I wake up early the next morning, but everyone is awake already. I trudge down to the dining room, just as the sunlight is shining through the blinds. Dacia and Enobaria sit alone at the table staring at their untouched plates. I remain standing, but place my hands on the table. "Where's Cato? And Brutus?"

Dacia wipes her dampened face with a piece of fabric. A frilly handkerchief the same purple as her skin. She's been crying. "They're gone, Clove, dearie. They've left already."

My grip on the table tightens. "Why? When?"

Enobaria doesn't look up, and a low croak escapes her lips. "About an hour ago. They wanted a head start."

"Head start?" I echo. "Getting up early isn't going to help them." I don't need to mention what they need help with, considering the answer is pretty obvious.

She shakes her head. "Just eat. And we'll leave."

"I'm not hungry," I tell her. "Let's just go now."

Dacia's body is racked with sobs. I put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Once I win, we can go out. Shopping, or something. Whatever you want."

She gives a watery chuckle and envelops me in a tight embrace. I stiffen a little at her startling strength. "I'll miss you so much, dear."

Enobaria takes me by the elbow and pulls me out of Dacia's hug. She leads me out of the room.

My flight to the arena is by airship. The trip is long and tedious and I find myself feeling claustrophobic. My breathing grows shallow and I beg myself to calm down. Once the ship lands, I am pushed into the catacombs of the arena.

I find myself in a large room that has a sort of clinical smell. Helios stands beside a long, metal table. There, spread on the counter-top, is my outfit for the arena. A maroon jacket, a matching shirt, green pants, a leather belt. My heart is racing uncontrollably. I've never had such horrible nerves before. Not in all my years, with or without parents. It's crazy and frankly freaks me out a little.

Helios makes me sit in a cool, slick chair. He twists my hair into a high, clean ponytail with strange 'bubbles' at the end. At least, they look like bubbles. The point is, it keeps my hair out of my face.

"Tributes must enter their chambers in 60 seconds," says a cold, robotic voice. I look around. Chamber? Suddenly, I spot a cylinder in the corner, made of clear glass. I look to Helios for confirmation, but he doesn't say a word. I approach my chamber. "30 seconds."

I begin to hyperventilate. "Helios?" I whisper.

"Go," is all he tells me. Helios nudges me into the chamber.

"10 seconds."

"Any advice for me?" I ask him, straightening in the tall cylinder.

"Five seconds."

"Don't die," he says coldly and the doors slide shut between us. Thanks. That was great advice.

I see his icy stare. His golden eyes. No longer radiant, but hostile. The platform beneath me rises and I realize that I've been gripping the sides of my jacket. I don't release my grip, but keep holding on, as if my jacket is the only concrete thing around me. Maybe it is.

Let the games begin.

The sudden contact with natural sunlight momentarily blinds me. I blink several times, hoping the effect will soon wear off. It does and I am suddenly staring at the Cornucopia. Trees on one side, lake on the other, and just a hard, dirt plain from here to the golden horn. My heart is close to exploding out of my chest, the adrenaline coursing through me is unbelievable. My eyes land on a vest filled with dozens of knives and my feet itch to run. But I have to wait or I'll be blown to bits by the pressure-sensitive mines underneath me.

Before I know it, the gong is sounding. I run by instinct, snatch the knife vest, and pull it on, all in about two seconds. I want to sit down and admire my shiny, new weapons so badly, but that's probably the dumbest thing someone in my situation could do.

I duck into the Cornucopia and stuff my pockets with anything that might come in handy. Steel wool, raisins, rope, titanium silverware, lighter fluid, water purifier, gauze and bandages. Some weird, red oval labeled "Swiss Army". Hmm...

I dash out outside to see an unbelievably scrawny boy and a smallish girl struggle over an orange backpack. My hand flies to my vest and pulls out a knife. I send the blade flying into the boy's back. He staggers, coughs blood in the girl's face, and drops to the ground. The girl's gray eyes are full of repulsion and terror. I recognize her a second before she sees me.

Katniss. Slinging the pack over her shoulder, she flees into the woods, but not before I send a knife her way. The chaos behind me rages on, but I watch as Katniss pulls up her backpack and the blade gets stuck in her bag. Oh, come on! Enraged, I wait as her figure melts into the trees.

I've just turned around when something knocks me into the dirt. It pins me down and stares me in the face. Reef, from District Four. The look on his face is maniacal. "Hey, Clove-y. Couldn't even take down a little girl from District Twelve?"

Little? Katniss is small for her age, but still taller than I am. I struggle to reach my vest, to reach a knife. My fingers land on a smooth blade that I pull out and drive into Reef's arm. He recoils with a yelp and I shove him off. I pin him down. I'm about to sink the knife in him for a second time when a spear whizzes past my head and into his chest. He chokes up and his eyes glaze over.

I turn to see Marvel approach Reef's body and free the spear. He gives me a half-hearted smile and goes to the lake to wash off the blood. The plain is empty of people other than the dead bodies and my fellow Career Tributes. Cato, Glimmer, and Andrea all stand, staring at the rapidly-cooling object in front of them. Reef was never of much use anyway.

AN: How was that? It was a little rushed, so some feedback would be great.

~~~Flare