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A knock sounds at my door, really familiar by now but way too early. I look at the clock. 4:30! Why do we have to go to the arena so early? Why have I had so many questions lately? I get in the shower and wash really well. This might be my last time to shower. While I dry off, I notice the tears streaming down my face. I don't really care. I'm going into the arena. Nobody from the capital would really understand.
During breakfast, Mari goes on about how many sponsors we have now, because of my little speech last night, but I'm not really listening. My body doesn't turn on until at least six.
We go into the hovercraft where the other tributes seem just as tired and confused as I am. We must be going pretty far away to have to wake up so early. Vincent sits beside me and I have Allison on my other side. I'm glad I'm nowhere near the District 9 girl. I wonder what her name is. It's really easy to wonder about things you might not live to find out.
After what feels like six hours, the hovercraft windows darken. Soon, the hovercraft stops and our stylists lead us into our individual launch rooms. In mine, Aliana brings out an outfit that's made by the game makers. It's a black camisole and dark green capris. The capris feel like cotton. It's an outfit designed for hot weather but dark colors, so the audience won't feel too repulsed by the dirt and blood that's sure to stay on us.
I hug Aliana. "Thanks for everything," I say. "Of course," she says, "I look forward to designing your victor's interview outfit." I smile slightly. I hope she'll get the chance.
An alarm sounds, telling the tributes to get on the launch pads. I walk over to mine and the glass slides around me, closing me in. A couple seconds later, there's a lurch below me and the platform begins to rise. I see the shining, golden cornucopia and dread washes over me. This is it. I hope I can survive. I start to look around and get the feeling we're in a bowl. Rock walls stretch around us. There's an opening to the right of me and it looks like we're on a mountain. Before I can consider what's beyond the mountain, there's a bang. But not a gong. No, this is an explosion. My head whips around as I hear it, so I actually catch a glimpse of the weird District 9 girl jumping off her platform. But she doesn't just jump. She leaps to her left, setting off explosions really close to the person on her left. I see the person stumble backwards. He falls off his platform as the gong rings out. I run forward and grab a bunch of knives to defend myself, but then I run towards him. Because this isn't some random boy. This is Vincent.
When I get there, the other girl from 9 stands over him. I stab her in the back and push her away from Vincent. Some deadly and suicidal plan was obviously in place between them. I realize then that the two girls were identical. They must have been twins, but I'm far from feeling bad. They might have killed Vincent. I kneel over him, leaving myself completely vulnerable. This is probably a huge mistake, but if he's dead, I don't want to live. His eyes are fluttering open and I examine him. Nothing fatal seems to be happening, he's just passed out. "Crystal," he mumbles. "Vincent!" I exclaim happily. "No... something... behind... you..." he struggles to say. I whip around and see a girl running toward us. I throw a knife at her and it lodges itself in her skull. Ares runs over, "What happened?" "Vincent's fine, but he can't fight yet. No offense, but I think I can kill more than you and I have a plan. Guard him, I'll go fight." Ares hesitates. "Please!" I plead. "Okay," he says grudgingly. I grab the life from the girl's body and rush to the opening.
A boy is running through it, so I hurl my knife at him. It strikes him in the back and he tumbles off the mountain. I stand there and kill two more stragglers that escape my alliance in the bloodbath. Once everyone who remains is my ally, I go back to the horn. Vincent is sitting up and everyone else is collecting the goods from around the cornucopia. All ten of us are alive, but most of us are wounded at least a little. Eleven bodies lay around and the bits of the weird girl are still here. The cannons begin. Yes, twelve tributes are dead. Twenty four left. I remember stories of the first 75 Hunger Games and realize that it's basically just the beginning again. But no, Vincent and Ares can come home too. It's different.
We decide to stay at the cornucopia (after the bodies are collected) and wait to hunt until dark. It really disgusts me, but I have to go home.
-Theuglyduckling492