Read my decision about this and following chapters at the bottom.

Clove glanced at her DuraTime, the watch that she'd been wearing when that girl – the Girl on Fire? Catnip? Whatever her name was – when that girl blew up the food.

It read 4:56.

She began flipping through the special calendar in her pack and found the date – she'd been keeping track of it.

June 2nd, 2976. Sunrise: 5:34. Sunset: 7:33.

Five thirty-four. She had roughly half an hour to prep herself. She was the one going in to get the armor they needed, not Cato. Cato was going to protect her. Right?

She rummaged through her pack and brought out a tiny bottle labeled arcole. She pressed it gently, feeling the delicateness of the glass. If she smashed this over his head, deadly poison would leak through his skin and destroy his brain within twenty seconds. It was her last resort against Flaming Catnip, the giant, anyone. If Cato tried to win without her, she was ready.

She arranged all her knives. Cato appeared next to her and she slipped the arcole deep into a pocket.

"Nothing left to do but wait," Cato said roughly.

Clove grimaced. His voice was dry and sort of nasty – nothing like her boyfriend's sweet tones. Merit had been nice and friendly, although a little overprotective at times.

And with this – this MONSTER's help, I'm going back to him, Clove thought dryly. How ironic. Cato tries to be my boyfriend and fails, only he will bring me back to my real one.

She had no doubts that she and Cato were going to win. Flaming Catnip would be killed today, because Lover Boy would definitely not be the one coming to retrieve – whatever they had to retrieve.

Clove brushed Cato's hand off her shoulder. He pouted and returned to his corner of the bush.

Clove spent the next half hour staring at the DuraTime. Finally, it read 5:30. She took out two knives and prepped herself for a sprint. Hopefully she could get a good solid stick in the back of Flaming Catnip's head. Then Saylin – Saylin was the redhead who had been very quiet and sneaky – with Saylin, maybe, just maybe, a knife in the back. Her head was too small a target. As for the giant…

Armor first. Then giant.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The DuraTime's fingers swept to 5:34.

As a single ray of sun fell in front of the Cornucopia, the ground rumbled and split open. Clove, shocked, stumbled back. A table rose out of the earth. Four backpacks lay on it. Clove zeroed in on the largest, the one with a huge 2 on it.

A flash of red and the single green backpack was gone. Clove found herself staring at Saylin's disappearing form. She bit back a scream of frustration and got ready. Flaming Catnip would try next.

And she did. Rocketed out of the bushes just a little to Clove's right, Glimmer's bow and arrows gripped tightly. Clove felt cold fury course through her. How dare Flaming Catnip take her friend's weapons? They were rightfully Glimmer's.

Clove studied the girl. Her very dark hair was still loosely in a braid. Her skin was a color Clove had never seen before. Olive, she thought it was called. She ran like the wind.

I sort of have to admire her, Clove thought. Her and Saylin both. Although she's hardly pretty. I doubt Lover Boy's really in love with her.

She sprung out and hurled a knife. It sailed through the air but the girl knocked it away with Glimmer's bow and sent the loaded arrow at Clove. It hit Clove's left arm. Gritting her teeth, willing herself not to scream, Clove charged.

The girl pulled the tiny orange backpack up onto her arm and swiveled. Clove threw another knife and this time, it sliced across the girl's brow. Clove rammed into her.

Clove Esoterica

"Where's your boyfriend, District Twelve?" I taunt her. "Still hanging on?"

She stares at me with pure hatred. "He's out there now," she snarls. "Hunting Cato. Peeta!"

She chokes off when I jam my fist into her mouth, cutting off her voice. I look around. No lumbering blonde in sight.

"Liar," I say, grinning, relieved. "He's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some tree while you try to keep his heart going. What's in the pretty little backpack? That medicine for Lover Boy? Too bad he'll never get it."

I pull open my jacket with my hundreds of knives. Flaming Catnip's eyes widen in fear and surprise.

"I promised Cato if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show," I say sweetly. As if that idiot could ever locate someone like her.

She tries somewhat valiantly to push me off. I snort.

"Forget it, District Twelve." For now, I think it's safe not to call her Flaming Catnip. That would only incite sponsors inclined toward her. "We're going to kill you," I continue, "just like we did your pathetic little ally…what was her name? The one who hopped around in the trees? Rue? Well, first Rue, then you, and I think we'll just let nature take care of Lover Boy. How does that sound?"

She looks so helpless as I tilt her head and twist it. I look for a place that won't hit a major vein but will still be painful. Then the look on her face almost breaks me down. I recompose myself immediately, freaking out internally. Hopefully no one's seen any weakness.

"I think…I think we'll start with your mouth." I trace her chapped brownish lips. Not kept them in the best condition, has she?

"Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore. Want to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?" She spits at me. Cold, controlled fury builds up inside my chest. "Well, let's get started.

I put the point of the knife to her chin, see a tiny flash of red –

Something powerful and unnaturally fierce rips me from Flaming Catnip's body. I'm upside down, blood rushing to my head.

The giant.

"What'd you do with that little girl?" he bellows. At me. "You kill her?" Something happens to his face.

"No!" I scream, tremendously grateful I sent Marvel to check out the fires. "No, it wasn't me!"

"You said her name. I heard you. You kill her?" Something seems to occur to him. "You cut her up like you were going to cut up this girl here?"

"No!" There's a rock in his hand. It's huge, the size of the one that killed my father when his mine collapsed. I have one chance for escape, a horrible chance, but a chance. In the form of a brutish male with a sword.

"Cato! Cato!" I screech, but it's over. The giant – Thresh is his name, not exactly helpful information – Thresh swings the rock at my head.

The strike is painful at first, but recedes into a sort of rippling throb. I hear Flaming Catnip and Thresh exchange a conversation. Flaming Catnip runs. Thresh goes and I hear a grating, dry voice that I know will be the last I'll ever hear.

"Clove, please, no, no, don't die! Please, Clove!" Cato. My world is dissolving into just a flurry of colorful lights and strange, sweet, exotic smells. I can hear and feel and taste the real world, though. My tongue is trapped between my gritted teeth, but I feel no pain…

I hear Thresh's last footsteps and Cato thunking his spear into the ground and then the pressure on my chest as he begins CPR. And CPR means that he'll try to kiss me.

I swear I'll die before that happens. With a quiet sorry to Merit, to my sisters Daffy and Dandy, to my parents, to my baby cousin Arania.

Cato is coming closer. I feel for the damage to my brain and spread it throughout me, and I'm gone.

I've decided, as you may have guessed, to make this a series of one-shots on named tributes' deaths. So, this is the order: Foxface/Saylin, Clove, Cato, Thresh, Rue, Glimmer, Marvel, then a mystery tribute that I've named Calypsa.

And review, please, because it makes me happy!