I'm so sorry for my very long hiatus but I'm back! I'm trying to get back in the swing of my writing. I'm hoping I can get back to updating like I used too. I think I've got my inspiration back. Please leave reviews to share your thoughts, they really keep me motivated.

(Jinnal Leriss POV)

I sit in the cold damp room with my arms wrapped around my knees, rocking back and forth. The storm has started again and a steady drip of water is coming from the ceiling. I feel cold and wet and miserable as my surroundings. I keep hearing a whisper of, "Jinnal Leriss" in Mantee's voice.I take a shaky breath and hear voices coming closer. When the door opens I turn. My mother and brother enter, and I immediately feel a bit better. But then I see the look on my brother's face and realized he looks worse than I think I feel.

"I'm so sorry Jinnal. Really I am. I s-should have volunteered for you. You're 12; you can't go into the arena. And if you die it's my entire fault. Entirely m-my fault." Saran stammers.

"It's okay Saran. I don't want you to die for me." I reply.

"But you're my little brother. I'm supposed to protect you."

"You do protect me."

My brother gets up from the velvety armchair he's been hunched over in to hold me tight. He's sniffing in a strong attempt not to cry. My mother has been watching the whole exchange with misty, distant eyes. I know she's going to not believe this all happened. She's going to ask Saran if it was real. And when she finds out that it is real she's going to fall into the type of sadness that hasn't surrounded her in years.

We sit there for the not saying anything to each other. There's nothing to say. We just hold each other for the trying to make our time last. But like we inevitably knew it would, their time was up. I can't ever remember feeling sadder than I do now watching my only family being steered away from me. With a last mournful look over his shoulder, Saran is taken from the room. I curl up again in the chair with my arms wrapped around my knees again and resume my rocking thinking all the while what's going to happen to me?

(Constance "Case" Welch POV)

"Remember to make friends, not enemies, okay? And don't just run off; learn as much as you can while you're there."

Annie is compulsively straightening my clothes and my hair. As far as family goes she's the only one here. My father is still working. I doubt he even knows I've been reaped. By the time Annie gets to tell him I'll be halfway to the Capitol. I try and not be bitter about it.

Annie spends the rest of her time just trying to give me small intermingling words of comfort and advice. She gives me a huge hug before leaving. Dean comes in then. He pulls my into a huge bear hug lifting me off the ground. Once he sets me back down on solid ground we sit down. I look at his face and his smile-barely existent anyway-fades completely.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," I reply "How're you."

"I've been better too" Dean replies; he pauses for a minute before saying, "What are you going to do?"

I shrugged my helplessness: "I dunno. Just try and survive I guess. I'm going to make allies with that little boy, Jinnal. I just can't imagine him in that arena by himself."

"That's a good idea, he'll need you." Dean glances at the clock, "I've only got a minute left. Take care of yourself, Case; I won't be there to give anyone a black eye for you." I grin at that, remembering the time he punched a boy in the face for flirting with me. Dean hugs me fiercely as the door opens behind him. The Peacekeeper breaks us apart since Dean refuses to let go. He then proceeds to push Dean unceremoniously from the room, but not before Dean manages to get out, "Give them hell!" I can't help but laugh and the thought of never seeing him again agonizingly flashes through my mind before I push it away. I'm a free spirit no matter how chained the Capitol keeps us. I don't do well dwelling on negative thoughts. I think that's why I love to explore so much: it's the only escape I have from this reality of mine that's always full of pain and loss.

And, now I'm on my way to that pain and loss tenfold. As I'm guided toward the train I long for the already long lost rain of this morning. I take my first steps onto the train preparing myself for the unknown.

(Jinnal Leriss POV)

I already feel better than I did an hour ago even though with every second we are racing toward the Capitol. The minute she had seen me, my district partner Constance, who insists I call her Case, tells me she wants to be allies.

"Hey Jinnal can I talk to you?" she asks.

"Sure." I had replied.

"I was wondering if you wanted to be allies. It would be best for both of us to not be alone. District 10 should stick together."

I thought about Saran's pained expression as he told me that he needed to protect me. I look at Case's face then and I believe she means what she says. She comes off genuine and that alone helps prompt my decision to take her up by her offer. I told her yes and told her why I chose to say yes. When I talk about her genuine personality she laughs a bit.

"You have a very good read on people, Jinnal. I only would have offered to someone I felt deserved it and you do."

Now Case and I sit in the dining car with Mantee and our mentor, David Sprat. He won the games after he beat the last two tributes to death with a cattle prod he found in the Cornucopia. He is said to have a hot temper and slightly sarcastic personality but he cares. More food than I've ever seen in my life is being set out before us. Case and I share a glance of wonder before we dig in. Mantee has to keep a running commentary on some of the food since Case and I have never seen some of it before.

"That there is banana pudding, Case it's delicious, try it!" he says in his weird high pitch voice. When I ask what the flaming dessert at the end is he nearly bounces out of his chair in excitement as he explains that it's called baked Alaska, named after one of the former states of North America. He says alcohol makes it burn. All I know is that it taste amazing and I wish my mom and Saran were here to try it.

As dinner is cleared away the aura around the table changes, David becomes noticeably tense and I see him looking us over out of the corner of my eye. Mantee isn't bouncing as much but he never seems to be completely still. I start to wonder if he bounces in his sleep. After this observation David decides to break the ice that's been hanging unmentioned over our heads for the past hour.

"So, Case, Jinnal do either of you have any skills worth a damn that will help you in the Games? Archery, spear-fighting, climbing trees, anything?" he asks.

Case jumps in, "I'm good with plants and I can fish and tie a few simple snares. Also I can climb trees."

David nods his head thoughtfully; "That's good. Those are basic skills that will be essential. I need to start getting you trained for combat though because when it comes down to it you'll have to get up close and personal in a fight with someone sometime."

David then turns his eyes on me. He smiles a little-my nerves must be showing clearly on my face-and looks at me, waiting for an answer. I stutter a bit before saying, "I can climb trees too and I have really good balance. My mom says I'm like a cat because I always land on my feet. I'm also good with plants and I can use blow darts okay too."

He nods at me too; "We can work with that as well. But we'll wait and start talking tactics after we get you through the Opening Ceremonies. For now we need to go watch the recap of the Reapings and see what you'll be going up against."

The four of us proceed to walk three cars down to a car that's been made into a viewing room. Mantee turns the screen on and we tune into the Capitol network just in time to hear the tail end of nation's anthem and the beginning of the reapings.

(Constance "Case" Welch POV)

We watch the reapings one by one. All the career districts produced model career tributes. An arrogant boy from 1, another who looks like he can break rocks with his bare hands from 2, and three beautiful girls from each district to boot. From seeing them it does to produce some fear in me but I try and crush it. I might as well stand there and let them kill me if I'll let them intimidate me any further. I sneak a glance at Jinnal as they switch over to District 5; his fear is evident on his face. I place a hand on his shoulder to comfort him and turn back to the screen. I've missed 5 but I see the tributes from 6. Something seems to be going on between them. It's not obvious but when the boy volunteers, hot anger flashes across her eyes. The two from 8 seemed to be to attitude explosions waiting to happen. Then I see Jinnal and myself reaped. Both of our fear at being picked is clear. Most tributes try and cover their emotions but Jinnal and I displayed them for the whole world to see. I just hope no one thinks me weak. The pair from 11 is brother and sister-twins no less! Only one other tribute catches my eye. The narrator of the piece divulges the information that the boy-man really- from 12 is already a father. My gut clenches. The fact that a child may possibly lose a parent in this Game hurts.

We don't stay up long after the reapings go off. David tells us we will arrive in the Capitol tomorrow morning. I give Jinnal a big hug before he walks off to his room. He's already becoming like a little brother to me. When I quietly remind him that we're in this together, he smiles. Before I go to sleep I look out my window. The lights of a new district greet my eyes. I feel my whole life has been leading up to these Games. As I roll over I can only hope I live through them to meet my life on the other side.

Hope this extra long chapter makes up a bit for not updating for 6 months. I will continue to update. Reviews help. You guys rule, Have a great day, everybody!