Iris Mason, 19, District 2, Victor of the 56th Hunger Games POV

"We should split up."

I turn to look at my tiny ally, 13 year old Bailey from District 8. "What?" I ask her, shocked beyond belief. Split up? Why would we do that? There's 8 other people out there, 4 of them careers, she'll be dead by morning. "We should split up." She repeats, slower this time. "Why would we do that?" I ask, but she's already halving our supplies and putting them into her rucksack. "Before you kill me." She says, matter-of-factly.

I stare at her in shock. "I'm not going to kill you, Bailey." I say, confused. She turns to me, her icy blue eyes boring into my dull brown ones. She doesn't say anything, but gets up. "Bye, Iris."

And then I see him, Hunter from District 2, my district partner, behind her. Instinctively I grab my axe, and jump to my feet. Bailey is on the ground with a mace in her head before I have a chance to speak. "Iris." He says, staring straight at me, and suddenly he changes. He's a monster, half bear, half wolf, who lunges at me, screaming. I run, hot tears streaming down my face as he chants my name behind me. I try to turn and throw my axe, but it lands half-heartedly in a tree behind us. I can hear him now, his breath in my ear. "Iris, Iris, Iris."

I wake with a cry, sitting upright. The sheets are on the floor, and I'm covered in sweat. "You killed him," I repeat to myself, "it's okay, he's gone." I take a deep breath and flop back on my bed. I don't let myself cry. Recently I've found myself wondering, if I had used those three seconds to warn Bailey instead of grabbing my axe - would she be alive? Would she be in a house in District 8 in Victors Village? Would it be her plagued by these nightmares, whilst I'm buried six feet under? I shake the thoughts from my head and get up to draw the curtains. The lazy pink sky makes me smile for a second, before I see the Peacekeepers decorate the town square. I feel sick. This is my first year of mentoring. This is Reaping Day.

This, is the 57th Hunger Games

AN

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