DISTRICT 1 FEMALE - ALLIUM ANTHROMIS

 By the time Allium had tracked the foreign lands and claimed it for her own as if a colonist in the 1700s, only hours had past to waste away. Already beginning to dissolve in a pile of muck, she pulled back her hair into a tight bun before getting to work.

There were minimal objects that could remotely resemble something of product or us in the building of a shelter. Though, she knew that the arena was meant to make them search and grovel around like wild animals before they came across a rare treasure. Well, that's what she assumed at least.

Many of the other tributes had vanish somewhere between the waters and the cases. With no way of the land outside the little coven Allium set for trivial, anyone looking to target the girl would have no problem spotting the familiar—but obnoxious—indigo and raven hair that was sported under a complexion only a spot light could enhance.

Sweat poured from her hairline before wrapping its way underneath her jaw and dripping down the sides of her neck as if drool from a resting sleep. Something that was weighing heavy on her mind. It was torture to walk back and forth, pacing the cavern cliffs and wrapping the lethal end of her whip across her wrist fifty-four times and counting.

In the blistering heat that would make anyone dazed, Allium was troubled enough in the simple task of making a coverage. Like a game to be played, the little tribute hobbled over every crumble and slit as the apprehension of being lodged in the heart with one of the stalactites became more appealing.

End it all. Don't waste your last dying days in pain.

Yet no matter how many times she repeated those eleven words in her mind she could never do it. Saying them out loud: in an accent, backwards, forwards, slow, fast, or even dyslexic; it still sent an eerie creep through her body that was toe curling.

Pulling the collar of her shirt loose, Allium tucked away the whip at arms reach before pushing all her weight into the boulder that was tempted to budge. As it needled and twaddled around like a table with one unsteady leg, it still held it's own and refused to go farther than an inch in the opposite direction that designated.

"I am so over this," Allium growled with teeth bared. Maybe if she looked menacing it would be intimidated.

With fists raised towards the sky, she was about to let out a scream of frustration when she was caught off by a loud wail not too far behind. Movements stilled as the situation turned from an annoyance to dire. The hairs on the back of her neck perked as she sent her fingers dancing to the hilt.

Crouched low, the sound became more piercing.

Bumbling around was a boy that seemed no older than seventeen with twigs scattered across is attire and hair wilder and frizzier than if he were rolling on a static filled carpet. Immediately recognizing him as the man from District Two, Venenius, Allium bolted from her position and ran towards the wobbly placed sack of bones.

As she became closer, the smell became more potent. Cringing her nose, Allium strummed the edge of her whip and looked through tiny slits in her eyes--

Due to issues, the rest could not be posted.

~~

DISTRICT 2 FEMALE - AMEILA MONTAIGNE (The italics refused to stay)

Amelia's hair took hours to dry. With a sigh, she peeled off damp strands of red-orange from her neck and shoulders. The forest she found herself in was large, and the vegetation was fit for an overgrown greenhouse. Amelia's chest ached from having tripped so much, and the hike itself was enough to make her legs sore and her calfs tender. Ugh.

"Like, it's totally hot," she told the group.

Amani chuckled, almost sarcastically. "It is, isn't it?" Her voice was far too gone, too away. Almost nine feet ahead of where Amelia stood.

None of them really cared for what she had to say, nor did they pay attention to her. It pissed her off while simultaneously making her happy, as it meant she had time to herself. What losers. Ugh. I cannot wait for them to die. Maybe they'll kill themselves! God, that would be delicious.

The air melted against the wind, carving near-invisible lines of white as it passed overhead. It was beautiful. Large, wet vines grew thick and plentiful. Lots of tiny flowers graced the trees and stumps. The smallest ones were pink and around the size of Amelia's heart--a centimeter all in all. Bright colors woke up the atmosphere, prompting birds to chirp, wolves to howl, and all sorts of creatures to cause a ruckus. In the dark midnight arena everything took on its own form of life. A leopard roared, fearsome and free. God, what I wouldn't kill to ride a leopard. Just once. Just once.

Corradhin was the only one in her group she didn't hate. He wasn't as stupid as the others, and he actually had a use. The others couldn't do anything but find reasons to ignore her. These damn people don't understand how precious I am. Serves them right that they all shall die.

Trees reached out to stroke her hair and entangle themselves inside of her skin. Briars prickled and pinched her, drawing up blood as she shoved past and pushed them off. Walk, walk, walk! I thought this would be fighting, not a damn weight-loss session. With a huff, she tapped the knife that hung from her belt and climbed on.

Hours before, when they'd all reached that tiny Cornucopia, Amelia had a field day. She'd spotted several beautiful swords, knives, and the like, but all she wanted was the tiny, hand carved dagger-knife. It gleamed in the dark, almost glowing. Ah, my glorious tools of death. The only thing that could have made it better would be if she found some wire.

Amelia's fingers entangled in the vines as she passed, not bothering to check how far the group had gotten away from her. They weren't anything, just people that existed in a world miles away. Amani and Corradhin spoke in low tones to one another. It was like the two had known each other for years. God, can't they just fuck already and get over it? What a bitch.

Even as she thought, Amelia knew it wasn't really what she believed. She needed any excuse possible to hate them. If she truly looked into those grey eyes she'd find someone who could possibly be a friend. That thought alone terrified her. In the Districts, all friends were fake. No one wanted her. They wanted her body. They wanted her position. They wanted what she had. People coveted, but never truly desired her.

No one here is a friend. Acid laced her thoughts alongside ice and hatred. Everyone here wants to win--that's the point of it. Her heart beat fast as she drug herself up, each step squishing the mud beneath her Mickeys. This pathetic excuse for a pact won't last long. The second they get in my way I'll-

Her thoughts stopped as reality woke her. Amelia stumbled, trying to catch her breath as she leaned against a tree. They'd gone on ahead and she couldn't keep up. She, who had years of training. She, who was probably the most fit. She, who found herself to be utterly perfect...lost in vegetation so thick she could taste it on her tongue.

Gigantic pink flowers filled her line of sight. Their stems were the size of a child's head and their petals were long enough to be a dress. Green with large pink, purple, and blue dots. Those colors contrasted against each other to craft a lovely trap of seduction. Ah, Venus. Aren't you a bit...big?

Amelia chuckled, feeling much too smug. The plants didn't respond to her thoughts or to her laugh. Even still, she knew not to believe them. Nothing that still stays in the shadows for long.

Cautiously, she began to move forward. Sweat fell down her face and neck as if she'd been running a marathon. "If I'm quiet," she whispered under her breath, "and don't touch them, I'll be fine."

Amelia's plan worked perfectly...for the first minute. After passing two of the traps a soft, repetitive beeping sounded. It worked its way through the trees to touch her head. The round object ticked until she twisted it open. Another lightbulb?

It wasn't a lightbulb. Instead, it was a box of plain white cards and a tiny bag of dried berries. Beside the two was a tiny, clear vial of dark yellow liquid. A small, scrawled note filled with large handwriting was her only clue as to what was meant of her--Be ever curious, Amelia. Find the use.

Whoever sponsored her had a sadistic sense of humor.

She rolled her eyes and packed the items into her sports bra. The thin but tight material worked well enough, and her natural beauties kept anything from showing too much. "You dipshit," she muttered.

The plants heard her. Green moved and stretched itself out as a large creature yawned, it's purple teeth gnashing against one another. Sharp, acidic juices flowed from the flower's mouths. Okay, Venus, someone gave you an upgrade. Before her eyes the creature-flower things rose up, their leaves stretching out as if just awaking from a long nap. More yawning.

It sounded so much like a human...but no. Those things were deathly evil and nothing made from nature. Man had created these beasts, and the Venuses were ready to attack. On her left, she watched one open wide enough for her to catch a glance of a half dissolved skeleton. A squirrel, perhaps, or some other small animal. The bones were rotten. It reached out and ran a sprout over her arm.

Death, as beautiful and cruel as it was, stunk. It was worse than when Peacekeepers ran over skunks and left the bodies out to fill the entire upper half of the District with that awful smell. "Thank God they take out the dead bodies," she said aloud, "I couldn't handle that grossness. Yuck."

Venus didn't appreciate her words. As a shiver courses through Amelia's body, Venus's sprouts wrapped around her. Tight.

"Shit! Like, get the fuck off me!" She hit it with the hilt of her knife, then turned around and sliced it open. Slime poured out of the wound and coated her.

If Venus's yawn had sounded human, her cry was far worse. Like that of a baby having a choking fit it slammed it's sprouts about. Leafs fell and slapped her in the face, the pain cold and sharp, a million paper cuts doused in strawberry juice.

The beast fell back as she cut off another sprout. Dark, dark yellow-green slime coated her as it squirted out in violent waves. "Amelia!" a voice called for her, "Amelia!"

It wasn't a voice she knew. Rather, the robotic voice was chilling and old.

"Amelia!"

It squeaked. Old metal? Maybe she did know the voice.

"Amelia!"

Why can't I move? God! Fuck! Why am I not moving?! Run! Run, bones, run!

She'd never felt so utterly powerless before. All her life she'd be in control, owning everything she touched. In that moment she was completely lost and dead.

"Amelia!"

Oh, shit! It's getting reinforcements!

She shut her eyes tight. It was all she could do. With shivering bones she stood, eyelids clenched together, hands squeezed into thin fists--one still holding the knife, coated in yellow-green as it was.

"I get you, Amelia! I get! You die!"

A chortle.

Trees cracked and bent, the wood snapping clean off in the presence of a larger, more terrifying beast. The Mother of all Mothers. Peek. Come on, just one peek...Green eyes flashed open to a sight so gruesome she couldn't close them again.

Purple teeth made from sharpened bones pried off one another to let out a pool of slime. It splashed, just barely missing her feet as it sloshed past. It was a huge ass flower. Fuck. Large and green, mixed with ugly purples and pukey grays that ran into blue dots. Lining the wooden teeth--thin, light purple lips, like that of a dying old lady. She let out the smallest cry, a surrendering one, that left her broken and crumbling before a beast ready to kill her in one strike. Her pathetic blade fell to the ground, beginning to dissolve in the slime there. Her slime coated left hand stung and burnt but she couldn't wipe it away.

Amelia couldn't do anything.

"Amelia! You die!"

How is it talking?!

There was no tongue. No throat. Sound emancipated from nothing, words that rendered Amelia into that nothing. The voice is me. Amelia shook her head the very slightest. It couldn't be--couldn't be her. No, no...God, that robotic, awful voice is mine.

As the flesh on Amelia's dominant arm was eaten away, tears flowed down her face. The creature walked on two thick tree stumps that had to be older than anything else in the awful rainforest habitat she'd found herself in.

In a whisper she let out her fears, "Not me, not me...it's not me...oh God, I'm going to kill myself."

The ground shook with its steps. She cursed but it didn't make her body move. Mother Venus was coming for blood, and it looked like beautiful girl was on the menu.

"Amelia!"

No, no, no! Move! Fuck this! Just move, dammit!

"Amelia..."

Fucking hell, it's only a few feet away! Get out, get out, get out! It'll kill me if I don't move! I'm gonna die.

"Amelia..."

I'm gonna move.

"Amelia..."

The ground let her feet go. Released, she stumbled back, feeling the heat from the creature. It radiated broadly, unashamed. Mother Venus was Amelia's true form, it seemed. Both whole and dangerous, one showing the true disgusting creature while the other hid away under a mask of innocent beauty. Amelia couldn't think anything but that as she fought her way through the wet ground and through the mud.

She screamed as the pain finally registered. In one moment, life had woken up. Amelia was aware. Amelia knew to run. She had to escape, but where? Why? There was no use. Nothing could protect her from Mother Venus. Mother Venus, who couldn't see but had excellent smelling--the gaping holes flapped open and closed, bringing in and out air, told her that.

I'm gonna die.

Amelia hit the ground hard, screaming more as the acid continued to eat at her. She ripped up leaves and tried to wipe away as much as possible, cooling it in the mud while trying to keep going backwards, away from Mother Venus. Petals fell like blankets, coating her and the ground.

"Get away, get away!" Her voice--scared and meek. I'm gonna die.

Mother Venus let out a roar as she hid herself within the light pink and green blankets. No more light. No more sight. There was no time for thoughts. Amelia reached inside her bra, feeling her bare chest as she pulled out the vial of liquid and took a chance. I'm gonna die.

Amelia poured it over her arm, chest, and everything else.

~~

DISTRICT 3 FEMALE - ELECTRA

Electra looked around the forest warily, taking note of the beautiful but sinister looking plants around her. Her eyes searched for any kind of shelter when voices and a girl's laugh sounded up ahead. She immediately darted behind a tall blue-green plant, careful to stay away from the sharp thorns adorning it, and resisted the urge to peek out from behind the bush until a minute after the voices dissipated. Even when she was certain the other tributes were gone Electra stayed hidden in the shrubbery, weighing her options. She could stay here and risk being found, or move away from relative safety to wander the arena in search of food and water.

"Risk versus reward," Electra murmured to herself quietly. Was the risk of being found by another tribute worth the possible reward of finding much needed supplies? After a few minutes of internal debate Electra moved away from her hiding spot, in the direction that the other tributes had come from.

The farther she walked, the more uneasy she became. Unidentifiable noises sounded at seemingly random times, and some of the plants around her looked like they were moving when she saw them in the corner of her eye. One of the plants in particular caught her eye—a Venus Fly Trap. It was massive, taller than her by at least a foot, and shaped much like a sunflower, but with rows of sharp teeth where petals would be. The middle of the Flytrap was covered in a clear substance mixed with crimson liquid, like the Flytrap had eaten one of the tributes.

Electra shook her head internally at the thought; she was being ridiculous. Venus Fly Traps didn't eat people, they ate insects. Even as she repeated the fact to herself she couldn't help the small voice in the back of her mind, reminding her of the all the horrific things she'd seen in past arenas. Plants with a taste for human flesh didn't seem so implausible when Electra factored in the arena.

Lost in her thoughts, Electra tripped, her hand flying out to break her fall. Looking up she realized she'd literally stumbled across the Cornucopia. A closer look at it reminded her of a large pumpkin laying on its side, its innards having been scooped out and replaced with dead bodies.

Ignoring the revulsion that filled her at the sight of the mangled, bloody bodies, Electra took a deep breath and forced herself to slip into an emotionless mindset. The only importance the bodies in front of her had was the fact they might have something useful she could take. That was it.

Moving quickly she searched all of the bodies and surrounding area for food, water, and weapons, but nothing of use was left. Unsurprised by the result of her search, Electra stood beside the Cornucopia for a few minutes trying to come up with a plan. As she stood there an unusually dark green patch a few feet away caught her attention, the area looked almost like plastic. Glancing around her again she slowly walked towards the odd colored patch and knelt down.

It was short and slender, with a cylindrical shape. Crimson spatters covered one end, and Electra assumed that a tribute had dropped it while running. Upon closer examination her mouth curved into a faint smile. It was a dart gun. There were only ten darts in it, but Electra knew that she could easily find something to put inside once they were gone. Picking up the weapon, she immediately began compartmentalizing her thoughts; part of her planning how to improve the gun, while the other stayed alert to her surroundings.

Quiet beeping broke the silence, and Electra looked up to see a small white object slowly drifting towards her. When it got closer she recognized it as a sponsorship package, and she grabbed the bundle out of the air when it was close enough. The parcel turned out to be two matches enfolded in a thick white cloth. A note lay beside the matches. Set the arena ablaze. ~Tender Exilo

Electra glanced back at the matches, her eyebrows raising at the message. After a moment she wrapped the matches back up and placed them carefully in her jacket pocket and standing up. She continued walking, when something brushed both her ankles.

Glancing down revealed long, seaweed-like vines slithering up her legs. Before Electra could do anything the leaves had wrapped around her waist and she was being thrown through the air. Wind whipped across her face before landing on something surprisingly soft and spongy. As she got to her feet loud squelching noises sounded and she looked down to see that she was on a pinkish spongy surface, covered in slime, which was rapidly rising. All around her pointed white objects were closing in, and Electra recognized them as massive teeth.

She was in the middle of a Venus Fly Trap.

Terror shot through her and she made a desperate jump off the plant only to see that dozens of the vine-like leaves had appeared and were all reaching for her. Electra could feel her heart beating rapidly as she looked for a way out, and her hand went to the gun at her hip.

Pulling it out she shot at one of the leaves. It hit its target, but the leaf wasn't deterred, continuing to glide towards her. Panic constricted Electra's throat and her hand trembled as she looked around her, resisting the urge to shoot wildly at the leaves. They continued moving towards her, forcing her to jump over or around them wildly. If you couldn't see the vines, it would look like she was doing a demented dance.

It wasn't until her eyes drifted over the thick stem of the Venus Fly Trap that an idea came to her. She steadied the hand holding the gun before aiming at the thick, sturdy stem and shooting. The dart missed, and Electra could feel her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to beat its way out her chest. She jumped over two of the long vines before aiming and shooting once more. The dart grazed the plant stem and she cursed quietly. Electra looked down at the plants weaving up her legs, adrenaline coursing through her, and then stopped running.

Ignoring every instinct telling her to keep moving, she stayed still. Remaining immobile while shooting yields better results, she reminded herself. The fact didn't comfort her, and she could feel herself trembling as she carefully aimed for the third time. The dart hit its target, slicing the stem in half. The top of the Fly Trap teetered and then fell backwards. At the same time, the vines around Electra's legs dropped, and she let out a sigh of relief.

The rush of energy was quickly dissipating now that the crisis was over, and Electra allowed herself a brief repose. She checked herself for injuries, but there was nothing serious, just the cuts from Lavender and some bruises. As she waited Electra kept the dart gun gripped tightly in her hand while she rested, like it was a talisman against the evils of the arena.

After a few minutes, Electra stood up and began walking again, continuing her search for a shelter. Eventually, she spotted a small patch of trees, curved inwards and forming a natural barrier against outside forces. The area around the trees had few plants, mostly grass and moss surrounding the ring of trees, and Electra's lips curved upwards in the smallest of smiles at the sight. Glancing up at the darkening sky, she made her way towards the trees.

Four steps forward and Electra realized she'd made a mistake. She couldn't move her feet. A quick examination of the moss below her revealed that it wasn't as benign as she'd originally thought it was. The entire strip looked like it was bubbling, and sharp objects that looked suspiciously like the teeth on the Flytraps began poking out of the moss. Then they started moving. Up and down, up and down, up and down, slowly moving towards her.

For the second time that day Electra found herself at the mercy of a plant. She thought frantically, trying to come up with a plan to get herself out of her current predicament. Her gun wouldn't work, and it would just waste the precious few darts she had, and the spikes on her gloves wouldn't be effective, considering that the entire moss patch was covered in tooth spikes.

That left the matches she'd received earlier. She pulled them out quickly, glancing frantically around for a stick to strike it with. Luckily, she spotted one nearby and she quickly snatched it, steadying her hand as much as possible in order to strike the match.

It took her several tries, by which time the toothy spikes had begun to pierce the tips of her boots, but finally there was a spark. A flame appeared at the end of the match and Electra hurriedly pulled the white cloth out of her pocket. She set the cloth on fire before throwing it at the plant.

As soon as the flames touched the green plant it curled away, the spikes retracting, and Electra wasted no time in tearing at the plant surrounding her feet and hacking at it with her gloves. Eventually, the plant detracted and Electra pushed herself away, panting heavily.

Electra stared at the innocent looking moss in front of her, her blood running cold at the thought of what could have happened to her. After several seconds she looked away; this was not a time to feel panic or fear. She began taking an inventory of her meager supplies—laying the supplies out before her.

One match.

One dart gun.

Seven darts.

Two spiked gloves.

Electra stared at the small pile before her with apprehension. She had one match, a dart gun with seven darts, and a pair of spiked gloves against 19 tributes and a bloodthirsty arena.

~~

DISTRICT4 FEMALE - AMANI ALURAI

Everything was so damn green.

I whirled around frantically, pivoting sharply on my heel so that I did a full 360-degrees-turn, searching for anything, any sign or clue of where my allies had disappeared off too. There was none. No sign at all. Only green, endless green, and a burst of color every now and again by a small cluster of flowers.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I ambled on, stumbling through the undergrowth. Please, please, please let Corradhin be around here somewhere! I begged to no one in particular, fighting back tears. Corradhin was my rock, my fortress. Around him, I felt safe. Protected, almost. I'd only known him for a few hours, but I felt as if I'd known him my whole life.

He was Beckett's friend, and I was Anastasia's sister.

We understood each other in ways others couldn't.

Low branches scratched my face, but I didn't care. I had no clue where they were, where my allies had gone. Heck, I'd even take that giggling Amelia right now. Fighting a full-blown panic attack, I skidded to a stop in front of an oak tree, knowing I was going nowhere. Think, Amani, think! Where did you see them last?

"Ugh!" I slapped my forehead, trying to bring back a memory, a thought, anything, that might give me a clue. I got nothing but a throbbing pain on my forehead and eyes full of tears. Sniffing, I leaned against the tree trunk and tried to compose myself. God, Amani, it's alright. Stop crying! You're acting like a wimp right now. You'll find them soon.

"Okay, okay," I murmured, inhaling and exhaling shakily in an attempt to calm myself down. Breathe, Amani, breathe."Okay, okay, I got this."

It was a lie. I was barely holding myself together.

A stray tear escaped my eye and quickly, I swiped it away with the back of my jacket sleeve, hoping that the cameras missed that certain action. I couldn't afford weakness, not here, not now. Tributes—especially one from a Career district—weren't supposed to cry. Yet, the more I tried stopping, the more tears came, until I had collapsed into a silently sobbing heap at the bottom of the tree.

I just hated being alone.

I hated the darkness, the blood, the killing. An image of Wolfgang, covered in blood, popped into my mind and I shoved the thought away, my body racking with sobs. I was a murderer. I killed someone.

Was this the way Ana felt, when she was in the Games? So alone, so scared...so hopeless. Had Beckett been her rock as well? Had Bellona helped her through her numbered days in the arena? My throat clenched painfully, raw from crying, my breaths ragged and coming in gasps.

A rustling in the bushes snapped me out of my stupor, and cautiously I stood up, suddenly alert. Wiping away some stray tears, I quickly unsheathed my dagger and took a step forward. Another rustling noise, unexpectedly followed by muffled voices. I froze, debating inwardly whether to go and investigate, or stay and hide. They could be enemy tributes. They could be enemy tributes fighting. Don't go and investigate, Amani. It's not safe.

But they could be my allies as well.

Hide. It's safer.

Biting my lip, I slowly started walking backwards to the oak tree, before crouching down against the trunk. I kept my dagger in my hand as a precaution, and tried to keep my breathing quiet and under control. The voices grew louder, and undergrowth began to sway and fall. My eyes widened, knowing that whoever the voices belonged to were getting closer. Until, suddenly, something large emerged from out of the sea of endless green. I couldn't exactly make out what it was, but it was large—and evil. Oh, god. A muttation.

Staying frozen behind the tree trunk, I watched with wide and terrified eyes as the plant muttation rose up from the ground, as if it was awakened by the sound of the tribute's voices. The voices turned into screams as the enormous plant whirled around, it's long, snake-like tendrils waving in the air. My nails dug into the wood of the trunk as I saw a tribute get lifted off the ground, struggling and screaming. I recognized her as the girl from twelve—Wynder. Suddenly knowing what was going to happen, I tried to divert my gaze, but found my eyes glued to the gruesome scene. The plant muttation opened its mouth, revealing rows upon rows of jagged leaf blades that resembled teeth. Realization dawned on me. It's a Venus Fly Trap. Oh my god. Wynder's screams were cut short as the vines holding her captive suddenly released her—right into the jaws of the Venus Fly Trap.

A scream tore itself from my lips.

The Venus Fly Trap whipped its head towards me, it's guard hairs prickling, and made its way towards me, tendrils waving in front of it to look for me.

Run! Run, Amani, run!

Snapped out of my stupor, I stumbled backwards onto the mossy ground, before leaping up and stumbling away into the thickest of the undergrowth, hoping to throw off the Fly Trap. One of it's tendrils attempted to curl itself around my ankle, but I stopped it with a well-aimed kick. Adrenaline rushing in my veins, I burst through the bushes, the shrubs, the plants, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. I ran and ran, branches and thorns stinging my exposed skin, but I didn't care. Run, Amani, run!

I ran as fast as I could. I ran and ran until I could run no more, and collapsed onto the ground, panting. Glancing backwards, I could see that the plant muttation was no longer following me. I hoped. Thank god I lost it.

Calm, Amani, calm.

Wearily standing up, I surveyed my surroundings, and nearly collapsed as my legs threatened to give way. My throat burned, begged for water, but I did my best to ignore it. I only had one goal in my mind.

Find Corradhin.

~~

DISTRICT 5 FEMALE - TILLA LECTRA

~~

DISTRICT 6 FEMALE - NERI RAVENNA

The evil in the air was suffocating, especially to me. Wherever I turned, darkness awaited, it's claws outstretched, ready to tear me apart. I sat huddled in our cave, in the deepest corner, hugging my knees to my chest and trying to calm my beating heart. Every sound, every snap of a twig, made my senses jump to overdrive and brings back the memories.

He laughed, his voice thick and slurred with drink, the shadows coming to life in the small, abandoned hut. Then, that stinging slap across my cheek, sending young me sprawling to the ground in tears. Subconsciously, I brought my hand up slowly and gently touched the spot; the spot where he had hit me.

"You're not bad, my pretty," where his first words, coming out in the form of a crazed laugh, "Not bad at all."

And that's when it all began.

I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut tightly, blocking out the forms of my allies and my surroundings.

Two days.

Forty-eight hours.

Two days of tears, of pain, of torture.

It hurt.

Taking in a shaky breath, I felt a small tear squeeze itself out of my closed eyes. My breath escalated and I dug my nails into my palms, trying my hardest not to have a panic attack. Calm, Neri, you can do this. There was a rustling and I immediately perked up, alert, only to come face to face with Dustin, who was staring at me worriedly from across the cave.

"You okay?" his asked, his voice soft. Blinking, I nodded stiffly before turning away, facing the jagged stone walls of the cave we were taking shelter in. Outside, a bird squawked and I jumped slightly at the sound, before relaxing my shoulders. My right hand traced the rock's rough surface, before coming to a stop at a small piece of vegetation growing out of a crack in the surface. Gently, I gave it a poke, and watched in fascination as it's fine green leaves curled inwards, shrinking from my touch.

"It's called a, uh, 'mimosa pudica'," piped up Dustin from behind me, his voice much closer now. I suppressed the urge to shriek, but I felt my body stiffen as he shuffled closer. "Also known um, as 'the shrinking plant'. It'll have uh, uh gorgeous pink flowers when it's in season."

"Yeah," I breathed out, my gaze never wandering from the plant. My voice came out choked and croaky, hoarse from screaming and disuse. Carefully, I touched the leaves with the edge of my fingernail, waiting almost eagerly for a reaction. Several leaves curled inward tighter, while the others didn't move at all. Slightly disappointed, I dropped my hand onto my lap. Turning around, my blue eyes connected with Dustin's wide, curious hazel ones, and suddenly my heart did a little race inside of my chest. Ba-dum, ba-dum. It usually does that when I'm afraid, but I don't feel scared now. Under Dustin's gentle gaze, I don't feel scared. His eyes represent Allison's blue ones—loving and caring.

"You know," he whispered, leaning against the stone walls, "They're sort of like you. The plant. Always shrinking away, when they have a chance to be beautiful."

Unexpectedly, I felt heat rise in my cheeks and I dropped my gaze, not exactly sure why. Nonetheless, I smiled, keeping my eyes on my hands. Another shuffling sound reached my ears, and I felt Dustin's hand reach for mine. Slowly, I looked up, only to see Dustin smiling as well.

"Why are y-you afraid of me?" he asked softly, his voice gentle like Allison's, despite his stammer.

I bit my lip, processing my answer. A million possible answers raced through my head, before I decided to avoid the question entirely and replace it with one of my own that had been bugging me since the bloodbath. Swallowing and praying that I didn't sound pathetic, I tenderly asked, "Why are you so good to me?"

Dustin looked surprised at my question, and frantically I rattled on, "I-I mean, you're a grey, Dust. Not, not special. Not good. Not evil. But-but-but, I don't know...in between. Greys never notice me. Why you?"

Dustin blinked, surprised, "What do you mean, 'grey'?"

Oh, right. I had forgotten that he couldn't see colors like I do. Smiling shyly, I played with a strand of my violet hair, "I see things," I said slowly, wondering how to go on, "I see colors. I see people surrounded by colors. Most people are greys, like you," I paused, debating whether to go on. I had only ever told Allison about my perception on the world. I had only just met Dustin. Yet, it seemed as if I've known him for a lifetime. Licking my lips, I hurried on, "Greys are okay. They're not pure—but they're not evil, either. In between. And then there's white. White people are good. They're pure." Like Allison, I thought with a smile. Seeing that Dustin was still waiting for the rest of my explanation, I hurried on, "And then there's the blacks. They're...they're not nice. Evil, or mostly so. Like here," vaguely, I waved my hand around the cave, "The whole arena. It's evil. It's..." I shuddered, "It's so dark."

There was a slight pause, and I knew Dustin was processing this information. Through the semi-darkness, I couldn't exactly see Dustin's face. Finally, he spoke after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting.

"So..." his voice trailed off, deep in thought, "What are you then? What color?"

I pursed my lips, unable to answer the question. It was a question I had asked myself many times—what am I? An honorable white, an undecidable grey, or a menacing black? Gathering up my courage, I decided to speak the truth. Lowering my voice, I whispered, "I don't know what I am."

I was interrupted when Aperio suddenly entered the cave, carrying what seemed to be several grey boxes in his arms. Like elastic, Dustin and I snapped away from each other and faced Aperio. Without a word, he walked over to Dustin and dropped a box in his arms, before sitting down to open his own box eagerly. Sponsorship gifts, I realized, mildly surprised. Dustin noticed me and turned to Aperio, "Anything for Neri?"

Aperio shook his head, before unscrewing the top lid of the box and taking out a blank piece of card, and a packet of small berries. His brow furrowed in confusion and so did mine. A card some berries? Strange. A glance at Dustin told me he had received the same thing. I opened my mouth to speak, when a shrill scream pierced the everlasting night, and instinctively I shrieked as well. Dustin slapped a hand over my mouth to muffle the noise, his breathing rapid. I struggled against him for a second, before realizing that he was trying to protect all of us. I stopped my struggle, and Aperio crawled over to where both of us were sitting, eyes wide and afraid. The sponsorships now forgotten, the three of us waited, barely breathing.

And then all hell broke lose.

Tendrils upon tendrils started breaking through the cave's walls, slithering down the walls like a bed of venomous snakes. Aperio squeaked, and Dustin yanked the both of us up by our arms. Abandoning our supplies, he pushed us towards the entrance.

"H-hurry! Get out of here!" Dustin yelled frantically as more vines pulsed out of the walls, crumbling the rocks like it was nothing but dust. Aperio scurried out, barely avoiding a withering green vine, but I stood shock-still, eyes wide with fear. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

A vine brushed my leg, attempting to curl around me, and I screamed, kicking it away, backing onto the wall. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dustin stabbing at several vicious vines with his spear, while trying his make his way to me at the same time. The floor of the cave cracked, and more vines appeared, thicker and stronger than before. Then, suddenly, an enormous green object appeared, followed by another one parallel to it. I gasped, cowering against the wall, as a monstrous Venus Fly Trap emerged out of the rocky ground, it's stem flexible so that it did a 360-degrees-turn. An oversized guard hair brushed the tip of my Mickey boots, and the fly trap snapped towards me. Before I could shriek, one of it's tendrils had wrapped around my waist, and jerked me in.

The leaf blades snapped shut immediately, enclosing my trembling figure inside the plant's digestive gland. Liquid began soaking through my shirt, before a sharp pain travelled up my exposed skin. Jumping up, my eyes widened in terror as the soles of my boot sizzled, holes burning through the material. Acid. Oh, god. Desperately, I clawed at the pulsing walls of the Venus Fly Trap, frantically pounding on the wall.

"Dustin!" I screamed, jumping upwards so that the tips of my fingers brushed the holes in the leaf blades. I was reaching for light, reaching for whiteness. I needed to get out, out of this dark, dark place.

Faintly, I heard Dustin cry, "Neri! Hang on! I'm coming!"

His voice sounded miles away.

Crying freely, I leaned against the walls of plant, head in hands. I'm going to die. I'm dying. Pain pricked my feet, but I did nothing to stop it. I couldn't stop it. I was helpless. Hopeless. Dying. I would die with a million questions that would go unanswered, I would die without saying goodbye. Choking, Dustin's face popped into my mind, his cheeky smile, his warm eyes. His question, still haunting me, "What are you then? What color?"

I don't know what I am.

I could die evil. I could die pure.

I could die a grey—a mixture of both

I would never know.

I don't know what I am.

An unsettling feeling of peace washed over me, covering me like a blanket, and suddenly, everything faded away. The blood, the death. Faces popped into my mind—familiar faces, good and bad. Without realizing it, my legs gave way and I slid down into the acid. Another sting of pain travelled up my feet, but I ignored it. Dustin's cries grew softer and softer, until they faded away entirely.

I thought about the people, greys and whites and blacks, that I knew.

About Allison, her golden hair and sparkling blue eyes, like mine.

About Aperio, his hunched form, darting, unrestful eyes.

About Him, how he'd hurt me, how he'd made me lose my innocence before my time.

And finally, about Dustin, how he was so nice, so loving. So kind and caring. How he listened, how he told me I was always shrinking away, when I have a chance to be beautiful.

I don't know what I am.

I can't see my own color. I don't know which category I belong in. I'm a nobody, just a face in the crowd, a memory that would fade into nothingness over time.

I know it's time I stopped hiding.

~~

DISTRICT9 FEMALE - YUKANA CHAMBERLY

I tremble in the night air and step over a stick fallen against the ground. Is it night? Or is it a sunless day? I don't know. There was no light when I entered the arena, and that should've been morning. I don't know how long it's been since then. Maybe the night and day are reversed in here.

I stop at the foot of a log sloped against the path. Perhaps my backpack has a light source of some kind. I snatched the thing off the body of one of the dead girls on my way into the jungle. I try not to think too much about who had it first.

I sit down on the log and bring my backpack to my lap. The backpack unzips easily so I can scour through its contents.

After a few minutes, I'm forced to zip it back up. There's no flashlight or lantern, or even a candle. Nothing to light my way unless the Gamemakers decide to make the sun come out.

I sigh and zip back up the bag. There's other things inside of it, things that could be very useful later, but right now I don't need any of it. All I want is a source of light.

Just as I stand up, a low hiss from close to the ground draws my attention. Oh no. I freeze where I stand. My eyes strain to see the source of the hiss. It isn't a snake is it? I absolutely detest snakes. They're so slimy and horrid.

I catch a scaly glimpse of a slithering figure. Of course, with my luck, it is a snake. I can't imagine a way this day in the arena could be going worse.

The snake worms its way across a narrow branch and rests on a large blossom. Its tail races to keep up with its head and wraps around the rest of the body.

Snap! The blossom locks together. I gasp and clamp a hand over my mouth to contain my shock. The snake is trapped inside the flower. There's only one kind of flower I'd ever heard of that is capable of such a feat. The venus fly trap.

With the way my day has been going, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the most frightening flowers in existence are inside the arena. Though I haven't seen any of them until now, a wave of paranoia wipes over me. My head whips from side to side. I can't be sure in the darkness, but now I could swear I see them everywhere.

I break into a run. I don't know where I'm going, but I know what to get away from. Navigating the arena is near impossible in the darkness, and rendered even more so by my fast pace.

Before I can contemplate slowing down, I slam face first into something sticky and wet. It only takes me a second to understand what I've run into. A giant spider web.

I squirm to get away, but the web won't budge. It's as if a spider wove this web out of super glue, the kind that Papa says costs more to buy than it would to have a handyman fix something.

I hear the light sound of something scurrying across the jungle floor. Something in my stomach clenches up. I squint, and through the web I can see on the other side the maker of the web. A human size spider crawls closer, with a giant venus fly trap as a head.

I swallow down the terrified tears that want to splay out of my face. I can't be more frightened than I've already been.

I shake my body as best I can. My bonds to the webs don't falter, but the web shakes with me. It gives me an idea.

My level of shaking intensifies. The web bounces back and forth. The spider crawls closer. My heart flaps faster than a hummingbird's wings in my chest.

A resounding rip echoes in the air. I fall back onto the ground. The web is in tatters all around me. I can hear the spider's snarl. How can it snarl when its head is a flower? If I survive the arena, maybe I'll ask someone someday.

I jump to my feet. My hands grab a stick off the ground and before I can lose my courage, I throw it. The stick hits the blossom. Instinctively, the blossom snaps close. Unfortunately for the venus fly trap, rather than be trapped inside the blossom, the stick is too long and punctures through the petals. The spider's legs crumble to the ground and the flower bursts open. The remains of the clothes of various tributes tumble out. I can see a seven, a thirteen, another seven, and a ten. Venus fly traps turn their prey into liquid. Those clothes of fabric with numbers must be all that's left of the dead tributes.

I take a deep breath and shake the webby remains off of me. My hands grip tight the straps of my backpack. I move forward with my head held high to face whatever else the arena has in store.

~~

DISTRICT 10 FEMALE - AKARI HIJIKATA

I'm going to die, Akari thought helplessly. She stared at the monstrosity before her, unable to fully process what her eyes were seeing.

She had stumbled through the jungle, searching for the Cornucopia, searching for food, for tributes, for anything. All she had succeeded in finding was more jungle. She had gotten herself hopelessly lost.

The creature, or plant, or whatever it was, towered before her, jaws opening wide. It was green, and had a stem, just like any plant, but unlike normal plants, the stem was as thick as Akari's arm. The dark green stem connected to an oval-shaped plant, one that was the size of a large dog. It opened, looming there like a mouth.

It snapped at her, chomping down. Akari backed up, tripping over a plant root and fell to the ground in a heap. Her stomach collided with something—a branch—making her gasp. Air whooshed out of her stomach and she laid there, disoriented for a moment.

The plant stretched toward her, mouth opening wide once again. Akari gasped and screamed, scrambling backwards as fast as she could. Her hands scraped against rough plants and thorns which grabbed her, but they were the least of her problems.

There was a screeching sound from behind her, and the sound of snapping jaws. Akari glanced over her shoulder, staring at the face of yet another plant. As she continued looking around, horror oozed its' way through her veins.

She was surrounded.

Searching around desperately, she tried to find a direction to go, a way to escape, but there was none. She had no weapon, no way to fight the creatures off.

They were going to eat her. And she had no choice but to wait for death.

Suddenly, there was a loud bark.

Akari's insides froze, as the trees seemed to part, revealing another horrendous monster.

This creature was dull green, and was larger than all the rest. Unlike the previous ones, it had four stems, all of which twisted and spiraled around, almost like vines. The stems each moved in a pattern, and Akari realized that they were used like legs. The torso of the creature was taut, revealing prominent muscles. There was no neck, or at least none that Akari could see, and instead it connected straight to a mouth. There was an eye in the center and just above the mouth, one that blinked and then stared directly at her. The mouth opened wide, easily three-times her size.

The other creatures all turned toward the larger one, and it was that moment that Akari guessed the larger one was a leader of sorts. The only identifiable trait that it shared with the other creatures, was in fact the jaw.

Venus fly traps, Akari thought. Some sort of cross-breed, monster version...

There was a loud scream. Akari jerked to her head to where the scream came from. The district eleven female, Adonis, burst through the trees, staring at the creatures in horror.

"No don't—" Akari tried to warn her about not drawing attention, but it was already too late.

One of the smaller creatures snapped at her.

Within seconds, Adonis was consumed inside the monster's mouth.

Akari gasped, shaking violently and stared in horror at what had just happened. Faintly, she could hear muffled screams, but they soon became nothing but silence.

The largest of the creatures stepped toward her, one stem-leg at a time.

Akari scrambled backwards, hitting her back against the bark of a tree.

"Hey, you big oaf! Up here!" a voice yelled.

Akari glanced up to see the district three male, Jack, on a branch above her. "What—What are you doing?"

He grinned and shrugged. "I can't let a pregnant girl die in front of me, can I?"

Akari bit her lip, as the larger creature stalked closer to her.

There was a whoosh. Akari's eyes were barely able to follow the movement of a boomerang. It twirled and flipped through the air, slicing off one of the larger creature's stem-legs.

Akari's eyes widened in shock.

"Ha! Take that!" Jack whooped.

Dread clawed deep inside her stomach. The stump of the stem twisted and grew, until the leg was repaired, as if it had never been cut off.

"What—?"

Jack never got to finish his question.

One of the smaller creatures stretched up higher, snapping at him. One of his legs was caught inside the mouth. His bloodcurdling scream made Akari wince.

Jack stared at her with a mixture of terror and agony. "Help..." His hands reached out to her.

She grabbed onto them, pulling with all her might.

The creature yanked him backwards, sucking him inside the mouth. Akari's strength was nothing compared to the monster's.

Grunting and groaning, Akari held onto him, pulling as hard as she could. I have to save him, I have to...

She didn't have time to finish the thought.

At last, she succeeded in pulling his body out. He collapsed onto the ground, but he made no sound or movement. "Jack?" she asked, her voice trembling.

His body wasn't even identifiable as human anymore. There was no longer flesh and bone from the waist down. Crimson liquid leaked out of his waist, pooling onto the ground around him, almost the size of a large pond.

Akari turned her head away and threw up. There was nothing in her hungry stomach, but the acid burnt her throat as it came up.

The largest creature lunged at her. She tried to dodge, but she wasn't fast enough.

It consumed her.

Something soft and mushy squished up against her waist, making her scream. It twisted and pulled, pushing against her skin—pushing tighter and tighter. She gasped, unable to breathe. It was too dark to see anything other than darkness. The soft, wet, mushy material was all around her, drawing closer, pressing against her. It pushed her body inward, twisting it.

Agony swept across her body in great waves. Her legs burned—searing pain pulsed through her. White stars flashed across her vision. Distantly, she heard someone screaming.

She never realized that it was herself.

I'm... going to die... Light called to her, warm and inviting. She was so tired. Her body was exhausted, and in so much pain. All she wanted was for it to end. Just let it be over, she silently pleaded.

"Help me..." The voice that whispered wasn't her own. Akari felt around with her hands until they came in contact with something besides whatever material surrounded her.

"Is... someone else...here?" Akari murmured.

"Yes..." The voice was distant and hoarse. Akari blinked her eyes, trying to adjust them. Focusing on something distracted her from the agony that her body was in. At last, her eyes fully adjusted. She was just barely able to make out a silhouette of a body beside her. Eyes fluttered open, staring at her.

She gasped and screamed. It was Tilla, the district five female. The only thing that wasidentifiable was her dark brown, wise-looking eyes. The flesh around her was all crimson colored, and soft—something between a solid and a liquid.

Akari trembled and shook, glancing at her own body. Everything was still normal, for now, but she had no idea how long that would last.

"Live, Akari!" It was Hijikata's voice yelling at her inside her head. She could imagine him watching her from his living room, screaming the very same words to her.

I'm trying, she silently replied. There's nothing I can do. I have nothing. I am nothing.

"No!" Hijikata scolded. "A sword isn't the only weapon at your disposal." It was a lesson he had reminded her several times.

All the lessons her father and brothers had taught her, flashed in her mind. Never give in. Do not surrender. Do not give up. I do not deserve to die a death like this. I will die with the honor of a samurai, Akari chanted to herself, letting the words spread through her like a vapor.

Allowing the words to push back the pain, until all she saw and felt was a deep sense of determination.

Her will to live.

Finally remembering the spiked, metal bracers that she wore on her knuckles, Akari yelled, screaming the words that kept her going.

She shoved her hand upward, stabbing the spikes through anything that was mushy. Distantly, there was a screeching howl, but she punched it over and over again. "I will live! I will not die here!" The words repeated themselves, rolling around in her mind, until they were etched into her heart and soul. With each word came another stab, another punch as she clawed her way out.

"I will live!"

Exhausted, she collapsed onto the ground. She blinked several times, orientating herself. The larger creature was dead, and the others had all scattered. She was lying on the ground, beside Tilla's un-identifiable body. Blood coated the ground all around her, covering her hands, her hair, her body.

Her hands trembled so badly that she couldn't use them to support her own weight. The pain was gone, although her body still ached. When she looked at herself, everything was normal. Sighing a silent exhale in relief, she forced herself up, and leaned against a tree.

Tilla coughed, and it was wet and raspy. "Kill—" She choked, cutting off with a gurgle.

Slowly, Akari crawled forward, staring at the body before her. The young girl was nothing but a jumbled mass of crimson, no longer human. She owed it to her to give her a quick death.

To end her pain.

Taking a deep and shaky breath, Akari stabbed the spikes into Tilla's neck. Blood spurted, coating Akari's face and oozed onto her hands.

She stared at her hands in horror. Tilla was the second tribute she had killed herself.

Crimson flowed from her palms, haunting her. It was another tribute's blood on her hands.

She didn't know how much more would stain her before the Games were over.

~~

DISTRICT 11 FEMALE - ADONIS RUNE

Adonis had never experienced this sort of deathly silence before. Back in Eleven, the orchards often became quiet, although they never quite stopped teeming with life. The jungle, however, was barren. Using the sword she managed to snatch during the Bloodbath, she hacked through the thorny vines and leathery leaves, her arms moving in fluid, constant motions.

Fatigue ran rampant inside her muscles, consuming them like some sort of life-threatening disease would. Underneath her ebony skin, her muscles screamed in frustration each time she cleared another step into the thick foliage. The orchards did not prepare you for this. Eleven was far less humid and accompanied by blissful winds that raced through the rows of autumnal trees. Sweat danced down her skin, staining her grey tank top in musty scent.

One would think a jungle would be thriving with wildlife, but it was only her and the plants. Surely Adonis wasn't the only tribute wandering the area, but there were no signs of any other life. Cicadas hummed somewhere in the distance, their constant buzz bouncing around her brain until it became white noise. Every once in awhile a cannon would echo through the trees and a pair of birds would take flight from their hidden nests.

Each boom was one step closer towards victory, but it didn't feel like so. The odds were stacked upon her shoulders and she was beginning to tire out. The alliance with the boy from Two and the others didn't work out. When Adonis finally broke the surface of the water veil, they were gone. Truthfully, she never had trusted in them, but it still hurt just as much to know she was fighting this battle alone.

Adonis wondered if her mother was watching from heaven. She knew her father would be sitting attentively on their tattered couch, silently scolding her as she made her decisions. The question was: Which parent did she want to return to? She never knew her mother, but her father couldn't be worse than her. But what if she was?

A disruption in the silent atmosphere pushed Adonis out of her rambling thoughts. The vines above her swayed slowly, as if pushed by a swift gust of wind had there been one. She raised up her sword, her arms shaking from the sheer mass of the metal. Adonis surveyed her surroundings briefly and was about to return hacking away the ferns when a vine wrapped tight around her leg.

In an instant, she was upside down. Her hair fell out of its bun, tumbling downwards in a tangle of black strands, and her sword clattered against the tough dirt. The vines tightened their grip on her limbs, bruising them with their unearthly strength. Dark spots poked at the edges of her vision and her lungs screamed with a lack of oxygen. The vines began to whip her around, her neck hyper extending far beyond normal with each justified movement.

Adonis was helpless. Her father and mother couldn't help her. No one could. Finally, her head smacked against the earth and her body grew limp.

Her life was in fate's cruel hands.

~~

DISTRICT 12 FEMALE - WYNDER DOUGLAS

Drip...drip...drip...

I stared up at the ceiling of the cave, counting the stalactites that hung haphazardly. Water droplets slowly moved down the formations, splashing to the ground. It was dark, so I couldn't see much, but the Cornucopia gave off an eerie glow.

Night had fallen, at least I think it had, night and day were all the same in the cave. The few tributes I was with had decided to sleep. Danelieux, Corradhin, and Amani all lay on the ground just outside the Cornucopia, wanting to make sure that no one would sneak in and steal the supplies. I had told them that I would take first watch, despite the fact that any sound made would echo loudly and repeatedly off the cave walls.

I had scaled the Cornucopia, deciding that a better vantage point would be easier to spot trouble. I laid on a backpack I had pulled from the horn, although it wasn't any more comfortable than the cold metal itself.

I didn't think—I couldn't, not unless I wanted to end up breaking down. So I stared up at the ceiling and counted the stalactites. I assume it worked just like counting sheep, although I had never tried that before. One...two...three...four...

"Hey, Wynder, are you awake?" I jumped as someone spoke from my left. I sat up as I reached for my bow and an arrow. I turn to see Amani staring at me, her grey eyes lit up like a cat from the glow of the horn.

"Yes, I am," I sigh as I set my weapon down. "What do you want?" I was not a big fan of being startled, although I couldn't figure out how she managed to climb the Cornucopia without me noticing. I must have been very focused on counting the mineral formations.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to rest." She stared at me as though she expected me to jump for joy at the thought of sleep.

"I'm good." I didn't want to sleep, that was much worse than being alone with my thoughts.

"Well I'm awake now, so I was going to keep watch." Amani started back down the Cornucopia.

"I really don't need you to do that." Although I appreciated her kindness now, that didn't mean I was going to let her take advantage of me. I didn't want to be indebted to her later.

"To bad."

I sighed and laid back down, apparently there was no arguing with that girl. I went back to my very important task. One hundred three...one hundred four...one hundred five...

* * *

I was in my living room, cowering in a corner. Vernon stood over me, a belt in his hand. "What do you think you are doing, little Winnie?"

I winced as he used my nickname—that name was reserved for my dad and my dad alone. "I didn't do anything," I told him tears running down my face.

His belt flicked out, stinging my face as it made contact. "Really? You think you can lie and get away with it? Why don't you take some responsibility for your actions?"

"Responsibility? For what?"

Vernon moved forward, grabbing me by the hair and pulling me along. We walked through a door to what should have been the kitchen. Instead I saw Garrett and his sister, Alice, sitting on a worn out couch in front of an ancient TV. Anxiety was evident on their faces as they watched the bloodbath of my games. Tears flowed freely down Alice's porcelain face.

"Their pain is because of you! You did this to them!"

"No!" I yelled, "No! I just wanted to save them!" Why was he showing me this?

Vernon threw me forward, sending me crashing into a table. "Lair! All you do is cause heartache."

Garrett removed his eyes from the TV at the sound of a breaking lamp. "Wynder?" He looked at me hesitantly, his eyes flicking back and forth between the TV screen and me. "Is that really you?"

I was about to say 'no' when he jumped up, pulling me into a hug. "I've missed you so much," He buried his head into my neck, breathing in my scent. I could only imagine that I smelled like metal, like blood.

"Garrett, I—" I didn't know what to say. I was actually dreaming this whole time; I wasn't in the Hunger Games. 'I am going insane' would probably be the most correct thing to say. I looked back at the way I had entered, Vernon had disappeared.

"Come on," he tugged me through another door. "I want to show you something." What was with everyone pulling me places?

When we came out of the room we were in the cave again. The cave where I had killed Eros. I didn't know what to think. Was I dreaming? But this certainly felt very real.

"Look," Garrett let go of my hand and walked towards a body that was strewn across the rocky floor. He bent down, touching the shoulder of the boy.

"Don't!" I didn't want to see the face of the person I had killed. I hadn't felt remorse so far and I wasn't going to start now. Sweat started to build on my brow.

"Why not?" Garrett sounded very confused at my refusal. "It's your responsibility to see what you have done. You need to learn who you truly are." With that he turned over the body.

An arrow from my quiver stuck out from in between Eros's eyes. A trickle of blood oozed from the wound. His body was bloated and stinking from being there so long.

"I don't feel bad," I tried to convince myself. But as soon as the words exited my mouth guilt racked through my body. The feeling crashed down like waves. I was drowning. Tears burned the cut on my face as they fell to the ground.

Garrett moved to the side as the body started to move, bubbling and shifting until it stood on two feet. It stared at me with glazed and unblinking eyes. "You did this to me!" Eros shouted, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

He would have done the same to you, I tried to comfort myself.

"You are no different than the Capitol! Than the man you hate with a burning passion! Than your abuser! You are a murder!" And when the dead boy lunged, I screamed.

* * *

I sat up, looking around. I was back in the arena—on top of the Cornucopia. My head was sticky with sweat.

"Wynder!" I looked around, attempting to place the source of the voice. I saw Dan, Corradhin, and Amani waving at me through a wall of red. It looked as though a cell and planted itself around me. I moved to the edge of the horn, feeling the rough exterior of the blockade. It was coral—coral that seemed to have the magical powers of growing in sheets. The walls were all over the cavern, creating a sort of maze by themselves.

"Wynder!" Dan yelled again. "Behind you!"

I slowly turned around, finding myself staring into a pair of beady, red eyes. A black, winged creature about three feet tall stood behind me. It looked like a bat but I had never seen one that big. I slowly moved my hand towards my bow, watching the creature intently.

"Arawk!" The bat screeched, showing off rows of razor sharp teeth. I dove off to the side as the bat spread its wings. My motion batted the quiver out of my reach. The jerked his head to take a bite out of me. I moved the bow to its neck, attempting to keep it away.

With a shove I pushed the bat away and dove for an arrow. I didn't have time to string it so I held it out in front of me as the bat flew onto me. After another deafening shriek, the mutt stopped moving.

Breathing hard, I pushed the bat off of me. The arrow was stuck in its chest. "What happened?" I asked the tributes, who were staring up in shock at the fight.

"We don't know," Dan answered, looking a bit startled. "We heard a scream and woke up to this." He motioned to the red walls.

"I thought you were keeping watch Amani." That was an outright accusation but the dream and the bat confrontation had put me on edge.

"You said you were too!" She retorted.

"Well, you're stuck there," Corradhin interrupted. "We can't cut through the coral."

"Guess I better be off then." I turned around without waiting for a response. They were the Careers and didn't need my help anyway. Maybe we would see each other later. I grabbed my bow, backpack and quiver and jumped down the side of the Cornucopia. The coral continued its growth—becoming bigger and blocking more paths. I had no choice but to follow the road that it created.

There is a reason that I hate sleeping. When I am awake I can control my thoughts and feelings. I can decide what I contemplate on and what to ignore. But when I sleep, my subconscious takes over. Most of my dreams are nightmares—nightmares about the games, about Vernon, about losing Garrett. I shivered; I needed to get a grip on my feelings. I couldn't run around being too afraid to sleep all the time, that could kill me just as easily as a tribute.

As I continued down the trail, the coral continued its stretch to the ceiling. My eyes had adjusted to dark, as I could see most of the road blocks. Although I still bit the dust a few times after finding a few rocks. There was something following me, but it didn't seem to be in a rush, disappearing every time I turned around. The only clues to the creature's existence were the low growls and heavy footsteps that echoed through the cave.

I have to admit that the dream left me rattled. And the stalker scared me even more. I really wished that I could find some place to think. I still wasn't sure I wanted to win the games—was my life worth any more than the other remaining tributes? I would have to decide soon, time was running short. I suppose responsibility was an issue--I was responsible for my fate.

After running for an hour I came to a room of sorts. It was filled with a black pool. I would have turned back but I could still hear the mutt behind me.

I reached down and touched the water. Cold. I took a hesitant step into the water, the darkness still could hide dangers.

A ripple followed by a glimmer of light stopped me in my tracks. More glints and sparks illuminated the dark water. Something long slithered by my leg, stinging my calf as it passed by. I squealed and ran out of water. But then the growls of the creature behind me turned me back. I need to get out of here—and fast.

I could see an opening at the far end of the cave. A ledge off to my side provided a lift. Digging through my backpack, I pulled out a rope. I only hoped my plan would work. I climbed the ledge, tying the rope to an arrow.

I let the arrow fly, watching as it wedged into the coral on the other side. After tugging on the rope, I pulled off my belt. Making sure my bag, bow, and quiver were secure, I jumped, holding onto my belt as I swung over the death pond.

As I dropped down to safety, I found myself facing another danger. The tribute Akari.

~~

DISTRICT 13 FEMALE - LILITH AMBERSEE