The darkness disappeared and suddenly Lizzie was swallowed in light. She blinked the sunlight from her eyes, her heart beating faster and faster.

Finally she opened her them, her green eyes widening. The tributes were arranged in a circle around the Cornuccopia (where all the weapons and food were located for those who would risk a fight lay), all like her, slow to react, hearts racing, minds struggling to grasp onto this reality, this new world they were savagely thrown into. She saw Blaine across from her, his hand raised to block out the sun. He somehow looked calm and composed, but she could see from the clench of his jaw, the slight shake of his hands, that he was absolutely terrified.

Breathing deeply Lizzie faintly recalled she only has sixty seconds on the starting plate, so she spun and took in her surroundings. The gold Cornuccopia glinted in the light, and she could see the items spilling out of it, their value growing the closer they were to its depths. Desire ebbed within her but she tore her eyes away, remembering Crippet’s orders, and looked around and gasped.

There was nowhere to run. The tributes were caged in by massive cliff walls but she could just scent the smell of trees, so she realized that the rest of the arena was above her. Lizzie looked down at the gloves and knew that they all had one choice, to climb.

She was ready to make her sprint and get started when she noticed that the tributes were stepping off their plates and already the Career pack was forming, a team of tributes from the strongest districts who worked together to eliminate the others before turning on each other. District 1 never received an invitation. A few panicked tributes sprinted off their plates and began to climb, but the Careers pulled them down and mercilessly slaughtered whoever they could reach.

Amidst the cries of the dying, Lizzie stepped lightly off her starting plate and dashed for a small crevice, hiding behind a boulder, watching the scene before her, looking for her window of opportunity. She looked across and saw Blaine was doing something similar and was now crouched, hidden from the Careers, gaze fixed on the weapons in the Cornoccupia.

A scream broke into her thoughts, and she squeezed further into the crevice, squeezing her eyes tightly, breathing rapidly. She clenched her fists tightly, trembling in fear. She covered her mouth with a hand and choked out a sob. She couldn’t do this. She just wanted to go home.
Releasing a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, Lizzie sang softly, trying to find some comfort anywhere it could be found. And as the air was stained with screams and the rocks were stained with red, she began to sing, voice shaking.

If I die young,
Bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river, at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song.

She opened her eyes slowly, peeking out of her hiding place, muttering softly.

The sharp knife of a short life
Well, I had just enough time

And with that Elizabeth Browning, fondly known as Lizzie, lover of literature and music prepared to throw herself into the scene. She crouched, ready to run, and said to the cameras she knew were watching, “Let the games begin.”


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Across the small canyon, Blaine was on his toes, head low to avoid detection but eyes glued on the Cornuccopia. He tried (unsuccessfully) to ignore the screams of the other tributes around him, and suddenly, a path to the golden horn was opened. Flashing a look at the others, especially the Careers, and seeing them all occupied he took a deep breath and ran.

He weaved between the fighting pairs and rocks at a sprint, heading straight to the Cornuccopia, ignoring the useless supplies at his feet and heading for the treasures in its golden depths. Blaine was there in seconds, and lightning fast he grabbed whatever was closest. A large black backpack, a spear, and a sheath that held three knives. As he ran to get out, he grabbed a long blade that lay at the entrance. He tore the sheath off it, and flinging it back into the pile he sprinted out. A large tribute stood in his way, but he twisted and dodged around him, flying towards the cliff wall.

Blaine saw that Lizzie was already climbing, having found her opening, and leapt onto the rocks. Stuffing the knives into the pack, and strapping it and the spear securely to his back, and carefully holding the unsheathed knife in his teeth, just in case, he pulled himself up. The gloves and boots were crazy successful, helping him stay on the rocks.

There was plenty of dips and cracks in the cliff side, offering many grips and soon Blaine was halfway up, shoulders and arms aching. Wincing, he pulled himself up and kept a quick pace, making progress quickly. Already Blaine had passed Lizzie, who was trailing far beneath him, and other tributes who were fortunate enough to escape the grasp of the Careers. Breathing heavily, he shook his damp curls out of his eyes, and continued to climb.

A scream rang out below him, not so unlike the others, but it made Blaine freeze against the rocks. Another scream of pain sliced through the air and Blaine gripped tightly onto the wall, feeling his limbs go limp. He knew that voice. It was as if the world was moving in slow motion as Blaine turned his head and looked below him, and saw Colin Joules, the District 2 monster of a tribute pulling Lizzie off the rocks. She clung on hard, but her fingers slipped and she crashed down to the ground.

“LIZZIE!” Blaine yelled, ready to drop off the rocks. Ready to help her at whatever the cost, his heart working faster than his head. “Lizzie hold on!”

Lizzie pulled herself up onto her knees, scrambling away from the large tribute. She heard Blaine’s shout, and screamed again, her voice forming a single word. “NOOO! NOOO!”

Blaine froze at her words shaking his head. “No…”

“BLAINE DON’T YOU DARE!” She let out another scream of pain as Colin shoved her roughly against the cliff face.
He was prepared to ignore her, to help her, when suddenly he heard Crippet shout at him in his thoughts, “Anderson don’t you dare! It’s too late. You can’t save her.”

“It’s too late.” He whispered softly and he tore his eyes away from the scene below and continued climbing.

Another scream cut through the clear mountain air, but then the voice went silent suddenly. Blaine looked just in time to see Lizzie’s blood splatter over the rocks, her body crumpling motionless to the floor.

Blaine turned back to the cliff face with a pained gasp, gluing himself tightly against it as he struggled to find a breath. He choked out a sob, pressing his forehead against the rocks. No, not Lizzie. It’s not fair. Not literature loving Lizzie. Not hot cocoa Lizzie. Not her. He thought of his new friend who was stolen away in an instant.

Taking an unsteady breath, he moved, and pulled himself up, his body moving like a machine as it carried him up the wall. But in his moment of shock another tribute had caught up, and suddenly he felt someone grab his ankle. Adrenaline coursed through him, and Blaine kicked wildly, his feet losing their purchase on the rocks. Arms screaming, he continued to struggle against his assailant, until he heard a crunch as his boot connected with the other tribute’s face, and his attacker fell, landing on the sharp rocks below with a sickening crunch.
Numbly, he scrambled up the rest of the wall, until finally he reached the top, and hauled himself over the edge.

Knowing he couldn’t stop as he saw other tribute doing the same, he moved the knife to his hand, and gripping onto it tightly he sprinted away into a forest, feeling the wind whistle in his face, leaves crunching underneath his light feet, branches whipping across his body. But he didn’t stop. He didn’t dare to stop.

As the sounds of the fighting melted into the distance until they disappeared altogether, Blaine slowed, panting heavily. He turned and looked around, finding himself in between tall trees, but the sky was blue above him, large grey mountains peeking above the green foliage. He breathed heavily, noticing the air was thin, and realizing that the arena was at a high altitude.

He stopped and caught his breath. Resisting the urge to look at what was in the pack, and instead thought back to Crippet’s instructions.

“Find water. Find a place to hide. Make a plan.” He told himself, and headed off in search of water.

After a few minutes he heard it. A small gurgle. Moving towards it, he found a small stream. Despite everything, he felt his face break into a smile and he rushed towards it, dropping on his knees next to water’s edge. Gasping at the sensation of the freezing water against his skin, he cupped the clear cold water in his hands and drank his fill, shivering. He washed his face with the icy liquid, running his hands through his curls, pulling them off his face.

Feeling refreshed he walked away, eyes peeled in search of someplace to hide, following the small stream until it ran against a cliff face. Finally he stumbled across a small opening in the rock. He ducked inside, smiling as the tiny entrance opened into a small cavern. It was empty, but perfect.

Blaine shrugged off the pack, leaving it inside as he exited again, collecting branches and rocks until he fully disguised the entrance, hiding it from view. Satisfied with his work he moved a few leaves aside, and squeezed through the entrance, rearranging the branches behind him. Sunlight trickled through a small openings in the rocks above him, giving him enough light to work.

Blaine unzipped the pack, taking the sheath of knives out, and putting it with the spear in a corner of the cave, keeping the long knife at his side at all times. Carefully he reached and pulled out everything inside, pleased at his find: A few sealed packages of food (crackers, dried fruit, dried meat), two canteens of water, a needle, and rope. But most importantly, a small first aid kit full of white gauze bandages and a tiny bottle of anti bacterial spray.

He put everything back in the bag, and placed it at the end of the cavern next to weapons. The light quickly faded, and soon he was enveloped in darkness. Exhaustion caught up with the boy and Blaine slid off his jacket, and using it at a pillow he curled himself into a small ball, closing his hazel eyes and quickly falling asleep.