aphrodite₂ [treech]

i x

Today is the day I've been dreading. I'm glad Venus didn't bring breakfast. I don't think I would have been able to keep it down. My stomach is twisting into knots. Beside me, Lamina is anxiously wringing her hands. I reach out and take one of them in mine, trying to calm both of us.

When the Peacekeepers arrive, we're chained and shepherded into a truck, much like the one we took when we were first taken to the zoo. A few of the younger kids are crying. I wish I could, but I have to stay as strong as I can.

The ride isn't long, but it feels like hours. The rumbling of the vehicle makes me even more nauseous than I already am. Lamina clings to my arm, squeezing it tightly to the point of pain. I don't want her to let go. The sensation is keeping me grounded.

The truck stops moving. Unlike the first day, the floor doesn't slant beneath us. The door opens, allowing all fourteen tributes to safely exit the vehicle. We're forced to walk in a single-file line through the gates to the arena. It looks even bigger than it had the other day. I feel small and insignificant against the large stone walls as we make our way into the lobby.

I'm ushered through the strange spinning contraption once more. I notice that only one is working. The other seems to have been destroyed in the bombing. A few Peacekeepers guard the wreckage. So we can't escape.

The 'Enjoy the show!' recording feels like a cruel joke as I push past the little machine. Once I'm on the other side, a Peacekeeper unlocks my shackles. He warns me that if I try to pull any stunts before the Games begin, I'll be shot on site.

The first thing I do is pull Lamina into my arms.

"I'm so sorry," I say. "Please, just run and hide somewhere. Don't be stupid."

"I will," she says. "That goes for you, too."

"I'll see you on the other side," I promise, wiping the tears from her face.

We're pulled in separate directions. I end up in between Wovey and Sol, the girl from District 5. While everyone else is getting situated, I look around the arena. Venus had been right. Everything's changed since the bombings. It would be easy to get into the stands, but the scoreboard is probably too difficult a challenge for most of the tributes. There are plenty of tunnels and spaces to hide in.

My gaze locks on something entirely unexpected. At one end of the arena, a few beams are leaning against each other, forming a sort of frame. Someone hangs from the top, supported only by his wrists. With a jolt, I realize the person is Marcus. The Peacekeepers must have caught him. I can't see him very well from this distance, but there's no way he can be alive right now. I've always known the Games to be cruel, but this is on a new level. I can't keep watching him. I need to focus.

Wovey catches my eye and waves at me. I can't help but smile back at her. Then, I focus on the center of the circle. A pile of weapons lies in the middle. I spy an axe, not too far from me. That'll be good.

"The tenth annual Hunger Games will begin in sixty seconds," says a disembodied voice over the loudspeaker. "Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight. Fifty-seven."

I take deep breaths to calm myself. They're not working. This is actually happening and I have no idea of what to do. I can't hear the timer over the sound of blood rushing in my ears. I need to relax.

I remember what Venus told me last night. "Live for me," she'd said. I have to survive for her. For Millie, Aspen, my parents. They all need me to put myself together long enough to live through this bloodbath. I close my eyes, concentrating on breathing evenly.

A gong sounds, echoing through the ruined arena. The Games have begun.

My eyes snap open. Most of the other tributes are scrambling to find an entrance to the tunnels, not even bothering to get weapons for themselves. I'm relieved. I didn't want to fight in the bloodbath.