Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Hunger Games or any of the characters in this chapter.

District Ten Reaping

Skye Windell POV

I lay in a tree fingering my necklace. I trace the charm on it. The charm is a pair of black wings. When Autumn Windell, my foster mother, found me in a tree on one of her logging trips, this necklace was hanging around my neck. It's the only reminder of my unknown family.

"Ah, District Ten's wild girl in her natural habit."

I look down to see my foster sister and only friend, Glade, standing beneath the tree. I smile and swing out of the tree. I land softly on my feet.

"What's up?"

"You've been out here for hours. Came to make sure you're alive."

I laugh at Glade's comment. I spend most of days in the forest. It's more of my home than the Windell household. Rumors often go around the district of a wild girl living in the woods alone, but I spend nights and meals in at the Windell's house. Nobody in the District knows who I am, even though I'm at the reaping every year, just hidden among the crowd. And I want to keep it that way.

"Well if my heart is beating, then I'm alive!" I joke.

"Well we have to be ready for the reaping by the time my mom comes home from closing up the store and dad from his latest logging trip. So come on!" Glade says before disappearing into the trees.

I start to chase after Glade, my long wavy brown hair falling out of my ponytail as I laugh.

I stand behind Glade in the fifteen year old section. Nobody else notices me. Then again, nobody even knows I exist. I'm wearing my normal clothes consisting of a loose-fitting green t-shirt, brown pants, shoes I made out of animal skin, and my necklace. Glade is pretending not to notice me, but I know she is really protecting me. I fiddle with my necklace as the mayor reads the Treaty of Treason. I had Glade explained to me why they do this every year. Then the escort, some woman who names I can never remember comes on stage. She is a young woman with curly black hairs that has blonde highlights in it. She has on some bright pattern shirt filled with a ray of colors. It blinds my golden brown eyes. The woman skips over to the bowl holding the girls' names, like the reaping is some kind of game. But Glade told me there not.

The escort pulls out a name and giggles before shouting, "Glade Windell!"

I watch as Glade's face drains of all color. She makes her way to the stage and I can hear Mr. and crying somewhere in the back. I know Glade will not survive the games. So I do something I have seen happen at past reapings.

"I volunteer!" I yell out.

I continue to scream this phrase as I run to the stage. The escort looks a me.

"I'm Skye…Windell. The wild girl." I say.

The escort giggles.

"I can see why you have such a tan! Probably from spending all day in the woods!"

"Yes."

"So you're a Windell?"

"Their foster child. I don't know who my real family is, but I know the Windell's are like family to me. And I'm volunteering in place of Glade to go into the games."

"Well, Skye get up here then! Everybody, Skye Windell, District Ten's mysterious wild girl and a tribute for the 67th Hunger Games!"

I jump onto the stage. Glade hugs me. I give her a sad smile and can only watch her walk off the stage.

Aden Starr POV

I walk down a dirt road with my best friend, Benete, and my little sisters. My sisters are two young to be enter into the games, but since Benete and I are fourteen, we are qualified. I look around at my surrounding, wondering the same thing I always do. My mother, Valien, disappeared one day on the way home from work. I always wonder on any road if this is the road she disappeared on. For some reason, I always expect her to jump out, her blonde hair in its messy bun, and say, "Surprise, it's me!"

I'm a spitting image of my mother. We both have blonde hair and sharp, grassy green eyes. We also both have a tan my sisters and father, Ferron, don't have.

"So I heard the wild girl stole a cow from Mr. Jenson's farm last night." Benete whispers into my ear.

"There's no wild girl!" I laugh "She's just some myth made up to make children stay in after dark."

We finally make it into the square. My father, sisters, and I gather for a group hug, unsure if it's going to be our last. Benete and I go into the fourteen year old section and wait till the mayor comes onto the stage. When he does, we fall silent along with the rest of the crowd. Then the escort, Echo Tindler, comes onto the stage in the brightest shirt I have ever seen. Her normal black curly hair has blonde streaks in it, which is more normal than the yellow she had last year.

Echo skips over to the girls' bowl. She has this perky thing going on that just annoys the heck out of me, and I usually don't get annoy or mad easily. There's just something about Echo that brings it out in me.

"Glade Windell!"

I watch the Windell girl goes onto the stage, paler than ever. The someone from the fifteen year old section yells, "I volunteer!"

I watch as a mysterious girl makes her way up to the stage. She has her brown hair in a ponytail and is wearing a t-shirt and pants. Usually girl's wear dresses to the reaping.

"I'm Skye…Windell. The wild girl." Skye says

Benete hits me on the arm.

"Told you she's real!" He hisses.

I shake my head as Echo giggles.

"I can see why you have such a tan! Probably from spending all day in the woods!" The escort says, stating the obvious.

"Yes." Skye says.

"So you're a Windell?"

"Their foster child. I don't know who my real family is, but I know the Windell's are like a family to me. And I'm volunteering in place of Glade to go into the games."

"Well, Skye get up here then! Everybody, Skye Windell, District Ten's mysterious wild girl and a tribute for the 67th Hunger Games!"

Skye jumps onto the stage. She is quiet confident. Echo gives Skye a pat on the back and twirls over the boys' bowl.

"Benete Ransom!"

Benete grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. He gives me a small smile and begins to walk to the stage. I can't let him go. He has six other siblings who need him.

"I volunteer!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

Benete spins around, shocked. I walk up to him and squeeze his hand. He pushes me back.

"No, don't endanger yourself when you have so much to lose." He says.

I look at him and reply, "Take care of everyone while I'm gone. You have way more to lose."

And I walk onto the stage.

"Two volunteers this year? How exciting!" Echo giggles. "And what's your name?"

"Aden Starr." I say, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Aden Starr? Oh, you're the boy who sells fruits and nuts to everybody!"

I mumble a yes and take a place next to Skye. She looks confused yet confident. So I try my best to look confident.

"Aden Starr and Skye Windell, everybody, our tributes for the 67th Hunger Games!"