Iona Flourisha's P.O.V.

I stare at the fancy green dress laying across my bed. I take a deep breath and snatch it from the bed. I slip it on and I'm surprised with how nicely it still fits. I've been wearing this same dress for the last three years and it still is the same fitting on me.

"I guess I've finished growing," I say to myself as I start pinning my bronze colored hair up into a messy bun.

I want to give everyone a big surprise this year. I'm going to volunteer. I'm eighteen, I'm ready, and I'm sure I can do this.

Doing this does run the risk of never seeing my friends again, but I almost don't care. None of them matter to me anyways.

I also don't have any parents or siblings. So, I've been living by myself for the last ten years.

In a way, I don't care if I make it home. I mean, what reason do I have? There is no one for me to come back to, not even anyone to cheer me on, other than the lucky person I volunteer for. At least I will be saving someone else from the Games by going in for them.

"The Reapings will begin in half an hour. All females between the ages of twelve and eighteen are required to attend," a peacekeeper announces through a loud speaker.

I guess I better go then.

I walk out onto the streets, where only a few girls are walking. Probably because we don't have to be there for another half hour.

I get in line and my finger gets pricked for the last time. It will be my last time because I'm volunteering.

I'm the first to arrive in my section, the eighteen-year-old section. I pick a spot where I will be able to easily walk out of the pen when I volunteer, without having to push through the crowd.

I'm actually surprised when more people start to arrive, because there aren't very many people in my section. Most of them were in the younger sections. That means I will most likely have a younger girl as my district partner. I hate it when the younger ones have to go in the Games.

Hopefully I can pick a good one to volunteer for.

Soon enough, the mayor comes to the stage and begins his speech. Blah blah blah, same old, same old. Then he introduces Brianna Bronze, our escort.

"Hello, District Eleven. Some of you will be relieved to know that we already have our first tribute, who will be joining us on the stage shortly. Her name is Grace Price, and she was recently caught stealing from one of the food storage houses, and she attempted to leave the district on a supply train," Brianna said.

"Let me go!" someone screamed from the back of the stage. A girl with ginger hair was carried onto the stage by a peacekeeper. Once he secured her in one of the chairs, he went back into the Justice Building.

"Grace Price, everyone, she's seventeen," Brianna shouted as she started walking to the bowl, "Ok, now we will pick our last girl."

"Sienna Themmer!"

A girl from the twelve-year-old section came up to the stage. Suddenly I remembered I was going to volunteer.

"OH! I VOLUNTEER!" I shout. The little girl runs happily to me.

"Thank you so much!" she said, hugging me.

"No problem," I smiled.

Then I walked up to the stage with determination.

"A volunteer? Did you all hear that?" Brianna asked the crowd, "what's your name?"

"My name is Iona Flourisha, and I'm eighteen," I say into the mic, trying to keep a straight face.

I walked over to Grace and held out my hand for her to shake. She gave me a look and indicated that her hands were cuffed to the chair. I drew my hand back in embarrassment.

"Have a Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"