"Thirty minutes?" lamented Stark with a groan of frustration as he paced around the room. The District 4 tributes were gathered in a lounging room, waiting for the Game to begin. Veen was seated in a sofa with Coren sitting on the arm of it. The other tribute whose name Stark didn't bother to learn was in another chair. Stark's intense anticipation and excitement wouldn't allow him to keep still, so he kept walking around the room. "I'm gonna die before this damn thing begins," he muttered, snapping his fingers against his thighs. Coren smirked and said, "Well, maybe we should think about who we'll have as part of the Careers group?"<br/><br/>"Anyone who starts killing once the Bloodbath begins," said Stark blatantly. "There. Done." Prolonging the discussion, Coren suggested, "How about that Haseo guy from District 1? He got good marks on training." Stark shook his head and said, "No. He's too aloof and offstandish. The traitor kind."<br/><br/>"Seriously," retorted Veen with a scoff, "you can tell that already? We only saw him for, what, ten minutes at training?" Halting his pacing, Stark turned to Veen and snapped, "Yeah, actually, I can. People are like books; they're easy to read." He smiled as he remembered that Veen had difficulty reading a training manual the day before. "Unless, of course," continued Stark as he circled Veen's chair, "you're stupid." With a scowl, Veen stood up and approached Stark, growling, "Are you calling me stupid, Eleven?" With his hands raised, Stark laughed and said coolly, "Hey, it's none of my business if you can't read people. Or books for that matter." With that, Veen thrusted his fist at Stark's face, but Stark grasped his arm and pushed it up, grabbing his shirt and slamming him against the wall in the process.<br/><br/>By this time, several staff members noticed the quarrel and hurried over to separate the two. Struggling against the men holding him back, Veen roared, "I can't wait to bash your big fucking head in!" Cackling, Stark yelled back, "Yeah, I'm sure that would be easy for someone who doesn't even know his ABCs!" Finally, their trainer stepped between them.<br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">Calm</span>the hell<span style="font-style: italic">down</span>, you two!" he shouted. "Look, the Game is going to begin in just twenty minutes. Can't you two wait until then to kill each other?<span style="font-style: italic">Please</span>?" With a smirk, Stark shrugged and said, "Ask him. He's the one who can't keep his hands off of me." Saying nothing, Veen just shook his head at him and leaned against the wall. The trainer sighed in defeat and said, "Okay, let's head out to the entrance." As they lined up behind the trainer, Stark blew a kiss to the scowling Veen.<br/><br/>***<br/><br/>Over at District 11's room, Eden Hayvick was not ready and he knew it. His breathing was erratic, his hands were trembling, his head felt airy, his chest ached, and his eyes stung from fatigue. Even worse than his physical problems were his emotional ones. His terrific fear and overwhemling dread was what caused all these symptoms. He felt like he was going insane as they waited. He just wished that the Game would start so that he wouldn't have time to dwell on it any more. Eden was sitting in a chair with his elbows on his knees and his hands under his chin. Laetha sat in the chair across from him with Galner sitting on the floor beside her. Emery was laying on the couch adjacent from the two chairs.<br/><br/>"Ok<span style="font-style: italic">ay</span>!" exclaimed Fallon as she scurried over. "We'll be going to the Cornuc<span style="font-style: italic">opia</span>soon. How's everyone<span style="font-style: italic">do</span>ing?" The responses that the tributes gave was either an inaudible murmur or a grunt. Fallon pouted and grumbled sarcastically, "Try to hold back your en<span style="font-style: italic">thu</span>siasm,<span style="font-style: italic">will</span>you? You children are<span style="font-style: italic">hope</span>less." She walked off to talk to some other staff in the room. Galner rolled his eyes and said, "Well, at least we won't have to deal with her." Laetha giggled at that and nodded. A silence passed over the four people.<br/><br/>"I'm so glad I got to meet all of you," murmured Emery calmly. "I couldn't have asked for better people to spend these last few days with." Galner smiled with downcast eyes and just replied with, "Yeah." Laetha nodded and said, "I wish that we all could've been friends before this." Eden couldn't speak at the moment, so he just smiled and nodded.<br/><br/>"But I think it would be harder then," said Emery as she stared at the ceiling. "Harder to say goodbye and everything." Laetha lowered her eyes and murmured, "Yeah, I guess it would."<span style="font-style: italic">I hate that this could be the last time I'll get to see them</span>, thought Eden as he stared at each tribute's face.<span style="font-style: italic">I hate that such good people have to be subjected to this pain. I hate that they have such a slim chance of survival. I</span>hate<span style="font-style: italic">it.</span>Tears began to cloud his vision and he quickly blocked out those thoughts. He knew entering the Game as an emotional wreck would tie the noose around his neck.<br/><br/>"Eden," said Galner. Eden jumped at the sound of his name and he looked over at Galner with glimmering eyes. "Stay strong," he encouraged him. Eden closed his eyes and two tears streamed down each cheek. Galner looked at all of them and continued, "Just survive, everyone. When it begins, get away from the Cornucopia as soon as possible. If you can, grab something then run as fast as you can. Stay away from everyone. They will kill you."<br/><br/>"It's<span style="font-style: italic">time</span>!" shrilled Fallon as she came over once more. "Get up,<span style="font-style: italic">ev</span>eryone. We're going to the Game!" As everyone got to their feet, their reluctance was evident in their body language. Fallon opened a metal entrance in the room and went through it with the tributes following behind. They walked through a long tunnel with glass walls and rings of light behind the walls. At the end, they came to another metal door that opened to a small but long rectangular room. On the other wall, there were four doors about ten feet between each. "Pick your door," said Fallon with a wicked smile.<br/><br/>Emery hesitantly walked toward the far left one and entered it. Galner went into the one to the right of that one, and Laetha to the right of Galner's. Eden approached the far right door and looked back at Fallon, who was petting her Remy. She grinned at him and said, "Good<span style="font-style: italic">luck</span>. You'll need it!" Eden turned back toward the door and entered it. Inside, it was a small square room with a a circular metal platform in the middle. Above it on the ceiling, there was a closed opening. He stared at the platform, trying to will himself onto it.<span style="font-style: italic">There's no turning back now</span>, he told himself.<span style="font-style: italic">There never was. Get on it.</span>Eden very slowly placed his right foot onto it with his left foot following. As soon as both feet were on the platform, it shifted upward and Eden stumbled, nearly falling off. Slowly, it rose and just as his head was about to hit the ceiling, it opened and light fell upon him from a hole above.<br/><br/>Once he went through that hole, Eden saw the forty-eight tributes circling the Cornucopia, which was a tent with various weapons, bags, and containers. He glanced at the four District 11 tributes around him, who looked back at him with vacant gazes. Most of the other tributes had intimidating glares or determined eyes on the Cornucopia. Surrounding them was a thick forest with towering grey trees reaching toward the sky and green vegetation crawling below the trees. It looked a lot like the wilderness outside of District 11. Eden almost felt home here and even considered the possibility that his village could be near here. He knew it was unlikely, but that didn't snuff out the glimmer of hope within him.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">It's my time</span>, Stark said to himself as his eyes glanced between the tributes and the Cornucopia.<span style="font-style: italic">It's my time to </span>become. His eyes scanned the weapons available at the tent. That sledgehammer looked promising, but maybe he should try for something lighter, like a sword.<span style="font-style: italic">No</span>, he thought.<span style="font-style: italic">The more damage in one hit, the better.</span>Looking at the other tributes, he judged how fast they might be able to reach the Cornucopia. He knew if he built enough speed, he'd be able to get there first. However, there was something else he had in mind. Something that may just stall the others for a bit.<br/><br/>As the timer on one of the trees reached twenty seconds, Stark looked over at Veen who was twenty feet from him. Veen had been glaring at him throughout this time. Grabbing the large tooth on his necklace, he gave him a wink. With a single pull, Stark broke the tooth that his father retrieved during the Game he won off of the twine. Veen furrowed his brow in suspiscion. Stark kissed the tooth and raised it back. Veen's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up. Stark sliced his arm through the air and threw it toward Veen. Knowing what would happen if it hit the ground, he stepped forward and reached for it. He was able to catch the tooth, but he lost his balance and fell forward. As soon as his arm hit the ground, the mine underneath activated, shattering the ground. The explosion engulfed Veen in fire and dirt and broke his body apart.<br/><br/>Every tribute cried out or gasped at the explosion and stared in horror at the gory mess once the smoke dissipated. Except for Stark Hellebore. He only laughed.