Leilani POV

I knew I should have just looked away, but I couldn't. Snow made the projector so that I could only turn it on and not be able to turn it off. I should have just destroyed the thing, but I didn't. I had to watch, I just had to.

I watched the reapings one by one remembering each tribute from when I was just seven years old. The Careers were fierce (as usual), but the most surprising part to me was the other districts. From District 3 to District 11 they all appeared either strong physically or extremely cunning in some degree. They were all actually...competition. To add to their intimidating characters, all those tributes were between the ages sixteen to eighteen.

'How coincidental.' I thought bitterly.

Then District 12 was next and I could feel my nails claw into my skin with anticipation.

Effie Trinket, the very bubbly escort who annoys me constantly (like every other Capitol freak), struggled with those freaking six inch pumps up the stage. Her theme then was blue probably because she had every apparel in different shades of it and even her hair, nails, and ridiculously heavy makeup. She looked like an unappetizing blueberry which if this video weren't for something so serious, I would have laughed at.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor!" She squeals in her annoying Capitol accent.

I am so glad I never talked like that when I spent my time there.

Her creepy turquoise claws manage to pick up a slip and that's when the camera suddenly zooms in on Effie's hand. Her hand had the name Odessa Ryan written on it while the slip of paper didn't.

I knew it; they rigged the whole damn reaping.

Odessa walked on stage trembling with fear. I remember her straight dirty blonde hair that went to her shoulders and how I was always jealous that my hair couldn't be like that. I remembered her Seam grey eyes that lightened whenever she smiled.

I also remembered Leo and her liked eachother alot.

And the fact they were both only 12 when they died...

Then Effie picked out another slip and called out Leo's name. The video did a close up of me in the background watching my big brother stiffly march up the steps. My brown eyes were wide with terror and I wanted to kick myself for looking like such a weakling in this scene.

"You little baby." I cursed myself angrily.

Leo and Odessa both shook hands limply and stared into eachother's scared eyes before getting ushered off the stage by peacekeepers.

The video also contained another piece of footage that was never displayed: the goodbyes. There were freaking cameras in the Justice Building that recorded my last moments with Leo.

"Please come back." I beg desperately as I bury my face into his stomach. "Do whatever it takes to come home, Leo."

He kisses the top of my head. "I'll try my best sis." He turns to Leland. "You know what's coming now. You need to prepare for it."

Leland nods his head in understanding while I just give them confused glances. But now I know what they were talking about. Leo and Leland both could tell they weren't going to make it through the Games. That was Snow's punishment to me; to lose everything I love.

Then it skipped to Leo's interview and Caesar trying to get him to confess how he earned an amazing training score of 9. In District 12, that was unheard of. Leo was different though, very different. Now it makes sense why we snuck into the woods with knives and spears every day. We didn't go just to kill animals; we went to practice our fighting skills and stealth for the games. It's obvious he earned that score with his sheer strength and hand to hand combat.

Leo was not stupid and avoided getting murdered at the heart of the cornucopia in the bloodbath. He snatched a red pack and some knives before grabbing Odessa to make a run for it.

A District 7 boy lumbered straight at the two with an axe , but Leo stepped in front of Odessa and crouched low to avoid the swing. Without hesitating, Leo stabbed the boy in the heart killing him instantly.

The video then flipped to District 12 with me and Leland watching the big screen. Both of us were pale (well, as pale as we could have been already) and our eyes wide with anxiety.

"Go Leo!" I screeched when he murdered that kid.

The next day, however, was quite tragic. Since the arena was a mountainous terrain, the game makers decided to send an avalanche of gigantic boulders right for my brother and his girlfriend. They narrowly escaped, but it "coincidentally" led them right to the District 3 tributes. Odessa and Leo battled well, but their opponents were five years older, much stronger, and much bigger. Odessa managed to kick the girl and then stab her with the girl's own sword.

Leo was not doing as well though. The District 3 boy was just as good at hand to hand combat as my brother and finally pinned him down. The boy had almost white blonde hair and pale blue eyes that were wild with adrenaline rush when he raised his arm that held a gleaming dagger.

"LEO!" Odessa screeched and crashed right into the boy. He scrambled up to his feet quickly to escape, but then noticed his dead district partner on the floor.

"You bitch, that was my friend!" The boy yelled before he chucked his knife at her.

"NO!" Leo screamed, but it was too late. The knife plunged into her stomach, sending her to the ground yelping in pain.

Leo grasped the sword Odessa used and stabbed the District 3 boy just like the District 7 tribute. He gasped and fell to his knees before Leo leaned in and whispered harshly. "Well that was my girlfriend." He ripped the sword out of the boy's body and the cannon went off.

I remember Odessa's family sobbing right beside me because they invited me and Leland to their home so we could watch together.

"L-Leo." Odessa spluttered; life was leaving her fast. "I'm g-going to miss you...tell everyone I s-say goodbye."

Leo did something I never seen him do before. He just broke down into sobs, tears streaming down his blood stained cheeks. "No, you will see me soon. I promise."

Odessa smiled sadly before her eyes fluttered shut and the cannon goes off. I knew then that Leo's cannon might as well have gone off too because he just gave up. He was aware that Snow would do everything in his power to keep him from winning so he stopped trying and let that District 1 guy easily spear him the next day.

"I'm sorry" was all he muttered before the spear instantly killed him.

I remember running to the woods with Leland that same day to continue or training. We didn't grieve (Leo would have scolded us for that); we just worked our butts off from dawn to dusk everyday until the next fateful reaping.

The video skipped again to the next year and I clutch a pillow tightly to brace myself. Cayden doesn't know I'm in our room viewing this horrific tape. He's back at the surveillance room overlooking all the districts. He would have never let me watch this, so I know this is the last time I can see my brothers alive on video.

"Let's take a look at the competition for the 68th annual Hunger Games." Cladius pipes up and I refrain from punching the screen because it's just halo graphic. There's no point in just smacking air.

These reapings were surprisingly different compared to Leo's year. The District 2 guy was bigger and scarier than even Cayden, but the other tributes-even the other Careers- weren't as intimidating nor impressive. Snow wanted Leland to survive till the top two, but only to get slaughtered by the muscular killing machine from D2.

Effie does her thing in a purple theme this time. Purple was my favorite color, but after witnessing Miss Trinket flaunt it in her style, it made me doubt my thoughts about it. Capitol people just ruin everything for me.

The reaping was still rigged, though, and the girl tribute for District 12 was Quorra Jay. And of course the male tribute was my only living family member left. Leland and I both knew this would happen so hopefully all that training with spears and knives will do him good.

Quorra and Leland shake hands weakly. They weren't dating like Odessa and Leo, but they were best friends nevertheless. Quorra was from the Seam too with straight dark brown hair that trailed all the way to her hips. She had smoky grey eyes that were sharp and never missed a detail. Leland wouldn't admit it, but I could tell he fancied her. Both Quorra and Leland were extremely cunning and brave, but they were also just twelve years old.

The video showed the exact same thing with my last goodbyes in the Justice Building.

"Leland... What am I going to do without you? Please don't give up like Leo did. Even if Quorra dies, I want you to keep fighting." I hold him tightly because deep inside I had a feeling Leland will not come home to me.

"Whether or not I return you need to resume your training and keep hunting so you don't starve understand sis?" Leland orders firmly. "You need to prepare too."

I nod slightly before peacekeepers barge in. "Wait Leland!" I call.

He turns to look at me.

"You should tell her before it's too late." I say softly. Leland blushes a little, but nods before he's pushed out the room.

I remember just standing in that room for five minutes staring wistfully at the door my brother exited.

Leland's interview was basically the same as our brother's. Only this time, he scored a ten! A ten is a freaking miracle for D12. Caesar was pleading for him to spill the details on how he earned such a score, but Leland just smirks and shakes his head. But I know he scored a ten with his spear throwing and his wits. Leland wasn't a hand to hand to hand combat guy like Leo, but he was still a damn skilled fighter. The big dilemma was that only Leland and the male D2 tribute received a ten. Everyone would try to get rid of the main competition in the Games which put Leland as a huge target.

Him and Quorra survive the bloodbath somehow which brought a smile to my face back at the town square. Those damn cameras taped practically my every move.

The arena this time was troublesome for everyone. An almost eternal landmass of just plain tall grass and a few scattered trees is not ideal if you want to hide. No one was safe in those games because everyone was so exposed. This resulted in the games lasting only a week and two days.

Then it was down to the last five: the District 2 monster, the D4 girl, the male from District 6, Quorra, and Leland. It wasn't a shocker when the D4 girl ditched her Career ally. The D2 guy probably would have killed her if she didn't leave sooner. But it led to her stumbling across Quorra and Leland.

Somehow the District 6 guy just happens to find them as well at the same freaking time.

After twenty minutes of utter mayhem, the D6 guy injured Leland's leg badly with a club but ended up with death by a spear. Quorra and the D4 girl were still at it though. Leland could barely get up by the time the District 4 girl rolls away and fires her trident at Quorra.

"QUORRA!"

The trident sinks into her lower side and Quorra shrieks in pain. She then makes the fatal mistake of ripping it out, but I know she did that to protect Leland. The D4 girl was just about to run and attack Leland before Quorra stabbed her with her own weapon in the back.

Leland catches Quorra as she falls and gently lowers her to the ground.

Quorra couldn't say anything as the tears spilled from her eyes. She cupped his cheek with her hand and wiped away Leland's own tears.

"I've been planning to ask you out for months..." He confessed sadly. "W-would you have said yes?"

Quorra nods her head and a smile tugs the corner of her lips before her face returns to a neutral, lifeless expression. The light in her eyes are no more and her body is still. Leland gently closes her eyes and kisses her forehead before standing up and limping off.

"Where are you, District 2?!" He screams angrily. "Show yourself!"

After half an hour of searching, Leland finally found what he was searching for.

The D2 guy had at least a foot on my brother, who was only 5'4" then. His biceps were almost as large as Leland's own head. Dark brown hair with emerald eyes were the second things you would always notice about him. A long scar from his temple to his jaw was the third. It sort of reminded me of my scar and I subconsciously traced my fingers along it. The wound gave him a ferocious and masculine appearance, however, and I would find this guy to be quite attractive if this were a different situation.

"Looking for me, kid?" His deep voice teased him.

Leland didn't even flinch when the guy cracked his huge knuckles. "You killed one of my allies and now I repay the favor to you."

Leland and Quorra also made an alliance with a District 8 guy, but the D2 boy sliced him with a sword a few days after the bloodbath. That boy was only twelve years old as well. It creeps me out watching that beast's magnificent swordsmanship. He's too much like Cayden and Cato Hunting.

"Sure kid. Try to kick me with that crippled leg of yours." He smirked and Leland's rage grew.

"I may not be able to fight that well but..." Leland swiftly pulled out a small baton looking thing and pressed a button that enlarged it into a spear. He chucked it and the D2 boy's eyes widen before he rolled out of the way. The spear nicked his shoulder instead of hitting his heart and the District 2 tribute charged right at Leland.

Even though I knew the ending to this, it doesn't mean my heart won't race from the intensity.

"Put up a good fight, Big Bro." I murmur to the screen.

But after ten minutes of throwing punches, dodging weapons, and so forth, the D2 guy chased after his sword and turned around to stab Leland in the chest.

"I'm sorry." Leland whispered before his cannon went off and the trumpets of victory began.

I remembered my eyes were waterworks after that.

I was alone. There was no one left for me. I charged out of my shack and raced to the electrical fence. I thought I needed to train even harder than I ever did before. I believed that it was my turn next to be chosen, so I learned from my brothers' mistakes. I mastered the knives and spears, I ran much faster than I thought possible, and I practiced how to trek without making a single sound. I also cut my ties to other people. I refused to have friends and have them get thrown into the Games with me.

One day, when I was nine, my tummy rumbled signaling my time to hunt. Right when I was about to cross the electrical fence, a stern voice stopped me. "Who are you?"

I turned around to face Katniss Everdeen. Recognition instantly appeared across her face as she studied me. Katniss was a year older than me and a few inches taller, but she was even frailer than me.

"Hey, you're that girl with the two brothers right?"

I glare at her fiercely. "What's it to you?"

She stares back indifferently. "What are you doing at the fence?"

"What are you doing at the fence?" I try to avoid answering incase she turns me in to the authorities.

"Hunting with my dad." Katniss answered honestly. "And you?"

"Hunting." I said quietly.

"Katniss!" Our heads whip around and I quickly shoot off behind a tree.

"You ready to go sweetie?" Her dad asks. I could see from the tree Katniss nodding her head enthusiastically.

"Wait, Dad." Katniss starts and I cringe because I have a feeling she's going to rat me out. "There's another hunter here. She's the girl with the two brothers that died in the Games."

"Where?"

"Right here!" Katniss turned and looked around with wide eyes. "What? Where did she go?"

"She's behind that tree." Her father points straight where I am. How did he know?

I slide out cautiously, ready to bolt if needed.

"Want to join us in hunting?" Her father asks nicely. "We could teach you how to shoot a bow and arrow."

That was one of the weapons I needed to work on before my reapings started. I nod my head, unknowingly accepting myself into the Everdeen family.

Then I turned eleven. One more year before the reapings, but I had no idea I would never get to attend one in District 12.

It was midnight and I decided to stay the night in my own shack instead of the Everdeens. I couldn't sleep as usual so I jumped off my lumpy mattress and went for a walk outside. I know an eleven year old walking alone at night is dangerous, but I brought a few knives incase some idiot tried to attack me.

And I'm glad I did.

Two men grabbed me and I easily knocked them off me. I did a cartwheel away from them and held out both my knives threatingly at them.

"Come with us, or your Everdeen family dies." The bigger one whispers harshly.

"On whose orders?" I hiss.

"President Snow." The other one answers. "We're spies from the Capitol sent by him to retrieve you."

I narrow my eyes at them. "And if I go willingly...you won't hurt the Everdeens?"

"They won't remember you even exist." The bigger one says reassuringly.

I can't let them hurt the only good thing left in my life, so I agree and leave District 12. I haven't been there ever since.

After two years in hell, I was sent to District 2 where I met my husband.

And a few other characters...

"You the new girl?" A deep voice interrupted my thoughts while I was throwing an axe.

I snapped my head around to face hulking guy with piercing blue eyes. They were cold and arrogant, yet he had defined features that made him quite the looker.

"Yeah." I pick up a spear to throw it, but he grabs the back of it and spins me closer to him.

"I'm Cato." He introduced himself seductively while flashing his white teeth at me.

"That's nice." I say nonchalantly. Cato frowns and it's probably because he's not used to a girl that doesn't drool over him.

"What, you playing hard to get?" Cato scowled at me. "I don't like that babe."

"Just because I don't let you get into my pants after five seconds of knowing you, it doesn't mean I'm playing hard to get." I retort smoothly.

He chuckles darkly. "Fiesty, eh? I like that."

"Leave her alone, Cato." A low voice growled from behind.

I spun around and my eyes widen a little. The stranger was an exact clone of Cato down to even the towering height and muscular build. The only difference that I could notice were the eyes. The eyes are the window to the person's soul and this boy's eyes were loving when you broke through his tough guy barrier. They weren't icy or merciless like most of the kids at this training center, including Cato.

"Why? You already have dibs on her bro?" Cato sneered.

His twin brother confidently wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Yes I do."

I usually would smack away that arm, but given the circumstances I let it slide. Surprisingly, Cato shrugged and walked away to destroy dummies with a sword.

"Sorry about that, little girl."

I jerked away from his warm embrace and glared. "I'm not a little girl."

He folded his arms, giving me an amused look. "Really?"

"Yes really." I seethed. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

This guy is only fifteen?

"Well I'm thirteen so we are only two years apart. Don't be calling me a little girl if you're not that old yourself, kid."

He bursts out laughing and I roll my eyes. "You're funny, little girl. My name is Cayden."

I roll my eyes again and throw a dagger. Bullseye. "I'm Leilani."

A tiny girl about my age stood impatiently behind me. "And I'm Clove, now move aside would ya?"

Clove was barely my height, but her ego was much bigger than me that's for sure. I observed her and it was obvious her skills were knives, but that was it.

I snapped my head around to snarl at her. "Why don't you just go practice your sword skill instead, CLOVE? You need to work on close combat you know? You can't just be queen of the knives."

Clove stared at me blankly. She's probably never been stood up to like that before. Then she smirked and folded her arms. "You're pretty sharp for someone whose only been here for five minutes. You like knives?"

I flash her an acknowledging grin before snatching a dagger and chucking it next to the other knife I threw before in the bullseye. Clove's smile grew even more.

"I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

(2 years later)

There was a big crowd and everyone was cheering so loudly it hurt my ears.

"What's going on, Cayden?" I try to yell above the noise.

"One of our victors has just returned from spending time in the Capitol." Cayden shouts and claps with the mob.

"Which victor?" There were like thirty or more of them still alive.

"The one from the 68th Hunger Games I think."

My breathing hitched sharply and I froze completely.

That was the year Leland participated in and was killed by the D2 guy...

I couldn't think; I couldn't even breathe. Slowly I made my way past the excited onlookers and began to walk to my house.

"Dusk!" Cayden yelled after me, but I kept walking. He caught up to me easily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I say bitterly as I kick a pebble.

"Don't give me that crap." He growls.

"I just dislike that victor." I reply as honestly as I can.

He stops me with his hands and spins me around to face him. "Why? Because he had to kill a twelve year old? Dusk, it's the Hunger Games you just don't have choice."

"THAT WASN'T JUST ANY TWELVE YEAR OLD!" I snapped angrily which attracted some strange looks from people. Cayden pulled me inside my house and shut the door.

"What do you mean?" He studies me with concerned eyes.

"That was my brother he murdered." I whisper sadly. "He killed him..."

Cayden wrapped his arms around me and comforted me. I've been blushing alot more in his presence and I hoped he never noticed it. It's been a year then, since I've felt more than friendly feelings for him.

I didn't even think I had a shot with him, but now we're happily married and happily in love.

I finally snap out of my flashbacks and toy with my wedding ring. I caught something on the inside of it so I pulled it off gently. There were minute words engraved into the wedding ring.

'my best friend & wife.'

I smiled and can imagine those words emanating from his own mouth.

This video didn't break me. It only led to the renewal of my best memories. Snow failed miserably with me. I am not a monster; I have feelings. I love my husband, Katniss, and all the others who brought good into my life. They made me stronger which helped me get through all of this.

I smiled and stabbed the projector device with my knife.

I win Snow.