Chapter 1

Katniss. She is my first thought as I regain consciousness. I seem to be paralysed. I cannot move. This worries me, not knowing my surroundings. I need to find Katniss. I need to gather my thoughts.

We were in the arena, that I am sure of. Katniss and Johanna had gone to fulfil Beetee's plan and take the wire down to the water when the coil went loose. I was just about to run after them when Finnick, anticipating my next move, tackled me from the side. Briefly winded, I lay still under the pressure of Finnick's well-built body. The only reason I managed to escape his grasp was the sound of a heavy footstep heading our way, which couldn't be Katniss or Johanna, they would never be that loud. This means it is Chaff, Enobaria or Brutus – or maybe all three.

It seems Finnick has also come to that conclusion as he stands and holds his trident in an attack position, so following his lead; I remove my knife from my belt, and take stand beside him. I then turn around, remembering Beetee behind us, just in time to see him run full speed- well as fast as he could go in his condition anyways- into the force field.

"Beetee, no!" I shout, though it's no use, his now electrified body comes flying back from the force field and slams to the ground. I rush over to inspect the damage, as I know it could be fatal, as Finnick stands guard. I check his pulse for a beat that seems to be there, but weak. I survey the area for some reason for him to cross the line Katniss drew around the force field. I'm just about to give up when I spot the knife wrapped in wire that has fallen a few feet away from Beetee's body.

"Peeta, quick, we need to move," Finnick whispers and before I can reason with him, he drags me up and half carries, half guides me away from the lightening tree, fast. A canon signalling the death of a tribute went off. Reading the panic on my face, Finnick says "Don't worry, I will go find Katniss and Johanna, you stay here and keep concealed", as he shoves me into some sort of plant a bit too roughly for my liking.

"No, I will come with you." I try to argue as I attempt to stand up but he just pushes me back down again and holds me.

"Peeta, you have to promise me you won't leave this spot"

I stare him down but he doesn't seem to loosen his grip. We are locked like this for what seems like hours, when in reality it was probably no longer than ten seconds, our gazes never shifting; I begin to realise this is not an argument I can win.

"Fine," I moan, "I will stay. As long as you bring Katniss to me, deal?"

"Deal." And with that, Finnick swiftly and silently runs off into the night leaving me alone with my thoughts.

This doesn't last for long though as I can't bear to sit still and wonder whether that cannon was Katniss. I decide to have a little walk around, but staying in the area Finnick left me in as I do trust that he is a man of his word, and will come back to me. I hear a scream but I do not bother to run as this scream is too low pitched to be Katniss. What does get me running is second cannon. Two dead, one could be Katniss. As I am running I cannot help myself but to scream out my name.

To my joy, I hear her reply "Peeta! Peeta!". I am so exhausted that it takes me a minuet to figure out what she is doing. She's luring the careers to her to protect me. I came into this arena determined to get her out alive, but she is making it ever so difficult. My only hope now is that I find her before the others so I quicken my pace. That's when it happens.

I can just about see through the overgrowth, a single almost tile like piece falling from the sky, behind it, a normal sky instead of this strange palate of colours in the arena. Arena. It's the arena. The arena is falling. More and more pieces start to break of the follow the next. As they crash onto the arena floor you can see sparks flying out everywhere. Two more cannons go off.

The rest is a blur. I know at some point I saw Johanna stumbling towards me (she must have been attacked or got hit in the mad scramble of falling objects) but then it all goes blank and I woke up here, strapped to this table as I now realise.

I can now slightly move my fingers and begin to be able to open my eyes. My first sight is a blurry light, too painful for my eyes, so I shut them again. Small steps, I tell myself. I am now gaining some movement in my leg, the real one of course. Once I am aware that my whole body is working, I brace myself for another go at opening my eyes. This time when I see the light, I realise that it is bearable as long as I don't look directly at it. This is good. My body and mind seem to be working. Now I just need to find out where I am.

As lifting myself up would be useless and a waste of energy and I can feel the tight straps securing me to the bed, I carefully turn my head to the side, trying to take in as much about the room as possible. To my right is a clean bed with fresh white sheets, so I must be lying on one identical to that as they stretch out as far as I can see past it. Every wall is blank, no windows nor doors, no decorative wall hangings; it makes me loathe the place. Gathering that I cannot gain any information to my whereabouts from this side, I turn my head the other way. As soon as I meet the cold, grey, seam eyes that glare down at me, I regret turning my head. No, it is not Katniss' bright, sea-foam eyes I see. The person I am looking at is Haymitch Abernathy.