Once the plate stopped rising, James opened his eyes and took a look at the arena for the first time. It was a sickly dawn. The air smelled foreign, hostile, foul, and stank of death. The sky was a metallic grey and there was a thick fog that surrounded him. He could only see maybe ten feet around him. He saw his district partner, Alice, with her wild grey eyes making her look like a hunted animal. She soon would be if she didn't act smart, and the same thing would be for James as well.
James couldn't see it but the cornucopia was uphill to make matters even worse. He could see a dim light above with numbers flashing: 10, 9, 8... Bending his fingers into a fist, and getting in a running stance, James thought he was ready, but he was so far from it. He had absolutely had no idea what the hell would happen next, and so did Alice and the other 22 people fighting for the crown. And then, without much warning, the gong rang.
Let the 43d Hunger Games begin.
