Welcome to wonderland
Where should we go
There's a tea party along down the road
Make an appearance and maybe they'll sing us a song

Rowan Castro

District 3, He/Him, 15

(2 Months Prior the Reaping)

...

"Hurry!" I whisper sharply to a man crouched behind a barrel. "They'll be coming down here, we need to get out." The man nods, his dark eyes filling with fear and his frail hands shaking with worry as he rushes toward me. I grab ahold of his boney arm and pull him along the alleyway, the both of us jumping as gunshot after gunshot sounds in the distance. My heart stops as I hear the stomping of the Peacekeepers approaching, if we could just make it a little further then we could reach my hideout.

"Down this way!" Someone barks and I pull the man swiftly to the right, the two of us tumbling into a building. We don't move from our sprawled out position on the floor, too afraid of making even the slightest noise until every last Peacekeeper has stormed past the door of this eerily dark building. "Nothing, Sergeant." The same Peacekeeper calls before rushing out of the alleyway.

The man beside me sighs in relief before shuffling to lean on a wall, "Thanks kid." I chuckle in response before sitting myself next to him, catching my breath.

"It's not every day you get to save a fugitive on the run." I whisper to him mischievously, I can't see his expression in the dark but I can imagine one of shock as I reveal that I know who he is. "Don't worry. Have faith in me."

"Why?" He asks, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice.

"They killed a friend of mine for doing what I have just done for you." My mood shifts, I'm no longer smiling and a tear attempts to break free from my eye. "I will do anything I can to make their lives even the tiniest bit harder." Vengeance, I suppose. Although I never look at it that way, Freddie was a good kid and I want to make him proud of how I carry on his legacy. Just helping people, the damn fool, that's all he wanted to ever do and it costed him his life.

I'm blinded by the sudden flash of a light blinking on. "Rowan what the hell?" Somebody shouts, as my eyes adjust to the light a figure of a middle aged woman with long brunette hair comes into view. This is Juliette's shop, though I knew that when I rolled in, I didn't expect her to be home. The fugitive begins to shuffle around and I turn to him, immediately noticing a similar look of fear on his face.

"It's fine." I tell him softly. "This is Juliette, she's friends with my Mother. We can trust her." He nods hesitantly and I turn back to Juliette, who gives me a skeptical book. Juliette has always been good to us when we have struggled with money but I have never truly put any faith in her before - not until now. It seems unfair to get her involved in such a dangerous act and guilt starts to rise to my mouth before it blurts out. "I'm sorry Juliette. You know how it is, with Freddie." She nods, our community all mourned together when we lost him and Juliette was no exception.

"Alright but I don't know what you're going to do with him Rowan. Fugitives don't just disappear without a trace." I sigh, she's right, I can only do so much without getting myself too involved. This man will have to push through without me. "Good luck." She walks out the front door, turning out the lights in her store and leaving us yet again alone in darkness.

"I can help you but if you want to survive you will have to be strong." I speak into the darkness. He doesn't respond but I know he must be at a loss for words over the day he has had. "I don't want to know your name or why they're looking for you. I don't want to know anything about you and I ask that you allow me to keep myself anonymous too."

"Yes, yes of course." He whispers solemnly

"Well then, let's get you out of here."

Cybill Kaminski

District 3, She/Her, 14

(Reaping Day)

...

PLAN

1. Volunteer, pretty simple
2. Join the careers
3. Plant traps
4. Win The Hunger Games and make all my dreams come true!

I smile down at the piece of paper that lays on my desk with my elaborate plan scribbled upon it. Finally, today is the day I have been waiting for since the idea had bursted into my mind in Panem History class. All I have to do is win and I'll have everything I've ever wanted, privacy, freedom, riches! What more could anyone ask for? Oh, how I can imagine my plush couch and my lavender-smelling manor.

"Cybill! What the hell are you doing? Get down here!" Myra, my older sister, screams from downstairs - snapping me out of my daydream and back into dreaded reality. I groan as I shove the paper into the pocket of my skirt and stomp down the stairs of my rickety, old house. This will be the last time I see my perfect little family sitting together and the joy it brings me is unimaginable.

"What were you doing? Kissing your boyfriend?" My younger brother, Willie, mocks. His immaturity and overall lack of awareness of privacy constantly gets on my nerves. I shove him. "Ow! Cybill shoved me!" He screams to my parents who both sit sipping their coffees and reading their lousy antique books.

"Stop it Cybill, sit down and eat." My mother snaps and I cry out in anger.
"You always take his side!"
"Oh shut it Cybill, you know that's not true." My father chimes in.
"I hate this family, I hate you all!" I scream before storming out of the house and slamming the door behind me.

Nobody understands me. I am not just a child and I am going to prove that to them, to everyone for that matter! I hold my head high as I march along the path toward the District Centre, my determination pulses through my veins more than it ever has before - so does my anger. I reach the Centre early and, after checking in, I'm left standing alone for a little while. I go over my plan again and again, imagining trapping the final tribute and electrocuting them to death - sealing my Victory.

"Welcome District 3!" A voice booms and I'm pushed out of my train of thought, realising that I am now huddled in a crowd of people. I groan in discomfort, oh how I hate people. "And your mentors Dawson and Kathryn Mallerd!" Kathryn. She is the one who inspired me to do this after she volunteered and won last year, soon I will be standing next to her. "Let's waste no more time and reap our tributes!"

The escort dips his hand into the bowl for females, selecting a very particular paper from the top of the bowl. Little does he know, it doesn't even matter. "Carol Underwood!" He shouts and I watch as the girl sobs, slowly making her way to the stage, I don't shout until the very last minute where she feels all hope is lost.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I hear gasps around me as I rush up to the stage and I smile with pride. As I stand next to our escort, I look out for my family so I can rub it in further but I don't spot any of them. Before long, the boy has been reaped. He isn't as lucky as Carol and his face goes a deep scarlet shade as he sadly walks up to the stage.

This is my year.

A/N: Thanks to Leafpool8788 for Rowan and Very New To This for Cybill :)

- Neb