I hated waking up in general. Waking up knowing I was probably going to be brutally chopped to pieces later on that afternoon was even worse. I opened my eyes miserably peering at the big oaken door that led to the main room where everyone I hated was probably sitting and eating breakfast. So I did really the only logical thing I could do. I went back to sleep.

Fuck the whole fucking world. I'd have to face it eventually but you could bet that sure as hell that I was procrastinating as long as humanly possible. With that chipper thought I nestled back into the ungodly soft comforters and closed my eyes. It was a shame I couldn't bring the comforters into the arena.... I thought as I let my eyes droop shut.

I really may have been better off just leaving my room and dealing with people because as soon as my consciousness faded I was back in the northern hemisphere's largest town where I had grown up. I was running. My feet pounded against the dirt road that even after three years of living in the wilderness I still knew every inch of. Even though I was sleeping I knew where I was running. I was going to the place I hated most, the place I had ditched everything to escape, I was going home.

I felt sick. I wanted to wake up but I couldn't. My feet just kept carrying me closer and closer to the small preppy house that looked so much more innocent than it was. My hands reached out and pushed the white picket fence open and walked to the rose colored door into the household that made my stomach churn with sickness.

Everyone stood there gaping at me with their wide blue eyes and all perfectly matched blonde hair that seemed in itself to say 'you don't belong here'. My step-father stood between me and the stairs an irritated expression splayed across his face as if I was nothing more than a bug on the windshield of his life. "You cut off your wings, you mutt. You're so weak and replaceable." He snorted with a smirk then erupted into his deep-bellied laughter that still haunted my dreams. Then they were all laughing hysterically, pointing at me as if I was some freakshow.

Even unconscious and thousands of miles and years away from them it hurt.

I started running, my feet propelling me through the house toward my room, I shouldered my stepfather and didn't look back. Suddenly the house behind me began to disintegrate into a spiraling vortex of dust cutting my family's laughs off abruptly.

I continued running. I swung around the corner into the small dank room that I had grown up in. It was barren and unremarkable save an old mattress and a table with a box on it. My eyes locked on the small intricate chest that was quite literally the most precious thing that I had ever owned. I felt my feet slow down as I walked to the box that I had been trying to retrieve when I had been forced to the reaping. Even now I had no idea how I could have possibly left it behind when I had taken off.

I looked over my shoulder. The dust had slowed noticeably as if it was politely allowing me to look at the object that I had been so desperate to retrieve. I picked up the silver chest that was so carefully decorated with the elaborate designs that I had spent years running my fingers over. I turned the small chest over and on the bottom was an inscription that I had completely memorized, but still scanned the loopy cursive anyway. 'With Love To My Son, Levi, I'm Sorry I Couldn't Know You. -Father'

That was was when the lid of the chest swung open and Dimitri's severed head fell out. I cried out in horror staring at the grotesque head that rolled over itself a few times before it's rotted eyes seemed to fixate on me and its pale lips curled into a smile. "You killed me, Levi." It laughed sadistically. Suddenly everything around me was disintegrating into the sparkly black dust and I was falling.

My stomach leapt into my throat as the wind tore relentlessly at my hair and clothes.I screamed flailing desperately trying to grab something- anything really. It was all in vain because there was nothing to grab, I was spiraling out of control into an endless abyss and there was nothing to save me.

I sat bolt right up in my bed, sweat dripping from every pore in my body as if I had just sprinted a marathon. I looked around my eyes feasting into every detail of the luxurious capitol room as if seeing them was my only anchor to keep me from tumbling back into that screwed up dream.

After a minute I collapsed back into my bed pinching the brow of my nose. I couldn't even flipping sleep without something going wrong. I swear I was cursed. Stupid warlocks. They probably were shoving needles into their little voodoo doll of me as I tried to sleep.

The memories of the dream began to creep slowly back into my mind, taunting me, daring me to revisit them. I blocked them out to the best of my ability because, hey, thats what I always do- ignore the problem until it goes away. Sadly for me, most problems seem to like me a little too much to go away.

"Levi Rixton! Are you up yet?" The loud irritating voice of my escort ripped through my mildly blissful silence. I heard her heavy high heels clip clop down the hall toward my room with a sudden urgency. "Levi! Levi!"

Oh God I was not ready to deal with that freak. I rolled out of the bed, half throwing myself towards the door in the vain hopes of locking it before she got there. The thick comforter was still wrapped around my legs as I stumbled toward the door trying to reach it desperately before promptly falling on my face about an inch from my target.

My escort stood in the doorway and beamed as she laid eyes on me, "Oh sweetie, I understand you were excited to see me but don't go hurting yourself over me." She giggled girlishly tucking a blue curl behind her ear.

I glowered at her wishing that looks did kill so that I would never have to deal with her again, I swear every time she spoke she made the IQ of the entire facility drop a couple more points. "I was rushing to the door so I could barricade it. Don't flatter yourself, you genetic abnormality." I snapped slowly freeing my legs and getting to my feet.

She looked genuinely disappointed, "And there I thought for a second you might actually have a soul." She muttered looking down at her feet for a second before her head snapped right back towards me. "Now I remember why I was here, Silly me! Levi the plane is leaving in 10 minutes.... everyone thought you were up so it was a bit of a shocker when you weren't in the head count."

I looked at her my eyes practically popping from my head. "What?" I cried looking down at my striped pajamas and thinking of my empty stomach. My heart started to pound in my chest... I wasn't ready for this! I looked over my shoulder at the window. "What happens if I don't co-operate?" I asked slowly my eyes focusing on two shadowy figures behind my escort. They stepped forward revealing their glinting white suits and shiny black helmets.

"Then these kind gentlemen will escort you! Isn't that sweet of them?" My escort grinned flashing the one directly behind her a flirtatious grin.The guy let out an uncomfortable laugh and rubbed the back of his neck like he actually thought she was attractive- which you know is completely impossible.

I took that opportunity to bolt. In retrospect it was stupid. I had nowhere to run, I had no clever plan to escape all I had was some worn out hope and a whole lot of desperation.

I shouldered the distracted man out of the way as his buddy let out a strangled cry and made a grab at my arm. His fingers brushed mine, missing me by inches. That must have been irritating to him. I thundered down the hallway into the main room nearly running into the dining table that was placed right smack in the center of the room like they had placed it there to try and kill me.

I felt a hand close around the back of my shirt, jerking me backwards. My fingertips closed around someone's half-finished cereal bowl that had been left out on the table. I flung it backwards over my shoulder into the peacekeeper's face. He let out a strangled cry as I ripped free and promptly stumbled into the arms of the other peacekeeper.

Neither of them were happy. "Little brat!" The guy yelled wiping cereal from his face with an expression of disgust on his face as my escort appeared behind him looking startled that I had tried to run.

"You should thank me, the inflated cereal on your face was an improvement. It distracted from everything else." I spat as the other peacekeeper slapped my face yelling some earsplitting command that my brain failed to process. What can I say? I suffer from selective hearing and generally my brain 'selects' not to listen to stupid people.

He snorted at me in disbelief as if he couldn't believe my nerve. He walked up to me his eyes blazing."You are going to feel my wrath, you-"

I kicked him in the balls. "Or you know you'll feel my wrath. One or the other."I commented nonchalantly as I watched him double over in utter amusement at his agonized expression. The peacekeeper that gripped me slapped me again and began screaming, I felt his spit hit the side of my face.

"I can't hear you! Could you possibly bark any louder, you lapdog?" I shouted over him as his face flushed even more scarlet. Without warning I felt his free hand wrap around my neck and crack my head into the table.

Pain electrified my body as I felt myself crumple to the floor. It was like everything around me was fuzzy except for the stabbing pain that overwhelmed my brain. I felt my hands clutch my head as a moan escaped my lips. Dimly I was aware of screaming, but it seemed far away and distant.

Slowly, very slowly I felt my eyes begin to droop shut as black dots danced before my already blurred vision. My consciousness faded into a dull mush of nothing and that was the last thing I knew.

_______

I was brought back to reality when a sharp stabbing pain erupted in my arm. My eyes shot open focusing on a silver needle being injected into my arm. I tried to jerk it away but I found I couldn't move. A loud continuous roar deafened my ears as I redirected my gaze to a peacekeeper who held the needle. "Relax, it's just a tracker." He grunted before removing the needle and turning away towards Chloe who sat next to me harnessed into a seat.

The plane- we were on the plane, I realized. "I hope you didn't touch the needle, you freak, I don't want your STDs." I snapped, my desperation to get the last word returning.

The peacekeeper must have been one of the wiser ones because he ignored me, simply finishing Chloe's needle and moving onto Caspian. I wondered where the peacekeepers who had dared to knock me out went... I was going to beat them to a bloody pulp, I decided as my eyes scanned the interior of the plane looking for the peacekeepers but only the one injecting trackers was visible.

"Levi? Right?" A voice from beside me asked. I turned my head to lay eyes upon a square jawed werewolf who frowned at me disapprovingly.

I glared at him. Ew, why the hell did people want to talk to me? "No. You may call me Your Highness." I said irritably looking at the wolf, who I remembered to be Jayson.

He glowered at me with just as much irritability, "Look, I have no idea what the hell your deal is but you have to stop. Ever think that your attitude towards the people who work here might affect what they put us through in the arena? Your attitude might affect everyone on this plane." He said casting a nervous glance towards his sister who sat across from him talking to Giselle.

I raised an eyebrow. "You realize that everyone besides one of us has to die- right? Besides if the capital wants war I'll give it to them, little bitches deserve it anyway." I frowned I started to turn away but one of the problems with being strapped into a seat next to someone was that there was literally no escape from talking to them.

He shook his head, "True, but the gamemakers get to decide how we die and personally when I die I'd like it to be merciful rather than brutal, so could you please shut your mouth and maybe even apologise." He asked leaning towards me as far as the harness would reach.

I snorted. "I never apologize. If you're really nervous about how you are going to die though I can kill you right off the bat, because you know I'm such a good samaritan." I suggested, starting to become mildly amused with my own sarcasticness as I often did.

The boy furrowed his eyebrows, "I'm going to sacrifice myself so my sister can live, so I'm going to have to decline on your offer. I plan on being there as long as I can." He said his voice barely a whisper, nearly lost in the drone of the plane. Part of me wondered if I was even meant to hear it, the other part wondered why the hell he would disclose this information to a raging man-bitch.

"Umm. Why would you do that?" I asked suddenly incredibly uncomfortable.

The werewolf smiled weakly, "Because that's what you do when you love someone."

I pursed my lips and looked down uncomfortably, for once I was at a complete loss of words. It was time I ended this conversation by making a really uncomfortable statement. "So like, when you say 'love' I'm assuming you mean like a 'brotherly' love and not a 'I-want-to-make-out-with-your-face' love?" I commented airily, attempting not to look as uncomfortable as I felt.

Jayson looked strangled as his head processed my comment. "God, yes! Brotherly love! I-"

His amusing plea was halted abruptly when a robotic feminine voice overcame the plane. "We will be landing in 10 seconds, please do not move until a peacekeeper has come to retrieve you. Thank you, and may the odds be ever in your favor." There was a sharp jolt that rocked the craft as it settled itself on the ground and a ramp slowly opened out of a portion of the wall lowered into a ramp allowing bright streams of sunshine to stretch inside the door.

Ew. Sunshine.

The hovercraft was suddenly crowded with peacekeepers streaming in the door and walking toward their assigned tributes. I secretly hoped I'd get one of the men who had knocked me out but I had no such luck. The man who came over and unlocked my harness was a man that I didn't recognize. He grabbed my arm lightly and without even saying hello began to guide me out of the hovercraft and into a large concrete facility that bore no marking to signify what it could possibly be.

I knew though, and the realization that I couldn't be more than a half an hour away from going into the arena made me sick. The stupid werewolf I had talked to hadn't made me feel any better either. The peacekeeper guided me down the long white hall crowded with tributes and peacekeepers. I caught Tegan's eye as her peacekeeper pushed her through a door. She smiled and made a cutting motion across her throat before she disappeared into the room.

My peacekeeper stopped outside a door and actually daring to let go of my arm he opened the door for me and stood back, allowing me to walk through. I stared at him feeling nauseous. Should I run? Suddenly the crushing depression of the reality of my situation hit me, there was nowhere to go and I was surrounded.

I was screwed.

Numbly, I walked into the small room where my stylist sat on a loveseat with a tray of cookies in his hands. My stomach rumbled as I recalled that I hadn't had the opportunity to eat today. behind him sat the tube that would transport me into the arena. Anxiety rippled through my veins and I hated myself for it.

The door closed behind me with a click and my stylist looked up and frowned. "I'm required to offer to these cookies." He commented, still obvious agitated that I had slayed the monster that was the outfit he had forced me into for my interview.

I smiled curtly and took the plate from him, instantly shoving as many cookies as I possibly could into my mouth. I could say a lot of bad things about the capital but their cookies were not something I could complain about. They were perfection.

My stylist curled his lip in disgust as he watched me hoark the cookies down my throat. "You're still in your pajamas? You are lucky you have to get dressed for the arena here, I'd hate to go into the games wearing that." He said as if pajamas were the worst possible thing any human being could possibly place upon their body.

I smiled bitchily swallowing the large clump of cookies, "And I would hate going into the games looking like you. Actually I would hate going anywhere looking like you." I commented putting another cookie into my mouth.

"Just go over to the closet and pick something out to wear. This year I have no say in what to put you in and you have no idea what the arena is. Thought you could live without a stylist? Now I think your going to realize how important I am." He snorted crossing his legs together and gesturing to a large indent in the wall that had a variety of clothing hanging from it.

I rolled my eyes dramatically. "In your dreams." I said actually almost relieved I got to pick. After all if he was picking I'd probably be out there in pink neon sequins and with a target painted on my forehead. I set the plate of cookies aside and walked over to the closet and began to rifle through it. It had everything from camoflash tank tops to white parkas, they had made sure that my choices were endless.

I sat stood there for a second contemplating what I should go with. I knew from experience in the outdoors that you never ever wanted to be unprepared or the environment would chew you up and spit you out like you were nothing more than bubblegum. I decided to do the only logical thing I could think of; layer.

I looked over my shoulder at my stylist who looked at me with the same expression of disgust as he always did. "Don't look you freak." I commanded despite the fact I doubted he would oblige. I turned back around and ripped a park of light brown cargo pants from the hanger along with a white tank top, perfect for a desert environment. White might seem like an odd choice, however the only other alternative was black and black would stand out against sand. White could easily be rubbed in sand and turned brown.

I quickly slipped them on, discarding my pajamas in a crumpled pile beside me. Next I grabbed a brown long sleeved shirt and threw it over the tank top then wasted no time in grabbing a pair of heavyweight camouflage jeans. Following this I grabbed a parka and some lightweight snow pants, gloves and a hat. There I had three different layers on for three different environments, I was ready for anything. You know once I grabbed shoes.

"Three minutes until tube departs." An automated female voice rang robotically over the intercom sending another wave of nervousness through my body. I took my time lacing the universal brown leather boots up my legs as if just moving slower would make the three minutes come slower too.

I was dimly aware of my stylist talking to me but I blocked him out. It was too close to my possible death to listen to stupid people- besides his stupidness might catch. Finally I stood up just as the robotic voice so kindly felt the need to remind me that now we only had one minute left. My stylist stood up with a furious huff, "You weren't listening to a word I said? Were you?" He growled his green dyed skin flushing a hideous brown.

I shook my head. "I don't listen to morons." I commented with a shrug glancing over my shoulder at the tube that awaited me, it's door wide open reminding me of a jaw.

"You are the single most infuriating tribute that I have ever had to deal with. I genuinely hope you die." He shook his head perhaps in awe of his own bloodthirstiness. I had a tendency to bring that out in people.

I sent him a devilish smile, not nearly as hurt as I should of been. "Well then, I'll have to make it a note to survive so I can come back and force you to be my stylist until you die." A complete lie, but an amusing threat none the less. I turned away from him and walked into the tube, my stylist beginning to yell obscenities behind me.

My smile fell from my face as I looked up the shoot into the darkness. After a long second of standing there I felt my plate shift upwards with a loud groan. I took deep breaths, I had to remain calm. I was going to get my bow and a backpack. That was all I needed. Then I was going to survive. It was as simple as that. I pinched my eyes shut as rays of light streamed downward into from the arena stinging my eyes.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the light I found I was standing in a small clearing that had a massive cornucopia in the center, all of the tributes, as always, were encircled around it in a circular pattern which was very circular.

Aren't I just the little articulate one when I was scared out of my mind?

Beyond our small clearing were five different extreme environments, I scanned them, my eyes focusing on a huge snowy mountain. I literally felt my heart melt, that was just like the mountain that I had taken residence back home. There was no doubt in my mind that I was headed there, first though, I had to get my bow.

That was when the gong shattered the silence, it ricocheted off my eardrums as it's sound electrified the arena. And just like that we were all running, my feet dug into the soft earth and propelled me forward with each step.

The first scream ripped through the air like a knife, I looked over as I watched Michel grab Glorianna around the neck, flipping her over and cracking her head into the cornucopia with a loud crack. Her blood went everywhere.

I had stopped running, I realized. Why had I done that? I looked through the thick of the sudden unrelinquished chaos of screaming and death. Tributes slashed at each other desperately grasping at life as they destroyed another's.

I started running again ducking around a fight between Rolf and Caspian. Don't die, don't die, don't die, I attempted to motivate myself by chanting the futile words in my head as blood flew everywhere as people were brutally maimed.

Suddenly out of nowhere I was tackled. I felt my body get pinned to the ground by a heavier weight. I looked up to meet the savage grey eyes of a faerie. Stephan. His calloused hands wrapped around my neck as he began to squeeze. "Nothing personal, normally I wouldn't kill another faerie, but you aren't one. You said so yourself." He said snidely leaning forward until he was inches from my face.

I would have snapped something at him had I been able to speak, but I couldn't. The air refused to come through my throat. I tried to glower at him. I would not be killed by a dahm faerie. Summoning all the force in my body I rocked forward cracking my skull into his nose. He cried out falling backward off of me. I scrambled to my feet letting the cool air that smelled of blood fill my lungs. I sent my boot barreling into Stephan's neck, crushing it with a loud crack. "Thank you for being the first person to acknowledge that I'm not a faerie. Bitch." I growled before my eyes laid themselves upon my little bow just a few feet away.

I the last couple of steps and grabbed my bow, it's copper frame felt cool in my hands. I slung my backpack over my shoulders, looking around at the rapidly dying bloodbath. My eyes locked on Tegan chasing Magnus with her sword. I didn't like Tegan. I stared at the bow in my hands with a slight tremble running through my body. Did I dare to kill someone? I looked at Tegan again and felt the familiar bubble of fury bloom in my chest. Hell yeah. I lifted the bow aiming it at her. "Hey Tegan!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, she spun around in surprise her eyebrows shooting upwards as she locked eyes on my bow. "See ya in hell- maybe if you're good I'll throw you some marshmallows from heaven." I let the bow fly and the next thing I knew Tegan was crumpling to the ground.

A strange numbness overcame my body. I wasn't sure what to do.

Then an arrow grazing my leg and snapped my back to life. I started tearing away from the bloodbath as fast as I could. A vampire with blood red hair leapt in front of of me brandishing a sword. Barely slowing down I loaded my bow and shot her straight through the heart. That time, killing had been easier.

I leapt over a dead body of some tribute and looked over my shoulder at the last few tributes standing around the cornucopia as I stumbled into the closest section of the arena, which happened to be the rainforest.

And I was wearing a parka.

Dammit.