These tributes are the tributes who have not yet got a pre-games POV, it doesn't mean anything else like they're going to die straight away or anything. And I don't know how both the threes ended up in this chapter, I tried to sort it specifically that each district had 2 different chapters but somehow messed it up, but… oh well.

District 3 male - Jonas Unix, 18

I was woken up by a soft prodding on my back. I'd barely slept the night before, all I'd been able to think of was the bloodbath, and how I was going to get Fox through it. We both had the idea of getting in, getting some supplies for survival, and then making a run for it. I would shield her as we did so, and if I died… well, I didn't really care, but I did want to make it past the bloodbath so I could continue to protect Fox. I had very mixed feelings about these games. Obviously, I knew I was going to die. I'd be dead within a few days. And I'd wanted to die for a while, but now it was actually going to happen, I felt… not scared, exactly, but… sad.

I felt sad that my life had gotten to this point of wanting to die. I did so much for others, I gave everything I had to make sure everyone had a good life… but where was a good life for me? I had nothing. I remember the first nine years of my life when I had my whole family, but then my mother was killed. Next, three years later, I had to watch my sister get executed. And then just three years after that my father was killed by his lung cancer. Three years after that it was my turn. I suppose three was just an unlucky number. Maybe I'd last three days in these games before I passed away. I just hoped that by that point enough tributes were gone to give Fox a good chance on her own.

There was still a prodding on my back so I opened my eyes to see my mentor looking down at me. God, this really was it.

"Come on, it's time to go," he said to me, and I felt my stomach flip. "You can eat breakfast on the airship."

"Airship?" I repeated.

"Oh, yes, they're doing something different this year," he said. "You're all catching airships separately to different places called 'launching rooms'. There it will take you up into the arena from some tube thing, I believe. I don't know, as I said, it's new this year."

"Oh, OK…" I said, climbing out of bed, my legs shaking. I didn't want to see these poor tributes die, but I knew I would see so much blood today in the bloodbath. I didn't know if I could do this.

But nevertheless, I was led out to the airship, which was waiting for me on the balcony. My mentor nodded to me and I climbed in, a peacekeeper who was already inside instructed me to sit down. A minute later my district partner, Thia climbed in and sat across from me. The door shut as soon as she was in and I felt it begin to move.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, and Thia shrugged.

"Fine," she said, but her voice was shaking slightly. A peacekeeper placed food in front of us then, but I didn't feel hungry at all, and neither did Thia, apparently, because she didn't even look at it.

"You should eat something," I told her.

"I'm not hungry."

"Come on, you don't want to be running into the bloodbath on an empty stomach," I said. "You'll be weak. Did you get much sleep last night?"

"Can you shut up?" she snapped. "I don't know what this weird strategy is you've got going, but I don't like it. Don't talk to me, don't tell me what to do, don't even look at me."

I opened my mouth to speak again but shut it quickly. May as well just leave her be, even if I only was trying to help. The airship landed, and Thia was allowed off but I had to stay on for another few minutes to get to my launching room. God, I just wanted this to be over, all this anticipation was killing me.

I was off the airship soon enough into some small room, where there was a tube awaiting me. God, I felt sick. Just walking into the arena like they'd always done would have been easier than this. And my stylist was waiting for me there, too. Apparently, we all had to wear the same outfit in the arena now, so they dressed me in a plain black long-sleeve shirt and long grey cargo pants. The shoes were hard, yet comfortable.

"Alright, Jonas…" my stylist said, leading me to the tube which had opened up for me. "I wish you the best of luck."

I stepped into the tube, my legs shaking, and the glass shut as soon as I was in there. I took in a deep breath and looked at my stylist. "Try and live a good life."

"Try and survive," they responded, and I nodded, even if I knew I wasn't in this to win. "Goodbye, good luck."

I gave them a small smile, desperate to still try and be nice. This was it. I took a deep breath as the pedestal at the bottom of the tube began to rise.

District 2 female - Dania Khatib, 18

I had a very strange feeling in the pit of my stomach on the morning of the Hunger Games. Sure, I was trained and confident, I knew I was going to win, but…

No. No buts. You're a victor and everyone back in Two knows that.

For some odd reason, it wasn't the thought of dying that was worrying me. It was the thought of disappointing everyone. My family, my trainer. They all knew how hard I'd worked for this. What if they thought I hadn't worked hard enough? And I'd never get to see their reactions to me failing because I'd be dead. I got out of bed, though, making my way out into the hall of the second floor. I needed to get myself together. I was the leader of the Careers, after all. I had to keep my head high.

I thought that would be easier, perhaps, if I'd been voted in for the reason I'd wanted to be voted in because I was the best. But I'd been voted in because Matt, the stupid kid from the Careers had thought I was arrogant and got people to vote me in out of hate. And I'd been keeping my head high from the start, during the chariots, during training, during the interviews, but now? Now I just felt low. Like, lower than I'd ever felt in my whole life.

I didn't have much time to think before my mentor led Quintus and I to some airship thing that would take us to a thing called the launching rooms. We climbed in and sat opposite each other as the door shut on us. I felt it begin to fly in a jolting movement before it changed to a smoother planet. I couldn't even see outside, but it was light enough inside that I could see the food being placed before us.

"Make sure to eat, Quintus," I said, leaning forward and grabbing a piece of fruit. "Something healthy."

Quintus nodded and grabbed some fancy Capitol food I'd never seen before. Hopefully, it would give him some energy. I ate as much fruit and protein as I could until I was stuffed, and then leant my head onto the wall of the airship, closing my eyes for a minute, which turned into about twenty minutes before the airship landed and I was instructed to climb out, leaving Quintus there. The launching room was small, but I supposed that was all it needed to be. My time of luxury was over until I was rich and living in Victor's Village after the games.

My stylist awaited me in the launching room. I'd never been all that happy with my stylist, they didn't really understand certain things about me. For the chariots, she'd automatically assumed I'd be white and not brown, only supplying me makeup that was in much too light a shade for me. And then, before the interviews, she had decided to brush out my curls, which had not ended well at all and some other people from the Capitol had to quickly fix it up. Today thankfully she just gave me the outfit for the arena which I pulled on myself.

"Can I have some privacy please?" I asked her, and she nodded and stepped away.

"I can't go too far, though," she said, and I nodded, sitting down on the floor. My whole life had led up to this point, and for the first time, I wondered why. Of course, it was a massive honour, but I'd never killed anyone before. What if I faltered? What if I wasn't good enough? What if I didn't perform with perfection? I expected nothing less than perfection from myself and my allies. Even if my alliance had a lot of drama going on, I had managed to get a plan across to all of them apart from Mark, who'd refused to listen to me. But honestly, I didn't care if he disgraced himself, everyone had already seen what he was like.

Why was I now doubting myself? I knew how skilled I was. How hard I'd trained. I leaned my head back against the wall I was sitting against, letting out a long breath.

Come on, Dania. You're better than this. Get up and get yourself together. Show everyone what you're made of.

I took in a deep breath and stood up. I wouldn't let myself or anyone else down. My performance would be perfect because I was perfect. Best academy student and the best tribute. So, I walked back to where my stylist was, ready for instructions.

"You're going up in about two minutes," she said. "You'll need to be in your tube by then."

I nodded, walking over to the tube, pushing away all feelings of doubt, and as soon as I was in there it closed over. This was really, truly it.

Only a minute later the pedestal I was standing on began to rise, and soon it was light, I was in the arena, and I could see the arena.

I was in the Hunger Games.

District 6 male - George Caron, 18

All I could think about as I slept the night before the games was the Careers. I'd had this big plan of trying to convince some egotistical Career tribute into joining my alliance and then turning around and killing them in the bloodbath, but I hadn't been able to do that because the Careers all had their own drama going on and it was hard to get just one of them alone. But anyway, my alliance was strong and I knew that. Much stronger than the Careers, who were likely our biggest competition in these games. I wanted them all out early because I knew from previous games they usually hung around the cornucopia, which I wanted to claim this year for my alliance.

When my mentor came into my bedroom at the training centre to get me out of bed, I was already up. They led me out to the main hall, where I saw Cindy was already waiting, her stylist putting light makeup on her face.

"Why are you putting that on her when she's about to go into an arena?" I asked Cindy's stylist.

"Always have to look good for the cameras, especially when you're a girl," said the escort as Cindy's stylist began tying back Cindy's hair.

"How are we getting to the arena?" I asked. "Do we just walk there? Can we get there early, I want to be on a pedestal near my allies."

"Actually, the game makers have decided to do something different this year since it's the new 'Quarter Quell' event," said the escort, and I raised an eyebrow. "You'll be taking an airship to your launching rooms. You don't get to choose where your starting point is this year."

"That's bullshit," Cindy snapped. "Every other lot of tributes has just walked into the arena."

"Yes, but you guys are special," the escort said. "You're the tributes of a Quarter Quell! The very first Quarter Quell at that! Notice how your chariot path seemed a lot fancier and longer than every other previous year?"

"Whatever, are we going to the airship things now?" I asked, brushing back my hair with my fingers.

"Yes, come with me," said our escort, walking over to the balcony of our dining room. There was a large ship floating right beside it, which surprised me. I hadn't expected to be able to just go straight from where we were staying. Nevertheless, Cindy and I climbed in and sat down across from each other. The door shut and the airship began moving straight away and food was placed in front of us, which Cindy reached for immediately.

"You hungry?" I asked her, watching her eat as much protein as she could.

"Eat, George," she said. "Protein, fruits, carbs, eat. You need strength."

"I have strength," I scoffed. "What, do you think I'm weak?"

She looked at me, squinting, then shrugged before continuing to eat her food. She ate for about five minutes straight before she stopped, looking down at the remaining food and then up at me.

"You remember our plan for the bloodbath?" I asked her, and she nodded. "Kill the Careers. We'll kill the weak ones that run away later, and kill any that get in your way during the bloodbath. But the main focus is —"

"The Careers, yes, I know," she said, wiping her hands on her pants.

"Good. Just don't forget," I said, as the airship landed. The person who was in the airship with us instructed Cindy to get out but for me to stay in for a bit so they could take me to my own launching room.

The trip between Cindy's and my launching rooms was only a minute, but it felt a lot longer being in that airship on my own, just some random Hunger Games person from the Capitol there with me. I climbed off the ship once it landed again, and was led into a small room, where a tube was awaiting me. My stylist was in there and dressed me in some outfit that I was to wear into the arena.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked me once I was dressed.

I scoffed. "Stop being so soft. Of course I'm alright."

He raised an eyebrow. "Alright, well, you better get in the tube."

I nodded, walking over to the tube that awaited me. As soon as I was in the glass shut around me, and there was no escape after that. Not that I wanted to escape of course, but some tributes would want to.

Only a few minutes after I entered the tube, it began to rise, and as the light hit my face, I took in a deep breath, looking out at the cornucopia.

District 3 female - Thia Verneta, 15

The blood of that boy back home was all I could think about and it was making me sick. Like, was physically sick, I was throwing up all night after the interviews. And to think I could have more blood on my hands after these games… sure, I wasn't the nicest person out there but I was never one for killing.

So I was so tired when my mentor woke me up on the morning of the games, I didn't even know how I was supposed to run around for hours on end trying to survive. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and fall asleep, but of course, I couldn't do that.

I had a very clear strategy for the bloodbath. Get in, grab supplies, get out. As fast as I could. But now I'd be losing time to fatigue. What if I slipped up? What if I just passed out while running to the cornucopia? I was dead meat in that situation. Even more dead than the guy I'd killed.

But no. I had to be confident or I didn't stand a single chance. I was going into that arena with no one who had my back, but also no one who could potentially stab my back.

I stumbled out of my bed, my head still heavy with the weight of guilt and fear. My mentor, a grizzled veteran of the Hunger Games, eyed me with a mix of concern and impatience. I gave him a small smile, just to seem polite, hoping he'd give me something, anything that could help me.

"You look like a mess," he said.

"Wow, thanks," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Jonas is already in the airship," he said to me. "It's just out on the balcony."

"Alright," I said, walking out to the balcony, my eyes closing as I walked.

As soon as I was in and the airship moved, Jonas began asking me how I felt. I couldn't even remember how I responded to him, I was half asleep. There was also food in front of us, and he was trying to tell me to eat. After spilling up my guts all night and the thought of the bloodbath, I really did not have an appetite at all. But he kept pestering me, so I told him to shut up.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on the wall of the airship, and I fell asleep for a little while until it landed and they were calling my name, telling me to get off. I walked into the launching room, my own footsteps the only sound I could hear until my stylist appeared in front of me, grinning. I forced a smile back, even though I saw no reason to smile.

"Alright, Thia," she said. "You've got this. Just remember - you're not only fighting for yourself but for everyone who loves you back home."

"I - who?" I said suddenly, my emotions getting the better of me. "No one does anymore… not after what I did. I - I killed someone."

I didn't even know why I was telling her anything about myself, let alone something that deep and personal to me. But it had just come tumbling out.

"Well, now you've just got to kill more people and everything will be fine!" she cried out, as if that was something to be excited for.

I could do this. I had my own skills. I could lie to people and manipulate them. That came easily for me. If I did that on these tributes, perhaps I would be fine. Everything would be fine.

I was led over to the tube, and as soon as I stepped in it closed, and I took in a deep breath. I could do this, I really could. I was skilled. And I would kill. I would do it.

The pedestal began to rise.