Venus:

I heard our rooster crow and I groaned. Sadly everyone else couldn't hear him because he was several feet away from the house and was in a coop... And Jake and I were the only ones to wake up to this horrible sound. I heard Nicks alarm go off, then Dads. Today was the day... Reaping day, and the only day I have to wake up with an alarm. Both reasons make this day the worst day ever! I stuffed my head under my pillow and groaned.

"Get up so you can leave and come back faster!" Jake barked, jumping onto my bed

"Stop acting like you don't want to cuddle with me on this warm soft bed" I said, snuggling up against the bed

"Well.. It does look comfy.." He responded

I felt his body collapse on my legs and I smiled. My feet are going to be kept warm AND I have extra minuts of shut eye... Halleluyah! Just as I began to dose off again, my door opened and I suddenly felt 150 pounds of body fall onto me, causing me to yelp.

"Wake up sleepy head!" Nick said into my ear

I covered my ears and whimpered.

"That hurts Nick!" I said in a whiney voice

"Oh yeah.. Sorry" he said, getting off of me

I rolled out of bed and imediatlly saw myself in the mirror. My light brown hair was frizzed up, and my bangs weren't falling into place. My hazel eyes were puffy and it looked like I had dried up slober on my mouth.

"Ugh I look terrible" I said looking at myself in disgust

"Welcome to my world" Nick said, messing up my hair even more and leaving the room

I stared after him and shook my head. I walked into my bathroom and washed my face, causing the puffiness in my eyes to go down and any sleep markings to go away. I began to brush my teeth to get rid of morning breath, and being part wolf was NOT helping my breath.. At all. I tossed a mint into my mouth and went over to my closet. I slipped on a grey and black jumper that was used for the reapings every year. Hopefully this was going to be the last one I have to get. I keep out growing them and its annoying having to get a new one everytime. I slipped on some combat boots and walked up to my mirror. My hair was still a mess so I brushed it out and put it up in a messy ponytail, letting my bangs hang out and cover my left eye. I sighed as I looked at myself. I hated doing this every year... Why do innocent children and young adults alike have to suffer under these conditions? I don't understand why nobody stands up and says anything against it. Like what really happened to earth? We flew to a whole different part of the galaxy just to live because earth was ruined by people. How about now? Has anyone ever left The Districts ever? I shook my head and opened my drawer. Dad said thinking like that could get me in trouble. I looked through my things and put a small pouch of extra small parts and tools into my boot and took out a small jewelry box. I opened it and took out a golden chained necklace with two charms. One was an orb surrounded my golden circles and the seconed was the name 'Venus' in cursive. I remember my dad giving it to me one day and telling me it was my life. See you would think us specials are like all powerful, but we hve a weakness. We each obtian a jewel when born, which is our life or 'heartstone'. Somebody could kill me if they knew how to use my heartstone. I put on and looked in the mirror one more time before I went down stairs for breakfast. As I went down the stairs I saw Jake pass by the bottom, weazing. I went down faster and caught up with the old wolf in the kitchen.

"Hey you okay Jake?" I asked bending down and petting him

"I'm fine Venus, eat" he barked

I could sense soething was wrong. We were like a very small pack of two, and I was Alpha. I could sense when there was something wrong and Jake was lying to me. I shook my head at the thought that he was getting old. I smiled at my dad and Nick who were already at the table eating. I sat down and began to eat my breakfast of eggs and bacon.

"You look beautiful Venus" my dad said causing me to smile

"Thank you" I said putting a fork full of eggs into my mouth

"Were going to have to leave early to get there on time" Nick said looking down at the watch I had made him for his birthday

With it he could check the weather, time and date, contact Dad or Me, and track his location at anytime. I nodded and finished up my breakfast, putting the plate in the sink.

"May the odds be with you both" My dad said with a salute

"And the odds may be?" I asked raising an eyebrow

"That you'll come back home to me and Jake" he said kissing both of our foreheads.

I made sure I had my watch and everything I needed before I left. I kissed Jake and told him I would come back, and if I didn't he could have my bed and the bones I collected under it. Nick and I made our way down to the city using the main path. You would think with all this advanced technology and ships flying in space and what not we would at least have a hover car, well no... Most people were to poor to buy one and we just couldn't use ours.. Although we did take it for a drive once, that was fun. Nick and I stayed silent most of the way as we watched people say goodbye to there children and watch them on there way down to the center of the city. I cowered slightly and hid behind Nick as we passed by tons of peacekeepers who aligned the streets, leading us to the big white builing in the middle of Tara. Nick wrapped his arm around me to comfort me as we entered the building. This was it. I was inside a federal building, if I got to scared I could go invisible and get caught and killed.... One wrong move and everyone would know. But it was only for today, the agony awaits...

*You realive what I did there? Eh, eh!*

The guards opened up the gates, *Again!* and let us all inside. All the girls were led to the left and the boys to the right, to be positioned in the huge arena. I was alone and scared which was NOT good. I fell into my place and began to fiddle with my pants nervously. I couldn't take out my tools right now, cause it would be strange to see a girl, who has tools in her hands, build something random in less than two minutes. Theres another way I could get caught, great. I looked around the arena, looking at the exits and counting how many peace keepers I would have to pass to escape. A peace keeper came around like every year, scanning our fingerprints to identify us. I scanned my finger and felt the prick in my wrist. The peace keeper looked at his screen and looked up at me and nodded. He went on to the next person and I looked at my wrist. There was a purple light in my wrist, blinking on and off. This was used so if you were called up, you were identified as the one called, and so when we left, to make sure everybody was accounted for. I stuffed my hand in my pocket and me, being slightly taller than the average girl, stood on my tiptoes to see over everybody. I saw Nick who had been also looking for me and he waved. I smiled lightly and he motioned me to calm down. I nodded and went back to standing normally. I took in a deep breath and let go, looking up at the stage. I heard the Games theme song and tensed up. The glass screens lit up to show the host introduce our district.

"Now, this our last district! District Twelve, The mystery district is home to many different people, AND that one weird guy who live at the top of the hill" he said, a picture of my house popping up on screen

I furrowed my eyebrows. Okay so aperantly my Dads the weird guy, okay you guys be like that. We heard the audience on the screen laugh and it transitioned to live at the arena. I watched as the cameras panned over us, appearing on the screen to show all of us nervous kids, waiting for two of us to be sentenced to our deaths. I held my breath as the hostest Felicia walked onto the stage in her now blue outfit of the day.

"Hello everyone!" she said with a huge smile on her face

The bowl with our names in them was brought onto the stage through the curtains. It was placed on the table and she wiggled her fingers above the bowl.

"Let the drawings begin" she said mysteriously

I bit my lip hard, I could feel my strong canine teeth bite into my lip harder than normal. She slipped her hand into the bowl, teasing us as she whirled her hand in the bowl, finally pulling out a name. She slowely opened it and cleared her throat before reading the name aloud.

"Shawn Mendes!" she yelled out

Shawn.. That name struck me familiar from some where, like a long ago memory. I suddenly recongnized him as the boy from the market. He walked up on the stage with his head down. The little girl beside me started to whimper and cry. I looked down on her and my motherly wolf instinct took over. I bent down to her level and looked into her watery eyes

"That your brother up there?" I asked rubbing her shoulders

She nodded her head and I almost started to cry at the thought of, what if I was her age, and Nick was chosen into games against pros trained to kill. I hugged her and could feel her tears go down my shirt.I stood up and held her hand firmly.

"It'll be okay" I reassured her in a soothing voice

She suddenly stopped crying andhugged my arm. I smiled down as I looked up to the stage where Shawn stood, a tear rolling down his cheek as he stared at me conforting his little sister.

"Now for the seconed player" Felica said doing her seromonial wiggling of the fingers above the bowl.

She reached in, did her little ritual and pulled out another name. I held my breath as she unfolded the paper. I felt the little girl cling tighter to my arm as the hostest cleared her note to state the seconed name.

"Nick DeAngelo" she said in a cheerful voice that boomed over the stadium

I suddenly seezed breathing. Nick! My head snapped in his direction as Peace Keepers led him to the stage. He was frantically looking in my direction.

"No, no, no!" I whispered

I felt the little girl look up to me as I frantically looked around me. Nick wouldn't survive a day! He doesn't even know the difference between poison Ivy or how to get home if hes lost nevertheless the games! I began to tremble. I was tired of being a disappointment to my family, being the thing that they guard with there life for my own. I kept hearing my dads voice telling me I wasn't a dissapoinment with that hesitant tone in his voice. I was disappointment and if I wasn't going to let my dad loose his only normal kid. Nick is his ticket back into society, I cant let him die!

"No! I voulenteer as Tribute!" I yelled thrusting my hand into the air

Shawn looked up from his feet and a look of panic grew on Nicks face. The hostest clapped as I began to walk in her direction, a single tear rolling down my cheek. Peacekeepers aprouched me to lead me to the stage.

"I can walk myself" I said sternly, brushing by them

"Venus no!" Nick yelled as Peacekeepers dragged him away

I looked away as I walked up the steps to the front of the stage. Shawn was looking up the whole time, staring at me. A matter of fact, everyone was. No one has voulenteered as tribute in District twelve for the past two years, but he was a boy.

"Whats your name dear?" Felica asked wrapping her arm around my shoulder

"Venus DeAngelo" I said scanning the room

I was in the arms of an official, scary.

"Oh are you his older sister?" she asked pointing in the direction of Nick who was still restrained by the keepers.

"I'm his younger sister" I said wiping away tears that effortlessly streamed down his face

"Oh really? Well everyone! Shawn Mendes and Venus DeAngelo for District Twelve!" she yelled, causing my ears to hurt.

"Oh and hun, your lip is bleeding" she said using her finger to wipe off soem blood and show it to me

I began to wipe my mouth when suddenly Peace keepers grabbed hold of our arms tightly and led us off the stage through the curtains. I thought about what was happening, I literally just gave myself the death sentence my father worked so hard to avoid. We were both suddenly thrust into a room causing me to fall to the floor.

"Wait for your family here" A Keeper said, slamming the door shut

I began to pick myself off the floor as Shawn just stared at the door. I walked to a small window at the far end of the room, rubbing my arm from the pain I had gotten from the fall. From the view I could see the whole city of Tara, kids running from the building to there houses where they were embraced by mothers, fathers, and siblings alike. I sighed as I looked beyond the city, to the hill where my fathers house sat.

"You live up there right?" I heard Shawn ask making me jump when I realized he was right next to me

"Y-yes how did you-" I questioned before the door suddenly swung open

The little girl I was comforting earlier ran in and embraced Shawn, along with his mother and father who crying. I looked beyond the door. Standing there was Father, Nick and Jake.

"Jake" I yelled as I ran forward to meet him in the middle

I landed on my knees as I threw myself to the floor to embrace Jake as he panted and licked my lips free of blood. Father began to walk forward and I stood up.

"What were you thinking?" he asked placing his hands on my shoulders and looking into my eyes

" I was tired of being a disappointment.. If I die, you and Nick can go live in the city in peace. They'll stop calling you weird and crazy dad. You can have normal lives!" I said with a pleading look

"Plus Nick would die out there" I said pointing past him shoulder and at Nick who looked up at me and gave me a 'What? Now' look.

He walked up to me and hugged me.

"I cant bealive you did that.." he whispered into my ear

"I cant bealive it either." I whispered back

"Try and come back please" he said looking into my eyes

"I will" I said hugging him one more time

I looked down at Jake who continued to sniff the air. I bent down and began to scratch behind his ear

"Hey boy whatcha sniffing?" I asked him

"I know that boy from somewhere" he barked

"Aww stop being so cute" I said irrelevantly, that way the other family wouldn't think I was crazy talking to my wolf

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up at my father who haad teary eyes. I stood up and hugged him.

"I'll try dad.. I'll try and come back to you" I said sniffling

"Im sure you will Venus.. Im sure you will" he said rubbing my back

I backed away to examine what I called my family. I had a over protectice dad, an annoying and dumb brother, and an old wolf. I looked down at my hands, from the one with the bandages on it to the other. With these hands I could do many things, like grow plants and hunt. I'm sure I can make it out alive... I felt a tug at my side and I looked over to see the little girl. I bent down to her level as she suddenly hugged me.

"Try to get my brother home to me please" she asked, whispering into my ear

"I'll try.." I whispered back instiling false confidence

The door flung open and a peace keeper entered, telling the familys it was time to leave. I stared after my family as they left, this would probably be the last time I see them. I had to get Shawn back to his family no matter what. To my family I would be a loss and a benefit. To his, he would be a total loss. I felt the girl slip something into my pocket and run out of the room. I stood up and looked into my pocket. I smiled, I knew for sure I had to get Shawn back to his family. No matter the costs.