"Never before had I imagined leaving home, but that wasn't because of lack of desire, only lack of possibility." -Melanie Benjamin

District Three's Nessa Christine Johnston's POV

Here I stood in this train, which was absolutely breathtaking as it was the most beautifully designed place I had ever encountered. It was even better than the inside of the justice building, and that was really saying something, because as of not too long ago, the inside of the justice building was the best looking thing I had ever been inside.

With the silver coloured walls, the clear glass tables with glossy gold frames and spotless glass windows that gave the perfect view to the outside world, it was nothing short of a wonderful sight.

And to make things even better, the gold framed table was covered with food and drinks that I had never seen before, let alone heard of.

As soon as I saw the food in front of me, I felt my stomach growl while my mouth watered as my mind thought of how delicious those things in front of me must be before I started to reach for the piles of food in front of me and started to eat it without a second thought. And god was it unbelievably good. The sauce, the richness, the flavour, the mere fact that it was food in my mouth, it was so good. So good that I wanted to just reach out and eat with my hands instead of eating it slowly with a fork and knife. But my parents had taught me to have manners, and I was going to keep it that way. I didn't want the Capitol to think that I was a slob. That could hurt my chances at sponsors, even if manners were the least of my problems when in the arena.

I may have been slowed down by the silverware, but even so, I still occasionally chocked on some food and had to either hack it out of my throat or swallow it down with my saliva or with a drink of some kind. I choose to stick with water, as I didn't really know what else to ask for. And even though I had just chocked on food, I resumed eating as soon as I felt no pain anymore. The food was that good and I was that hungry.

Also added with the fact that I had a lot of pent up energy inside of me that I was just dying to release.

I didn't like standing still, so this was doubling as a way for me to remain seated and keep me from running up and down the train.

"I'm glad that you at least have some decency," My half green, half red haired escort told me before looking towards the most feared creature in District Three, surrounded by five active peacekeepers in white body armour.

Their armour wasn't the thickest, or the strongest that I had ever seen, but it offered more protection than your average uniform. And I knew that they weren't wearing it to just be intimidating or looking tough. Knowing the creature in front of me, I knew that they'd need that protection, even if he is being restrained by a tight jacket with thick, sturdy belts that tied is arms together along with the thick blindfold that prevented him from seeing what was in front of him and the thick metal mask in front of his mouth. "Unlike someone here."

I didn't look, but I could still hear Tharizdun, or as he was better known as, the collector, trying to noisily eat the food in front of him by forcefully shoving it through his metal face mask due to his restraints. I didn't know if he was actually succeeding or not, but from the way he was sounding, it could be either one of them.

Beating his face against the table, it might have been funny, if it weren't him that was doing it.

That person was responsible for a confirmed count of killing twenty seven girls in the district, and that enough would have made people scared of him as he managed to get away with that many murders right under their noses. But that wasn't the worst of it. What was worse about those murders was that he wouldn't just kill them. From what I heard, he'd kidnap them, rape them, choose a body part and rip if off of his victim while keeping it for himself, then finally, he'd rip out their throat and let them bleed to death.

The only reason he was caught was because his last victim, would be victim twenty eight, escaped from his hide out, got out, and told the peacekeepers what had been happening. He was then hunted down by them before being thrown into solitary confinement.

I don't understand why they didn't kill him, that would have made things a whole lot easier. Because if he had been killed, like other murderers were, he wouldn't be in front of me now, slamming his face into the table and scaring me with his mere presents. If he were dead, that would also mean that I wouldn't be going into the games with him. And that, scared me even more then the games itself, as it only made it worse.

I was a girl, he targeted girls. I was twelve, his victims were between the ages of twelve and fifteen. If I get unlucky, he could do the very same thing to me as he had done to those other girls. I could be victim number twenty eight.

But that wouldn't happen to me. No. It wasn't going to happen to me because I was going to stay as far away from him as possible in the arena. And in the arena, they don't like psychotic, mentally challenged rapists like him. The Capitol would kill him before he even got a chance to hurt me. I'd be fine if I survive the bloodbath, because he wouldn't be here anymore. And if he didn't die in the bloodbath, he'd die as soon as he even thought of raping someone.

And he was always surrounded by five peacekeepers wherever he went, he couldn't hurt me with all of them around even if he wanted to.

It made me feel better and more confident that I was going to return home as I thought of the collector dying by the hands of the Capitol.

"Who's that?" I heard him ask through his metal mask, making his thick, deep, and rough voice sound even more evil than it already was. "I don't think I've ever heard that voice before."

"That's your escort." A young peacekeeper, probably twenty of age, told him in a not so nice manner. Somehow, I didn't think that they'll ever be nice to him. And why would they? He had made their lives a living hell trying to find him. And I bet they felt like the majority of the district as well, they wanted to get rid of him, but something was keeping them from doing just that. "Now shut up and keep quiet."

"Can I see her?" The collector asked. "I want to see her. I want to see her. I want to see her. I want to see her." Why did he have to repeat words like that? Was it because he wasn't totally sane, or did he have brain damage? Both?

"No you may fucking not." The young peacekeeper replied back harshly, causing our escort to give him a dirty look.

"Language." She told him in an equally harsh tone.

"And what part of shut up and keep quiet did you not understand." He continued, like he hadn't heard what the Capitol woman had just said.

Through the voices of them talking, I was glad that the blindfold wasn't going to be removed, I didn't want him to see me.

"Well then," The collector said, not listening very well to the peacekeeper's orders. "Can you at least remove this annoying muzzle of yours so that I can eat?"

From the way he talked, I could tell that he was smiling. But why would he be smiling? There was nothing to smile about. Was there? Was there something that I couldn't see?

"What part of shut the fuck up," The peacekeeper growled angrily as Starbright continued to glare at him.

"Did you not hear me wh-"

"Don't you understand!" He shouted, interrupting our escort's speech before I heard something slam against the table as something broke. Most likely a dish or something of the like. It was so sudden that it scared me, causing me to jump in my seat and shriek.

I looked up to see that the young peacekeeper had smashed Tharizdun's head into the table, destroying a plate of food before two older peacekeepers pulled him off his victim. Bits of food fell from the collector's face like peeling skin.

"Hey!" One of the older peacekeepers shouted at his younger companion. "Calm down, Marco!"

"Screw you, Lawrence! You know that guy deserved it."

"We have our orders from the Capitol," The elder said to the youngster. "No force unless it's necessary."

"It was necessary."

"No it damn well wasn't!"

"Language again!" The escort shouted bitterly at the fighting peacekeepers. "I don't want to hear those filthy, uncivilized words come out your mouths for the rest of the trip!"

"Oh piss off lady," The young peacekeeper, Marco, retorted to Starbright, not looking the least bit happy. He didn't even seem to care what she wanted.

"Shut up god damn it." The older peacekeeper, Lawrence, growled at him, trying to better the situation before it got worse.

"Both of you should just shut up and do your jobs in silence." Starbright told them harshly. "The Capitol might not be too happy with your performance if I told them how you acted like a pack of wild animals." She clearly threatened. It was enough for the peacekeepers to at least not fight anymore as their bodies calmed down, but not their attitudes.

"You got lucky, Zap." Marco quickly added.

Before Tharizdun swiftly stood from his chair and turned to the five peacekeepers.

"My name is Tharizdun you dumb ass!" He raged.

Marco backed away a step, but quickly regained his confidence in time to join his allies shove down the collector.

The collector, he easily towered all of them and looked at least as strong, if not, stronger than the most muscular peacekeeper in the group. All of that just made him look scarier than he already was. A terrifying figure to go with his terrifying reputation and deeds.

Why did I have to be with him? Of all the people, why did I have to be reaped with him? At least the peacekeepers could keep in him place until the gamemakers got rid of him.

"Sit your ass back down!" An older peacekeeper ordered before all five peacekeepers forcefully shoved him back down into his seat, an action that required a strike to the back of his knee. I continued to eat in an attempt to stop my hands from shacking.

Being hyper and scared wasn't a good combination as I wanted to do nothing more than to jump from my seat and run away as fast as I possibly could. But at least I wasn't the collector right now. Heh, at least I could eat and not be pushed around, unlike him. I was in a good spot right now. Unlike him.

"Do any of you want to see the reapings?" A male voice called out, just in time to interrupt Starbright from saying anything. Most likely it was to point out that the eldest peacekeeper was using inappropriate language again.

I'm guessing that it was an attempt to defuse the situation before it got anymore out of hand. It's a good thing he was trying to do that, because it could have escalated into the escort doing something to those peacekeepers, causing Tharizdun to be left unguarded, which wouldn't be anything less then a disaster. "Because I certainly do. I wonder what kind of tributes you're both going to be meeting."

And before anyone could answer, Ampf Tressel, our twenty six year old male mentor and winner of the one hundred and thirtieth Hunger Games, turned on the T.V set and guided us to the re-cap of the reapings. "Everyone turn your attention to the screen, the District One reaping re-caps are almost starting."

I turned to the T.V screen to see that District One text appear over the Panem seal. I wondered what kind of tributes would be shown. What kind of tributes I'd have to go against to make it out alive.

I wouldn't doubt that I was the youngest one in the games.

"You know," Our escort spoke out. "It's unfair for him to be blindfolded while we watch the re-cap of the reapings."

Oh no, I thought as I listened to those words coming out of her mouth. "Remove the blind fold of that man." All that would do would make thing worse. Removing his blindfold was a very, very bad idea.

"No." Marco told her bitterly. "We're not removing the blindfold."

Our escort glared angrily at the young peacekeeper.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" She asked harshly. "I told you to remove that blind fold."

"And I told you no you crazy bitch," Marco replied back in an equally harsh tone. "Do you have any idea-"

"Shut up kid." Lawrence snarled. I prayed that she was just listen to that young peacekeeper and have a rational thought. There was a reason why he was dressed up like that. There was a reason he was being escorted by armed peacekeepers. There was a reason that you were scared of him during the reapings. Please, just please, listen to your common sense.

"Kid," Starbright said to him. "Do you have any idea what happens to people that make the Capitol angry?" The room suddenly became eerily silent. The tension became high enough that I could feel it, and I wasn't even part of the conversation. "So," Starbright said with a superior tone, as she, and everyone else, couldn't deny that she was the one that was really in charge. "You want to take that blind fold off now."

"Just do it, Marco." A third peacekeeper said. "Do as she says."

"It's not worth fighting her for." A fourth peacekeeper added.

I then heard someone, probably Marco, sigh heavily, angrily, annoyed. It was the sigh of someone that was both defeated and doing something they'd rather not, before I heard the sound of fabric being pulled down.

"So this is where I've been this entire time." I heard Tharizdun say roughly.

I didn't look at him. I didn't want to look at him. I kept my gaze at the T.V set, but I could feel his eyes looking at me, and it creped me out. "Hi there girl," He said to me, causing the hair on my skin to rise up as fear ran deep. "We're going to have a lot of fun, the two of us."

"No you won't." Marco told him as loud cheering occurred from the T.V.

At least with the peacekeepers around, I was safe from him.

I turned my attention to the T.V and took some quick mental notes on the tributes we were going to face.

In District One, there were two volunteers, a tall, muscular boy wearing a jewel encrusted suit and a beautiful blond haired girl. The boy looked strong, but the girl didn't, though she did look like she was well feed. Something that would aid her heavily along with being a career.

In District Two, brutal fighting erupted for the volunteers. I was shocked when I saw the District Two tribute, a small girl that looked my age. She had volunteered. Most twelve year olds try to stay away from the games, but she leapt right in. Why would she do that? She was like me in age and size. This, Howl Draconix, what was going through her mind? The male tribute looked more career like than her with a muscular look.

Then came our reapings. Me trying to cover up my sadness, but it quickly falling apart as I reached the stage. Then came the collector whose anger could be seen clearly. His name called, him claiming that it wasn't his real name, him getting jumped on by peacekeepers and audience members alike, cheering from the audience, fear from those on stage. The fear that was on my face intensified as I realized who I was going into the games with.

Then came District Four. It had one reaped girl and one volunteer. The reaped girl was like me, she tried to cover up her feelings, but failed.

In District Five, there was a girl who acted like a spoiled brat and a boy who was hated throughout his district. Guessing from his red eyes and white hair, I'd guess he was an Albino, someone with a mutation.

It all flew by until I reached District Seven, when our escort said that District Seven had a couple of cry babies reaped. I then saw that the boy and girl were crying on stage. How much I wanted to do that on stage. I didn't though, and I appeared to be stronger than those two. Something that wouldn't go unnoticed.

I tuned out, distracted by the eyes that were looking at me, until someone called out I volunteer. I turned back to reality because I was interested. We were passed the career districts, who'd volunteer? The boy confidently announced his name, Arrowe Winter. What was he thinking? Did he have a death wish or what?

In District Ten, there was a thirteen year old boy who cried and said that he didn't want to go while the girl vomited on stage. Our escort made rude comments on the tributes before it moved on to District Eleven, which I turned out of. I didn't get back into it until I heard people ohhing, yelling, and cheering? I then saw that the District Twelve escort had gotten hit in the face with a hard object and her nose was bleeding.

The tributes that got called by the bleeding escort was a pale, malnourished girl with blond hair that somehow managed to remain pretty. The boy was the opposite of her. He had a rounded figure and looked like he had trouble just getting onto the stage.

"So," Our escort asked looking at me. "What do you think?"

"Some of them are, interesting." I told her. And it was true, some of them were interesting. But the ones that stood out to me were the District Two girl, the collector, the District Seven tributes, the District Nine male, and the thirteen year old boy from Ten. The girl from Two because she was my age, the boy from Ten because he was young, the District Seven tributes because they cried, the girl from Ten because she cried and puked, the District Nine boy because he was a volunteer, and the collector for obvious reasons.

"What do you think?" The escort asked the collector.

"I think there are some lovely girls in there." He laughed. Reminding me once again why I should fear him. "I want them, I want them, I want them." I had a bad feeling about this.

District One's Griffin Holloway's POV

"What tributes should we get for our alliance?" My district partner asked me. What a stupid question to ask, she should know how this works.

"The usual." I told her. That meant the tributes from our district plus Two and Four. That's how it usually is, although some of them do go astray, and sometimes tributes from other districts join if they prove themselves worthy enough.

"Yeah, I knew that," Lynsa said, like I didn't know better, which annoyed me. If she had any brains inside that head of her's she wouldn't have asked me that question and should have known what my answer was. "I meant anyone besides our normal career buddies."

Hmmm, that was a thought. A question that was actually useful.

There was that guy from Three.

Apparently he was so dangerous, that they had to place him in a straightjacket, blind fold him, and place a face muzzle on him. He could be useful, even if he was simply dumb muscle.

On the other hand, I wasn't sure about the girl from Two and the girl from Four. Two was only twelve, and Four was reaped. We couldn't have anyone slow us down and be a burden, it would only come and bite us in the ass later. And then there was the District Nine volunteer. He might have something up his sleeve that could prove useful, after all, he did volunteer.

The rest of the non-careers looked like losers, just like they were just about every year.

"District Three and District Nine." I told her. They might be of use to us. "The males."

"I don't know about Three," She said worryingly. "It took over five peacekeepers to put him down, and he doesn't look like the most sane person, do you really think that's a good idea?"

I gave a quick exhale of breath, questioning how she could think that it wasn't a good idea. If in fact it did turn out to be a bad idea, we could easily just stab him in the back. Those peacekeepers didn't have lethal weapons, so they couldn't really kill him, even if they wanted to. But in the arena, we could put him down permanently if he became a problem. Simple.

Nothing solved a problem in the arena better than decapitating said problem. That, and a well placed plan. Both of which I'd accomplish when the time came.

"He's useful." I told her.

"Yeah. In the mean time, we'll check out the District Nine boy, we'll see how he is in training, and then we'll make our decision."

My thoughts exactly. I nodded my head to show her that. "I'm also thinking of the District Eleven male, he looks strong enough to handle himself."

Strength. That kid did look like he had strength behind him, but strength isn't everything. To survive in the games, you had to have a plan to back it up as well. That was what made my older brother, Dragon, die. He thought that he could win with skill alone. I wasn't going to make that mistake. I was going to plan this all out from moment we made our alliance. I'd see their strengths and weaknesses, see who'd be the biggest threat and who'd be the smallest threat. Then in the arena, I'd form a plan using the environment. With both my skills and my plans, I'd be more then a match for any tribute in the arena.

The only reason Arrowe Winter was being considered coming into the alliance along with the District Three male was because he didn't seem to be volunteering for no reason. He had been willing to go into the games by himself, and nobody stupid would have done that. He had a plan, and that meant that he wasn't some brainless brute.

"Try to check out the other tributes as well," Our female mentor, Aphrodite Amari, told us. "Some of them might be hiding something. Those District Sevens may seem like cry babies now, but what if they're hiding behind fake emotions? District Seven does have almost career like tributes."

Those two criers, career like? Don't make me laugh. But she had a point, they might be hiding behind fake emotions to draw in sympathetic sponsors. Or they might just want to be left alone until there are only a few of us left then kill us all. Tributes have done that before. And District Seven did have skilled tributes from time to time, but those two babies were nothing like them. They didn't have the looks to be a killer. They didn't have that feel, that aura around them. I wouldn't be surprised to see them dead after the bloodbath was over.

"I don't know Aphrodite," Lynsa sighed. "They might be, but, let's further this conversation when we meet Two and Four in the training center. Then we can see what the other tributes are capable of."

"Lets." I told her while grabbing a bottle of clear fizzy liquid. In the training center, we'd see how well the other tributes perform, and then we'd make our pack from there.

A/N: A little change on Nessa's part.

I should spend more time editing, I want to get to the bloodbath by early December. Wither or not that'll happen, we'll see.

If I learn how to create a website for this story, well, be prepared to see pictures of the tributes some time after the next chapter is posted. And this time, the pictures hopefully won't get deleted.