Tallulah Lloyd.

I turn around and look to see if anyone is walking up but then I realize who Tallulah Lloyd is. I am Tallulah Lloyd. Everyone is staring at me. Some of the peacekeepers walk up to me and they lead me to the stage. I go up and Cass shakes my hand.

"Congratulations," is what she tells me, smiling. Of course, only someone from the capitol would think this is a good thing. Cass walks over to the next bowl to choose who will be the male tribute. She takes out a name and reads it. "Phelan Sinclair."

I turn to look at Phelan and our eyes meet. He shakes while he steps toward the stage. Of all people, Phelan Sinclair has to be the one chosen. Poor, tiny, scrawny, thirteen-year-old Phelan, who wouldn't stand a chance in the games and who couldn't hurt a fly, even if he tried, has to be a tribute. It made me sad. When he reaches the stage, he steps on to it and I can see tears forming in his eyes. I want to comfort him, but I have never been good with that kind of stuff. My mother was more like that kind of person.

Cass shakes his hand, and then makes me shake his hand. Our eyes meet for the second time and he gives me a weak smile. Phelan used to be my neighbour but his parents died after the rebellion so he moved to a different town to live with a friend of his parent's. Phelan always used to always make me teach him how to throw knives, since I learned how to do it from an uncle of mine and in return, he would give me eggs from bird nests that he found when he was working in the forest. But I haven't talked to him since he moved away. After we shake hands Cass leads us into the Justice Building.

I have never been inside the Justice Building but once I enter, I quickly notice how much of a contrast this is compared to the rest of our district. Everything in District Seven is worn and colourless but this building has so many rich shades of red, that it feels unsettling to my eyes.

A peacekeeper immediately walks up to me and leads me into these rooms, and all I can think of is how much this room made my home look like a barn.

I sit on a leather couch and allow my arms to brush the worn yet so soft fabric.

This is when our families and friends are supposed to visit one last time before we leave to the Capitol. Before we leave to the place where we will fight to the death.

I shudder at the thought. I have no chance whatsoever of coming out alive. I am tall and muscular, but awkward with no coordination. I know my way around forestry and am very handy with knives and axes but what if they don't put us in a forest environment? What if we're put on a beach or worse, a desert? What would I do then? Would I survive?

I hear a knock on the door and it interrupts my thoughts. My mother and father walk in.

My mother quickly wraps her arms around me, and rests her head on my shoulder.

My father, however, sits by us without displaying any affection. His cold behavior used to bother me so much as a child, but now I understand that he loves from afar.

My mother starts crying.

"Tallulah," my father says. "You fight as hard as you can. Give them a strong opponent."

Between sobs my mother says, "But come home. Come home to us."

My father's advice will be easy to follow; I don't plan on going down without a fight. I just don't know how to tell my mother that there is no chance that she is getting what she wants.

"I'll... try," I say.

"They take our freedom, and now they take away my daughter. My only child!" my mother cries.

"Now is not the time and place to talk about this," I tell my mother. After that I inwardly slap myself. I was being cold and horrible, as usual. When I die, it is not I who will suffer, it will be my mother.

It's a depressing thought, to think that your life would be over so soon, at the young age of seventeen. There were so many sights left to be seen, so many feelings left to be felt, and so many sounds left to be heard.

A peacekeeper walks in to escort my parents. They both hug me.

As they walk out, Cara walks in. She pulls me into a hug. "I'm so scared!" she cries.

"I am too," I confess.

"Just stay strong," she says. "Work hard, learn some tricks. You're tough, you'll be fine."

I didn't bother to tell her how much she was lying to herself. I am strong, but there are stronger people. I can work hard, but that won't match up to when others work just as hard as I do. I'm sure I'll learn some tricks, but so will the others. I'm tough, but not tough enough.

"Okay."

"I'll be having a party when you come back."

"Okay."

"I'll be watching you every second you're there."

"Okay."

"Stop answering with okay."

"Okay."

That made her laugh. She wrapped her arms around me and said goodbye before she was escorted out.

I sat alone for a few minutes, until Lauren walks in. He sits beside me and hugs me.

I feel so safe. Safer than I've been in so long. When something hurts you for so long, you stop feeling, you become numb. And then when you start feeling again, the numbness goes away and the first thing you feel is pain. That is how I feel at this moment. So pained.

Emotions build up inside of me. I feel tears bunch up in my eyes and I start sobbing. But then nervousness ties knots in my stomach. So many emotions. I feel the need to vomit, and I do.

While I vomit all over the lovely floors, Lauren holds my hair back. Then when I'm done, he hugs me again.

"I'm so scared," I whisper. I don't need to hide it anymore. I don't need to look confident in front of Lauren.

"Don't worry," he says. "I'm right here."

"Why didn't you come with Cara?" I asked him, curious.

He answers me with a kiss. It's a soft, warm kiss and it melts my heart. When he pulls away, I'm so speechless, in shock.

"I can't believe I waited until now to do that," he mutters.

"Woah," is all that comes out of my mouth.

"When you're in the arena, show them who you are. Show them that they can't just do this to you."

"Show who? The tributes?"

"No, the Capitol. President Carr for goodness sake. Show him that you're not one to be played with. Don't just be a victor, be a fighter."

I take a few moments to absorb his words and I want to say something in reply, but it's too late, a peacekeeper walks in and takes Lauren from me.

"Lauren! No!" I yell. I want to talk to him. I need to talk to him.

"Fight hard," he says.

"Lauren!"

He leaves and I'm all alone again.