Callista Beaufort, 16

I push against the water, letting my arms guide me to the other side. The sun warms my body. I feel like I'm flying.

I turn my head to take a breath and see Asher catching up to me. I can't let him win.

I direct all of my strength into my strokes and make it to the other side of the lake a second before he does. I expose my head to the air and take a deep breath.

"I beat you." I wink at him and laugh. He pretends to be hurt before splashing me in the face. We get out of the lake and wrap our towels around ourselves.

A day like this is perfect for the people of Four. Warm waters, sunny sky, a quiet town. A perfect day for the reapings.

Asher and I walk back together to Victor's Village. A year ago, I'd be fawning over his every move. But I've moved past that phase. Training is more important, anyway.

"A re you nervous?" We stop at the entrance of the village. I shake my head no.

"Not really. This is what I've been training for." And I let myself truly believe it.

I wave goodbye as he enters the second house on the right. I make my way to the middle of the village and see little Theia playing outside our house. She runs over to me and we hug tightly.

I kiss her on the head and we walk into our house together. The first thing you see when you enter is a large portrait of my parents, back to back victors. They are the biggest advocate for the Games in the district.

"Good morning." I hear my mother say from the family room. Theia runs over to her and I give a friendly hello before going into my bathroom and showering. I enjoy my final moments in my own bathroom, before everybody knows my name. When I return, I will have my own home in this village.

I dry myself off quickly and change into a simple white dress with leather sandals. I put on our family heirloom, a pearl necklace. My grandmother found this pearl in the arena she fought in, and it has been in my family ever since. My mother wore it in her arena, and I will wear it in mine.

I brush out my dark brown hair and appreciate the tan that is forming. It will help gain sponsors.

I grab a quick snack in the kitchen before exiting my house with Theia. I see Asher waiting by his front door. He's so cute.

"You ready?" He asks. I nod, with a large smirk on my face.

We have a light chat on the way to the reapings. I think Asher is worried about me. I worry slightly, any smart tribute would, but I know I have a good foundation. As long as I stay focused, I'll do just fine.

We all sign in together and stand together as the reapings start. I told Theia's hand tight. She is definitely not fit for the Games.

Our lovely escort, Brandi, gets on stage and flaunts about how excited she is for this year. She shows the annual video, featuring many victors from our district. Many sit on stage to this day.

She walks over to the girl's reaping bowl. I hold my breath, waiting for the proper moment.

"Our female tribute is….Theia Beaufort!" I feel my sister tense next to me. She looks up at me, water in her eyes. I kiss her on the forehead and walk up to the stage.

"I volunteer, my name is Callista Beaufort." I say as I get on the stage.

"Welcome, Callista! Let's meet our male tribute!" Brandi reaps an extremely skinny twelve year old boy. He gets on the stage and looks absolutely petrified. It takes a while for a male to volunteer, yet he does and the young boy cries of relief. He jumps off the stage and runs back to his family.

The volunteer and I shake hands before being taken away.

Neptune Kingsman, 18

I sit on the edge of the lake near my house, watching Finn and Cove splash each other in the water. I smile. They're so pure, it makes me happy.

I close my eyes and let the sun warm my body. I try to forget about the reapings today, they only bring horror. I feel like the only one in the district who doesn't see the Games as a competition of honor. All it brings is sadness, despair, unnecessary deaths. I shudder when I think about last year's Games and open my eyes.

I feel Cove tug on my leg. "Come swim!" I smile. How can I say no?

I get in the water and lift him up. Together, we go out deep. I support him so he doesn't dip under the water. While Finn is a good swimmer, Cove needs a bit more practice.

"Neptune!" I hear the familiar shout of my best friend, Aqua. The three of us get out of the lake and I walk over to her.

"Hey." I say, smiling. She smiles back.

"I knew I'd find you here." I laugh.

"Am I that predictable?" She nods. I give her a friendly punch on her arm and she rolls her eyes.

"You know you can't go to the reapings like that." She eyes me up.

"I don't know, I think this is the new trend." I put my hands on my hips and pose and she rolls her eyes.

"Come on, you don't want to be late." I nod. I take my brothers by the hand and the four of us walk back to our neighborhood. While it's no Victor's Village, we certainly don't struggle. Besides, as long as I have my family, I am happy.

Aqua dips off to go into her own home and the three of us enter our home. The twins run off into their room and I go upstairs to my bedroom. I undress and turn the shower on. I let it get to a warm temperature before entering. I wash the salt out of my light blonde hair and off of my tanned skin. It feels good to relax, get a moment of silence. The next few hours will be filled with anything but it.

I get out and dry off quickly. I put on a grey cotton shirt with a white cardigan over. I slip on black pants and comb my hair over. I sigh. My last reapings.

I gather my brothers and take them into the kitchen for a quick meal. I make them grilled cheese, and we eat together. My parents stroll downstairs and kiss me on the head.

I take the boys in each hand and walk down the street. As we get into town, something catches my eye. A small boy sits leaned against a building. Tears are in his eyes and he is wearing dirty, ragged clothes.

"You boys go ahead, okay?" I tell them. They nod and run off towards the square. I walk to the boy and squat.

"Are you okay?" I ask. He looks at me and shakes his head no.

"My mommy….she's gone." My heart drops. This poor child.

I hug him tight and give him some coins I had in my jacket. It's not much, but it makes his eyes light up.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Kale." He says quietly.

"You'll be okay, Kale. Just stay strong." I help him stand up and he thanks me, before walking off into the distance.

I get to the square and sign in. I find Aqua in the crowd and smile at her.

"You're late." She winks and I roll my eyes playfully.

"Shh, it's about to start." She chuckles and we turn our head to the stage. I look at the faces of those who sit on stage. Many look tough, proud to be a victor. But there's a few that don't, a few that hate this more and more each year.

I don't realize how lost in thought I am until I see a girl stand up on stage. Callista…I've seen her in training. She's top of the class.

The escort reads the boy's name, "Kale Marsh" and I get confused. Kale?

Then it hits me like a bag of bricks. The scared little boy I helped earlier stands on that stage. Oh, oh no.

I take a deep breath. I put on a smile and shout that I volunteer. The boy starts crying and thanking me, but I pretend this was the plan all along. I keep my head high. My past training will not go to waste.

Let me know what you think of these two!

A lot of people have been asking, but no, there will not be a sponsor system this time. But reviewing is the best way to keep your tribute alive!