SOUND HAD COMPLETELY FADED from her surroundings as she was led away.

Ellie wasn't quite sure what to do. She didn't cry. She couldn't cry. Something inside her told her to scream as loud as she could, but she couldn't even do that.

She remained as bewildered as a deer in headlights.

The only thing that snapped her back to reality was the door of the small room opening with a loud creak before she was left inside.

This wasn't real. No one could convince her that the state she was in was real. Well, no one except Avena.

The elder girl had arrived and was standing outside the door behind the peacekeepers. Ellie had yet to see her, but when she heard a peacekeeper speak, she realized someone was indeed there to say goodbye.

"You have three minutes." As the men in the white uniforms stepped aside, Ellie saw Avena standing in the doorway, staring at Ellie the same way she did that morning, her long loose hair still hanging over her shoulders.

Her dress was too tight. Her hair wasn't braided, but to Ellie, she looked like an angel.

The elder girl immediately ran into the small room, embracing her sister as if it would be the last time... because for them, it was.

Once she felt the comforting presence of her sister's arms, the tears she didn't know she was holding in had begun to flow.

When Avena broke away from the hug, she gently wiped Ellie's tears away, looking her sister in the eye.

"You mustn't cry. You mustn't show them you're scared."

"But I am scared."

Avena brushed away the small strands of hair on the sides of Ellie's face, tucking them behind her ears.

"Ellie, you have to listen to me. No one is there to help you anymore. You are all alone. In those games, you will be all alone. You can't rely on anyone for their help. Do you understand?"

Ellie slowly nodded as Avena looked back, not seeing the person she was looking for. Their mother.

Ellie had yet to realize the woman wasn't there to see her off, and Avena knew why.

The same thing happened after their father's death. Lucia Harmon had a reputation for her denial.

At first, she couldn't accept that her husband had died, and she would tell everyone he was just at work. Eventually, when the lie began to crumble, the woman fell into despair.

It had taken Avena a while to realize that she was the same age Ellie was when her father died, and by the time she did, she heard footsteps coming towards the door.

Avena quickly took her silver necklace off, the one she'd been given by her father, the one valuable thing she owned, putting it around Ellie's neck.

"No, you can't! You'll probably never get it back!" Avena adjusted the heart on the necklace so it was lying in the middle of Ellie's chest before moving her hands to Ellie's shoulders.

"If you lose. Now you have a constant reminder that you need to come home."

"Time's up." The two girls immediately looked towards the door, seeing the familiar white-uniformed men they were so used to seeing on reaping days, only this time, they were there for a reason. Ellie.

Avena was led out by one of them as another one grabbed Ellie harshly by the wrist.

She knew if she struggled, the man's grip would tighten, so she let her wrist go limp as she was dragged out of the room, Avena now long gone.

As Ellie looked to the side, she spotted an older looking man and woman, along the face she'd seen only a few moments ago on the stage, still tear stained, now desperately holding onto Silo as she cried.

The girl was ultimately dragged away by the people Ellie assumed were Silo's parents, her crying getting quieter as she got farther away.

When Ellie looked back towards Silo, their eyes met for a brief moment, making them both realize just how hopeless the situation they were in was.

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Silo had yet to gather his thoughts before he felt Calla's arms around him.

Everything else seemed to fade out of existence when she was around, and he hated seeing her the way she was now, broken and crying.

When he got a chance to look at her, he noticed the tears already staining her perfect cheeks, making him shake his head slightly as he wiped them away.

"No, none of this, please." The girl sniffed, unable to stop the tears from coming. "I love your smile. Please just give me a smile." Calla shook her head, burying her face in her hands.

"It's OK. It's gonna be OK." Silo wrapped his arms around the girl once again, holding her for as long as he could before two familiar faces showed up at the door.

His parents.

"Ma-" Letting Calla go, he stared forward as his parents both entered, cutting him off as they pulled him into their arms.

"Whatever happens, just know that we will always love you." Silo Hale had never seen his parents get so emotional, and he didn't know how to feel.

As they let go, Calla quickly reached into her pocket, grabbing a small handkerchief to give to Silo.

"For good luck." Silo nodded slowly as he took it from her.

"Time's up."

Silo's mother quickly kissed him on the cheek as they all made their way outside the small room, Calla grabbing onto Silo once again, refusing to let go.

"Calla, you have to let me go..." The girl sniffed once again. "Please come back. Please don't leave me alone."

Silo's father placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn, tears still flowing onto her cheeks as they made their way out of the building.

When Silo was alone, he finally felt the fear set in, not only for his life, but for Calla's. Even if he managed to win, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if she was reaped.

When he looked to the side, he spotted the little girl who was reaped alongside him with her yellow flowery dress already looking at him.

In a way, he was glad the girl was reaped instead of Calla, but when he looked into her eyes, that feeling immediately turned to regret.

She was young. She was still supposed to have her whole life ahead of her, and it was ripped away in a second.

He couldn't protect her. She didn't stand a chance. He needed to come home, and if he protected her, it could mean sacrificing himself, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to do that.

He couldn't be a good person. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.

The more he tried to convince himself, the more guilty he began feeling until he couldn't look at the girl anymore.

His eyes dropped, along with his heart. What was he going to do now?

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a/n- Everything's gonna get a lot worse from here!

Much Love, Danni <3