It's different this year. I can still remember the new President Goltsworth's words.
"To show that working together is a futile measure, each tribute will be partnered with their district partner. if one of them dies, the other has an hour to kill another tribute before they die as well."
I itch at the black collar around my neck. The collar is the device that very well might kill me in these Games. If Syndi dies, and I can't kill another tribute within an hour, the collar will explode and take my head with it. They told us about them in the training center. "It's completely waterproof and shock-resistant. If you tamper with it at all, it will detonate by itself. And you wouldn't want to do that to your partner, would you?"
No, I wouldn't. The gong is about to sound. Luckily for me, Sydni is right next to me on her platform. We can talk to each other. "Don't try to kill anyone!" Sydni screams. "If you die, then I'll be next!" I nod in agreement. Then the gong sounds, and we all run for the Cornucopia.
"No killing! No killing!" screams the boy next to me. I start yelling it too. By the time we get to the golden horn, everyone has taken up the call. The boy who originally yelled for us to not fight grabs a knife from the pile of weapons around the horn, and holds it in front of him, ready to defend himself from anyone who tries to attack him. "Anyone gonna try and kill someone?" screams the girl from 11. No one makes a move. The boy slowly drops his arm down. Then he climbs up to the top of the horn to make an announcement. "Many of you have heard the stories of the first Hunger Games that took place over 100 years ago. Our ancestors worked together for a while, and survived together as a result. Only when they stopped working together did people start to die. I believe that if we work together, then we can-" A spear flies out of the sky and goes right through his chest. He falls off the back of the horn and a cannon sounds.