The light from the artificial Sun made an orange imprint on my eyelids and forced me to wake. I tried to see the damage done on my leg but I was encased in something. I withheld a scream as I struggled free and tumbled in the fire ashes; that was when I got a real look at it. It was just the green blanket from the pack covered in various foliage and dirt. I steadied my harsh breathing. I found some leaves my hair and I checked my reflection in the knife that was hidden under the blanket. Patches of my face and neck were covered in dirt and two lines down from my eyes were washed. I had no idea what happened after I passed out and I mentally slapped myself for remembering that.

A great way in showing the sponsors how weak you are, Annie.

I scoped around and saw that Rio and his spear were missing, yet the pack was half buried under the dry earth. I dug it out and searched the contents. Three crackers and a bota bag were missing. A sharp crack sounded from behind me. I twisted and held my shaky hand and knife out. I found Rio with a tired look on his face. I told myself that I could have thrown the knife, but in reality I knew I couldn't, not yet anyway.

"Relax," he said walking towards me with his hands in the air. "I see that you are up and moving. How's the leg?"

I hadn't even noticed it. I pulled up my trousers and found a long red and night black scar on the back of my thigh; I knew that it was never going to fade, but at least it wouldn't get infected.

"It's fine."

"That's good." Rio offered a relieved smile. "Oh and uh, sorry about the…dirt and stuff. It was the only type of camouflage that I could think of."

I shook my head dismissing his apology.

"What happened last night? After, you know." I tried to not repeat it for the cameras.

"Another cannon fired." Ten dead tributes. "And you missed the show of the fallen."

"Any of the-"

"The Careers are still alive," he interrupted, like he had just read my mind.

The Careers are still alive.

I nodded slowly. Only fourteen to go. When would they kill us?

"We should probably get moving. Staying in the same place for too long is risky."

"You're right," I agreed. Rio shook off the blanket and put it in the pack whilst I decided to put the knife in my belt, under my coat. Rio didn't see where I put it; some part of me still didn't trust him.

We headed to the general direction of the dam and the arena just slightly began to tilt uphill. Rio looked distracted and was searching the scenery around him. I saw the bota bag on his side.

"Did you find any water?" I asked.

He shook his head and yawned. It was a big yawn.

"Did you stay up all night?"

"Well someone had to watch your unconscious self." He smiled to me. This made my opinion of him shift slightly; he could have just not finished the job, run off with the supplies and either kill me or let the Careers find me. I smiled back to him. I still wasn't going to show him the knife though.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just return the favour tonight, okay?" If I had to be honest, I was a little scared to but I agreed anyway.

We walked for an hour before Rio's dishevelled face lit up.

"There!" he pointed to a bush. I was slightly confused but followed him to it, yet still keeping my distance. Inside there saw a dead rabbit. It wasn't gutted or cleaned, just a dead rabbit with a hole through its side, lying on a net of leaves.

"I found a rabbit hole here. And there were a few, but when you only have a spear and no clue how to set snares, it's hard to hunt anything." He set his eyes around the ground as if searching for more prey. "Especially with forest bastards being so quick." I laughed at this. "I didn't want to gut it until we found it again. You hungry?"

My growling stomach gave the perfect response.

We set up a shrubbery barrier and set up for the night. We knew we had to keep moving, but with the lack of supplies we had with us, we believed it was best to conserve our energy. I made the fire and Rio cleaned and cooked the rabbit. I was never in the kitchen when my mother made dinner; I didn't want to see the blood or innards, but looking at it now was different. I was hungry so my mind blotted out the mess and focused on the meat. Rio was the same, completely unnerved but looked at the blood as if he wanted to consume it as water. My throat was scratchy and my tongue was dry, I had to find water.

"How long will it take to cook?"

"I am not entirely sure. Maybe thirty minutes," Rio replied, placing the meat over the fire with a stick.

I looked up and saw that the Sun was in the middle of the sky. So I guessed that the time was noon.

"Why?" He asked.

"I am going to find water," I answered and began to turn away.

"On your own?" Rio's eyes widened in alarm.

"Rio, we need food to eat and water to drink. And we already have food, so water is the most important. We have to find it soon before we dehydrate and pass out."

He paused, obviously knowing that I was right.

"Fine. But do you have your knife?"

I nodded and walked away.

"Wait!" Rio practically yelled.

"What?" I quietly barked back. He pointed to the sky and I followed his finger to a silent silver parachute descending to the ground. In an instant I snagged it and found a two-litre bottle of water attached to it. I took it off the strings and ran towards Rio and an open smile consumed face.

"Oh my God!" He laughed and took the bottle from me. I thought that he was going to drink from it, but instead he filled up his bota bag and handed it to me. I thanked him and did the same, revelling in the sound of trickling water.

Not even the sound of three cannons could stop me from smiling.

There was still some in the bottle but we decided to save it for later. We sat, ate and sipped the water; we were pleased with our bounty.

"Thank you Mags and Finnick," Rio said and raised his bota bag in the air. I thought back to the last time I saw Finnick.

"I will be doing all that I can to get you home."

Thank you Finnick.

We ate quietly and remained silent long after we finished our food. The sky was turning dark and Rio was contemplative as he inspected and cleaned his spear.

"Rio?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you volunteer? You don't have to tell me-"

"I volunteered for my brother," he interrupted with so much certainty.

"You took his place?"

He looked like he was trying to distract himself by twirling his spear.

"No, he died three years ago." I witnessed the confidence he always exuberated slowly die out. Rio looked like he wanted to hang onto it, but it was hopeless. I felt intrusive just by looking at him.

"Oh, Rio I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." Rio waved me off pretty quickly. "Calder was always arrogant and always wanted to be the best…but I assume that's what made him so likable, especially by my parents. I don't know if you remember this, but that one really bad storm we had and someone died at sea? That was him."

"I remember," I muttered. I didn't remember the name though.

"Well, he wanted to fish, and no one stood in the way in what he wanted." He laughed slightly. "He was seventeen and was going to volunteer for The Hunger Games that year."

But he never got the chance.

I briefly glanced away, my nerves momentarily getting the best of me.

"My parents were so devastated and have been grieving ever since…and I wanted to make them proud of me and to do it for Calder at the age he wanted to. That's why I volunteered."

The only sound for a few moments was the crackling fire.

"I think you're really brave," I said.

He studied my expression. Was he looking for a lie?

"I mean it."

He turned away, staring at the flames.

"Rio-"

"Annie, I'm just really tired. I need to get some rest." His tone wasn't forceful when he interrupted me. It was downtrodden.

"Yes, o-of course. I'll take watch. Goodnight, Rio."

"Here." Rio offered his spear to me. I silently took it, trying to mask the worry on my face. He didn't seem to notice as he was reaching into the pack.

"Goodnight," he murmured and settled down with the blanket wrapped around him.

I stomped out the fire and brought my knees to my chest. He wasn't so scary asleep.

I was thankful that I didn't have to use his spear. When he awoke the next morning, we ate a few crackers and I set up a few snares and we headed off, foraging berries as we walked. Two hours and another cannon passed before our trail rose to a twenty-degree angle and the ground started to turn to rock again as the trees slowly disappeared. We were faced with a ledge that stretched thirty metres and was no more than two metres thick. On one side there were the mountains, the other overlooked the Cornucopia and the rest of the arena. It was a very long way down.

"Have we been walking for that long?" I asked.

"This is probably the Gamemakers changing the arena." Rio shrugged. "It just happens sometimes. Be careful."

"You too," I said with a reassuring smile.

We only made it five steps across before we were ambushed.

Before we could react, four bodies plunged from the air and pushed us to the ground; they forced us onto our knees and made us overlook the edge. I gulped with fear.

"Look what we have here," The male voice of District One teased from behind Rio.

"Nice work Atlas." I moved my eyes to the ground and saw the mace on the ground.

"Hey, I helped too!" The other male Career whined, he seemed around the same age as me and he didn't hold me tight enough to hurt me.

"Yes, yes well done Pyronn. You have the weak girl," Satin groaned obviously annoyed with him.

"What are we going to do with them?" Atlas asked.

"Kill them of course," Maeve announced, obviously addressing her plan to the audience. I assumed they would be cheering on the slaughter. She laughed maniacally and bent down to my ear. "Finnick can't help you now, Four."

In my distress and my will to live kicking in I turned my head to see Pyronn's hand on my shoulder and with all of the strength I could, I bit down on his fingers and drawing blood.

"Ow! The stupid bitch bit me!" Pyronn yelled and drew his hands away. I looked back to Rio and he did something crazy; butting me with his shoulder I screamed as I toppled over the edge.

A cannon fired. But it wasn't for me.

I grabbed an overhanging rock just in time below the overhanging ledge. My supplies were gone and the rock I was clinging on to was as sharp as glass on my already scraped palms, yet my calloused fingers barely felt a thing. I briefly drew my attention back down to the ground and sucked in a breath. I looked back up to the Careers, who thankfully couldn't see me.

"That makes fifteen fallen. I guess Cresta is dead." Maeve shrugged. "Now what to do with Mr Ellwitt?" I saw the whole scene play out in front of me. Atlas and Pyronn were too strong together for Rio to move and I watched as the girls taunted, punched and spat on him for a few minutes until Satin drew her axe.

No!

Rio took one look at me with a sad smile and tears in his eyes and nodded, but I didn't have enough time to return the gesture. With one clean sweep, Rio's head was gone and it fell past me to the ground. His blue eyes almost seemed to find mine and I repressed a scream. I nearly lost my grip as the cannon fired.

"Sixteen." Atlas counted, wiping his bloody hands on his trousers. "Only eight to go."

"Just a second," Maeve said. In an instant she whipped her mace off the ground and swung into Pyronn's head. It crushed on impact and he fell off the ledge as well. His face was too beaten in to see his eyes. Blood was raining down on me and I clenched my eyes shut. Another cannon sounded.

"Sorry," she said so nonchalantly, "he was just really annoying."

They all started laughing.

Monsters. Sick. Sadistic. Murderous. Animals.

"You know, the Hovercraft will take Annie's body but not her supplies, let's see what she has," Atlas suggested.

"Great idea!" Satin giggled and off they went.

My hands trembled as I climbed back onto the ledge; I got on all fours and shook like a wet animal. I heaved up the contents of my stomach until only acidic bile was left and began to cry. I pulled my hair and started to rock back and forth, back and forth. I only noticed Rio's body after my eyes weren't so full of tears. I had to get away. I took off to the other side of the ledge and sprinted the way down.

I didn't keep track of how long I was running for; I only stopped when I breathlessly fell to the ground and vomited again. The tears started to fall again.

"Psst." I heard from above me.

I curled up into a ball and placed my hands over my ears.

"I am not a Career! Please help." I knew that voice from somewhere. I looked up. It was Speck Chrommel with her upside down face redder than her hair and the blood on her ankle that was caught in a snare. My snare. The Gamemakers were really changing the game.

"Please help! I just need to find Relay. Do you have a knife?"

I nodded and reached for it in my belt. I stopped as I heard the cheering of familiar voices. They were really close. My entire being began to shake. I took one last glance at Speck's pleading eyes, mouthed an apology and ran away.

"Please don't leave!" Speck shrieked. "Help!" Her cry turned into a scream of terror; another cannon fired but I kept running. I knew that I was the one that killed her. If I hadn't set that snare or helped her get out of it she probably would be still alive. But I didn't. I killed her.

I ran. I kept on going. I tripped on a rock and flew to the ground; my face and hands were scraped and my clothes ripped on the jagged surface as I fell, I was glad that I didn't hit my head.

Unable to run any longer I settled for a slow limp. I had no idea where I was going or who I bumped into, some part of me just gave up.

After a few minutes I saw a small cave that would fit at most fit me twice inside of it. I scrambled to find some shrubbery and placed it in front of my new hiding spot.

I wept my eyes out for hours, rocking and blocked my ears to try to stop the sounds of their laughter. The sound of the axe swinging through the air. The sound of Rio's tearing skin and Speck's screams of terror. Cannons. Again and again these awful sounds played on loop in my brain and there was nothing that I could do to stop them. I replayed every single detail until I could take it no longer. I knocked my head against the side of the small cave until I fell asleep or knocked myself out, I couldn't tell.