The landing was rocky and sent Ruth crashing into the door. "I think we broke a forcefield," the Doctor admitted sheepishly, "but look on the bright side eh? At least the doors were locked!"

"Yea you're a right old genius you are," she groaned, feeling at least three new bruises forming. She stood up and walked up to the Doctor where he was powering up the monitor. After a few bursts of noise and static, an image of a forest appeared.

"That's where we are? A forest?" she asked. She was slightly unimpressed but knew the Doctor always had something up his sleeve.

"A forest? Yes," he lingered, "But not just any forest." His eyes raging with intensity, met hers.

"But not just any forest," she imitated.

She never intended to be cruel but sometimes her intentions were murky to him.

The Doctor's smile faltered for just a fraction of a second but Ruth caught it. His expression turned slightly crestfallen and her guilt soared.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Ruth apologized rapidly,"So it's a forest but not just any forest. What makes it so special? Really. I'm curious."

He lit up again at this chance to boast his cleverness. He faced her, ready to begin his monologue.

"You like books right? Books are nice. Very lovely. There's worlds inside them, worlds you can scarcely begin to imagine and characters you didn't even know you dreamed of meeting. Agatha Christie (she's brilliant), Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, now imagine their works and being able to travel in them."

The last works lingered in the air for a few moments before she realized the gravity of them.

Her mouth dropped in disbelief and her hands started shaking with excitement.

"Oh my god!" she wheezed out. "We're in a book! Right now! Seriously?" (The Doctor nodded) Oh my god no way! No way! No bloody way!"

Her hearty laugh sounded throughout the TARDIS much to satisfaction of the Doctor.

"This is insane! You have outdone yourself," she began sounding off. She kept on blabbering away about the sheer brilliance of the situation, the mechanics of how it was done, etc.

"And you thought it was just a forest," he laughed.

His words were lost as she ran out the door.

Technically you're supposed to be in danger the moment you enter the arena but there's always exceptions.

Cato and his followers trampled through the forest, not caring who was after them. They were the ones in control. They were the ones playing God. This year they were the exceptions.

He glanced over at Clove seeing her dark eyes constantly searching her surroundings, desperate for prey to kill. Hopefully soon, he thought, before she takes it out on Glimmer. He could sense that his closest friend (was that the right word? She was little more than that, if he had to admit it) was not in favor of the prissy blonde who spent every moment so far making sure she was graceful, beautiful and desirable. She was flouncy and airy, the complete opposite of stone cold, calculating Clove. Their differences were enough to drive the two into opposite directions but Cato secretly hoped that maybe Glimmer's insistent, disgusting flirting was also...

Fearing that he was gazing at her too long, Cato whipped his focus forward hoping to encounter another tribute soon and put all his energy into what he knows best: killing.

The next ten minutes were spent still trailing along the river until finally Marina suggests that it's time to cross it. "The other tributes tend to go for the edges of the arena," she pointed out.

"Sounds good to me," Marvel piped up. (As if his opinion really mattered.)

"Yea alright," Cato agreed. Glimmer giggled. Clove curtly nodded. Peeta did nothing.

They were about to cross when Glimmer pulled Cato aside.

"You wouldn't mind carrying me across would you?" she purred, her hand flittering across his chest.

Clove let out a long contained noise of disgust as she began to stomp through the water.

Ruth started running for a good 5 minutes into the forest then stopped because she was out of breath. Despite being exceptionally skinny she was slightly wheezing.

"Shit I'm out of shape," she muttered to herself as she began to lightly walk instead. Her cramp pounded inside her ribs.

A few paces later and she realized she was thirsty. Fortunately she heard the sound of a stream nearby.

When she arrived at the water, she not only got to quench her thirst but also view more of the area the Doctor had brought her to. It was a forest with a mountain range covered by identical copies of trees that currently surrounded her. Ruth kept looking around for a sign or just anything to prove this forest wasn't just any forest.

A line of large rocks formed a makeshift bridge across the brook so she began to jump from one to another, hoping the other side would bring something new.

As Ruth reached the third rock, she heard a voices. No. Several voices. She squinted her eyes trying to see into the distance. She could make out several bodies, all huddled near each other in matching jackets. One (a girl, judging by the amount of black hair) in a maroon jacket started to tread through the water. Ruth was just about to call out to her when the girl looked up and noticed her.

"Scuse me," Ruth called out as she walked across two more rocks. She could now make out the girl with the maroon jacket. Several others were coming up behind her including a massive blonde boy and a Spanish looking girl, all running towards Maroon Jacket girl.

"'Scuse me. Hi. I'm a little lost and confused. Do you mind telling me where I am and what the date is?"

She was answered with the perfectly calculated throw of a knife.