District 3

Anastasia Fullsap. Age: 17.

School doesn't usually have me this on edge. I'm the one that sits up front, raises her hand, and usually has the answer because I was actually listening. Today though I can't help but doodle idly along my notes while the teacher goes over the History of Panem. Most of it I've heard anyhow, but today especially brings everything to mind. Truly the odds of my name actually getting drawn at the Reaping out of all the teenage girls in District 3 is minimal. Someone has to be called though and it could be me just as easily as anyone else.

I don't seem to be the only distracted one though. Two seats over is Mac, fellow 17 year old and also general hater of all things to do with the Reapings. Last year it had been her boyfriend getting called out of everyone to become the Tribute. Volunteering happens, but it's not something you see every year. Despite being between the known Career Districts, we're not usually the group known for our prowess in the Arena. It had been the fourth night in the arena when the Careers had caught up with him and killed him while he slept. Afterward she hadn't spoken for three months. The moment I catch her eyes for a moment I just give her a small smile that I hope is at least reassuring. Mac's family at least has never had to worry about her being entered more than the usual number of times. There aren't usually many who do, and those that do need assistance often have additional help from others in the community. You don't just let a fellow 3 starve.

They release us early to walk to the town square. There will be no afternoon classes as most of the kids wouldn't bother to come back anyhow. Those that don't get reaped usually are throwing some sort of party if they aren't saying good-bye to their friends. I'll just be one of the many crossing her fingers and hoping to get Mac out with me to just enjoy the day before we're force to sit and watch another year of the Hunger Games. Maybe she'll have found a way to block it all out and hopefully won't know any of the Tributes this year unless we end up with a Victor.

She's quiet as walk to the District square. It's apparent I'm on edge when Hal's hands over my eyes make me stiffen up. I know them anywhere despite a wire burn that looks newly acquired and just take his hands and wrap his arms around me. I should know better than to get attached to anyone until I'm finally in the clear. Hal's the only one to have convinced me that maybe I should give him a chance. "Hey babe. And afternoon to you as well Macintosh."

Mac just gives him a small nod and hurries ahead to give us a few moments of privacy as our pace has slowed from the walking along together. I feel a pang of guilt for abandoning her like this but there's still later that I can make up for it. We interlace our fingers together and go to find somewhere a little quiet to talk before it's time to line up for them to call names. If only I could get through today I might figure out something that would make my friend not feel so alone. It would be nice to get her to actually smile again.

If anyone has a tracking device on me before now though it's my mother. We only get to exchange a few kisses before she finds us. Oh I'd give anything to be half dead in bed about now…

Chip Elekra. Age: 14.

"The red one…" I look up at my sister for a moment and just push my glasses back up my nose. Pixel doesn't usually get me and my experiments and yet still volunteers to help me about every time. Normally I'd be at work doing this, but they already let us off for the afternoon for the Reapings. Same seems to have gone with her and school for the day. It's strange… For twins we couldn't be more polar opposites. She'd rather be out with her friends if their parents didn't have them all in getting ready. It's not like our parents don't exactly not care. We've as good as been ready since this morning.

"You know I think I'm going to find a job. You're only in school half the time and seem to be doing fine." She just sits and plays with one of my wires and brushing the end to a battery to make sparks.

"I'm barely a junior inventor. Besides you're my perfect junior assistant." I smile at her and get back that look like she's holding back a laugh. I can only guess that my glasses are back to making me look like an owl. Usually she'll just hoot at me a little, but apparently the levity of today is making it hard to have our usual jovial banter. My darker side is dying to just poke out in retaliation. I only bite my lip for a moment before letting it slide out. "What do you think would happen if they drew out both of our names?"

It only takes a moment though for her to find a quick sarcastic comment. "The odds would not be in our favor." She stops playing with the battery and just curls the piece of wire back up. "We'd figure out something. Stick together maybe and find a way to stay alive as long as possible. And then we'd be the last two and they'd probably have to send something after us because I can't exactly see anything pushing me to the point of killing you." She keeps frowning and has started picking at her nails in thought. "But! We each have all of three slips with our names on them in each of the Reaping balls, so our odds are pretty good that neither of us is going to be going to the Capitol and get all pretty for the cameras." Oddly though, that's probably the part that she would enjoy…

And then she does something entirely unexpected and gets up behind me and just hugs. Usually I am not one for a great deal of physical contact, but I allow it for now and just try to relax. She's just trying to reassure me that things are going to be alright and I don't need to worry so much. Plus it distracts me away from the model hover craft I've been working on just trying to get it to float correctly.

Still a bust… I'll have to just figure out something when we get home or it won't be much longer and the Peacekeepers will be unmercifully pulling us out and down to the square. Pixel is the only one that bothers with trying to straight out my hair that still looks like it hasn't seen a comb all morning. No one really cares what you look like though when half the time you're getting electrocuted anyhow. As long as you don't smell like rotten eggs that have been baking in the sun for half a week, most people are too distracted to take note anyhow. Of course they could scan the crowd though and then she would have to try and live down being related to the boy in District 3 who couldn't manage to at least look presentable.

Though how anyone can worry about looking presentable when the Escort looks like someone iced him over is beyond me. If I looked that pale blue, my mom would be wrapping me up in fifty blankets and wondering what I had been doing out in the cold for so long. His hair is only slightly darker, but still looks like icicles. I would be glad to never have to find out if he's actually as cold as he looks, but when your name is Frost, I guess you just go with it.

He's at least happy to be here even if the rest of us are standing around waiting to hear the hammer drop while he ruffles around in the first fishbowl of names for the perfect one from the girls and I notice I'm holding my breath. Please not Pixel, please not Pixel…

"Macintosh Beem!"

The Peacekeepers have to go up and collect the girl out of the section of 17 year olds, though I can tell even they don't want to do it. She's sobbing and has lost about all function of her legs. Even Frost seems to feel bad for her as he goes over and helps her up to her feet. I can't imagine what could be so horrible that you don't even bother to try and look brave for the cameras. Sure, the others are going to be watching every slight movement they make, and I would likely be much the same if I had the time to watch all of these. The slight look that might pass over someone's face as the camera finds them in the crowd and they walk up, trying to hold their head up even though we're all terrified. No one wants to do this.

"Now does anyone wish to volunteer for the lovely Miss Macintosh?" From here I can just barely tell the fact that he's basically holding her up by her shoulders. Why do they even bother asking though? It's not like we're one known for our-

"I will!" At first I wonder if it's a fluke and I just heard someone sneeze, but there goes another girl from the same area heading up for the stage. Who in the..? The two girls seem to exchange some sort of silent communication between them before Macintosh gets off of the stage.

"Well now that's the spirit! And can we have your name dear?"

"Ana… Anastasia Fullsap." She seems to even be doubting herself and making this move. I can't understand it, but then she's doing everything to hide it. The main source that anything is wrong with this is her tugging on the ends of her sleeves. Hopefully no one else over the cameras notices it? Considering the number of cameras on her at the moment they could be focusing in on her face that is being streamed onto the large screens and across Panem or the one further back that's picking up the Ice man as he grins and heads over to the other fishbowl while I'm busy analyzing what sort of girl volunteers for something we might not win.

"Chip Elekra!"

It takes a moment to realize that everyone is looking at me and clearing a path before I realize that Frosty the Snowman had just said my name… Somehow I don't think it was because I was being rude by staring.

District 4

Fern Kantle. Age: 16.

"I, Fern Kantle, volunteer as Tribute."

"I'll do it!"

"I'll bring home another victory for District 4!"

"Has anyone told you that you sound really dumb doing that?" I jump a little at my little brother standing in the doorway. He just has his arms crossed and is giving me his usual disapproving look. He hates the Hunger Games so much you'd think we hadn't won in his entire lifetime. Except we have. Twice.

You'd think the last year would have made him hungry for more, but instead he's just wishing I would reconsider this whole thing. "You know I've been training for this. And I'm faster than the rest of the boys around here which has to put me somewhere pretty high for the rest of the Tributes. Plus haven't you been enjoying the last year?"

"Yeah. I want my sister to be the girl that sits outside her new house in the rain and hasn't said more than five words to anyone all year as far as we know." I just frown a little. I didn't know Annie before she went into the Arena last year, but nothing about her has seemed quite right since she got back. Most people just make a point of avoiding her and not getting involved. She's a lost case and the only thing anyone has been able to note is more frequent appearances by our Golden Boy Victor, Finnick. It's hard to think he was only as old as my brother when he won six years ago. "You don't have to do this. It's called the Reaping for a reason. Not the "volunteering to become the next one we get to watch die"."

"Would you rather I end up dying or coming home mad as a hatter?" I just ask softly.

He struggles for an answer and I get the feeling I already know. How exactly do you tell your sister that you would rather she die than have to live down the embarrassment of the entire District shunning her? Especially after all the favors we've been showered with by the Capitol and then we don't even bother with the person responsible? They can say that she just got lucky all they want to, but there has to be that will to live or she would have sunk with the others like the Gamemaker's planned. "I just want my sister."

I go back to looking in the mirror and trying to fix the unruly blonde locks. I have to do this. I've taken my time to make sure I'm at the top of my game, and his objections aren't going to change just because another year has gone by with someone else wearing my victor's crown. Besides I'll have the backing of the other careers who have been working for this just as long as any of us. We're the ones that have been training how to survive for far longer than the week they're going to be willing to give us. The plan from there is to just do the best that any of us can and out survive the others until it comes time to break off the alliance so you can avoid getting killed in the same trap. "I'll be fine, Urchin. I'll come home again and have more money than we'll ever know how to spend."

"Or I'll be standing there while the Victor is making their tour as the family of one of the fallen twenty-three." He leaves without another word and just closing my door behind him. Typical... Making sure he gets the last word and probably walking slowly down the hallway so I have time to go after him and yell how he'll see when I win. We'll never have to worry about anything again and he'll be glad that I went and was willing to risk myself to keep him comfortable.

I'll show him and the rest of District 4 not to underestimate me.

Gulliver Downs. Age: 18.

Work never ends. People might tell you differently, but if you're not trying to do something then you're not really living anyhow. As for me, I've been working since the sun came up just trying to pull in the nets before we're expected back to unload and then my final reaping. The last one I am eligible for at least and likely am going to hear that all the time out in the sun has driven me madder than Crazy Cresta.

Volunteering... It's far from unheard of around here, but then I haven't been one of the ones training for the Hunger Games. I've just been working for the last six years and trying to do whatever I could to support the family when my older brother got sick. Some say he got better, but when most of the jobs around here involve a lot of movement... Well it's hard for him to get much in the way of work in his wheelchair. When dad ran off we could only be glad I was old enough to take out tesserae to feed everyone. Ford was willing to split it with me, but after he got his name called to be the tribute when I was 14 we had a long argument over what we were going to do if someone hadn't gone and volunteered for him. I threatened I would do so without question and he almost tried to attack me then if mom hadn't gotten into the middle of it. He managed the next year without incident, but we've still been struggling.

This will be my last year though. No more reapings and only needing to pray to whatever God might listen that they don't try to take my brother and sister away from me. True, winning wouldn't make them any more protected than any of the other kids, but we would never need to have them entered more than was required for their age group. I'm sure I would be able to sponsor them as well as long as I excluded myself from becoming a Mentor that year. I could even pay someone to make sure that the house was easy for Ford to get around in rather than trying to bump over everything and trying not to break a wheel. He's going to have some choice words to say if I do it, and I can only imagine my mother would be the same.

Six years as the "man of the house" and they don't think I would risk everything to try and make things better for them? I don't care about the whole glory and being on all of the cameras and people cheering my name. I want to be able to feel for once like I'm actually providing for them rather than just scraping by day by day. I would be one of the oldest ones in the arena and maybe even get clean enough that Sandy doesn't just turn her nose up at me every time I try to make a pass at her?

Who am I kidding though? I win and she's going to be all over me so I can be the one rejecting her.

That's just one of the many bonuses that would come with this whole plot of mine. I keep it all to myself though while we unload the boats as much as possible until they're sending me back home to scrub up and get dressed just in case I end up getting called. Nimue and Seaton are already trying to get perfected while I'm practically dunking my head in the washbasin just to get it over with quick. Seaton just laughs even though Nim looks about ready to hit him for suggesting I'm being the slightest bit amusing while shaking my head like one of the dogs on the ship to get the water back out of my hair.

"GULLIE! YOU ARE MAKING A MESS AND I JUST MOPPED!"

I grin back at her. Oh Nim... In a few months we'll be able to get someone else to mop all the floors. "Guess you'll be hoping I get reaped then so you won't have to worry about that, huh?" Her hands are on her hips as she just huffs at me and throws a towel over. "I love you too!" It does make it easier to clean up. More or less it's a matter of getting the outer layer of sweat off considering I've been told even a Capitol bath couldn't get out the fish smell. I guess I'll have to find out and just report back on my findings. I manage to get a comb through my hair until it's not a complete bird's nest just short a few eggs and just put on my most confident smile.

I can't fail now. If I do we're going to be here just struggling together from now until we're all dead in the ground. One last chance to try and fix everything for the better. I won't ask it of my younger siblings to even consider it. I'll fight because I'm going in there for something greater than glory and fame and the adoration of people who would probably never know me otherwise.

I'm going to fight for freedom.