(Unedited entry. Any thoughts?)

Amelia's hair took hours to dry. With a sigh, she peeled off damp strands of red-orange from her neck and shoulders. The forest she found herself in was large, and the vegetation was fit for an overgrown greenhouse. Amelia's chest ached from having tripped so much, and the hike itself was enough to make her legs sore and her calfs tender. Ugh.

"Like, it's totally hot," she told the group.

Amani chuckled, almost sarcastically. "It is, isn't it?" Her voice was far too gone, too away. Almost nine feet ahead of where Amelia stood.

None of them really cared for what she had to say, nor did they pay attention to her. It pissed her off while simultaneously making her happy, as it meant she had time to herself. What losers. Ugh. I cannot wait for them to die. Maybe they'll kill themselves! God, that would be delicious.

The air melted against the wind, carving near-invisible lines of white as it passed overhead. It was beautiful. Large, wet vines grew thick and plentiful. Lots of tiny flowers graced the trees and stumps. The smallest ones were pink and around the size of Amelia's heart--a centimeter all in all. Bright colors woke up the atmosphere, prompting birds to chirp, wolves to howl, and all sorts of creatures to cause a ruckus. In the dark midnight arena everything took on its own form of life. A leopard roared, fearsome and free. God, what I wouldn't kill to ride a leopard. Just once. Just once.

Corradhin was the only one in her group she didn't hate. He wasn't as stupid as the others, and he actually had a use. The others couldn't do anything but find reasons to ignore her. These damn people don't understand how precious I am. Serves them right that they all shall die.

Trees reached out to stroke her hair and entangle themselves inside of her skin. Briars prickled and pinched her, drawing up blood as she shoved past and pushed them off. Walk, walk, walk! I thought this would be fighting, not a damn weight-loss session. With a huff, she tapped the knife that hung from her belt and climbed on.

Hours before, when they'd all reached that tiny Cornucopia, Amelia had a field day. She'd spotted several beautiful swords, knives, and the like, but all she wanted was the tiny, hand carved dagger-knife. It gleamed in the dark, almost glowing. Ah, my glorious tools of death. The only thing that could have made it better would be if she found some wire.

Amelia's fingers entangled in the vines as she passed, not bothering to check how far the group had gotten away from her. They weren't anything, just people that existed in a world miles away. Amani and Corradhin spoke in low tones to one another. It was like the two had known each other for years. God, can't they just fuck already and get over it? What a bitch.

Even as she thought, Amelia knew it wasn't really what she believed. She needed any excuse possible to hate them. If she truly looked into those grey eyes she'd find someone who could possibly be a friend. That thought alone terrified her. In the Districts, all friends were fake. No one wanted her. They wanted her body. They wanted her position. They wanted what she had. People coveted, but never truly desired her.

No one here is a friend. Acid laced her thoughts alongside ice and hatred. Everyone here wants to win--that's the point of it. Her heart beat fast as she drug herself up, each step squishing the mud beneath her Mickeys. This pathetic excuse for a pact won't last long. The second they get in my way I'll-

Her thoughts stopped as reality woke her. Amelia stumbled, trying to catch her breath as she leaned against a tree. They'd gone on ahead and she couldn't keep up. She, who had years of training. She, who was probably the most fit. She, who found herself to be utterly perfect...lost in vegetation so thick she could taste it on her tongue.

Gigantic pink flowers filled her line of sight. Their stems were the size of a child's head and their petals were long enough to be a dress. Green with large pink, purple, and blue dots. Those colors contrasted against each other to craft a lovely trap of seduction. Ah, Venus. Aren't you a bit...big?

Amelia chuckled, feeling much too smug. The plants didn't respond to her thoughts or to her laugh. Even still, she knew not to believe them. Nothing that still stays in the shadows for long.

Cautiously, she began to move forward. Sweat fell down her face and neck as if she'd been running a marathon. "If I'm quiet," she whispered under her breath, "and don't touch them, I'll be fine."

Amelia's plan worked perfectly...for the first minute. After passing two of the traps a soft, repetitive beeping sounded. It worked its way through the trees to touch her head. The round object ticked until she twisted it open. Another lightbulb?

It wasn't a lightbulb. Instead, it was a box of plain white cards and a tiny bag of dried berries. Beside the two was a tiny, clear vial of dark yellow liquid. A small, scrawled note filled with large handwriting was her only clue as to what was meant of her--Be ever curious, Amelia. Find the use.

Whoever sponsored her had a sadistic sense of humor.

She rolled her eyes and packed the items into her sports bra. The thin but tight material worked well enough, and her natural beauties kept anything from showing too much. "You dipshit," she muttered.

The plants heard her. Green moved and stretched itself out as a large creature yawned, it's purple teeth gnashing against one another. Sharp, acidic juices flowed from the flower's mouths. Okay, Venus, someone gave you an upgrade. Before her eyes the creature-flower things rose up, their leaves stretching out as if just awaking from a long nap. More yawning.

It sounded so much like a human...but no. Those things were deathly evil and nothing made from nature. Man had created these beasts, and the Venuses were ready to attack. On her left, she watched one open wide enough for her to catch a glance of a half dissolved skeleton. A squirrel, perhaps, or some other small animal. The bones were rotten. It reached out and ran a sprout over her arm.

Death, as beautiful and cruel as it was, stunk. It was worse than when Peacekeepers ran over skunks and left the bodies out to fill the entire upper half of the District with that awful smell. "Thank God they take out the dead bodies," she said aloud, "I couldn't handle that grossness. Yuck."

Venus didn't appreciate her words. As a shiver courses through Amelia's body, Venus's sprouts wrapped around her. Tight.

"Shit! Like, get the fuck off me!" She hit it with the hilt of her knife, then turned around and sliced it open. Slime poured out of the wound and coated her.

If Venus's yawn had sounded human, her cry was far worse. Like that of a baby having a choking fit it slammed it's sprouts about. Leafs fell and slapped her in the face, the pain cold and sharp, a million paper cuts doused in strawberry juice.

The beast fell back as she cut off another sprout. Dark, dark yellow-green slime coated her as it squirted out in violent waves. "Amelia!" a voice called for her, "Amelia!"

It wasn't a voice she knew. Rather, the robotic voice was chilling and old.

"Amelia!"

It squeaked. Old metal? Maybe she did know the voice.

"Amelia!"

Why can't I move? God! Fuck! Why am I not moving?! Run! Run, bones, run!

She'd never felt so utterly powerless before. All her life she'd be in control, owning everything she touched. In that moment she was completely lost and dead.

"Amelia!"

Oh, shit! It's getting reinforcements!

She shut her eyes tight. It was all she could do. With shivering bones she stood, eyelids clenched together, hands squeezed into thin fists--one still holding the knife, coated in yellow-green as it was.

"I get you, Amelia! I get! You die!"

A chortle.

Trees cracked and bent, the wood snapping clean off in the presence of a larger, more terrifying beast. The Mother of all Mothers. Peek. Come on, just one peek...Green eyes flashed open to a sight so gruesome she couldn't close them again.

Purple teeth made from sharpened bones pried off one another to let out a pool of slime. It splashed, just barely missing her feet as it sloshed past. It was a huge ass flower. Fuck. Large and green, mixed with ugly purples and pukey grays that ran into blue dots. Lining the wooden teeth--thin, light purple lips, like that of a dying old lady. She let out the smallest cry, a surrendering one, that left her broken and crumbling before a beast ready to kill her in one strike. Her pathetic blade fell to the ground, beginning to dissolve in the slime there. Her slime coated left hand stung and burnt but she couldn't wipe it away.

Amelia couldn't do anything.

"Amelia! You die!"

How is it talking?!

There was no tongue. No throat. Sound emancipated from nothing, words that rendered Amelia into that nothing. The voice is me. Amelia shook her head the very slightest. It couldn't be--couldn't be her. No, no...God, that robotic, awful voice is mine.

As the flesh on Amelia's dominant arm was eaten away, tears flowed down her face. The creature walked on two thick tree stumps that had to be older than anything else in the awful rainforest habitat she'd found herself in.

In a whisper she let out her fears, "Not me, not me...it's not me...oh God, I'm going to kill myself."

The ground shook with its steps. She cursed but it didn't make her body move. Mother Venus was coming for blood, and it looked like beautiful girl was on the menu.

"Amelia!"

No, no, no! Move! Fuck this! Just move, dammit!

"Amelia..."

Fucking hell, it's only a few feet away! Get out, get out, get out! It'll kill me if I don't move! I'm gonna die.

"Amelia..."

I'm gonna move.

"Amelia..."

The ground let her feet go. Released, she stumbled back, feeling the heat from the creature. It radiated broadly, unashamed. Mother Venus was Amelia's true form, it seemed. Both whole and dangerous, one showing the true disgusting creature while the other hid away under a mask of innocent beauty. Amelia couldn't think anything but that as she fought her way through the wet ground and through the mud.

She screamed as the pain finally registered. In one moment, life had woken up. Amelia was aware. Amelia knew to run. She had to escape, but where? Why? There was no use. Nothing could protect her from Mother Venus. Mother Venus, who couldn't see but had excellent smelling--the gaping holes flapped open and closed, bringing in and out air, told her that.

I'm gonna die.

Amelia hit the ground hard, screaming more as the acid continued to eat at her. She ripped up leaves and tried to wipe away as much as possible, cooling it in the mud while trying to keep going backwards, away from Mother Venus. Petals fell like blankets, coating her and the ground.

"Get away, get away!" Her voice--scared and meek. I'm gonna die.

Mother Venus let out a roar as she hid herself within the light pink and green blankets. No more light. No more sight. There was no time for thoughts. Amelia reached inside her bra, feeling her bare chest as she pulled out the vial of liquid and took a chance. I'm gonna die.

Amelia poured it over her arm, chest, and everything else.