I must admit, I'm absolutely loving writing this! I think this is my best chapter yet so please review and PM me :) Also, I still need the chariot ride outfits and interview outfits for D2, D3, D4, D6, D7, D9, D11 and D12. Please send me the outfits otherwise I can't carry on with chapters.

Hypatia Cruslin, 16

You know what? I'm really not bothered that I've been reaped. I have no family to go home to and I don't really have a future planned. I'm an orphan and even though I get on with most of the girls at the orphanage, I know I wouldn't really be missed if I died. We've had numerous children from the orphanage go into the Games because we don't have parents to feed us so we have to take out tesserae. We try not to become best friends with anyone in the house because we're more than likely going to lose them. That doesn't mean to say I won't try and win but I think some people are more deserving than I am. If it came to it, I'd give my life for somebody to go home who deserves to. I'll still never forget the Reaping, though.

I was one of the oldest at the orphanage, before I got whisked away by Capitolites, so I had to gather up a group of the younger orphans who were eligible for the Games this year. There are quite a lot of people in our orphanage so I had to lead the 12 year old's all down to the signing-in desk. They were all crying, not a single eye was dry. Who can blame them? The Capitol is forcing children, as young as 12, to kill people as old as 18. In this district, if a 12 year old gets reaped, no-one will volunteer for them, meaning it's just another bloodbath victim down the drain. We haven't had a victor in so long, and it was only by pure chance that we had the most recent one in District Ten. If the career tribute had not tripped over and impaled her head with a spike in the ground, District One would have yet another victor. I led the girls to the signing-in desk and beckoned where they had to go after. With that, I left the girls and went to sign in, myself.

I had taken the liberty to make sure I was presentable if the worst-case scenario happened to come about. The rest of the afternoon was probably the worst, though. Even though I'd prepared for it, I never expected to actually get reaped. The word 'karma' gets thrown around a lot these days. One time, when I was younger, I decided to play a prank on the social worker at our orphanage. None of us liked her as she always treated us like slaves. "Do this, do that, don't go in there, go away blah blah blah." So, a group of us hatched a plan to make her think twice before messing with us again. However, things didn't go as planned as she managed to break her arm. She was covered with chicken feathers and other gross things, which made it funnier, though. This is how karma comes back around? Bit extreme, isn't it?

The escort walked out, in her very flamboyant clothes, and introduced herself as Shira Maria. There's a nice ring to that. Shira Maria. Try saying that five times fast. I couldn't help but giggle a little at her name. That lifted my spirits, but the thing that happened next just shot the spirit back down to the earth.

"Hypatia Cruslin," shouts the escort. For a small woman, she has a powerful voice. The power shot right through my stomach and out through the other side. I walked up to the stage, thousands of thoughts rushing through my head at the same time. I shook the escort's hand and that was it. The boy was called and I was rushed into the Justice Building. Of course, I had no-one to speak to.

I think back to all those 12 year old girls I led down to the square, how they must be feeling. They're most likely never going to see me again. A few of them hugged me before I left to sign in, so I guess they're a bit gutted that I'm gone now. The last time they'll see me is on a big screen, along with the rest of Panem, dying a dramatic death. Hmm... Good thoughts...

Desmond Cordus, 17

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy... This is not how today was meant to pan out. Right now, I'm meant to be having a meal with my family, celebrating the fact that I haven't been chosen to compete in this year's Games. Well, the meal part is correct, except I'm eating with the wrong people. I say eating but what I actually mean is grimacing at this weird food put in front of me. The celebration part is also correct, except I'm not the one celebrating. Everyone from the Capitol is. I just think back to my brother, Tom, who is only six. He must be devastated. The only person he looks up to, about to be killed in front of the entire nation. He'll never cope. After mum died in childbirth, it was just dad left to take care of me and Tom. Fat lot of help he did. We were practically his slaves, doing everything for him, left, right and centre. It was really just me and Tom on our own. The amount of times I heard "when I grow up, I want to be just like you," was more than what you could count on your fingers and toes. I bet he's starting to rethink about what he wants to be like when he grows up. We don't want another family member going in the games.

"Come on, Tom. We're going to be late." This was only last year, just before the reaping for the 124th Hunger Games. I had to take him to the crowd to see our mum's old best friend. We still kept in touch with her as she always came by our house, only to be shooed away by dad. Dad didn't turn up for the Reaping until just before it began. The girl called was only 12 years old and she had a twin sister. I don't even know if they may have even swapped places while they were in the Justice Building. They were identical, it was impossible to tell which one was which. When the boy was called, I let out a sigh of relief, along with the rest of the boys, except the one that got reaped and his friends. I remember looking over to my family and seeing Tom beam with happiness at the fact he had secured time with his brother for at least one more year.

His year was now up and I went back to the square, ready to find out who would be going into the games this year. I recognised the girl, Hypatia. She went to my school and is now off to die a bloody death. It shows how your life can change dramatically in a split second. I was about to understand how that felt within mere moments.

"Desmond Cordus."

My heart leaped out of my chest. Instinctively, I looked over to Tom, who was already buried into our family friend's stomach, sobbing tears from his minuscule eyes. My eyes were the size of Panem and I kept alternatively looking at the stage, then to my brother, then to the stage. I did this for about 30 seconds before realising a path had been made for me by my peers. They all looked shocked, but not as shocked as me, obviously. I slowly walked up to the stage, wondering whether to carry on, up to the stage, or just run over to Tom, pick him up and run off into the woods. I knew option two would most likely get my whole family killed so I took it out of my mind.

Once I was on stage, I was greeted by Shira and led up to Hypatia whom I shook hands with. We gave each other an expression of support and left it at that. Once Shira congratulated us and gave the official slogan for the Games, Hypatia and I were both escorted to separate parts of the Justice Building. I was taken to a large wooden room with large posters of the past victors, past mayors, and past presidents. The victors were all over 16 and I remember seeing videos of them and the majority of them volunteered, except the one who won by luck many years ago, and was the most recent victor for our poor district.

My brother could have run straight through the door if he had the strength but all I heard was a thud. I had to chuckle, it's always like him to find other ways of getting through doors instead of simply using the handles. Dad opened the door rubbing Tom's head, and I barely had a chance to look at him before Tom was up in my face, crying but trying to tell me to win. His tears were overwhelming his eyes to the point that he couldn't keep them open. He nearly drowned me with his tears before dad pried him off me, barely successful. He sat Tom down beside him and uttered words that I'd never expected to come out of his mouth, ever.

"I'm sorry, Des," I looked at him with a very confused expression, "for everything I never did for you. Since your mum died, I've never felt the same and now that you're off to your probable death, I've decided to take better of Tom, and you, if you come back. I know I have a funny way of telling you this, but I believe in you. I really do."

Wow. I still can't believe he said that. Of all the things I imagined him saying to me, I never expected him to say that. I didn't know how to feel. Did I tell him he was too late to apologise and have huge rant about him never being there for me and Tom, or did I just forgive him there and then and give him a hug? I think too many thoughts going through my head caused me to choose the latter. I threw my arms around him and he hugged me back. If this were to be my last conversation with my dad, I'd be happy about it.

Thinking about the talk between me and dad makes me well up and start silently crying. I want to go home. Now that I know dad will start being a better father, I want to be the to see him prove it. After dinner, I go to my bedroom and change into something more comfortable. I have a big day ahead of me and the days are only going to get bigger.