A/N: Trigger warning for animal abuse.

Ariadne White, age 18
District 2 Female Tribute

One month before the Reaping

Today is Decision Day.

Decision Day has fallen on the same day every year since the first one four years ago. This particular Decision Day, however, will be the most important one in my life, by far. Every year on June 4th, the Academy makes its final choice of which two District citizens will volunteer as Tributes during the Reaping. I've attended every Decision Day, but this year's is special because I'll finally be chosen to go into the Games.

Ariadne White, Victor of the 19th Annual Hunger Games. Today I will take one more step toward that honor.

Before I go downstairs for breakfast, I take a moment to admire the four kennels along the wall of my room, the four kennels I've been working on for ages. I've always wanted to own a dog, a cat, a rabbit, and a tarantula - four very different kinds of animals to collect - but I decided long ago that I would wait until I won the Hunger Games to have them all as a reward. For now, it's just Jorge, Chan, and Rob in three of the four identical kennels. I'd be ecstatic to finally own a rabbit named Alex and put her in the fourth kennel. That'll come in around two months, which is when I come home a Victor.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Considering how hard I've been training and how well I've performed in the Academy, I'm practically guaranteed to be chosen to volunteer in the female spot. Which is why I'm so excited. I've been working so hard towards winning the Hunger Games ever since the Academy opened seven years ago, and today is a pivotal moment in reaching that goal.

I should go eat breakfast. Today might be Decision Day, but every moment I spend daydreaming about Victory is a moment not spent training at the Academy. Father will scold me if I'm late.

I go downstairs and prepare myself a perfectly balanced and nutritious meal before eating it and heading out. I make sure to carry with me my belt of knives, in case I run into any stray animals to practice with.

I reach the park I walk through every day on my way to the Academy. The flowers are beautiful and perfect, and one day I'd love to just sit in the sun and admire the niceness around me. But I've known since I was little that that day won't come until I come home a Victor.

I spot a squirrel at the foot of a tree nearby and kill it quickly, throwing a knife at it to weaken it before approaching and stabbing it with another knife to finish it off. I tuck the knives back into my belt and smile at myself before continuing on my way.

When I'm in the Arena, nobody will escape death at my hands.

I reach the Academy in a few minutes. One of the other trainees I've seen around notices me approaching the front door and hurries inside. The door almost shuts in my face, and I open it again before stepping into the building and making my way to the archery range. I don't see my father. He's probably busy preparing for the main event.

I train with archery for one hour and swords for another. Then I notice the time. 9:48 AM. Decision Day starts at ten.

I leave the training area and walk to the gym, which is where the announcement of the volunteers will take place. I find a seat in the crowded stands. There's my father, sitting on the stage with other top trainers as well as the Headmaster. He looks serious as he stares straight ahead.

At 10:00 AM, the Headmaster stands up and steps up to the podium as the crowd quiets down. He begins his speech, welcoming everyone to Decision Day.

"As always, we shall start by naming the chosen female volunteer," the Headmaster says. "Now, we usually have the volunteer decided at this point. But this year, there were three equally skilled and promising candidates for the position."

What?

"It is important for every Career tribute to react well to unexpected situations," the Headmaster continues as the crowd murmurs. "Therefore, the leadership of the Academy has decided to administer a final test for the top three volunteer candidates. If your name is called, congratulations, you have a chance to be chosen as the volunteer if you perform well in the test we decided on. Please come to the stage, Quarry Hilton, Shiva Narayan, and Ariadne White."

Some of the crowd is clapping and some of it is murmuring as I stand up and make my way to the Headmaster. This was certainly unexpected, but I can see why they decided to do this. I've trained against Quarry and Shiva, and they're both very good. I wonder what test the Headmaster has in store for us.

"District 2, please wait here," the Headmaster says. "The chosen female volunteer will be announced in fifteen minutes or less."

With that, the Headmaster turns to the three of us who have gathered on the stage and beckons for us to follow him. The crowd is murmuring, but I take a deep breath, hold my head high, and do as I'm told.

There's silence as the Headmaster leads the finalists out of the main gym and into one of the classrooms. The first thing I notice is the small puppy that's muzzled and tethered to a post in the center. The perimeter of the room is littered with weapons of all types, shapes, and sizes. What's going on? Why is there a puppy here? The Headmaster closes the door behind him. There's no one here but the four of us.

"Quarry, Shiva, Ariadne," the Headmaster says coolly. "Your task is to kill the dog."

"What the hell?" Quarry yells as I rush forward to grab a sword. This will be easy; I've done this before. I barely notice that Quarry and Shiva are standing there unmoving as I rush forward. I don't hesitate to stab the sword down into the dog's flesh. I keep stabbing even as I hear Shiva murmuring "you can't… I can't… what the fuck…" and I don't stop until I'm sure that I've done enough damage that the puppy won't survive.

"Congratulations Ariadne, you have been chosen to volunteer as the female tribute this year," the Headmaster says as I stand up and the dog stops twitching. "Let us return to the gym, and I will announce it to the District."

I nod, still a little breathless from all these surprises, but I'm ecstatic. I'll finally get to prove myself.

I remember my mother who, with her last words, told me that I'd never achieve anything. I remember my heart dropping to my stomach as she said that to her daughter while on her deathbed after years of battling cancer. I remember turning to my father the moment after my mother died and telling him that I'd make him proud.

I will make my father proud of me. I will not die in the Bloodbath and embarrass him.

I will be Ariadne White, Victor of the 19th Annual Hunger Games.

A/N: Many thanks to santiagoponcini20 for submitting Ariadne White!

Chapter question: What are your first impressions on Ariadne, our District 2 demigirl Tribute?

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all soon!