New chapter, new district! Up to 3. I have some free time, so what isn't spent playing with our new puppy will be spent writing, I promise.

Disclaimer: I don't own Lia. Richard is a friend's, though his past has a nod to a very recognizable name.

CONTEST: 10 sp to whoever can figure out what Richard's father is from. Because I am generous.

. . .

Wonderlia 'Lia' Mullioune (14)

It was raining that day. It woke me up just shy of five in the morning, every light drop making a thunderous sound on the tin roof of the abandoned warehouse I lived in with my twin brother, Adolf-Markus, and my best friend, Miranda.

Miranda was already awake. She was always awake, writing in her journal or pacing around. Adolf tried to get her to sleep once. She woke up an hour later, mumbling to herself about something as she scribbled furiously in her journal.

Yeah, Miranda's crazy, but I wouldn't change her for the world.

"You're awake." She mumbled.

"Yeah, I am."

I rolled over and looked at Adolf-Markus, who was still asleep. Sighing, I went over to him to rouse him. But instead of gently waking him, I kicked him.

"Get up!"

The bout of rage passed and I went about my usual reaping rituals. I put on my reaping clothes- a tan skirt with a green t-shirt and a rust colored cardigan. I tied up my ginger colored hair and put my glasses on.

"How do I look?" I asked, turning to Miranda.

Miranda didn't bother to look up from her breakfast, or her journal, which laid open next to her bowl of oatmeal. "Cute."

"Thanks, I guess." I mumbled, grabbing my bowl of oatmeal and sitting next to Miranda on the floor.

We messed around most of the morning, trying to find something to do in the huge abandoned factory. When ten o'clock rolled around, we walked to the square. It was still raining, and my attempt at a good hairstyle slumped over. Peacekeepers were ushering people inside the Justice Building. Two particularly mean ones rudely pushed us through the doors.

We shook ourselves off, trying to get dry. Miranda looked like a wet dog. She told me I looked like muddy grass. After saying good-bye to Adolf, we went to the fourteen year old section and waited. One girl had a towel. She let us dry off with it.

After a long, winded speech from Mayor Danko, our escort, Mucha Elite, walked up to the podium. Mucha was very pretty, with chocolate colored skin and curly white hair.

"Hello, District three." She said in her usual soft manner. "Lets see who's going to represent us, shall we?"

She walked over to the girl's bowl and pulled out a slip. She squinted to see the name. "Wonderlia Mullioune."

I blinked slowly, before realizing that Mucha called my name. Taking my final breath as a live woman, I stepped towards the stage.

Richard English-Riddle, 12

"Richard, darling, put on some tea, please. It's been a long day." My mom called as she came in the front door.

I was in the kitchen. I don't know what I was doing in there, though. I put on the tea for mom and went into the main room. The front door opened and a man stood there, glaring at us. He was very tall and bald, with narrow eyes and a narrower nose.

"Hello, Jane." He hissed, striding across the floor.

I slid behind the doorframe. The man hadn't seen me yet. He progressed slowly towards my mother, who was just as frozen as I was.

"Jane, where is the boy?" The man asked. Was I the boy?

"He's not home, Tom." My mother lied.

The man laughed, the noise high and loud. "You never were a good liar, Jane."

A scream escaped my mom's lips as the man attacked her with an unseen weapon. "Richard!"

"Mom!" I sat up suddenly, my skin coated in a cold sweat and my chest rising and falling very quickly.

Looking around, I saw that I was not in my kitchen, but the bedroom Clarisse and I shared. The aforementioned girl was sitting up in her bed, staring at me.

"You talk in your sleep, you know." She said, giving me an apathetic look.

"Go figure." I mumbled, throwing my pillow at her.

Clarisse turned around and opened the blinds. Sunlight poured in. "Mom let us sleep in. It's almost 11."

I grunted at her, rolling out of bed and heading for the bathroom. My clothes were hanging up on the shower curtain rod. A green dress shirt and white pants. There was a little dirt on the bottom of the pants, but nobody would notice. I got dressed and then went into the kitchen. Elena was in the kitchen cooking and Rowan was standing right behind her, jokingly directing her on how to cook breakfast.

"Morning Elena. Morning Rowan." I greeted with a lay yawn, sliding into my chair at the table.

"Good morning Richard. Eggs and Tessera toast, that alright?" Elena asked, as if I had a say in the matter.

"Sounds good."

Clarisse came downstairs and sat in her seat. She had on a light blue dress and a white sweater over it. After breakfast, we walked to the square. It had rained this morning, puddles and mud making our attempts to stay clean futile, especially since our neighbors have two five year olds.

Outside the Justice Building, we all shared our goodbyes. I receivde a hard squeeze and a forehead kiss from Elena and an awkward hug from Clarisse. Then I was rushed inside the Justice Building and into the twelve year old section. My best friend, Fox, lingered around the edge. Fox's real name was Firenze, but Fox was easier to say.

His mud colored hair was spiked up and his glasses were askew.

"Hey, Fox." I greeted, giving him a nod of the head.

"Hey Rich."

That was our greeting and our conversation, for soon after the mayor began his long-winded speech. After he sat down, Mucha Elite took the stage. She pulled the first name, Wonderlia Mullioune. Funny name.

"And now for our boy tribute." Her long fingernails grabbed a slip from the bowl and carried it back over to the podium.

That walk of hers, from the bowl to the podium, seemed to be the wait that took the longest. I didn't know why until she read the name out loud.

"Richard English-Riddle."

I lied. The longest wait was me taking my death walk from my spot in the back to the stage.

. . .

I'm trying to get chapters out, I really am. But I tend to forget about it because it's in the back of my documents in a folder labeled 'Tribute'.