Emrys Harris, 18

District 9 Male

I fell asleep with death on my mind and it was no different when I woke up. The news of my hit job had gotten out, though there were no current suspects. The Peacekeepers were always overworked and overtired in the days leading up to Reaping Day. They didn't have time to investigate the death of a low level drug dealer. But the other gangs were on alert and since I was a free agent, I'd be on their radar.

But for today, I pushed that all out of my mind. There were no enemies on Reaping Day, and there would be no bloodshed. It was an unspoken agreement amongst all the criminal circles of District 9. Today, two children would be condemned to a televised death. Today, we had a different enemy - bigger than any of us.

I had a few hours until the Reaping began, which meant I'd woken up late. The hot water would be completely gone, but on a scorching July day, that wasn't a bad thing. I showered quickly and dressed in a gray shirt and my worn-out khakis. Most people dressed up for the Reaping and I'd fallen into the habit as well.

As I carefully made my way down the rickety stairs, the smell of bacon hit me. It seemed my housemates were also trying to make the day feel special.

I lived in a cramped townhouse owned by an elderly man who spent most of his time shut up in the basement, likely doing things we'd all be horrified to see. But the rent was dirt cheap and he didn't care about any noises or messes we made.

Lina was the one cooking breakfast, which didn't surprise me. She was always going out of her way to make things feel homey. She'd been a teen mom and had nowhere to live. We met several months ago and I was able to convince our landlord to take on a new tenant. Lina's son was about to turn two and she was determined to give him a lovely childhood. That was what drew me to her. I'd spent years wishing for loving parents. Lina was one. I didn't want little Ian to end up like I did.

Though I couldn't deny that Lina reminded me of Aurelia…

I shook my head, clearing my head of the sudden emotional thoughts. I didn't have the time or desire to ruminate on the first and only person I'd ever loved. I needed to get some bacon and black coffee in me.

In the shared kitchen, both were just being set out, hot and steaming and delicious. Ian was determinedly picking apart an orange and didn't even look up when I came in. But Lina flashed me a smile and handed me a chipped mug.

"Today is your last day," she commented softly. I nodded and stared into the cup of bitter liquid. In the back of my mind, I'd always worried about the Reapings being rigged. If one of my enemies bribed the right person, I doubted anyone would intervene. If a criminal is chosen for the Hunger Games, the Capitol gets a better show and the district feels safer.

Lina knew about my skills and source of income, but not to the full extent. She didn't know I'd killed anyone, yet alone just yesterday. But she still understood the dark expression that must have crossed my face.

"It'll be alright," she soothed. "You haven't taken out any tesserae in several years and you've kept a low profile. If I were you, I wouldn't worry."

She smiled and I smiled back, but we both knew it was a lie. Everyone was afraid on Reaping Day.

Suddenly the walls around me were too thick, the windows too small. I felt hopelessly trapped. I wondered if this was what a prison cell felt like. It probably was. I jumped to my feet, downed the rest of my scalding coffee, and grabbed a piece of bacon.

"I've got to head out," I said. "I'll see you later." Then I ruffled Ian's hair and dashed out of the house before Lina could say another word.

Despite the fear of being caught, I didn't bother scanning the crowd of people flocking to the Justice Building. There would be no violence today, but only because the next few weeks would be filled with blood.

Aurelia Giles, 18

District 9 Female

I shifted from foot to foot in a desperate attempt to stay awake. My sleep was plagued with nightmares I didn't even remember when I woke up, but they prevented my rest all the same. It took all my willpower to keep my eyes open, despite the horrors of Reaping Day.

The Hunger Games were sickening. The Capitol didn't need to kill twenty-four of us every year as a show of power. They were already killing more of us with their willful neglect. The number of lives lost on the streets of District 9 easily surpassed the ones taken in the arena.

Not that any of the deaths could be excused.

None of the people I'd lost could be justified, even my mother. She was abusive and cruel, but she was still a person. I feared her and I hated her, but I didn't want her to die. I wanted her to be the woman she was before the drugs, but that could never happen. She couldn't get the help she needed, even if she'd wanted it. It all went back to the Capitol.

Someone grabbed my wrist and I flinched, panic racing through me. Instinctually I raised my other hand to shield my face, but that was caught too. I almost screamed before I made out my own reflection in the dusty Peacekeeper's helmet. He was trying to take my blood and in my sleepy state, I hadn't realized.

I took a deep breath in through my nose and forced myself to relax. "I'm sorry," I said as mildly as I could. "I got startled."

"Just hold still," the man grumbled. I nodded and let him prick my fingertip. My name flashed brightly on his tablet and he ushered me past him. I walked away as quickly as I could.

I didn't have many friends but I recognized almost every face I saw. Doctors cost more than almost anyone in District 9 could afford, so a retired nurse with a few apprentices was who they went to. Either Evelyn, Morgan, or I had treated someone in the crowd. So I returned the smiles and waves some of the other girls sent my way and exchanged a few words with some others.

The jolt from my run-in with the Peacekeeper woke me up enough to stay alert, so I slipped my hands into my pockets and stood silently with every other child in the district, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Mayor Schuyler was flanked by our district's escort, Destiny Aurauld, and our most recent Victor, Oberon Murdoch. He was pushing Dakota Grangerford's wheelchair while she scowled at the cameras. Our three older Victors followed them, with Bran, the Victor of the 15th Games in the middle. I recognized his dazed expression and had to look away.

The Victors were seated as the national anthem played, followed by Mayor Schuyler reading the Treaty of Treason. Her voice was strong but she looked exhausted. I felt for her. She was the most influential person in District 9, but only by title. In reality, she was even more powerless than the rest of us.

Destiny intrigued me too. She was more comfortable in her role than she was when she first came here, but she was still hesitant. Her voice was soft and she was constantly glancing to either side of her, as if waiting for some kind of queue.

After adjusting her feathered tophat, she played the mandatory propaganda film. But she winced at every on screen death shown, which caught my attention. Odd.

Then the moment arrived. The heart-wrenching, breath-stealing moment when Destiny would doom two more of us. I began my breathing exercises, focusing solely on the air moving in and out of my lungs.

"Aurelia Giles!"

I breathed out, but I couldn't get air back in. My head spun from both fear and lack of oxygen as I frantically tried to regain myself. I almost passed out, but the girl behind me patted me firmly on the back several times. It brought my lungs back to life, but with my breath came tears.

I didn't look at whoever was behind me. I didn't try to dry my tears either. I just kept breathing deeply as I walked the lonely path to the stage. Destiny's lavender eyes met mine as I climbed the stairs. She offered the briefest of smiles to me and I wanted to return it, but couldn't. Instead I slipped my hands back into the pockets of my skirt and stared out at a point on the horizon, desperately trying to compose myself.

The tears came again when Destiny announced my district partner.

"Emrys Harris!"

I heard several shouts from the crowd as Peacekeepers approached him. I expected Emrys to struggle, but he shook off the Peacekeeper's hand, squared his shoulders, and went to join me.

He was still thin, but he had more muscle on him than he did when we were 16. His blue eyes seemed darker and sadder, and he had a small goatee now. But his sandy hair was as thick and unruly as I remembered. He always looked like he'd just woken up, and I loved it.

I didn't know what to say when he came to stand beside me. I knew I was staring and it seemed like he was too, though he was trying to be subtle by looking at me from the corner of his eye. His shoulders were stiff, his jaw was set, and he was facing the crowd, but he hadn't taken his gaze off of me.

My heartbeat thumped in my ears, but I distantly heard Destiny announce our names to all of Panem. Aurelia and Emrys. Emrys and Aurelia…

I couldn't stop myself. I threw my arms around Emrys and hugged him tight.

I celebrated New Year's Day by killing Val and I'm celebrating my birthday by reaping Aurelia and Emrys! What an auspicious start! But in all seriousness, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope it was enjoyable to read as well.

I'm also going to be giving some attention to Dakota and Oberon too because they are submitted characters too! Dakota was entrusted to me by AmericanPi and Oberon belongs to Sparky She-Demon. They won the 54th and 55th Games respectively, if you want to check out their stories.

And as always, please leave a review if you can!

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona