Amy Hanis, D7

Tears began to sting her eyes. Amy looked out the dirty window, looking at the now empty Square. The events of the Reaping continued to play in her mind. That annoying escort popped out on stage, trying to make everyone happy. She dips her hand into the rigged bowl. Opens the name and calls out Amy. The second Amy stepped on the stage, Aria tried to volunteer. All that escort said was 'Sorry, you waited too long dear.' Volunteers were always allowed up until the escorts pulls another name. That Reaping was completely rigged. Questions flowed through Amy's mind. Her anger turned to sadness when her older sister came through the door.

Aria quickly wrapped her arms around Amy, squeezing her tightly. Aria couldn't speak with all the tears in her throat. "I'm so sorry I wasn't fast enough. I'm so sorry!" Her voice was drowning in her sobs. Amy tried to pull away from her sister, but Aria had a tight grip. Was it possible that Aria didn't know the Reaping was rigged to pull Amy's name? Amy yelled at Aria, making her release her.

Amy breathed in deeply, closed her eyes, and began to talk to her only sister. "Aria, the Reaping was rigged. Before you say anything, I have a theory. Remember when I told you about that person Alana recruited for the Army? The way she described her was a Capitol citizen. I was the youngest at the meeting. I believe that woman told someone about me and that is why I'm here." The door swung open before Aria could react to what Amy said.

Kiva Cypress, D7

Her hands were shaking so badly she thought they would fall off. Four other girls are in the other rooms, saying goodbye to their families. Where was Kiva's family? Her daddy was done working for the day, her mother doesn't work, and her brother wasn't working today. Her eyes looked all around the room for something to look at, but she only stared at wood. She tried to make her heart slow down, but the opening door made her heart rate spike.

An older man with a flannel short and messy brown hair grabbed Kiva tightly. The scent of lumber on his shirt made Kiva know who this was. Alec was holding his younger sister so tightly, she could feel his body shaking from the tears. "You shouldn't have been picked. You have so much longer to live. Your name was only in there five times." Alec talked so fast she couldn't keep up. Alec was always a fast talker. She'd miss that when she gets to the Capitol.

"Look at me. I'll be fine. No one will hurt me and I will come home completely fine." Alec's green eyes were turning a deep shade of red, and tears were being held back. All she needed to do was look into his eyes and she was lost. Her eyes began to water and her throat was getting tighter. Her confidence melted as she looked at her only sibling. Why was her named picked out of so many names? She began to sob, holding onto Alec as tight as she could. Tears spilled onto her face, but she was unable to stop crying.

Cherry 'Bolt' Bolt, D7

As the hug began to wear off, Cherry tries to extend her hug with Sebastian. Next to her parents, Sebastian is the only person she considers a friend. She and Sebastian have known each other for a while, but only recently they have begun dating. Today is their six month anniversary, and she has to spend it in the Justice Building before leaving for the Capitol. Sebastian began to stroke her brown hair as the silence dragged on. What words could be said about this? She is leaving and may never be back to see Sebastian or her parents. Tears started to well in her eyes faster than she can stop them from falling.

"Bolt, you're crying." Sebastian says in a deep voice, a voice he saves for when Cherry is upset. Not that it is often, but he uses it just for her. "What happened to the Bolt that never cries? You told me you never cry." He lifts her chin up with his index finger. With his other hand, he slowly wipes away her tears. A smile spreads across his tan face as the tears disappear. "See? You look better without all that water on your face."

A smile slowly creeps onto Cherry's face. She didn't know what it was, but something about this boy always made her want to smile. Whether he was joking or being completely serious, she just wanted to smile. "Bastian, please don't worry about me when I'm in the Capitol. I'll come home, looking just like this, ready to see you again." The last seconds ticked away as Cherry wrapped her arms around Sebastian. Like a typical scene, the Peacekeepers try to keep Cherry in the room while they take the non-tribute away. Also like a typical good-bye, Cherry screams at the top of her lungs for Sebastian.

Gator 'Mutt' Sewell, D7

"Are you scared?" Lumber says, teasing his younger sister. "These Games are made to scare little girls like you." Gator lightly taps Lumber's arm, telling him to be quiet. Lumber is her first visitor of the day, but she expects her parents to be next. For all Gator cares, her mother can just stay out of the room. The same words are going to come out of her mom's mouth, like 'The Capitol likes girls who look like girls' or 'Quit acting like your brother!'. It's not her fault that she grew up around boys and the lumber factories. It's also not her fault she has a boy name.

She looked her brother in the eyes and smiled right at him. "I am not scared. I can take on those Careers faster than you and Dad can take down trees." Gator continued to smile, but she could feel all the confidence seep out of her body. Not many tributes from Seven could take down Careers. The most notable one from Seven was Sheila Carwell from over 20 years ago. She took down three, one mercy kill and the other two were sibling kills. Even thought Seven is known for climbing trees and axes, not all tributes are built to wield axes and be strong.

Lumber only had to look at his sister once to see her emotions. They have been close since Gator was born, and he can just feel her pain. He pulled her close to his body, stroking her hair, and trying to make her feel better. "If you think you can come home, you can. You are stronger than anyone going into that arena and no one will expect a girl like you to go into the arena. Remember, we love you so much and we will be waiting for you to come home with the keys to a Victor Village home." Lumber's voice cascaded down Gator's back like warm water. Why couldn't she just stay home?

Daisy Green, D7

The door swung open and a tall man was in the doorway. He slowly walked to Daisy, his arms outstretched. She stood up and hugged her father, holding onto him tighter than she ever had before. He was only two inches taller than her and her eyes almost matched his. Her father's arms wrapped around her waist. Just seeing her daddy made tears want to fall from her eyes. "Daddy, did you see Toni yet?" Daisy's voice came out more clipped than she wanted. She could feel her father's grasp release on her body.

He took a seat on the couch provided by the Justice Building. He patted the seat next to him, beckoning his daughter to sit next to him. She complied as he placed an arm around her shoulder. "Honey, I haven't seen Toni yet. Your mother is with him right now. He really did make his name known, huh?" Daisy knew what her father was talking about: When it was the males turn, a boy was called and walked to the stage. By the time he got to the stairs, Toni ran to that boy and tossed him aside without saying anything but standing next to the escort. Some of the younger kids giggled, while the adults stood there in horror.

"I can't help thinking that if my name wasn't called, he wouldn't be in the room next to me." Daisy ducked her head from her father's gaze. The silence started to eat up the precious seconds Daisy had with her father. A warm touch spread on her shoulder. All Daisy saw was her father's deep green eyes staring into hers. This was something her father was great at. All he needed to do was look at her, and all her problems would disappear. This current problem she has will not go away just by her father's gaze.

Toni Green, D7

"Mom, I only did it for Daisy! I want to protect her and be with her..." Toni's mother was only in the room for two seconds before he started to blabber on about his reasons. His mother just sat there, listening to Toni ramble on about what he did for his twin sister. Toni rambled on for almost a whole minute before Toni's mother placed a comforting hand on his left cheek. Her green eyes looked into his own green eyes, calming him down within seconds. Silence took over the room, enough silence to hear the ticking clock and the sobs from another room.

After a few seconds, Toni's mother began to speak in her comforting voice he has known his whole life. "I know what you did was to protect your sister. Your father is talking to her right now. I am here to tell you that I am not sad that you volunteered yourself. You did it for selfless reasons. But, I want to tell you to stay with your sister at all times. Don't split up with her for any reason. I have never been through the Games myself, but I have seen over thirty years worth of them. You are from a middle district, and the Careers won't look at you twice before killing you. Please, protect Daisy and live as long as you can. Do you understand me?"

Toni nodded his head and stared at his mother. She still had her warm hand on his cheek, keeping him calm and collected in this situation. Even though he is eighteen, something deep inside of him made him act like a scared twelve year old. He grabbed his mother and hugged her with all of his might. No one wants to leave their parents. And no one in the world would want to leave their parents so they can go off and die in front of the whole country. Toni held on for as long as he could.

André Ricardo, D7

Tears are the only way to explain André and Carrie's goodbye. When Carrie walked into the room, André picked her up and started to cry. Carrie also began to cry with him. Carrie couldn't say a word; her throat was clogged with sobs and tears. Once she settled down, there was only two minutes left in their allotted time to say goodbye. Carrie grabbed André's hands tightly and wiped her tears away. "Andre, I know your birthday is in two days. But, seeing this may be the last time I see you until the Games are over, I thought it would be best to give you your birthday present now."

Carrie reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a necklace. Black thread was laced through a wooden pendent, shaped to look like the District Seven seal. A + C = 4EVER was carved on the back of the seal, making André feel even more sad about the situation at hand. Carrie undid the seal and placed it around her boyfriend's neck. It hung low on his throat, the pendant touching his chest. "Carrie... I... How did you... I love it!" André placed his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"André, good luck in the Games. I know you'll come back to help your family out with the money problems everyone seems to have in this country." Carrie kisses his cheek lightly, reminding him about the first time they kissed each other. The door opened and a man in white yelled out for Carrie to leave. They kissed one last time before Carrie had to leave her lover behind.

Axel 'Ax' Lunge, D7

"Mom, I only did it for Faith." Axel explains one more time to his mother, who is sitting beside him crying hysterically. "I can avenge her death by killing all of One and Ten. If I take out their districts, I know we can get closure, something you were denied twenty-five years ago. Wouldn't you like that?" His mother just sat there, wiping her tears away. As he was waiting for his mom to reply to him, he thought about when the Quell announced. Reruns of past Quells littered the TVs around the country, and Axel got to see how his late aunt, Faith, fell to the Games. Jada Caldwell from Ten brutally took her out, no questions asked. She killed her, grabbed the knife and left. Ever since he saw that rerun, he vowed that he will avenge his aunt's death.

Axel's mother took in a deep breath before looking to her son. "Ax, you can't make me feel better after twenty-five years. My sister died in a way she couldn't control. Everyone wants to return home but only one can. I have come to terms with it. Why are you putting yourself on the line for what happened many years ago?" His mother's eyes continue to bear into Axel's body. Why was he putting himself on the line? He straightened himself up and looked back to his mother.

"I am doing this so we can finally get closure." He started. "I didn't know I had an aunt Faith until the Quell was announced. So, I am providing myself and the rest of the Lunge family closure. Mom, I will come back for you and we will live in a wonderful Victor's Village home when I return." He touched the back of his mother's head and kissed her forehead. Under his lips, he could feel his mother trembling with sobs. The last-minute ticked by as Axel tried to comfort his mother back to normal.

Ky Underwood, D7

All the District Seven memorabilia began to hurt Ky's eyes. All the variations of seals, the Victor Pictures, and the Victor's weapons made Ky's mind hurt. Why would the government want him to look at the past while waiting for a visitor? Suddenly, the door swung open and a Peacekeeper shouted out 'Three minutes!' as Ky looked at his visitor. It was a young man, barely older than twenty, wearing his Reaping best. Something about his face made him look familiar. The man walked over to Ky and offered him his hand. "Hello Ky. I know you don't remember me. I am the boy your brother volunteered for over four years ago. My name is Lichen and I just wanted to share something with you before you saw your sister."

Ky offered Lichen a seat next to him and he took it. Ky looked at him for a good minute and he still hasn't rung any bells. Lichen ran his tan fingers through his deep brown hair and looked at Ky. He took a deep breath before saying anything. "Okay. When your brother volunteered for me four years ago, I was expecting it. When the forest fire struck years ago, my parents died, along with most of my family. I was left alone except for my baby niece, who I had to care for. Even though many people lost their family members and friends, I acted like I had it worse than everyone. Despite my behavior, I did give up what I had to people who had less than me. I placed my niece in an orphanage, I gave people my help for nothing in return, and I remember giving a fresh loaf of bread to your brother."

The gears turned in Ky's head. He remembered that day when Elias came home with a loaf of fresh bread for him and his sister. Elias didn't want to eat much of it, so he gave the majority to Ky and Ashlynn. Lichen continued, "Well, he saw my selflessness as a sign of strength. When he volunteered for me, his words were 'Someone who will give up what he has for anyone else should not deserve to dress like a tree, be plucked like a chicken, and die by the hands of a Career.' He saved me because of my actions." A Peacekeeper grabbed Lichen before Ky could say a word to him.

Pan 'Oak' Oakson, D7

"Since our family is so big, we decided that we'd take shifts. And, since I am the oldest, I would go first and alone. Mom and Dad will speak to you last." Rachel spoke, much like she was an adult. She ruffled his curly hair under her fingers. Rachel and Pan have been close since they were little, and they have only gotten closer as they grew older. When Pan dropped out of school, Rachel taught him when she was finished at school. Then, after she was done teaching, they would throw axes in private as a competition between the two. Rachel would always win, according to their father, but Pan was improving daily.

Pan looked to his wrist, where his mother made him a bracelet over a year ago. His father carved an oak tree out of a piece of wood as a charm for the bracelet. Rachel touched his naturally broad shoulders. "So, do you think our axe throwing competitions we had made you a better fighter?" Rachel was never afraid to say anything, ever. Even if a Peacekeeper was right outside the door, she'd say something about their 'illegal training'. "Oh, and Twig wants to know where his birthday present is hidden." Pan smiled slightly at this comment. Twig's birthday is on Reaping day, and Pan always hides his gift.

"I feel like I can take down anyone. And tell Twig that his present is near somewhere full of luxury and riches." Pan winked at Rachel before the Peacekeeper came in. Hopefully Twig can find his gift in the cellar of a Victor's Village home without getting hurt.

A/N: I'M OFFICALLY ON SUMMER VACATION! YAY! I hope to finish out the good-byes and start the train rides before I take another break. :) How was this chapter? Anything you liked? Hated? Also, how was your school year? I would love for you to answer in the reviews!

Also, I have a poll still on my page about the Careers. If you want to take it, please place your votes. It may play an important part in the Games. :D

~Ashlee