Bug Doe POV:

I walked through the District, a smile on my face as I greeted people who passed me. It was a beautiful day, the sun was beating down on the District and the farmers were planting the wheat. I loved sunny days, so much fun and life all around. I also liked the rain, though and the freshness it brought. Every morning, I would rise with the sun and walk miles to collect our water for the day. We were not the richest but it was a chore I didn't mind taking part in.

I loved being up before everyone else, wondering my empty District, the only sound being the morning chorus of birds. It also meant that I was the first to arrive at the well. This saved me standing in a long queue, waiting for my turn.

After I had pulled the large, metal bucket up, I tied it around my back and started to walk home, taking in the sights as I did. It felt good doing something so important to my family, water was a life line and I was happy to collect it. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside seeing their happy faces. On the odd occasion, I would make four trips just so we could have a bath but the excitement of bathing in hot water was worth it.

However, today, I only had time for one trip, it was reaping day and my family wanted to spend some time with me, just incase I was reaped. I seemed rather foolish to me. Yes, my name was in the reaping multiple times due to our need for food but the odds were in my favor. I would be collecting water tomorrow.

Finley Magik POV:

This was a waste of my time. I never understood why I was still part of the reaping. The whole point of the Games was to hit loved ones were it hurt when they were forced to watch their children die before their eyes. However, I had no one, no adults to break or upset, the took my mother away from me when they reaped her. They even risked my life before when they forced my mother into the arena, heavily pregnant and just watched as she gave birth. Was it that hard to induce her labour? Then my grandparents didn't want to know me, sending me away to an orphanage rather than taking in their flesh and blood all because I was born out of wedlock. The only once that seemed to care was my aunt and she to, never met me, I was nothing more than my blood family's dirty secret.

I ran away from the orphanage when I was seven, refusing to be beaten by the peacekeepers and owners anymore. I was never going to be adopted so what was the point? When I ran, a small group of other children ran away with me too. Some didn't make it through the first year, either going back to the orphanage or dying of illness. I even watched one whipped for stealing. The ones that did survive, though, became my real family. We care for each other and stand by each other's side, always. More than our own families did. Although it don't hold anything against my mother, she gave me my name and she loved me, the odds were just not in her favor.

During the reapings, we clung to each other, linking arms with family members that shared a row with us. However, we had most likely become relaxed over the years and this year, we laughed and joked until my name was called.

"Finley Magik!" the name bounced around in my head and made me feel sick then I felt the anger boiling up. "Ooh, daughter of, Marguerite Magik?" she asked with a smile but I just gave her a glare in return. She knew who I was and she knew who my mother was. I didn't wait for the children around me to move out the way, I pushed them aside and stormed towards the stage.

"Finley?" my best friend Eragon Talis whimpered as he wandered towards me, only to be pushed back into his row.

"Stay back, it isn't worth it...I'll be back shortly," I said in a soft voice but full of determination. I wanted to lay the foundation, now, I was not a weakling like most thirteen-year-olds, I was going to fight tooth and claw and I was going to come home to my family.