Anna's first POV contains descriptions of depression, suicide, and self harm.

Viridian Gabardine, District Eight Male (Age 17)

I made sure Sash was looking in the right direction, then slipped the card between his hands. It had to be absolutely precise for this trick to work.

"Alright, so you're sure I did nothing?"

"Positive." He told me, his blue eyes making contact with mine.

"And the card you chose was a hundred percent random, correct?"

"Yeah." He nodded, bouncing his leg in anticipation. No matter how often I repeated a trick, each time was exciting. I considered it part of my charm.

"Lift your hand."

Sash revealed the five of hearts and let out a gasp.

"Is this your card?" I grinned at the expression of shock on his face.

"Wow, I'm actually pretty impressed."

My smile widened. It was a simple trick, really, but the praise was pleasant. Energizing.

"How'd you do it?"

I shuffled the cards and placed them back into the deck. "A good magician never reveals his tricks."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh come on-"

All of a sudden I heard the door creak open and froze. I let out a nervous laugh as my mom examined what I was doing with a disapproving look in her eyes.

"Magic? Really? On the day of the Reapings?"

"I was just trying to have some fun." I scowled, crossing my arms.

"I don't care if it's fun, it's useless. You know we can't afford fun." Her voice lowered to a whisper.

I wasn't really remorseful. I was my own person, I wasn't a blank slate for her to project on. I wanted to do magic and I was good at it. I could eventually take my tricks to the Capitol and get rich.

I didn't want to spend my life cooped up, making outfit after outfit after outfit.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't care."

What was she gonna do? Try to burn my cards again? I always hid them well, it was her fault for not knowing magicians are practically professional thing-hiders.

She tutted at me and closed the door. "Reapings start in two hours. I expect you to be ready by eleven."

"Okay." I muttered.

A silence settled over the room.

Sash broke it with a cough. "I think I should go? My parents are probably expecting me too and I don't wanna make things worse between you and your mom. Show me more tricks when I come back later, they're great."

"Yeah, sure." Disappointment wove its way into my heart but it was more numbing than sharp. I wanted to show him more, but my more mature side understood he had a good reason and it was probably for the best. Tensions were always too high for comfort on Reaping day.

Besides, I'd hang out with him later.

Anna Crank-Spool, District Eight Female (Age 17)

Another year, another Reaping.

I couldn't believe it was three whole years ago now.

My best friend was Reaped for the seventeenth Games

She was stupid, she was brash, she was loud and she was my best friend. We were practically attached at the hip and I knew I could trust her forever and tell her anything and she'd hug me and comfort me.

I always had slight problems. I was insecure about myself and social situations made me want to throw up, but I always could rely on her to stick up for me. She helped me come out of my shell. After she was gone, I faded away into a crying mess.

I wanted to die. I had nobody. And I've gotten much more mature over the past three years but the wound simply can't heal.

She promised me she'd win but we both knew it was impossible. A scrawny thirteen-year-old, however brave she was, didn't stand a chance next to the Careers.

And she died in the bloodbath. Two minutes in. I got queasy thinking about the bitch from Two stabbing her in the gut. She ranked 22nd and became just another name, another face, another statistic. It took seven months for the nightmares to go away.

I was lost, she was all I was.

My Dad worked off in the Capitol and my mom was a partygoer who really couldn't care less about us. She only married my dad for the money. Our family was rich but they never gave me anything more than a tiny house. I took care of my brother Max.

I sliced up several strawberries for the two of us, my mouth curling into a smile as I thought of how happy he'd be when he saw I made these. Fresh berries were expensive but I gathered a few extra coins from my job at the Peacekeeper uniform factory in honor of the Reapings.

I didn't believe I would be Reaped, Eight was a large District. I doubted fate could loathe someone enough to get their best friend, then themselves Reaped. But I hated the lack of certainity.

Max rubbed his eyes as he walked into the compact kitchen. "What's for breakfast?" He mumbled, still sleepy.

"Strawberries."

His face lit up and warmed my heart.

"Thank you! Is today special?"

"No, not exactly." I told him. He was too young to know. "I'm off work today but I have to go check something at around noon. You'll be home alone."

He didn't really listen and instead took a plate of fruit and sat at the two-person table. "Okay."

I took this opportunity to go upstairs and change. The Capitol expected us to look our very best in case we were Reaped. We couldn't afford nice dresses but I had one that looked alright.

I ran up to my plain bedroom and took off my clothes. My stomach turned when I saw the scars covering my legs. I was disgusted. I hadn't done it since I was fifteen but they were too deep to ever fade away.

After Cass died, my mental state became terrible. Seriously terrible. I would've killed myself if I wasn't too scared. Instead I just cut until my limbs were a warzone. And my mind was winning.

I slipped the dress over my head and put it on. It was blue, strapless, and designed so it exposed my shoulders and back.

I felt self conscious, but it was all I had. I braided my dark hair for the occasion and slipped on my regular old brown flats.

Another year. Just another year. I would be fine. So why did I worry?

Viridian Gabardine, District Eight Male (Age 17)

I shuffled my cards, fidgeting. I had no trick planned for this afternoon, instead, this was the Capitol's show.

Four hundred and fifty six tributes entered the arena in the past. All ended up dead except nineteen. And I had a chance of becoming one of the hundreds, right here, right now.

I wasn't a nervous guy but damn, was I nervous.

Being nervous and getting bored easily were two traits that went as well together as red and pink. I only knew that because my mom never shut up about clothes.

My brain was whirring but it had nothing to think about instead of the Reaping so that just made me think about it way too much.

Eight had one Victor, Loraine Twine. She was an average girl who mostly won out of pure luck. Before the arena she was homeless and understood survival well enough to not-die from natural causes.

The Career pack was disorganized and a brute from Seven killed them in their sleep. Said brute from Seven later died from dehydration, so by then all the strong tributes were gone and she simply waited it out.

The grand finale was her stabbing the girl from Four in the heart after a muttered apology.

I was barely in school during these Games and they terrified me before I even knew I could end up in the arena.

But I wasn't going to the Games. My paranoia was so ridiculous. I acted like I was actually gonna die in a week, like an idiot. I wanted to laugh at myself but that would look weird in front of everyone.

Our escort was a short, plump Capitol woman called Izzy.

She wasn't rude, but acted like a diva most the time. Her hair was covered in glitter and she wore a skin-tight white dress.

Nothing too out of what the Capitol considered ordinary.

"Welcome, District Eight! Welcome to your twentieth annual Reaping ceremony! Now, I'm going to get right into this because the author is bloody tired of writing Reapings. Thank you for your understanding!"

I bounced my leg. Izzy liked to separate herself from the other mentors and start with the boys. I'd finally know it wasn't me for sure.

She strode to the bowl, her heels clicking, and gave the District a devilish smile as she selected a slip.

"Your male tribute is Viridian Gabardine!"

All I felt was the air heaving in and out of my lungs. In and out. For some reason I let out a laugh. So it was me. Maybe I'm not just a magician, maybe I can see the goddamn future. Crazy, isn't it?

Anna Crank-Spool, District Eight Female (Age 17)

The boy seemed calm as he walked to the podium.

They always panicked at first, then learned to keep it inside. I'd learned from years of observing tributes. Being shy and blending into the crowd had its perks.

"Lovely!" Izzy chirped. "You look nice and strong. Now for the ladies."

My mouth was dry. Yes, my odds of being Reaped were less than one percent of one percent but did my anxiety care? No.

The escort dipped her hand into the bowl.

"Anna Crank-Spool!"

My heart rate shot up and I felt my hands begin to sweat. My lungs gasped for air. Fear engulfed my consciousness and shoved away any other thoughts.

Max couldn't take care of himself! He would die without me, he was seven years old for God's sake! And what would he think when I didn't come back? He thought I was only running out to work!

I was gonna die. I was gonna be a bloodbath and nobody would remember me and I'd be simply another name, another dead kid. I was gonna die in front of everyone. And Max would find out and he was too young and this wasn't right, it wasn't fair.

"My brother doesn't know I'm here. He's seven." I muttered to Izzy, whose mouth widened in shock.

"Good heavens, well, I'll get a Peacekeeper to tell him. Is he by himself?"

I grimly nodded. What if he ended up like me after Cass? I felt like my heart was physically ripped into two. It was exactly how I felt when she died but now the pain was fresh.

I wanted him to be safe, I wanted him to grow up okay and have the childhood I didn't but now that wouldn't happen.

And I would never see his face again, I'd never hear him smile or laugh and I'd never say goodbye.

At least I got to wish Cass farewell.

Izzy smiled at the crowd, her silver teeth shining in the hazy sunlight. "District Eight: Your tributes, Viridian Gabardine, that's quite a mouthful, and Anna Crank-Spool!"

Viridian gave me a lopsided, awkward grin. I felt myself trembling. I felt faint. He extended his hand and I shook it, my fingers numb.

I couldn't breathe.

AN: I had to put that fourth wall break in there, no matter how unprofessional it was. Sorry not sorry. Thanks for reading! If anyone skipped Anna's POV, I'll give you a quick summary: Her best friend was Reaped a few years back and she's felt awful ever since, and this morning all she really did was make breakfast for her brother and put a Reaping dress on.

I can't believe we're on our second to last Reaping! I've attempted SYOTs before and I've never gotten past around three or four chapters, but I think I'm going to finish this one. I already have a vague idea of who might win. Thank you to everyone who has supported this story. You're the reason I keep writing it. Follow, favorite, and review!

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