Sea green eyes

12 - Water and Electricity don't mix.

Standing in the preparation room, my hands start to shake as Rachel dresses me into a skin tight suit, the sleeves patterned with spots and a long, thick belt.

"Do you have a token?" She asks softly, holding my hands comfortingly. She looks surprising normal today, wearing a simple blue pantsuit and gold eyeliner, the only thing somewhat abnormal being her glittering hair.

"No," I whisper, eyes going fuzzy. "No, I have nothing."

"Alright, well that's ok," Rachel smiles softly, stroking my hair. "You're going to be ok."

"ONE MINUTE TILL LAUNCH!"  The voice echoes through the room. My hands start to shake as Rachel finishes her braid in my hair. I sip my water, a large glass that I requested.

My brain starts to flick through potential arenas. The suit is thin, desert? Or is mine specially skin tight? My very soul crawls with that idea. Or maybe it's some kind of armor?

"THIRTY SECONDS TILL LAUNCH! TRIBUTES INTO POSITION!" Rachel tightens my braid, and turns to me.

"Better get in now, sweetheart." Oh gods. Rachel's eyes are filled with tears, and I embrace her quickly, whole body shaking.

"Thank you. Thank you Rachel. For fighting it." For fighting those revealing dresses whenever she could. For pleading to Snow for creativity.

"It's been an honor." She smiles, a single tear slipping out, and I let go of her, walking into the tube. "Remember your song. Nothing they can take was ever worth them keeping. I love you dear, just... Don't forget what you have to do. "

"I know," I grimace. "I love you too. Thank you."

"TEN SECONDS TILL LAUNCH!" I breathe in deeply one last time before walking into the tube. Turning back to Rachel, she watches sadly, hands clasped and tears rolling down her cheeks as the glass door slides closed, sealing my fate with a loud click and twist of gears.

---

The platform under my feet begins to move, and I'm lifted up to the arena, my hand automatically lifting to shield my eyes from the blinding sun. Only... that's strange, the ground is... Moving? No. NO! I gulp, staring around me.

The cornucopia is an island in the center of what looks to be about twelve spokes jutting out to the beach where jungle looms over. But the floor around my pedestal? It isn't there. Instead, it's waves of salt water, splooshing over my boots.

I freeze, fear coursing through me. I can't swim. There are no places in five to learn, yet it's the only way off this rock. In fact... I curse. District four has a HUGE advantage! What the hell?!

10...

9...

8...

7... Shit. I look to my sides. To my sides are Enobaria and Veliary, both getting ready to dive into the churning water.

6...

5... I'm just going to have to do it.

4...

3...

2... Where the hell are Katniss and Peeta?! Johanna? Odair? Mags?

1...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 75th Hunger Games, BEGIN!" The sound of the gong rings in my ears and I jump into the water, sucking in as much air as I possibly can. Almost instantly, I start to panic as the waves pull me this way and that, but my body feels strangely buoyant, and I'm actually rising to the surface. I look down and- yes! The belt is a flotation device. Starting to kick my legs, I head towards the nearest spoke.

When my hands meet wet stone I stop short, peeking my head up above water long enough to assess and take a breath. The only people I can see are the four Careers, standing on the island around the cornucopia. They start to run in my direction and I duck back under the water, legs furiously keeping me aflout. Through the partly clear water I see them run past, towards the jungle. Once they've gone far enough, I surface, lifting myself out of the water and running towards the cornucopia.

On this side... Nothing but weapons, but at least they haven't all been taken. I scan the shiny blades, fitting my body with a belt of knives, a longer sword and trident across my back, and some more daggers that I tuck into my boots.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty deadly when I hear the sound of a boot scuff on the other side of the horn and I freeze, palming two knives, ready to defend against an attack.

With a war cry, a woman runs around the side of the horn, sword raised in an attack. Veliary. Good with a sword, and hand to hand combat, although she sometimes leaves her left side open. She swings at me with her sword, nearly taking a chunk of my hair off as she comes down at me again and again and again.

Holy hell, she's fast. I twist out of her way over and over and over, waiting for an opening... There. Ducking under her arm, I twist, ripping my dagger through her side. When I spin back towards her, my dagger flips in my hand and I strike down over and over, stabbing her in the back. Gritting my teeth, I wrench the dagger out and stab down again, twisting it down into her heart.

A cannon goes off as Veliary's blood stains my hands. I take my knife, letting her body drop to the floor and walk away in the direction of the jungle. I don't know how, but I'm going to have to survive long enough to find Odair and the others, if they're still alive.

After all, what is this if not all a game of betrayal?

---

Bloody hell, it is hot in here. I've literally only been sitting up in this tree for fifteen minutes, waiting for the anthem, and I'm already damp through most of my clothes, beads of sweat dripping down my forehead. I groan, scanning the dark jungle around me. I still haven't found fresh water anywhere, and the menagerie dinner of nuts and figs hasn't helped my thirst.

Suddenly, the blasting chorus of the anthem blasts through the arena, and a projection of the fallen tributes appears. The first to appear is Dlain, and I freeze. -Distantly, I hear someone sobbing in the audience and I wonder for a second who is crying for him. His wife? Child? - Seven more people follow him, including Seeder, Cecelia,  and Veliary. I flinch, staring in to her blue eyes, the blood coating on my hands starting to feel like it's burning.

I adjust my hands on my weapons, leaning back against the mossy tree. It's actually surprisingly soft, and I sigh as the music finishes, closing my eyes.

Weapons locked in my grasp, I drift off to sleep.

---

A few hours after I fall asleep, I'm awoken by twelve massive bangs and a flash of light stricking what I think is a tree.

My eyes scan the forest blearily, the birds and animals oddly quiet. Suddenly, my eyes open wider. It's too quiet. Something's wrong. I strain my ears, head twisting to both sides. I can't see anything except a slow white fog moving in my direction.

Huh... it looks... kind of thick to just be fog. Shit. SHIT! I stand on the branch, frantically climbing down as the fog gets closer. When I'm still like twenty meters from the ground, the first few tendrils of fog reach me and a sickeningly sweet scent fills my nose.

As soon as the fog hits my skin, it starts to blister.