I keep my eyes closed for a moment, afraid to see where I will meet my death. When I feel cold air blowing on my face, I open them.

The podium I stand on is in water, like all the others, but the water only looks like it will come up to my ankles. I'm still fast, even running through water. The water gets deeper as it goes out. I look to the right to see what else this Arena has to offer. The beach is black rocks, with tall cliffs about 200 meters away. I can run that, but the point is trying to climb it without getting killed. They look steep, steep enough to slow me down. I strain to look at the top of them, and I catch sight of trees and grass. This place has trees for shelter, which hopefully means animals, and water. If I don't have a lot to carry, I can get out fast and climb the cliffs before anyone else. Maybe I have a chance here.

I turn and look at the Tributes. Kevin Tran is to my left, shaking slightly. Somewhere inside me wants to reach out and tell him it will all be OK, but I know that is wasted hope. My eyes scan them, and find Jo standing seven places to my right. Her hair is scraped back in a bun and she is already in a running position. I look at her for a while before moving on, trying to find Castiel. He is almost directly opposite me, so far that I can't see his face, all I recognise him by is the outline.

It is now I turn my attention to the Cornucopia. The huge gold horn stands in the middle of the water, on a rocky island, with everything one needs to survive inside. I know better than to run right into the middle, but I have to get something. If not a weapon in the middle, there is a rolled up black sleeping bag-on a bit of rock so it won't get wet- a few feet from my left, with straps so I can carry it. Closer to me is a large water bottle, at least big enough for one litre. Then a large hunting knife catches my eye. It's further than the sleeping bag, but I'm fast. I can run faster than any one in school. I might stand a chance against the Tributes.

Ten, nine, eight….

Water, bag, knife, as well as reminding myself to pick up anything else I can, that I will be able to carry. I have to be able to move quickly, and don't need things slowing me down.

The canon booms and I'm off. I miss the water bottle but grab the sleeping bag, taking a moment to sling it onto my back. Once I have it on, I make a run towards the knife. Unfortunately, the girl from 4, Ruby, has the same idea. I dive forward and grab it, but she knocks me to the water, my blow softened slightly by the sleeping bag, but the sharp rocks under the water dig into my legs. In a flash, I slice her across the stomach, but the wound is too shallow. She punches me, hard twice on the jaw and once in the stomach. Her boot digs into my arm, then my wrist and I let go of the knife.

'You got here to save your brother, right?' asks, lifting the knife, which drips water, 'he's cute, you know. Pity you'll never see him again. Say "bye, Sam".' She waves, as if she is talking to him. I take my moment and kick her between the legs and knock her down when she loses her balance. I retrieve the knife and get up and try to make a run for it. I am able to grab a burlap sack of something, and a loaf of bread. I get onto the beach, but when I think I'm in the clear, I feel a slash on my right leg and I don't have to look down to know I'm bleeding hard. The pain is almost unbearable, but the comment Ruby made about Sam makes me want to keep going. The cliffs aren't that far.

Still, I fall to the ground after a few steps. No one comes after me, they're too preoccupied with the Bloodbath, and I'm as good as dead anyway.

I let my family down. I won't be there anymore and Sam will be taking the full force of my dad's rage. Jo is District 12's only hope now. She has to win.

Footsteps pass me. I must be almost dead if people aren't bothering to kill me. Black spots appear in my vision. I close my eyes, ready for death.

The person stops at me head. They touch my face, my shoulders. I want to tell them to fuck off and at least allow me the dignity of dying in peace, but I'm too exhausted. I feel someone lifting me. I want more than anything to protest, to kick them off, but I can't.

'Stop,' I choke out, my voice barely a whisper 'leave me alone.'

The last thing I feel is someone swinging my legs up.

I wake to the feeling of water dripping onto my forehead. My vision is blurred and I blink a few times until I focus. When I do, I see a grey roof above me, made of rock and become aware that I am on top of my sleeping bag. My jacket has been removed. Great. Some assholes have decided to drag me to some cave and finish me nice and slow for the cameras. I move to get up on my elbows, pushing myself up.

'Dean.' Like light through a fog, his voice comes and I stop in my tracks.

'Cas?' He kneels down beside me, squinting at me, then placing a hand on my chest.

'Don't,' he shakes his head 'you were hurt badly. I managed to clean the wound and fix a makeshift bandage, but you have lost a lot of blood.' I glare at him, remembering the feeling of a knife on my leg, the searing pain, waiting for death to come. Then the feeling of someone lifting me, swinging me into their arms.

'You saved me.' It comes out more of a question, which wasn't what I intended. Castiel simply nodded. 'Why?'

'You wanted to be allies, right?' His brow wrinkles in confusion, squinting again. He isn't being sarcastic.

'Yeah, but,' I hunt in my mind for something to say 'how long have I been unconscious?' I ask, changing the subject.

'A day,' he replies, 'ten are dead. The pair from Two and girl from Three, the boy from Six and Seven. I don't remember who else, but I remember the girl from your District is alive.'

I nod, taking it in. Fourteen left to play the Games. Part of me sighs in relief Jo is still alive. Another part prays Ruby is among the dead.

I push myself up and this time Castiel puts an arm around my waist and helps me up, shaking his head.

'Are you normally this stubborn?' he sighs. I wince as I stand, but try to conceal it. If he notices it, he doesn't say. 'These are our provisions.' He gestures toward a large rock with plastic over it, with a loaf of bread (the one I grabbed), a bag of apples, a bottle of water, a large plastic box of crackers and a wedge of cheese.

'Where did you get all this?' I ask, shocked.

'The Cornucopia,' he answers 'people go straight for the weapons, so I took my chance. Although, the bread and apples were yours.' Oh, the sack I grabbed. I nod, smiling before I can stop myself. 'Here.' He tosses me an apple, which I catch expertly. 'You should eat.'

'Are you sure?' I ask, ignoring the hunger pangs in my stomach. He nods and I bite into it. It has to be one of the best apples I've ever had, but I'm not distracted. 'What happened to me?'

'I don't know who stabbed you,' he tells me 'I was still at the Cornucopia when it happened, but I found you on the beach. You were bleeding badly and barely conscious. So I picked you up and thought of how to get you to safety. The cliffs were immediately ruled out, since I could carry you and climb them both. But after running along the cliffs, I found here. Sealed by a bolder, close to the water, shelter, camouflage, I figured it would make a good base. Then I used a piece of the sack you had the apples in for a bandage.' He says it like it it's a school report, not like he just saved my life.

'Why?' I ask him 'Why save me? I mean, one less Tribute to worry about.'

'You…' he says, confused 'I thought we were allies. Are allies.' Sighing, I think of how to change the subject, because up I know I will NEVER understand this boy. Maybe he did save me because he thought an ally is important.

'So what do we do now?' I ask 'I mean, we can't hide in here forever.' He nods, eyes narrowing.

'I agree. Perhaps we should-' His voice is cut off by the sound of a canon booming, making us jump. Another Tribute down. Castiel's eyes meet mine, his full of shock and fear.

In that moment, it strikes me how young we are. How young all of us are. We're not even adults yet, and here we are, fighting to the death. 23 of us won't live to see adulthood.

'As I was saying.' His voice is shaking, but we both ignore it. 'I believe we should explore the rest of the Arena. However, there is the risk of meeting other Tributes.'

'We cross that when we come to it,' I tell him.

'Dean,' he protested 'we can't say that. This is the Hunger Games. If they see us they will kill us.'

I close my mouth. He is right, of course. But we can't stay in the cave forever. Eventually we will be found, or run out of food, or the Gamemakers will draw us out.

I open my mouth to tell him that, but a voice from outside the cave makes us both jump. Voices are coming from outside the cave. Who knows how far away they are. I look over at Cas, who returns my gaze. He hears them too. And he is thinking the same thing I am.

I kneel down at the door of the cave, trying to look through it. I go to shift it an inch before Cas grabs my shoulder.

'No, Dean,' he advises 'they'll notice a huge boulder being moved out of the way.'

'What do we do then?' I whisper. I try to convince myself that I'm whispering because I don't want to be found, not because I'm scared.

'Here.' He gets up and beckons me to follow. He gestures to a small opening in the wall of the cave, stepping back so I can look through. The opening is small, but I can see three figures on the beach. I become aware of Cas next to me; I can hear is even breaths, but I don't know if the rapid heartbeat is his or mine.

'Did you see her face?' one of the figures laughs. My mind goes back through the interview until I match the voice with a face. Gadreel, District 8.

'She never knew what was coming.' The girl from 10, Naomi.

The word 'She' sticks in my mind. It could be Jo.

'Yes, well done us,' a third voice says in a bitter tone 'but we did let 12 get away!' Jo is alive. When I glance sideways, I see Cas is smiling at me.

'We'll get her next time,' Naomi reassures him 'and she is from District 12. She isn't even a threat!'

'She scored a seven,' the third one reminds them 'and I saw her in training. She deserved a nine. She is a threat. Her and her District buddy.

The colour drains out of Cas' face when he looks at me. They are gunning for me. But why me?

Their leader's head turns toward us. I gasp and duck down, grabbing Cas as I go.

'He looked in our direction,' I whisper.

'Raphael?' So that is who he is. The boy from District 1 who is capable of snapping both our necks. Unable to speak, I nod.

My knife? I mouth at Cas, hoping it's here. He jerks his head to the right, where I can see it glinting. I hold my breath and crawl silently in that direction, my heart pounding in my ears. Has he seen us? Is he coming?

I reach over and grab the knife. I press myself against the cave wall while Cas dares to look out the opening. I become aware of the fact my hand is shaking. If Raphael is looking, Cas will be the first thing he sees, and possibly the first one he kills. I can't let the boy who saved my life be killed. Not on my watch.

After what seems like an eternity, he leaves the gap and crosses over to me.

'It's OK,' he tells me 'he's gone.' When he says this, I can't help being reminded of how I would comfort Sam like that.

'OK,' I sigh, pushing the thought from my mind 'OK, OK, OK. What do we do now?' My hands are still shaking, adrenaline pumping through my body. I wish to God I could stop.

'We can't stay here forever,' he says, laying his hands on mine 'I suggest we pack our provisions and look around the rest of the Arena.' His voice is gentle and soothing. Part of me wants to push him off me and go on with the plan, but instead I stay there until my heart slows down and I can stop shaking. He puts his hands on my arms and gently lifts me to my feet.

'Are you all right?' he asks. I would never have imagined someone asking me that who isn't Sam or Charlie. My dad never did. I never thought someone would ask me it here, now.

'Yeah,' I give him a weak smile 'I'm fine.'

We pack all the food silently into a backpack Cas managed to lift from the Cornucopia. I slide my knife into my belt and shrug my sleeping bag on my back.

'Dean?' Cas asks, looking at me. I look up at him, his face full of concern, but also like the boy I met in training, who helped me tie a snare.

'What is it?' I ask.

'Are you really OK?' The silence stretches out between us. He simply looks down and continues packing.

'No I am not,' I tell him 'I am not OK and until these Games are over I don't think I will be.' I don't know why I am so honest with him, until I remember he saved my life when he could have left me to die and found some other ally. Whatever else happens, I can trust him. And my trust is something I don't give out much.

'Me neither.'

His response makes me look closer at him. For the second time, I am reminded that we are all kids here. I am also reminded that he probably had a life in District 11. And that he is as scared as I am.

He slings his backpack on his back and opens his mouth to speak, just as the ground begins shaking.