Adaline Trunkette’s POV:

‘’ Ladies and gentlemen of District Ten! I am very pleased to welcome you all here to the Reaping celebrations for this year’s Hunger Games. This year, we are celebrating one hundred and twenty five years of glorious Games, and it is a very special year. As you all know, every twenty five years the Capitol organises a special Games called the Quarter Quell, and the time has come for the Fifth Quarter Quell.’’ Smiles the Mayor of our District.

She is rather pudgy to say she lives in a District of Panem and not in the Capitol and she dresses just like the crazy citizens of the Capitol. Every year I note how bizarrely she is dressed and every year – without fail – she manages to come to the Reaping even wackier than before.

She wears a lemony yellow dress that elongates down to her feet – however she really doesn’t have the figure to pull it off. It sits quite awkwardly over her and it bulges outwards at the hips due to her oversized thighs.

Her hair is a mixture of dyes, bright yellow as well as the palest shade of white I’ve ever seen. Her hair looks a mess really – it sits on her head in a bundle of curls and there is a crown-like hairpiece sitting on it which glitters annoyingly – but apparently this is what the Capitol considers fashionable. The most original you look, the better!

More like the stupider you look, the better! I mutter inside my own head.

I glance at my mother at the back of the crowd, she is staring right at me. She looks worried for me. My father has tried to calm her down, but she has feared this day for my whole life. After all, she has already lost a brother to the Games. She has never talked about it with me, but I’ve heard the rumours.

My uncle took part in the Ultimate Games, didn’t make it very far at all. His name was Rhiannon Fray. Reaped on his twelfth birthday to enter a blood bath. He never made it to the Ultimate Games, died in the qualifying round between Districts Nine through Twelve. Poor boy. Twenty five years later and she her wounds are as fresh as they ever were – the scabs freshly picked at every year during the Games as more and more innocent children’s lives are taken.

‘’ For this year’s Quarter Quell, we all know that the twenty four tributes will be randomly paired with one another so we will have twelve pairs of two. These pairs will be connected to each other and when one dies, so does the other. This to me sounds exhilarating! I can’t wait until we find out more about this! Also, for the first time ever, there will be two winners of the Hunger Games, not just one.’’ She continues.

I think to myself about the pairings that are apparently going to be random. I bet the Capitol will fix them to make the Games more interesting. I heard that a set of twins were Reaped, knowing the Capitol the twins will probably be separated. Imagine that, not only having to enter a battle to the death with your twin, but also having to fight against them. The Capitol never ceases to surprise me with the cruelty of the Games.

‘’ I’m hoping two careers are paired together! That would mean a lot more action!’’ Explains the Mayor excitedly – she makes me sick.

The crowd watches her silently and in disgust. How can she be so positive about sending two children she most likely knows to be slaughtered live on television in front of their friends, family and entire District? It’s horrible!

‘’ Now then, let me introduce to you all to our brand new escort who will be taking it from here, Maverick Martin!’’ She beams and a male Capitol man dressed in a navy blue and purple suit strides onto the stage.

‘’ Hello District Ten!’’ He cheers flamboyantly – the crowd remains silently. ‘’ I warmly welcome all of you to the Reapings. I wish all of you the best of luck today and I know myself that the two tributes I pull from the Reaping bowls will be honourable, brave and valiant, even in death if it comes to that.’’

The crowd is noiseless, nobody wants to give him any amount of satisfaction so everyone remains dead quiet – as always here in District Ten. Nevertheless, he dances around the stage excitedly, eager to pull out the names. But, unfortunately he must read out the history of Panem and we have the misfortune to have to sit and listen.

Pious Carrington’s POV:

As our new escort makes a show of himself onstage with his blue and purple suit and weirdly shaped navy hair, my mind begins to wander as I stand in the seventeen year old section. The escort blabs on about the history of Panem, the Hunger Games and so on and so forth. I glance around the square, looking for people I know.

My eyes halt on Arya, standing in the eighteen year old girl’s section with her golden blonde hair and her beautiful model-like physique. She is every District Ten guy’s dream girl. She is beautiful, rich, smart and fit – and often the talk of the males anytime she walks by. I stare at her, in a trance like state and she catches my eye. I quickly look away, nervous and silently cursing myself for my stupidity.

Why did you do that? You idiot! The hottest girl in Panem is going to think you’re a creep! I silently scold myself.

I give it a few moments, then I glance back in her direction to see if she is still watching me. She is! She is watching me whilst twisting her blonde locks with her index and middle finger whilst biting down slightly on her bottom lip. She winks at me and I feel myself blush up. I wave at her and she cocks an eyebrow. Then she stops what she is doing and gives me a dirty look.

She mouths something with a look of disgust on her face. ‘’ Not you.’’

I feel my heart implode inside my chest.

You idiot! How could you ever think she’d like you. Look at you! You’re a pathetic, anorexic, nerd that can barely run a mile without throwing up the contents of your stomach! Jeers my inner voice.

‘’ Stop it.’’ I mutter quietly.

Do you really think she’d go for someone like you? She has every boy in the District wrapped around her little finger. She could have anyone. Why you? It continues.

‘’ Stop it.’’ I plead.

You’re pathetic.

‘’ Stop it!’’ I say aloud and a few of the other guys around me turn to look at me.

‘’ He’s crazy.’’ Mutters one.

‘’ You sound shocked about that.’’ Adds a second and the two laugh.

I feel tears welling up inside me.

Are you actually going to cry? Laughs my inner voice.

The voice of my male escort brings me back to reality. ‘’ Adaline Trunkette!’’

My inner voice silences as I watch a small girl step out from the section directly in front of the stage and make her way up the steps towards the podium where our new escort is waiting with a huge grin painted across his face. From somewhere at the back of the crowd I can hear a woman’s soft sobbing.

‘’ Hello deary! What age are you?’’ He questions, even though he already knows the answer.

‘’ Twelve.’’ Replies the girl, her face looks as though she is zoned out, barely listening to the man.

‘’ No!’’ Roars a woman. ‘’ You can’t do this! Not again! Not to me!’’

‘’ Somebody silence her.’’ Orders the escort. ‘’ Before I ask the peacekeepers to.’’

As he says this, I watch as a few other parents run to the screaming woman and clamp their hands over her mouth in an attempt to save her life.

‘’ You’re making a fool of yourself woman. Control yourself.’’ Says our escort impatiently into the microphone.

‘’ That’s my mother you’re talking to!’’ Replies Adaline angrily.

‘’ Oh I’m sorry.’’ He begins, then he corrects himself. ‘’ You’re making a fool of yourself in front of your daughter.’’

‘’ You monster!’’ Screams Adaline and lunges towards the man, however a peacekeeper grabs her instinctively and holds her back.

‘’ You’re lucky I can’t hurt you girl, you’re a tribute. But make another sound and I will shoot your mother in the face in front of you. Right here, on stage.’’ Threatens the man and Adaline silences.

How can they do this? This is horrible. Another twelve year old is going to be sent to her death. And out of everyone, it had to be Adaline. Her mother has been a wreck ever since she lost Rhiannon, now they’re taking her only daughter away too?

‘’ Now then! For the boys!’’ Smiles the escort from the stage. ‘’ How about we make this more exciting? I will pull two names from the hat, and read them out. Then you all can decide which of the tributes is entered!’’

He laughs with excitement as he pulls out the first of the boys’ names and reads it out aloud. ‘’ Dalton Kearn! Come on up here young man!’’

A small boy steps out from the twelve year old section and slowly makes his way up the stage. The escort grabs his hand and pulls him over to one side of him.

‘’ Next up, Pious Carrington!’’ He calls and I feel my heart sink lower into my chest than it already has because of the fact that two twelve year old children are standing on the stage already.

I make my way to the stage silently and the escort stands me on the other side of him.

‘’ Now then, the moment of truth. The tribute with the biggest applause will be entering the Hunger Games arena alongside little Adaline Trunkette! So, for those of you that wish twelve year old Dalton to enter the arena, please applaud now.’’

Nobody makes a sound. It’s not that I didn’t expect them to choose a twelve year old over me, but I didn’t think it would be this unanimous.

‘’ OK then. For those of you that want...’’ He begins, then pauses. ‘’ Wait, what age are you?’’

‘’ Seventeen.’’ I reply.

‘’ For those of you that want seventeen year old Pious to enter the Hunger Games, please applaud now.’’ He continues.

To my surprise, everyone is still silent. I see the escort flush a furious shade of red.

‘’ So that’s how you want to play? Is it?’’ He begins. ‘’ I will start again, this time if I don’t have a winner, I will kill one of the tributes and the other will be entered.’’

I gulp and I’m pretty sure even Arya heard it from where she was.

‘’ OK then. For those of you that want Dalton to enter the arena, applaud now.’’ He repeats.

Not a sound is made again.

No. Don’t do this. They’ll kill one of us.

‘’ For those of you that want Pious to enter the arena, applaud now.’’ He says and for a moment there is silence yet again.

‘’ Oh for God’s sake! Applaud and save that kid’s life!’’ I roar and a few people begin clapping. Then a few more begin to join in too, however it sounds very forced.

‘’ Very brave boy. Or stupid.’’ Says the escort. ‘’ OK then! We have our two tributes, twelve year old Adaline Trunkette and seventeen year old Pious Carrington! Please follow me.’’

He takes a few steps, then pauses, noticing Dalton hasn’t moved.

‘’ Oh. Apparently the boy wants to die.’’ Smirks the escort, then looks at the peacekeeper on stage. ‘’ Do me the favour and kill this boy. To teach these idiots that the next time I play a game, everyone must join in.’’

The peacekeeper looks at him a look of confusion, but we are led off stage and as the Justice Building seals behind us, there is a gunshot and the crowd erupts into screams and roars of anger.

‘’ Wasn’t that fun?’’ Smiles the escort cheerfully and we are led down a set of stairs into the darkness.