The platform beneath my feet shudders as it rises, lifting me into the Arena above. I have to hold my hands on my knees to stop myself from collapsing to the floor.
Every thought that was in my mind a few seconds ago is completely gone. I'm blank. Only one thing flashes through my mind - survive. This isn't pretend anymore. People are about to die, and I have to make sure I'm not one of them.
Finally, I'm lifted into the Arena; the cool breeze rushes past me as I take a frantic look at my surroundings. On both sides of me, twenty-three other kids rise in unison. Many of them are readying themselves to sprint, staring at the Cornucopia ahead of us; others glance around at the Arena. I hear someone crying nearby; next to me, the little girl from Eight wipes her face as she looks around for her sister.
I look around at my surroundings. We're surrounded by a lush, mossy field, and the unexpected beauty of the place catches me off guard. The sun shines down on us with a harsh brightness, yet it's not stifling. Between each tick of the timer ahead of me, I hear birds chirping in the trees nearby. Our mossy enclosure is surrounded by a variety of trees; some of them look like they could bear fruit, but none of them seem to have any.
A dragonfly flutters past me, circling the girl from Eight before heading for the Cornucopia. Its purple wings are shiny, and they flash in the light as it passes us. For a moment, I forget that kids are about to die in this peaceful place. And then I remember.
Where is Damien? I quickly look down the line of tributes until I find him. That was our plan - Sienna and I are supposed to look to Damien, who'll point out a location for us to hide. Then, the boys will grab supplies and meet us there.
Damien meets my gaze as I spot him. The big tree, he mouths, tilting his head in the direction of a large tree at the edge of the clearing that rises just above the others. I nod.
Only now do I finally look at the clock above the Cornucopia, which seems to be ticking faster and faster. My heart drops. Fifteen seconds left.
This is it... For a week, everything we've done has led up to this. This will be the last time I will feel safe for a very long time... in a matter of time, I'll be dead, or I'll be the last one standing.
Only five seconds to go. I see Sienna standing a few pedestals away from Damien; she's watching me. As the last few seconds tick down, she gives me a nod.
A gong sounds with a boom; like rabid wolves, the tributes leap from their pedestals. Already, I see Midas push a boy to the ground and out of his way as he sprints to the Cornucopia.
I jump as quickly as I can from my pedestal, stumbling to the ground as I land. I scramble to my feet, immediately looking for Sienna. She's sprinting in my direction, and she grabs my hand as I find my feet.
"Come on!" she screams. I've never seen her like this; she looks like she's about to cry. Sienna glances towards the cornucopia, wincing as someone screams nearby. She pulls me behind her as we sprint to the large tree.
Finally, we arrive. I glance behind us as we duck behind the tree. Looks like nobody followed us.
A girl screams in the distance, and I peek out from behind the trunk of the massive tree. I know I should look away, but I can't tear my eyes from the scene in front of me. Two girls are punching each other over a backpack; behind them, a small girl grabs a trident. It's the girl from Eight who was crying on the pedestal next to mine. She turns and begins to run away, but she's intercepted by Amanda, who makes quick work of her before snatching the trident from her hands. Only now do I realize that I'm still holding Sienna's hand; I squeeze it tighter.
Next to Amanda, Calista is occupied as she fights Lily from District Four, who's putting up a pretty good fight. Midas and Trent must be around the other side of the Cornucopia... but where are Damien and Clay? I try to keep myself calm as I scan the chaotic scene; with everything going on around the Cornucopia, it's hard to even tell who's who.
I spot Clay as he runs out of the shadows of the Cornucopia. One of the boys from Twelve lunges to grab his backpack, but he's unsuccessful; I wince as Clay elbows the boy in the face, knocking him to the ground. The look on Clay's face is visible from here, and it's clear that he's thinking the same thing I am. Where is Damien?
If Damien's not here, and he's not in the Cornucopia, that only leaves one option... have Trent and Midas already made quick work of him behind the Cornucopia? Is it already over, just like that?
There he is! Damien lunges around the back of the Cornucopia with a grin on his face, turning around and yelling something at someone behind him. A few seconds later, Midas appears, his eyes glaring directly at Damien. Midas' face is red from exertion, but it blends into the darker red that's splattered across his shirt.
"What is he doing?" Sienna says, panic in her voice. "He needs to get out of there!"
I feel as if I'm frozen in time, unable to move or say anything. I watch, transfixed, as Midas reaches back, rearing his sword for the final blow, and strikes down at Damien, who's only a few feet ahead of him...
And he misses. Damien ducks and the blade sails over his head. Letting out a guttural scream, Midas stabs at Damien's back, but once again, Damien is one step ahead of him, ducking to the side.
Finally, as if returning to my own body, I come to my senses. I need to do something, and I need to do it now.
I feel Sienna's hand slip from my grasp as I round the tree trunk and sprint towards Damien.
"Luna!" Sienna screams from behind me, but even she can't get me to stop now. I can't just sit and watch my brother die, not like this!
A boy screams nearby as I run, and I watch as Amanda stabs Jax through the chest with her sword, kicking him in the stomach to remove her blade. As Jax hits the ground, Lindsay approaches, sprinting toward Amanda with a small knife in her hand.
I hear a shrill whistle, and I turn my head to see Clay beckoning toward the large tree. Damien sees him, too, and he tumbles to the ground, sending Midas sailing over his back. As Midas scrambles to his feet, Damien is already sprinting towards me, a gleeful look in his eyes as Clay catches up to him.
And then he spots me. Damien's expression drops from joy to fury as I skid to a halt in front of him.
"What the hell are you doing?" my brother shouts, his fingernails scratching my arm as he pulls me behind him. I'm barely able to stop myself tripping as my brother drags me to the big tree.
"Come on, let's go!" Clay calls to us. I glance behind me, expecting to see Midas on our tails, but he's gone. I guess he decided to save us for later.
Sienna finally reveals herself from behind the tree; she looks like she's about to faint as Clay shoves a backpack into her arms.
"This way," Clay huffs; Damien wordlessly shoves a bag at me, finally releasing his grip from my arm.
I'm sure Clay has no idea where he's going, but right now, the only thing that matters is that we get as far away from here as possible. Hopefully, we'll never have to come back.