Ethan Rhode’s POV:

‘’ Ethan! Ellie! Time to get up!’’ Yells my mother from the bottom of the stairs.

‘’ Great.’’ Mutters Ellie sarcastically. ‘’ Reaping day is upon us again.’’

‘’ I don’t know what you mean Ellie, I love it!’’ I cheer just as sarcastically.

‘’ I guess you’re right. What’s not to love about twenty four poor children being forced to fight to the death on live television in front of their friends and family?’’ She continues.

‘’ May the odds be ever in your favour.’’ I say, mocking the voice of our Capitol-born escort.

‘’ Let’s go.’’ She says and we head down to the kitchen.

‘’ Morning you two.’’ Smiles my mother, trying to make us feel better on such a shit day.

‘’ Morning.’’ We reply in unison.

‘’ What’s for breakfast?’’

‘’ Cake.’’ Grins my mother. ‘’ Happy birthday you two!’’

‘’ It’s not our birthday until next week.’’ Says Ellie with a grin.

‘’ And the award for best parent goes to-‘’ I begin with a smile but she cuts me off.

‘’ I know, I know, but I just thought you guys could do with some cheering up. Today isn’t exactly going to be a fun day.’’ Explains my mother.

‘’ Where’s dad?’’ Questions Ellie.

‘’ He had to work early at the power plant.’’ Says my mother. ‘’ He wanted to be here but-‘’

‘’ Yeah, of course he did. Doesn’t he always.’’ I interrupt.

‘’ Ethan.’’ Chides my sister.

I don’t say another word. I watch silently as my mother sticks sixteen half burnt out candles into the cake and lights them one by one.

‘’ On the count of three, both of you blow them out together and make a wish.’’ Orders my mother – as she does every year on our birthday. ‘’ One...two...three!’’

Reluctantly, I blow them out with my much more enthusiastic sister beside me and silently think of what I want.

I wish that my father will be with us for our actual sixteenth birthday next week.

I watch Ellie’s face as she thinks. Her eyes are closed and she is scrunching up her face and balling her fists together as if she is constipated. The sight makes me laugh and she halts.

‘’ What?’’ She snaps although she smiles.

‘’ Nothing.’’ I lie, hiding a grin.

‘’ What did you guys wish for?’’ Asks my mother.

‘’ That someday we can get out of this crappy town.’’ I lie, my mother smiles.

‘’ And you Ellie?’’ She asks.

‘’ For me and Ethan to be together for our birthday.’’ She explains and my mother smiles, although it is a different smile than the one she awarded me with. She smiles out of humour for me, this smile is one of admiration.

‘’ Well, eat up!’’ She smiles and hands us each a spoon.

In ten minutes we are all stuffed and the majority of the cake is gone. My mother wraps the small bit that is left up in tin foil and sticks it in our tiny fridge for my father.

‘’ Go upstairs and get ready, it’s only thirty minutes until the Reaping begins.’’ Orders my mother and begins cleaning the kitchen as we head upstairs.

Ellie Rhode’s POV:

I look at the dress my mother has placed on my bed and smile.

‘’ It’s beautiful.’’ I say aloud accidentally.

‘’ What?’’ Asks Ethan.

‘’ The dress.’’

I take it with me to the cracked mirror in our bedroom and hold it up against my body.

‘’ It’s perfect.’’ I say with a grin.

‘’ Are you talking to me or what?’’ Questions Ethan.

‘’ Oh shut up.’’ I laugh and sit back down on the bed examining the dress.

It is a yellow summer-dress that elongates as far as my knees with a purple velvet ribbon tied neatly in a bow around the waist. There is also a pair of purple earrings left out beside the dress and a similarly colour ribbon for my hair.

I send Ethan from the room and slip into my dress, securing the purple bow around my waist and putting on the earrings. Instead of tying the purple ribbon into my hair, I use it as a bracelet and tie it around my wrist. I then sit on the bed with my hairbrush and begin remodelling my bed hair into something presentable.

‘’ OK I’m done!’’ I call and Ethan re-enters the room.

‘’ About time.’’ He complains but grins at me. ‘’ You look nice.’’

‘’ Thanks. Now hurry up! We haven’t got long before the Reapings start.’’ I instruct and head back downstairs as he gets ready.

‘’ Mum.’’ I say as I enter the kitchen.

‘’ Yes love?’’ She responds as kindly as always.

‘’ You don’t think anyone we know will be Reaped. Do you?’’ I question.

‘’ No of course not. District Five is one of the bigger Districts, I’m sure you’ll never even have seen the poor children.’’ She explains comfortingly.

‘’ I hope so.’’

~ * * * * * ~

‘’ Hurry up Ethan! We have like five minutes!’’ I call as the two of us sprint towards the town square where the majority of the District is already waiting for the Reaping to begin.

‘’ Hello citizens of District Five!’’ Calls my District’s escort as we enter our respective sixteen year old sections. ‘’ Finally, the day is here to select our two lucky tributes to go forward to fight for our District in the Fifth Quarter Quell.’’

I glance over at Ethan and he rolls his eyebrows at me.

‘’ As usual, we will begin with the women.’’ Beams our District’s escort as she sticks her skeletally long fingers into the large Reaping bowl full of possible female tributes and plucks out a slip of paper.

She takes a deep breath, clears her throat and then reads out the name.

‘’ Ellie Rhodes!’’ She roars, the crowd stays silent.

There is a gasp. It takes me a few moments to realise the gasp came from my mouth. I cup my hand over my mouth and stand frozen on the spot. The girls around me – whom I once thought were my friends – separate from me, leaving me standing alone with a space between myself and them.

‘’ Come on deary.’’ Calls the escort, however my find myself unable to move – rooted to the spot in complete terror.

‘’ Go Ellie.’’ Mutters a worried sounding voice from somewhere near me, although I still cannot move.

In the corner of my eyes, I see a Peacekeeper marching towards me. He grabs me by my non-existent bicep and leads me from the section for sixteen year old girls and begins taking me to the stage.

I walk with them, although I feel as though I am outside of my own head, watching the whole scene play out before me with no control over my feet.

‘’ Hello there Ellie.’’ Smiles the escort.

Although I hear her words, they are faint and I can’t bring myself to reply.

‘’ Hello?’’ She laughs although I remain silent.

The peacekeeper leaves me with the escort, who begins waving her hand in front of my face.

‘’ I guess she doesn’t want to talk. Go on deary, take a seat over there.’’ She instructs and I walk – almost zombie-like – and take my seat on the stage facing the crowd.

I sit silently, feeling my head slowly getting heavier.

‘’ Now then, for the boys.’’ Chirps our escort, as obnoxiously as ever.

I see in the corner of my eye as she sticks her hand into the Reaping bowl for the boys.

‘’ Ethan Rhodes!’’ She roars and I feel myself get extremely heavy. Suddenly I watch as the floor flies upwards and hits me in the face. Everything goes black.