Hello. I'm Estella Willowever. Nice to meet you.

As the cold wind blows past, I pull my jacket tighter around me as I work away at the hard soil with my trowel. I can already feel the blisters forming on my hands as the hard ground slowly chips away.

All morning, the other workers have been whispering about what they saw on the games last night. One of our tributes has already died, and things aren't looking good for our district if a tribute is already gone. I put the trowel down at my side to rub my hands together so they don't freeze. When I'm ready to start hacking away at the soil again, the girl next to me says, "Uh, excuse me. May I borrow that trowel?"

I glance at the trowel, then at the ground, not eager to get started on it again, and say, "Sure," as I pass her the trowel. Only then do I realize that I've never seen the girl before. "You're new, aren't you?" I ask, "the overseer's granddaughter."

"That's me," She says. "Thel Willowever. What's your name?" I smile at her, pushing my blonde hair behind my ear, "I'm Zena, Zena Nirao." I say. Another cold wind passes, and I pull my jacket even tighter, starting to get scared it will break. "Wow, it's cold today. Most of the kids can stand this cold, but I'm just freezing every day." I tell her.

"Don't you have a thicker jacket?" Thella asks me. "No, I really can't afford one right now." I answer. There's silence for a bit.

"Zena, how old are you? Do you have any pets? Do you want to see my garden? Do you like spring or summer? What's your family like? Do you like to go to school?" Thella asks suddenly, catching me off guard. I can feel my face twisting into an odd expression, and Thella's giggle confirms this. "I'm sorry--I've just been stuck home my entire life and I just wondered what people were like." She says.

I smile at the girl. "I'm 13 years old." I tell her. "I don't have any pets right now, but I hope to get one. I like Summer the best, because of the bright green grass and the pretty ripe fruit on the trees. Oh, and the warm weather is nice too." I add with a giggle. "My family. My mom and dad work in the fields, like most adults, and I have a younger brother named Aaron and a baby sister named Rose." I pause to breathe. Lots of questions, all answered at one time.

"School ... Well, school is fine, although I prefer not to be there. But I guess if you've never been to school, or met many people, it will be wonderful for you. There are plenty of people to make friends with." I finish.

"You have a garden? I love plants. They make me feel at home. I would love to see your garden."

"So what about you? How old are you? What is your family like? Tell me about yourself." I say. Suddenly, I'm feeling curious about this girl. She seems like a nice person, and I want to be friends with her.

Drangs:

I see two girls about my age talking about something but I can't really make it out. It looks like they are in a really intense conversation so I decide not to join in. I have a good amount of friends anyway, but the new girl Thella, there is something interesting about her that really perplexes me. After today's workday, I decide I will go and talk to her. Right nw, I have to focus on getting these crops harvested.

:] I understand. Pretty busy here, too. -___-

Thella

Her brother is older than me. I guess he wouldn't be in my class if I went back to school. I suppose I can just stay at home for now--though Grandma wants me to learn to read and write better so I can help her more with her record-keeping.

"Sure, that would be great!" She says. "I have a garden. I've had it since I was about your age. I have a few plants growing there, mostly flowers, but I have a couple edible plants growing too."

I smile. "Mostly flowers? That must be really pretty in the spring! Do you find that you have time to manage it well, even with school and work all day?"

Nearing the zenith now, the sun glares brightly, even in this last cold month of winter. I shade my eyes, sit up, and look around. Jason would be in the trees to my left, so far away the trees look little and fuzzy from here. My stomach growls, not used to the strict schedule here in the fields. As I look around, I see a girl a little farther off, meeting my eyes and glancing away, back to her work. I have a feeling she's been watching us for a while now.

Thella

"It is very pretty in the spring when the flowers are blooming. Even with school and work, there is still a little time in the day for me to garden," she says. I can imagine. I wonder if I went to school--would I still be able to make the time to garden? I'm so behind in the academics that I should think I'd have to spend all day every day working on it under Grandma's watchful eye.

"Just wondering, how old is your brother?" she asks, as she follows my gaze to the girl in the next row, glancing back at us every now and then.

"Jason's eleven years old." Eleven is a blissful age--it's the last one before a person enters the Reaping. Jason won't have to do tesserae, but even so, there's a chance he'll be reaped next year. No, don't think like that. He'll be fine. Grandma's Good Lord won't take him away, not when you still need him. I realize how ugly and selfish a thought that is, but it's convincing enough.

I sigh. "Do you see her, too? The girl over there who's been looking at us for a while now? Do you know her?" My stomach growls. "When's lunch?" I add with a sheepish smile.

So, her brother was eleven. Eleven was a wonderful age. It was the year to enjoy yourself, as the next year, you would be taking place in the reaping. I have already been in the reaping twice, and they were not fun times, either. Every second you are tensed up, praying that you don't get picked.

"Do you see her, too? The girl over there who's been looking at us for a while now? Do you know her?" Thella asks me. "I see her. I don't know who she is, though." I say. And then I realize we are now the ones staring. Before I turn my attention back to Thella, I see the girl glance around, then quickly pop a berry into her mouth. I smile. Lots of people stole food to eat, simply because they were starving.

"I think lunch is going to be very soon," I tell Thella, my stomach growling. "Maybe we should go join the girl over there."

Faye

Time passes in the fields and my hands become more blistered. I keep myself from eating anymore berries, even though I'm starving. Lunch will come soon. Suddenly, I see the lunch flag, and hear the Peacekeepers calling us for lunch. I put down my tools, relieved. I glance around to find Clarity, but I can't see her anywhere. So instead, I start walking in the direction of the two girls who saw me when I ate the berries. I need to know that they won't tell anyone. Otherwise, who knows what could happen to me. And Clarity.