Leila

"W...We...Welcome everybody to the centennial ELECTORAL competition known as the TRIALS!"

The crowds roared in anticipation as the announcer, a flashy reporter in a leather coat, smirked.

Winter in the West this year had been brutal, and Leila surmised that this Spring should have been called Sprinter, as Winter was abruptly sprinting to the finish line in these mountains. Snow was left half-drying out in the full winter sun, and flowers slowly blooming before dying, chilled to the stem in an eternal bud.

This did not stop the reporter from continuing on, seemingly unopposed by the brutal wind buffeting the clearing that he stood on.

"For all of you now tuning in, I am but your humble servant, Sirah Stevens, accompanied by the ever-resplendent jewel, Sarai Wynters," he proclaimed to the huge cameras placed in front of him. "We're from a little-known morning show named..."

"SEE RIGHT!", the crowd jeered. People went wild and threw up their hands.

Leila thought to herself that the pun on their names, Sirah and Sarai, must have been too good for the producers to pass up.

Having the chance to see the See Right TV hosts was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Although, Leila's father had never been big on watching television at their house, but even she knew those hosts were revered as celebrities. As the foremost popular TV show hosts in the Capitol, it would have been a travesty had they not covered the Trials.

That dashing pair were icons and had even livened up last year's Olympics which had been almost canceled due to absolute wardrobe failure.

Sirah had then remarked, "Who would have guessed tight pants and hot weather didn't mix?"

"Definitely not me," Sarai said. "The tighter it is, the hotter I look."

Their audience ate it up, not caring that the athletic wear designer was fired that same day because of that very joke.

As news anchors, their very word was God, lest no one say otherwise. Inadvertently, if someone got hurt due to their shenanigans, that was their problem, right?

"Thank you, Sirah. You are truly too kind," Ms. Wynters purred, now dressed to the nines in a chocolate fur jacket and steel-toed boots.

"Oh stop, Sarai. With talk like that, you'll make me blush for sure," he responded back.

"Well, it's not my fault that you are the hot chocolate to my marshmallow," she teased.

Then, she added, "Because you're hot and I would like to be..."

"SARAI!", he yelled, cutting her off, before commenting, "Not in front of the cameras. We have to have some ounce of dignity left, right?"

Oh, I'm going to puke if this continues on longer, she thought.

"Anyways, the TRIALS are to be completed in three separate parts. One for physical prowess, another tests academic intellect, and the last trial...", he trailed off to add dramatic effect.

"The mystery trial," Sarai replied.

"Yes, indeed. It's supposed to be a test of political maneuverability and sadly, will be the only trial not broadcasted across the nation." Cries were heard in protest, but Sirah quickly added, "That being said, more details will be coming on that soon, right Sarai?"

"Of course. Now let us turn to today's trial. The four families from the East will face a grueling survival quest across the mountainous West quadrant, and given only the bare necessities. The first three families to cross the finish line will advance on to the Second trial and be escorted to state-of-the-art rest facilities," she explained.

"Without further ado, let us commence!" Mr. Stevens shouted as he fired into the sky.

Two hours passed by in a blur until House Amber was even close to catching up with the others.

"FASTER! You got to be faster, Rohan or else we'll never make it in time!", Leila yelled over the roaring rapids.

"I'm trying! You know it is not as easy as it seems," Rohan shouted back as Zac looked over the canoe and shrieked, "WATERFALL!"

"HA! It seems your family has never had an opportunity to get acquainted with boats, have they?", Ryan from the House of Magnolia said as their riverboat passed them with increasing speed.

"Why couldn't we get one of those?", Cameron asked, having been put on the team as Neil, the oldest of the brothers was currently sick to his stomach and unable to participate in the challenge.

"Cameron, we need you to focus on maneuvering your paddle rather than regretting not equipping ourselves with the latest hardware", Leila said back in response, feeling irritated that House Magnolia overtake them again.

They just had to show how better than they were at everything, didn't they? And the fact that were wealthier by a landslide put them at an obvious advantage in this first trial.

"Are you alright? Do you all need a hand?", a handsome youth from the House of Wolf inquired. His group had struggled initially adjusting to the river, but coming from a family of fisherman, they adapted quickly and were now advancing behind House Lotus.

"We'll be fine...", Leila muttered. She did not need help from any other house! They would do this on their own, thank you very much!

However, at that precise moment, the canoe tipped over and sent their blanket flying into the air, crying, "HELP!"

Leila sighed, grabbed Aaron and hauled the now-wet blanket back onto the canoe. "Aaron, what were you thinking? You're supposed to be with Uncle and Aunt, waiting at the finish line, remember?"

"I couldn't miss out on all the fun!", he replied back with his a wide-toothed grin, showing the teeth that had chipped from too much 'fun' in the past.

"This isn't a camping trip, Aaron! We are on a mission to traverse these woods and not be eaten alive, you hear?"

Traveling together through the West quadrant was the first trial and it already had been quite a challenge. Supposedly, it was to show physical stamina and see who could make it all their group members intact to the closest settlement first. Unfortunately, House Amber was at an disadvantage as none of her family members including Leila had ever traveled outside of the Eastern quadrant!

Right now, getting assistance from House Wolf did not sound like a bad idea compared to the alternative of not even making it to the finish line.

Utter humiliation and defeat, forever.

Her family would never live that down, literally.

They would be doomed to be outcasts from the East, live alone in caves away from other people.

And no one, absolutely no one could help them or risk being ostracized themselves.

No. I can't let my family down. We will win...even if I must sacrifice everything to do so.