REVISED; 6/5/13


Prologue

I'm standing here, alive against all odds to the contrary, shaking like a leaf in a strong wind and gaping soundlessly at the massive blonde brute of a boy standing across from me. The one who plunged from the slick metal surface of the Cornucopia and fell to the mutts. The one who is, impossibly, somehow still alive. The one who is going to bring about my death. Awe mingled with terror slides down my spine in an icy shudder that gets lost in the rest of my shaking.

Katniss stands between Cato and I, bow in hand and her final arrow aimed at his heart but she's shaking almost more than I am. That's because Peeta, the only boy I could trust in the Career Pack, is screaming on the ground as the mutts tear into him. There's no saving him and we both know it but Katniss, like me, can't stand the sound of his screams. Tears are pouring down her cheeks and I surprised she can even see Cato through the tears. Peeta's screams fade into one long agonized wail and Katniss, almost automatically, pivots, raising the bow and releasing her final arrow and silencing Peeta forever. I'm struck then at the fact that, even though she may not realize it, the Girl on Fire really is in love with Peeta Mellark.

The arrow strikes true, leaving her weaponless against brutal, bloody Cato, the tribute who has probably killed more in this game than anyone else. The tribute who could snap someone's neck without a second thought. She turns back to face him, swiping tears from her cheeks with the back of a hand, her body language defiant. She does not utter a sound, not a scream of rage nor a final plea for life, when Cato lunges forward. They grapple for a brief moment and then the Girl on Fire goes over the side of the Cornucopia.

At first all I hear is the smack of her body hitting the ground. The mutts, it seems, are still distracted with Peeta's silent body, probably trying to discover what silenced and ended their fun. Then one turns, noticing Katniss for the first time, and lunges. I let out a little hollow cry and stumble back a step to fall to my knees as Katniss goes down. She doesn't make a sound as she hits the ground and I force myself to watch as bit by bloody bit the Girl on Fire passes on, hopefully to a place where she can be with Peeta again.

I force myself to watch each agonizing second because I can't do anything about Cato anyway and because Katniss deserves at least one person in the arena to mourn her passing. Finally I tear my gaze away from what is left of her body, her hand carefully tucked in Peeta's despite the ruin their bodies are, and stand, turning my gaze to Cato. He's still looking down at the mutts huddled in a seething mass around Katniss.

I press my back against the Cornucopia and hold in a whimper because this is Cato. This is the tribute that's going to be the death of me. Not Katniss who'd shoot straight and have me dead almost before I realized she'd shot but Cato. And Finch was right; he would make me regret I ever betrayed him. He'll make me beg for my death. I am District 3, one of two left standing, and Cato is going to kill me.

But this is the end of my story. To understand how I got into this mess we have to go back to the beginning. Back to District 3.