Hey guys! Here's the district 7 reapings and before I get into it, I'd like to say that not many of your tributes will die in the bloodbath. Maybe two or three tops, but that's not a lot in my opinion. I just like all of your tributes and most of them are all skilled at something that will make them all go far. I like all of your tributes and I don't really know who the winner will be so I might just make a poll and you guys can vote on who you want to win once the games has started. Just some information for you guys to know. Thanks for reading that, I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Ava Birch

Maple, my only friend and I are the main forest of district 7. I love being here, carving random things in the trees with my favorite knife, Barker. Barkers always been my go-to knife. A ton of people in 7 usually hang out in the other forests, but most hang out where we are. People are all walking back and forth and waving at me. I wave back but I'm very quiet and withdrawn from others. I'm withdrawn because of a boy named Aspen who I don't like at all.

Speaking of the devil, here he comes walking over here. ''Hey Maple, sup Ava?'' Maple greets him and I continue to carve on the tree. I carved the name of a past district 7 victor who is currently around here. She's walking around currently speaking to the younger kids. People in 7 are very prepared for the games, but we've only won once. Our victor was one of the first to win. She was 16 when she won the 5th annual Hunger Games. She had seven kills that game, heh. I remember all the sponsors she got and her final kill. She actually killed two people back-to-back for the win.

The two were from district 9, I would never expect 9 to make the finals really. I know they had one winner who won by poisoning the girl from seven in the first annual games. People talk about it all the time. That girl had four kills that games but couldn't get the victory. Anyway, our one victor smashed an ax onto the males head that instantly killed him, and she kicked the girl into a tree. The girl hit her skull really hard and was knocked out. Instead of killing her painfully, our victor pushed her into the nearby lake and had the girl drown. Well, those are the stories I've heard, I wasn't born when she won.

''Ava, is that your reaping outfit?'' Aspen asks me. I'm wearing a plain green short sleeved blouse and a dark blue skirt that reaches my knees. ''Yes, it is.'' Maple answers for me. As I'm completely ignoring Aspen right now, he continues to bug me and ask me questions that I won't answer. ''First you stole my ax, now you're ignoring me?'' He dares to say that.

This angers me. He knows damn well that I didn't steal his ax. If I did, I would've given it back by now. ''You know for a fact, that she did not steal your ax Aspen!'' Maple stands up for me. Hmm, even she knows that I didn't take his ax. Why would I take it when I have my Barker. Barker's all I need to be able to get the job done.

Aspen quickly stops talking and brings her over to a far tree where the two talk. I don't know what he's saying and I'm not interested. He's the reason why I'm so withdrawn from others. First he claims that I stole his ax, then he called me something that I don't want to repeat, and now he's bringing it all back up. What a friggin asshole he is. Ugh, people man, people...

Just as I'm thinking to myself, Dove walks up to me. Dove is the only victor of seven. I snap back into reality and she's in front of me smiling and asking me questions. She is so pretty, my gosh. She looks as if she's still in her youth when she when the games. Her mascara is beautiful. Her long black eyelashes look beautiful as the light from the sun is shining on them. She's wearing bright red lipstick with a beautiful dress for the reapings today. I wonder who she voted for to participate. Victors usually know who's best to compete, I guess.

''Hi! Whatcha doing?'' She asks me so nicely. I don't know what to say really, I forgot the question. I don't know what to do in a situation like this so I just blurt out ''Nothing!'' She starts to laugh and touches my shoulder.

''Why are you so nervous?'' She asks me.

''Who me?'' I ask back. ''Nah, I'm.. not nervous a-at all...''

''You're very quiet and shy. You're not very open are you?'' She asks me. ''No, not really.'' She saw right through my disguise. I'm the type of person who when you get to know is very clever and has a good heart. But when you don't know me, I don't talk much. Although I might be a good person, I get easily angered. Hence why I was pissed when Aspen brought up me stealing his ax.

''Yeah, I guess.'' She starts to laugh again. ''You're very attractive you know that?'' She changes the whole subject randomly and I go with it. ''Thank you.'' She starts to speak again. ''I love your jagged waist and dark brown hair that's tied in a low ponytail. Your skin has a nice tan to it and your dark green eyes are very nice.'' I thank her and we continue to talk. She speaks about all the children here that she see that have potential to win the games and it's very true, a ton of kids from 7 are great with weapons.

It was so much easier for the lower districts to win before the careers started. I've heard that they started after Dove won her games and ever since it was either one, two, or four winning games. Although, one and two both have either two or three winners and four only has one named 'Mags.' I don't know who she is, but she only got one kill her games just like the girl from nine who won the first games. Dove looks at the tree that I'm standing next to and asks if I carved her name onto it. I told her that I did and she told me that I chose a beautiful tree.

The tree is a magnolia tree. I never realized how beautiful it was until she brought it up. It's towering majestic beauty with it's long sweeping branches can be compared to the beauty and sweet smell of the magnificent blossoms that sits proudly on it's perch among the beautiful tree. She notices my eyeing the tree and smiles. We soon begin to here the whirl of the capitols hovercraft and we already know to make our way to the center. I turn to look at her, but she's already gone.

Maple comes right back to me and we start to walk. We talk about the girl that everyone was going to vote for to enter these games, but we couldn't. She turned nineteen right after the quell was announced. This disappointed a ton of people. District 7 sees that as a blow and it really decreased their confidence in us winning this year, but we still have some pretty good people. I mean, I know a couple of girls who could win these games.

One we reach the center of our district where large flags that say 7 on the are being held up in the air. After getting our fingers pricked, we both go into the female section when the escort comes out and starts to speak. He says a bunch of nonsense about how the capitol is amazing and how the capitol is everything and we're nothing. Then, a movie starts to play and we all watch carefully. After that, he quickly grabs the one envelope from the girls bin and calls a name.

''Ava Birch.''

Oh god, that's me. I don't like the games or killing, it's just not my thing. Why me? My gosh man. I walk up to the stage quickly and quietly and Dove is smiling at me. Could she have voted for me? Maple is an awe and so is.. Aspen? Why would he be shocked, I'd think that this is something that he'd enjoy seeing. Me. Being put in a game of torture and death.

Alan Swanson

''Alan! Wake up!'' One of my sisters yell. I wake up to find both Jenna and Jessica around my bed smiling at me. They're twins that my mother had when I was five. They're both 13 which makes them eligible for the games and I don't want that for my sisters nor my brother who is currently eleven.

''Alan, it's time to get dressed. Mom has dinner waiting for us downstairs.'' My brother Albert says to make sure the job to wake me up is done. All my siblings start to laugh at me and I don't know why. I guess it's because of my tired eyes. I grab both my twin sisters and start to tickle them. My brother jumps on my bed to join the action and we all start to laugh. I just love to play around with my siblings. I love them each very much.

They all get out of my room and I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth. After that I take a quick five minute shower and when I get back into my room, clothing is prepared for me to wear. I guess that mother must've set them there for me. My mom is a school teacher who loves her children very much, but she's scared for us. She's scared because of a family history that happened in the dark ages. My grandfather was the driving force of the rebellion for district 7 in the dark ages and when my mom was born, he gave her up for adoption in fear that peacekeepers would try to kill her.

Because of this, my mothers two older brothers, father, and mother were all executed at the end of the dark ages. Mom was twenty when all this happened and didn't find out that they were her family until she was twenty-five. Many other people found out about this and because of that, I keep myself away from people in fear that they might ''go missing.'' This is why I keep to myself.

After the shower, I look at myself in the outfit that she set out for me in the mirror. My light brown short hair that's in a flow hair cut looks good with the navy blue collared shirt that I'm wearing. I have pale blue eyes that goes well with the khaki pants. After looking in the mirror, I go down stairs to sit and eat with my family. My dad isn't home right now, he's working to support us. He works as a lumber jack and that's what I'd probably be when I start to work.

''Alan!'' My brother yells. I high-five him and we all sit down and eat. Mom let out some waffles with maple syrup with milk for us all. She left a banana on the side as well with strawberries. I don't eat much, but I'm full. My little brother copies the exact same thing that I do and my mother tells him to sit down and finish his food. As soon as I'm about to close the door, I hear ''But I'm gonna be just like Alan when I grow up. I need to act like him mom,'' and everybody inside starts to laugh. I smile and close the door.

As I'm walking the the largest forest in district 7 where most people will be hanging out before the reapings. As I walk around, people wave at me and try to talk to me but I don't say much. I just smile and wave at them. I overhear two girls talking. ''He's so handsome and his smile is amazing.'' I'm glad that I get along with people, but I don't want anyone to get into the circumstances that my family and I are all in.

Once I reach the main forest of 7, I see many people carving out the name ''Dove,'' with knives in their hands or whatever sharp weapon they can get their hand on. I separate myself into the far areas of the forest where not much people go to. I meet up with one of my best friends Nicole who's the same age as me, 18. We both smile and start to speak about the Hunger Games. ''Who do you thinks gonna get chosen for the games this year?'' She asks me. ''For the girl, it'd be the one who just turned nineteen. But, that can't happen anymore because of her age unfortunately. I don't know which other girl that's as skilled as her. For the boy, I think it'll be that 16 year old, Banyan. He's super skilled with axes and hammers and knives. He's probably the best person to represent 7 now.''

''Yeah, I think that's true as well.''

We continue to talk and then my other best friend, Jeffery meets us. Jeffery has been my ever since we were babies. We've always been close and haven't fought a lot. ''Hey!'' Jeffery greets the both of us. ''Hey Jeff.'' Nicole and I say in unison. We all talk about the games and our one winner and our close to being winners. Rosewood was the girl we all thought about at first who placed second in the first Hunger Games. Then we spoke about Dove and then Jack who placed third in the eight Hunger Games.

Each one of these people were skilled with axes or knives. I don't let many people into my life but Nicole and Jeffery are two of the ones that I do. I truly care about them. Animals from around the forest come near us and I hold a bird on my index finger. I just love nature and animals, it's a beautiful place.

''Hey!'' I hear from the back of us. It's the victor from seven, Dove. Dove's a nice person but I don't speak much. ''How you guys doing?'' She asks. She notices that her name was carved on one of the trees that I'm guessing Nicole carved.

''We're all good.'' Nicole answers for us all. Nicole and Dove both speak and laugh while Jeff and I all watch. Dove asks Jeff and I both questions and I'm quiet throughout most of them. I answer only a little bit, but not much. She wraps her arm around my shoulder and starts to laugh. She's such a live person who is always happy. I don't blame her for being happy but when the capitol and peacekeepers are still around, I just can't be.

We all finish speaking and she waves us all goodbye. Half an hour after we all finish talking, the capitol hovercraft starts to whirl. We all walk over there and get our fingers pricked. Jeffery and I go to the boys section while Nicole goes to the girls'. Our escort comes out and speaks some nonsense and we watch a small film.

Our escort quickly puts his hand in the girls bin and picks up the one envelope that's in there. ''Ava Birch.'' He calls out and the girl walks up there quickly and quietly and somethings definitely going through her mind, you can just tell. He wastes no time grabbing the one envelope from the boys bin and reads the name out quickly.

''Alan Swanson.''

People all look around and are confused. A ton of people are murmuring and I know for a fact that they didn't vote for me. I look back at my mom and she just looks down. I walk up slowly while looking and back and I can see peacekeepers smiling through their masks. They definitely rigged the votes. Nobody would vote for me. I'm waiting for that kid, Banyan to yell out that he volunteers but it just doesn't come. My sisters and brother are all in awe, same goes with Jeffery and Nicole.

This is why I don't want to get affiliated with other people. My family history is going to drag them into this mess and something like this could happen to them. The escort tells the both of us to hold hands and raise it up high, but I'm just stuck frozen. Ava grabs my hand and raises it up as I look dull in front of the audience.

No, I'm not giving up. I won't. I will make it home to show them that they can't stop me. They think that rigging the votes will stop me from returning to the place that I love the most but they're wrong. Wait on my return, I promise that you won't be able to get me again. Stopping me isn't an option!

Alan's story had me in my feelings. Ava's relationship with Aspen is something else. A guy who made up a lie just to get her attention but she doesn't know it is. :O And Alan's moms name is Aspen as well! Oh my, district 7 seems like a lovely pair don't you think? Question time.

Who'd you like better?

Who do you thinks gonna make it further?

Predictions?

Do you think they'll partner with each other or other people?

What do you think about the peacekeepers rigging the votes on Alan because of his family history?

What do you think about Aspen and Ava's complicated relationship?