Helios Carnegie, 18

District 1 Male

Crunch. Bones cracked and Helios jumped back in shock. A trainer shouted. And the skinny boy in front of him crumpled to the ground. Gripping his elbow, Helios staggered back, tears pooling in his eyes. Why wasn't he moving? Was he… dead? Oh god. He was. Helios closed his eyes. What had he done?

Helios shot up in bed, chest beating hard, sweat dripping from his temples. Every night, he was plagued with dreams of Hector's death. This night was no different. He allowed his breathing to calm before kicking his thick comforter to the floor and scrambling out of bed. Nervous energy was sparking through his body; going back to bed wasn't an option.

Instead, he pulled a pair of shorts over his boxers and slipped on his beat-up running shoes before sneaking down the hallway. He could hear his mother snoring, and the normalcy of the moment helped calm him a bit. But he continued to the garage, which he had turned into a home gym.

Helios wrapped his wrists and strapped on his boxing gloves before sizing up the bag and beginning his workout. Precise punches were his specialty. He practiced for years after Hector's death, and he had nearly mastered them. His elbow was his one weakness. It never properly healed after the incident, since they couldn't take him to the district doctor. Everyone had to stay quiet. Everyone had to be bribed to stay quiet, which 10-year-old Helios didn't realize for quite a while.

His elbow was throbbing lightly, but he pushed through the pain, landing several powerful blows on the bag. He wasn't quite sure what time it was, but the sky was getting lighter outside. Which meant he'd be volunteering in 30-odd hours. Helios truly hadn't expected to be chosen as District 1's male volunteer. The reports from the Academy were that he was very "skilled, but moody". He didn't think that was what the Capitol wanted. But apparently his trainers thought differently. Now he had to live his nightmare all over again. Literally.

Stepping away from the bag, Helios gave himself a few moments to breathe. He was glad his hands were wrapped, because if they weren't, they'd be shaking. He'd only found out two days ago that he was supposed to volunteer, and he wasn't quite sure if he'd fully processed it. Could he kill someone? Yes. Could he kill someone? No.

Frustration drove Helios to hit the bag again, diving back into the rhythm of his boxing. Every hit resulted in Hector's face flashing through his mind. He punched harder and harder until his elbow was screaming with pain and his cheat was beating hard. Finally, he stumbled back and sat down on the concrete floor, desperately trying to catch his breath.

Stripping the boxing gloves and wraps from his hands, he tossed them aside and laid back on the cool concrete. Whether he liked it or not, he was going into the Hunger Games. He didn't get a say in it, and he never would. When you're the best, you can't quit.

Blitz Shrapnel, 18

District 2 Male

A light breeze whispered through the pines as Blitz's feet thudded against the dirt trail. The cool wind felt good on his hot, sweaty skin, and he tilted his head back to breathe in the fresh mountain air. This mountain path was definitely his favorite jogging route.

His stomach rumbled a little as he reached the top of the hill, pausing to take in the view of District 2. The sun was setting high above him, casting a warm orange glow over his district. The district he was going to win for.

Blitz never had any doubt he was going to be chosen as the male volunteer. He beat his opponent easily, breaking his arm without hesitation, and bowing to the trainers, as was proper. Julius had given him a wink.

He wasn't close with his classmates and fellow trainees, and the Academy trainers, but Julius was the exception. He was a master with an ax and taught Blitz everything he knew. Blitz almost considered him family.

Being adopted made family an interesting concept he thought as he jogged back down the mountainside. He didn't know his biological parents, but to him, it didn't matter. His adoptive parents were his family, and family was the most important thing. And that was that.

He stumbled over a loose stone, but instinctually fell into a roll, stopping himself from rolling down the mountain with a large hand on a rock. Cursing under his breath, he stood up and brushed himself off. His big toe was throbbing, but he shook his foot a little and pushed the pain to the back of his mind before taking off again. But he kept his eyes on the path.

Blitz's dad owned and managed the largest quarry in 2, and to make his job easier, their house was near the quarries. He followed the path around the rim, only slowing his pace when he reached the porch.

Pushing open the door, he was hit by the smell of meat and salt. His dad was making soup.

"Hello," Blitz called, stepping inside. The door shut heavily behind him.

"Hello Blitz," his dad called from the kitchen. "How was your run?"

"It was nice," Blitz said, making his way towards the bathroom. "Is mom home?"

"No. She had to work late again."

"Ah, alright."

He shut the bathroom door and started the shower, silently lamenting his mom's lateness. She had a very important job as a nurse at District 2's hospital, but it kept her busy and dealing with odd hours.

He had no shame in admitting that he missed her. Most boys his age would fiercely deny their love for their family, which Blitz never understood. What was so bad about caring for people that cared for you? It was part of why he never bonded with any of his classmates. He simply didn't connect with them, nor did he trust them. He'd seen too many cases of backstabbing at the Academy to allow himself to befriend a fellow trainee. And besides, he was content as is, with just Julius and his parents.

Elizabeth "Ellie" Porter, 15

District 6 Female

A warm summer rain was falling over District 6, clearing the smoggy air, at least for a bit. Ellie drank in the fresh air, trying to soak it in as much as possible. Home would be a lot less pleasant than this walk.

School was officially over, and Ellie had her final grades. She hadn't looked at them yet, but she knew they were bad. They always were. She could already see the disappointed look on her parents' faces.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Venza said, giving Ellie a nudge. Ellie turned to her best friend, trying to force a smile to her face.

"Thanks for saying that."

"Ellie, I'm serious. Your grades don't define you."

"My parents think they do," Ellie retorted. She sighed. "Sometimes, I wish I was someone else."

"Well, I like you as you," Venza said. She turned to smile at Ellie. "This is my stop. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Ellie waited for Venza to board the trolley before continuing on her way. Venza lived in the poorer part of the district, while Ellie's family could afford middle-class housing. As she walked through her neighborhood, she eyed each and every trash can she passed. She could just toss her report card and tell her parents her teacher had lost it. Or something.

No. They'd never believe her. And if by some miracle they did, they'd berate her for not "advocating for herself". They'd find a way to find fault with her, like they always did.

Ellie tried to be patient with them, she really did. She knew they'd been through a lot. But they were affecting her in a negative way. She couldn't remember the last time she'd genuinely smiled.

Why couldn't they just give up on her, like they did with Annie? When Ellie's older sister got pregnant, they had basically cast her aside. However, Annie stayed strong. But Ellie wasn't Annie. And a dark part of her wanted to just simply disappear.

Taking a deep breath, Ellie found the courage to unlock and open the front door. Inside, the house was quiet. Her mom didn't work, but she often ran errands in the middle of the day, so that wasn't a huge surprise.

As she dropped her bag by the door, she heard a soft voice call down from upstairs.

"Mom? Is that you?"

"No Vickie, it's me!" Ellie shouted back to her sister.

"Oh… Can you help me then?"

"With what?" Ellie asked, beginning to go up the stairs.

"I don't understand this math problem," she said as Ellie entered her room. Ellie felt herself freeze up. Vickie was only 10, but she was already ten times smarter than Ellie was at the age of 10. How was she supposed to help?

"Did you read the textbook for examples?" Ellie asked, coming to stand beside her. Vickie nodded, pulling her lip between her teeth.

"I'm not very good at math," she admitted softly. Vickie looked up at her.

"It's okay," she said. "I can ask dad when he's home." She gave Ellie a smile, which she tried to return.

Retreating to her room, Ellie sat down on the edge of the bed before flopping back. Vickie wasn't just school-smart. She was people-smart. Annie was the only one who truly understood what Ellie was experiencing. Well, Annie and Venza. But sometimes she felt as if Vickie was picking up on it too. And she had no idea how to handle that.

Gaia Branson, 17

District 9 Female

"Gaia! Lean down!" Nefeli giggled, swirling a brush through the purple pain on her palette. "You're too tall!"

"I am average, thank you very much," Gaia laughed, pulling her curls out of her face and leaning towards Nefeli. "You're just tiny."

Her best friend stuck out her tongue and then bit down on it as she began to paint butterflies on Gaia's forehead. She continued with added silver and white detailing and some glitter, focused on her work while Gaia watched the clock. Her gig began in just a few minutes and she still needed to get changed.

"Girls! Are you almost ready?" Gaia's aunt Aurelia asked, peeking her head into the bathroom.

"Yup!" Nefeli called back, leaning away from Gaia and grabbing her face to inspect her work. Gaia knew it would be perfect, as always. Nefeli's gentle hand and artistic eye were the perfect contribution to Baxter Parties, her aunt's company. Gaia brought the charisma, and Aunt Aurelia brought the business skills. Together, they were a perfect team.

Nefeli packed up her paints as Gaia changed into her poofy silver dress. There were dozens of small pockets sewn into the tulle, each one prepped with a different magic trick. She slid on her gloves and then did a little twirl, making Nefeli laugh.

"Show time!" she cheered.

Outside on the lawn, half a dozen little girls were playing tag while a tired-looking woman was cleaning up a table. Gaia skipped over, humming 'Happy Birthday'.

"Hi girls," she said cheerfully. They all turned to her, but one little redheaded girl lost her balance and fell. She looked up at her friends, tears pooling in her eyes, but Gaia skipped forward and knelt down in front of her.

"Don't cry, darling," she said, pulling out a handkerchief. She dabbed at the girl's cheeks while the others gasped. Gaia bit back a grin. The handkerchief was just coming and coming. Gaia picked it up and shook it, and fell into place, revealing a dress for a doll.

The girls cheered, even the little one who fell. Gaia helped her up and handed her the dress.

"Do you have a dolly?" she asked. The girl nodded. "This is for her!" The little girl grinned and squeaked out a 'thank you'.

Turning, Gaia pulled her magic wand from her glove with a flick of her wrist and tapped it. Glitter flew from the end, showering the girls, who cheered even louder, dancing around in the sparkles. Gaia continued to form her various tricks until the birthday girl's mom called them all away for cake. As they sang to her, Gaia tucked her wand away and straightened her dress, coming over to watch the tail end of the celebration.

There was nothing she loved more than bringing joy to people, and the birthday girl looked delighted. She was grinning broadly as she took a deep breath to blow out her candles.

Gaia clapped and cheered along with everyone else, and gratefully accepted a slice of cake from the girl's mom. She sat in the shade to eat, watching the girls. The chocolate cake was moist and rich; nothing like the birthday cakes Gaia had as a child. But she didn't mind. Her birthdays were special because of her family, not because of her cake.

Hi everyone. Sorry for the long gap between chapters; I've been having some issues with my heart, so my focus has been on resting and feeling better. We're also moving, which is... time-consuming. So chapters may continue to be slow, but I'm not going anywhere!

Thank you to Willuna for Helios, Very New To This for Blitz, AmericanPi for Ellie, and Victoria the Bipolar Tribute for Gaia. I love all four of these guys and had a ton of fun writing them. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of them! Also, if I made a Discord, would anyone be interested in joining?

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona