Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or Alice in Wonderland.

Thank you to NKubie for pre-reading and my beta, Vintagejgc. Both of the ladies have been just plain awesome- they helped me brainstorm, shook their pom poms and held my hand. Love you both!

Chapter Three: My Sea of Tears

And there it is. Bobbing along in my ocean of tears is the bottle I need.

It's within my giant reach.

I take it, throw back the contents and then I'm falling... shrinking down and plunging into the sea, gasping for breath when I emerge.

Gale's voice is haunting me... "The bottle!"

The bottle! I look around frantically, ducking under the water when the waves close in. Suddenly I see it! I swim, my arms and legs burning from exertion as I make my way towards it. Somehow I reach it. I cling to it, climb over the lip and slip inside. Encased in glass I drift through the keyhole, sweeping waves rushing me out to open water.

It's surreal behind this glass, being swept away and floating. I'm so tired but afraid to close my eyes, fighting fatigue but the sea swells and lulls me to sleep.

I awake with a thump, being tossed around the bottle, disoriented as I see white sand beneath the glass. Oh my goodness! Land!

There is a voice in the distance, a high pitched enthusiastic voice, it sounds so familiar...makes me cringe a little.

Crawling out of the bottle onto the beach only brings me a moment's peace before a large wave crests overhead and comes crashing down on me unexpectedly. I cough and sputter, my brain still half asleep. Wake up Katniss!

I rise and run, my eyes betraying me. Running alongside me is a large DoDo bird with a bright pink wig styled in an elaborate beehive, dark purple makeup exaggerating her features and she seems to be lecturing a bunch of little oysters that are trailing behind her.

"Up, up, up! It's going to be a big, big, big, big day!" She sings out then throws her head back and laughs. What in the world?

The hair, the make-up, the voice...

She looks over at me, her long glittering eyelashes fluttering in glee. "Ahoy and other nautical expressions! Welcome, welcome! Have you placed your bet? The odds are fabulous for 12."

The oysters start squealing, jumping up and down, tiny hands shoot out from their shells and they clap excitedly.

The Dodo laughs again and starts running faster. "Come now," she says, "you have to stay ahead of these games. Win this and you will be a legend, a hero, and most importantly, I can finally get promoted to a decent district next year! Now move!"

Total confusion is setting in, I go slower. I can't keep up this pace and contemplate my own madness at the same time. I'm about to stop altogether when I'm pushed from behind, Effie shouting in my ear. "The odds are finally in your favor! Don't you dare screw this up!"

She pushes me forward and I stumble, quickly trying to right myself. I notice a house in the distance; the beach is fading out of sight. I use every ounce of strength to sprint to the house where I collapse on the front porch.

I just lay there, exhausted and when I finally catch my breath I hear the pitter pat of little feet. My eyes spring open and there standing beside me, looking at me with a furious glare, is the white rabbit.

He grips his pocket watch hard, his baker's cap askew. "If you're through napping," he says, now sneering, "I could use your help in the kitchen. The bread won't bake itself, you know."