Estée Vanders darted through the trees, dodging branches and leaping over roots and bushes. Her heart pounded against her chest, and through the cracking of the fire behind her, she could almost hear the thump, thump, thump of her heart.

"Come on, Six," the boy from District One, snarled behind her. He was mere feet behind her, clutching a knife in one hand and holding the torch that had started this whole mess in the other. "Is Estée scared of a little fire?"

Estée was too out of breath to answer. Her limbs were almost numb after running for so long but the Career behind her sounded like he could go on for hours.

A large, flaming tree collapsed in front of them, making the petite girl scream before wheeling around and going in a different direction. As she turned, Griffon, the boy from District One, slashed at her arm, barely grazing it, but just enough to make in bleed.

Estée stumbled forward, tripping over a tree root and landing on the ground. Her screams were louder than the roaring flames as her body slammed against the ground.

Knowing what was coming next, the District Six tribute rolled to the right, barely missing the knife that was stabbed into the ground an inch from her.

"There's only room for one winner in these games!" Griffon spat as he yanked the dagger from the dirt and lifted it over his head. "And trust me, that isn't going to be you."

Estée yelped and rolled again, only this time, it felt like she had rolled off the Earth. The ground was no longer underneath her and all she could feel was herself falling, falling, falling.

She had rolled right off the edge of a cliff.

Estée didn't have time to think about how she could have possibly missed an entire cliff. She didn't have time to think about what would happen Griffon. She didn't have time to think about anything, for she was too busy falling.

And then she hit the ground. The sound of her own skull smashing against the ground echoed in her head as unbearable pain shot through her entire body.

Estée felt broken.

Yes, broken was the only word to describe it. Her limbs ached and her head felt like it was nothing more than a splatter against the rocks that she was laying on.

But broken was alive. And as long as she was feeling pain, it meant that she was alive.

And that couldn't be said for Griffon, who's body lay crumpled next to hers, his eyes shut and his breathing, stopped. A loud cannon echoed through the arena and seconds later, a voice was announcing something as well.

Estée couldn't hear what he was saying but she did catch a few words, like her name and 'winner.' But that couldn't be right. It wasn't right.

Because just as the announcement finished, her eyes shut and she knew that she wouldn't be getting up again.

The Hunger Games wouldn't have a victor this year.