Ponyboy and I trekked through the arena, our eyes darting everywhere. As we got more toward the center of the arena, it began to get darker so we decided to tether ourselves to a tree for the night. 

Calypso was the first face in the sky. Then I doubled over in numbing pain as Percy and Annabeth appeared. There was a loud buzzing in my ears and I panted. I came out of my attack just in time to see Two-bit Matthews and Zoe Nightshade dissapear into the night. 

We were silent a moment before Ponyboy said, "well then I guess we should start heading back in the morning, huh." 

"Yeah." I said in barely a whisper. 

When we woke up the next morning, we immediately packed up and started walking in the direction we thought we came from. Turns out it was the wrong direction; the sun was high overhead and we weren't even close to the edge of the arena. So we turned around and kept walking. But we were just getting more lost. At maybe two or so, we found the edge of the woods, but it definitely wasn't the edge of the arena; right in the center of the clearing, was the tall golden empty cornucopia and 24 platforms glistening in the sun. 

"I have no doubt the careers are camping out nearby." Whispered Ponyboy. 

We slowly and quietly turned around and darted from shadow to shadow as we made our way further from the center. About 300 feet from the cornucopia itself, we spotted the stream I'd camped at that first night. But it was guarded. Four bulky careers surrounded it. And one small boy stood with his back to us on the far end of their camp. Ponyboy pointed to the small boy. "That's Johnny. The kid from District 10. He's acting as a spy for us. We need to get over there to talk to him." 

"Okay." 

We were very slow and quiet as we circled around the clearing with the cornucopia to get to the other side unseen. The sky was growing purple and orange when we finally made it to the bush beside Johnny. The black-haired boy caught sight of us and made some sort of subtle signal to us that the careers didn't see and I didn't know what it meant. Ponyboy returned the gesture and Johnny turned around. I panicked for a split second before I saw Johnny sneakily take some bread and dried jerky from the pile of supplies, hide them under his jacket, and fill up the water canteen around his neck. He gave us a thumbs up, but didn't see the small pile of heavy boxes in front of him and fell right over, the boxes making a lot of noise.

The careers turned to look. "What do you think you're doing?" Shouted the guy from District 1, yanking Johnny up by the collar.

"I-I was hungry!" The small boy squeaked, his eyes flicked to us for a split second, telling us to run. But Ponyboy and I are frozen in place. 

"You were HUNGRY?" District 1 screamed in his face. "You know the deal, Cade. You help us, and you eat what we say you can eat. You do what we say you can do. And ONLY that! You step out of line one more time, you're dead, you hear me?"

Johnny quickly nodded his head and the other boy threw him down and he scrambled to get back up to his station. "Sorry" he mouthed to us. 

"It's okay." I whispered a little too loud, causing the careers to look our way.

"Crap..." Muttered Pony. 

They saw us. They snatched up their weapons and charged towards us. Johnny and Pony were tugging my arm, but I was too scared to move. The girl from District 2, Marsha, stayed put, evidently because she hurt her leg because it was wrapped in a bloody bandage, but she picked up her bow and an arrow and aimed carefully at me.

"Cmon, Sydney! We need to go!" Pony said. 

I couldn't get my feet to move. My stomach rose to my throat. I couldn't breath. 

"Y'know, we should make 'em suffer." Said the boy from District 1. "Randy, you hold Cade and the girl. 

"No!" I managed to squeak out as the boy from District 2 wrapped a steely hand around my shoulder. He reached for Johnny, but he was already out of reach. 

"Damn!" I heard Randy scoff. 

I watched speechless, my head pounding, as the boy from District 1 violently shoved Pony's head underwater. I screamed because it felt like someone was driving a nail into my head. "STOP!!!!!!" I screeched as Pony's head was plunged underwater for the hundredth time. His face was bleeding and I think he was unconscious. I struggled uselessly against Randy's brute strength. My head felt like it was splitting again and my vision was tainted red and black as I saw Johnny jump down from a tree or something and land on the boy from District 1's back. The large boy threw Pony aside and tried to get Johnny off him. But Johnny stabbed him in the back and jumped off. The large boy collapsed on the grass, bleeding out. Randy threw me aside roughly and went after Johnny. His district partner hobbled to me, pointing her arrow at my face. I wimpered, knowing this was the end.

Then there was a shot.

The girl fell on top of me with a cannon. I got out from under her and saw Randy get stabbed by the girl from District 5 and the redheaded girl from 1 got her skull crushed with a rock by the boy from 6. 

Then it happened. The wilderness faded out and I was once again in the white room. I could no longer move my body. My ears seemed to be clogged because I couldn't hear anything. There was movement beside me; a tall smudge I think was a person. But before they came into focus, I woke up in The Hunger Games.

It was much later now. Maybe around midnight. I was laying next to Johnny and three other people in a cave. They seemed to be fast asleep. I didn't know how I'd gotten there. I figured we'd probably be headed back to Nico and Dallas in the morning. 

_________________

Sorry it's been so long

Love ya! 

CC