Athea DiMae

"Athea?" A small boy's voice that belongs to my brother whispers to me from under the covers.

"Yes Micah?"

"Are we going to die?"

"No, Micah, we're going to be fine. Now rest."

"But I'm so hungry," he whines.

"I know and I am too, but if you sleep you won't have to think about how hungry you are."

He is silent and I wait up until I hear his deep breathing. I sigh and sit up from my makeshift bed I have created on the floor.

When Micah asks if we are going to die he isn't worried about the Hunger Games that are going to begin tomorrow. Instead, my brother worries about the fact that we have hardly anything to eat or drink. Our parents, who were crusaders for the rebellion, were killed in a lab explosion a few months ago.

They told us it had been an accident, but I know better than that. Many high-profile rebel scientists who had helped design technology for the rebellion were in that lab that day. It seems to be too much of a coincidence for my liking.

After their death they shut off all the utilities to the house. Nobody knows we are here except my best friend Fahrin. His parents were among mine who died in the explosion but luckily for him he was able to move in with his elderly great-grandmother. I have no clue where any of our other family is, but they sure aren't here to save my brother and I.

There are other options for this situation. Well there's one option, and that's the community home where they send orphans who have no other family. I swear I will not go there because of the awful things I've heard. I know they abuse the children there, and brainwash them with Capitol propaganda. Surely my brother and I would be split up, and I'll never see him again. I'd rather starve in here than have those things happen to me.

Plans of another rebellion fuel my drive to live. My father and mother have a lot of books here. The citizens of District 3 are lucky because we are privileged with many books that other districts aren't even allowed to know about. These books contain the world's knowledge, even before Panem existed and at night I studied them as I planned the beginnings of another rebellion.

There's another part of this plan as well. My parent's had been currently working on a big project, one that the Capitol needed to destroy. This is why I believe they bombed the lab that day. However, there was a microchip with the stored information located in another lab of my parent's. Before the Capitol raided it I went in to take it.

That was the day I received the gunshot wound on the back of my leg from a Peacekeeper. I think he thought I was dead, but I crawled away into hiding. I buried the microchip under the skin from my wound, knowing it would be safe there and carefully I removed the bullet and bandaged my wounds. I was lucky that the bullet only wedged itself in muscle and fat instead of hitting a vein or tendon.

The microchip still remains embedded in my leg, and there it will stay until I need the information on it. As far as the Capitol knows the information has been destroyed.

These Hunger Games, however, threaten to ruin the plans of another rebellion. The population has now seemed to be subdued as if being submissive to the Capitol will keep their children from dying.

I don't believe any of that nonsense, and I'll keep the idea of the rebellion alive as long as I live.

Lucian "Chip" Sparx

"So if I mix this with this vial and heat it I should be able to recreate the chemicals that were used in some of the explosives by the Capitol… and then I can just… uh-oh."

My reflexes are too slow to catch the vial that I just bumped with my elbow. It falls over and releases the liquid onto a powdery substance I had just spent the past week creating.

The result is not good as a loud explosion erupts that shakes the ceiling and sends me toppling over.

Amateur mistake, I think to myself.

"What the hell is going on in there?" My grandfather's voice is louder than the preceding explosion and I quickly get to my feet and try to swat the flames out.

"Nothing Grandfater," but I know it's no use because in a short time he will be in here.

As I pat the last of the flames out in a hurry my lab coat catches on fire, and I begin flailing around. I immediately fall to the ground and begin rolling back and forth to suppress the flames.

The door suddenly crashes open and there stands Gregorio Sparx, a 56 year-old with 26-year-old's brain. What a Neanderthal.

"Boy what are you doing? Get up from there! What is this mess?"

"I'm sorry Grandfather, I was just trying to…"

"You were just doing one of those ridiculous science projects. Look at you!" He walks over and lifts up my thin arm. "No muscle, no color. You need to get outside more."

I stare blankly at him.

"I'm sick of seeing you in here Lucian! Get out of here right now."

I listen to my grandfather and meekly walk out of the room. Who knows what he's going to do with the rest of my experiment… well what's left of it that is.

I'm sick of living with my grandfather, and I haven't even been here for that long. It wasn't long ago that my parents, who had actually fostered my genius were teaching me science, philosophy, giving me their old books and my own lab area.

Unfortunately my parents were taken away from me from both the Capitol and the rebels. When it comes to the two sides of the rebellion I am unbiased. I hate them equally.

My father had built force fields for the Capitol; he was an expert in his field, while my mother was helping the rebels by building them weaponry. The opposing sides killed them, rebels shot my father after a break-in at the Capitol, and my mother died in an 'accidental' explosion. At least that's what the Capitol would tell you, I however have analyzed the situation from all sides and I'm positive that their story does not hold true.

"Hey Elephant Ears!"

Oh no.

I ducked behind the broken brick wall I was sitting on, but it's too late, they've already seen me.

"Come here Dumbo!" Another one yells. "We just want you to teach us one of your experiments."

That's my cue to run, and I move as fast as my gangly legs will take me. One picks up a rock and it hits me in the back of the head, throwing me off balance. I trip and skid through the gravel. They stand there and laugh as I scramble to my feet.

"Get him!"

I know I will not be able to outrun them for long; I am just not fast enough. I try anyways, but one them grabs me by my coat.

This is it. I close my eyes and attempt to cover my face.

"Hey! What do you guys think you're doing?"

"Nothing Aloicious, we were just playing with Lucy here, weren't we?"

I don't say anything and make eye contact Aloicious. He detects my fear and comes over and grabs me away.

"Don't touch him."

Aloicious has authority around here. He's well liked by many; especially the girls and people generally respect him.

The boys who were chasing me put their hands up.

"Alright Aloicious, whatever you say."

I brush the dirt from the clothing.

"You alright Chip?" Aloicious looks me over.

"I'm fine, they had only just caught me."

Alocious was the only friend I could say I had. We shared the thirst for knowledge and often compared experiments. I immediately go into detail about my most recent experiment that was ruined.

"That's rough," he says after I'm done. "If you need any help I'd be glad to come over and help you restart."

"Sure, that'd be great maybe tomorrow or…"

"Chip, you know what tomorrow is right?"

Yes the reapings, it had almost slipped my mind.

"Oh yes, I forgot, but afterwards we can."

"If we both make it," he says.

I begin calculating how many people there must be in our district. Its population is smaller but there still has to be at least a thousand. Then I calculate how many children each adult couple would have then half of those would be boys and that still leaves me with a pretty big number plus I'm only fourteen so my name is only in the bowl three times compared to the 18-year-olds who have seven entries.

"I don't think we'll be going," I finally deduced.

"Chip, sometimes experiments don't go as planned, even if they're theoretically supposed to."

Athea DiMae

Micah and I have not been able to risk going to school, so during the day I spend my time tutoring him, and when Fahrin gets home later he will tutor me on what I am missing. I also have the hundreds of books that are waiting to be explored to learn from.

Knowledge is of the top priority, not just to me, but also for anyone who lives in District 3.

Fahrin arrives in the late afternoon and he is a welcoming sight. I've been stuck in the house all day, and I've been itching to go outside and see someone, but Fahrin provides something new.

"Hey Athea," he gives me a hug, and my face feels warm. I back away and ask him what we're learning today.

"A lot in a very short amount of time," he's right because the reapings are only a few hours away, "but first I have something." He reaches into his knapsack and pulls out something wrapped in a cloth. He unravels it and there's a whole loaf of bread.

Micah smells it and jumps up to Fahrin, begging him for a piece. Fahrin breaks it off for him and Micah devours it.

"Thank you Fahrin. Thank you so much."

"No problem, my grandmother made tons."

We find a spot and he begins teaching me advanced mathematics. Math isn't necessarily my favorite but I pay attention and watch the clock.

"That's about it then." He says an hour or so later, and he gathers his books and piles them into his bag. "I'd love to stay, but you know."

I nod, and look over at Micah who is dozing by the window.

"Promise me something Fahrin."

"Anything."

"If I have to go to the Capitol today, promise me you'll come back for Micah and…" my voice breaks, "make sure he has somewhere to stay." I'm referring to the community home, but I can't say it

"Of course, I'll see you there then."

I nod and force a smile.

"Hey now," he puts his hand under my chin, "keep your head up."

A real smile forms and I wave to him.

I try my best to make myself look decent, and then I scour through my mother's closet until I find the light blue dress I want. When I slip it over my head I look into the mirror to see my reflection. My hair is a bright red flame of curls piled on top of my head.

I once read about different cultures in one of my mother's books and I remembered seeing the pictures of the Scottish and Irish people who were known for their bright red hair and freckles. I often wondered if those were my ancestors and if that's where I had come from, wherever those places were.

Micah is asleep when I get downstairs. I stir him awake and he blinks sleep out of his eyes.

"You look pretty," he says.

"Well thank you Micah. I have to go to that place we talked about, okay? I'll be back soon, and if I can't make it back Fahrin will find you."

Micah nods. "I'll save you some bread for later."

"I appreciate it," I scruff up his already messy hair and make my way to the square.

After going through a talk from the mayor, a talk from escort, and a video filled with silly Capitol propaganda I find myself crossing my fingers as our escort, Adonis, who had shocking blue hair crossed to the male reaping bowl.

"Alright, our male tribute from District 3 is," he stares at the slip for a while before taking a deep breath, "Lucian Sparx."

I scan the crowd and see a small boy making his way from the back of the crowd. He looks like he came straight from the lab without bothering to make himself look decent. His jeans are baggy and his lab coat hangs long down to his knees. I try to gauge his reaction and he looks stunned.

"Alright my boy, come on up here!" Adonis puts his arm around Lucian and squeezes him laughing loudly into the microphone.

"Now time for the girls," he walks over to the glass bowl but I'm staring at Lucian. He reminds me of somebody or something, I'm not even sure.

"Athea DiMae!"

"Huh," I snap out of my thoughts and glance to the stage. Adonis has just said my name. This means I must go to the games, this means my brother must go to the community home.

"No, no, no," I whisper.

Adonis asks Lucian and I to shake hands when we are on stage and he holds his hand out awkwardly. I grab it and his handshake is limp. This kid is the epitome of awkward, but he reminds me of my brother with his crazy ginger hair, and overall disposition.

Then it hits me. Sparx, that was the last name of one of my mother and father's colleagues who was at the lab that same fateful day it exploded.

I remember hearing that their son was one of the brightest of his generation. This kid may actually be some kind of weapon, somewhere under his baggy clothes and pale skin there was one of the biggest brains in Panem.

I raise my eyebrows at him and he looks at me curiously, before turning away and facing the crowd.

Lucian "Chip" Sparx

I cannot fathom what has just happened to me. How could I have not predicted this, or controlled the outcome? What is my chance for survival? 1 in 24? That's not even a 5% chance!

All I can think of is how many projects will go unfinished. My only goal in life was to achieve some sort of intellectual fulfillment, and now it's already over. I begin to cry as I imagine all the things I will not be able to achieve now that I have been sentenced to death, and I suddenly form a new hatred for the rebels for instigating this rebellion instead of leaving bygones be bygones. If it hadn't been for them, my parents would be alive and these games wouldn't be happening.

I have to win, I suddenly realized. I cannot shy away from this I must face this head-on. I am intelligent there must be something I can do. I reach into my lab coat pockets and find a long strand of copper wire. I begin twisting it before securing it onto my ankle.

I will get out alive.

Athea DiMae

Fahrin and my brother come in to say good-bye. Micah comes over to me and grabs my hand.

"You're not coming back, are you?"

I look into his eyes wondering what I could say to him. "No, I'm not… at least not today."

I scruff his hair again and he pulls away.

"What will I do without you here?"

Tears threaten to flow, "Listen to me Micah, Fahrin is going to take you someplace safe. It'll be good you'll have food and a place to sleep. I want you to study hard and remember everything I've told, and everything that's happened to us."

He nods to me, and I pull him into a hug.

"Will you come back to get me?"

Do I promise my brother something I'm not sure I could keep or tell him the truth?

"Maybe," is all I say and then the Peacekeepers are rushing us out. Fahrin comes over to me and places his hand against the side of my face. He then leans in and we share a kiss. He leaves without a word, and I stand in shock as the tears fall from my cheeks.