Tiernan Merle, 18

District 12, He/Him

June 1st, 97 ADD

10:42 AM


Tiernan sat hunched over in his chair, wringing his hands, his mind racing. It had already been an overwhelming day- there were so many people in the square, and he'd just tried to keep his head down and his breathing slow- but this was a change of events Tiernan had never dreamed of.

(He'd barely been able to picture himself out in District Twelve. This? This was unthinkable.)

His father sat in the chair across from him, also silent. He'd spent the first few minutes stumbling through some words about bravery, and believing in himself, but Tiernan hadn't responded and eventually his father had fallen silent once more.

(Tiernan had never been on a train before. He'd be out there in the world with strangers who wanted him dead, just like his parents had always warned him about but worse.)

(But wasn't this what he'd always wanted, in a twisted sort of way? To flee that house with chrysanthemums in the garden? Didn't he want to escape his confinement?

So why was his instinct to run home and curl up where no one could ever find him? Why was he so ready to throw himself back in his prison? Why did it hurt so much that he couldn't?)

(All Tiernan knew how to do was to hide. To comply. To be a spectator in his own life.)

(Well, soon he would be far from the only spectator.)

"One more minute!" a Peacekeeper shouted from outside the door.

His father looked at him again. "Son," he said quietly.

"Yes?"

His father clenched and unclenched his jaw a few times. "I… I hope to see you again soon," he managed.

"Me too."

His father nodded. "Make your mother proud," he said.

Tiernan swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'll try."

His father nodded again, standing up with more difficulty than his age would have explained. Tiernan followed his lead and stood as well. His father hugged him lightly, and Tiernan tried his best to hug him back, not entirely sure how to handle this. After the briefest of moments, his father pulled away and patted him stiffly on the shoulder.

"Best of luck," he whispered.

"Thank you."

And then his father met the Peacekeeper at the door and disappeared. Tiernan watched him go.

(He'd never thought of his father as a particularly present figure in his life, despite him being the only person in Tiernan's life anymore. But he'd always been aware of him, and as his father exited now, Tiernan felt more alone than ever. Like there was no more safety net to catch him in case he fell.)

The Peacekeepers came in a moment later, grabbing him by the arm and bringing him onto the train. Their grips were tight, and Tiernan struggled to keep up with them as they shoved him unceremoniously through the train door and into a compartment, telling him to take a seat and wait for the others. Then they shut the doors behind him.

Tiernan looked around, trying to get acquainted with this new place.

(Or maybe it was just a new prison.)


Patrek Torres, 15

District 11, He/Him

11:10 AM


In his life, Patrek had only seen his mother cry twice. Instead, he'd watched her hold the Torres family together with a willpower he didn't know a person could possess- working multiple jobs, taking care of the family, keeping them all alive day by day. If Willow Torres had ever faltered, she'd hidden it well with her determination and dry humor.

The first exception was when his older sister Lucia had died not long after his grandfather.

(He was eight, and he awoke that morning to hear a cry tearing through the walls of their small house. He didn't understand who it belonged to until he pulled the covers off and tiptoed to the door. The bedroom door next to his- what had once been his parents' room, but was now a sickroom- was ajar. Patrek peered through the opening and saw his mother crouched at Lucia's bedside, hunched over her while she wept. His father was on his mother's other side, rubbing her back with his head bowed.

It wasn't until his mother shifted, reaching for his father, that Patrek saw Lucia for himself.

For a moment, he thought she was sleeping.

Then he realized that Lucia was not sleeping. She had just never woken up.)

The second exception to Patrek never seeing his mother cry was in the waiting room, saying their goodbyes before the Capitol took him away to the Hunger Games. She wasn't weeping, like she had all those years ago, but her eyes were shining like greenhouse panels under the summer sun.

"Remember what we've been talking about, right?" his older brother Marc was saying. Patrek hadn't seen Marc in a few days- he had long moved out, and now lived with his wife and baby, both of whom were lingering in the corner. "It applies here too."

"Learning to be a man?" Patrek asked.

"Sure," Marc replied. "Taking things seriously. Working hard. Anticipating consequences. All that stuff. I know you can do this, Patrek. You just have to remember that, and play smart."

"I'll try my best," Patrek said quietly.

"You have to," Wren said. "You can't not try-"

"That's not what he meant," their mother interrupted. She stepped forward and encased Patrek in a tight hug that made it difficult to breath. "I love you, baby. I believe in you. Come home as soon as you can, okay?"

When she released him, he nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it.

His mother noticed. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Don't leave anything unsaid, Patrek," she said gently, and the shininess returned to her eyes. "Please."

"I… it's just…" Patrek swallowed. "What if I come back and Dad isn't here?"

(His dad was the only one not present to say goodbye. He was too sick to attend the Reapings. By the time he would've made it to the train station, he would've been too late, anyway.)

His mother's lip trembled as she reached forward and tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "You try to come home," she murmured. "And I try to help him get better. Deal?"

"Deal."


Jude Finnegan, 12

District 8, He/They

11:13 AM


As soon as the door opened, he started to run. "Dad!"

"Jude," his dad said, his voice choked. Jude crashed into their father's arms, which immediately wrapped around them, tight and warm.

(Ever since they'd heard his name called, there had been a tiny part of him that wondered if this was all a dream. He felt… dazed. Out of control. Small. Their mind felt heavy. Everything felt… wrong.

But in the temporary safety of their father's arms, it all sank in.

This was not a dream. It was a waking nightmare.)

His dad pulled away a bit, bringing Jude to the chairs in the corner of the room. Now that they could see his face again, Jude could make out the tear tracks on his dad's cheeks, mirroring their own.

"We don't have much time," his dad managed. "There's a lot I need to say, so try your best to listen, okay?"

Jude nodded, still feeling heavy.

"I love you."

Jude's lip trembled. "I love you too."

"That's the most important part by far. I love you very much, and no matter what, I'm proud of you," his dad said. "Okay?"

Jude nodded.

"You have to believe in yourself," he continued. "You're a smart kid. You're going to have to make some tough decisions, and you can't hesitate when you make them. Trust yourself to know what to do."

"What if I-"

"Act quickly, and act decisively," his dad said. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"If you have to go it alone, do that. But I do think you would fare better with an ally or two. Find someone you trust and stick by them- but don't trust them more than you need to."

"Because then…"

"Because they could hurt you," his dad finished. "Keep yourself safe no matter what. Think about yourself first. I know that's not like you, but I need you to be brave and try, okay?"

Jude nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna try."

His dad faltered a bit. "And just in case…" he trailed. "There are a few things I want you to know."

Jude tilted their head.

"Nothing you don't already know," he said, smiling weakly. "Just that… Jude, you're my pride and joy. I'm so glad you're a part of my life. I'll be cheering you on every second, no matter what happens. I love you."

Jude's eyes welled up. "I love you too, Dad."

As a moment of silence settled in, both of them glanced at his mother. Gracelynn, who had been standing off to the side the entire time, shifted. Her expression was the opposite of her husband's- stony and blank. She blinked as though snapping out of a trance. "Yes. I love you, Jude. I know you can do it. Be brave."

(Jude watched her carefully, wondering if she meant it. They couldn't help but wonder if them leaving for the Games… not that it was something his mother had wanted, but if maybe it… solved a problem for her, too.)

Then his dad hugged him tight again, and Jude let themself feel safe for the last moments they had together.


Shazia Burnell, 17

District 9, She/Her

11:49 AM


"I'm so sorry, Shazia," her grandmother said, taking Shazia's cheek in the palm of her hand. "If I could have done anything to stop this, I would have."

"I know," Shazia reassured her. She took a deep breath. "I'm going to win, though. And when I come back, we'll have a big house… and there'll be enough money for medicine-"

"Sweetheart," her grandmother interrupted. "Don't worry about me. You've got plenty of your own worries to focus on right now."

"I'm just saying," Shazia told her. "And it's something to look forward to."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you safe," her grandmother replied. "I don't need anything more."

"But you can have more-"

"Shazia," her grandmother interrupted again, "think about what that would mean."

Shazia pulled back a bit. "What?"

"I don't doubt that you can win," she said. "And I- I want you to, believe me. But I don't think you've realized what that will cost."

Shazia searched her grandmother's face.

(Zahra Burnell had always been an optimist. Her deepest wrinkles were by far her smile lines, carving kindness around her eyes and laughter by her mouth. Her dark eyes had always been warm, her worn hands gentle.

But the past six months… some of that had started to fade. The cough that rattled in her grandmother's lungs, born of poverty and cigarettes, had only gained strength. Shazia could see the pain wearing at her grandmother's optimism, and it pained her to watch.)

(And now, with a disease in her lungs and her granddaughter's departure imminent, Zahra's optimism that Shazia had relied on her entire life was barely visible.)

"It'll be worth it," Shazia said fiercely. "I'll come home, and you'll get treatment, and everything will go back to the way it was and better."

"And you will have to do horrible things," her grandmother said.

"It doesn't matter. I can do it." Shazia reached for her hand and squeezed it. "It's all worth it if it's for you. I can survive."

Her grandmother studied her face. "You'll… kill?"

"Yes."

Something flashed across her grandmother's dark eyes. But instead of voicing that, she said, "I just hope that the Shazia who comes back to me remembers the Shazia you are now."

"I will," Shazia promised. "I can do it. I will do it. I won't change- I won't become a monster. I…"

"What is it?"

(The worry lingered in her grandmother's eyes. But she could see curiosity there too, now, and… what if this was the last time they saw each other? What if Shazia could reassure her, right now, that she could hold her own?

What reason was there to hold back?)

(But then she thought again. What reason was there to break her grandmother's heart? Zahra didn't need to know what Shazia had already done. What was coming would surely be enough.)

Shazia lowered her voice. "You were the one who taught me to be strong," she said. "And I will be. I promise."

"I just want you to be safe, baby girl," Zahra answered, her chin trembling. "I already outlived your mama. I can't outlive you, too."

Shazia pressed her lips together tightly. "You won't. I promise."


Chevre Kanaf-Kaziol, 16

District 10, She/Her

12:06 PM


Since the moment she set foot in the waiting room, her family had been swarming it. Mama and Brie were fawning over her, both trying and failing to not cry, while Asiago paced in the corner with his head down. Rocky was hanging behind Brie and Mama, bouncing uncertainly on the balls of his feet and biting his nails, and Ama was talking to everyone and no one at once- her wife, her sons, her daughters- and it didn't seem like anyone was listening to a word she was saying.

But the one thing they all had in common was the pity written plainly across their features.

(As far as Chevre was concerned, it was always there to some degree. The way her mothers treated her as though she were made of glass. The halfhearted waves her siblings gave her when they left school at lunch to go help with the business while Chevre stayed behind. The little thrills she got in her chest when she made a good deal, all while knowing how her family would react to her side hustle. Sitting to the side and watching her family put their backs into the cheesemaking process and not being allowed to lift a finger. Chevre loved her family deeply, and she knew they loved her back. Her mothers took good care of her. But Chevre had always been held at a distance for her own safety, and she'd never felt as fully like a part of them as she longed to.)

(And she had never seen the pity so clearly as she did now, either.)

(It didn't feel good.)

"Stop!" Chevre shouted.

Asi quit pacing. Rocky's hand froze by his lip. Ama stopped talking, and Mama and Brie both pulled back a hair.

"Calm down," Chevre said. "We don't have that much time left. Can we talk one at a time?"

"Chevre," Mama said, tucking a piece of hair behind Chevre's ear, "sweetheart, I can't be calm about this."

Brie wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and nodded her agreement.

"I still can't believe it," Asi muttered from over in his corner.

"You just have to plan," Ama said, the words almost spilling out of her mouth quicker than Chevre could understand. "A good plan is everything. You're a smart girl, you can make it a long way on your smarts, as long as you have a good-"

"I'll make a plan," Chevre said. "I'll start working on it right away. But I want to be with you all first."

"Why are you so calm?!" Rocky demanded. "I'm freaking out!"

Chevre smiled, doing her best to keep her voice from quavering. "I am, promise," she replied. "But like I said… not that much time left with you."

"One more minute!" the Peacekeeper called from outside.

Brie burst into sobs. "It's not enough."

Chevre reached forward and hugged her. Mama and Ama followed, putting their arms around the two sisters, and when Chevre looked up Rocky and Asi had joined too.

When the Peacekeepers interrupted to take her away, she gave them a watery smile. "You haven't seen the last of me," she vowed. "I'll be back."


Tisiphone Fotis, 18

District 4, She/Her

12:31 PM


"What the fuck, Tisiphone!"

Tisiphone cringed as she turned to see Megaera and Alecto, her fifteen-year-old sisters, the former of whom was dragging Elpis in by the wrist, enter the waiting room.

Ally was the one who had spoken. "I thought you said you weren't gonna Volunteer!" she shouted. "What are you doing?"

"I changed my mind."

"Why!" Ally demanded.

"Stop yelling," Tisiphone begged. "You're making El upset."

"I can't believe you're really going," Meg pouted. "I've always wanted to go-"

"Yes, I know-"

"I have the right to yell whenever I want to!" Ally shouted.

El's eyes started to screw up tight, and his cheeks turned red.

"Give him to me," Tisiphone said.

"No!" Meg replied.

Tisiphone sighed and redirected her attention. "Ally," she said, "I changed my mind. I won the Trial, and they chose me to Volunteer. And so I'm going to the Games."

"But why?!"

She took a deep breath. "Because," she answered, "this is our best chance at the four of us staying together and keeping the lighthouse."

"I think you just wanna be famous," Meg said.

"Of course not-"

"So that's why you made us lie about Mom being dead," Ally said.

"...Yes," she admitted.

Ally turned this over for a moment. "You want us to stay together," she repeated.

"Exactly," Tisiphone said, relieved.

"And you're gonna accomplish that by doing exactly what Mom did," she said, her eyes flashing. "By leaving us. Just like her."

(Of all of her sister's accusations, that one cut deepest.)

Tisiphone tried her best to keep her tone level. "Ally, no-"

"Leaving us to go get rich and famous and forget we ever existed," Meg added.

"No, no, guys, come on-"

Ally and Meg both started yelling, and El burst into tears for real this time, so Tisiphone finally took him from Meg and held him close, trying to calm him down.

"It's okay," she murmured to him. "I won't be gone long at all, and your sisters are gonna take care of you. They're just upset with me right now."

"No shit, Pissy Tissy!" Ally yelled.

Meg burst out laughing. "I forgot about that one."

"Guys," Tisiphone snapped.

"Ooo, so did she," Meg taunted.

"We could be saying goodbye right now," Tisiphone said, patting El's back. "We could be saying how much we love each other-"

"Or we could not be here, because you would stay," Ally cut in.

"I'm going to try," Tisiphone replied, despairing. "I have to. And while I'm gone, you'll have to look after El and the lighthouse. Remember everything Mom and I showed you-"

"We're not idiots," Meg said reproachfully.

"I know," Tisiphone replied. "Just- you don't have to keep it going for long. Just until I get back."

"Mom said the same thing," Ally whispered, bitter as always.

"I mean it," Tisiphone told her. "Now come here. Give me a hug."

Reluctantly, both of them gave her an awkward hug. Tisiphone handed El back to Meg. Ally huffed and turned to stomp out the door without another word, and Meg ran after her with El crying in her arms.

Tisiphone watched them go.


yay pregames time finally! here's our first of four rounds of six. each of these povs is gonna be itty-bitty- around 500 words- because i can. anyway... see you next time as we board the train! choo choo bitches!

rb