Last

chapter 7

I wake up this morning in a hospital bed. My head is killing me.

Caroline, Eve, Mandolyn, Lila and Candace are sitting right next to my bed. I smile at them and say, "What happened?"

"Well, um..." Candace starts. "After the meeting, we all decided to stay the night in your room. We thought it wouldn't make sense to go to our district's floors if we were gonna talk more in the morning. Then halfway through the night, you woke up. You told us you had a really bad headache. Your pillow was soaked with blood. And then you passed out. We woke up Haymitch, Effie, and your parents and brought you here. The doctors told us you had lost a lot of blood, but that you'd be okay. They stitched up your scar and gave you some Morphling. And now here you are."

"And now here I am," I say, sitting up. "I feel okay."

"You better," says Lila. "cuz tomorrow is the first day of the Hunger Games."

"Don't remind me," Eve says nervously. Mandolyn places a comforting hand on Eves' shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll be out there together," Mandolyn says soothingly.

"I don't want to kill anyone," Eve mumbles, leaning on Mandolyn, who strokes her hair affectionately.

"None of us do," Mandolyn says. "And if we're smart, we won't have to kill anyone."

"I promise we'll be smart," Lila says soothingly, which is a new tone for her. "And I promise we won't have to kill any of us."

* * *

Berion meets with me before I am taken into the Arena. He places a hand on my shoulder and says, "You'll be amazing. You're a very skilled person. I believe in you."

"Want to know a secret?" I say, and Berion leans in so that his ear is near my face. "I'll be very clueless in that arena," I whisper in his ear. He laughs.

"I don't think so!" He says, adjusting the Mockingjay pin on my outfit for the Arena, which is a light fleece jumpsuit. I honestly don't know what the Arena will look like, but I'll find out soon enough. I brace myself as a female voice says, "you have ten seconds before tributes enter the Arena." Berion hugs me. He smells like cinnamon.

"Now go!" He says, and helps me into the large clear tube. The platform starts to lift me up and into the Arena. My heart is racing. My breath is short. The same female voice says, "you have two seconds before tributes enter the Arena." a wave of cold air washes over me as the platform reaches the top of the clear tube, and the floor of the Arena. I take in my surroundings. Snow. Snow everywhere. My first thought is how I can melt the snow for water, but then I realize the Gamemakers aren't that stupid. They wouldn't make an Arena with water sources everywhere. That's too easy.

I look at the ground where the Cornucopia sits.

Ice.

All ice.

I see the other tributes rising on their platforms. Mandolyn's on my left, Eve's on my right. Jack is right across from me. I want to curl up in a ball and hide away, but I have to be strong. My fleece outfit won't keep me warm for long, but if we move a lot, we'll stay warm.

"Ten."

My heart pounds.

"Nine."

My lungs can't take breathing in the cold air.

"Eight."

Mandolyn and I nod to each other.

"Seven."

I give Eve a reassuring smile.

"Six."

Candace and I look at each other.

"Five."

I glance at Dracon, who looks actually scared.

"Four."

I find Caroline and nod to her. She nods back.

"Three."

I see Lila, and she winks at me.

"Two."

I lock eyes with Jack.

"One."

The Last Hunger Games has begun.