It was a great dream. I was floating at the top of a massive district, and people were running around, going in and out of buildings, talking, laughing, having a good time. wish the same thing could happen all around Panem now-a-days, I thought to myself. I saw my three dead brothers, Cody, Samuel and Frank, rise from the ground, joining me by my side, smiling, and laughing. A huge map of Panem rose up in front of me, with the capitol burning, and all the districts connected. it was amazing, as though I was seeing the future.

I almost wished I hadn't been waken up by the peacekeepers.

My first thought when I woke, was I seriously need to find a way to harness dream power. I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but I could tell my only older brother left, Billie, was awake first. He opened the curtains and windows, letting in the songs of the mockingjays, along with the shouts of the peacekeepers. they were screaming, 'Get up! The quarter quell is about to be announced! We will have one peacekeeper in every house, So I would advise you all to watch!'

Oh God, not the hunger games. it had already claimed the life of three of my older brothers, and as it was, Billies name was already in for the tesserae too many times for my liking. I didn't want to lose him, too. and this year was a Quarter Quell, so my brother's death could be even more grisly.
Billie starts to tickle me, and starts shouting, 'happy Hunger games, and may the odds be eva in your fava!' he was mocking our district escort,
Hestia-diana Miner... menor... argh, Hestia-Diana silly-name. that's how she says it every single time. Oh well, what can I say? she comes from the high-end part of the capitol. she's just as stupid as the rest of them.
'Come on, Isaac, we've gotta get up. if we don't watch... that is, I don't want you to get whipped by one of them. please, get up.' said Billie cautiously, with the fun slipping out of his voice.
''k, ok! I'm getting up.' I say, with a small croak.
'Could you wake up Missie? She'd be more comfortable if you woke her... You're her entire world...' sighed Billie. There was a long pause, and finally Billie stamps his foot in frustration. 'I know I'm going in this year. it's been every single damn brother in this family from oldest to youngest in a row, and I'm next -'
'No!' I shout. 'Don't think like that, that's defiantly not happening! I can't lose you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself! imagine how Lucy would feel!' Lucy was Billies girlfriend, and she was the best thing that ever happened to him. She lit up a room when she entered. Even Missie wasn't afraid to talk to her when she first came. But now...
'Isaac... That's just the rotten luck our family. I'm just as scared as you are. So! we need to get down stairs, and weren't you -' Billie said glumly as he pulled on his shirt
'Oh! Missie, right... I'll go now! wait, after I get dressed!' I laugh
'Sounds like a plan to me!' laughs Billie and we smile at each other for what seems like forever, for the first time in ages.

She looked so peaceful. It almost hurt to wake her up, but I knew I had to. Millie was only five years old, and she had the same hazel green eyes and smile as me. she was very small, so she looked even smaller curled up in her blanket.

It was so wrong. Why did the capitol hold these cruel hunger games? Why did even the youngest citizens have to watch it? Missie has been traumatized by them, and because of that, she only ever mutters a few words. And she only speaks when I'm around, I'm closest to her. Even closer than Mom.
I shake her shoulder, then whisper, 'Missie, wake up... it's time for -'
'Quarter Quell? Hunger Games?' she mumbles softly, almost too quiet to hear.
'Yes... I'm sorry... Come on, time to get up...' I reply, still whispering in her ear
'I don't want to! Games are scary! Frankie, Cody... umm... Sammy! they all left, and never went home! where are they, Isaac?' Missie sobbed. She didn't understand that people in the hunger games die. she was too young. That's why Missie was so scared of them. One of our brothers went, we saw the blood from their wounds, and watched their warm face turn a dull, icy pale and fall to the ground. Every time Missie expected them to jump back up, keep fighting, but they never did. she finally cracked when she was four, when we saw a particularly vicious Carreer tribute slice off Franks head, and turning the whole pond he was drinking from red. Thats what made her so quiet.
'I promise you, if I ever find a way for our family to escape... I will take you away as soon as possible. We'll escape from the evil capitol. We'll be gone before they know it!' I say strongly, choking bake a huge wave of tears.
'And leave Hestia-Diana Minerva in our dust?' says Missie cheekily
'Yes, And leave Silly-name in our dust!'I laugh back. 'Come on, everyone is waiting down stairs. get dressed, and quickly come down. okay?'
Missie paused for a moment, then mumbled, 'okay.'

I leave the room and walk down stairs. Billie and Dad were already eating breakfast on the couch in our small living room. They were shooting each other nervous looks, as though they were having a silent conversation:
Dad: Bill, calm down. Its's going to be alright, you can't automatically say that your going in. It's just as bad as volunteering.
Billie: I don't care. I just Can't live with myself, knowing that I would live, but they won't.
Dad: Hey, it wasn't your fault that they died. they... oh, what the heck, they didn't put up a good enough fight.

I could almost agree with you, Dad. They knew all those survival skills, all those techniques, and they still died, I think to myself. Then I snap back at myself, thinking it wasn't their fault. Blame the Carreers. District one, two and four. Things get ever worse when I hear who my Mom was talking to. She was entertaining the Peacekeeper, who, unluckily, was Officer Thorne. Of course it was.

Officer Thorne was District fives head Peacekeeper. He was tall. And I mean REALLY tall. He towered over everyone in district five. Trust me, you do NOT want to be beaten or whipped by Thorne. He was extremely ripped, and those muscles weren't just for show. Once, he accidentally killed a man while whipping him, and that was for stealing a loaf of bread, and hunting outside the District boundaries. But anyway, he's ripped. but, he was one of the most flirtatious men I had ever seen. he always wore a peacekeeper uniform that was one size too small, just to show off. Oh yeah, his favourite person to show off to was my Mom. Yuck! But at worse, he never seemed to care or be interested in his job than when he was dealing with beautiful women.

About five minutes and four pieces of toast later, Officer Thorne marched into the room. He clearly didn't get what he wanted from my Mom, because he came in scowling (I've gotta admit, I was happy about that). Little Missie came into the room, rubbing her eyes, and when she saw Thorne she began whimpering (that, I wasn't happy about).
'Missie, come here...' I say, and she runs to my arms and immediately starts to calm down. I sit on the floor, with Missie in my lap, than glare at Thorne. I try to make it a you-keep-away-from-my-Mom stare, and it worked, because he gave me a look that clearly said, Mind your own buisness.

Thorn looks around the room, then at my Dad, then my Mom (he was more interested when he was looking at her. It sent a shudder down my spine!), Then at all of the younger kids. after he seemed satisfied (or had enough at gaping at my Mom) he boomed, 'Right! Members of the Spark family, In fifteen minutes, you will be permitted to turn your television set on. The broadcast of the Quarter Quell announcement is important, so should you change channels at any time, you shall be whipped. When the anthem of Panem is played, you must Stand, and you are not permitted to talk until the anthem ceases to play, and you have all taken your seats. I shall be stationed beside your living room entrance. any troublemakers will be whipped. Understand?'
'Wow, Thorne... Did you practice that speech?' I mumble softly. Well, Thorne clearly heard, and glared and grunted at me. I wish they didn't do those ridiculous speeches at the start of each Hunger Games televise. Apparently, they had been doing them every year since the 80th games, when loads of people weren't watching the games. The Capitol made a huge crack-down on those people, and put a stop to it instantly.

I was about to get up to get a drink, when Thorne Said, boringly, 'Spark family, turn on your television, and prepare your selves. the Quell announcement is about to begin. Happy Hunger Games, and may all the odds be ever in your favour.'