I was in the middle of a big field, standing on a metal square. All the tributes were circled around a giant, metal horn. The Cornucopia.

To one side was a field of tall grasses. No way I was going there, I would get lost.

To the other side of me was a lake, but I knew that if I camped there, in plain sight, I would be dead by morning.

The only place to run was behind me, to the forest. It was my best chance at survival.

"10!" I heard a voice yell. I studied my surroundings. The Cornucopia was a reasonable distance away. In the Cornucopia I saw a bow and a quiver of arrows. I looked around and didn't see another set anywhere.

"9!" I didn't have much time.

I looked at the items closer to me and found a sword only a couple strides away. I also saw a sheet of plastic, some bread, and a backpack all as close to me as the sword.

"8, 7, 6!" I got in a running position. I had decided to run for the arrows. I looked over and saw Peeta. He shook his head. I cocked my head to the side.

What? I mouthed.

"5, 4, 3, 2!" Peeta kept shaking his head. I tried to understand what he was saying. He suddenly looked away and ran. I realized that the gong sounded. Peeta made me miss my chance!

I ran and grabbed the plastic and the bread. I was making my way toward the backpack when I saw another tribute running towards it. We reached the backpack at the same time. Seeing as though we both didn't have any weapons yet, I tried to pull it out of his hands.

I viciously pulled back, ripping the bag out of his hands. I fell onto the ground and rolled backwards. I sat up and looked at the tribute. He started coming towards me; I held up the backpack in defense. He got near me and reached for my neck. I hit him in the head with the backpack, and his grip loosened a little. I took a step back, ready to run.

Suddenly, he coughed blood all over me. He fell forward and hit the ground with his face. There was a knife in his back.

I saw the female tribute from District 2 running towards me with a dozen knives. I pulled the backpack on quick and started running.

She threw a knife at me, but I quickly pulled my backpack up above my head and caught the knife.

I waved at her, my thanks for the weapon. Then I turned around and sprinted as fast as I could.

I was too fast for her, and she lost me. I could start walking.

I found my start to the Games surprisingly easy. I had only run into the girl from 2 and the boy who was now dead. And for that, I was thankful. Just witnessing that one boy's death had made me queasy.

I started going down a valley, taking my time to make sure I didn't lose too much energy too quickly.

When I reached the other side, I heard a cannon shot. 11 times. The bloodbath was over. But 11 tributes were dead. 13 were left. I started to think of Peeta again. Maybe he died.

I resisted the urge to slap myself. I knew a camera was watching me, and even if the citizens didn't see me, some Gamemaker would.

I needed to stop thinking of Peeta. Love was not a strength in the Games. It was a weakness. If I let love get in the way of my survival, I might not make it out alive.

But still, I hoped and prayed that Peeta didn't die, even though I knew it was for the better of he died. Because if Peeta died, I would never have to tell him that I loved him for real. I could let that secret die with him.

But I was still in the Games, and I was supposed to be madly in love with him, so, for the sake of the cameras, I fell to my knees and cried.

"Please don't be dead, Peeta!" I breathed, running my hands through my hair. I sat for a couple seconds, praying that they bought my crying.

Then I regained my composure and kept walking, occasionally making a tear slide down my cheek. I hoped the cameras were on me, because I had put on a fabulous show of sorrow and terror as I struggled through the Games without my star-crossed lover.

I walked for what seemed like miles. I got so exhausted that I sat down under a large tree to shade myself from the sun.

I started to go through the backpack I got from the bloodbath. It was orange, so I would have to camouflage it later.

Inside the backpack were crackers, beef strips, iodine, matches, a sleeping bag, wire, sunglasses, and an empty water bottle. I tried on the sunglasses, but they only blurred my vision, so I put them away. The iodine would be useful, once I got water.

I looked at the water bottle. It was one of the Gamemakers tricks. They forced the tributes to fight over something or drew the tributes together when there's no action. I started to get lightheaded and realized that water was my top priority.

I remembered the lake back at the Cornucopia, but I was a day's journey away and it wouldn't make sense to go back now. I would die of dehydration by the time I got there anyways. I walked over to a pine tree and chewed on some needles, in hope that they wouldn't poison me. I hoped they would stop my hunger, but they didn't. So I continued walking.

I didn't walk for very long. It got dark quickly, and I almost collapsed in exhaustion.

I decided to sleep in a willow tree I found. I found a sturdy branch that was up high enough and set my sleeping bag in the crease of the bough. I then climbed in and looped my belt around the whole thing to make sure I didn't fall off when I was asleep.

I almost fell asleep right away, but then the anthem started to blare loudly. I saw that they were projecting the faces of the people who died today in the sky.

I mustered some fake tears in my eyes, hoping that my Peeta wouldn't be up there in the sky tonight. I watched all the faces of the dead tributes in the sky. Finally it got to the end, and there were no 12 tributes in the sky. Peeta was alive.

I put my hand over my mouth and laughed a little. Peeta was really still alive. I didn't realize how scared I was for him until I learned that I could have lost him.

Maybe I could find him and we could form an alliance. But if we ended up being the last two left, I would die so he could win.

I just wanted to be with him before I died. I want his face to be the last thing I see. Maybe my last words could be I love you. Maybe he would tell me he loved me too as I was blacking out. And I would die happy.

I tried to remember who was left: 5 of the Career tributes, a girl with fox-like features (Foxface as I had decided to call her), Thresh, Rue, and 3 other tributes whose names I forgot. I was happy that little Rue had survived the bloodbath. I remembered something she had said on her interview.

To kill me, they have to catch me first.

I smiled. That little girl would go farther than I would; I knew she would. Because I was pretty sure she had someone worth living for. I soon fell into a light sleep, almost forgetting about the fact that I could be dead before I woke up.