After about thirty minutes of sitting and watching the trees, I get up to go retrieve my backpack from where I left it sitting against the tree. I make sure to take the sword with me, just in case Rachelle changes her mind about tonight.

Tonight.

Tonight is a lot of things. It could be my last night. The last time I eat something. The last time I take a breath.

But it could also be the last time I have to kill someone. The last night I have to spend in this cursed arena. The last night before I can go home.

I get to the tree, and find my backpack still sitting against the tree. I give a sigh of relief; Rachelle hasn't stolen anything.

I reach for the backpack, but stop almost immediately.

The backpack is unzipped. I distinctly remember zipping it shut before leaving for the Cornucopia. There's only one explanation: Rachelle has been here. I nudge the backpack with my sword gingerly. Nothing happens. I slowly open the bag. Still nothing. I take a look inside.

Oh no.

I pull out an apple and smell it. I retch and fling it far away from me. Poisoned.

After a few minutes of searching through the bag, it becomes very clear that Rachelle has poisoned all of my food. Togru must have taught her how. Now, besides the few scraps of food that remain at the Cornucopia, there is no food let in the arena.

Even worse, the canister of sodium is gone.

I turn and bolt back towards the Cornucopia, trying to plan. Rachelle might be doing some sabotage there as well. And with no sodium and very little food. I'm running out of options.

I reach the Cornucopia and immediately rush to see if Rachelle has been here as well. Sure enough, all the food is missing from the golden horn. I pound a fist up against the side of the Cornucopia in frustration. No sodium, no food. Only weapons.

It's then that I see the markings in the dirt around the bonfire. I step back so I can read them.

"Meet at the lake tonight."

I only know of one lake in the arena. The lake where Marilee and the tributes from 12 died. The lake where I spent a few hours with the tributes from 10. The lake where I tested out the sodium.

The sodium. Rachelle must know how to use it, if she wants us to meet there.

I slump to the ground. There's no way I can beat Rachelle. She's better with weapons, she's got food, and she's got sodium. The only thing I have that she doesn't at the moment is mental stability.

I look up at the sun. Judging by its position, I'd guess that I have about two hours until I need to head for the lake.

I search around the Cornucopia, looking for a weapon or some item that will help me in my fight. I end up having to stick with my sword; I'm not proficient enough to use the weapons that remain.

After about two hours pass, I get up and start walking towards the lake, my sword, and only my sword in hand.

The sun is just beginning to dip under the horizon. The whole forest is deathly silent, as if it knows that I'm potentially heading off to my death. No wind brushing the leaves together, no caws or cries of animals in the trees. Just my feet stepping rhythmically and occasionally crunching leaves that have fallen to the ground.

I stop and stare as a brown leaf falls from a tree and lands on the ground at my feet.

"What's it like to die?" I wonder. Did Brion feel any pain when I beheaded him? Did it hurt when Marilee's head exploded?

"What happens when I die?" I wonder. Is there anything after this? Many people in District 2 entertain the thought in their heads that dead tributes wander the past arenas as ghosts, searching for other tributes to kill. Others simply believe that everything ends when the sword comes down on your head, when the last of your blood is drained out, when your heart beats for the final time. I don't know what I believe.

I step over the leaf and continue on my way.

I reach the lake after about an hour. The sun is halfway down now, and it bathes the waters with its golden glow.

I see Rachelle immediately. She stands facing the sun, about forty feet away from me, her hair flowing like smoke in the sudden gust of wind that picks up. I contemplate sneaking up on her and ending it quickly, but immediately push the thought out of my head. She knows I'm here.

Rachelle turns to face me. I see the can of sodium in one hand, and a long sword in the other. Another sword lies on the ground, near the water.

"So nice of you to join me, Lucas," she says. The way she says it reminds me of the way my teacher would reprimand me for showing up late to class. She drops the can of sodium and picks up the other sword. I can't help but remember her in the Training Center, butchering dummies with her dual swords. And I'm next. I don't want to be here right now.

I shrug my shoulders. "No place I'd rather be," I respond.

"LIAR!" shrieks Rachelle. She charges at me. I grip my own sword in my two hands, preparing to block.

Rachelle reaches me, and sweeps one sword diagonally down towards my chest. I jump backwards and block her next swipe at my waist. Rachelle brings her swords together and swipes down at my head. I dodge and block, before sliding my sword up her own to slice at her chest. She shoves up and knocks my sword away. We pull apart and stare at one another. Rachelle grins wickedly at me and shrieks again, slashing at me again. I dodge and block as best as I can, but she keeps coming.

One of Rachelle's swords knocks my own out of my sweaty hands. The next slashes across my arm. I yelp in pain and kick Rachelle in her chest. She stumbles backwards. I grab my sword and move just in time to block Rachelle's vertical swipe.

It's at this point that I notice the smell. I've smelled it before. Just a few nights ago, in fact. Immediately, I get an idea. Rachelle smells it too. She pauses in our battle long enough to gag, giving me time to kick her in the stomach and knock her down. She moves her swords to block herself, but I'm not striking down at her. I'm running for the can of sodium. Because I know that the basilisk is more dangerous than Rachelle will ever be. Rachelle has gotten up and is running after me. I grab the can and spin, slicing Rachelle across the chest just as the basilisk breaks out of the trees. Rachelle cries out in pain, alerting the basilisk to her position. I spin behind Rachelle and shove her. She sprawls forward and splashes into the water. Her blood mixes with the water and creates a scent that can even be smelled over the basilisk's pungent odor. It charges forward in search of a meal.

Rachelle gets to her feet just as I unscrew the can of sodium. Wipes the water out of her eyes just as the basilisk takes its first step into the water. Screams just as I toss the open can towards the water. I turn and start sprinting away from the water, looking back to see the basilisk sink its teeth into Rachelle's side just as the can hits the water.

The sky turns white.

…

…

…

"…critical condition…severe burns all over his face…"

…

…

"Lucas?"

I open my eyes to see Sydni sitting on my bed. She smiles down at me.

"Where am I?" I ask her. "Am I dead?"

She runs her hand down the side of my face. "Lucas."

I reach out for her. "Sydni."

She takes my face in both of her hands. "Lucas."

I smile up at her.

Then she turns into the basilisk and screams, "WAKE UP!" before rushing down to devour my face…

I bolt awake with a scream. The people in the room scream too. I hear them, but I can't see them. Everything is black. I know I'm in a bed; I try to get out but end up falling on my face onto the floor. Hands grab at me. Flora's alliance. I scream and flail and gnash my teeth until I end up biting one of them. Something sharp plunges into my arm and things go more black than they already are…

…

…

…

"Lucas."

I wake up in the ballroom. The tributes all dance around me in a circle. Sydni stands in the circle, a short distance from me. She reaches her hands out for my own.

"Dance with me, Lucas."

I stand and reach my hands for her own. Everything is happening so slowly, I step forward and just as we make contact-

Cold water.

I can feel it running down my face. I open my eyes and wait for them to adjust. They don't. Everything is black. I start to panic. I start to scream.

Powerful hands press down on my shoulders and push me back down onto the bed. "Lucas, can you hear me?"

I continue to flail and scream.

"Lucas! Stop!"

I go still as I recognize the voice. Cato.

"Where am I?" I scream at him. "Where's Sydni?"

A towel dries the water from my face. Cato pauses for a moment before responding. "You're in a hospital in the Capitol. You've been here for a week now. Recovering."

"What happened?" I ask.

"The blast from the explosion severely burned your skin. Almost everything that wasn't covered by clothes was burnt to a crisp. You have new skin grafts, and you look just about normal now. The explosion also blinded you. Permanently."

I sit still for a long time in silence. Blind. Burned.

When I finally gain the ability to speak again, I ask one question.

"I won?"

"Yes, you won," says Cato. "They're all dead."