I hit the dirt, skinning my knees in the process, but I didn't care. I had gotten injured far worse than two skinned knees. I rolled over dodging the strike. I managed to push myself to my feet, not like it mattered. My opponent knocked me down again. I was injured and my eye- site was blurry. I could barely see and my ears were ringing. My opponent struck me again, actually cutting me this time. He cut the back of my calves and since I haven't eaten really anything in years, the blade actually hit my bone. I crumbled to the ground. I couldn't even push myself to my hands and knees, much less move out of the way as the next strike came. There was no strike. I felt hands wrap around my midsection and pick me up, bringing me to the infirmary, where they would patch up my wounds and if I was lucky I would get a break until my wounds healed some. But of course, I'm never lucky. They'll probably put me back in tomorrow.

I'm a live- dummy. That means that I'm one of the lowest forms of slaves. I stay in the training grounds in the arena and I have to dodge all of the strikes that the gladiator throws at me. I'm one of the youngest here, yet I've been here the longest.

I've been a slave my entire life. I grew up in a boarding school for the rich brats, where I left when I was eight. I cleaned there. That was the best job I had ever had and I hated that job. The next one was working in fields. That failed horribly, because I was only eight and wasn't strong enough for it. I did it for a few months, but then my owner sold me as something else. I did another cleaning job and that was the first time I ran away. I still have the scars from the beating. My owner sold me after that. I worked in an armory for the army, but I ran away and put up a pretty good fight when they caught me. They had brought me back but I ran away time and time again, but they always caught me. They sold me after three years and then I was branded as a runaway. By branded, I literally mean branded. It's on the inside of my forearm.

That's when they decided that I would be a great live- dummy. I've been here for two years and I'm fourteen now. The last person that was here when I came died a year and a half ago. None of the other live- dummies dare talk to me, because we're not supposed to talk and I'm the favorite of the best of the gladiators. I caught their attention after being here for six months. I used to talk back to them, but now I don't. I've lost my will to survive. I do my job, but I don't eat, sleep, or drink. I haven't talked in three months. When I was little, my older sister would tell me that I could get somewhere. I tried, but I just ended up as a live- dummy. My sister was sold from the boarding school when I was four. Last I knew, she was a wanted run- away. She's probably dead now. I don't remember my name. I haven't heard it since I was four, ten years ago.

Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. They roughly dragged me to my cell and threw me in. I collapsed, hoping for sleep. Of course, I didn't sleep. After a few hours, the cell door opened again and I knew I was going to get some new cellmates. I groaned, but pushed myself to a sitting position, so I could see them. Luckily, I was near a wall, so I leaned against that since I could barely hold myself up. There were two girls and a guy. The guy and the younger of the girls looked to be around my age and the other girl about four years older. They were all wearing gray tunics, which meant they had just gotten out of the market. They'll wear those while they're here, since we don't get a change of clothes. The tunics came down to your knees for the most part, unless you're a personal slave. They get more freedom, but are still one of the lowest forms and there is a reason for that.

"Hello. I'm Reyna, this is Leo." The younger girl said, she was very pretty, with long black hair that was tied up. I bet if it were down, it would reach her waist. She also had really dark skin. Probably worked on a farm or she's naturally dark- skinned. The boy had dark skin too, not as dark, but still dark. He had curly brown hair and looked like an elf.

"I'm Thalia." The older girl said. I stared at her in shock. She looked very familiar anyways, now there's the name.

I didn't reply, refusing to speak.

"Are you mute? Did you get your tongue cut out or something?" Leo asked. I shook my head.

"Then why don't you talk?" He asked again. I put a finger to my lips and pointed out the door, where I could see a shadow. They, luckily, got the message and sat down, not speaking. A guard walked up to our cage. He slipped four plates of food in.

"You three," He said, pointing at Reyna, Leo, and Thalia, "No talking, no escaping, no moving. Stay where you are and once I leave, you may get up and get your food. When you are done, leave the plates in a pile outside the door."

They nodded and he left. While they jumped up to get their food, I didn't move. Thalia noticed this and grabbed my plate and brought it over to me. I shook my head.

"Eat. You know what, I'm going to call you Jason, since you won't tell us what your name is." That name rung a bell and I nodded, but still refused the food.

"Eat. It's important. And besides I have something that I want you to do, that we're all going to do soon. I'll tell you it later. But if you don't eat, you won't get to know." She spiked my curiousity and I nodded, picking up a piece of bread. I nibbled at it, but I couldn't get down more than that. It didn't really matter, that was all there was. It's the first meal that I have had in about three months. The gnawing hunger in my stomach lessened. It was still there, but wasn't as bad. Thalia grinned at me and took all of the plates slipping them through the bars and outside of the door, before coming back and plopping down next to me.

"After the guard comes back, I'll tell you it. Okay?" She asked.

"Okay." I said, my voice cracking. I sounded horrible, but after time I'll sound better, hopefully.

"So you CAN talk!" Leo exclaimed.

"Yeah, duh." I said.

"So what is your name?" Reyna asked.

"Actually. I haven't heard my name for ten years, the night before my sister got sold." I said.

"What was your sister's name?"

"Thalia." I answered.

"You could remember my name but not your own?" Thalia asked. "Seriously Jay?"

"Okay, wait, what's going on?" Leo asked.

"I'm his sister. I got sold out of the boarding school when I was eight, ten years ago, when he would've been four. I've been looking for you forever, Jay." She said, smiling and then she hugged me. I hugged her back. Finally some luck was showing through.

Later, Thalia finally told us her plan. We decided to do it the next night, then we fell asleep.

The next day, we had to watch, but didn't actually have to work. I was injured and the other three had just gotten here, so they didn't want them to work on the first day they were here. We sat up on the wall, where if we fell, we would die instantly, but we had to sit there. Basically, we sat in the arena the whole day, watching the other slaves get beat- up.

After the day was over, we were brought back to our cells and Leo snatched the guard's key for our cell, with out him noticing. He hid it, where no one would see it and we waited until a few hours after they have gathered the plates. Reyna opened the door and we walked out, sneaking down the halls. Every slave saw us, but none called out. They kept silent, occasionally giving us a thumbs- up. We crept out the door and once we were outside, we ran into the forest. We ran for a few hours, and then we were at a stream and we decide to wash off the scent, at least for a while. We walked in the stream for a little bit and once we were a good ways away from where we entered it, we got out and ran deeper into the forest. We climbed up into a tree and fell asleep, Leo and Reyna keeping guard and going to wake us at sunrise.

We were on the run for a few weeks, before we got caught. I had to get 500 lashes, from my record, and everyone else had to get 400 lashes, then we were sold.

At the market, we where required to stand on pedestals, where people would come up to us and study us like we were lab rats. I didn't see who bought me, but I was bought. One of the workers in the market grabbed me from my pedestal and chained my hands and feet together. Then he chained me to three other people, who I recognized as Leo, Reyna, and Thalia. We had gotten very close while being on the run. I relaxed, just slightly.

We were standing there for a while, before one of the workers came over and un- chained our feet. We where still chained together, but at least we could walk better. Then some men that I knew for a fact didn't work at the market came over and took us to this carriage, where they made us get in, but at least we weren't chained together anymore. Our hands were still chained behind our backs. After a few minutes the carriage started moving. We rode in it for a few hours and eventually fell asleep.