Saying Goodbye (after the Reaping; Griffin, OPEN)

[Ashley (Ember, Wren, August)]

The maroon carpets of the Justice Building reminded Ember of the blood that would be spilt in the very near future and her stomach felt nauseous. She grew up seeing people die in the Games but she still never could get used to it and what made it worse is now she was stepping into her worst nightmare. She was going to die.

Ember sat on the fancy brown leather couch, biting her nails and tapping her feet. She felt like she was about to faint or be sick. It was all so surreal to her. The day started out like every Reaping Day, nerve wracking but completely unrelated to her. Every year she and her family would get in a nicer than unsual outfit and go to the Town Square together and solemnly watch two hopeless children be called up to the stage and face their death. Her mother would always bake raisin bread for the families and go over to comfort them. Would anyone do the same for them? All Ember thought about was her family. Her brother Lennor was so ill and could die. Her brother Gram had just married the love of his life, Clare. And what would her little brothers, Kaniel and Arden, what would they do? They'd both have to take jobs and tesserae just to survive. They wouldn't have her to make them breakfast or dinner and they would have her to wake them up or clean up after them or help them with school work. There would be no discipline. Her mother and father would have to work twice as hard at least.

To avoid crying, Ember looked around. The Justice Building was so much nicer than any building she had every been in. The furniture was like the ones that they probably had in the Capitol, the carpet and paint looked new, and there was no bad smell. Just as Ember was looking at pictures of Capitolites, the Mayor, and past Victors from District 8, she heard a knock on the dark brown door she went through after being called up onto the stage. She turned around to see her six people she loved dearly, all with faces tear stained, led by Peacekeepers. They entered and the Peacekeepers left.

Her mother, father, three of her four brothers, and her sister-in-law all sat down in chairs in the room. Her mother and father beside her. No one said anything for a moment. Finally, her youngest brother Arden rushed up to her and hugged her around the waist. At this, Ember began to weep along with her little brother and her other younger, Kaniel, came to hug her too. "Ember, don't go!"[/b] Arden begged. She could tell he was trying to be brave for Arden but tears were in his eyes too. Her parents embrace her tightly bring her, her siblings, and parents into a family hug. Her older brother Gram sat stationary, looking down, trying hard not to cry but failing. His wife was tearing up but trying to consol him and looking hopelessly at Ember, all the while. For a few minutes, they all just cried and embraced each other. Finally, they all pulled themselves together for final goodbyes. It made her sad that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Lennor. They both were probably going to die.

Her mother sniffled and then reached into her satchel. "Honey, I have a token for you. I bring it to the Reaping Day every year just in case."[/color] Her mother handed her a beautiful hand crafted thimble. It was probably sterling silver and it had a carving of a standard District 8 home. This would be the thing that would be her last connection to home and her family. She closed it tightly in her hand, afraid she would lose it. "Promise me you'll keep it safe?"[/color] she mother asked hopefully. All Ember could do was nod. Her throat hurt and she knew she'd begin to cry again if she tried to talk.

Finally her father, who probably cried more than any of them finally mustered up words. "We all love you Ember. Remember that we always will. You're strong. You've been running this family since you were a little girl. And you're brave and strong and... Just promise me you'll be careful and you'll try to win, okay?" The more he talked, the more painful it looked for him to talk.

Ember attempted to answer for him. Her voice was quiet and raspy when she said, "I promise."[/color] She couldn't keep calm though and broke down again. "I'm scared, dad,"[/color] she admitted. "I don't want to do this."[/color]

"I know you are, Ember. I know you are. Just remember your name."[/color]

"My name?"[/color]

"We didn't name you Ember because it was a pretty name. We named you that because from even before you were born, you had a fire in your soul. It seemed fitting. Just remember that fire in your heart; the one that makes you so protective over your family and so angry when you see the Peacekeepers hurting someone. Just remember that fire and know that you aren't the type of girl that gives up easy. Don't let the embers die out."[/color] She thought of what her father said and decided to let her family remember her as strong for the last time they would see in person. They talked for a few more minutes, avoiding any talk of the Games, talking of odd things like the downpour the district had gotten lately, town gossip and news like who just had a baby, who got busted for selling on the Black Market or breaking other rules, and who just got married. They avoided the topic of who just passed away. It was all so uncomfortable and odd. They talked about things that didn't matter but they were all thinking the same thing. Finally after a bit of casual talk, the Peacekeepers came into say it was time to go. Each of her family members gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and left her with tears and reassuring words. Still, Ember refused to cry anymore but took in their faces for the last time.

Her father was so tall and strong, thin yet husky. His soft medium brown hair covered his head and face with a full beard. His eyes were green and kind and a little red and puffy from crying. His expression showed despair and hopelessness which broke her heart. He wore a flanel green and white checkered shirt and old khaki pants with his everyday ragged brown leather shoes.

Her mom looked so frail and thin. Her big brown eyes looked more sad than anything she had ever seen in her entire life. Amethyst's whispy dark brown hair was long and braided. She wore a dark purple day dress that went to mid calf. Kaniel looked like he was trying so hard to be brave and mature. His dark brown eyes looked hard and strong. He looked the complete opposite of Arden. His green eyes were glassy and he was crying a bit. Gram gave her a hug goodbye and looked like he was in a daze and his little blonde wife gave a sincere hug that showed only kindness. Even though she hadn't known her long, her big brown eyes showed the greatest sympathy.

Finally, she family left and Ember was alone. Would anyone else come to visit her? Was that the last contact she would have with District 8? Anyone had the chance to say goodbye to her if they wanted to. Some people had no one visit and some had half the town. It would be nice to know she was missed but could she handle any more goodbyes? Surely, they wouldn't be as difficult as the ones she just endured. Maybe they'd even help. They would help her forget the people she was so reluctant to say goodbye to. She could even pretend she was going on some sort of journey like an explorer or a champion. Hopefully the tearful goodbyes she just gave wouldn't be her last memory of district 8.

[arx!!]

How can I let go of you,

Griffin sat, recalling what had happened just earlier that day. The sun had shone, bright and calming, warm and inviting. The air had smelt of harvest, of all the crops that created the textiles in District 8. Everything combined, it was a beautiful day. Only the Capitol could ruin such a day. Only the Capitol made Panem seem so dull on a day like this.

The one who holds my heart.

Griffin remembered eating an orange for breakfast, an orange his mother had sent. It had tasted so great, filling his mouth with its sweet tang. It made him feel sunny inside, despite that it was The Reaping day. The day children from District 8 would, most likely, never see Panem ever again.

We loved being together,

Griffin had put three tesserae in his name, in hopes that he would be able to leave Panem, to leave District 8, to leave a world that didn't need. A world that couldn't use a deaf boy. He wasn't sure of his emotions as he dressed himself in clothes that his mother had sent from the Capitol, specifically for this day. Dressed in a black button down shirt, some form of writing and symbols all over, and blue jeans, faded and beaten, which was supposedly the 'next thing' in the Capitol.

Now we cry as we're apart.

He and his father departed, into the District Square. Many children had already gathered. His father led him to the boys side of the Square, his hand firmly on his shoulder. He remembered how he wasn't worried, how he really didn't care. If he was chosen, he was just as good as dead, exactly as he planned. It was what he wanted. He was useless to Panem and nothing could stop him from dying at the Games. It was as if his destiny was sitting in front of him on a silver platter.

I turn and look one last time,

But what he hadn't expected was his father's hand tense upon his shoulder as the Mayor's lips moved for the first time. It was 'Ladies first.' after all. It wasn't his name that could have been called, yet his handed tensed and squeezed his shoulder at whoever had been called as the female tribute for District 8. His heart began pounding uncontrollably at the sight that met his eyes.

As you slowly walk away,

He remembered watching Ember slowly walk up the stairs, onto the stage for presentation. Horror had made its way into his bones in his very being. He felt his knees grow weak, his body giving a shiver. It was all he could do to stay still, to not move. His father's hand helped reassure him, helped him to remain steady, but Griffin hadn't been sure of what to do. He wanted to cry out, to erase everything. But no matter what, he couldn't. And when his father did not let him go and another boy stepped up, Griffin knew that he wasn't leaving with her.

Holding out my hands,

Griffin sat, waiting. His mind running through all the previous events of that day in his head. After Ember had left inside the building, he had sprinted home and picked up his sketchbook, recently dried of rainwater, the pages wrinkled and tinted. He drew and drew and drew his heart out. All his pent up emotions spilled onto the blank paper. And when he was finished, he quickly ran back to the Square, right to the building where Ember had led herself.

I quietly ask you to stay.

And so, all those events led him to sit on cold stone. Although the sun was shining, it was still cold. Chilling. He waited with his head in his hands, his sketchbook in his lap, a pencil behind his ear. Sweat was dripping down his back, his run that day making him sticky and dirty. He waited patiently outside. Someone was visiting her. Griffin knew it must be her family. Crying, saying goodbyes. She had so many siblings. He imagined them with red faces and sniffling noses. Did her younger brothers even understand? He stared at the door, intently watching for it to open.

You gently touch my hands,

As the door swung open, Griffin saw her family. Her sweet family. They were all cried out, all pain only left showing in their reddened and puffy eyes. Griffin was almost angry. Again, all of this was The Capitol's fault. But still, pain could not conquer the other feeling of despair inside him. Despair was so powerful, it almost always won.

And you give a silent 'Goodbye.'

As he stood, he tried not to draw too much attention to himself. He was sure that her parents didn't know him, that maybe they found his presence offensive, so he silently walked over to the door. Peacekeepers led him into the building, carpets blood-red, granite everywhere. It almost made the situation seem brighter, seem less upsetting. His sketchbook was patting against his hip as he walked, creating a sense of rhythm and relief.

You're forever in my heart,

As he reached Ember, he felt himself want to cry. But he held it all back, for her sake. She was also upset, red and puffy in the face. This was his only friend. The only person he had ever thought of as a friend.And she was leaving.

I hope you'll always know.

All he could manage to do was give a weak smile.

I just wish I was caught in a dream, where you weren't leaving. Where you weren't saying,

"Goodbye."

[Ashley (Ember, Wren, August)]

When Hilbrook family left, Ember felt more alone than she had ever felt before. It was like everyone in Panem had vanished or she entered a new world where she was all alone in darkness. She felt like she was waiting for execution. Ember sat there for what felt like forever and her mind raced through scenarios of the weeks to come, remembering past Hunger Games. The images of bloody murders, fights, mutt attacks, and other types of deaths. There were so many possibilities of what she would face; a jungle, a forest, a desert, a tundra, an island, a prairie. The possibilities were endless. And the worst part was she wouldn't know until the moment she was in the Arena.

Just when her anxieties began to swell, the door creaked open and she whipped around, expecting to see the Peacekeepers, ready to take her away, but was pleasantly surprised. It was her boy friend, Griffin. Before thinking, she sprung up and rushed to him, and hugged him around the neck, almost jumping on him and knocking him over. Griffin was going to be another person she would hate to say goodbye to. They had been dating for a few months now and had became so close.

Finally she let go of him after a long embrace and signed,
I'm so glad you came! I couldn't leave without seeing you again.' Since they met, they grew close friends and he taught her sign language and they eventually fell for each other and began dating. Ember couldn't bare to break his heart but she didn't have a choice in the matter. It was like they were star crossed lovers, destined to be apart and heart broken by fate.

Tears flooded her eyes and she looked up at her boy friend, with glassy eyes of a child and then signed

[/color] 'Griffin, I don't want to go. I don't want to die.'[/color][/justify]

[arx!!]

Time is closing in on us

Griffin stumbled backward as Ember jumped onto him, her arms embracing his neck. He caught himself against the wall and held her with only one arm around her, the other helping him keep balance. He loved the smell of her hair. The way it felt.

Quicker than I would have wanted it to

He knew he would miss that. Miss her.

I tried to make the moments last

Griffin was suddenly afraid his eyes might fill with tears, but he pushed them back. He wanted this moment to be a happy one. He wanted to remember happy things. He wanted to remember all the good times. He wanted to remember her as she was, to remember her without sorrow in her eyes. To remember himself as a deaf boy saved by a dying flame. Saved by an Ember.

But still they slip away

He remembered teaching her how to sign. They practiced often, going day-by-day, learning whatever they had found necessary to learn. It was hard, a challenge, but it had been one he wanted to overcome if it meant learning about her. Challenges were worth it when it came to Ember. Always worth it.

Day by day,
Hour by hour,
Minute by minute,

When Griffin was able to stand back up straight and Ember had descended back to the floor she spoke. Yes, with her hands. Speaking. He wish he could. He wanted so badly for her to hear his voice and so much more badly to hear hers. Sound. If it was anything like the vivid images in his eyes, anything like what he drew on paper, if sound created the same feeling as touch, then it must be amazing. And if Ember's voice matched what she looked like, then he wasn't sure he needed to hear it. He already knew.

Our time together lessens with each tick of the clock,

"I'm so glad you came! I couldn't leave without seeing you again."

"Griffin, I don't want to go. I don't want to die."

The day, the moment I have feared since I met you,

Griffin watched her eyes fill with the sorrow everyone refers to as tears and swallowed back emotion. But it stuck in his throat. Sorrow sure was sticky.

Continues to draw closer and soon I will be saying, 'Good-bye.'

Griffin gazed back at her. He put his hands in hers and began to sign in them. "You may have to go, but that doesn't mean you're dying." He paused. "Just because you are leaving now doesn't mean you will be gone forever."

Saying good-bye to someone I love with every inch of my soul,

Griffin had tried to convince himself of this all day. To find the part of him that knew that Ember would be home in a few months, safe and sound. But he wasn't sure that part was there.

Watching you leave as I stand crying, there is nothing more I can do.

Was it possible? Would she come back?

No more time I can savor,
No more hugs to drag out,
Nothing left.

Griffin picked up his sketchbook, and pulled out a page. Sure it was crinkly and stained and funny feeling and warped. But what the picture was wasn't. What it meant wasn't any of those things. It was the picture he had drawn earlier that day, when he couldn't believe his eyes. When he denied what he saw. It was a picture of where they met. The first day when she had tripped over him and they had ran around in the rain. Bliss. That's all it was. All it stood for.

I count each day until the moment when I can see you again,

He showed her then folded it into a square and wrapped her hand around it. All he wanted was for her to keep it close to her. Because,

Saying good-bye is never easy,

If the time came,

But one must always remember that good-bye,

when she just couldn't push on; when she couldn't get up; when she couldn't fight through it,

Does not mean forever.

that she could pull out the picture and just simply,

And there will come a time when again we can say,

"Remember."

Hello.

[Jack Lexington]

Please check your pms, Arx!

[Ashley (Ember, Wren, August)]

It wasn't possible or unexpected for Ember to be a bit choked up from this goodbye but she tried to look reassured for Griffin's sake. What he told her, she knew wasn't likely. This was goodbye forever. She was going to die. Ember was no Career. All she knew at a skilled level was how to make textiles and sew and take care of people. Those were't the skills needed in the Hunger Games. Others had been training for this since birth. There wasn't any chance that she would survive.

Still, she had to hold it together for him. This had to be braking his heart. Ember tried to imagine how it would be if their places were swapped and she had to be seeing him leave. It would kill her to know that he was going to die a tragic, painful death. It must be killing him if what he felt for her was what she felt for him and she was sure he it was. He got out his notebook and in it was a rain stained, dried, and smudged drawing. It was of the meadow in which they first met, where she had stumbled over him and started yelling at him for it only to discover he was Deaf and was humbled and embarrassed greatly. It was the place he began to walk her to her work and taught her the first signs she had ever learned. It was the place she had met the person she probably loved, the one she was having to say a painful goodbye to. He told her to remember it and she couldn't help but give a sad, hopeless smile. And she signed what she was thinking. "I'll never forget it."

They spent their last minutes holding each other, not communicating but embracing their last time together. They both must've known she wasn't coming back. Ember knew it most definitely. And if Griffin didn't, well, the denial would surely ware off when he would have to see her in the Arena, or maybe before that, in the Interview or after her score of even the opening ceremony. The sooner he got over her, the better it would be for him. It wouldn't be nearly as painful or sad than to cling on to hope until he had to watch her last breath. But she knew he would because that was who he was.

[arx!!]

Griffin closed his eyes at her words to stop the tears. All he wanted was to have her. And not just now, but forever. The Games ... it was just a simple task for her. He knew she could overcome something as simple as winning. She had it in her. The will to win; the will to survive. And nothing was going to shake this belief from his brain because he knew it was true.

He knew he wouldn't be able to hear the odds of Ember Hilbrook winning the 59th Hunger Games, but he knew if he couldn't hear it, there was no way he could convince himself to believe it. Not until her last dying breath would he know he was wrong. Utterly wrong. But until that breath, he would believe nothing else besides Ember returning home to him.

He let out a deep sigh and fluttered his eyes open, eyes luckily still remaining dry. He looked down upon the girl he had grown to love. Yes, love. He realized it now, that the reason it was so hard to let go was because he was in love with Ember Hilbrook. And somehow that made him realize that the Games would never be able to separate him from her. He would always long for her and wish to see her and loathe this day for the rest of his life.

"I love you, Ember."

It was all he could do. The sign just left from his hand, almost like instinct. It was like destiny.

Remember, always. I love you forever.

[Ashley (Ember, Wren, August)]

Griffin had just told her he loved her. How could she go now? She knew she felt the same but she couldn't admit it to herself or else she would fall apart. It was better to just to think about other things, things that didn't matter to distract her from her emotions. Still, she signed that she loved him back. And she did. But she didn't want to think about it. It was odd what she thought of. She remember things that she never had before like songs from her childhood, past district 8 tributes, and experiences from years and years ago. She tried so hard to pull up memories of things that held no emotion to her until she couldn't anymore.

Once her strength had finally faltered, she fell into his arms again and they held each other and kissed. Ember had no idea how long. It could've been a minute or an hour to her but the next thing she knew, the Peacekeepers had Griffin by the arms and her as well, pulling them apart. It was all a daze but she had fought back, trying to grab onto him and he probably did as well but she couldn't remember. Now, she lied on the couch, awaiting for the Peacekeepers to come and get her to board the train to the Capitol where she awaited death.

[Delphin]

Delphinium had never said goodbye to a tribute in her life. She didn't know what compelled her to do it today. She hardly knew the girl, Ember, and Ember most likely didn't have a clue who she was. Nonetheless, she excused herself from the company of her family, celebrating the safety of their two daughters, and sprinted to the Justice Building.

The crowded town center was more than difficult to get through. Del almost ran over a group of five year olds laughing their heads off. She could feel her heart beating in her chest, her light brown hair slowly falling from the nice braid that had kept it up. Her blue eyes scanned the thickening crowds for the fastest way to get to the front steps. They weren't far away, but there were too many people and too little time. She almost persuaded herself not to go, after all, but everyone knows Delphinium Ridiris was far too stubborn for that.

Finally, after nearly upsetting a ribbon stall, Delphinium darted up the steps, and rushed into the building. She could see clearly down the hall, and gasped when Peacekeepers forcibly removed Griffin from behind a closed door. It was now or never, and Del already made it here. The injustice of it all swept her up in a new batch of emotion. Some Justice Building, huh? She ran down the hall, almost falling down the three steps she failed to notice before regaining her balance, and ignoring the angry glare from the Peacekeeper at the door as she swept into the room.

"Ember," she started, but stopped before anything of importance could be said. Del opened and closed her mouth a few times, like a fish out of water, eyebrows furrowed as she searched for the right words to get across what she was trying to say.

I'm sorry would be logical, but no tribute wanted to hear that. Maybe You'll come back. You'll win, but then again, that would piss anyone off with the sheer unlikliness of it. No, she had to get it just right.

Looking warily at the door, getting ripped out of the room being the last thing on her to do list today, Del calmed her breathing and found some words buried under her skepticism.

She approached Ember, pulling her hands into her own and locking their fingers together. She could feel Ember's heartbeat in her palm. Blue eyes were hard with determination, but soft with relief. "Your hands are your greatest tool. These hands were given to you for a reason! You live in District 8, when steady hands and nimble fingers is everything." She paused, recollecting her words. "Let me tell you, it's the same everywhere else. Listen to them. Take care of them."
She rushed on, not giving Ember the slightest pause in which to interrupt. "Your hands will save your life. Not your head. Don't think. Surviving isn't about thinking. Your head will be your downfall." She let go, backing a few steps away from Ember, relaxing slightly now that what she needed to say has been said.

"Your hands will save your life. Don't forget. Please, don't forget."

[Ashley (Ember, Wren, August)]

Once Griffin was pulled away from her, Ember ended up lying on the couch. She couldn't remember how it happened but she had her face burried in the velvet red pillow and she was crying suffocated sobs of fear and sadness. There wasn't any thought of strategy to her. It took all her effort to hold it together for her family and Griffin that she hadn't thought about how her puffy nose and red, tear stained eyes and face would appear in front of the cameras. And to be completely honest, she didn't really care. Once she got to the Capitol, she had to begin fighting for her life. This would be her only time to get her emotions out before the Peacekeepers would guide her to the fancy train that would take her speeding toward the Capitol.

Just when she was beginning to control her sobs, she heard the doors open once more and shot up quickly, expecting to see intimidating Peacekeepers ready to take her away. Instead, she said a girl her age. She had light brown hair up in a braid and bright blue, urgent eyes. The girl looked familiar but the two had never talked before. It completely puzzled Ember as to why she was here. Maybe she meant to go to the District 8 male, Berkeley's, room to say goodbye.

Obviously she was proven wrong because the girl rushed towards and grabbed her by the hands. Ember was too confused and shocked to say anything and the girl began talking in such a rapid fashion that she didn't get the chance to. This girl was giving her tips. How did she know these things? Was her sibling a Victor? Surely not. Everyone knew the Victors' families and Ember knew that's not how she knew her. Maybe she was one of the people who studied the Games. Either way, this girl seemed to know what she was talking about.

All Ember could manage was, "I won't,"[/color] a head nod, and quiet hiccups from her sobs. She sniffled and gathered her thoughts for a few moments. From all the crying, her head felt spacy and bloated, as if someone was holding it underwater. It wouldn't be long before it would begin to throb and she would probably fall fast asleep soon. Finally she realized fully what the girl said and managed to ask, "Why are you telling me this?"[/color]

Today was so surreal, like a nightmare where she couldn't stop what was happening and saw it coming from a million mile aways. She wished she could wake up but she knew that she wouldn't be waking up from this. She was going to live the helacious nightmare until death. There was no chance of her being the Victor but she wanted to try. For her family's sake, for Griffin's sake, even for this girl's sake. She obviously had gone out of her way to be here and tell this. Although her reasons were unknown, she was grateful for it.

[Delphin]

She breathed deeply. The air of the Justice Building was thick with dust and some kind of cleaner used on the floor. The carpet, though soft under her feet, almost made the air feel fluffy. Feeling claustrophobic, Delphinium wanted nothing more than to leave, and turn her back to the girl, and the pain, and the Games. But you couldn't avoid the Games. They were nearly bred into your blood, always present, always alive, and always destroying. So, therefore, she wouldn't avoid the girl, either.

Her chest felt tight with bottled up emotions, and the corners of her eyes stung with unshed tears, tears that would not dare fall until the dead silence of the early morning, when even the barn owls were yawning in their nests. Her shoulders drooped lightly, and with eyebrows furrowed, she leveled her blue eyes at Ember. Blue as the plants that grew in the alleyways, and from the cracks in the sidewalk. Blue as the cloudless sky on a sunny day.

Between the two of them, Ember had the spark, the fire. She was the fight, the determination. She was the warmth of day-old stew on a snowy day. The protective squeeze of a sibling welcoming you home. Delphinium was the cold. She was the breathe of air after letting go. Between the two of them, they were the world. The Games had a tendency to ruin things like that.

"I watch the Games. I have just as much a chance to get picked as anybody, maybe more, really. The victor is the always the one who is good with their hands." Even if winning isn't a victory, at least you get to come home, and breathe the familiar air in your bedroom before losing the past entirely. Even those who came back were never the same. The silence hung between them. Del licked her lips, feeling her heart beat in the pit of her stomach. She could hear the Peacekeeper's shuffling around outside, talking quietly amongst themselves. She wondered briefly if they liked their jobs. She never would find out. She never would ask, anyway. The ticking of the clock echoed loud across the room, the only other sound was the breathing of two teenagers; one with the chance to live, and another with the chances slowly being taken away from her.

She sucked in a silent breath through her teeth, trying not to think about being in Ember's place. If it was her name that got pulled, nobody would volunteer for her either. She didn't have the spark that Ember did. There would be no chances for her. But if it was her sister's name that got pulled, at least she would die protecting the one she loves the most. And, really, that's all you could ask for. We all die, but the only thing we can control is how. And sometimes, you couldn't even control that. Just another thing the Games took from you.

"I came because you could've been my sister, and I would've volunteered for her without hesitation." Her voice was strong with truth, unwavering in its conviction. "I'm giving this advice because it could easily be me, standing where you are. And after next year, there's still four years of being helpless against my sister going to the Capitol. I would give anything to have her not go to the Games, and if she's reaped and I'm above age... I won't be able to take her place. I can't think of what's worse: having to die for her, or having to watch her die."

Ember didn't want to hear about this. She was the one who nobody would volunteer for, like dozens of other girls. She turned, her white dress looking alarmingly un-white in the cleanliness of the Justice Building. With her hand on the doorknob, Del turned around once more, a faint smile on her face. "If we lived in a different world, I think we would've been friends."

And then she was gone.