The shrill, feminine shriek cuts through the air. I stop in my tracks, it didn't come from far away and I'm well armed. But, it could be a trap and I'm alone at the moment. Should I risk it? It might be the girl from District 12, the one who scored 11 in her training.

I can tell what my father must be thinking now. "Go after it, you idiot!" Yes, to my father, my name's not Marvel. On a good day, it's idiot.

I take the risk and run toward the scream, a spear in my hand. It's when I get closer when I realize that I'm near the place where Cato, Clove and I set a trap a few days ago. Could Fire Girl Katniss have gotten stuck in it? I push the thought away. No, she doesn't seem that dumb. Same with the girl from District 5. And Loverboy and the big black kid from 11 couldn't be the ones screaming. Duh, they're guys.

My heart's beating fast and adrenaline is coursing through my veins. Whoever I'm gonna kill, I don't care. All I care about is getting back home to District 1. I never cared about these stupid games. My parents signed me up when I was 6 for the Training Academy and I accidentally passed the test when I punched an older kid who called me skinny.

The only person I really care about is my younger sister, Clear. She's only twelve and she's always being picked on, everyone calls her weak. Our father keeps shouting at her to learn to stand up for herself, but he just creeps her out. I know that if I win these games, our father would probably shut up for once and Clear would get some respect from her peers.

I'm almost at the place now. The screams are louder. The girl's calling for someone, an ally.

"Katniss! Katniss, help!"

I reach the clearing and hurl the spear at the tribute lying on the ground, tangled in a net. Time seems to slow down from then on. I look properly at the tribute and I feel sick.

She stares at me with pain and panic in her eyes. She's the twelve year old tribute from District 11. The youngest tribute in these games. But her age isn't what's filling me with dread.

I look at her and I see Clear.

I barely have any time to move when the arrow pierces my neck and I fall to my knees. Instinctively, I yank the arrow out and curse inwardly as even more blood spurts from my wound, soaking me in a scarlet flood.

Fire Girl Katniss has made it to the clearing, she was the one who shot the arrow. She runs over to the little girl who I had just killed, her expression a mixture of fear, grief and panic. I cant hear what they're saying anymore, my vision is going dark around the edges and despite the endless red tide that's flowing from my neck, I feel strangely calm. It's as if I suddenly knew that I was never meant to win these games and I suddenly could except it.

The strength I've known all my life is fading from me and I fall to the ground. Even someone with the power of Cato couldn't fight what was about to happen to me and the crazy thing was, I was strangely ok with it.

It's a shame I can't see Clear again, I hope she'll be able to put up with the bullies. Maybe she'll make some friends out of people who understand what it's like to lose a sibling to the games. I stare blankly at the sky. My hovercraft has appeared now, it's waiting for Fire Girl Katniss to go and for me to die.

I feel as if I'm being dragged down, away from my body, and then everything goes dark.