"He who has overcome his fears will truly be free." - Aristotle

District 4 Reapings: Xiap Black (14) and Leonai Liostonez (17)

Leonai Liostonez lives with the heaviest heart in all of District 4.

She calculates that it has been exactly 8 years, 2 months, and 24 days since her brother died in the fire. The fire took a number of people's lives, and destroyed fifteen homes. Leonai could have saved her little brother. But, instead, she chose to save herself. She got out of the burning building unscathed. She regrets this deeply.

It is this guilt that weighs down her heart. It will never go away.

When Leonai is reaped she tips her head back and stares at the sky. She enjoys the cloud above her that ambles by.

Leonai loves the sky. Perhaps it is because so many of her loved ones are behind those clouds. Or perhaps it is because the sky is so vast, so full of possibility.

The girl next to Leonai gives her a shove. "You've been reaped," the girl says, like it's something completely ordinary.

"I know," Leonai replies. "I heard."

"Well, why aren't you moving?"

Leonai pulls her eyebrows together. "I am moving. Every single fiber in my body is moving at this moment. So is every single fiber in your body. So is—"

"Okay." The girl looks at Leonai like she's crazy.

Leonai is used to people looking at her similarly. For, Leonai is odd. She, however, has no problem with this fact. She likes being peculiar.

As she walks to stage, she attempts to keep composed and calm. She doesn't check to see if her shoulder-length, dirty blonde hair sits perfectly in place. She doesn't blink her crystal blue eyes in a seductive manner. She simply stands next to her escort. And she isn't plain, she isn't boring. Something about the girl seems so genuine.

Tino Bass, the girl's mentor, immediately takes a liking to the girl.

Regina Queen, District 4's escort, instantly dislikes the girl. It's never too early to start thinking about sponsors, to start playing a part. And Leonai is doing none of this.

"Well, let's meet our lucky boy, then," Regina says. She uncerimoneaously pulls a name from the bowl to her left. "Jakob Solmon!"

The crowd gets harrowingly quiet. Everyone on stage can tell something is wrong even before they see the reaped boy come into view.

Jakob limps from the section for twelve-year-olds. He goes as fast as he can, which is still fatally slow.

Quite suddenly, a boy sprints up to stage. He is not much bigger than Jakob- perhaps only two years older at the most. His olive skin is smooth on the right side of his face, yet a deep scar runs across the left side. His black hair looks unkempt, despite the fact that it's relatively short. His eyes are a wonderful mix of blues and greens.

The boy rests a hand on Jakob's shoulder. He looks into Jakob's eyes and nods.

Jakob wraps his arms around the boy in a hug. It's obvious the two know each other well. It's obvious from the way Jakob holds the boy that he trusts him deeply.

"Excuse me. Please, get off stage," Regina says. "Save your goodbye's for later."

The boy shakes his head. He points to himself and then to Leonai.

This deeply confuses both Regina and Tino. Leonai, however, understands.

"You're volunteering, right?" Leonai asks the boy.

The boy nods. He helps Jakob off stage, then takes his stance beside Leonai.

"A volunteer!" Regina remarks. "What's your name?"

The boy blinks. Then he looks into the crowd, as if he's waiting for someone to tell the escort his name. However, the onlookers remain silent.

And so does the boy. He slouches, jamming his hands in his pockets. This tight smirk appears on his lips. Regina can't tell if the smile is a production of pride or embarrassment.

"I need your name," Regina repeats, her voice softer but somehow less affable.

He mouthes the words.

Tino grabs the boy's shoulder, roughly,

"Stop playing games and tell the woman your damn name," he spits.

Tino's threat has absolutely no effect on the boy. He only lifts his brow in Tino's direction, his expression remaining almost completely blank.

"His name is Zappy-zap!" a kid in the audience shouts, earning some snickers. The boy's whole body tenses. A deep glower oozes from his blue-green eyes. It's obvious to all onlookers from his particularly livid expression that "Zappy-zap" is most certainly not his name.

It is Jakob, the child reaped before, who meanders his way back to the escort. He says, in a voice so quiet Regina has to bend down to catch his words, "His name is Xiap Black. Spelled X-i-a-p. He can't talk."

Jakob waits for a response. But the escort is too busy thinking to herself what odd spelling the boy has given for a word as simple as "Zap."

Tino grabs the microphone. "Let's hear it for Xiap Black and Leonai Liostonez!"

There is a rather tepid round of applause. Tino blames this on the fact that a tribute from District 4 has not won the Hunger Games in over twenty years. There is not much hope for Xiap or Leonai.

Tino supposes he owes Xiap an apology for earlier. It's not very gentlemanly of the mentor to demand a name from a kid who can't even speak. And why can't Xiap speak? But Tino decides to save the apology and further questioning for the train ride.

Leonai and Xiap share a rather uncommitted handshake.

It is not until Leonai looks into Xiap's stunning eyes that she recognizes him.

She is sure she knows the kid. She has seen him before. But where?

It hits her in a wave.

Last time she saw those eyes was on the beach a good six years ago.

The eyes belonged to a young boy who was writhing in pain, flames engulfing his upper body as civilians tried to save him and tame the fire. Leonai later learned this boy had saved a girl from a boating accident. The boat's engine exploded as he got her off the boat. The girl was unharmed. But the young hero took a wave of fire straight on.

Leonai almost doesn't recognize the boy who stands next to her on stage. For, the burn mark that runs from the left side of his neck to his ear (a scar he no doubt obtained from the accident on the beach) makes him appear markedly different from the clear-skinned boy he was before. It is his eyes she can recollect.

Leonai, a girl who considers herself a coward, stands across from a hero. It sickens her how young he is.

Leonai stares at the bravery that stains the boy's face. And she is ashamed of her clear skin, of her fair complexion.

She should look like him.

District 5's reapings will be up in the next 3-4 days.