Mink Abbey POV

Nothing exciting ever happened in Nine. All right, last year our escort mysteriously died, but other than that, it's dullsville. Even my job at the textile factory only took six hours a day, since I had school. It got to where I almost looked forward to the Games. If I was a Victor, I'd never have to work again. I could explore the Capitol and burn the place up. I even practiced a bit with a makeshift "spear" I made from a stick.

I found Hols and Koan before the Anthem started. They were pressed together side-by-side and holding hands. They weren't together or anything- not that I judge. They were just that scared. I should have been too, but I knew what was going to happen to me. I stood by awkwardly until the speech started at Hols had to go with the other seventeen-year-olds. Koan stared at his back like it was a magic charm.

Chimera was the most lively thing to happen to Nine in ages. It was his third year, so he was still trying to show everyone he was hip and exciting. This year his suit was covered in strobe lights. I thought it looked awesome, but one poor girl fell over and started shaking. She had to stay in the center in case she got Reaped, but two medics were allowed to stand by her. Chimera paused and looked offstage, then continued.

"All right, Nine, let's get some Tributes!" he shouted. He slammed a fist into the girls' bowl.

"First up is Demetria Rhye!" Instead of the cheers Chimera seemed to expect, the crowd was silent as a girl with tan skin and black hair slipped onstage. Her face seemed frozen in shock until tears started streaming out. It was like looking at a walking corpse. When I looked back at Chimera, I couldn't even blame him for his enthusiasm. He just didn't have any idea. He scooped out the other slip.

"Joining Demetria today will be Rayon Mather!" he called. A short, slender boy with light brown skin settled next to Demetria. He looked like he was trying to be stoic but had to settle for calm.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Chimera asked. It was my moment.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I shouted. Demetria started at the voice and looked up. Then she cried harder. Koan jumped away from me like I'd burn him. I strode up to the stage like I owned it. Rayon calmly hopped off the edge of the stage and merged into the crowd. Chimera looked at me like I was a Capitol celebrity. I was his first volunteer.

"This is a suprise! What is your name, young man?" he asked, like he wasn't about five years older than I was.

"Mink Abbey," I said. I pumped my fist in the air as Chimera announced us. This was going to be the greatest thrill of all.

Demetria Rhye POV

The only good thing about the Reaping this year was that Mayzie didn't have to go. She was safe for another six years. I tried to tell myself I should be happy, but it would never work. I buried my face deeper in my mother's arms and shivered.

"I can come with you," Mom said. If she could, she'd go with me all the way to the Games, but of course, she can't. I forced myself to pull away and put on my shoes.

"It's all right. I can do it," I said. I'd done it once before and I hoped I'd do it again four more times. I saw Mayzie in the window waving at me after I left, and I waved back.

There were so many people at the Reaping center. There were maybe 500 of us, and 499 would go home safe in a few minutes. That made the whole thing seem a little less terrible. There weren't too many thirteen-year-olds, and we all squished in together. We weren't a very neat line, but the Peacekeepers either didn't notice or didn't care. I grabbed the hand of the girl next to me and we all looked at Chimera. His flashy costume made my stomach hurt. The other girl and I squeezed hands at the same moment when he unfolded the slip.

"First up is Demetria Rhye!"

I dropped the other girl's hand and froze. It couldn't be me. Thirteen-year-olds hardly ever went into the Games. I didn't take tesserae. What was going on?

My legs took over for my brain, and I found myseld floating to the stage. My mind snapped back into action and I knew I was going to die. Tears covered my face and I hardly noticed when the boy joined me. I just wanted to go home.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" The voice slashed into me and hope shot through me. I looked up and nearly screamed in relief. Then I realized. It was a boy's voice. The moment of life-giving hope washed away in an instant, and I cried with even more despair. There was no way out.

"They can't do this," my father said. He pounded the wall with his fists and slouched over.

"But they will," my mother said quietly. She bent over me as I sat crying on the bench. Mayzie looked on in confusion.

"Are you all right?" she asked. She looked up at me with simple concern. I tried to answer, but nothing came out.

"Don't let them take me, Mom," I said. She looked at me with raw helplessness I could never understand. When the Peacekeepers came, I grabbed her hand. Dad looked at them with dangerous eyes, and all the joy went out of Mom when she brushed my hand aside and stepped in front of him.

"Don't make her watch that," she said to him. He took her in his arms and started sobbing. Mayzie looked at both of them and started crying too.

"Mom! Mom! Come back!" I screamed after them. Nothing I said had any effect. They left me alone to die.

Mink was originally submitted as a Four Career Tribute, so I had to adjust him a little. He knows how to swim from a lake in Nine, and he taught himself with a spear. There are a lot of trained Tributes this year, but you all know from my past stories that that doesn't necessarily mean they'll win. This year it's all up to you anyway.