Lotus Hakoda (15), District Eleven Male-POV

If there was ever one person in the world that I thought to be beautiful, it was Kaia. She was my little sister, after all, and she was all that I had. Who else could I find pretty? One of the District tramps? No, I hadn't even looked at a woman that way, knowing that it would just distract me. That it would only serve to bring me down, when I needed to be more concerned about finding food. About surviving, and making sure that Kaia would be okay.

That was my duty, to be the man of the house, ever since Dad left. I don't know why he chose to leave, if it had been off of his own free will, or the threat of execution. It wasn't exactly common knowledge that we were hunters, so I feared that it was the first. I could still remember that day, when he told me I'd have to be strong, right before bed. The next morning, when I woke up, Kaia and I were alone in the house; I'd been seven years old.

It wasn't like Mom was around either; she'd been killed by a Peacekeeper. They thought that Kaia had gotten out of the Reaping, by some mistaken number in their calculations. Even though they saw that Kaia was only four years old—I was five at the time—they told Mom that someone was going to have to die. They dragged her off into the darkness, leaving my sister and I crying; I don't remember where Dad was. It wasn't like he could have done much, either…

So at the age of seven, I practically became an orphan, with the soul task of looking over Kaia. The scariest thing is that I couldn't protect her from the Reaping bowl, no matter how much I tried. Boomerang wasn't going to be able to knock the slip out of the Escort's hand, send it flying back to me; it just couldn't be done. The Capitol were cruel people, enjoying watching us laugh. I'm sure they have spies everywhere, too, waiting for the moment when I let my guard down. The moment that they catch me and Kaia sneaking back into the District, after some time spent hunting out in the woods.

Yet as long as I was still breathing, I would do my best to honor my father's wishes. It's all that I had left of him, that and the stories that some of his friends would tell on occasion. However, they too started to slowly vanish, almost fading out of existence in one blow, which couldn't have been an accident. I suspected the hand of the Capitol on numerous occasions, which is why I've been encouraging Kaia to learn how to defend herself. So far, she's mastered the arts of yelling and splashing people with water.

Now, if she had a bat of acid, it might actually be a bit effective.

"Hakoda!" Kaia's excited voice cried out, "I told you, the Reaping is going to start in an hour! And you're still not ready! Urggh! You men are all the same!"

Yes, that was the sound of a grateful sister. I sighed, picking up my beloved boomerang, before walking out of my tiny section of our hut. Really, the only thing that served as a wall was our mother's wedding dress—it had long since lost its white color. Kaia was the one in charge of washing, but claimed that it wasn't going to get any whiter—I didn't understand things like that. All I needed to know was how to get us some meat; I didn't eat anything but cute little animals.

"Nag, nag, nag!" I muttered, pushing the wedding dress aside, "I'm the one in charge, yet you act like my mother!"

"Well, someone clearly has to!" Kaia scolded, throwing a dirty sock in my face, "And you can do your own laundry, if you feel like being in charge!"

I blinked, watching as the smelly piece of clothing fell to the floor. Did my feet really smell that bad…? Breathing in deeply through my nostrils, I almost turned a faint shade of green, realizing thatyes, it was that bad. I'd never smelled such a portent odor in my life. Maybe this is why Kaia complains so much about doing the laundry; she must have lost some of her smelling abilities by now…

"No way!" I shot back, wrinkling my nose in an attempt to forget the smell, "Look, Kaia, Dad put me in charge of protecting you! I can't do that if you're off waltzing through the District at all hours!"

"Who says I need someone to protect me?!" Kaia shouted, her brown eyes narrowing in fury, as her long braid whipped almost in a deadly manner with her head, "Last I recalled, it was you who got stuck in that crack! And who had to get you out? Me! Even Abby could have done it!"

All right…She may have had a slight point there. But in my defense, I was trying to get us some meat, and I spotted her favorite kind. A lone little baby moose, somehow wandering the outskirts of District Eleven; that didn't happen all too often. Really, I was practically obligated to pounce on it, using my clever boomerang as I did so. It had been a bit embarrassing, waiting for Kaia to come and find me…

But hey, I got the moose! That's all that mattered!

"Abby so could not have!" I scoffed, "She's practically a toothpick! I honestly agree with her parents—she shouldn't be let out of the house!"

Kaia gasped, marching forward, while giving me her trademarked glare. Putting a thing tanned finger on my chest, she pushed me backwards slightly, pressing me flat against the wedding dress. It didn't help that some of my hair fell in my eyes, and that I couldn't put it back up in a ponytail—I didn't look as intimidating as I could have been. Kaia, however, managed to appear insanely prettyand the scariest thing you've ever set eyes on at the same time.

"How dare you say that?! Abby is our friend. F-R-I-E-N-D! Do you know what that means, Hakoda? No, you probably don't! When's the last time you even set foot in a school?!" Kaia paused, anger pouring off of her in waves, "You don't even know what Abby can do! She's ten times the person you are!"

I had no idea what to say. Really, I didn't; Abrielle Miyo couldn't have been as strong as me. Sure, she looked enough like Kaia and I to be our sister, but that didn't mean she had my strength! It was one of my prized possessions, along with my beautiful boomerang! She really was extremely thin, with long jet black hair that she often wore up in a bun. Her smile was a little bit creepy, as if she knew something that I didn't, but no one really qualified as crazy in our District anymore. After all, we were the place that sent Tetra Comn to the Hunger Games; no one could be worse than that girl.

"Kaia…," I paused, sighing, "I'm sorry…I just want to look out for you. I'm your big brother, and I'd hate myself forever if I lost you."

"I'd hate you too," Kaia replied, with a grin, "For hating yourself."


Abrielle Miyo (12), District Eleven Female-POV

My home, they tell me, is iridescent in every way, from the paintings to the rugs. They told me about the rich hues of colors I would never know, the way that the sunlight would drift through the windows, and warm the skin of all inside. People told me about the pretty silk dresses, the ones that I recognized from the feel of the fabric, the smoothness and coolness, like water. They told me about the sunsets, how it would fill the sky with pink to the brim, like a cup of calming tea.

They told me about the sights that I would never be able to see. I'd been born blind, a fragile child to the wealthiest family in District Eleven. Everyone always treated me like a baby, just because I wasn't able to see the things that they were able to. I always found sight to be incredibly stupid; just to make a movement, you're going to give off some sort of sound. And from memorization, I'm able to navigate my way around the house, and even through the expansive gardens.

I didn't even need the caretaker that they'd hired for me; a girl named Kaia Hakoda. Of course, I just called her Kaia—everyone called her brother Hakoda, so it was weird to add that name on at the end. See, it was mainly because I sort of had a bit of a crush on him; no, not a crush as in I want to crush him. That's the way I treat bugs—I hate bugs. Or sometimes, Kaia when she insists that I wash up after playing in the dirt.

I love dirt. It feels so nice, a little bit rough, and not all too smooth; it makes me feel close to nature. Nature has always been my best friend, besides Kaia; my parents don't want people to know that I even exist. They think that because I'm so tiny and blind, I'm not going to be able to help myself, to be able to function in society. Ironically, they even insist that I take educate lessons, in case I am Reaped for the Hunger Games.

Kaia probably enjoyed them more than I did.

"How much longer, Piper?" I muttered, trying to sound as polite as I could, without coming off as if I cared.

I already learned that it was important not to lie to people; even if I had to do that on a daily basis. Piper, from the sound of her voice, probably was a timid person, yet rather tall. From the feel of her hands rubbing layer upon layer of makeup on my face, making my pale skin looked tanned, I think she must have been a bit weathered. I enjoyed the roughness of it though; anything dainty wasn't something I was all too interested in.

Another reason that Kaia and I didn't always see eye to eye…She loved playing in my capacious wardrobe, playing with each of the cloths in turn. She would sing when she did that, which helped me learn more about what she might have looked like. I couldn't imagine colors inside of me head, of course, but I could imagine what she might have looked like. From touching things, feeling them after being blind for so long, I had come up with my own version of seeing. I couldn't really explain it to anyone else; not even my parents would have understood.

"Not much longer, Miss Miyo," Piper said, her voice sounding warm and buttery; she might have been smiling, I wasn't sure.

"Good, I can't stand to wear these things," I muttered, hopping off of the stool as soon as I felt her pull away from my face.

I was wearing a dress, which felt as if it was made out of silk; Piper informed me that it was emerald. While I didn't know what that was, I was told that it was a pretty color; pretty useless information, if you ask me. There were annoying high heeled shoes on my feet, but I knew that as soon as I was out of my parents' servants' eyes, I wouldn't have to worry about them anymore. I could chuck them off and hope that I hit a Peacekeeper—that would be mildly amusing.

"I know, Miss Miyo," she replied, grasping my tiny hand in her own, "Come, I've been given orders to take you to the Reaping ceremony. Kaia will not be able to attend to you today."

Keeping my face into a cool and collected mask—or at least, I knew it was—I snatched my hand away from her grasp. I didn't need Piper's help to find my way to the Town Square; all I had to do was follow the voices. The noise and the commotion would be more than enough to be able to locate the simple lines, and someone would probably nudge me in the right direction. My clothing, as I'd been told on numerous occasions, would show my status; as much as I hated it, I had to admit that it may just help.

"Miss Miyo!" Piper called, as I walked briskly out of the house.

I ignored her, kicking off the annoying flats as soon as I was outside. From a couple meters to my right, I heard a grand splash; they must have fallen into the fountain. Grinning, I broke out into a run, going down the path that I had memorized since I was young, not even caring that I may be Reaped today. People were forever underestimating me, not understanding that they should be scared. That when I vanish from my parents' sight, I'm not crying in a wood; I'm teaching myself how to fight.

Eventually, the sound of sobbing drifted to my ears, as I reached my fingertips out lightly. I've been told that my eyes are gray, whatever that may look like, which helps people tell that I'm blind. Or that I could have come from District Twelve; either of them was fine by me. Just as I expected, some gently hands guided me up to a plastic surface, grainy and rough—it must have been a table.

Someone shot something into my arm, which might have hurt, had it not felt like a baby poke, "Next possible, please," a tired voice called out, as I was shoved forward.

There was a lot of body heat in the area, I noticed, with weeping surrounding me from all sides. Assuming that Kaia had told me correctly, that I needed to go to the right and stand in the very back, I followed suit. A couple of people I heard start whispering about me, but I didn't care, spitting on the ground. I grinned, hoping that they would know to leave me alone; I wasn't much of a people person.

"Welcome, District Eleven, to your Reaping for the One Hundred and Seventy Sixth Hunger Games!" A brassy voice, that sounded a bit tired, announced into what I believed was a microphone, "This will be my final year as your Escort, so I hope that I can give off a lasting impression!"

I burst out laughing, knowing that his hopes would be soiled. No one else chuckled however, aside from a couple of people hiding their sniggers in a cough. A couple people around me shifted awkwardly as well; I didn't care though, especially since they were always so noisy. If they gave me headaches from listening to them sometimes, they could put up with me laughing in odd places; I enjoyed being strange that way, without any rules being enforced upon me.

A couple minutes later, after having to listen to the dreariest voice over ever, speculating exactly what those explosions would have looked like, the brassy man stepped back onto the stage. I could only tell this because it creaked under his weight; he needed to hit the gym, clearly. Even Santa Claus, some person that my parents insisted existed, probably wouldn't have made it groan like that…Oh well, it would just provide some amusement for me later.

"For our first Tribute, give a warm welcome to….," Brassy Man paused, coughing painfully, "Abrielle Miyo!"

That was me, wasn't it? I didn't even feel scared, reaching out my fingertips in an attempt to find my way forward. Vaguely, I could feel a stiff arm near me, as people marched me loudly forward. Eventually, the coolness of pavement between my feet changed to that of rough wood; I might have even gotten a splinter or two. Not that it would have mattered, as they suddenly shoved me forward, digging in one of them farther. Yeah, it hurt a little bit, so I allowed my mask to slip; just to let the sponsors think I was weak.

"Good, good," Brassy Man muttered warily, "And joining her will be….Lotus Hakoda!"

I'd already made my impression upon them; my battle was already half won. And I didn't care that Hakoda would be going in there with me…I didn't care.

I really didn't care…Right?