A/N: Thank you to all of you who reviewed: Anonymous, Abigail25, & unpoisson. It's funny- all I used to care about was how much feedback I recieved. I would grovel and badger for reviews, addicted to the thrill they gave me. With this story though, I'm not worried about reviews or feedback. I simply love writing it.

PART 1: THE TRIBUTE

CHAPTER 3: We Swallow the Dark

I take a deep breath everytime I pass your door
I know you're there but I can't see you anymore
And that's the reason you're in the dark
I've been a stranger ever since we fell apart
And I feel so helpless here
Watch my eyes are filled with fear
Tell me do you feel the same
Hold me in your arms again

The anticipation proceeding the 65th Hunger Games is so great that the training scores are announced the night of the private evaluations.

The Capitol awaits eagerly in their luxury homes. The Districts mass beneath the stars, forlornly looking up to the massive screens installed by the Capitol. The Tributes and their mentors pace in time to the ticks of the clock, afraid and excited all at once.

Ever since her encounter with Carrow, Cara had felt dirty; tainted with the lingering feel of his rough hands. She was humiliated and afraid, and didn't want to ever see any of the Careers again. Carrow had shattered a bone in her wrist, but luckily the Capitol's advanced technology restored it in a matter of hours. No one knew what happened that night except for Carrow and Finnick. Not even her mentors were aware of what had happened... they are too preoccupied with their yearly leisure trip to care.

For the two days before the private sessions with the Gamemakers, Sergei went to training and Cara wandered the halls and watched films of previous Games. She strategized and tried to learn from the previous tributes' mistakes. No fires at night. Always cleanse water with iodine tablets. Treat infection immediately. Make an alliance. That's the most important thing. To have an alliance is to have an advantage.

At night she would sneak out and train in the drafty, silent Training Room alone. She didn't dare go there any time earlier than midnight in case Carrow or Selene were practicing. The lights were never on, so Cara made do with moonlight from the skylights to light her way. In fact, one night she had nearly fallen into the rack of weapons.

"Don't be surprised when you score a zero," Sergei warns her harshly as Caesar Flickerman's signature grin appears onscreen to announce the scores. Cara bites down on her lip and ignores him. He doesn't know how hard she's been trying the past few days. She has several bruises on her shins and a cut across the back of her hand to prove it.

Carrow and Selene both score a other three Careers score high as well, but Finnick is the only one out of them that gets a 10. The other tributes are mediocre. The Careers are the only true threat in this game.

Sergei and Cara both receive an 8. For a brief moment, the two tributes share a smile of relief, which quickly morphs into a scowl on Sergei's part. But a grin tugs on his lips, and he breaks into smile again, unable to hide his happiness.

"Congrats," Cara says to him. "That's a good score. Maybe you should join the Careers...it's important to have allies."

"You got the same score, god knows how, considering that you can't throw a knife without embarrassing yourself. Why don't you try for allies?"

It shouldn't bother her, but it does. Cara feels herself stiff up as her district partner sneers at her.

"Because no one wants me, that's why," she says quickly. She walks away before she can say anything else, or god forbid, start crying.

...

The days pass quickly as all twenty-four tributes are instructed on how to be perfect guests during Caesar Flickerman's yearly round of interviews.

Carrow is taught how to sound intelligent onstage. Selene frisks in low cut dresses, flaunting her body. Sergei tries to memorize exactly what he should say to get the Career's approval. Cara wears heels for the first time. Finnick doesn't prepare. He goes sightseeing with one of his many wealthy sponsors.

Despite his lack of preparation, he is the calmest tribute in line on the night of interviews.

"Finnick, I just found out that you're only fourteen," Selene says to him as they watch the stage being set up. "I thought you were older."

His sharp gaze flicks to her for a moment before returning to the television screen mounted on the velvet-lined walls. The show will begin in ten minutes. Even though he doesn't mean to notice, the absence of the District 10 tributes has caught hold of his attention. He thinks of the blood on Cara's wrist that night. It's been a week since any of them had seen her.

"So I've been told," he replies, distracted.

When Selene's interview begins, Cara still hasn't arrived. Finnick sighs and straightens his suit before purposely forcing himself to focus on the screen.

"What are your strengths, Selene? The sponsors out there want to know, don't they?" Caesar waits for the roar of applause as he asks Selene her final question.

The room is packed with the wealthiest citizens of the Capitol, their interests piqued by the investments they could make tonight. They try to convince themselves that sponsoring a tribute is a philanthropy, but they are actually playing the game for selfish reasons. Money, fame, social uplifting. For most its the most exciting event of the year. The thrill of cheering for the ones they like and helping their tribute gather the odds is attractive to them. In a way, the Hunger Games is an addiction for the people of the Capitol. They can't live without it-they never have had to.

"I'm good with weapons and I'm beautiful," Selene shrugs. She's just as relaxed and laid back as always.

"I believe you!" Caesar laughs. Her interview draws to an end and Carrow shoves past Finnick hard as he passes out of the hall for his interview. Ever since Finnick had threatened him several nights ago, Carrow had maintained a steady grudge against him. The fact that Finnick was fourteen and he himself was eighteen was of no relevance. They were at the same level in this game. In fact, the younger boy had the advantage of his physical appearance, while Carrow's physical appearance was a distinct disadvantage.

The monstrous boy strides onstage and takes a seat, grinning in a ruthless way. The audience chuckles in unison. With his hair slicked back, Carrow more closely resembles an animal than a boy.

...

Cara pushes through the silver-plated doors with Sergei as Carrow begins to speak. She is out of breath and tries to inconspicuously take her place in line. Sergei meanders off to the front of the line, to talk to the Careers about joining them.

She gives him an encouraging smile when he looks back at her. Although she won't be making any allies, she wants to help Sergei to have a fair chance.

Finnick Odair speaks to Sergei since Selene and Carrow have left, and when he catches her smiling in his direction, he sends Cara a strange look.

"He let me in," Sergei says when he comes back to stand with her. "He asked me if you wanted to join as well, but I told him you didn't."

"What?"

She stares at him, not sure whether she should slap him for being so selfish, or congratulate him for making it into the Career alliance. In the end Cara swallows her annoyance and leans forwards to give Sergei a hug.

"I hate the Careers anyways, you're right. Good job," she says dryly, as she pats him hard on the back. For good measure she gives him two more hard, heavy, vicious pats before pulling away. Sergei rubs his stinging back as he shrugs.

Finnick is looking at her again in that strange way, his eyebrows drawn together and his hair a mess of bronze. Cara turns away. It's not Finnick's fault that Sergei is a stupid lump of selfish ignorance, but she is still angry at him nevertheless. On one hand, to be part of an alliance, especially the Career alliance, would help her! On the other, she hates Carrow with a fiery passion.

Speaking of the devil...

"Are there any tributes this year worth noticing, Carrow? Being leader of the Career pack, you must have at least one or two interests!" Caesar Flickerman says onstage. This is his closing question for Carrow.

"I, uh...yeah. There's this one girl that's been up my, erm, butt," Carrow replies, squinting in the bright spotlight as he struggles to find words.

"Hah," Finnick suppresses a laugh, but all the tributes hear him chuckling at the front of the line.

"Who?" Caesar asks.

"The District 10 girl. We call her Chickenfeet, because she's so clumsy and stupid," Carrow says with a malicious grin.

Cara's.

heart.

stops.

The buzzer goes off, but it's too late. The damage is done, and as Carrow leaves the stage, the audience twitters in disapproval at his bashing of another tribute.

Don't cry. Don't cry.

Cara feels the heat rising up inside of her until the pressure of oncoming tears builds behind her eyes. How could he? How could that monster do that to her?

Her face flushes red, and her legs begin to shake. The District 3 interviews pass, but Cara doesn't notice. She is still looking down at feet, blinking slowly and deliberately so her makeup won't be smudged by the tears.

It's okay...you're okay.

The more she tries to convince herself, the harder it is to control her emotions, and she is about to ask the Capitol servant standing at the door if she can go to the powder room to clean herself up, but a familiar voice stops her.

"Hello Caesar," the television purrs, and Cara looks up with wet, dark eyes at Finnick Odair onscreen. Unlike the others, he does not look at Caesar as he sits, but rakes his gaze over the colorful mass of the audience.

"Hello Finnick. You look dashing tonight! In fact, many people are still talking about your appearance at the Tribute Parade," Caesar says, giving Finnick's leg a pat.

"Good things, I hope," Finnick replies lightly,

"Naturally! But tell me, isn't it hard to be so attractive? You must have had many admirers back home as well. I mean- you were a fisherman... didn't the girls scare away all the fish when they came running after you?"

The audience seems to come alive, roaring with good humor and making catcalls.

Finnick's low, light laughter rings above all else.

"Yes Caesar...its excruciatingly to be so incredibly beautiful," he says sarcastically. "In fact, the moment I step into the sea, narwhals sing and dolphins leap for joy."

The Capitol falls in love at that moment. This is their Golden Boy. This is who they have been waiting for.

Great, he's funny too. Cara takes a deep breath. Her eyes have dried and as Finnick's interview progresses, she smooths down her dress.

As the last minute approaches an end, Caesar asks his final questions.

"You are one of the youngest tributes, yet you scored a 10, the highest score this year. Care to share your secret?" The host asks.

"It'll have to be a surprise. You'll see."

Caesar chuckles, expecting this answer.

"And since you are in an alliance with Carrow, do you believe what he said about the District 10 girl? I'm sure that all of us are wondering what brought upon such harsh words."

Cara brings a hand to her mouth, shaking her head as new anxiety grips her. Why can't Caesar just let it go? By bringing her humiliation up again, he is only opening a fresh wound in her already scarred pride. And in all interviews, of course he chooses to mention it in Finnick's.

She leaves the room without asking permission. The attendant calls after her, but she doesn't look back. Let Finnick say what he wants. Let them all mock her! She deosn't care. She deosn't care what her future killers think of her.

But she does actually care...and her lip begins to quiver as she tries to stay strong.

...

Onstage, Finnick stares at Caesar Flickerman in disbelief. His fingers grip the arms of his seat tightly.

"Are you serious?" Finnick asks.

Caesar gives him a little nod and reaches out to take hold of Finnick's shoulder. The crowd is hushed.

"How dare you. I thought you were here to help the tributes, not to humiliate them."

Finnick stands up without warning, the seat clattering against the stage. He then leaves without a word as the buzzer rings.

...

When it is District 10's turn, Cara walks onstage and sits down on the white leather seat, a look of stubborn pride smitten over her features. The Capitolists have forgotten how beautiful she is, and they begin to whisper to each other. How could this dainty long-legged girl be 'clumsy' and 'stupid'?

"Hello Cara, how are you?" Caesar jumps right in, grinning from ear to ear, seemingly putting the fact that he humiliated her in front of Panem behind him.

"Good," she replies sarcastically. "In fact, I just spent the past half hour having a nervous breakdown. Thank you, Caesar, for that."

The rest of the interview is less hostile. Caesar's radiant personality contrasts Cara's more reserved one. He asks her questions, and she talks about her family back home, her younger brothers and the family cow.

" My favorite thing top do? Eating. Yes, eating.." she says when asked.

Caesar seems to try especially hard to help her shine, as if to make up for earlier. He leads the crowd's laughter when Cara exhibits her self-deprecating, sometimes inappropriate sense of humour, and compliments her on her dress even though it's a simple red chiffon.

In the end, the audience no longer has a misconception about the District 10 girl. Some of the Capitolists find her to be offensive and too curt for their taste, but likewise, some are impressed. Her striking features and personality battle for a chance, and several sponsors in the room are determined to provide it.

"Do you think that you could win the 65th Hunger Games, Cara?"

Cara gives Caesar a look, thinking that he's joking. But no, this is her final question, her last chance to prove herself. It's the worse question she could get. Of course she can't win! But if she is truthful about how she regards her chances of winning, no sponsors would support her.

She thinks carefully. The cameraman focuses on her face, and the indecision that flashes through her eyes betrays her onscreen.

"You can understand my hesitation, can you not, Caesar? The tributes this year are incredibly skilled. In my best moments, I convince myself that I have a chance of winning. But unfortunately, my stay here hasn't presented an opportunity for any of those 'moments' yet."

The buzzer rings, and a round of hushed applause shakes the room. The Capitolists are unsure what to make of Cara Edenthaw's last statement.

But whatever the case may be, when the show is over and the sponsors, mentors, and stylists take their leave, they hold certain tributes close to their hearts. Each of the bedecked, fancily clad men and women choose who they want to bet on. Carrow and Selene are the safe bet, although now that the interviews are over, the public opinion of Carrow has taken a downside. Many place their trust and funds in the Careers from Districts 1 and 2. Even more immediately lunge to have a share in Finnick Odair's pool of support.

The ones who are not concerned with money- the fabulously wealthy ones who have nothing to lose...those sponsors are the ones who migrate away from the usual Careers. These are patrons looking for solely entertainment, the ones who want to play a game and help their pieces make it to the other side. These are the sponsors that choose to support Cara, and while they are few compared to the masses fawning over the Careers, they are strong in both funds and choice of tribute.

The celebration that night is unmatched by any other. The Capitol has found their Golden Boy, and they have found their underdog, their dark horse. Everything, everything, seems to imply that the show this year will be spectacular.

"Stay with the Careers until tensions begin to run high. Kill as many tributes as you can-moral guilt will come later. I won't send a parachute unless you need it, so learn how to make do," Mags speaks quickly and quietly as she helps Finnick step into his launching tube, her hands shaking.

The glass shuts him in with a soft thump. Then it begins to rise. Finnick takes a last glance at his mentor as she disappears out of sight. Abovehead, an automated female voice counts down the moments to the beginning of the 65th annual Hunger Games.

45. 44. 43...40.

The tube rises for a long while, and as he is lifted from the pitch dark, Finnick lets himself twist at the bracelet upon his wrist, his token, a reminder of District 4. But when the circle of light above illuminates the entire tube as it nears, he drops his hands to his side and smooths back his mussed hair.

Then the brightness hits him, momentarily blinding him. The glass partition sinks back into the ground as Finnick rubs the darkness from his eyes.

25. 24. 23...20.

The arena is unlike any he has ever seen. The Cornucopia and circle of tributes are situated atop a formidable mountain in the center. Finnick cocks his head, sizing up the landscape far below. On one side is a dark mass of coniferous forest, shrouded by the clouds that drift over the mountain in cold sheets. On the other, is an expansive ocean, with a large island of the dark trees isolated in the middle.

15. 14. 13.

On the other side of the ring of tributes, Cara tries to make out a plan of what she should do. It's cold. There are torrents of wind that threaten to knock her over, and as far as she can see, the surrounding landscape is fifty feet beneath where she stands. From her standpoint, the mountain is a fatal drop of sheer cliffs. There is no visible way to escape. But there must be!

"Caves," Cara mutters to herself. The countdown from 10 begins. "Tunnels, ledges, waterfalls."

8. 7. 6. 5.

There must be a way to get off of this cold, dreary mountaintop and away from the Bloodbath. She must find the way, or she'll be dead. Her heartbeat catches in her chest.

3. 2. 1.

"Let the 65th annual Hunger Games begin!"

The adrenaline is incredible. It charges the air as each tribute pushes themselves to their limits to make it to the Cornucopia before the Careers do. Several of the weaker children trip on the jagged rocks and fall, but Cara is able to reach the Cornucopia first, by some miracle. Carrow is beating the District 12 girl to death, and Cara grabs as many things as she can while he is occupied, not caring what she takes.

She can't make sense of anything around her, and as Selene and Finnick reach the Cornucopia and quickly begin to line their belts with weapons, Cara shoulders her packs and sprints away. Screams pierce the air behind her and she is too scared to look back. Dull thumps of knives finding bodies seem to sound in time to her pounding pulse.

Cara has never been more afraid in her life, and as she whips her head around, everything a moving, constant blur to her terrified mind; somehow a small ledge to the side of the mountain catches her eye. She grips her two backpacks by the shoulder straps and rushes forwards, suppressing the utter panic that is stuck in her throat. The ground below suddenly seems so, so far away, and the steeply falling ledge seems like a plummet to death.

"God help me," she looks back again desperately, and sees Finnick strike down a tribute with a spear, only twenty feet from where she is standing at the edge of the drop. He doesn't look the least bit afraid, and when he turns and catches sight of her, he runs towards her with his bloodied spear in hand.

"Wait! Cara!"

He's going to kill me, she thinks. But for some reason, she allows him to draw closer although every instinct tells her to run. He helped her with Carrow and sat with her that first day of training. She could at least give him the benefit of the doubt. However, every fiber of her body is still tightly wound, ready to flee at any moment.

"Come with me," he tells her, and to stop her from running, he roughly grabs her arm with his blood-slicked hands. Selene appears from one side, a knife flashing across the empty space in front of the two.

"This one is mine!" Finnick yells at her, and Selene retreats. Cara yanks her arm out of Finnick's hands, but he just takes hold again and drags her into the mouth of the Cornucopia. It's dark and cold inside, and the shape of the structure creates a powerful wind tunnel.

Finnick knows that this choice is irreversible. Cara is panicking, and he knows that she's thinking of Carrow, who had held her arms tightly as well.

"I won't hurt you," he says, his voice rising above the uproar outside. "Let me be your ally." He pushes her farther into the horn, knowing that their route of escape is hidden in the recesses of the dark.

"I'd rather you kill me!"

Finnick sighs and Cara shrinks back as her feet are suddenly freezing cold, splashing into water that gets deeper and deeper as Finnick urges her farther into the Cornucopia.

"Come on-it's okay, I'm here with you. That's a water chasm, I think it leads out of the mountain."

"No! No no no," she says over and over again. Finnick's hands slips from her wrist and his fingers intertwine tightly with hers.

"Trust me, Cara. I can help you." He's losing his patience. He knows that this is the way off of this cliff. The ledges are too dangerous and risk death, and earlier when he came back here to check for stashed supplies, he noticed the water. It's deep, deeper than he could have waded in. There's a whirling sound, the crashing of water that he had first mistaken for noise from the Bloodbath.

"Look," he quickly says, and he throws his knife into the dark pool of cold, cold water. It sinks and there is a faint clink after several long moments. "See, it leads to solid ground."

"You're insane, Finnick-let me go if you want to help me! Let me go!" She's sobbing, and although he knows that he is right about this, he starts to doubt himself.

"Are we allies?" he asks her desperately, one last try.

"No!"

"We are," he says in response, and before he changes his mind about leaving the Careers, he squeezes her hand tightly, pulling her body to his.

Then he jumps into the water. There is no ground beneath their feet, and he feels a pulling sensation at his feet that gets stronger. The current begins to rush, whirling and bringing them down. The small hand held in his threatens to be pulled away, so as his head disappears under the icy black water, Finnick wraps his arm around the slim body. The darkness swallows them.

The Capitol watches, clutching their sequined chests with anxiety as they witness the drama onscreen. The Districts react in a similar way, the weather-lined faces and gaunt, sunken eyes of children and parents alike. The Gamemakers exchange glances, their eyes aglow with the thrill of seeing their arena at work.

All of Panem holds their breath. The world is watching.