CHIFFON MCKINSEY, 13

A few days earlier…

"Chiffon," Ms. Gonner yells for me. "I need you to deliver these fabrics to the factory!" She whistles and draws me towards her, putting the fabrics into my hands and slams the door behind her.

"You don't need to take this from her," Vivienne says. "When is the last time she treated you with decency? Throw these down on the ground and go have fun doing something crazy. Piss off a Peacekeeper. They'd never hurt a kid."

"No," Franny snaps. "You need to be responsible. Your parents are counting on you to help them out. The last thing you want to do is get on your mother's bad side."

Franny and Vivienne are my two best friends, even if they only live inside of my head. My two real friends, Ove and Rach, are way older than I am and are too busy working these days to spend any time with me.

I never really understood the kids around me. For a long time, I took after my mom, not realizing her cruelty. I'd make mean comments about their clothes or their families, not realizing they had lost people. As a result, I probably scared all of the other kids away from me. These two were always there when I needed them. As much as I would love to listen to Vivienne and make for the "woods," she's gotten me in trouble with my mom before. And when that happens…

Mom has never liked me. I was an accident when my parents were still young, and they decided to stay together and raise me. Mom had to take time off when I was born, costing my family her dreams and money. She calls me names a lot, like "little shit," and "life ruiner." I'd lean on my dad for support, but he's usually working at one of the factories, never around enough to support me. When he is home, he usually spends his time sitting at the table drinking a beer.

Reluctantly, I decide to follow Ms. Gonner's instructions, if only to make a little extra money. When I get paid, I decide to use the money for myself, buying a treat at one of the bakeries before running around the district on my own, laughing as I imagine that Franny and Vivienne are right there with me. It takes the pain away, at least for a while.

When I run out of steam, I head to the Ove, the fish merchant, and sit by him as he prepares food.

"Hello there Chiffon," he says. "Shouldn't you be getting home soon? It's awfully late. Won't your parents worry?"

The thought of going home to mom makes me shiver. "Can I just stay here for a bit? Please?"
He sighs. "Alright, but once I close up, you need to leave."

Normally, he closes around 8. But tonight, he stays a few hours later. I think I know the reason why.
Day of the reaping…

Henna pulls my name out. I crumple onto the ground and start sobbing.

Franny comes in to help me out. "You need to go up there and face the problem. Show everyone that you are not afraid."
I imagine Vivienne physically pushing Franny down. "No, don't listen to her. Make everyone regret pulling your name. Start screaming and pushing people around. Run away. Get out of here now. Run as fast as you can!"

I don't even have time to consider their advice, because a Peacekeeper pushes past the other girls to grab me. When I refuse to move, he lifts me up and carries me to the stage, plopping me right next to Henna.

"Alright everyone!" She says. "Give it up for "Chiffon McKinsey!"

ONYX BELLHILL, 16

A few years earlier…

I was 11 years old when it happened. Late one night, a thundering knock at the door woke me up. Dad opened it and a Peacekeeper was standing there holding her hat.

"Is this the Bellhill residence?" She asked. My dad nodded. "Your wife had an accident at the factory and is in the hospital. The doctors expect her to survive, but she will likely never be able to walk again. You have my condolences."

Me, dad, and my younger siblings, Calla and Nettle, rushed to put clothes on and make our way to the hospital. When we arrived at mom's room, she was still asleep. For some reason, there was a Peacekeeper standing there, right by the door. When does that happen at the hospital?

A few hours later, mom woke up and spoke in a slurred voice. Dad grabbed her hand.

"Honey," he said, voice breaking. "What happened to you."
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the Peacekeeper shooting daggers at my mom. She gulped and started explaining that she was working on something when one of the machines jammed. She tried to fix it, but got her legs stuck and lost blood. Her story made no sense to me. How would her legs get stuck when the machines were at eye level? What on earth should she have been doing?

After another week in the hospital, she came home. The factory gave us some money to help her, and dad stopped working to take care of mom. Except somehow, it got to be too much for him, so he started using the money to buy alcohol instead. The booze made him an entirely different person. He'd throw things around the house and yell at us for anything and everything. Calla and Nettle were terrified, usually coming to my room and curling up into balls, sobbing. Soon, dad lost his job too.

To make sure we didn't become impoverished, I started going to school only part-time and got a job at a factory that made uniforms for Peacekeepers. My first day there, I trained with another kid around my age named Galvan.

"What brings you here?" He asked me.

"Need to make money. Neither of my parents work anymore. You?"
"Dead dad, mom is catatonic basically. So same. I'm Galvan," he reached out his hand, and I shook it. From there on, he became my best friend. Most nights after work, we'd hang out together, either finding a spot in town to eat or just walking around for some peace. I couldn't imagine my life without him.

Making the uniforms came naturally to me. I had some sewing knowledge thanks to my mom, but I was soon an expert on the machines. Within a year, I got promoted to a better position, which meant more money for my family. By the time I turned 15, I was practically running the floor.

The conditions at the factory were horrible. Dust filled the airs, we only had one tiny window, and the people at the bottom only got breaks every 4 hours, and those were only for 10 minutes. Plus, the Peacekeepers make our jobs hell. They visit a lot, and whenever they see someone making a mistake, they become enraged. One more than one occasion, they have even attacked us. I've never asked mom about it, but I'm fairly certain that's what really happened to her. I knew better than to ask.

The reaping….

Hearing my name called is certainly a shock. No one ever expects it, except maybe the Careers. No one in District 8, though. Maybe I could pull this off. Acacia almost won last year, after all, and we have a lot of the same skills. I make my way to the podium, walking like a robot. This garners laugh from the crowd, and some people even start to move their arms like I did, trying to make fun of me. I refuse to let them tear me down. Life has done that enough