Esmeralda Platinum, age 16

District 1 Female

Esmeralda couldn't sleep. She wasn't nervous—why should she be? No, Esmeralda was excited. The arena was where Ebony prevailed, where her sister succeeded. So why couldn't Esmeralda do well there too?

She paced her room. Pacing seemed to calm her down, make her lose energy. Tomorrow was the Games. Tomorrow, everything Esmeralda had worked for would be put to the test.

And she would succeed, too.

Aurum Luster, age 17

District 1 Male

Aurum was fast asleep. He would need his rest if he was going to win. He needed victory. He needed to get back to Ruby and Sterling and Opal. He slept with her necklace around his throat. He didn't want that opal to leave him. If he died in that arena, he wanted to have that jem with him.

Aurum dreamed of the arena. Would it be large? Small? Wilderness? Urban? What would it be? Whatever it was, Aurum would come out on top. He had to.

Scoria Stone, age 15

District 2 Female

Scoria's dreams were of a bloodstained arena. She was standing next to the Cornucopia, bloodied bodies only distinguishable by the colors of their jackets, littered around her. The knife in her hand was drenched scarlet. One of the bodies stirred, and Scoria didn't bother checking who it was. She just rammed her knife into the skull of the tribute and the cannon sounded. Tomorrow this vision could be true. This could happen.

In her sleep, Scoria could feel her hand twitch for a weapon and the feeling of warm blood.

Victor Mason, age 18

District 2 Male

Victor looked at his sister. "But why, Superia?" ha asked again. Superia shifted on the sofa, and said carefully, "If I don't try to get that girl home, I'll never be able to show my face in Two again. Scoria's strong, I'll give her that, but you need to take her out. Set a trap for her. I know you can do it."

Superia glanced at Victor. "I'm proud of you, little brother. Remember that. And if you don't make it out of that arena—"

"I'm going to survive, Superia," Victor said. "Just you wait."

Via Cable, age 14

District 3 Female

Via was curled in her bed, clutching a pillow to her stomach. Fear was churning in her gut, and she was trying her hardest not to cry. Tomorrow, she would enter the arena. The Hunger Games were beginning. Via knew she needed sleep, and she knew that she should be tired, it she wasn't. She was wide awake.

Stay positive, Via told herself. She curled up tighter around the pillow, then thought, against her will, It's no use Via. You're probably going to die.

And she felt a single tear trickle down her cheek.

Cyber Magnet, age 16

District 3 Male

Cyber was staring at the ceiling of his room. He wondered if Via was still up. She probably was. All he could think of was the arena. He knew that he would die there. There was no hope of him coming back, even he wanted to think there was sliver of hope for him winning. Maybe he had some sponsors? Maybe?

Cyber closed his eyes, but he saw himself sprawled on his back, his head turned to the side. His skin was deathly pale. And there was an arrow in his chest.

When his eyes clicked back open, Cyber was too terrified to close his eyes again.

Marina Pier, age 18

District 4 Female

Marina was holding the necklace above her head, staring at the charms in the moonlight. Not just any necklace, Tellin's necklace. Mimosa Oakley had dropped it off in her room before the interviews. Marina had found it on her dresser, but without the sea glass charm that she had made for Mimosa. It was just like when Tellin was still alive. She would have a part of her sister with her in the arena.

And it hardened Marina's resolve to get back to Four.

Finn McCray, age 17

District 4 Male

Finn was thinking of tomorrow. The 101st Hunger Games would begin at ten tomorrow, and Finn had to admit, he was a bit nervous. What if he didn't do as well as he thought he was going to? What if he died? What would happen to his family? There were too many unanswered questions and it drove Finn crazy. He had to know.

Turning on his side, Finn wondered what the arena would be. He wondered how long the Games would be. What traps the Gamemakers set up. And of course, there were the other tributes, too...

Finn was starting to think he had made a big mistake.

Lexia Brites, age 15

District 5 Female

Lexia was terrified. She knew that she should have kept her mouth shut during the interviews. Now she would be the Gamemaker's first target. Would they cause her pedestal to explode? That would be a certain way to make sure she didn't get out of there. And she knew that the Gamemakers controlled who won and who didn't. Lexia had made a huge mistake and there was no way to erase it. Her temper had gotten the best of her, and now, Lexia was going to pay with her life.

Watt Foster, age 17

District 5 Male

Watt knew what he needed to do in order to back it back home to Quinn. He needed to kill. He needed to take the lives of innocent children in order to go back home. He shuddered thinking about his first victim. Who would it be? A Career? One of the twelve year olds? Would it be Lexia? Would be take out his own district partner to go back home? Was he really that much of a monster?

Watt had a feeling he would be in a few weeks.

Harlee Ford, age 12

District 6 Female

Harlee burrowed underneath her covers, wiping away her tears on the blanket as she went. She really didn't want to go into the aren. She really didn't. She didn't want to die. Who would want to kill a twelve year old? Harlee just wanted to be home with Clya and Rayl and her mother. At least in Six, she would be safe. Safe and at home and not a day from her death. Because that was what the Games were for young tributes. A death sentence. And Harlee didn't want to die.

She just wanted to live.

Tacom Carr, age 16

District 6 Male

Tacom didn't regret his actions during his interview. The Capitol needed to see how the Games affected the districts. All he could think of was tiny Harlee down the hall, and that her short life would probably come to an end soon. It just wasn't right.

Thinking about anything except his own inevitable fate in the Games kept Tacom from losing all hope for survival. The thought of his life back in Six. It wasn't perfect by a mile, but at there he had Honda and Jetta. He had a home, more or less. He could die any day, but there could be any number of survivors.

In the Hunger Games, there was only one.

Aspen Branch, age 17

District 7 Female

Aspen was freaking out. She couldn't think straight and her entire body was trembling. She hadn't been able to sleep for the past four hours, and rest was essential if she wanted to survive the bloodbath tomorrow. Aspen considered calling Mimosa in to help her calm down then decided against it. Mimosa was a first year mentor. She would probably be having trouble sleeping as well. And the more Aspen thought about it, the more she was worried. Her mentor only won last year. Her mentor wasn't used to mentoring. Which made Aspen a hopeless case. She was already dead.

Forrest Spruce, age 18

District 7 Male

Forrest could feel Mimosa's eyes on him. "So can you do that for me? Tell my family that I loved them and I always will?" he asked her. She shook her head.

"Forrest, you're coming back alive," Mimosa insisted. "You have to." When Forrest looked at Mimosa again, something in the pit of his stomach twisted, making his stomach fluttery. Taken over by an impulse, Forrest leaned forward and kissed her, Mimosa Oakley, his best friend and a Hunger Games victor.

Now he could only hope to win so he could explain himself.

Lacey Stitch, age 14

District 8 Female

Lacey's mind was racing. She tried as hard as she could to keep her mind off of the arena and her impending demise in there. But she couldn't. She simply couldn't. Lacey knew—as much as she hoped that it would be true—that she wouldn't come back. There was no way.

As Lacey wiped the pooling tears from her eyes, she thought about her family. Were they able to sleep knowing she was entering the arena tomorrow? She guessed they were as wide awake as she was. Lacey wanted to send them a mental message telling them not to be afraid for her.

But she knew they would be anyways.

Hem Thread, age 18

District 8 Male

Surprisingly, Hem was able to sleep a little. But his sleep was filled with disturbing dreams. One was of himself in the arena, surrounded by the Careers and they all took a hand in his death. The girl brought a knife down on his head and the scene shifted to himself standing above a cliff. Lacey and Via both dangled off the cliff, screaming for Hem to help. He knelt beside Lacey to pull her up, but the rock broke and she fell. Not soon after, Via fell, too, and Hem was alone. Until the end of the cliff he was standing on crumbled and he fell, staring at his allies' broken bodies at the bottom.

He woke up screaming.

Gwenith "Gwenn" Wheaton, age 15

District 9 Female

Gwenn was kneeling in front of the toilet in the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom, sweaty and trembling. Her hair was hastily pulled back from her face. Gwenn knew that the night before the Games would be nerve-wracking, but she didn't think that her dinner would make a reappearance because of those nerves.

Her stomach heaved, and Gwenn wiped her forehead to hold back the hair that had escaped her ponytail as she threw up again. Thinking about the Games was not helping anything. Then Gwenn dove straight in and accepting the fact that tomorrow was the Games.

She fell, a sweaty mess, on the cold tile and cried.

Millet Stalk, age 13

District 9 Male

Millet could hear Gwenn from down the hall. He felt bad for her. The Games were horrible, there was no question. They terrified children to the point of trying to vomit their stomach out go their bodies. It was sick and twisted, but there was no other option for the districts. They had to participate.

Millet turned on his side. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep, so why bother trying? However, sleep was essential in order to have a body function. And tomorrow, Millet would need as much sleep as possible.

You never know what will happen until it happens. Time to surrender to Death.

Azalea Graze, age 16

District 10 Female

Azalea lifted her tiny glass, filled halfway with vodka. Buck lifted his, too. The two of them had decided that they wanted to at least try alcohol before they died. So there they were, at a bar a few blocks away from the Tribute Center. The only reason Azalea had invited Buck was because she has discovered that he was planning to ditch the Careers the first chance he got.

"To impending death," Azalea toasted, and Buck laughed. She did, too. She hadn't even comsumed a drop of alcohol yet. Maybe she was already drunk in her mind.

Maybe it wasn't smart to be drinking before the bloodbath, but the Capitol had medicine to cure hangovers. And Azalea just didn't care anymore. She didn't.

Buck Sadle, age 17

District 10 Male

Buck drank the vodka, and immediately started coughing. It tasted like how District Ten smelled. But somehow, Buck wanted more. Azalea laughed at him.

"It's not that bad," she said, gesturing for the bartender to fill up her glass again. She drank that, too. "Just look at me." But even after two shots, Azalea wasn't looking too good. Her eyes were foggy and her movements were already getting sluggish. But, determined that if Azalea could do it, so could he, Buck drank another shot.

He wondered what his family would think of him now.

Wren Fields, age 18

District 11 Female

Wren wasn't sure if she was awake or asleep. Her eyes were closed, but she was in that space between sleeping and awakeness. She didn't want to open her eyes because she could store a few minutes of rest that would be essential. Wren thought of Eleven and of Nine, her original home. She thought of Kane alone in he community home because she left him there alone. But Wren knew she could make it back.

She had to.

Rye Thorn, age 16

District 11 Male

Simply, Rye was scared. He knew what was happening. He knew what would probably happen to him. Only a fool wouldn't be afraid of death. And Rye was no fool.

Instead of pondering about the arena, Rye thought of his home. In his interview, he told everybody about his relationship with Fawn. He wondered how she was dealing with him in he Capitol. She probably wasn't handling it well.

Don't worry, Fawn. You'll see me soon. You'll see me before everybody lowers me into the ground.

Ember Ash, age 12

District 12 Female

Ember was crying. She couldn't help it. She wanted to be home or in a coal mine or anywhere except here. In the Capitol. Heading to her death. Her very painful, bloody death.

Trying to mask her sobs, Ember stuffed her blanket in her mouth. The sobs just kept coming. Ember didn't want to die. She didn't want to die, but no twelve year old won the Games. Why should she be the first?

There was no way.

Carter Dust, age 16

District 12 Male

Carter was asleep. He wasn't sure how, but he was. He had been exhausted after his interview, acting confident when he really wasn't. It made him feel like he wasn't himself. What did Iris and Jordyn think of him? Were they disgusted? He just didn't feel like their brother anymore.

And he wasn't. The old him wouldn't pretend to be somebody else. Carter was evolving and he couldn't stop it.

NEXT CHAPTER IS THE BLOODBATH! What did you guys think? I probably should be asking you guys more question here, but I'm so exhausted I can barely move my fingers any more, haha. So, stick around until next chapter!

-D9T