I have to apologize for the shortness, guys. I just really didn't want to go through another long, tedious reapings-preparation spiel.

Fun Fact of the Chapter: Carreen and Gabriel's creator expanded the tribute profile to include mentors, stylists, prep teams, fears, chariot outfits, interview outfits, interview angles, and everything else I forgot to put in.

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Gabriel Maddox, District Four

It isn't much of a surprise, really, when I'm reaped. I'm 17 years old, and I take enough tesserae to support eight people. My family's among the worst-off in the district, as well as one of the largest, and Irene and I are the only ones eligible for the financial aid that comes through the tessera system.

So, my family and I, we planned for this. Even though Careers are starting to come back to Four, we couldn't count on anyone volunteering. But I'm strong and fit, and I stand a fair chance in the Games. Better than half the others—the ones that aren't Careers, of course.

My family comes to visit me in the Justice Building. I pull Creston and Wave, the two-year-old twins who have little to no idea where their brother is going, onto my lap and smile warmly at everyone else. Mer, my six-year-old brother, looks like he's about to cry. He only knows a little about the Hunger Games. Triton, ten years old, who has been watching the games for a few years now, just looks grim. Irene stands next to her boyfriend, Keefe, and buries her head in his shoulder. He looks apologetically at me. Mom looks slightly stunned but regretful; Dad is obviously struggling to remain stoic.

There's silence for a few moments, and then I speak. "If I win, we'll all get to live in the Victor's Village."

Mom nods, but no one says anything.

I continue. "But if I'm...gone...which won't happen," I assure them, "...if that happens... they give you some money for my funeral arrangements. Just set my casket out to sea, no need for anything big. Use the money to feed them. Since Irene won't be eligible for tesserae anymore..."

My sister looks up briefly, and then down again, grabbing Keefe's hand tighter.

I turn to Triton. "Maybe you could get a dock job or something? It doesn't have to be much. I don't want you doing any heavy lifting. But we need something to hold us up. Keefe? Maybe you could..."

He nods silently, clutching Irene's hand tighter.

"And, if somebody could teach Mer to fish... I know it's not allow, but there's plenty of them in the ocean, right? Maybe going onto the docks or something... no, never mind."

See, this is why I have to get home. What would they do without me? I'm their main source of income, and we're barely able to keep our house as it is.

But I'm strong. I can handle this. I know what the Hunger Games are like. And I've got Quill Isotes as my mentor, who won her Games so quickly... if I could do the same, I could be home in seven days.

After a while, my dad speaks. "Your district partner... you're allying with her, right?"

This catches me by surprise. I was planning to work alone, especially since Carreen is a Career and I'd rather not run with the alliance that has the highest level of sociopathy, on average. "Maybe. I don't know."

"She's the daughter of Daniel Haggerty," he continues. "The man I used to work for. The captain who died in the fire saving us."

Now that he mentions it, I remember Carreen had a long, large burn scar on her leg. I had thought she might have been caught in that fire, but I didn't know she was the captain's daughter. The captain whose death caused my parents to be out of jobs.

"Work with her, all right?" he asks. "It'll get you farther, trust me."

"Whatever you say, Dad." Honestly, I'm more of a lone wolf than a team player, but I can't exactly refuse my dad.

No one else comes to visit me. I don't have many friends—one of the many downsides to working all the time.

We board the train, cameras following us all the way. I look at Carreen, with her dirty blond hair, calculating gaze, agile body, and large, very conspicuous burn going down her leg. She seems to be just as annoyed with the cameras as I am.

"You Careering?" she asks me after the train pulls out of the station.

I look up at her. Her expression is hard to read. "I dunno. Maybe."

"Ally with me, at least?"

Well, that was easy. I guess she was thinking a similar way as my dad. "Sure. If you'll take me with you when the alliance splits up."

The corner of Carreen's mouth twitches and she almost-but-not-quite smiles. "Sure."