They hardly seemed to notice I had arrived. Poppy threw her hands in the air and shouted:

'You don't get it, as usual! Is it really that hard to understand anything?'

'Not with something like this' said Lisa aggressively. I looked around nervously. Some tributes were peeking at us, others were watching TV. Chase, please, come, I begged.

'What's up' I asked Annie, while Lisa continued to argue loudly with Poppy.

'O, we confronted miss-I-can-do-it-all about the kissing incident at the Chariot Rides.' Said Annie in disgust 'And then she became so angry she wished we would die first at the bloodbath.'

'God' I said. I couldn't say anything more.

'…it's not illegal to say something cruel when you are angry, seriously. You don't need to make it so big. But hey, I understand. All you want to do is cry in each other's arms, thinking about how unfair life is!' cried Poppy.

Annie stepped forward and suddenly punched her in the face. She was frozen for a second, but then became red, and whispered: 'I see. I know what to choose now.'

She turned around and walked to Mason, who seemed euphoric.

I was disgusted by all this and afraid of them as well. The chance that she would actually be able to kill someone from her District became bigger. What did these Games do to her?

She wasn't the sweet girl anymore, it was impossible to believe what she'd told me at the breakfast table the other day.

She didn't come home tonight. Chase said she'd probably spend the night at the District 2 floor. I didn't even bother to ask whether that was against the rules. Maybe they'd shoot her before she'd enter the Games, so one opponent less. I couldn't even care.

The last evening before the departure was even worse than the one before the preliminaries. Everyone was too tense. No one said something. I read a book about plants, which might be useful, but couldn't concentrate on the words. And when Euphoria said we should go to bed because we needed our sleep, I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that, if I was alive tomorrow night, I would be sleeping on the ground or in a tree, frozen and hungry.

However, I had to profit from my last comfortable night and one way or another, I managed to fall asleep. Not that that was so good, because I had another nightmare which featured Gabriella. When I woke up, sweaty and trembling, I realized it was probably a good thing that she and Sophie didn't have to go through what we did now. They wouldn't have to starve in an arena. Now that I was awake, I couldn't sleep anymore. I knew we had to get up at six – the hovercraft would leave at seven and we would arrive in 15 at eleven. The Games would commence at half past eleven. That was in…five hours.

I got up and stared for a while out of the window. The Head City was bathing in the first sunlight of the day. I felt horrible that I had to leave – I liked it here, although I knew perfectly well why I was here.

Some of the clothing pieces that we would wear in the arena were delivered yesterday. I put them on and went downstairs. I tried not to think about what was going to happen.

Live now. Live here and now.

Annie joined me ten minutes later. 'Did you sleep?' she asked.

'No' I said.

'Me neither.'

We didn't ate much, we were both not hungry and a bit sick. When Chase and Euphoria arrived, it was definitive. We would be boarding the hovercraft soon.

When it was almost time to leave, I walked around the floor. It was the last time I would ever see it. I thought that too when we were going to the preliminaries, but I knew there was a chance of survival. Now there wasn't, only one out of thirty-two would leave the arenas.

And that would certainly not be me.

No one said something while we were in the elevator, going down.

Outside it was crowding with the press. A hovercraft was waiting in front of the building and some peacekeepers kept control over the mass. Cameras were pushed in our faces.

'Lisa, are you planning to participate in the bloodbath?'

'Indiana, can I get your last comment on all this?'

We were pushed into the hovercraft. When I was inside, I felt like I was being choked. It locked me up. It would take me to the place I was going to die.

It turned out that every District had a small room to sit in while we were flying. It was a bit too small for our company, because we were with six: me, Lisa, Annie, Chase, Euphoria, and Panther, who had joined us. I was sort of happy to see him. Poppy was probably with Mason.

The hovercraft started flying and the Head City disappeared.

'Tributes and guides' said a robotic voice. A television screen in the wall popped on.

'We are heading for District 15, where you will descend under the arena. There is one private room a tribute and guide. From there you will go up into the arena, where you will find the Cornucopia. Don't step off your plate until the countdown is finished, however, you probably understand that.

The arena may look like the ones you've seen in the Hunger Games, put the principe is different. Some of you will survive this arena. Most of you will not. You will stay in the arena until only twelve remain. If the Gamemakers decide you are too boring and slow, there are other ways to make sure that twelve tributes remain. Don't forget earthquakes, floods and animals you may want to avoid while in the woods. The arena is mostly forest and mountain. If it comes down to the final twelve, you will be freed from the arena and the rest of the programme will be announced.'

After the last word the screen turned black immediately.

So that was the goal. The final twelve. I became anxious. How was I going to survive twenty people?

'Right, for final preparation in the room under the arena: Euphoria, you will take Lisa, Panther will take Indiana and I will take Annie.' Said Chase. The others nodded.

We flew for a while until I felt a strange pressure on my ears. The hovercraft was landing. It was horrible. We couldn't look out a window, but I just felt we were landing.

'We can get out as soon as those lights above the door pop on.'

'I don't want to go' I said, while Panther helped me put on a jacket a few minutes later in the preperation room.

'Nobody wants to' he said 'Like that time Atlas Dechamp invited me to his birthday party. I didn't want to go, but I had to because we would get a pink dyed puppy dog as a present.'

I had to smile I knew I couldn't share things like this with him. I stared at the tube where I had to go in in five minutes.

'Drink something' he said.

There was a fountain in the corner of the room. I drank much, but not so much my belly would hurt while running. When I was finished, I embraced him.

'Thank you' I said 'It was nice to know you'

'Same' he said 'Now hurry, you need to get in your tube'

I let him go with pain in my heart – the last living object that wouldn't want to kill me. I walked to the tube and entered it. It felt claustrophobic.

'One minute' said a voice.

'Indiana! Good luck!' shouted Panther while suddenly the floor was rising. I shook and was anxious.

I rose into the arena. I felt the wind blowing in my face. Next to me rose others up.

I was completely disoriented and stressed out, but knew I had to focus. I wouldn't look at the supplies at the Cornucopia, because I would be tempted to participate in the bloodbath. I had to follow Chases advice. While the clock on the Horn of Plenty was counting down, I looked around. We stood on an enormous grass field. There was a forest behind me, so many people would flee in there. I could also see forest on the other side of the grass, but that was probably hundreds of meters away. The arena was quite beautiful, there were also mountains.

And suddenly I knew what to do. I would run to the other side of the field. Most tributes would probably go into the woods behind me because it was closer. It would be safer on the other side. The run would be heavy, but I had to do it.

'Ten, nine, eight' I looked at the tributes. I could see Annie, a few plates away from me, but I realized it was really impossible to bond with her because of my plan and the chaos that would break out in a few seconds.

'Seven, six, five' Where was Lisa? Probably on the other side of the Cornucopia. I was hoping so badly she would be smart enough to realize she had to run away from here as quick as she could.

'Three, two, one' Oh my God. I got ready to run.

The gong went off and the New Games had begun.