Aemma Marsay, 7, Very Excited Capitolite Girl

After Golden's dad made his big speech, all the tributes went away!

"Mama, where'd they go?" I ask impatiently as they all disappear behind big doors.

"They're going to the Training Center, love," Mama tells me. "That's where they'll live for the next week."

"Are we going there, too?!"

Mama nods. I jump up and down because my whole body feels so excited!

"Can I go with you?!" Rosetta asks me, and soon Aloe and Charity are wanting to come, too.

"Girls, the only one who is going with me is Aemma. Only top Games officials are allowed in the Center," she says, then winks to me. I smile because this must mean I'm a 'Games official'!

Mama leaves, telling me she'll be back to tuck me in bed. The Avoxes let me wave goodbye to my friends and then take me all the way to our new home, where a gigantic room is waiting for me.

"Wow! This has got to be, like, a hundred times bigger than my old room!"

I flop down on the big bed, not feeling tired at all.

In fact, I feel hungry. I go to the kitchen and request a donut, which is brought to me lickety split.

I munch on it but still don't feel tired. I could wait for Mama but that could be forever. I can't sleep until she tucks me in.

I get in the lift, which has many big buttons, most of them I am too short to reach.

"Darn!"

I'm able to press a large button with a number 1 on it, since it's the lowest button. I'm whooshed upwards until it stops, and I almost fall over.

The door opens and I see a flat that kind of looks like the one I was just in. I know I felt the lift take me somewhere else.

I step into the room, and I see a tall lady who is very beautiful. She had blonde hair and green eyes, and looks like she doesn't like me.

"Who are you? How did this little girl get in here?" She talks as if I'm a bird that got let inside.

I suddenly realize who she is!

"You're Vinna, from District 1! Oh gosh, I can't believe it's you! Mama thinks you have a really good chance of winning." I want to ask her for an autograph but I didn't bring a pen and paper.

She just rolls her eyes.

"Well, your mom is a smart lady. But tell her I don't just have a chance at winning, tell her I am winning."

I stand there, still 'starstruck' as Mama would say.

Then the lady tells me to go away, that I'm not in the right place. I'm starting to get scared of her so I do what she says and leave her sight. Luckily, an Avox helps me get back to my floor and into my room.

I barely get comfortable before Mama comes into my room, smiling.

"Hi! Still awake, Em?" she asks me. I want to tell her what just happened but I know she would yell at me for talking to a tribute. That might be what is called an 'unwritten rule'.

"Yes, Mama, I'm so excited I can hardly sleep." Mama walks over and sits down on my bed.

"Well, get plenty of rest because starting tomorrow things are going to get even more exciting." She promises that this will be the most fun week of my life.

Because of that, after Mama wishes me good night and sweet dreams, I wish for the night to be over so it can be tomorrow already.

Lilac Rafflesia, 16, District 12 Female

I'm awake long before Damon rises, as per usual. The sun is still beneath the mountains, with little strips of gold escaping through the peaks. Living somewhere like Twelve really makes you appreciate beauty wherever you can find it.

I go to the bathroom to shower, somewhat afraid of that room already. Last night was pure confusion when I tried to figure out exactly how a shower works. I had only had baths before last night, and I was pleased by the soothing jets of warm water I was eventually able to conjure up. However, that wasn't before I was splashed with a combination of ice rain, hot lava, and torrents of soap.

Luckily, I'm a quick learner, so I don't have much trouble this time. I summon a soothing shower of lavender water with mint shower gel and honey scented foam. An odd combination but I'll probably smell amazing.

The machine scrubs my hair for me, too, thoroughly shampooing and conditioning it. I'm basking in these luxuries because it's probably one of the only things I'll be able to take comfort in before I die.

When I return to my room, dried and toweled, I find Damon still asleep and a neatly folded outfit on my bed. Upon looking closer it looks like a dark purple sports bra with a moon motif on the right side of the chest, with matching shorts. A silver windbreaker and nylon pants are next to it. Black tennis shoes sit on the ground, untied.

I don the outfit minus the sweatpants, then go back to the bathroom to tie my light brown hair into a high ponytail. I notice my sunken features in the non-at-all flattering mirror image of me. My dark eyes seem lifeless and hollow.

"You look like death!" I tell my reflection. "You take your work way too seriously."

Damon's awake within half an hour and is showered and dressed as well. He admits to me that he is not looking forward to training.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad," I assure him. "Kids aren't dying yet."

My brother shakes his head. "I can hardly remember most of these kids' names yet they'll still be dead within a week." He's talking slowly, as if he doesn't want to offend me.

"I'm not good with names, either," I admit. "Ryker was nice, though."

"I hope he still wants to hang out with us in training," Damon tells me as we head to the dining room.

"Pretty sure he will. We're way more fun than his gloomy partner."

At breakfast, Careleen tells us she noticed our interaction with Ryker.

"Did he propose an alliance?" she asks us in between mouthfuls.

"Not exactly," I reply. "He just said he wanted to accompany us at training."

Careleen advises us not to draw too much attention with our alliance, and our escort Yolanda jumps in.

"You two are quite the hit with the sponsors so far! People always have a soft spot for siblings." Yolanda offers to intercede with sponsors on our behalf.

"That'd be great!" Damon chirps. "The more help we can get, the better."

Soon we're whisked downstairs to the training area, where a crowd of tributes are waiting for the head trainer's opening speech. I'm searching for Ryker's crop of blonde hair in the crowd, and soon I spot him waving at us.

"Over here!"

We flock to our new friend, and we greet each other.

"This'll be nice," Ryker says in an enthusiastic way, as if we were about to go on a camping trip. I nod in agreement.

"Let's go to the fun stations only," I declare.

"Define fun," Ryker says. Before I can answer, the Head Trainer steps into view, and all the tributes surround her.

I look up and notice a lounge area overlooking the training area. A tall woman with olive skin catches my eye with her bright pink hair, and I recognize her as the Head Gamemaker. A bunch of other Gamemakers surround her too, but one person catches my eye. It's a green-haired girl, no older than around eight years old. She looks cheerful but also calculating, like she's inspecting every one of us. I make brief eye contact with her before quickly breaking it to focus back on the trainer.

The trainer advises us to try all the stations, saying that each one could help you in a life-saving situation. I gaze at the camouflage station, doubting her statement. Where would one even find paint in the arena?

We all split off, with the Careers immediately sprinting off to the weapon stations, of course. Everyone else saunters off to their own stations, most people alone as alliances are yet to formulate.

Ryker suggests we go to the wound-treating station first, and we agree. That actually seems pretty useful.

First aid is more complicated than I thought, and the trainer is very annoyed with me for having to explain himself over and over.

"Do it like how your brother is doing it!" he barks at me. Damon, on the other hand, is treating wrapping an infected gash with ease, with Ryker struggling but still getting the idea.

"Okay, I officially nominate my brother as our nurse," I say in defeat. Ryker turns to me, surprised.

"Our? So we're officially a thing?" Ryker asks. I look at Damon, and we nod in unison.

"Cool! Now we just need a name," I tell Ryker and Damon. "I know for a fact that it is not going to be the Grim Reapers."

"Darn," Damon mutters. "That was going to be my suggestion."

Salalai Ahaisse, 17, District 10 Female

Ryker has abandoned me. I'm wandering somewhat aimlessly about the training area, looking for something to occupy myself.

I'm glad for the pills. Rebecca gave them to me as soon as we arrived at the Training Center. Adahy does not talk as much and Galilahi is almost always asleep.

Now, I can actually focus.

Most tributes are at the same exercise stations, waiting in line for their turn. I don't want to have to greet any of them because even though Adahy is quiet right now, he comes out at unexpected times. I'm lucky he yelled at only my own district partner and not a Career or something.

I decide on the edible plants station, a historically popular one according to the sign in the entrance. A tall lady with silver piercings lights up when she sees me.

"Hello! Are you here to learn about edible plants?" she asks me. I nod slowly and she leads me inside.

Since I escaped I've been rather skilled at identifying whatever plants will give me an allergic reaction. But this is more intense, because now I have to remember which plants will kill me.

"It looks like a normal white bunch of flowers, but this is poison hemlock," she tells me, pointing to the image on the screen. "It poisons you if ingested, but can also make you sick if you just touch it. So stay away from this one."

A bunch of different plants flash on and off the screen, and I wonder how I'll possibly be able to remember them all.

"You don't have to remember every last plant," the lady tells me, as if she were reading my mind. "Just the important few. You're doing good so far!"

The all-too-familiar shiver down my spine is starting to creep through my senses. I dread this feeling because it means Galilahi wants to say something.

"Well, you're a good trainer," I say in a sensual voice, flashing a smile and leaning into the woman's personal space. She backs away, obviously uncomfortable.

I leave the station as quickly as I can, flushed and embarrassed but very grateful that Galilahi did not end up kissing the trainer, or something worse.

A strange feeling of homesickness washes over me. How could I possibly feel homesick? That shed was not a home, neither was the prison I was trapped in for so long. Even if I did go back to the Games, what would I return to?

"A big house!" Galilahi points out. I nod in agreement, because having a nicer place to stay would be pretty nice.

At the same time, the only way I could possibly win would be pure luck. Considering there are so many tributes in these Games that are stronger than me, smarter than me, superior to me in almost every way, if I do survive I'd probably be shunned for taking a Victory away from a more deserving or capable tribute.

I'm standing still, deep in thought, just outside the spear-throwing station, where the girl from 2 is practicing. I imagine her rushing at me with that spear, piercing my chest like I'm a fish in a stream. I should feel scared at such a thought but instead it feels like something I should look forward to. A swift, peaceful transition. Hopefully Adahy and Galilahi don't come with me. I'd prefer some much-deserved me-time.

I can smell roast meats and vegetables cooking in the cafeteria area, the scents filling the entire gymnasium. Lunch is not for another half hour but I wander over there anyway, eager to enjoy the meals that will probably be the last good ones of my life.

"Can't you think positive for once, Sal?!" Adahy scolds. "I'll make sure you don't go back in a coffin, since you definitely can't do it on your own." The workers are beginning to lay out buffets of fruit, and Adahy tells me to grab a plate.

"Now, eat! Can't win the Games on an empty stomach."