wow, can't believe I'm over halfway done with these now!

Thanks randomgirl18 for Annastell. A huge ginormous thank you to packman23/Nightfall12/Hollow-Kuchki/Temerice (that's a lot!) who all sent me a D8 guy after I requested a bloodbath. I combined bits from each of you and I hope I'm able to get pieces of all your submissions in!

Enough rambling...on to District 8!

Annastell Hubert

"Let me help you with that," I run and grab the stack of yarn from my mother's grasp. She smiles and motions for me to set them on the table near her chair. As soon as I set the skeins down, the familiar click-clack-click of her knitting needles fills the room.

Usually, this is the only sound that's in our home. My mom can't speak do to an accident and neither my younger brother Alex or I are big talkers. Silence can be, and is, peaceful.

"I'm heading outside," I say softly, as I grab a freshly made blanket to sell. Mom looks up and nods, then turns back to her knitting.

I don't walk long before I find Toby who is my client, and maybe, my friend. "You want this?" I ask.

He teasingly examines it, scrunches his nose and in a mock business tone asks, "Same price, Ms Hubert?"

I smile lightly, "Of course." He grins back that dreamy, heart-breaking smile. I inwardly sigh.

"Then I'll take it. Pleasure doing business with you," he nods his head and walks back towards his house.

I turn down the road to pick up Alex from his friend's house and then we make our way to the District's center.

Fray Lancing

Today is the day! I'm finally going to do it. I will not chicken out like I have a million other times.

She walks by. I open my mouth to say something, anything to her. Nothing comes out. I failed yet again. Why can't I say a single word to her?

She is perfect in every way from her wavy light brown hair to her large captivating green eyes that are always on my mind. So I have a minor, okay maybe a little bit more than minor, crush on Annastell. There is nothing wrong with that!

I follow her to the Reapings. That just sounded stalker-ish. That's not what I meant. I was heading there anyway due to, you know, the whole mandatory: if you're not there we'll imprison you thing.

I join the other thirteen year olds in our section and listen as the Capitol man gives his customary speech. I doze off halfway through but am startled awake by the name I least likely want to hear, "Annastell Hubert!"

Something in me just died. My heart is pounding wilder than it would if I had been the one chosen. My throat goes dry. Annastell. I might never see her again!

Her usually serious face cracks slightly under the pressure. She's scared. I'm scared for her! Why did it have to be Annastell of all the people here?

Annastell Hubert

My name drawn. I never imagined that it would be me. I'm sure that everyone fated to this thinks the same, except for maybe those crazy enough to volunteer. It's an understatement to say that I'm scared.

The Capitol man walks over and grabs a piece of paper to doom yet another.

"Fray Lancing!" he calls out to the nervous crowd.

A small mouse-like boy looks as though he had just seen a ghost. The color drains from his face as he walks towards the stage. Poor kid. He is younger than me by two years. I always hate to see twelve and thirteen year olds reaped. It's wrong. Just plain wrong.

He looks up and there's small dimples in his cheeks as he smiles, not a smile of joy but of sadness and fear.