Sorry, sorry for the long update and sorry for my previously mediocre writing. I do hope that I have improved

Amaryllis got home from school with a smile plastered on her face. She managed to get a high score on a test. She skipped through the front door and greeted her parents a good afternoon. Her father's face lit up with joy upon seeing her. He put his liquor down and got up to greet her.

"Had a great day, sweetheart?" he asked her.

"I most certainly did, dad. I got the highest score on my math test. Where's mom? I want to show her my paper."

"She's in the kitchen making our supper. Keep up the good work!"

"I will!" She exclaimed gleefully.

She waltzed into their kitchen. Her mother hear her approaching and smiled at her.

"I take it you had a wonderful day."

"I got the highest score, mom and I thought I was going to fail."

"I'm really proud of you, sweetie." she smiled.

After a brief moment her father joined them. She looked at her parents lovingly. Everything that she thought has happened has never actually happened. She never lived in Panem, there is no dystopian government, she was never an orphan and there's no such thing as the Hunger Games.

For some unexplained reason her sight became blurry and she lost all of her senses. Her parents smiling faces suddenly blurred into the darkness. She was alone; she tried to scream but no sound came out of her mouth. She wanted to cry but the tears refused to fall.

She couldn't move; she found herself paralyzed in what appears to be the deepest depths of hell. Alone in the darkness; alone in her own solitude, no one could possibly save her. Then again, maybe she doesn't want to be saved. Maybe solitude is better than the pain; the pain of knowing that you could potentially hurt everyone you care about for merely existing.

Maximilian was willing to die in the arena for her sake, Granny Dorothy, one of the orphanage's workers would look at her with contempt yet would appear fearful of something whenever she's around, Rye would've been more popular without her dragging him down and she would've spared her parents from all of the pain she has/will cost them if she never existed.

A blinding light appeared before her. She questions herself; is the light the enemy or the friend and what about the darkness. It hides the things that we don't want to see and hides us from the people wherein we don't want them to see us and the light would reveal all of this. It would open us to the truth that we don't want to know.

Eventually the darkness faded away and she could feel herself able to move once again.

"Up up up! Today's a big big big big day!" Effie's cheerful voice broke her away from her slumber.

Amayllis sat up surprised. She was sweaty all over and a part of her hasn't fully recovered from her dream. She looked at her mother, terror-stricken.

Effie immediately noticed the fear in her daughter's eyes. She rushed towards her and wrapped her arms around her in a comforting embrace. Amaryllis heaved heavily and said nothing.

"Everything alright sweetie?" She asked.

She looked at her mother; making sure that this was no longer a dream. She smiled at her; knowing that she truly is back in her mother's arms. She savored that moment for a few minutes before breaking away from the embrace and replied "It was just a dream, nothing more. I guess I'll just need some breakfast, mom."

Of course dreams are merely thoughts; they can never physically harm her and they'll be over soon so she shouldn't fear them. Reality on the other hand, is something else-something much much worse.

Effie still looked at her daughter with concern but nevertheless she tried to shrug it off for there are more pressing matters at hand.

"Alright sweetheart, today's the interview."

"I know but what's my 'strategy'?" Amaryllis asked.

Haymitch pondered for a brief moment before replying "I think cute and innocent is more of your style."

This confused her; if everyone's impression on her would be cute and innocent then how will she ever win? Shouldn't she be showing them her aggressive and vicious side? "Dad, you can't be serious? H-how can I win?"

"Ah well, these people would always go for the good-looking ones. You can pull it off; you're twelve, you're cute and you're somewhat clueless." he said in reply.

Amaryllis raised her eyebrows upon hearing her father's latest statement. How can she be clueless? She has lived in one of the poorest districts, she grew up without any parents and she was thrown into the Hunger Games. If there's someone who should know about the real world that's her. "C-clueless?"

"Yeah, I think it's something that you took from your mother." he smirked.

"Ah, somebody's gonna be sleeping on the couch tonight."

Haymitch raised an eyebrow and looked at his daughter with mocked suspicion "What was that?"

"Oh nothing..." she replied sarcastically.

"You'll be fine, shouldn't be too hard right?" Despite having known his daughter for only a few days he's confident that she can pull off the interview easily. He recalled his own interview; it wasn't that hard for him and his daughter seemed to have more people skills compared to him. She'll probably appeal to the public better than he did he thinks.

"Fine, it's not like I have any other choice..."

"Well, I guess you should go to your mother for 'Capitol' training."

"Capitol training?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know... Smiling, acting all perky and bubbly when you're not, following certain manners; stuff that your mother normally does...

"It sounded a lot like you hated all of that."

"Well I do, sweetheart..."

"You know dad, I would sometimes wonder how I was even created in the first place." She joked.

Haymitch noticed her smart remark and decided to make a smart remark of his own. "So you want your mother and I to demonstrate it for ya?" He of course, has no plans of ever doing it.

She cheeks turned bright red from the embarrassment. She looked down onto the floor and replied "Erm, no."

Amaryllis rushed away from her father; trying to avoid an awkward conversation about what her parents does behind closed doors.

Amaryllis caught on with her mother's lesson pretty easily. She doesn't like the fact that she'll have to pretend to be in favor of the Hunger Games but what other choice does she have but to comply. She wanted to win.

After a few moments with her mother she was sent to Cinna. Immediately she noticed that he had something on his mind. She looked at him with suspicion and he soon noticed.

He was more concerned about her than himself really and he was afraid that he did something that could make her react to him like that so with genuine concern he asked her if she had any problems.

"Something on your mind?" she replied defensively.

It was then that Cinna knew the root of her concerns. He crouched down to her level and smiled "Don't worry your secrets are safe with me.

"M-my secret? Y-you m-mean my parents"

"I could tell that they're very proud of how you turned out."

"B-but t-they want me to win. I do to but I don't think I can."

Cinna smiled at her gently and said with pure honesty "Listen, you've come this far; you managed to walk up that stage without shedding a tear, you had the courage to provoke the gamemakers. Age never mattered; you can do this. You have enough fire in you..."

"I-I just don't want to do this..." She felt the tears slowly stream down her face. She hugged her stylist and he circled his arms protectively around her in return.

"I know, I'm sorry this happened to you. I wish I could do something more but I truly believe that you can win."

Amaryllis was the first one to broke off the hug. She gave him a sad smile and replied "But you already did. Thank you, thank you very much."

Cinna walked towards a cardboard box. He promptly opened it, grabbed the delicately placed dress inside and raised it up to show her. Amaryllis gasped in astonishment.

"I take it that you like it." Cinna smirked.

Amaryllis could only nod in reply.

After the preparations. She was lead to her seat and she sat down with the other tributes; listening in on the other interviews before her. She drew circles with her index on her dress; it was a nervous reaction.

The careers talked about their immense skill and strength. All of them looked threatening but the boy from District 2 was the one that Amaryllis feared most. He was one of the few who volunteered; he was big, muscular, very skilled in weaponry and his eyes were cold and merciless. He can easily snap her neck like a twig if he wishes too; she tried not to think about it though.

She then heard her name called. She anxiously got up and put on her best smile.

A sad and delicate flower hides beneath the fake smile...

Okay, I'm really sorry this took a while but I do hope that you guys liked this chapter...

I also need your help with something; we all know that Katniss was known as "The Girl on Fire" and I need something to call Amaryllis I'm contemplating between "The Sparkling Flower of District 12" or "District 12's Sparkling Star". I was going to call her "The Sparkling Diamond" but then I realized something- she's not Satine. Seriously, she's a 12-year old tribute from Panem not a famous courtesan working in a well-known cabaret from 19th century France XD.

Sorry, I'm just getting major Moulin Rouge! (2001) feels. If you guys haven't watched the movie yet, I highly recommend it.

Anyways, please review when you all have time :D