The Morning Before the Games-

D7- 17-Jackson:

"Get up!" My mentor Riset shouts in my ear.

"Wh-what?" I say, yawning. She gets up and I look over to my nightstand, where the clock clearly says 6:30. 6:30?

Yeah, not only that, but I don't even see my escort up yet. In fact, Essence said that no one in the Capitol gets up before 10:00. Wow, that just sucks. I have to get up now for something that won't start for four more hours…wait-no, I'll be dead in four hours. Along with at least half of the other tributes.

I had meant what I said last night. If the Hunger Games were a card game, I'd win. But we all know that it's not. Therefore I'm dead. But the Capitol wants us to look nice, so I might as well get going.

I grin at Riset and she scowls at me, and I quickly walk out the door.

"What are you doing?" Riset asks. I turn around, confused. She gestures for me to come back into the room and I comply.

"Your arena clothes are here." She points to a stand in one corner of the room and I follow her gaze to see clothes laid out-an army green shirt and beige cargo pants. I quickly change and Riset quickly leads me to the roof, where the hovercraft lies waiting. The ladder is released and I clutch it tight, the current gluing me to the ladder, lifting me into the hovercraft.

D1- 15-Carseon:

The hovercraft is divided into two separate sections. Twelve tributes sit in the section closest to the front, while the others sit in the section close to the back. There are two doctors, one for each section. However, the one in our section seems to be taking longer, and I catch a glimpse of her mixing the liquid for the tracker shot with another liquid. I see the green vial getting mixed in with the silver tracker liquid. Weird…wonder why they're not doing it for the other section in the hovercraft….and on top of that, the people in each section seem to have been chosen randomly. After all, both Crimson and Reatrgo are in the other section. It's mostly the crappy tributes in my section, which really sucks. I'm too good to be here. I could kill all of the in the blink of an eye!

"Hold out your arm." The doctor says again. I shake my head and hold out my arm casually, and she thrusts the needle through my skin.

It's all I can do not to scream in pain.

D4- 15-Serphina

Pain. That's the first thing I feel when the doctor injects the tracker into my arm. Now I'll never be lost, the Gamemakers will be able to find me anywhere in the arena, and broadcast me on live television! Oh, that's really going to suck! I'm going to look disgusting during the Games!

Oh well, no time to fret about that now. The hovercraft is taking off and I close my eyes, my head pressed against the cold seat. I can't lose…I have to return home to Athena…I have to make a name for myself as a victor-it all has to be flawless.

The hovercraft lands before we know it and the tribute step out, starting with those in our section. I step in front of Ashtra on my way out and the Peacekeepers lead me to the Launch room, where my stylist Junas stands waiting, motioning for me to come closer so that I can slip on my sea-blue jacket. I pause for a moment and breathe deeply, mustering up the confidence to get it on and wait for the call. Oh boy…this is both exciting and frightening! I wonder how the others are doing?

D12- 14-Taylor

Luckily my fear of death doesn't prevent me from gorging myself while waiting for the call. I'm so nervous I could eat everything, but I somehow manage to control myself. My stylist Fresca sits next to me and barely eats anything, simply ruffling her crimson locks while watching me eat. She might look a bit crazy, but she's still nice; one of the only people who's shown any compassion here.

"Sixty seconds to launch." I almost jump at the sound of the robotic female voice echoing through the room. Fresca understands what it means though, and offers me a glass of water. I drink it slowly and put it down abruptly, sitting down for a moment. I somehow end up chewing on my nails, and she smiles and slowly removes my hands from my mouth. I stand up slowly and she reaches inside her pocket quietly, pulling out my token. Dad's lucky ring gleams in his hand, and Fresca slips the plastic onto my finger.

"You've been a great kid." She says quietly when she finishes. I lift my head and no words come out. For a moment everything's silent. We hug and the voice comes back on.

"Thirty seconds to launch."

D10- 17-Ryder:

I try to fight the tears as I slip the silver nylon jacket onto my black shirt. I have no chance. I don't have a high enough score to get sponsors, so I'll have absolutely no chance of winning. The Gamemakers could kill me with my own fear, or I could get killed by any other tribute…one of the Careers, Ophelia, even little Scott could trip me and stab me with my own knife.

"Ten seconds to launch." The robotic voice calls. My stylist Halia gives me a hug and I walk over and stand in the glass pod. The glass closes around me and I wave towards her as it rises, giving her a light smile. I won't be seeing her again. I turn around and close my eyes, taking slow, steady breaths. But what surprises me is how long it takes for the pod to rise. You'd think we were rising into space!

When the pod finally stops I'm blinded by the sunlight. We're in a beautiful meadow, the wind blowing on the grass, making it dance. To my left I can see a large forest. That can be both good and bad. Climbing's out of the picture for me, but I can still use the trees for concealment.

The meadow continues on my left side and then just…drops. Much further along I can see a castle. But what's the drop for?

I shake my head and turn around, looking at the large timer glowing on the cornucopia. 30 seconds…

So, after more than two months, the Games will finally begin. Remember, now the poll is even more important, as it will greatly affect the order of deaths from here on out. It won't change the bloodbath and victor though.

So, for the sequel SYOT, I have decided to combine the ideas. It will be the 101st Hunger Games BUT…the twist that President Davus will incorporate "to usher in a new era of the Games" will be that the tributes will be genetically altered to possess one specific psychic ability each (I'll admit that it was actually my original Quell idea for this one XD and I'm really excited to try it. I think I now have enough experience to do it right, but if you guys really dislike the idea, I can change it).

So, yay, I finally get to say it! –

Ladies and gentlemen, let the one-hundredth annual Hunger Games begin!