Hello again sports fans! really sorry for the long wait :( been really busy with work and life and i know it's really no excuse. I apologise if this chapter isn't quite as well-written as my other ones, i suffered some severe writer's block on this one :/ i tried my best though... enjoy!

Nathaniel Grey POV

It's always struck me that District 11 is meant to be responsible for agriculture. For starters, with District 9 looking after grain, and 10 taking care of the livestock. There's really nothing left for us to culture. We've been reduced to picking fruit from trees and harvesting vegetables. Seems like a waste to me. District 11 has the infrastructure to support the work of all three districts yet the capitol keep us separate, even though it could mean opening up new trades and specialties.

I sigh to myself as I bend over and pull a carrot out of the ground. This one happens to be overripe, which means it's been exposed to too many of the growth hormones we have in the fertilizer in order to meet the vast demand on vegetables all over Panem. It's funny, the overripe carrot remind me of me in a way. It was planted at the same time as all the other carrots, and yet it received too much of a good thing, and now it stands out because of it: it's also virtually inedible. I throw the offending vegetable away.

I've always thought differently to the others in District 11. Always questioning, wondering why this and why that. When things didn't make sense to me I'd always voice my opinion. My mother Lena would scold me for being rude, and told me that I should accept what we have and that I can't change anything. I get that she tried to teach me these lessons the only way she knows how, but she can be a pretty cold woman sometimes. My father Argyle on the other hand, now he's the one who has always supported me. He nurtured my naturally curious brain, urging me to think outside the square. He also tells me that I should be trying to make new friends since Michael died, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

We were both 12, and because I was young I just had to open my big mouth. Back then I picked fruit from the large trees we house in the orchards. When I came down to the ground with only a handful of apples I thought that it would be much faster if we could use baskets of some kind that wouldn't restrict our climbing. I walked up to a nearby Peacekeeper and told him what I thought. He just laughed at me and shoved me rather roughly back in the direction of the trees. I was a stubborn young boy, so I held my ground; refusing to do any more work until he let me take my idea to someone of higher authority. I didn't expect him to pull the knife then. He approached me slowly with a mean grimace on his face. I realized too late that this man had no qualms about carving me up to teach me a lesson, so I ran.

I've always been short for my age, even now that I'm 17 my 13 year old brother is nearly as tall as me. My little legs didn't get me far before I felt a hand grab hold of my collar. That's when Michael had stepped in. he was watching from the tree line and decided it was time to intervene. We were like brothers, and in his mind he would have done anything to protect me. So with his chubby little hands he tried to grab hold of the Peacekeeper's arm and tear him away from me. Seeing the new boy, the Peacekeeper had swung backwards with his arm holding the knife and struck Michael in the temple with the pommel of the weapon before taking another swing and slicing my back open from right shoulder blade to my left hip. The blood that flowed made my clothes wet and slippery, the Peacekeeper lost his grip and I ran. I left my best friend behind just lying there on the ground. I didn't know at the time that he had died from the strike to the head, I thought the Peacekeeper had finished him off after I ran.

Ever since I just haven't been able to connect with anyone. I know why, it's the fear. The fear of being hurt again the way I hurt when Michael died. Now the only friend I have is Jimmy, my little brother. I've sworn never to leave him like I left Michael that day. I won't be the cause of anyone else I care about getting hurt.

I hear a trumpet sound and recognize the call for all those eligible for the hunger games to leave the fields and head over to the Reapings. I hate it. Everything that involves the Capitol I despise. If those Peacekeepers hadn't been so vicious I would still have my best friend, and those so called 'Peace' keepers reflect the Capitol's views. Therefore the Capitol is vicious, evidenced enough by these stupid hunger games that are held every year. What could be more terrible than 23 children sacrificed on an altar of blood for the sins of a people destroyed centuries ago? It's despicable.

Despite my feelings, I'm still eligible to be a tribute, and therefore I can't miss the Reapings. I make my way there not really expecting anything special. District 11 Reapings are hardly a flashy event. The crowds are always big though, as many families often have lots of children to help with work and to bring money into the family. My parents decided against that path. While we aren't all that rich, they felt that having children out of love was better than breeding workers. I guess I know where my morality compass comes from.

The escort walks up on stage in her fancy clothes and presents herself to the audience. There's a scattered applause but most remain silent. Feeling incredibly flustered the escort makes her way to the bowl full of Male names. I watch as she pulls out a piece of paper and calls out…

"Jacob Leroy!"

There's a moment of silence before every single person laughs. Jacob Leroy was reaped 3 years ago and made it to the final 5 before he met his end. Somehow his name must not have been removed from the lottery. All the more reason to hate the Capitol; terrible administration.

Now visibly shaking with nerves, the escort reaches another hand in and pulls out a fistful of names, half of which land on the floor. However in the end there is one name clasped between her fingers. With a very shaky voice the escort announces the male tribute from district 11.

"Nathaniel Grey!"

No-one laughs now as I make my way up to the podium. My face is empty but my body is churning with emotions. I feel like I Let Jimmy down. He's my brother and I was meant to protect him, how am I supposed to do that now? I meet his eyes from across the audience and he nods his head. I think he knows he's going to be on his own now. Or, at least until I win these stupid games and show everyone that I'm capable of protecting the ones I love.

Flare Mathews POV

"I've had enough!" Fae screams in frustration as she storms off back to the house. My dad was giving Fae, Beyya and I some extra training before the Reapings this morning, clearly Fae had enough.

"Don't worry about her dad; she's just jealous that we're so much better than her, aint that right sis?" Beyya is asking me to back her up, but as much as Fae tends to give me attitude, she's my sister and I still love her. So rather than answering I shrug my shoulders and get back into the right stance.

We're practicing close combat, always one of my weaker styles, which is why this is the lesson my dad planned for us today. As the three oldest still eligible to be reaped, dad wanted to make sure we were extra prepared. My older brother Jesse is 20 so he's free to do what he wants, but because I'm still 16 I need to train as hard as I can. My dad pushes us to train, even if it means sacrificing some of the work that we need to do to keep our family afloat. I think he's become obsessed since mum died. It happened 6 years ago. I was too young to be reaped so I wasn't affected then, but Jesse and Fae were and they had it bad. Dad wanted us to be safe, but training us became his life. He spent almost all the money we had on swords and spears and virtually any other weapon he could to make sure we were prepared. I could never get used to any of the big weapons, the bow and arrow was always the weapon of choice for me. Maybe it's the complete serenity and stillness required for the weapon that just reflects who I am. The past few years he's calmed down, become more of the dad I remember. He's not so worried anymore.

I've never been too worried myself, life just goes on and its us that need to change in order to fit into the world. That's why we train, to become stronger. Personally I'd much rather be sitting behind the old willow tree with a book in my hand than here but it's what my father wants so i do it for him.

After a few hours of practice we call it a day and head inside. Fortunately I'm the first one back so I get the choice cuts from brunch. What's perhaps unfortunate is that because dad was out training with us my three younger siblings Taylor Garret and Spencer had decided it was their responsibility to make the food. I had half a serving of corn/toast/eggs/whatever else they could get their hands on before excusing myself from the table and ransacking the fridge for something edible. I love my sisters and brother's but trying new things with food is not one of their specialties. They try though, which is good.

Usually we go to the Reapings as a family, a united front. For some reason, today I'm just not feeling up to that. I sneak out the back and smile as I catch a glimpse of Fae spitting her food back up onto her plate in disgust. Well at least the kids know not to experiment with ingredients anymore.

I'm on my own as I make the long walk to the Reapings. I take the moment of peace to breathe in the fresh air. If there's one thing I live about District 11 it's the fresh air. It comes from all the fruit trees and all the orchards. I marvel at all the life that exists around me, the trees, the plants, animals, and insects. Everything has its place and everything in the world works in harmony. It is with that pleasant mindset that I enter the square where the Reapings are to be held. I arrive just as the trumpet to stop work sounds. Within minutes people are arriving, a throng all dressed in their worker's clothes. I look around for my family and I see them standing near the back of the crowd. In district 11 we dispensed with the archaic tradition of separation the prospective tributes by age and sex years ago.

"Where did you go?" my dad asks as I arrive. "We missed you at brunch"

"I was there I just left early, needed to get some air."

My dad seems satisfied with the answer and stands back up again, his attention fully focused on the podium. I turn around when I hear the escort call the male tributes name. Beyya laughs along with the rest when Jacob's name gets called. I don't find it so funny. Jacob went to my school and I vaguely knew him. It wasn't funny to watch him get reaped the first time.

The escort recovers slightly but loses it again, grabbing almost all the names out in one quick movement. In the end she still only holds one name in her hand. Nathaniel gets called, again a kid at my school, though he's in the year level above me. I don't know him so well, but he's always struck me as the silent type, always alone at lunch, when he comes to school and isn't working that is.

My attention returns to the Escort as she reaches into the bowl of female names, with a little more grace this time. Only a few other names spill this time, but she's left with two names in her hand. Just when I thought she couldn't embarrass herself any more, I watch as she does eeny-meeny-miney-mo with the two names. I might've laughed too, if the name she called out next wasn't "Flare Mathews."

To think, I'm forced to enter a death match all because my piece of paper lost at eeny-meeny. My family is shocked, and I can see that all their faces reflect the pain they feel inside. I know that any of them would volunteer for me if they could, but we all know that I was always the best at my father's training, if any of us have a chance to survive the hunger games, it's me.

So that's another chapter down, i would start on D12 reaping's but i'm honestly too tired and anything i write now would be absolute rubbish. So i'm jut gonna have to wait untill tomorrow when my head is a lot clearer and my ideas can flow a lot easier. Until then, enjoy yourselves; and wherever you are have a happy valentine's day!