Lilith hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, too busy tossing and turning. By the time she'd finally been able to drift off, nightmares prevented her from getting much rest.

She stood now, in the launch room. It felt like the sterile white walls were closing in around her, trapping her. Lilith hadn't been able to tell Finnick or any of the others about her decision since her talk with Haymitch, which was unfortunate. She could only hope it wouldn't get one of them killed.

Crystal helped her change into the outfit provided for the tributes. It was a blue jumpsuit that zippered up the front, a purple belt, and a pair of shoes with rubber soles. She then arranged her hair into a low ponytail, pulling it tight. "And of course this," Crystal said, placing her locket around her neck.

"Thank you for everything," Lilith said, clutching her locket like it might disappear. "I don't know what I would've done without you by my side through all of this."

"I only wish I could've done more." Crystal pulled her into a hug. "If there was some way for me to protect you from this, I would do whatever I had to."

"I'll miss you," Lilith whispered the words. She was trying not to let the tears in her eyes escape, or the lump in her throat choke her.

"I'll miss you too."

The voice comes over the system, telling the two women it's time to prepare for the launch.

"I believe in you, Lilith." Crystal squeezed her one last time. "Please, don't give up hope."

"I'll do my best," she replied, stepping onto the plate.

"You always do."

Then the glass cylinder was closing around her, and the plate was rising. Casting one last look at her stylist, Lilith took a deep breath to prepare herself for what would come next.

Water, that was what Lilith first noticed about the arena. She was surrounded by water. It was lapping at her feet, against her legs, making it difficult to not slide off the plate.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin!" Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed out, signaling the start of the countdown.

Sixty seconds, that's all the time she had before she would be thrown into the bloodbath.

The golden Cornucopia rested on an island in the center of the arena. There were spokes of land, connecting it to the beach surrounding the water.

Fifty seconds left. Seeder was on her right, and the male morphling was on her left. She couldn't see Finnick or either from Twelve, they must be on the other side.

Forty seconds. All the supplies were at the center of the Cornucopia, ensuring more bloodshed than usual. She would have to fight tooth and nail to get weapons.

Thirty seconds. She had an advantage over the other tributes. Most of them wouldn't be able to swim. But she was from Four, swimming was in her blood.

Twenty seconds. She knew what she had to do.

Ten seconds. Lilith steps up to the edge of the plate, preparing to dive in.

Five

Four

Three

Two

One

The gong sounds, and Lilith launches herself into the water. She could feel the cold liquid engulf her body, as she started swimming as fast as she could towards the Cornucopia.

She climbed out as soon as she reached the land. Running straight for the center, she could see that she was one of the first to arrive. Quickly, she started searching for weapons to fight with.

There, a vest full of throwing knives. She swiftly donned the vest, finding a couple of daggers too.

Turning around lightning fast, Lilith pulled out one of the knives, throwing it at the woman from District 9. It struck her right in her neck, killing her almost instantly.

Scanning the area, she spotted Finnick and Katniss. Finnick says something before throwing a trident at the man from District 5.

"You're getting slow, Odair." Lilith ran over towards them. "I've been here for ages."

"Good to see you too," he replied. His eyes met hers, asking a question. She gave him a quick nod. Seeming satisfied, he says, "find anything useful?"

"Only weapons so far."

"I haven't found anything else either," he said, turning towards Katniss.

"Same here."

"Let's grab what we want then, we have to go," Finnick shouts, tossing an extra trident towards Lilith.

Lilith catches it, and quickly straps a couple more daggers to her legs, catching a glance of Katniss shooting arrows at some of the Careers. Brutus has figured out how to use his belt as a shield, blocking one of her arrows, and saving his life for now.

"Let's clear out," Katniss called out to the tributes from District 4.

The tributes from Districts 1 and 2 were regrouping. Glancing around, she saw that Katniss had found Peeta. The victor was still on his starting plate, most likely unable to swim to shore.

"I'll go get him," Lilith told her, dropping her trident in the sand.

Katniss flashes her a suspicious look. "I can do it," she insists.

"Better not exert yourself." Finnick joins them, patting Katniss's stomach. "Not in your condition. Lilith is one of the strongest swimmers I know, she can get him."

"Cover me, would you?" Lilith says, before diving back into the water. 

She swam with ease, her weapons barely weighing her down. In what felt like seconds, she had reached Peeta. "I'm here to help you," she spoke.

"Why should I trust you?" He was suspicious, not that she could blame him. It was annoying nonetheless.

"I haven't killed you yet, for starters. Plus your fiancé is waiting for you over there with Finnick." She pointed towards where the two of them were fending off anyone who came close.

"All right," he reluctantly agreed.

"We have to hurry, grab on." She reached out, pulling him into the water. It took longer to get back, but they made it.

"Hello, again," Peeta said to Katniss, climbing out of the water. "We've got allies."

"Yes. Just as Haymitch intended."

"Remind me, did we make deals with anyone else?" He asked.

"Just these two, I think." She gestured towards Finnick and Lilith.

"Katniss wanted Lilith on the first day," Peeta says.

"Katniss has remarkably good judgment," Finnick replies, handing Lilith her trident back.

"Hey, look over there." Lilith pointed towards where Beetee was flailing around in the water.

"Look, she's right. Someone figured it out, " Finnick adds.

"What?" Katniss asked, confusion written all over her face.

"The belts, they float," Lilith told the younger girl. "To keep the tributes from drowning."

She nods, "Let's go."

They begin to move when Lilith sees something flash in the sunlight. A small vial of liquid, untouched by the rest of the tributes. "Hold up, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Katniss starts to follow her, but Finnick holds her back.

"She knows what she's doing."

Lilith was able to slip back into the bloodbath, quickly retrieving her precious vial. On her way back though, the woman from 10 rushes towards her with a spear. Without blinking an eye, Lilith shoves her trident through her chest, killing her.

"What were you doing?" Katniss questions her when she returns.

"There was something I needed," she answered evasively. "Trust me, it was worth it."

"We really need to go now," Finnick says, stepping between the two women.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Lilith stows the vial away in a pocket in her vest.

They start moving at a swift pace, away from the Cornucopia and the bloodbath. The rest of the arena seemed to consist of trees, vines, and sweltering heat, a jungle she thought. As they move through the foliage, Peeta takes the lead followed by Finnick and Lilith, Katniss bringing up the rear.

Eventually they stop to take a break, while Katniss climbs a tree to see what's happening. When she comes down, she looks extremely disturbed.

"What's going on down there, Katniss?" Finnick asks, raising his trident defensively. "Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons in the sea in defiance of the Capitol?"

"No," was all Katniss said in reply.

"No," he says again. "Because whatever happened in the past is in the past. And no one in this arena was a victor by chance." He glances over towards Peeta. "Except maybe Peeta."

"Look, they won't hesitate to kill us, and I don't plan on giving them the opportunity." Lilith stood up from where she'd been sitting. "Once you're thrown into the arena, you better kiss your moral compass goodbye."

It's obvious that Katniss is unsure of how to proceed. Should she kill them now, or risk keeping them around? Luckily, she's saved from having to make a decision when Peeta steps in between the three of them.

"So how many are dead?" He asks Katniss.

"Hard to say. At least six, I think. And they're still fighting." She continues to glare at Finnick.

"Let's keep moving," Peeta says. "We need water."

As they start traveling again, they search for any sign of water. However, the jungle seems devoid of anything to parch their thirst. Not a stream, nor a pond in sight.
When they appear to be reaching the crest in the hill they were climbing, Katniss suggests that they might find water on the other side. Water wasn't what awaited them though. 

Katniss started to call out for Peeta to stop right before it happened. There was a loud zap and then Peeta goes flying back towards the rest of them. As they all hit the ground, Katniss rushes over to where Peeta lays unconscious.

"Peeta?" The girl started calling his name frantically, shaking him. When he wouldn't wake she pressed her ear to his chest, only to hear silence.

Author's Note

Wow, an early chapter. Who would've thought that I was capable of making that happen? It's definitely shorter than the chapters I've been writing up to this point, but that's because I'm trying to follow the original plot line very closely. Expect most of the chapters to from now on to be this length.

Any opinions on the story so far, or this chapter?

What do you think is in that vial?

I have a new Hunger Games fanfic called, Fallacy. It's about a Career tribute from District 2, and it'd mean a lot to me if you'd go check it out.