AN: Twenty-two tributes have been selected. Only two remain to be chosen. May the odds be ever in your favor...

Linnea Marlee- 14, District 11

We're not technically supposed to be working on Reaping Day. But here in District Eleven, work stops for nothing but death, and then only for the deceased. Even during the most crucial moments of the Games, we'll have a shift out in the fields and orchards. That's why right now, three hours before the Reaping, I find myself sitting in the branches of one of the trees in the orchard, watching the workers down below. Technically, my job today is to watch for the signal flags that mean the end of the workday. Once I see those, the shuttles will carry all the kids to the square. The District is so big that all people younger than twelve and older than eighteen must watch the Reaping from home. And even some of the children eligible have to be diverted onto side streets or nearby fields, where they can be quickly summoned if chosen. We're lucky we even get shuttles to the Reaping, but that's only so we can work all day and still make it in time. Those of us, like me, who are unlucky enough to live far away from the square have to walk home. The worst part is for the tributes, whose families usually can't make it to the square in time to say goodbye. I'd hate to see a family member go off to the Games without telling them goodbye.

I've been in the tree for a while now, and I take a moment to shift positions. The signal flags still haven't come up yet. I hear a rustling in the trees around me, but there's no wind. Suddenly, there's a great whooping, and the flailing body of a small boy comes flying at me. Without thinking, I jump from my branch, barely able to catch myself before I fall from the tree entirely. Whoever the boy is, he's already gone. Luckily for him, the peacekeepers don't seem to care what's going on. Everyone's talking in the fields anyway, and as long as some work gets done, the day is classified as productive. I sigh and climb back to my original spot. I bruised myself quite a bit when I fell, but I don't think anything is broken.

As I pull myself back to my lookout position, I see a flash of orange from a tree further off. I look again, and see the unmistakable orange flag waving in the distance. I give a signal whistle to the workers below. Some of the other workers sing, but I'm not very good at singing, so I whistle instead. I climb down the tree, and join all the other child workers as we surge for the Reaping Shuttles. We arrive in the Square with just enough time for them to organize us all by age. The Twelves, Thirteens, Fourteens and late arrivals are directed to other streets. All us fourteens occupy an entire street, but from where I'm standing, I can just make out the stage far off in the Square. I don't need to see it though, because we have huge TV screens oppressing us from buildings on either side of the street.

Luckily, we're not on camera, so I spend the speeches chatting with my friends. I'm telling Marigold, Cami, and Scipio about the crazy boy from the fields today. Cami and Scipio both agree that he's lucky he wasn't shot. Marigold pushes her dirty glasses further up her freckled nose.

"He's obviously the most immature creature in the district." I chuckle.

Meanwhile, Cami and Scip have gotten to arguing about who's taller. I think It's Scipio, by just a hair, but Marigold says they're the same. Cami and Scipio are so alike they could be siblings, though they're not. Both have very tan skin, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes bursting with emotion. They're kind of middling in appearance. Not extremes like me and Marigold. She's light as a candle, and I'm dark as a storm cloud in the night.

"Linnea," whisper's Scipio, his face mirroring the expressions of horror on Marigold and Cami's.

"What?"

"I think the escort just said your name on the TV," whispers Cami.

I know it's me because everyone is looking my way. To get here, I had to elbow my way through the crowd. Now, they part for me willingly. I steadily take my place on the stage and stare out at the crowd of children. I should have expected this. After all, I have tesserae for myself, my Mom, Dad, and Uncle Ray and baby cousin Estelle. But the truth is, there are kids with a lot higher chances than me, so why was I chosen? I'm just a little kid who could play a tune on her ribs with the right mallet. But I'm not tiny. I'm tall, so I can't hide well. And I'm not fast. Maybe I'll discover some kind of hidden ability when I train. But really, the best I can hope for is to die quickly on the first day, when the Careers are too preoccupied with their spoils of war to play with their prey.

Please, please, please let it be quick.

"And our lucky male contestant is Griffin Scotts!"

The boy who takes the stage is grinning like he's just won the lottery. His perfect looking golden-brown hair comes down almost to his eyes. He's actually really cute. Then I hear his voice, and realize he's the same kid who nearly killed me in the tree today. Any previous attractiveness he possessed has vanished.

"Thanks! I'm happy to accept my place as the District 11 male tribute." He steps away from the front of the stage and grins cockily at me while we shake hands. The child is either an idiot or trying to disguise his true feelings about the games. But he is my District Partner, so I guess I'll have to deal with him for a while. When all the ceremony is done, we're escorted to separate visiting rooms.

Marigold, Scipio, and Cami were the only people at the Square when I was picked. I know my family can't make it, but I guess that's ok, since I really don't want them to see me like this. I want them to remember me alive and happy, rather than condemned to death. Marigold is giving me a full history of statistics of the District 11 tributes that makes my head spin. Scipio and Cami sit on either side of me, holding me in a hug, watching and nodding as Marigold paces around the room.

"I'll miss you all," I say, cutting across Marigold's tirade. "Scipio, Cami, you guys are great, and I know you'll always be there for each other," I say quietly. "Marigold, you're the best friend in the world, but no amount of numbers can save me. I can find edible plants, and maybe I can outlast the others, but past that… I just don't know guys."

At this, Marigold breaks into tears, and the peacekeepers come in and escort my three best friends out. I'm completely alone. And maybe I can't win, but maybe I can. After all, life is nothing if not unpredictable.

Griffin Scotts- 13, District 11

Here in District 11, every day is a work day. Whether it's school or being out in the fields, we never get a break. 'Course, that doesn't stop us from trying to have fun. Like today. Me and Russ were down working in the fields, and the peacekeepers were nowhere t' be found. They enforce the rules, but as long as we meet our quota and don't cause trouble, they probably won't care about what we do. That's what led to Russ and Me climbing up one of the trees in the orchard and sharing some of the fruit that hasn't grown in fully. Then I dare Russ to chuck the apple core at one of the workers, and he does, but we disappear into the tree, laughing because the worker can't see us.

Next, Russ dares me to jump from one tree to another. I do, and I almost fall, but I manage to hang on to a branch in the second tree and pull myself up. I tell Russ he has to do it. He pulls it off a lot neater than me though. We've decide to make a Game of it. A fun Game, not like the Hunger Games on TV. I'm next, so I inch across the thick branch ti the edge and jump out into open space. As I fall, my hand reaches out and catches a limb, and I swing into a tree. It gets easier every time. Finally, Russ and I are swinging like monkeys through the trees.

"Race you to the other side of the orchard," I say.

A grin takes over Russ' face. "You're so on."

We start in different trees and go as fast as we can. I feel so free- just like I'm flying! I breeze past one of the lookouts, who I hope doesn't report me, and jump to the next tree. And the next. And the next. I'm crying out with joy as I swing, loving the rush of adrenaline. I wonder where my sister Arica is. She's eleven. She's a real pain, but I'd love to teach her how to do this. Kale, my brother, though, he would never approve. The end of the orchard is in sight. I think I beat Russ! I land on the ground almost simultaneously with him, and we both start to laugh. Suddenly, we hear the signal whistle, and people start to migrate toward the shuttles that will take the eligible kids to the Reaping.

Russ and I race each other there too, and he just barely wins. We get on the shuttle just before the doors close, and talk for the entire ride there.

In the square, Russ and I are separated, since he's still just twelve. The twelve-year-olds are herded to their own street, the same as us and the fourteen-year-olds. I'm in the front of the street, and a bit tall for my age, so I can see the stage pretty well. The mayor makes some kind of speech, and I can see Kale with the seventeen-year-olds nodding and listening. He's going to destroy my reputation like that. I start thumb wrestling with the boy next to me, Chris. I'm winning. The escort, a lady with crazy orange hair is about to call the names of the kids who will go into the Hunger Games. The Games are totally boring to watch, but I bet they're really exciting for the kids who get to play in them.

"Can we have Linnea Marlee on staaaage please!" It takes her a while to get to the stage, because Linnea comes from the street where they've kept the Fourteens. She's really tall and thin, and very dark. She looks scared.

"And our lucky male contestant is Griffin Scotts!" Oh hey, that's me! I head up to the stage. I'm really good at Games. Bet I can win this one too, if I try. And I bet Russ has never done anything this exciting before. Plus, I'll get to see the Capitol. Nobody in District 11 has ever been to the Capitol, I bet. Except out old Victors of course.

"Thanks!" I say, "I'm happy to accept my place as the District 11 male tribute." After shaking hands with Linnea, we can have visits by family and friends. Unfortunately, Mum and Dad and Arica are at home, far from the Square. Kale comes to visit me though, and tries to give me all kids of practical advice. Please. It's just a Game. All I have to do is win.

"And your best tactical advantage is definitely climbing. Get yourself in a tree and stay there Griffin. Make sure to drink water once every three days, at least, more if it's hotter, and if you don't have food every five days..." Blah blah blah.

Russ has it right. "Geeze man! You get to go see the Capitol." I hear his voice shake a bit, but that's likely from excitement for me.

"Yeah! It's gonna be great!" we talk about how much fun I'm going to have until Russ has to go.

"Be careful, Griffin," he says. I just nod.

I can't wait to get to the Capitol. This is going to be the most exciting thing ever.

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