay okay," she said quickly as she pulled her face as far from mine as she could. "I'm sorry. Just put me down, you're hurting me neck."

"Sorry."

I released her and took a step back.

"Wow," she said, wincing as she rubbed her neck, "you have quite the grip. Fast too." She looked me up and down. "Maybe there's a fighter in you yet."

I shrugged and sat back down.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

She grinned. "Well you'd better start telling me then," she said, "otherwise being in alliance with you could be quite difficult."

"We're allies?"

I was slightly taken aback at this comment. This girl was so forward. She really didn't waste any time.

"Well of course," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "How else do you think we're gonna survive these Games? Plus, having another strong person in an alliance makes it easier to recruit others."

"Others?"

She winked. "Yup. You see Vitz, I have a plan." Her eyes left mine and she looked up at the clock above my head. "Oh our hour's nearly up! I should get back to my room before the Peacekeepers show up." She rushed over to the door, looking over her shoulder as she went through.

"See you later, ally."

And then she was gone too. Just like Corolla.

Corolla. I felt a stab of pain as I thought about her again. I needed to come home again. She needed me. Celica needed me. I looked up at the doorway where Lexi had just disappeared through. Maybe being in an alliance with her wouldn't be too bad after all. She did say she had a plan. Well whatever, she could do she liked as long as it got me home to my Corolla. I smiled slightly at the thought. I had every intention of keeping my promise.