Children were crying. It could be heard over the entire mass of District 10 itself. People of all ages were weeping, for their loved ones, some of which who had the thick chance of being chosen, and for the young children who had become twelve in the previous year and their newfound doom. Tressa was among the weeping, for her two twin brothers had now become twelve. She led them both by the hand to a roped area, seperate a in two. She stepped away from them to the right, and watched as they moved to the left. She let them prick her finger, then flowed with the crowd. It'll take just a minute, Tressa. Just stay calm, they'll be fine. You'll be fine. A man flaunting an orange suit of silk embroidered with the sun trotted up the steps. "Happy Hunger Games! I am Barlonius Mint, and I..." He continued with his standard greeting, and Tressa just rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Ladies first!" She watched the man slip his dainty fingers into the bowl, and pulled out a slip of white paper. With a bright smile that almost blinded everyone, he opened it up and read the name aloud.  "Tressa Kerrimonth! Come right up, sweetie." Tressa held her breath, trying to suffocate herself before she could get up there. Seeing that it didn't work, she reluctantly walked up to the stage. He went on with the boy's name, which Tressa didn't pay attention to, only the pink faces of her brothers. There was a brief visitation session, then they were pushed into the train.

It was the day Chess had been waiting for all year. The Reaping. There were bursts of laughter everywhere, and some groans of people who were still trying to sleep. Chess practically flew from his house and over the beach, stopping only in the line of other boys who were anxiously awaiting to be chosen. He pricked his finger by himself, then stood in the crowd of teens around his age who were laughing and conversing as if it were any normal day. The man who announced every year came along and greeted everyone, then got on with the names. He called up a girl with green hair, then opened the boys' slip. Chess sucked in a breath, along with the others. "Chess Novark!" Chess smirked, earning pats on the back and a couple of congrats. He walked up on the stage, and instead of shaking hands, his fellow tribute gave him a high-five. Visitation lasted a few brief moments, and the two were escorted onto the train.