I followed Dwicky into a confined space. Zim was taken into another place. Both of the rooms were soundproof, and it only took me a moment to realize what this room was for. It was for goodbyes. Final words that you can give and receive from your family and close friends. I hugged my knees and sat on a couch.

It was much nicer in here than it is at home. Everything is silk, velvet, gold, or something else expensive. I sighed. At least the Capitol had enough kindness to at least pamper us before we were murdered.

Dwicky opened the door, and the first people waiting at there was my father and Gaz. Dwicky ushered them in, and then closed the door on himself so we could have some privacy.

I looked down, unable to meet Gaz's troubled gaze. I didn't know she would be so upset about my departure…I was actually hoping that she would be grateful. My father just stared at me indifferently.

After a few moments of awkward silence, I finally worked up the energy to lift my head.

"While I'm gone…" I trail off, because I know that will be forever. But I just keep my tone casual, as if I'm talking about going on vacation instead of a fight-to-the-death. "While I'm gone, don't enter Gaz's name multiple times in the reaping. Earn your money off of goat cheese. And…milk." My tone became deflated, because I knew that cheese and milk wouldn't earn them much cash.

"Tak will supply you with plants and food." I tell them. I didn't talk with Tak about this, but she had enough sense to know that she should keep my family from starving to death. I turned my gaze to my father, and I had to fight back a scowl.

"Dad…don't you dare space out on us again." I choked out. Gaz couldn't live by herself, not at her age. My dad's eyes flashed under his goggles. "I couldn't help it that one time! It won't happen again!" he snapped.

"Well, you'd better pray that it won't." I retorted, my tone suddenly sharp. He flinched back, and I suddenly felt guilty. I looked down at the floor again, my shoulders sagging.

I suddenly feel hands on my shoulders. I look up, and I see Gaz staring at me.

"Dib…you have to win. You have to PROMISE that you'll try to win!" she urged. I blinked at her, a little surprised.

I know that I won't win. But I would try to. For Gaz's sake. Not for Dad's…Gaz's. "I…I'll try." I said.

The timer rang, and they both had to go. I watched them leave with a blank expression.

The next time the door opened, I was surprised to see who it was. It was Zim's father, the baker. He twitched, and sparks flew out of his neck. I flinched back, surprised.

He moved robotically towards me, and drops a paper bag on my lap. I open it, and see it's full of cookies. I look up into his metal-looking eyes. "Thank you." I say. And I really mean it. I haven't had cookies in so long.

"I will promise to keep an eye that scary sister of yours." he said. I nodded automatically, and he left. I shrugged, knowing that was probably the most random visit of my life. Not that I got many visits, anyway.

The next person who came in was the familiar ginger kid, Keef. My mouth twitched up into a half smile. This was another surprise.

Keef really didn't talk so much. He just rummaged through his pouch and brought out something that made my eyes light up in surprise.

In his hands was a tiny pin with an eye carved into the metal. He leaned forward and pinned it to my shirt. I ran my hands over the familiar pin. It was a trademark item of a paranormal agency called "The Swollen Eyeballs." When I was 11, I was all over that paranormal stuff. I had kind of outgrown it, but sometimes thought of ghosts and vampires flashed in my head from time to time. "Keef I-"

Keef held up his hand to stop me. "No. Wear it. Be a child again." And with that, he left. I watched him leave in utter longing. If only he could follow his own advice. When he was little, he was immature, obnoxious, and clingy. But he outgrew it. Now he doesn't talk much, and when he does, it's usually only to me or Tak. As much as I loathed Keef in his childhood, I longed him to become that carefree soul once more.

I know that there was only one person left to say their farewells. Dwicky had told me. And when he opened the door to reveal who it was, I wasn't surprised at all to see Tak.

Tak ran up to me and hugged me. I embraced her back, and a fog seemed to lift off of my shoulders.

Tak finally let go of Dib and looked at him in the eyes. "Dib…" she began. "Make sure that you get your hands on a rifle." she said. I looked away.

"I…don't know about that…they usually don't have rifles in the Games…" I murmured.

Tak put her hands on either side of my face and turned my head so that I was looking at her straight in the eye. There were tears running down her face, and her expression was one of anger. "Dib! Listen to me…you can't give up on this!" she practically yelled in my face.

"I…I'm not going to…"

"Yes you will!" she hissed. "You're going to try to jump off of the Capitol building, or some other way of suicide!"

I flinched, because she had somehow read my thoughts…even though I was going to try, if I was dying, suicide was the best choice…

I had to fight so hard to keep the tears from freely flowing from my eyes. Tak continued to yell at me, and my ears began to throb.

Soon she got to the point where she was cursing. She was cursing so freely, and a flinched back, retorting back. It wasn't long before Dwicky came and physically forced her out of the room.

I sighed, and hugged my knees, still fighting back tears. This encounter reminded me of encounters I had as a kid…an eleven year old…

I tried to remember the name of the kid who I had those quarrels back. It started with a Z…Zee…Zi…Zim…?

As soon as the name came to me, his image flashed in my head. My mind whirled, and my stomach leaped. The boy with the bread…the boy who I was going to try to kill…the boy with the strange green skin…

….Oh God…

I groaned, and fell to my knees, putting a hand to my head before I drowned in the dark pool of unconsciousness.

When I woke up, I was at a different place. I sat up quickly, realizing I was in a bed. A nice one, too. I looked out of the window in my "room", and found that I was in a train.

My heart skipped a beat when I remembered why I had blacked out in the first place. I shuddered. I really….REALLY…didn't want to see Zim. At all. But I knew that I had to at some point…I sighed. But for now, I guess I would shower. I had to go to dinner after all, and I wanted to look as presentable as possible.

I found my shower, and was fascinated by all of the miscellaneous shampoos and soaps. But after I overcame my shock, my shower went my fairly quickly.

I pulled on my normal clothes, and walked to dinner.

There was Dwicky and Zim, both seated. Zim was just poking the food with his fork, making a slight face of disgust. I looked for my seat, and a fresh wave of anxiety fell over me when I saw that the only seat remaining was next to my opponent. I sat down, a little nervous, and let my gaze wander away from him. But even then, I could feel his stare on me.

So…he probably knew who I was. The crazy paranormal investigator. The kid who had wished for him to be dissected on an autopsy table. The kid who had fought him, gave him pain, made him suffer.

I shuddered. This either meant that he would be too afraid of me that he would stay away, or he would kill me as soon as we set foot in the arena. The most likely option would probably be number two. He has tried to kill me countless times in the past, so why should he hesitate to do it now, when I'm at my weakest?

I began to eat, trying to take my mind off of Zim. As soon as the food hit my taste buds, I knew that it had partially worked. The food…it was delicious! I took another bite, and another, and another, before I completed eating the full platter and they brought me a second course.

I began to forget where I was. I hadn't eaten this well in ages. I shoveled mouthful after mouthful of food into my mouth. And soon, they had given me round three of my heaven.

In fact, my dining had taken over so much of my brain that nearly asked myself, 'Hunger Games? What Hunger Games?'

I was already done with my third platter when I was snapped out of my heaven.

"Dib!"

I nearly jumped five miles in the air.

Dwicky laughed and put his hand on my shoulder. "You're eating like a cannibal." he said.

Suddenly, all of my previous feelings came back to me. I was a tribute for the Hunger Games. I was going to die within a few weeks. One of my opponents is an old enemy, and he probably can't wait to slit my throat. And the man who was mentoring me was touching me. I shrugged his hand off and gave him a wild look.

And then a new feeling came to me. I grabbed my stomach and groaned. My stomach was feeling queasy before I came here, but this was the worst. Not to mention that now a headache was beginning to form and now when I looked at Dwicky, there seemed to be two of him.

I staggered out of my chair and stumbled to try to get back to my room, but I utterly failed, collapsing on my knees instead. Exasperated, I expecting the green demon to be laughing at me anytime now, commenting on how "humans are so vulnerable."

But to my surprise, I felt gloved hands on my shoulders, and a soft, familiar voice. "You're so stupid, Dib-creature." he muttered. But to my surprise, it wasn't in a mocking tone. In fact, there was only confusion and concern in his tone. I flinched when he used my name like that…he obviously remembered me from all of those years back.

Dwicky glanced at me and hurried over. He pushed his hand to my forehead with much more pressure than needed, and he growled. "A fever?" he almost yelled. His tone and expression wasn't one of concern at all. It was more of frustration. "This sucks! If the kid dies now, then we'll have to postpone the Games!"

Oh yeah. I was sick. Heh…I wonder how I could forget something like that. But quite personally, I hoped that I did die now. Because if I did, then it would make the Capitol the laughing stock of the country. Letting a tribute die even before being tossed into the arena was embarrassing. Plus…it wouldn't give Zim the satisfaction of killing me himself.

Yes. Please God, let me die.

I felt Zim's hand stoke my cheek, which was probably beet red by now, and suddenly I couldn't feel the ground anymore.

I moaned slightly and I heard a voice.

"Please, Dib. Don't die now. You need to go to the arena, and we can become allies, and…" the voice cracked.

It was Zim's.

Maybe I really was crazy.