"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. LET THE SIXTY-SEVENTH HUNGER GAMES BEGIN!" Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed through the arena.

Sixty.

Haven stared out at the Cornucopia, examining the distance between the structure and the pedestal she stood on.

Fifty.

She debated whether to try and make a run for it, or bolt in the opposite direction.

Forty.

Running to the Cornucopia meant heading straight into the bloodbath.

Thirty.

She didn't want to be stranded in the snowy landscape with no supplies. She was going for it.

Twenty.

The blonde scanned the tributes to either side of her. The District 3 boy and the District 8 girl, both of whom she felt she could take on. She decided she was definitely going for it.

Fifteen.

Her eyes narrowed in on a gray backpack about 20 feet in front of her, and a silver spear glimmering in the light about 10 feet in front of the backpack.

Ten.

The Cleary girl inhaled, preparing to spring off the platform.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

The blonde readied herself, shifting her feet into position. This was it.

One.

The cannon sounded, and the tributes all began jumping off their platforms, some instantly, and others delayed due to shock. Haven instantly hit the ground running, her focus trained on the backpack and spear. The two tributes next to her were slower, and by the time they'd started running, Haven had already reached the bag, which she hurriedly slung over her shoulder. She sprinted forward, her fingers wrapping around the shaft of the spear.

Haven noticed a belt of throwing knives a few yards away, as did another tribute. They both reached for them at the same time, and before the boy could lift the sword he was carrying, Haven plunged her spear right into his chest.

She froze for a moment, before remembering the knives. The blonde scooped up the knives before sprinting into the tree line, not stopping until the screams of the bloodbath were well behind her.

Haven collapsed onto the snow covered forest floor. The adrenaline pumping through her veins subdued as she leaned against the base of a tree, and the reality of the past few minutes hit her like a freight train.

The girl was shaking, but inside she felt numb. A tear slipped out of her eye, freezing halfway down her face because of the cold. The girl choked out a quiet sob, not wanting to attract any attention.

"I just killed someone. I killed someone without giving it a second thought. I didn't even know his name." Haven thought to herself, horrified at her actions. She reminded herself though, that if she wanted to make it back to her family, she would have to do that again. She would have to kill. The girl almost threw up at the thought of having to do that again, and she left out another silent sob.

The Cleary girl sat for a few more minutes, staring blankly at the trees until the wave of shock passed, eventually standing up and continuing walking. She wanted to put as much distance between her and the Cornucopia, and other tributes, as possible.

A mere few minutes later however, Haven heard footsteps a few yards behind her. She whipped around, pulling a dagger out of her belt.

"Woah. Easy there tiger, it's me." Haven sighed, lowering the knife once she saw Roxy step into the clearing, but raising it again when she saw Reeve following behind her. He dropped his machete on the ground. "You can trust me, I swear." Roxy nodded in agreement.

"How'd you guys even find me? I didn't see either of you at the Cornucopia." She questioned. "Reeve and I talked about being allies with you last night. We saw the direction you ran in, and we just kept walking until we found you."

Haven nodded, still a bit wary, but glad to have people on her side. "Let's keep walking, clearly we're not too far because you two found me."

The trio continued trekking through the forest, all of them continuously on edge. Haven had her hand clenched around her spear, Reeve held his machete, and Roxy had an arrow loaded in her bow, ready to fire at any moment.

After walking for what felt like several hours, the group stumbled upon a small cave. "It's going to get dark soon, I say we stay here for the night." Haven suggested. "I agree, it'll keep us hidden and protected from the elements." Reeve added, Roxy nodding in agreement.

The three entered the small cave, having to crouch, as there wasn't enough space to stand. Reeve rolled a large rock in front of the entrance, leaving enough space for light to get in, but still small enough to not give away their location to anyone who would happen to pass by.

Haven took the opportunity to examine the contents of her backpack. She found a sleeping bag, a pair of gloves, some rope, a few packages of dried fruit and meat, a knife, iodine tablets, and a bottle, which much to her dismay was empty. Roxy has also picked up a smaller backpack, containing the same things as Haven's except it had a blanket instead of a sleeping back.

"I'll be right back." Haven said to her newfound allies. She grabbed her spear, the bottle and the iodine tablets before squeezing her way out of the cave. The blonde scooped up some of the snow, placing it in the bottle with one of the tablets before crawling back into the cave.

"I figured we could drink it once it melts. Besides, we won't find any fresh water, it'll all be frozen here." She said, holding up the bottle for the pair from 5 to see. "Wow, Ms. Ocean Girl is a genius." Roxy joked, and Haven playfully shook her head at the girl's ridiculous nickname for her. "Thank goodness you're here or Reeve and I would dehydrate." The ginger said sarcastically, making her two allies laugh.

The blonde had been trying to ignore it for as long as possible, but eventually she gave in to the gnawing feeling in her stomach. She took a package of dried mangoes out of her backpack, splitting them evenly amongst herself and her allies. It was a small amount of food, especially compared to how much she'd been eating the past few days, but it was enough to satisfy her for the time being.

The dark sky outside flashed, and the Panem anthem began playing. Haven pushed the large rock out of the way so they could see outside. The Panem seal was projected on the sky, but soon it was replaced by the picture of the first dead tribute. The first death was the District 3 boy, who had been on the pedestal next to Haven.

"That also meant that the Careers are all still alive." Roxy commented "And are still out for blood." Haven added.

Haven breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see Spencer's photo in the sky. Even though she knew only one could make it out in the end, she considered him a friend and the thought of him dying was horrifying to her.

The girl from Disrtrict 6 appeared in the sky, before Haven let out a gasp. The picture of the boy she killed glimmered in the sky. The boy was from District 7. In his photo he didn't look like the threat he was to Haven in that fateful moment at the Cornucopia, he looked like an innocent kid. The rest of the fallen tributes were projected, and then the hologram clicked off, leaving the trio staring up at the stars.

"I think we should try and get some rest. I can take first watch." Reeve offered. "Alright, but wake me in a bit so I can switch off with you." Haven responded, and Reeve nodded.

Roxy used her pack as a pillow, curling up under the blanket, and Haven rolled out her sleeping back, zipping herself into it. The blonde girl was grateful they'd found the cave, as it saved them from the wet snow and sharp winds.

The Cleary girl slept for a little while, but eventually her mind was spinning too much and attempting to fall back asleep was a futile effort.

Reeve, who was still keeping watch, noticed that Haven had awoken and looked quite shaken. He whispered, careful not to wake Roxy. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Haven buried her head in her hands. "I killed that boy from District 7. He looks like he was maybe 13 and I stabbed him without giving it a second thought. I'm a monster." The pain in the girl's voice was crystal clear, and tears were slowly flowing down her cheeks.

The brunette sighed. "I can't even fathom what you're feeling and I'm not going to tell you it's okay because this whole situation isn't. But you've got to remember, he would've killed you if you didn't make the first move." Reeve said, attempting to comfort her.

The girl from 4 sighed. "I know. I just didn't expect it to hit me this hard."

"Actually, I think the fact that it hurts you this much goes to show that you're a good person Haven. An actual monster wouldn't feel any remorse, but you do. If that's not what a compassionate person is, then I don't know what is." Reeve continued.

Haven's lips curled up ever so slightly into a smile. "Thank you Reeve, that really meant a lot." He nodded back at her. "Now get some sleep, I can watch for a while." The boy happily obliged, curling up on the floor with his jacket draped over him as a blanket.

The blonde sat in the warm sleeping bag, fidgeting with the shark tooth on her necklace. The object
gave her a sense of comfort, and it reminded her that people were out there watching, rooting for her. Those people, her family and mentors, were the reason she couldn't give in to the pain. Haven knew she had to keep fighting, not just for herself, but for them.

// author's note
wow two updates in a day.
first chapter of the games! poor haven, she was so sad during this chapter. i'm so mean i'm sorry whoops. living for her allies though. reeve and roxy are icons. anyways i hope you enjoyed this chapter !
thank u as always if you are reading i appreciate it so so much. feel free to vote, and leave comments (they make my day)
- a <3