User blog:Annamisasa/The 102nd Annual Hunger Games

Hello everyone! Welcome to my 4th games! My last games -sadly- took me a very long time to write, in fact so long that I lost interest for them. So I am starting out again.

I learned from my mistakes, I now know that it's important for me to update frequently and sometimes having to force yourself to write is not a bad thing. Sometimes writing is like going for a run. You have to pull yourself together to do it but once you get going, it's awesome!

There will be no Reapings, Group Training or interviews. I will give private training scores and then head straight to the games.

As always, please bear in mind that English is my second language, so there will be grammatical and spelling mistakes. But I am sure Jade will remind all of you of that as well.

Introduction
After president Snow's death the land of Panem grew more and more peaceful. The 76th annual hunger games were held but as a dissapointment to many, President Snow grandaugther, Rose Ana Snow, wasn't reaped. People slowly grew careless about their freedom and tried to put the days of the rebellion past them. After 12 years of controlling Panem, President Paylor passed away from a heart disease. Her dauther Megan was elected but sadly she wasn't a good leader.

Rose was furious of the way the country was ruled and wanted to lead Panem like she was promised by her grandfather, Snow, himself. She formed a rebellion group of people from the Capitol who thought they were mistreated. She made a plan, with her fellow rebels where they poisoned all of the food in the president's mansion. Many of the new rulers of Panem died and one dark night, Rose snuck in and assassinated Megan Paylor her self. A year after President Rose Ana was in full control of Panem and had crushed every single enemy standing in her way.

Rules

 * I don't use random.org, nor do I pre-select the victor. The victor is selected on the final day of the games. So please, cheer your tribute on, send them stuff and advice is greatly appriciated (although not required).
 * Two tributes per user
 * Only spam if you make a tribute in these games
 * I will not accept "on my profile". Links to THGRP are alright but I would appriciate if you post the tribute in a comment instead of just a link.
 * No tributes that have already been in my game
 * If info to your tribute is missing I will not let them in my games, so follow the template.
 * Add "Rain in the pool" to your comment if you read these.
 * This contains a very small amount of cursing, but nothing too wild.
 * Reservations will last for a day. Preservations will last for 3 days.

Template
Name:

District:

Gender:

Age:

Weapon: (One or two)

Strength: (Besides weapon, two)

Weaknesses: (Atleast two)

Fears: (Atleast one)

Appearence:

Height:

Personality (don't underestimate the importance of this one):

Backstory (don't underestimate the importance of this one):

Reaction when reaped: (Optional; This will not be used but are still good for me learning about the tribute)

Interview angle: (Optional; This will not be used but are still good for me learning about the tribute)

Strategy for bloodbath/games:

Token: (Optional but recommended) Alliances: (Specific preferences, such as gender, age, number of allies or specific tributes).

Career
Dior Kenzo (D1M), Claudia Smythe (D2F), Lucy Perch (D4F), Helena Krisp (D10F), Hester Riva (CF), Lynx Striker (D4M)

Anti-Careers
William Webster (D3M), Sorcera Spectrus (D7F), Kodai Hitogoroshi (D7M), Bailey Starshine (D9F), Dyna Ploson (D13M), Train McBridge (D6M), Fabian Matthis (D9M), Evan Hawes (D10M), Ophelia Carlile (D6F),

District 5 and 11 Alliance
Yul Zhu (D5M), Janu Wong (D11F),

District 3 and 8 Alliance
Madoka Artemisia (D3F), Araneae Web (D8F)

Loners
Ella Massey (D1F), Michael Kaizer (D2M), Fiona Valoran (D5F), Brock Olsen (D11M), Wolf Fang (D12M), Quintus Hase (CM), Riven Exile (D12F)

Looking for Allies
Polyester Astro (D8M), Ruby Hyrglass (D8F)

Private training money bonuses
So some of you guys may know that I let a slight bit of your money be affected by your training score, to simulate how higher scores get more sponsors. Now, high score will give you more money while smaller scores will make you lose a bit of money, but it isn't too much you win/lose, so don't give up just because you may have lost a bit of money!

Game Bonuses
These are all money bonusses that can be obtained within the games. Want more money? These things will give you more and are still achieveable after game-start:

Sponsor Items
Antidote: $250

Awl: $150

Axe: $250

Blanket: $75

Blowgun: $150

Bow: $175

Bread: $75

Burn Cream: $175

Camouflage Paints: $150

Chains (length of it is irrelevant, once it bought, you should have chain enough for most): $100

Claws(2): $200

Cooler bag (for spraints) $50

Crossbow: $200

Dagger: $75

Darts (10): $50

Dried Meat: $75

Dried Fruit: $75

Elastic: $50

Empty backpack: $50

First-aid kit: $200

Fishing root: $125

Instant Relief (heals any wound immediately): $400

Iodine: $125

Jacket (for warmth): $125

Knife: $75

Knunchock: $175

Mace: $200

Machete: $200

Matches: $75

Neosporin (to prevent infection in open wounds): $200

Net: $150

Night-Vision Glasses (allows your tribute to move at night): $175

Paddles: $50

Painkiller: $100

Poison: $100

Quiver of Arrows (10): $50

Raft: $250

Rope: $50

Shovel: $100

Sickle: $150

Silk: $50

Sleeping Bag: $100

Slingshot: $100

Soup: $75

Spear: $150

Spile: $100

Brass Knuckles: $150

Sword: $200

Scythe: $175

Shurikens (5): $150

Tent: $125

Throwing Axes (3): $225

Throwing Knives (3): $175

Trident: $250

Water: $100

Whip: $175

Wire: $100

Wooden Club: $150

Arena


I have added a simple picture to give you an idea of the layout of this arena. However, if you want to understand the arena, you will have to read the describtion or just read along in the POV's.

The arena consist of four zones and a cornucopia arena.

The Cornucopia Arena: A somewhat big tiled platform with the golden cornucopia in the middle, and the ring of pedestals surrounding it. Supplies are scatered around here.

Water Zone: The water Zone consists mostly of water. The salt water streches through out the entire zone and the only type of land is islands, which are connected by small pathways in the water, that are not very deep, so the tributes can walk on them. There is some foliage on the islands, so you aren't completely visible to everyone. There's quite a lot of mutts roaming around in water and on the islands.

Fire Zone: A zone consisting mostly of dirt terrain and  mountains and volcanoes. This zone is dangerous, but also filled with cover like caves and huge boulders to hide behind. However, other than a few warm water mountain springs there is no source of water or food. The heat in this area is also quite exhausting. However there are no mutts.

Earth Zone: A zone consisting mostly of dirt and the plants that grows in it. This zone is covered by trees, and provides pretty good cover, although there's a lack of hiding places. This place has some water sources, but is mostly rich on food. However there's also a lot of poisionouse plants and it's probably the zone with most mutts.

Air Zone: The air zone is an abyss. It's shrouded in fog and so, no one is really able to see how deep down the earth is. All one knows is that if you fall, you're gonna die. However, there are pillars and platforms sticking up from the abyss, which tributes can walk on. Bridges and pathways connects these to each other. The thick fog clouds the pillars and platforms so it's unlikely to spot a tribute or be spotted. There are no mutts. There is no way of getting food in this zone.but some platforms pools with completely clean water.

Status
The status is essential for good advice. It shows where the tribute, what they have, and who they are with. Now some quick explanation to it:

Please note:

 * Normal text in "possesions" means that they own it.


 * Bolded text in "possesions" means that your tribute own this item, but will share it with his/her allies if needed. If you do not wish for your tribute to share, you have to advice it.


 * Cursive text in "possesions" means that one of your allies own this item and will share it if needed.


 * Needs will still show that they need "water" or "food" even if another ally have it and is willing to share.

Day 2
None.

Ophelia's POV:
The words echoes as the plate I stand under finish rumbelling. This is happening. It's really happening. The games, despite being so horrible were still "just" an approaching nightmare in the future. But not anymore. No more silly interviews, sparkly dresses, training scores or creepy career glares saying: "I am gonna murder you really soon, weakling" (I received quite a lot of those) are not just something which may or may not happen. A murderous glare is no longer a promise. It's a death sentence.

The nightmare has begun. And I may never be able to awake from it.

51... 50... 49...

Ruby's POV:
''"Don't doubt yourself. You're smarter than they are. Use it to your advantage." ''The words of my best friend, Leia, echoes inside my mind. Even after the accident, where I blinded my best friend, she stayed with me. Even in these games, she's still with me... Maybe not physical but... I believe we're still connected somehow. Still together in this.

A slight flick of guilt washes through my body thinking of her, and I shake my head, almost as if to shake it off. I can't let that be a distraction now. I owe her that. Instead, I watch my surroundings, trying to take in where exactly we are. To my left, a sea spreads out from the tiled platform which holds the shinning, golden cornucopia. To my right, a rocky wasteland. In the distance I see trees in the right side of the horizon and in the left... nothing... or maybe fog. It's hard to tell.

I glance back up at the counter. 35... 34... 32...

"Don't leave me..." I whisper, as if Leia closer, and then I turn towards the abyss.

Helena's POV:
Looking around, I quickly lock eyes with Hester (C). Both being career recruits we have become quite close to each other. She sends me a confident smile and I smile back. Truth be told, I was slightly worried at first. Both Ella and Michael refused to join us, and even with me and Hester, we're lowered by one man. And the fact that Michael got the highest training score of all of us doesn't exactly make the case any better.

But I feel better about it now. Dior (1) is alright, but Hester, Lynx (4) and Claudia (2) and me are amazing with our weapons. The Anti careers would send us so many glares, as if they actually were something. But just look at the name. I mean seriously? "Anti careers"? Like as if they could actually work against us. Like they actually believed they stood a chance, when infact the only thing they did was volunteering as our victims. But I guess that's pretty good.

27... 26... 25...

Fabian's POV:
I look up from the ground, where supplies lied scattered around temptingly. These could safe your life... or bring you to an early grave. We agreed as Anti-careers, we would get some supplies before leaving the bloodbath. We would be doomed without them, when we are so many. But if we want weapons -which we do- we will have to go into the mouth of the cornucopia. Being so many and only 5 careers, it's not the biggest thing to be conserned about. I feels good to outnumber the careers. Show them a thing or two. Usually the careers stomp on the outlying district. I hope we can stomp on them, this time.

Lifting my gaze, it's first now that I see her. I wish I hadn't. Claudia (2), the innocent-looking career with a vicious tone of voice is staring at me, her glance filled with so much hatred that almost it itself had been enough to kill a tribute. I shiver, and look away. Better stay near my allies....

19... 18... 17... 16...

Quintus's POV:
I almost wanna throw up. Almost. I.... Liked this. I enjoyed this, I enjoyed watching this sickening countdown back home in the safe Capitol on my flat screen television that was bigger than myself. I enjoyed these games... But I can't just stop and throw up. This isn't the Capitol where everything is served to you on a silver plate. I can't just stop because I feel sick. I have to keep going.

Knowing that, those thoughts are probably the only thing keep me from throwing all of my meger breakfast up all over my pedestal. How could I be so blind? How can anyone enjoy watching this...? How could I think of this as "just a game? I remember the excitement I would feel as each second passed, waiting for what felt like ages to see the slaughter. Now the only think I feel is dread, knowing that each second is counting down to all of our way too early graves.

The games are no longer just a games.

They're dark mind's twisted fantasies turned to reality.

9... 8... 7...

Riven's POV:
Looking directly into the mouth of the cornucopia, I finally find the blade I long for. The weapon that shall shed the enemies blood. The time is almost down, and I look around, seeing weaker tributes unsure of where to run to, like the cowards that they are. They can't even make a decision when their life depends on it. I made mine long ago. Fight the enemy, no matter who they are. Fight those who judge me for my eyes. It may get me killed... but I would rather die than bend.

...3 ...2 ...1 ...0... GONG!

The countdown is done and I step onto the battlefield.

Lynx's POV:
At once, the battlefield is turned into chaos. Some tributes rush straight towards the cornucopia, in a hunt for weapons like the idiots they are. I'll let my allies take care of them for now though. Right now I only want one thing. ''The first kill. ''The kill that will set the tone for the rest of the games. The kill that will show the Capitol just how dangerous the career are... or rather, just how dangerous I am.

So instead of rushing to the cornucopia, I jump off my plate, looking for a victim. The tributes wanting to reach the cornucopia are -of course- already running, but there's plenty of tributes staying in the outskirts because they thought it was safer. They couldn't have been more wrong.

And that's when I am find him. A weak boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, and also an anti career, which is just perfect. I believe he is from District 3. I never understood them. All their gadgets, and technology. How could anyone find pleasure in sitting and puzzle with a machine when you can fight instead? But I guess this is what makes him the prey and me the predator.

I pounce on his back, feeling the thrill of the attack rush through me with the adrenalin. Pushing him down towards the ground, I hear him scream in shock and surprise, not even able to see what hit from behind. Still keeping him facing downwards, I grab his head and let my sharp long nails pierce through his eyeballs, preventing him from resisting by pinning his arms with my legs. Gooey liquid (which I assume is either blood or eye-ball-juice) drips onto my fingers and he screams in terror. It's almost hard to resist the urge to roar, as I grab his hair and bang his head towards the ground a couple of times, killing the prey. BOOM!

Michael's POV:
It's hard not to stop running. Had my life not been at risk, I would have. But just witnessing the way Lynx, the career from 4 killed an innocent boy, by piercing his nails through his eyeballs makes me want to kill them. The careers, all of them. Not that I pity the boy, he was gonna die anyway, but causing unnecesary pain to a human being that way, just to show off... It's sickening....

... How could anyone wonder why I choose loneliness over the company of the careers?

But still, I don't stop running towards the golden cornucopia. I can't effort it, I can't effort pity or disgust. At least not now. A have to keep going if I don't want to die, and so, I do keep on running.

I finally reach the mouth of it. Looking around me, it seems like I am one of the first to reach there. I put my hands around the first bigger sword I lay my eyes, look up, ready to run back out.

"Too bad you didn't join us, huh?" His arrogant voice echoes inside the cornucopia walls. Dior is standing, in the opening of the mouth with an confident smirk on his face and a dual spear in his hand.

"You're in my way," I spit at him, charging towards him. He sticks outwards with his spear in a horrible predictable way. '' It's almost sad to kill him... his predictable fighting style is quite amusing. ''I think to myself, while diving out of the way of the spear. ''But I don't have all day. ''And with that, I slash downwards with my sword, on the spears handle, almost slashing through it, causing to fall out of Dior's hand. The frightful expression on his face is quite amusing too though, as I let my sword pierce through his chest. Luckily for Dior, I am not like the him. Not a career. So he gets a quick death, which is more than he deserves. BOOM!

Fiona's POV:
I feel the wind rushing past me as I run, straight towards the cornucopia. I have to reach there before too many careers arrive. Luckily for me, being a dualist not only gives you good techniques in sword fighting. It also makes me quick on my feet, at least in short sprintes. Yet, it still feels as my heart is exploding through my chest, knowing that this sprint can either safe my life or end it.

I am one of the first who reaches the center of the cornucopia field, where the pair of slender, long dual knives are lying waiting for me, their edges glistening in the sunlight. Those will be all I need really, to stay alive.

Not bothering with supplies, I look up to see if anyone has noticed me. Doesn't seem so. Most of the careers are either killing in the outskirts or still running to get a weapon. I had originally planned on killing someone to show my strengths, but as no one is around, it's foolish. So instead, I rush straight out of the cornucopia, making my way towards the air zone.

I almost run right into him. I had reached the outskirts of the field, without any trouble which was almost a miracle in itself. But seeing the weak tribute from District 10, unarmed, crouching before me, as he was reaching for a backpack was almost too good to be true. He is looking up on me now of course, but it's already way too late.

"P-please... H-have mercy..." He whispers,

"Only weak tributes have mercy," I tell him, feeling the emotion slowing leaving my body.

"I can... T-tell them... The Anti's.... T-tell them n-n-not to ha-ha-harm you," he stammers, desperately.

"Thanks but I think I will pass," I tell him, coldly. Then, raising my knife, I pierce it right through his chest. BOOM!

Claudia's POV:
Finally I reach the cornucopia, breathing heavily after the run. I walk around the side and into the mouth of it where I see Dior lying in the middle of it, his chest covered in blood. Truth be told I didn't have much faith in him, although I hadn't figured he would die THIS early. Oh well, he wasn't very useful anyway.

Hester (C), the blue career recruit from the Capitol runs into the mouth of the cornucopia as well, quickly grapping a pair of steel claws. At first I thought "You can't be serious,"  when she asked to join the careers. I mean, for the love of god, she's ''blue! ''But that opinion changed as soon as I saw her with the claws. She's a born killer. And so, I greet her with a smile. She smiles confidently back at me.

"Hey!" Both me and Hester look up and see the male from District 11 running towards, still quite away from the mouth of the cornucopia. "I wish to join!" He yells, still running. "Don't shoot!"

It's hard to resist facepalming. Had he wanted to join he should have asked when the training was happening. Then maybe we would have considered letting him join... maybe. But it's too late now. Besides, he's a threat. May as well get him eliminated instead of allowing him to the alliance which would force us to keep him alive until the late games.

Hester is looking at me, and from her blue raised eyebrow, it's easy to see that she's thinking the same thing.

"Can I handle this?" She asks me, whispering to make sure he doesn't hear.

"Go ahead." She sends me a sly smile. Then, like a mask slipping onto a face, her sly smile it replaced by a friendly one, as she faces 11.

"Don't worry!" She yells at him, waving him over. "We won't shoot!"

I stand back, watching the scene as he finally reaches the mouth of the cornucopia. "Thanks guys," he mutters, walking into the horn. "You're welcome," Hester smiles, "Take a weapon of your preference," she continiues.

"Thanks! The name's Brock, by the way" Brock exclaims happily, as he walks towards the swords, with Hester trailing behind him. I look at her, feeling stressed. What is she doing? Or rather, what is she waiting for? She should have killed him long ago... Has she changed her mind? Cold feet? Does she wants him in the alliance? How dare she go against me?! Brock is about to pick up a big vicious looking sword when Hester speaks again.

"Oh and..." She says, making him turning around to face her, not picking the sword. He should have picked it up though. Because the same second he faces Hester, she raises her clawed hand, with the speed of a cobra bite and pierces all three of the claws right through his forehead.

"... You really shouldn't trust us," She finishes her sentence, although Brock will never be able to hear the words. BOOM!

Janu's POV:
Finally, in the chaos, I manage to see what I have been looking for all along. A backpack lying in the outskirts so I won't have to go far in. Being the youngest tribute is both a curse and a blessing for me. I am barely noticed as a tribute, as I am no threat. But if one decided to kill me... Let's just say I wouldn't put my money on myself in a battle.

I finally reach down to the backpack, and pick it up. Now all I need is a dagger, then I can find Yul and get the heck out of here before someone decides to stick a spear through the 12-year-old's body. And as if sent from heaven, I see the dagger, only about 15 meters away. This is easier than I thought...

I get up and make one last riskfull run, desperate to get the dagger. ''Just let me get this... Please... Just... This dagger... ''I think to myself. Just let one more risk be alright, and then, I won't challenge fate anymore. Then I'll find Yul, run to safety and...

She appears out of no where. The creepy girl from 7, I think her name was Sorcera? She crouches, reaches out, stretching her arms, grapping the knife right before my face. She turns to me, her creepy multi-colored eyes staring at me, her eyes filled with fright. But then she realizes who I am. The 12 year old, who scored a 3 for my training score. Her fright is replaced by a sly smile suiting her multicolored eyes.

"Why, hello there..." she almost whisper, her tone of voice mixed between being sly and seductive. I am not sure if she can help the ways she speaks. She spoke like that all the time, even when she was just ordering dinner in the training center. I remember, because me and my ally, Yul, would sit by our own table and make fun of her over-the-top-seductive way of speaking.

"Small little girls like you should know better than to play with knives..." She slowly raises the knife in her hand. Running's pointless. My short legs aren't gonna get me anywhere before that knife is stuck between my shoulder blades. May as well get it over wit―

The pointy silver tip on the end of most knives and swords appears in the middle of Sorcera's stomach, and she falls, on her face first, with the shaft of a knife sticking out of her back. BOOM!

Behind her, Yul is standing, wielding another throwing knife in his hand.

"Get up and get the dagger," he tells me hastingly, while dragging the throwing knife out of Sorcera's lifeless body and I obey him thankfully. Then, we both get up and run straight toward the water zone. Taking a single look behind my back, I see the male from 7, with his pointy long fangs, staring at us. The message is in his glare is clear as a bell. I will kill you both.

Lucy's POV:
The chaos dances around me, so quickly barely feels real. Like illusions, images in dreams that appear and then quickly slips through your mind so that the next morning, you can't remember anything. I don't really know why but... It's harder for me, than is for the others. The careers, I mean. Hester backstapped an innocent guy, Lynx tortured a boy with his bare hands. A boy with vicious looking fangs, looks like he's going almost mad, as he's sitting by his dead-by-now district partner. It almost feels... wrong, all of it.

I eye the anti-careers. I am not exactly sure who all of the cannons has belonged to, but only one career is dead, and most loners are smart enough to ditch the bloodbath. They got to have some loses... I am almost embarressed to admit that I feel slightly bad for them. They actually thought they had a chance...

I spot one of them, the boy with the long vicious fangs who were sitting by his district's partner's corpse. I think his name was... Kodai (7). Yeah, Kodai it was. He yells something at his group. Because of the caoticness, all the Anti's haven't found each other yet, and they're still missing some people. A timid, small looking boy from 6 with black hair nods, and then he runs away from hiz allies, futher into the cornucopia field. Very brave of him. Brave, and stupid. I get my trident ready, expecting him to go for a weapon, but he stops about 20 meters from the mouth and graps a bigger looking backpack. 20 meters... I can hit him from there. Kodai looks up and see me. I know he sees me. We stare into each others eyes, me watching the weird blue multicolor of his'.

I throw my trident, and watches it land exactly one meter away from him. Jumping in shock, he looks up at me, his glaze clearly telling: ''Why did you miss? ''As if he knows that I purposely didn't hit him. Then I see him do... I don't know a bow in thankfulness or something, then he get's the backpack and runs off to meet with some of his allies, leaving me wondering whether sparing his life was a very good idea or a very bad idea... But even if really was a bad idea... I am happy, happy that I didn't end his life.

Dyna's POV:
The field is emptying. Most of the loners has gotten their stuff by now and has left the place. Careers, fully armed are either roaming around or chasing fleeing tributes. It's time to get out of there.

I myself though, are in a pretty good position. Most of the careers are chasing, so the center of the field with all the good stuff is barely guarded. A few other tributes has noticed this too, but we don't mind each other, too desperate to try and get our hands on the good supplies.

I look up, trying to see my fellow allies. Having so many allies... it's a bit scary. Although, we're not gonna be as many when this bloodbath is over. I haven't kept track of all the careers, but from what I can see, only one of them has died. Meaning that the other cannons belongs to either loners or us.

I lay my hand on a sword, big and vicious looking when I see her. She's one of the tributes I remember quite clearly. How could you, when she has those creepy eyes? Eyes that seems to make people crumble in pain and fear by just a single look? Madoka is her name, and she's appearantly one of the other tributes using the career's chase to get her hands on some kind of weapon.

Consiously, I walk around the other side of the cornucopia, trying to avoid her. I got my sword, that's what I need, now I just have to get out of here. So I turn around and are almost about to run away, towards my alliance when I hear a scream in pain coming from the place where I saw the devil-eyed girl from 3.

I should run away. It's the thing to do in these games. You should think about yourself, and only yourself. However the nagging feeling saying: "I know that voice; They're someone you know," pushed me forward, back towards Madoka. Running back around the cornucopia where I came from, I see them.

Bailey, my allies wriggles in pain, staring straight into Madoka's evil eyes. She must have been the girl who screamed. Madoka is slowly walking towards her, with her dagger raised, ready to kill Bailey as she can't even move, because of the painful glace. I should go... Leave her. If Madoka were to turn around, she could kill me...

... So of course, because I am such an idiot I run straight forward, charging at her. ''Save Bailey! ''It's as if every single cell in my body screams it to me. Madoka hears me of course and turns around, just barely reaching to look into my eyes. It feels like a layer of flames is just quickly lit onto my skin and through my body. Sadly for Madoka, it was too late, and my sword was already lifted before she looked into my eyes.

Before even reaching to freeze in pain, my sword swings through the air, beheaded Madoka. Blood splashes over the ground like a fountain of red wine. As the blood spills, the burning sensation goes away as quickly as it appeared. Madoka's evil eyes stares empty up up into the sky, dead as dead could be. BOOM!

"Get up!" I yell at Bailey, who quickly graps a bigger backpack near her. I run up to her, hold her wrist and almost drag her towards the Alliance who finally got gathered. I guess I know she could walk herself but... I want her to be safe. I guess she reminds me a bit of Charlotte... Is that good or bad?

I have no idea... All I know is that we need to get out of here, and that is now.

Araneae's POV:
I gasp as I feel the cold water surround my body, running on the small lifted paths, that connects the island in the water zone. The water is actually quite warm, it's more... the feeling of it. The only times I would get to "swim" back in 8 was the few trips we sometimes made to a lake (one of the few nature locations that the government hasn't destoyed... yet.) I am not the best swimmer, but I am better than someone who has never been in water. And on the connecting paths, the water is shallow enough for walking. I think this zone was a good choice... I think.

I finally reach a small island, and I decide sit down quietly, under a tree, somewhat invisible to others. My original plan was to go back to the cornucopia after the bloodbath but... I guess... I guess I am afraid of it. At least now, because I am without Madoka to provide me cover...

... Madoka... Despite her eyes, she was actually... alright. At first glance she looks like a demon with human skin but... She was nice to me. Had my back, in the training. At one point, Dior was sending me death glares. Madoka simply responded by sending him a death glare back... and let's just say they left us both alone after that. She was an alright person, but of course, no one would discover that, all because of her eyes. Poor girl...

She didn't deserve such fate, getting beheaded. I saw it happen right in front of me, we used the lack of careers to get some supplies quickly. I got a little backpack, but Madoka went in for a weapon. Bailey (9) from the Anti's came close to her, Madoka glared at her, hindering her from attack and was then beheaded by Bailey's ally...

Ugh. The so called "Anti" careers, and their annoying attitudes. Thinking they have a chance against the careers is stupid in the first place, and what's even worse is that they are just like the careers... or maybe not just like them, they didn't train or volunteer. Yet, they still gang up on all of us in an alliance. How noble. They're no more innocent than the careers... but then again... are any of us innocent?

I shake my head, not wanting to think anymore, and take out my smaller backpack to check my supplies.

Train's POV:
The heat is exchausting. Our heavy breaths creates unsteady rythm which we march to, tiredly. We just reached a cave, walking around in the mountains. "We can stop now," Fabian exclaims.

"No, we should keep on going. Get as far away from the careers as possible," Dyna is the only one who speaks up. His age and positure gives him the confidence, I guess cause he seems like quite the quiet person. Most of us are. Me, Ophelia, and Dyna barely talks. Bailey talks a little more, but still not much. But I guess Fabian makes up for it.

"Are you soft in your head? Look at them!" He points at me, and Ophelia, who seems to be weakest, just physcially as we're both all exchausted. The heat of the firezone is not exactly nice and the fact that we're marching around in mountains makes it even worse.

"We should get away from the careers," Dyna repeats.

"I heard you the first time, Dyna." Fabian says, before continiuing; "But try and consider this. Do you really think the careers would start here? This zone of all? Personally, if I was career, I would go the earth or the water zone first, as that is where I would expect the Anti careers to be." Fabian tells him. Bailey nods and speaks too:

"If we wait, we can nurse our wounds, check our supplies and get moving tomorrow. Then we can get more away from the careers. Besides... If one of passes out or get hurt we will have to move even slower and then we're never gonna get away,"

"But what if the careers decides to go to the firezone, figuring us out?" Dyna asks, still doubtful.

"Did you even bother to look at them? There's the girl from 2, who "thinks" she's being so clever and hiding her vicious side under a innocent persona. Then we have Mester-I-am-more-cat-than-human, who's probably jealous his own cat's IQ, then there's the female from 4 who barely says anything, the crazy girl from 10 with blood-colored hair and the girl who looks like she spent her life in an inkhouse. Do you really think they'll outsmart us?" Fabian spits, sarcastically. What's up with this guy's attitude?

"Fine..." Dyna mutters. Me and Ophelia sit down and crawl into the cave thankfully, while Fabian and Bailey sit down together and begin to check the supplies.

"Food!" I hear Bailey screech as she opens one of the bags, where a bread is store inside.

"Thanks, Miss Obvious," Fabian mutters, just barely audible enough for us to hear. Bailey waves her hand at him and breaks off small pieces of the bread for all of us, while still looking for us. Dyna, crawls into the cave and over to us.

"Sorry about wanting to make us continiue, I just... Wanted to get away. Didn't even know you guys felt bad," he says, dryly.

"It's fine, it's our fault really." Ophelia mutters.

"You can't help being tired, especially not in a place like this," Dyna responds. Ophelia smiles at him, thankfully. I say nothing though. Too busy planning how to escape this cave tonight...

Helena's POV:
"Finally!" Claudia screeches, as we get the last supplies stacked up in a pile, deep within the cornucopia. It was Hester's idea. This way, it would be much more easier to prevent someone from trying to come back and steal something. Most of us, opposed her at first, as none of us thought "cleaning" would be a skill we needed in these games but she did have a point and we ended up all going with on the idea. Some of us more willing than others.

"Does anyone know how to light a fire?" Hester asks, holding an entire uncooked leg of some animal (lamb, I think) up for us to see it.

"Not needed," Lynx says, while snatching the meat out of her hands. In the same movement, he begins to eat, or rather devour the lamb leg, the juice of the meat splattering out on his hands and mouth. Lucy looks questionly at him, and then at me.

"Could've been more gross, at least he didn't eat Dior's body..." She mutters. Lynx looks up, sends her a michivious smirk, before going back to the lamb leg, tearing of the pieces of fat (which he also eats) with his claws and teeth. Meanwhile Lucy get's out plates, cups and a delicious food was for us normal people... Or, considering that I colored my hair with blood, Hester looks like a grown smurf and Claudia's just... Well, she's Claudia. I guess I would have to change that to "somewhat normal people". I think Lucy is the only normal one of us, really.

"Hah, he could have Dior if he wanted!" I snicker, in a mocking tone of voice, "At least that would have made him more useful than he was today," Lynx looks up again.

"Is that an offer?" He asks, teasingly, opening his mouth in a almost sickening smile, on purpose so that we all see his fangs covered in blood, and meat. Hester pulls a disgusted face, while I stare fasinated by the beautiful drops of blood running down his teeth.

"The Aero-planes took the body already sadly," Claudia says, faking a sorry tone of voice. "We'll make sure to safe you a body tomorrow. Lynx responds by sticking his tounge out at her, before going back to lamb legs, which he cleaned for meat in less than 2 minutes.

We're.... quite a bunch. Still, I like the company, even if we're a bit weird.

Polyester's POV:
Finally, after quite a while of running through the forest covered grounds I find a tree with long hanging leaves. I am not exactly sure what these are called, there weren't much nature back in District 8, but at least I know that it will provide quite good covers.

Although I like this zone, it's layout, it's cover... something's fishy about it. Like, why would the gamemakers make such a perfect zone? With food, water, cover and such? Of course, this zone is pretty much the gathering place of tributes. A lot of tributes will prefer this place... And a lot of tributes will often attract a lot of careers...Maybe it's not the best idea to be here...

But it's too late to change anything now. So instead, I climb up the tree, find a "somewhat comfortable" branch which should be strong enough to hold weight of a person for the night. The stars are out, and it would have been quite beautiful, had I not been aware of the fact that there was at least 20 kids out there to try and kill me.

The sky is gonna light up any minute, showing the death tribute's faces. I guess that's a point where I am happy that I am quite shy and choose to be a loner. None of the tribute I see up there, I will miss. Infact, every single face up there brings me one step closer to home. I want to smile, knowing how many cannons I heard. I want to be happy they died, but... I just can't. None of us deserved this.

I take out my token, the picture of my family, all smiling. I am standing in the middle of them. I was smaller back then, and a bright smile was plastered on my lips. I rarely smile like that now. They didn't deserve it either.

The anthem plays and the sky lights up in pictures. District 1 male, by the name of "Dior" appears first. That's odd... Usually careers doesn't fall on day one. Next face in the guy from 3, meaning that both from District 2 survived, as I expected. Then, the evil eyes of Madoka, the girl from District 3 stares down at me. Even though it's just a hologram, her eyes still give me the chill. Then Sorcera looks upon me. Even in her tribute picture, she looks slutty. Then Evan and lastly Brock appears. The sky fades out.

I am six small steps closer to home. And twenty two away from it. If I even want to go home, that is...

Careers:
Claudia Smythe (D2F), Lucy Perch (D4F), Lynx Striker (D4M), Helena Krisp (D10F), Hester Riva (CF)

Anti-Careers:
Ophelia Carlile (D6F), Train McBridge (D6M), Kodai Hitogoroshi (D7M), Bailey Starshine (D9F), Fabian Matthis (D9M), Dyna Ploson (D13M)

District 5 and 11 Alliance:
Yul Zhu (D5M), Janu Wong (D11F)

Loners:
Ella Massey (D1F), Michael Kaizer (D2M), Fiona Valoran (D5F), Araneae Web (D8F), Polyester Astro (D8M), Riven Exile (D12F), Wolf Fang (D12M), Ruby Hyrglass (D13F), Quintus Hase (CM)

Quintus' POV:
Peep... Peep... Peep...

The slowing "peep" echoes throughout the room. A sterile, white room with bright lights and a soap-like scent of anti-bacteria cleaner. Had it not been for it, the room would have been silent. The masked people around me, with hidden mouths, and serious faces look at me, questionly. Of course they would. They, after all, don't know me. After all, I am just a rookie surgeon. I have removed tonsils, and polyps and such but never have I ever tried to remove a tumor.

But they're wrong to question me. I know what I am doing, I know my work. I am gonna become the greatest doctor in all of Panem and this surgery will be the first of many that I will do, helping people with cancer. As a doctor, that is my biggest wish. Fighting in the front lines of the war against this deadly disease, freeing all of Panem.

"Scarpel," I tell my scrubnurse, who quickly hands it over to me. I put it down towards the soft skin of the stomach of the patient. A young woman, in her early 20's, with red-brown hair and a pretty face. A girl who has her whole life in front of her. This is why I want to be a doctor.... To safe people, to help them, to make...

...The heat awake me. I feel it, slowly crawling into my dreams, turning the surgery room into a mere fogged illusion that slowly is rinsed out of my mind. The scent, the beeping, the fellow suregeons... all gone within the blink of an eye. My eyes open slowly and I see...

... Something unexpected. The sky that I am looking up at now isn't the one I fell asleep with above me, last night. That one had leaves decorating it, blocking the moon and starlight. That one was clear and beautiful and almost... comforting.

Now, I am staring up in the cloud free sky with a merciless sun burning down. The tree are gone, and the somewhat comfortable ground of dirt which I fell asleep on is replaced by a pointy, rocky, ground. Surrounding me like a pack of angry wolves are mountains, so tall that it almost look like they're frowning upon me. I am in the fire zone. I doubt I, the tribute have been moved, because I would have felt that... I think. Which means... The arena must have... shifted?

Ophelia's POV:
"Water!" A voice, with a peciluar pitch to it, carefree, almost childish rings in my ear. I grunt a bit, the thick mist of sleep still passing through me, pulling me down like an ocean of drowsyness. Rolling to the side, trying to open my eyelits, I feel whoever just spoke nuzzle their head against my cheek, feeling their hair against my face. What an odd gesture to wake someone, although I still appriciate it more than being shaked out of bed.

A gasp escapes my lips as I open my eyes and find myself staring right into Kodai's creepy multicolored eyes, which are wide open and looking directly at me. To put the cherry on top, he has his jaw hanging open in what I suppose is a smile, revealing his fangs.

"Water," he repeats. I look at him, confusion spreading through me. Water? What does he mean?

"Water has come," he says, the childish tone of voice making him sound almost happy, which just adds another piece of evidence to my theory about Kodai either being mentally ill or mentally disabled.

But disabled or not, Kodai is right. I guess it was hard for me to notice, when the first sight I woke up to was Kodai's face blocking my entire view but now, I see it clearly. The cave we slept in is no longer there. Instead, we're lying on a little island, with ocean and other small island surrounding it. The water zone looked like this.

"It was switched... The zones has switched..." I whisper. Kodai turns his head to the side as if he considers my idea, before finally giving me a nod, agreeingly. Then, in the same second, his face changes completely, revealing what I suppose is either anger or fear... it's hard to tell with him.

"I DON'T LIKE!" Kodai yells, waking up our allies and probably every singe animal or tribute in the area.

"Would you shut up?" I hear Fabian mutter, as he raises his head, in almost unison with Dyna, and Bailey. It's almost funny to watch as their draws drop to the floor, seeing how our arena part has completly changed. Kodai hisses, in a more quiet way, and I put a hand on his shoulder, as if to make him stop, trying to avoid a potential fight. Although, with Fabian's attitude, while there may not be a fight there will most certainly be at least.... some kind of confrontation. I guess all I can hope is that I don't get involved. At least that's one thing I am good at. Staying silent and not getting involved. It's what I have done my entire life, after all. That, and studying.

It's first now that I realize it. Something's wrong. Okay, I guess that one was obvious. Of course there's something wrong, the fact that the entire arena has switched as we slept. That's wrong. But there's something else... Something is missing... Or rather... Someone...

"Guys?" I ask. Fabian, Dyna and Bailey finishes taking in their surroundings and look back up at me, awaiting my words. Kodai is lying on the ground, muttering something about pineapples so I don't bother. If he listens, he listens and if he doesn't, he doesn't. But the others need to know.

"Where's Train?"

Riven's POV:
I don't like this. Or rather... I don't "trust" this. Here I was thinking that I knew my surroundings. Thinking I was hidden by the thick covering fog that I had come to love. And now, the gamemakers has thrown all of that security out of the window. Instead, all I see around me are damned trees. Of course, a forest is more desirable than a bunch of fog where if you step wrong, you will fall down into a gaping abyss and die.

But "desireable" for me means desireable for everyone else. Meaning that everyone will want to here, meaning that I am not safe here. And this is why I am walking away from this now. The only thing is that I have no idea where any of the other zones would be. So right now I am just walking west to see what comes up.

As I walk I let my thoughts fly. However they don't fly very far, mostly because the entire area is pretty much reminding of the situation I am in right now. Stupid twist. Stupid gamemakers. Stupid games, stupid tributes, and stupid everything. ''"Oh look at us, we can change the zones, we're clever, please adore us!" ''That's all they are, the gamemakers. Puppets dancing around for the Capitol's people, pleasing them each year with a new arena and a new set of tributes. They're only puppets in the presidents, from which she can control what goes on. Rose Ana Snow... The young lady who is pretty much the reason why I am here.

What if had never been born with these eyes? These special green eyes which are appparently believed to be evil? What if I had had brown eyes? Would I be home now? Would I go to school? Have friends...? Maybe even... a boyfriend? To my big surprise and embarressment, I feel my cheeks blush thinking about it. I am human, okay? Well... Not according to most people. To most people I am devil spawn, a mere demon created to harm. But I know they're wrong. I have a heart... I have a soul.

It's with those thoughts in mind that I reach the border of the earth zone. Stretching before me a landcape of rocky grounds and mountains. Heat is brushed against my skin, like gentle waves. It feels nice right now, it's probably pretty bad in there... A lot of cover, a lot of caves, and barely any food which means barely any tributes. It's perfect. I step across the border of my zone and enter the heat.

Hester's POV:
We are sitting on the tiled career platform, with the breakfast. Claudia, Helena, Lucy and me are just eating a few slices of bread, while Lynx is searching through the pile of supplies, scattering them all over the place like he couldn't care less.

"Lynx, just take some bread, you don't even know if there is any other rawr meat in that pile!" Claudia yells at him, as he digs through the supplies. Lynx sneers quietly, not taking "no" for an answer. What's up with the boy? I mean sure, me, and Hester and Claudia aren't the most normal people but Lynx takes not being normal to a whole new level. A more... beastly level.

Still it's nice to have him around. We need vicious careers like him in this pack. I guess we all are vicious to some extend but Lynx probably takes the cake. The thing he did to that boy from 3... We need him because he knows how this works. The games, I mean. The careers are not just judged with how many they kill. The careers are also judged for the show they put on the screen and Lynx knows that. And he'll do whatever it takes to show the capitol that this year's careers are the best. The most vicious. I know it too of course. Helena knows it too, Claudia knows it too (even though she likes to put on little act of innocence too). As for Lucy.... I am not really sure. She doesn't really belong with us. But she's the best swimmer in this group and even though she doesn't seem very vicious, she's at least quite good with the trident that she wields.

"Finally!" Lynx yells, dragging a whole uncoocked chicken out from the pile. He strolls back to us with a satisfied smirk on his face and begins to devour it. From the way he digs his fangs into it, looks like he could eat the entire thing whole, with legs and bones, if he wanted to.

"So where are we going?" I ask Lynx, Lucy and Claudia. After all they're the main careers. Us career recruits doesn't have much to say when it comes to commands.

"Not the waterzone," Lynx exclaims, while taking another bite of the chicken, not caring about the fact that it's custom to close your mouth when you chew and that you're not supposed to talk with food in your mouth.

"I think we should head for the earthzone. It's the easiest zone to cover and we may even reach to go two places at once," Lucy says, sounding a bit halting as if she's scared that Lynx or Claudia will nag her idea. Or maybe she's just scared of Lynx and Claudia just in general. A justifiable feeling towards them, I guess.

"Sounds good to me," Claudia says, neutrally. Lynx spidts out of bone from the chicken (which body looks more like a the inside of a broken piano than an actual dead chicken, now) before agreeing: "It's fine with me too. But we need someone to guard the cornucopia."

The three of them looks back at us. None of them are gonna miss out the oppertunety of getting a kill, that's for sure. So, of course, as the recruits, that's our duty. I look at Helena, who smiles sofly at me.

"I can take the guard this time around. Have fun hunting," She sends me a smile, but instead of being delighted, I feel slightly off guard. Is this girl up to something? Or simply trying to stay on good terms? Or maybe using some kind of reversed physcology? I am not really sure... However, going on tribute-hunt sounds fun and that is for sure. So instead of wondering anymore, I just smile back at her.

"Thanks. Have fun guarding here."

Bailey's POV:
We must have walked for at least an hour. After realizing Train was gone, it wasn't hard to figure that he had left our side. Dyna and Fabian both pointed out that if anyone had come and took him, we would probably have heard something or at least, been awakened by the cannon that would have killed him. But no cannon has sounded and so that would mean he left us.

So we're out to get him. It's not really something that I wanted to do, hunting for a previous ally. But it's need to be done. We can't show weakness and just let someone betray us and run off. I look back. Dyna and Ophelia are in the back, Dyna walking confidently while Ophelia looks like one of just died. In front, Kodai and Fabian are leading the way and I am just in between.

It's odd to suddenly be surrounded by all this water. A creepy feeling of... I don't know, not being prepared, not feeling ready to escape creeps under my skin teasing me, almost playing with me. It's hard to explain really, but I am pretty sure the others feel the same way. But none of us mentions it of course. All so secluded and secretive, the only one of us who speaks on a regular basis is Fabian and Kodai. But I guess they speak enough to make up for all of us.

"Train is near," Kodai's weirdly pitched voice fills the air in a faint whisper. He doesn't talk in this carefree, childish way of manner now, but in a more... dark, physcotic voice. He knows a kill is closeby.

It didn't take us long to find him. I assume he had hidden in a cave that night in the firezone, but because the zone change he wasn't hidden anymore. His little run-out in the night had caused something rather fatal for him. It had caused him to sleep in. Kodai pounced on him at once, using some of Ophelia's rope to tie him up, and now, he's just lying there in the sand, waiting for our decision.

"We have to kill him," Fabian says, grimly.

"Do we... need to?" Ophelia asks, frigthened.

"We need to send the right message. If we just forgive or set him free we will look like a joke to everyone in Panem. And how many people do you think would sponsor a bunch of jokes?" Fabian almost hisses a bit Ophelia, and Kodai responds by sending him a glare.

"But... I just... I don't want him to die..." Ophelia mutters more to the ground than to Fabian. I agree with her, but I don't say anything. Fabian looks at her a bit more softly.

"Me neither. He was an idiot but not a threat... I don't wanna kill him, but that changes nothing. He still needs to die," Fabian says. And we all know he's right of course.

"How should we do it? Who should kill him then?" Dyna asks, looking questionly at Fabian.

"I think we should draw lots," I interupt them. "It's the only fair thing to do.... Unless someone wants to do it?"

As if on que, we all look at Kodai. If someone would want to kill a traitor, it would probably be him. Kodai looks up, first at Ophelia, then at us. Then, almost haltingly, he reapeats Ophelia's words: "I... don't want him to die," saying them as if it was another language. Does he even know what it means? Or does he just want to agree with Ophelia for whatever reason. I am not really sure. But I do know that this rules out our only chance of finding someone who would want to kill Train. Although it would have been niced to have someone else to kill Train, in a way, I am also happy that Kodai isn't killing him, because quite frankly... I believe that would be a very painful death for Train and he doesn't deserve that.

"Sounds good to me... to draw lots," Dyna says, and Fabian nods. Ophelia says nothing, as always, and Kodai mumbles something about pineapples but nods too. Dyna picks five straws,  for each of us, making one of them particularly shorter, and walks back, holding them in his hand for us to draw. I feel my heart slowly beating faster. Dyna is already a "murderer" killing Madoka to safe me. But the rest of us are not. And today, I may have to kill someone in cold blood. I could become a murderer today... I take the second last straw from Dyna's hand.

"It's you, Bailey," Dyna says softly. A faint whimper is heard from Train who's lying a little away from us... Wait... What?

"What.... But... I... I c-c-can't do this," I stutter. I can't kill anyone... I am just me, Bailey. Just a small girl living in District 9. Not a murderer....

"You'll have to," Dyna says, still speaking softly in an attemp to comfort me.

"I can't! I w-won't!" I yell at him, feeling the panic slowly creep under my skin. Maybe I could fake fainting? Maybe I could make some lie to get out of it? But that wouldn't be fair to my allies and I―

"I'll do it." The words feel like a saving grace. I look up and see Fabian, streching his hand out to take Dyna's sword. A warming feeling spreads through my body, that makes me want to fall on my knees and thank Fabian, and cry like a baby at the same time. But I can't make myself do any of those. Instead, I just stand there. Why would Fabian do this for me? For anyone, really? I mean... He's an asshole and he doesn't owe me anything... So why would he...?

"It's obvious she won't be able to do it. And because of that, she might mess up, and make his death more painful. Or even pretend to kill him, and leave him, so that we will have to hunt him down again. And I don't wanna do that. So I will  kill him," Fabian says, as Dyna puts the sword in his hand. A cold mask has slipped across Fabian's face, instead of the usual arrogant smirk. Wielding his sword, he walks over to Train, who's faint whimpers become louder and faster for each step Fabian takes toward him. Like a little lamb ready for slaugther.

Fabian raises the sword and I close my eyes not wanting to see any of it. A part of me wants to plea for Train's life. Plea for giving him another chance. But I know I was already lucky that I didn't have to kill so I don't. And nobody else does.

A sound, like the ones you hear when you cleave meat is heard, and then the whimpers stop. BOOM!

Wolf's POV:
The mountains continiue endlessly. As if the entire aspect of nature had been gently swiped off the earth's surface, only leaving the the hard stone and the relentless sun shining down on the wasteland. A single of sweat falls tickling down my back, before getting dried off by my arena wear, leaving me with the icky feeling of clothes sticking to your skin.

Don't get me wrong, I am quite used to sweat. Back in the forest where I lived, I would have to hunt to get food. The sweat would drip down my body, when running to catch up with a prey, the long walking distances... But it's not like this. The forest was... me. A part of me. Like, a shell around me, keeping me safe. A home. Not like this wasteland.

My stomach growls, inpaciently, as I walk. I had myself quite the surprise when I woke up, not in the forest I fell asleep but a barren wasteland, which felt more like being inside an oven than in a mountain region. And to put the cherry on top, my mentor were so caring and understanding to send me a message saying that he didn't even feel like sending me food. How exactly he expects me to find any type of pray in this region, I have no idea. But I guess he didn't expect this either...

Still, what did I ever do to him? A bread can't be that expensive, can it? He couldn't even spend just enough money to send me a bread? Ugh. But I guess he did like Riven more. Who wouldn't? Well of course there is her eyes, but I personally don't believe in her being demon-spawn of Satan or whatever those eyes were supposed to mean about. She's strong. Had I been a sponsor living in the Capitol, I would have betted on her. Had I been my mentor, I would have prioritised her over me. She's the strong survivor, and I am just the silent loner... The silent loner who killed his own parents...

I shake my head, trying to focus. I walk a bit, passing by a bigger rock, hiding a bit of the area behind it. And there she is. As if my thoughts had summoned her. Riven, right in front of me. The huge stones lying around in the zone had kept us from seeing each other, but now, we're face to face and less than five meters from each other.

She gasps, her shinning green eyes staring directly at me. Her fingers instantly reaches for her sword. Whether it was to attack me or just defend herself I will never know because seconds after, my chained sickle burries itself into her face, splattering crimson blood onto her face. BOOM!

Her empty eyes still stares out at me, though. Her face looks almost like a mask, made of red fabric, with two green shining lanturns where the holes for eyes should be. Shivers go down my spine, as I drag out my sickle, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of her face... I killed her... I killed her, like I killed my parents. But I killed my parents unintetionally instead of now, where I wanted Riven to die. How can it be that I... That I feel guilty over what happened to my parents, but I don't feel guilty about the gaping hole I just made in Riven's face? I... I don't know...

But I do know one thing. I killed my parents. I killed Riven and I killed her without blinking twice. I am "the devil's child", and people die when I am around. I am a killer. And where strong survivors may live long into the games, it's almost always the killer who ends up becoming the final survivor.

Lucy's POV:
The forest seems to last forever. On and on, trees are spread, their leaves making the light that reaches spread into beautiful parterns on the ground. Although, it's nothing like when the sunlight hits the surface of the water. The days back in 4 seems almost like a whole different reality. The days where my little sister, Lily, would wake me up at early morning, so that we could sneak out of our house, out to the cliffs and see the sun rise from the waves. The horizon would glow red, almost as if it was on fire. Then, the sun would appear, and the waves would shine as if they were made of light themself. The gulls would scream, greeting the early morning, the fisherboat would slowly sail out, wanting to get the early catch and after the sun had left the water surface, me and Lily would sneak back to our beds.

But that's gone now. Lily is far away, sitting back in District 4. She's safe there, because of me. It's almost hard to think that she could be walking here, right now with these sociopaths as her allies, had I not volunteered for her. Which is why I regret absolutely nothing. In fact... I feel proud I volunteered for her. Even if I die... I know she'll find a loving husband back in 4... Who knows? Maybe she'll take her kids to watch the sunrise at those cliffs and explain to them how she used to do this with her sister, the sister who saved her life?

She probably watching me right now. A certain... urge, to speak, speak to Lily fills my body. It would be easy, just to begin to talk to her. And since we're the careers and are hunting it would probably be broadcasted. But the other careers walking with me, and they prevent it. They'll think of me as weak, that I want to send a greeting to my sister. And I will scare potential victims... Or rather, "prey" as Lynx, our self-proclaimed leader, likes to refer to them as, away. So I keep my mouth shut and try to think about Lily, with a husband and kids. Children that she would only have because of me...

"There's one!" Claudia's shriek interfer with my memories and I am suddenly brought back to reality. A girl, with blonde curly hair is running down the forest paths, away from us. She must have hidden and then tried to make a run for it, seeing how close we got to her.

Everything goes fast, all the sudden. Lynx pounches into a sprint, chasing his prey like a hungry lion, ready to make his second kill in these games. But he never even reaches to pounce on his prey, before a spear goes through the blonde haired girls stomach.

"I got her!" Claudia yells, a vicious, creepy smirk covering her entire face like a murder's mask. "She's mine," She direct the last comment to Lynx who puts on a dissapointed meanor but get still stops his sprint. Claudia strolls over to the poor tribute, like a model walking a catwalk. The disguise of the little innocent girls is completely gone, vanished with the oppertunety for a kill, ready to be claimed. This Claudia's true side. A disgusting, vicious sardistic side.

"Why hello there," She whispers, as she reaches the girl... I think her name was Ruby, the female tribute from District 13. Claudia is talking in her rather flirty tone of voice, as if she as seducing someone. The tone of her voice, the smile on her face.... It really just adds to the heavy layer of disgust, clouding my mind. Claudia pins the girl to the ground, and I hear her silent pleas for mercy, as Claudia whips out a knife from her belt. Ruby's lucky she was hit in the stomach, at least she will bleed out somewhat soon...

I close my eyes, not wanting to see any of it. Then the screams begin, carrying out for seconds, minutes... It feels like hours before the screams goes silent and are replaced by the sound of a fired cannon. BOOM!

Ella's POV:
The nightsky finally falls, it turns the forest from a rather nice and pretty place into a more... I don't know how to describe it, but... Let's just say I have heard enough silly scary stories back in District 1 that begun with a young girl in a forest at nightfall. It's quite... Almost creepy. I am not sure how to explain it, I have never been spiritual. I pinch myself. You're Ella Massey, I almost have to force myself to think. ''You are way too smart to believe in silly scary stories. ''Still this place give me the creeps.

At least I am quite lucky. If I know the Gamemakers correctly -who, by the way, are horribly predictable- the zones should either chance again tomorrow or at least change if someone triggers something in the arena that were triggered yesterday. Of course, I can't be sure of this... but knowing how the gamemakers likes to "surprise" their audience (which would be the stupider part of the audience as I pretty much have predicted almost all of their twists) they probably wouldn't just settle for one switch of zones.

I resist the urge to yarn, dragging myself up in a tree. Nothing much exciting happened today really. Although there were one situation which could easily have been my doom. Three cannons were heard, but only I know that I almost became the fourth cannon.

I found the kid from 5 while I was hunting... Yul Zhu, if I remember correctly (which I usually do), which I usually do. I thought he would have been an easy kill. He would have been. He was standing with her back turned to me, digging up roots to eat or something like that. I could so easily have snuck up on him, piercing my dagger through the space between his rips, where his heart was beating. But then the kid appeared. Who would have though that the little 12 year old, Janu Wong could safe her own ally's life? I wouldn't have bet on it... She called Yul, making him turn to face me. I was hidden in a bush, he didn't see me, but it ruined my moment of surprise so that I couldn't kill him. And I was forced to sit in the bush, watching my victim walk from danger to safety. Defeated by a 12-year-old.... I thought I was smarter than that.

The anthem is blasted out, breaking my not so distant memories. The sky lights up and the faces appears. First, Train McBridge's face is projected with that fearful glance of his in his eyes. I had seen that one coming a mile away. I was honestly surprised he even survived the bloodbath.

Then Riven Exile. That one is unexpected. She seemed strong. I guess someone out there was just stronger... The third and last cannon turns out to be Ruby Hyrglass'. She seemed smart but also quite weak. While a logical mind is certainly good to have in these games, if someone can break you like they would break a stick, I guess it doesn't matter how logical you are... I guess I better remember that too...

Careers:
Claudia Smythe (D2F), Lucy Perch (D4F), Lynx Striker (D4M), Helena Krisp (D10F), Hester Riva (CF)

Anti-Careers:
Ophelia Carlile (D6F), Kodai Hitogoroshi (D7M), Bailey Starshine (D9F), Fabian Matthis (D9M), Dyna Ploson (D13M)

District 5 and 11 Alliance:
Yul Zhu (D5M), Janu Wong (D11F)

Loners:
Ella Massey (D1F), Michael Kaizer (D2M), Fiona Valoran (D5F), Araneae Web (D8F), Polyester Astro (D8M), Wolf Fang (D12M), Quintus Hase (CM)

Fiona's POV:
The thick fog of the Air Zone moves around me and the pillars, hiding me from the view of others, shrouding me like a cloak. Like a assasin, hiding in their cloak as they stealthy move alone in the night. It would fit this situation quite well, except from the fact that it's early morning, not midnight.

It had taken be a bit of time to get to this zone. But it's this one I prefer. The air zone, with it's hidden pillars, and mysterious fog is perfect for sneaking around without getting seen, killing in the quick shadows. And I need a kill. I need to show the Capitol Audience who they're dealing with. Fiona Valoran, a master dualist. My father may have been the fake, a shame to my family's name, but I am the real deal. I'll show the Capitol that Fiona Valoran is truely the best dualist in all of Panem... even if my father's title was nothing but lie. And I will kill anyone to prove that, I will kill anyone to clear my name. And ones I go home, crowned as the victor, they'll shout that name in the streets of the Capitol. Fiona Valoran, the ruthless master dualist and victor of the Hunger Games....

I almost got lost in my thoughts. Almost. But luckily, my senses has told me to be allert about even the smallest sound, even the smallest movement. Quick senses are a vital trait in a duel. So I quickly, but quietly sneak toward the source of the sound and find myself staring down at five other sleeping tributes. Couldn't be anyone but the Anti Careers.

She almost escape my sight. Still, I saw a slight flicker of hair, flowing from her head like a waterfall of flames, which gave her away. Spying on the anti-career camp, but from another angle, she's lies hidden, covered by the fog. The girl must have some sort of talent for sneaking, or I would have seen her the instant, her being so close. She's spying on the fast asleep Anti-Careers, just like me is another tribute. There were only two red-haired girls in these games, and I highly doubt that Helena, the career-recruit would be here on her own.

"Aranaea..." I believe that was her name. Quite an odd name, easy to remember. She unweilds a blowgun, ready to fire,

"Don't," I tell her, eying an oppertunety. "I believe we can help each other... Why are you here?"

"I have some business with one of the anti-careers," Aranaea tells me with a cold voice and a determined stare.

"And I assume by that, that you want to kill a specific someone?" I ask. She nods. "Then we have common interests," I tell her with a smirk.

"You see... all these anti-careers... I believe they're arrogant. I am District 1 myself, I have seen how hard they train there. And then, these puny weaklings think that they can actually stand a chance? I wanna teach them a lesson. That you do not mess with fighters, with dualists." Aranaea nods,

"My words exactly. So what do you suggest?" Aranaea asks, still not lowering her blowgun. I am not gonna kill her, still she's wise not to trust me. Not to trust anyone.

"That we team up, just for this attack. I need a distraction, and you have a far ranged weapon. The puny little girl from 6 and the pair from 9 makes no threats whatsoever. The fang-guy from 7 and the guy from 13 are really the only threats. So here's the plan. As you can see, they all sleep spread out. You shoot your little dart at... well, whoever you wish to kill, and while the caos happens, I run in. I will be going for the girl for six, obviously the weakest of the bunch. Should be an easy kill. When I kill her, I'll run off, and I suggest you do the same. This is a hurry in - hurry out kind of thing, we need the caos between them as our distraction. The fog should keep us safe too. Remember though, this is a one time wonder. If I meet you again after this attack, I'll do my best to spear your head on the end of my dual-knife. Got that? Are you in or not?"

She looks at me a bit, considering it. Yet, I can see the hunch of revenge burning in her eyes. I already know she's gonna say yes, before she speaks up.

"I am in."

Araneae's POV:
"Now, that's the spirit!" Fiona sends me a vicious grin. "You just shoot your little dart there, and I'll run it... you may wanna shoot more than just one though, I doubt one dart is gonna do much good..."

"I know," I tell her a bit annoyed. I know my weapon, she doesn't have to tell me how to use it. But what had I expected? I knew she was arrogant right from the group training. I saw her, sending those 'I am so much more better than you''-stares at people, even the careers. But I did she her skills with those dual knives. Where she may be arrogant, she really does have the skills to back her confidence up. Which is why I am happy to have her in this.''

I load my blowgun, ready to fire. He's sleeping there, safe and soundly, not even realizing that the end of his life is less than a hairlength away. Dyna, the guy from 13. A smirk spreads across my face, unintetionally. When Madoka received deathglares, she would stare straight back at them, with her vicious eyes. She told me that I shouldn't take crap from anyone. That revenge was needed if you wanted to proof your strength. So that's what I am doing right now, avenging Madoka, killing Dyna... showing everyone my strength. I have been following the Anti's for so long to take this one revenge... and now is my chance.

I take the blowgun, up and aim. Fiona is just beside me, kneeling, but ready to run in there, to kill the girl from 6. She's just waiting for me to send my dart flying. I wonder... When I kill him, I'll become a murderer... How will that feel? Will I feel... guilty? He killed my only friend though. I am not a murderer, I am simply just a justice seeker. An eye for an eye...

So I shoot. And then the entire place is thrusted into caos.

My dart hits, but sadly not at my target's chest. Instead, it locks itself into the underlying part of Dyna's left arm, and without the poison the dart, that can't kill anyone. Nonetheless, the battle has begun. Dyna cries out in pain and surprise, thrown out of his deep sleep and Fiona gets up, sprinting into the field of battle, and I just sit there for a minute, watching. I thought I would've killed him directly, I didn't prepare for this...

I watch as Fiona runs towards the girl from 6, who sleeps soundly. A little wrinkling in her face reveals she's only barely not asleep, from Dyna's untraditional wake up call. The poor girls eyes haven't even opened, it's way too late for her to escape. Fiona is almost right beside her, ready to end her life.

He appears out of no where, the fanged beast from 7. Standing between Fiona and the weakling from 6, hissing at Fiona. He appears to be unarmed, yet his vicious fangs are sharp enough to make a weapon in itself. They begin a duel, a deadly dance of moving around, threatening each other, sometimes only inches from either a stab or a deadly bite. The way the fanged one fights... almost animalistic. He does pretty good, considering he's against a elite dualist AND unarmed. Time's running out, Fiona has to be quick, before the other tributes realizes what the hell is going on. Time...

Finally, I get my senses together. I shake my head in vivid motions. I can't be caught in Fiona's battle now, I have my own battle to fight. I look back, Dyna is getting up, but still a bit out of his senses. And near him lies...

...Bailey... I believe that was her name. And then I come to the realization. Dyna killed Madoka... to save Bailey. There must be some kind of... I don't know, bond, between them, for him to risk his life saving her... So maybe, the revenge wouldn't be to kill him... but to kill her...

I don't put anymore thought into it. While Dyna is still halfly drugged by sleep, I shoot her. The darts hits right in the center of her chest, and a rose of blood begins to bloom on the fabric of the Arena Wear. To be sure, I shoot again, seeing yet another dart hitting her, this time piercing through her throat. BOOM!

I turn around and run for my life, leaving Fiona, Dyna, Bailey and the others for themselves. I know the fog covered me, that it's unlikely anyone saw who killed Bailey, still it's better to be on the save side. While running this... feeling spreads inside me. Happiness? No, it's too vicious... More like... More like the feeling of justice. Of furfilled vengeance.

Dyna's POV:
The feeling is hard to describe. It's almost like I have just been picked up from a light slumber and been dumped into a pool ice cold freezing water. A state of shock, confusion. My brain is telling me to react, but my body feels all numb. That all changes though, when I hear the boom.

I look up. Kodai is battling a tall girl who I believe is from District 5. They twirl around each other, almost as if they were dancing a deadly war-dance. The boom could not have come from there... But where then?

It only takes me second to find the source. There, lying on the tiled pillar, Bailey's body lies. Had it not been for the big red spot, growing quickly on her chest, like a virus, it would almost look as if she was still asleep. A slumber she would never awake from. "Bailey..." I whisper, watching her intensely, as if my gaze somehow could bring her back to life. A part of me, just wants to sit down and cry. Maybe hug Bailey's dead body, wash her clean from blood and lay her somewhere nice. A calm place, so that it would look as if she was sleeping.

Another part of me just wants to give up. To sit down, say: "F*ck it," and just wait for someone to come and kill me. I mean, what's the point? I am gonna die at one point anyway, just like Bailey just did. Maybe that's the best... I thought I would be sad to see one of my allies die but... I never expected this... emptyness. How could I ever hope to fill the gaping hole slowly spreading in my chest?

Still, the last part of me, the instincts, the part of me that just wants to survive, get me up on my feet, leaving Bailey's body alone. Fiona and Kodai are still dancing, but Kodai's moves are growing slower and slower. Picking up my sword, I charge at her. The odd feeling of "feeling nothing" is spread through me, along with the adrealin, preparing me for battle. Fiona looks up, and see me running toward. She knows her end is near.

But then she does something unexpected. She throws one her two duel knives, in Kodai's direction. The knives of hers are not meant for throwing, Kodai avoids them easily but he has to dive away from them and so, away from Fiona. Which is exactly what she wanted.

While Kodai is still getting up, she makes a run for it, running across one of the small bridges connecting the big pillar around us to the smaller ones. I know already that I am too far away to ever hope to reach her, but I still run out on the bridge, chasing her onto another pillar. Then she crosses a second bridge and the fog swallows her whole. I knew it wasn't her who killed Bailey. Bailey's killer used a blowgun, what else could explain the dart? Still it feels as if there have been some kind of injustice, by her getting away. After all, she was partly to blame for this.

Strolling back to camp, I find Kodai hugging a shaking, pale-as-a-ghost Ophelia closely. Even with the emptyness filling my body, it's hard not to smile at the scene. Ophelia was never in danger, not with him around, still, her eyes are the size of tea cups and she's clinging to his arm like her life depended on it. Kodai has a more confused look to him, as if he isn't really sure what is happening, and confused by the act of hugging.

For maybe the fifth time in these games, I think about this ally from 7. He's... odd... To a enemy, he's more of a beast than a human. Ready to bite, and scratch people's eyes out if needed to win a battle. When he's in crowds, his usual behavior makes it pretty obvious that there's something wrong with him, mentally. But when he's with us... or rather, with Ophelia, he seems all confused but also caring... almost like a little child.

I watch, as Ophelia's breathing gradually changes pase, slowing down in Kodai's embrase. It's easy to forget what just happened, when looking at them. But then, in the background I see him, and my smile is wiped away as quickly as it appeared. Fabian. Normally I am shy and quiet, and I wouldn't dare to say anything to an arrogant asshole like Fabian. But this time, I can't help it. Partly because Bailey's corpse is still lying in camp, bleeding.

"Where. Were. You." I hiss at him. He looks up at me, with a surprised expression on his face.

"What do you mean?" He asks, even though he clearly knows what I mean.

"In the battle. Where were you? You certainly weren't here, that's for sure." All emotion has run out of my face, all that's left is a cold, harsh tune of voice. I can't even yell at him.

Fabian doesn't answer. Instead he bites his underlip, thinking about a reply. He doesn't need to answer either. We all know where Fabian were.

"So that's what you do when your allies lives are in danger? Hide away in the fog while people loyal to you are fighting for their lives!?" The anger slowly boils up inside me, but still, I keep my voice calm. Charlotte is probably watching, I don't want her to see me angry... But Fabian needs to be put in his place for this. I usually put up with much, being the quiet person that I am. But this is ''unacceptable. ''

"It's not like you did a lot either, 'Mr Hero'" Fabian almost spits the new nickname at me. "Lying there oh-so-helplessly while Kodai fought for his life. Had Kodai not been quick, the girl from 5 could have killed him a hundred times and over before you got up."

"At least I didn't stay passive in combat, leaving my allies to die!"

"I am in this for me. Just like all of you are. Yes, all of that "being loyal and fight for each other" crap is cool, but how many victors do you actually think have done that? Risked their lives for an ally? None. They were in these games for themself. That's why they won. And so am I. Despite, how different am I really for Ophelia? She just layed there too, without doing anything useful. And so did you until you got up. What right to you have to judge me?" Fabian glares at me, with a confident sickening smile, knowing that I have no reply to this. He is right but... what he did... It's just so... wrong.

"So you don't care for any of us? We're just an easier way to win these games?" I ask him. In my mind, I picture Charlotte's face. She's the only thing that keeps me from yelling, and maybe even killing the little rat with the arrogant smirk.

However, Fabian's reply surprises me. His arrogant tone is gone, instead, a rather... hollow tone of voice has replaced it. "I cared for ''her..." ''He mutters, looking at Bailey's bleeding corpse. I am about to open my mouth, telling him how he should have fought with us, had he cared for Bailey. But I am cut off.

"Please... Stop?" Ophelia whimpers in a low, saddened voice, still clustering Kodai, who's nodding in agreement. Whether he actually agrees or if he just wants to back up Ophelia, I am not really sure. "It's not gonna help anything, to argue. Please?" Ophelia's lower lip quivers, as if she's about to cry. I take a deep breath, and send Charlotte a last thought, feeling the rage leaving my body.

''"I am sorry..." ''The words are spoken with such small power, it's barely hearable, and I doubt that Kodai and Ophelia heard them. Fabian had gone over to Bailey's corpse while Ophelia spoke and is now sitting with her dead body's hand softly in his own. But he's looking at me, when he repeats his words again:

"I am sorry..."'

Helena's POV:
The early morning sun slowly sneaks it way into the mouth of the cornucopia before finally hitting my face, awakening me. The only other person awake is Lucy, who's already up and going, dragging out dried fruit for our breakfast. It's weird... Lucy would easily give this job to any of us career recruits, yet she seems to enjoy bringing us food to the table. I guess it fits good, when she's the one of us who gets up earliest. She says it's because of the District 4 people being early risers so that they could catch fish. However, Lynx, who's lying over there snoring... or rather, it sounds more purring, in his sleep does not show any signs of wanting to get up early.

She drags out a calf, probably from a cow, for Lynx and my thoughts slips completely away. All in my is the pretty drops of blood slowly running down the meat... I don't eat rawr meat, but I gotta admit... I would really love to just touch it, feel the sticky red liquire between my fingers. I cluster the vile of my own blood, hanging from my neck. Maybe I should try and dye my hair in the next tribute I kill's blood? Could be a pretty good show for the audience...

"Guys!" Lucy calls out, waking the rest of them. Lynx growls like a unsatisfied cat, then he goes up on all four and arches his back, just like a waking lion. I would call him creepy, but with Hester, who looks like someone dropped a bin of blue paint onto her body and me, who used my own blood to color my hair, you learn not to judge people.

Lucy hands out our breakfast and we sit quietly and eat.

"So where are we going today?" Hester asks, breaking the silence.

"I was wondering... I know most of you really don't like water, but I really want to go to the waterzone. After all, I haven't got a kill yet" Lucy blushes, but really she's just saying what we all are thinking out loud.

"We're not going to the waterzone," Lynx said, never should have come up in the first place.

"But Lynx... What if the tributes moves with the zones? If so, that would mean that there's a bunch of triburtes roaming around there safely because you're afraid of a tiny bit of water,"

It's odd to hear her actually insult Lynx. Most of the time she keeps her cool, and honestly, I would be very careful about getting into fights with Lynx, yet still Lucy dares to. Lynx pouts angrily, trying to find a clever comeback.

"We could splidt up?" Hester says, breaking into the conversation. "I believe both me, Helena and Lynx are not very happy about being around water. But you're a born swimmer and Claudia doesn't seem to mind water." As if on que, we all look over at Claudia. Claudia has been... diffferent, to say the least, after she killed Ruby. It's as if the mask of innocence that she hid behind in the start of games had slipped off her, revealing a mind filled with... cruelty... and even, insanity. She sits, with a smirk on her face, creepily stroking one of her spearheads with her fingertips.

"Four of us could go towards the waterzone and when it begins, two of us could break off to one of the zones nearby." Hester continiues. I nod my head and so does Lynx and  Claudia. Lucy looks less pleased, which is understandable. Claudia's presence has been quite... creepy to be around lately.

"Fine," Lucy ends up muttering, and Hester sends her a grin as if to tell her: 'That's what happens when you don't stay in your place,' Eventhough we're the career recruits it still feels as if Lucy is below us. Quite a good feeling.

"I can stay back at the cornu―" I begin but is quickly cut off.

"No you're not. I will stay back at the cornucopia, you'lll go with Lynx and Claudia and Lucy will go together." Hester tells me, commandingly. Truth be told, I really don't wanna go on hunt, Staying here is much, much safer. But I guess hester figured that too.

"Fine," I mutter, just like Lucy, well aware that I just got put in my place by another career recruit. It's like a monarcy, in a way. Lynx, as our leader, Claudia as the leader's right hand, Hester as the strongest career recruit, me, the weaker of the career recruits and then Lucy in the button, because of her behavior. I guess that's how it is in this pack. If you're aren't the least bit mad, you don't belong here.

Lucy's POV:
I don't really know how else to describe the situation at hand. Why aren't there any normal careers? For one moment I thought that Claudia was somewhat sane but after what she did to Ruby she's probably the most insane of them all. The closest thing we get to "normal" is Hester, and she looks like a smurf. And now I am gonna spend the day with Claudia, alone, hunting for more innocent tributes. I know I will have to kill these poor kids, I can't let Claudia be respondsible for their deaths. That would be too cruel. Just thinking about spending the day in the company of Claudia makes me shiver slightly. We splidt up with the careers about five minutes ago, and are slowly moving into the waterzone. An entire day in Claudia's company... 'Don't look at it like that, Lucy,' I tell myself. It's what I tell myself when I feel down. I need to focus on the good things about the situation. Make the best of it... If I become angry... I go ballistic. I saw myself do so at the career academy back in 4. I can't let that happen again. Ever.

So instead, I try to enjoy the blue waters around and the refreshing smell of salt water. The trees here are healthy and strong from their watersource, and the air is fresh. Almost like back in 4. It's hard not think of the warm sand on the summer beaches. The palm tree, which I will never get to see again. 'But Lily will see it,' I think to myself and send the water horizon a little sad smile.

"Lucy..." Claudia almost purs my name behind and I spin around. Claudia's just standing there, stroking her spear wh,ile looking directly at me.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy... Little, sweet, innocent Lucy," The ways she says those words, almost make them sound like those creepy melody which are played in horror movies.

"Claudia?" I ask, trying to keep my voice from stuttering, while clustering my trident closely. From the almost... wild look in her eyes, it's almost like she's blinded to what's going on around her. Like... Like an insane person, throwing a tantrum.

"Lucy... I have realized... You're nice," She says, slowly walking closer to me, while smiling a bright almost phycsotic smile. I let my foot slide backwards in the sand, ready to take a step away from her. I have seen her abilities with a spear. If a fight really does happen, running won't do me any good. Claudia's way too skilled. And the water is too far away.

"Nice people... Don't belong in these games. They don't volunteer, Lucy," She says my name as she was talking about a cockroach or a traitor. "Nice people dies early. Nice people aren't careers... And I want... I need another kill, Lucy," She smiles brighter at me, now showing her full set of white teeth, while taking another step forward. The shivers run down my spine and I feel the adrenaline slowly beginng to pump through my veins. But I know it's not much use. Claudia's a way better fighter than I could ever be.

For the first time in my life, I wish I could go ballistic. Yet somehow, it's as if the fear get's rid of all my anger. I can't even get angry at her. All I have for this fight is myself. And while yes, "Ballistic Lucy" can kill... I am not sure if I, "Lucy Perch" the "nice" career would ever be able to.

Claudia gives me no more time, though. Sending her spear forward in a quick thrust I move to the side, blocking it with my trident. I move the tip of my weapon forward, causing Claudia to dance away from me, before making yet another thrust. Insanity burns in her eyes, in that sickly wide smile, and in the determined glance of her. Determined to kill me, to get rid of the "weak, nice, career". I parade her attack, while slowly taking another step back, hoping to get closer to the water, while keeping my defensive strategy.

''"Don't even bother!" ''She almost squeals at me, like a little child. "I'll kill you, my little Lucy, and nothing you do can change that," I take a deep breath and make a jump backwards. I am only few inches from the water, but Claudia doesn't even seem to notice. All she sees is me. She sends yet another attack, which I gracefully avoid, stepping backwards. I almost was scream in bliss as I feel the cold water around my feet. Now I just need to get her out in it too.

I wonder if I over-estimated her. She seems oddly... She seems less proffessional. As if she weren't herself. She doesn't even notice herself stepping out in the water to attack me once again. Another attack which I easily block. I think.. I think this is what killing does to us. Twists us, turns us into shades of ourself. We forget ourself... and then we fall.

She get's more out in the water and that is when I make my move. Quickly thrusting my trident outwards, I make it seem like I am trying to hit her in the stomach. She moves her spear to block, as I predicted. So, I change course, going straight for her legs. Not to stab, but to push them off the sandfloor of the water. It works. Claudia's feet are swiped off the sandfloor and she falls down in the water, her back first, screaming.

Had you done this to any experinced swimmer, they would have been able to make their escape. Yet, Claudia just swallows a bunch of saltwater, getting it through her mouth and nostrils. And it's while she's lying there, splashing around in the water, with her spear floating helplessly far away from her, that I drive down my trident stabbing her in the heart.

The splashing and the half chocked screaming stops instantly, as the water around her dead body is colored crimson red, like wine. "Don't forget yourself..:" I whisper to Claudia's corpse. Whether it's for myself or for her, I am not really sure.

"I heard a scream!" Lynx voices echoes and I freeze right where I stand. My fellow careers... I didn't think they were close enough to hear... I know instantly that they won't believe me. And even if they did, they would still kill me to be secure. The water is a quick way to escape but it can't hide me. Lynx and Helena may not like water but they know that I have to get up from the water eventually, they could easily just follow me around and wait until I got up...

And with that, I run out of the water, and over the sand covered beaches, trying to escape from I once called allies.

Michael's POV:
When I hear it, it's already way too late. Footsteps over the damp sandy grounds. I was almost beginning to enjoying this zone, it's fresh air, the sound of the calming waves, and the small but shadowfilled patches of trees on the isles, easy to hide it. I thought this was gonna be another calm day, but the footsteps just proofed me wrong.

She rams into me. She must have been looking backwards or something because she doesn't even notice me before she runs straight into me. She falls backwards and I find myself staring into the eyes of the small blonde girl from 4. Her cheeks are blushing red from her little running streak, and she's breathing rapidly. She looks upon me, her eyes watering up. She doesn't even try to raise the trident in her hands. She's exhausted and I am too strong. I pretty much already won the battle.

"''Career!" ''I hiss at her, and she crumbles together below as I raise my sword. It's almost unworthy to kill someone who lies that helplessly and tired beneath you. But she's a career, she ratted up together with other killers to kill us all. She deserves it.

''"She ran in there!" ''A voice which I think belong to Lynx, the feline-like leader of the career alliance is heard from outside the tree patch. The girl whimpers very faintly. I may be the strongest but even I know that I couldn't beat more than two careers. I have no idea how many they're out there but it's not a risk I am willing to take.

I drag the girl into one of those big darkgreen tropical bushes, it's leaves spreading out as excellent cover. A slight whimper escapes her before I put my hand over her my mouth to keep her silent. In the last second, I reach out for the girl's dropped trident, making sure to clean the place for potential clues. About a second after, Lynx and a girl with bloodred hair enters the clearing. I feel the girl shiver, and it begins to occur to me that I might not just have saved my own life by dragging us into the bush.

The careers may be skilled, but intelligence have never been a peak of theirs. None of them even stops to look and see if the girl hid. Their leader, Lynx, seems more like an actual lynx than a person, seeing him run in this special animalistic way, as if he a predator pursuing pray. The other girl, with the red hair is right behind him, her hair billowing behind her as a waterfall of flame. The blonde shivers once more as we watch them leave the clearing, in search of their former ally.

I keep my hand over her mouth for at least ten straight minutes, waiting for the careers to get futher away. Small tears fall muted from her eyes, down her cheeks onto my hand.

''What should I do with her? ''She must have done something to set her fleeing from her allies. There were a cannon just before, maybe she caused it? I have no idea. Shouldn't I just kill her? After all, she is - well, was a career. She would have killed me, had she could. However from observing the career group in the group training, it didn't take me long to figure that this girl was the most soft of them. The most sane of them, too, I believe. Another career kill would be good for my sponsors, yes, but I doubt killing a girl who's lying whimpering and crying in my arms will bring me any honor. Infact, it's the exact thing pack of careers would do. And I left the careers for a reason.

Finally I take my hand of her mouth. Instinctly, she gasps, bowing backwards as if pushed. She breathes rapidly in and out, while tears keep falling down her face. There we are, sitting inside a bush, all crouched up, only inches away from each other. She's exhausted and sobbing hysterically while I am just sitting there watching her. After a while, she looks upon me, her eyes looking like someone poured crimson blood onto them. She doesn't even seem frigthened, even though I am sitting right beside with a sword in my hands, while she is unarmed. Probably so drained that she doesn't even have the energy to feel fear.

"''Just get it over with..." ''She says, her voice being creepily emotionless. I can understand that though. Whatever happened with the careers, she must have been close to lose the games. She had prepared herself to die. And now, suddenly she got another chance, just to here, face to face with yet another opponent, yet another situation where she could lose these games. She has prepared herself to die, emptied herself. She just wants her excuter to do their job.

"Your name?" I ask her, ignoring what said completely. She looks at me, her face painted with brief disbelieve, before the emotionless expression is back.

"Lu-u-u-u-cy," she stammers.

"I won't harm you... Lucy," I tell her, before adding, "I am not a career like you." She doesn't even react. She doesn't appear thankful that I spared her life, nor reacts to my insult. She just sits there, staring at me, looking like someone who could faint any second. With one hand, I gently lead her shoulder downwards, so that she can lie down. What am I gonna do with her? I can't kill a girl who's lying all curled up and paralyzed, but I can't leave her in a bush all alone, either. Ugh. I guess I'll have to figure that out tomorrow.

Yul's POV:
So far, the games has been pretty quiet for me and Janu. Ever since the bloodbath, it's as if things have quieted down. The sounds of singing cannons echoes through the air sometimes but that's about  it, really. Don't get me wrong, I really do like to be in this position of peace. Hiding away, waiting for our fellow tribute to slowly die out, one after another. But it has begun to worry me though... The gamemakers doesn't like it when there's tributes that see no action in their games. I will have to prepare myself...

Atleast the zone is good. The clear air, the young healthy trees, and the sunlight gently strooking the leave covered sky, so that only small patches of light falls to the floor, as if someone had crytalized it and turned it into a patern. Janu and me decided to take the chance and splidt up to find some food. None of us are starving, but the food is running low, and this zone is filled with foodsources. None of us are experts in edible plants and such, no, but Janu's from 11 and we both spend a fair share of time at the "edible plants zone". We should be alri―

The scream pierces through the air, high pitched, light and panicked. And I know who it belongs to, too. I get up and sprint toward the source of the sound, while reaching for one of my knives. How far could Janu have wondered? Would I be able to reach her? What if it's already too late? How quickly can someone... What if she's alrea―

I break through a clearing of bushes and see Janu pressed up against a tree, a male tribute -from 8, I believe- with his machete toward her throat. He hasn't cut down yet, though, there's no trains of blood on Janu's lightly tanned skin, but it will in seconds.

"HEY!" I yell, more in panic than in anything, really, while the throwing the knife. It wasn't a quite good shot, he's way to close for a good throw. The knife flies past the male from 8, and gets stuck into the trunk of the tree, a few inches above both of their heads. The singing sound of the blade shivering from the force of being thrown plays in the air for about tenth-a-second. And then things goes really fast.

The guy from 8 pulls away from Janu, who's body drops to the forest floor, like a sack of dead meat. Her eyes are closed, her body almost seems lifeless. The machete must have been pressed so tightly against her windpipe that she fainted. And now, that leaves me with the guy from 8, his machete, and my throwing knives which are hopelessly stuffed away in my pocket.

He charges and I do my best to reach for knife. I grap one as he swings out with the machete, which I only barely avoid. He swings again and I dance out of the way, unweilding my second knife. They aren't meant for close combat but it's that those or bare hands. And bare hands don't last long against a blade.

I already know this battle is lost. Two knives against a machete are bound to fail at one point or another. Maybe I can last long enough for Janu to wake up and escape? If so, she at least wouldn't die with me. I jump to the side against just barely avoiding the blade which lashes out yet again, and this time, I am less fortunate.

The blade cuts deeply into the upper side of my right hand, and I cry out in reflex and pain. I drop one of my knives, holding my hand backwards. I am done, and District 8 knows that too. He lifts the machete for one last finishing stab.

"Thonk!" This odd dull sounding noise fills the air, like hitting a punching bag, and 8's expression changes from a vicious, victorious glance to a surprised, shocked one, before shifting his feet, as if he lost balance.

"NO ONE..." A high pitched female voice yells, in an angry aggressive tone before the dull sound is there again.

"Thonk."

"...MESSES..."

"Thonk."

"...WITH MY..."

"Thonk!"

"...ALLY!"

"Thonk!"

Finally, 8 falls to the ground, the back of his head covered in red blood. Behind him, Janu is standing wielding a stick, twice as thick as her upper arm, and almost as tall as her. Her small body can barely carry it, yet the wild expression on her face and the fact that she just knocked out 8 tells me otherwise. The side of the stick is covered in blood as well, from where she rammed it into the back of his head.

"I thought you had fainted!" I almost yell at her, my voice filled with both shock and disbelief. Janu throws the stick away and point to 8's body with her foot.

"He thought the same thing," She says, dryly, and I am not really sure whether to laugh or cry in relief. Janu is the sharpest knife... or rather, stick, in the forest but she has her moments where her simple mind does her good justice. It doesn't take a genius to fake fainting, still, even geniuses would have a hard time to make a plan like that under pressure.

"The oldest trick in the book," she says, while in a very childish manor, sticking her tounge out at 8. Then, picking up the stick again, she rams into one last time into his head, giving him a quick painless death. BOOM!

Lynx's POV:
A very grim, dark astmosphere lingers around as me, Hester and Helena sit down to eat. None of us speak, having no idea what to say. All we know is that Claudia somehow ended up in the water with a deep gaping hole in her chest. I might not be the sharpest person alive, but it's easy to figure that something happened between her and Lucy. Why else would Lucy have fleed?

It's not that I am sad that we lost Claudia or Lucy. Claudia was strong but probably the most messed up of us and that's a lot when it comes from me. A single kill made her go all physco. Can't keep people like her in the pack. I don't miss Lucy either. She was weak... soft. No space for her, either. It's the fact that we just got reduced by two, that worries me. We're only three careers left in these games, and only three days has passed. It's not exactly settling. And I can feel the worried meanor of Helena's and Hester's too. Our odds just decreased dramatically and the whole pack's mood too. Heck, even the entire uncooked turkey that I found inside the food pile, couldn't cheer me up.

"We still need to see the sky," Hester tells us, reasurringly. She's somewhat right. Two other cannons sounded today. If we're lucky, it's some anti-careers or maybe a strong loner. It can exactly bring back to dead people but it can at least bring us just a tad closer to victory.

"I hope it's Lucy up there, " Hester mutters bitterly. Of course we told her the entire thing and Hester seemed to be the closest thing that Claudia got to a friend. I must agree with her on that part. My traitor of a district partner must die. But I am not sure if I want her to be up on the sky. Because hopefully, when her face does one day appear on that sky, I will be the one to kill her. She shamed our District, and I plan to restore that honor.

"I hope it's Michael," Helena mutters. I dissagree again. Michael was the only tribute to get higher odds than me, so he must die too. I am the alpha in these games, and no one else.

As if on cue, the sky lights up and we sit in deep anticipation. First, the face of Claudia appears, of course. No surprise there. Then, the guy from 8's face appears. This is alright, he was one of the older tributes, somewhat of a threat. And then, one of the girls from the anti-careers. Not exactly a threat, but another anti career gone is always good. Then, the sky fades, and we know Lucy's still alive. A silence spreads between us and I take a breath before spreaking.

"Don't give me those looks." I tell them, "Those 'what-are-we-gonna-do-now?' glances that doesn't help a thing. Do you think previous careers has given up because they were outnumbered? Do you think they sat down and moaned?" I make sure to balance the tone of my voice, making it both harsh but also confident. As the leader, it's my job to bring back their spirit.

"Claudia was a nutcase. She made one single kill and went crazy. We don't need people like that. Lucy was weak. I know I saw her spare the life of the fanged one from 7. We don't need soft people like her either. You might think that we're out numbered, but you have to look at one thing. Quality over quantity. The anti-careers has one person more than us, but really what does that mean? Do you think the weak girl from 6 or that guy from 9 who scored a 4 would matter in a battle? No. The only threats they have are the fanged one and the guy from 13. That's two threats. We're three threats, they're two threats. Who do you really think would have the upper hand in battle?" I watch in satisfaction as their faces turns from hopelessness into the vicious smirks I know so well.

""F*** Claudia and Lucy, both of them were utterly useless. You might not have been from career district, but you are careers. There's a lot of victims out there, all awaiting their deaths. Let's show them what happens when you anger the predator."

Careers:
Lynx Striker (D4M), Helena Krisp (D10F), Hester Riva (CF)

Anti-Careers:
Ophelia Carlile (D6F), Kodai Hitogoroshi (D7M), Fabian Matthis (D9M), Dyna Ploson (D13M)

District 5 and 11 Alliance:
Yul Zhu (D5M), Janu Wong (D11F)

Left The Careers Alliance:
Michael Kaizer (D2M), Lucy Perch (D4F)

Loners:
Ella Massey (D1F),  Fiona Valoran (D5F), Araneae Web (D8F), Wolf Fang (D12M), Quintus Hase (CM)

 '''Day 4  - "I don't want you to live with that guilt." -  Quintus Hase'''

Dyna's POV:
The night has been going for quite a while now. The moon has been up for long and I have been lying here impaciently for hours. But I believe it's now time. After seeing Fabian's behavior yesterday, I was convienced. We can't have him in this alliance when he runs off in the battle. We must kill him... And after what he did, causing Bailey to die... he deserves it too.

I can't help but wonder if she would have died, had he not fled. Bailey, I mean. If Fabian had helped us instead of crawling off, would Bailey still be alive and breathing? I am not really sure. But what I am sure of is that the thought of it, makes me want to personally send my sword through Fabian's back.

Where does this feeling come from? This sudden urge to kill? I have never been... violent, before. I don't think I have ever felt such strong hatred for someone. But what Fabian did was unacceptable, and I won't remain quiet in a situation like that.

Sneaking up quietly, I  put my hand on Ophelia's shoulder waking her up. She's lying, snuggled up to Kodai, him having one arm lying across her waist. Not really as a way of showing affection, more like a way of protecting Ophelia. I am not sure if Kodai can feel actual affection, but you don't have to be a genius to see that he feels protective toward her. A little smile is paint onto my face; it's difficult not to feel a bit soft-hearted toward the odd couple. It's hard to imagine any stranger combination of people, but it's clear as a bell that their relations to each other are sincere.

"Ophelia? Kodai?" I whisper, Ophelia rubbing her eyes and nudging Kodai awake. He groans, but Ophelia quickly lays a finger on his lips signalizing him to be quiet. "Don't say anything, but come with me, a bit away from camp." I tell them, them both nodding. Silently, the three of us gets up, moving away from Fabian's sleeping body, so that we can talk.

"We need to kill him," I point at Fabian,

"Do we h-have to?" Ophelia asks. Kodai sits quietly with a expression of deep thought on his face, for the first time not directly agreeing with Ophelia. Who knows what's going on in his mind.

"Look... I don't wanna kill another ally, but this case is different. Fabian betrayed us and told us directly that he would do it again, if it meant his own survival. Those people are no good for the alliance." I tell Ophelia, trying my best to sound firm. I can see where she's coming from, I respect her kindheartedness but we can't spare a traitor.

"But... I don't want anymore to die... Especially not one from our alliance..." Ophelia stammers, looking down at the stone floor as if it held the answers to all the riddles of the universe.

"I don't want anymore to die either, but Fabian is dangerous," I tell her back.

"... But..." She stops, not able to say anymore. I look up at Kodai, who seems to be just about ready to take Ophelia's side. I take a deep breath.

"He's dangerous for her. Fabian. He would kill Ophelia, he would kill any of us, had it meant his own survival. Ophelia doesn't want other people to die, but Fabian would betray Ophelia's trust. And if he does kill Ophelia, you could never revert it." I hear my own voice change as I speak the last line, Bailey's face popping into my mind like a constant reminder. A constant message reminding me that I couldn't safe her. Dealing with what happened to Bailey is hard enough... I don't wanna see Kodai deal with the same, if Ophelia died.

The words have immidiate effect too. Kodai's thoughtful expression is replaced, not by a vicious one as I had expected but by a mask of stone, cold and serious, nothing like his usual childish demeanor. His eyes filled with darkness he opens his mouth revealing the fangs, as he realizes how true my words is. Without a word, he nods and sends me a glare which message can't be missunderstood. '''I will be killing him'. ''Ophelia whimpers slightly as Kodai gets up grabbing my sword, apparently not wasting anymore time. He leaves us, walking toward the camp and me and Ophelia just sits there, before following him.

As we get back we see Kodai standing in the middle of the camp, staring at the ground with the sword clustered in his hand, Fabian nowhere to be found. Walking over to Kodai, who's breathing heavily with anger, I read the hastily written sentence in the dirt.

'You're not the only one who can stay awake' 

- Fabian

Lucy's POV:
Something is shakening. I am not really sure why, but somehow, my entire world has been turned into a bunch of bumpy, fast-moving pictures and two big, strong hands are placed on my shoulder. It takes me a bit of time to realize that I am actually being shakened awake.

"I am awake!" I yell, wanting nothing more than the vivid movements to stop. I feel a headache approaching steadily, I don't need someone else to rub it in.

I am put down and I lie down a bit, trying to focus. The sky is cut off from view by a bunch of scorched branches strentching across it as if trying to reach one another, hindering the light reaching the surface of the earth. I am inside a bush. Not the heathly bush that I fell asleep inside, though. A bush almost naked from leaves, almost dead. The mist flies around it, like a heavy cloak, shrouding distant secrets from our gaze. I am in the Air Zone... Or rather... We are in the air zone.

Because frowning before me is the male from District 2, Michael Kaizer, looking down upon me like I was some kind of pesky insect that really deserved to die. Even when crouching, to not collide with the loft of the bush, he still looks tall, still something about tells me that he won't hurt me. Atleast not now.

"Good. Are you fine?" He asks, no trace of any emotion in his voice.

It's hard to know what to answer. Am I fine? I remember what happened yesterday. Claudia tried to kill me, I killed her... The careers would have found me and killed me, had I not run into Michael who dragged me inside a bush. The feeling of feeling... emotionally exchausted still lingers within me but it's not that I feel... not fine. Just a bit tired, of the games, of life, of everything really. But I am alright... Right?

"I believe so," I tell him, my voice sounding more like the cry of a crow than anything.

"Good. Then listen to me and listen closely because I won't be repeating this twice. What I did the other day... I did not do it because of mercy, you hear me? I did it because self respect. I have too much self respect to kill crying weaklings-of-careers who comes crawling to me at my feet. I am not merciful, I am not your friend nor your ally. If I see you in these games ever again, I'll spear my sword through your forehead, simple as that. I didn't safe you for your sake. Only for my own. Got it?"

I look at him, taking in his words, as he glares at me. Then, as I slowly process his long speech, I nod. As I nod, a bit of the glare dissappears from his eyes, and it turns into something that is more like a stare. As if we're saying goodbye to each other. This "alliance" was a one-day-only thing and it's now over. We're complete strangers again and we both know. Then he nods as well, get's up, takes his supplies and leaves the bush, dissappearing into the mist, leaving me completely alone.

I get up as well. I don't intend on following him, that would be foolish. I don't doubt that he meant it when he said he would put a sword through my forehead if we met again. I should just be thankful he actually helped me. That I survived that last day.

Getting my stuff I begin to head over toward the water zone. If I remember correctly, it should be east from here. Not really sure though, the place turns you around quite easily. Maybe I should just stay in this zone. But that would mean an advantages to a potential pursuer and I am much more safe from career attacks in the waterzone.

''But what does it really matter? ''The thought hits my like a jolt of lightning. ''You're all alone, without allies to protect you, without careers to kill for you. Why don't you just sit down and die?''

It's like a moralic battle within myself. Like a side of me who believes I am never good enough. Back in 4, I didn't ever feel this way. It was much easier to just be energetic, people liked a happy person. In the games, people despise happy people. They think they're useless. And who knows, maybe we really are useless? I mean, look at me, I couldn't even kill unless my own life were threatened or if I went ballistic. I really didn't belong in these games. I am still happy I volunteered but.... what does it really matter anymore? I saved my sister, but there's no way I can make it home. I saved my sister, I already completed my purpose. Does any more figthing from my side really help me?

I think back at the events of yesterday. I had to be saved by someone to survive. I always needed that in these games, didn't I? Always needed the careers to look after me, and when they weren't there, I needed another tributes to safe me...

But then again... I did kill a career... I was convienced Claudia was stronger than me but it turned out she was much weaker. And there's only three careers left, and none of which can swim. I may be without alliance, but I killed a career... Maybe... Maybe I could make it on my own?

I visualize my sister's kind smile before me. She would have fought to the bitter end. Seen it through had she lived or had she die. "''And I'll do the same..." ''I whisper as I transit from the mist to the water.

Hester's POV:
"So, where are we going?" Helena asks, while eating her soup and bread. Being a bit fewer careers has it's advantages, as saving food is no longer a consern. The cornucopia could feed three careers for weeks, maybe even months. With two careers gone, one could assume that the tension was quite... well downed, but it actually isn't. In the start, I was pretty much ready to just sit down, waiting for someone to come kill us all. Usually, a non-career tribute wins when the career pack is quick diminished.

But as Lynx spoke I realized he had a point. We are the strongest. And I guess... I guess Lynx is our true leader after all. I will openly admit that I doubted him, after all, he eats rawr meat and he really seemed more powerhungry than leader like, in the beginning. I am pretty sure he was powerhungry at first but have grown with the assignement. We might only be three but we can still control these games.

Still he worries me. After all, there will be a point in these games where will all have to break away. From Michael and Lynx are gonna be my two biggest competetors at that point, and from re-watching the previous Hunger Games, I learned that the Leader of the Careers tend to be the one who survives that break and later on wins the games. I plan on breaking that cycle, yes, but it's not gonna be easy. And slitting his throat in his sleep would be ridicolous as we are so few careers left. It would be the same as lighting a gigant fire at the cornucopia, asking people such as Michael or The Anti's to go kill the last two career recruits. Completely idiocy.

"Well... We have been to water and briefly in fire... Air is really the only zone left," Helena mentions, and we turn to look at Lynx. It's his call.

"Air is fine for me. As long as we don't set our feet in the water zone anymore, everything is fine with me." He mentions, digging his teeth into a rawr chicken leg. I guess we must be running out of rawr meat.

Retrieving our weapons, Lynx chooses a long, double handed blade, perfect for close combat... and beheadings. Helena goes for a light, slender kartana, thin as a needle, obviously made for speed. And I myself get my claws, before we head over to abyss shrouded in fog, known as The Air Zone.

Lynx's POV:
''Author's Note: This scene is slightly... gore-y? If you have a problem with that, you might just have to go look at the dearth chart, and skip this POV. I personally don't think it's that bad, I mean, it's text, not a movie but just to be completely sure so I don't get a bunch of complaints in the comments, I giving you this warning.''

We must have walked for an hour. At least. All the muscels in my body have been tighting up, ready for anything... anyone to appear. The mist floats ominously around here, shrouding most of the place in mystery. I am not afraid, after all only a fool would ambush the career pack when they were hunting. No risk of that happening. Yet, I still can't help but wonder if the mist is hiding a tribute just from view, just letting the escape with their lives, which is a horrible feeling, to know that some prey may escape your claws, simply because of the hunting area. Gritting my fangs again one another, I breathe pause, as if hoping to hear the faint sound of rapid breath, but of course, I hear nothing.

Walking a bit more, I let my thoughts wonder. I need another kill. Now. All of the careers do. I hope my speech made some impact, but action does indeed speak louder than words. Gaining our role back as the predators of these games would easiest by another kill. Show them that us three can still dominate. I need a kill, we need a kill these games needs a kill from the careers. Putting the prey in it's place.

As if by more intution than anything I strech out my hand, signalizing for Hester and Helena to stop, which they do abrubtly. Closing my eyes, I listen once more again. At first, only the loud silence fills the air, as if mocking my sense. But I know that there's something there. It's in my instincts.

And then I hear it. A breath taking inhaled and then realized. Gasping. It's a bit hard to locate the sound, but I believe it's coming from my right. They must be close, only barely covered by mist, or else I wouldn't have been able to hear them. They must be so close that running will make too noise. I know that they know that we are here, so the surprise is ruined... unless...

I shake my head in vivid emotion, and make a hand emotion, signalizing Hester and Helena to move forward. From their looks, they haven't heard the prey's breath, which makes them the perfect actors as they're not even aware of the stage. I myself take a couple of steps forward, trying my best to make it seem as if I really didn't hear the victim.

And then I leap after the sound source. Helena's and Hester's gasp in unison chimes in with the scream of the prey as I pounce onto it's back, making us both collide and fall, me pinning them to the ground. It must have been just about to run, thinking it could escape. Tough luck. Seeing the knife clustered in one of the tribute's hands, I quickly place one of my feet on the wrist, forcing the hand to let go the weapon. I kick the knife and slides over the platform, out into the abyss and with the prey securily pinned to the ground, I give myself time to examine it.

It's a female tribute, with a slender, tall body. Letting my hands slide into their hair short, light brown hair, I forcefully turn her face to side, so that she looks sidewards. My eyes meets her icy light blue eyes and I feel a vicious smirk form on my lips as I realize who this is. It's Fiona Valoran, of District 5, and one of the tribute with better odds. Perfect to kill to set an example.

"Last words?" I ask, almost purring. She looks upon me with a superior, hateful glance before spitting right onto my face. I feel the warm liquire slowly run down my cheeks as realize what she just did... 'Make their death memorable' I remember my mentor telling me, along with some words about just how worthless I am. Well... I'll show him that I much more than worthless. I will show Fiona why you do not spit in my face. I'll show my two small career recruits why I am the leader and I will show the entirity of Panem why I am not to be messed with.

Putting my smirk back on, I tighten my muscels just for safety. I then lower my head before opening my mouth, letting my fangs slide under the thin skin just around the top of the right shoulder, biting her. Tightening my jaws around the flesh of her upper shoulder, I pull my head upwards. The sound cleaved flesh fills the air as I rip her skin off her shoulder and the upper part of her chest, leaving a crimson mess with some white spots where the bone is revealed. Her scream pierces through the air, and she wriggles beneath my weight but it's way too late for her to do anything about it. Behind me, Hester is staring at me, a surprised, almost a disgusted expression painted on her face. Helena is absently playing with her hair while staring intensely at the blood flowing from Fiona's chest.

"When you spit at your superiors," I tell her, pulling my head a bit more upwards, ripping a bit more chest skin off, and even a bit of the breast to which I am rewarded with another scream of pain from her. "You'll have to suffer the consequences," Rolling my head side ways, I hear a final ripping noise, as the skin on the right part her shoulder and upper chest is ripped completely off. Blood sprouts up like a fountain from her body, as I spit out the gigant rug of skin, which slides a bit across the platform. I may eat rawr meat but I am not cannibal. She screams shortly,  one last time before the wriggeling completely stops. BOOM!

I get up from the bloody mess which once beared the name "Fiona". In the history games, there has been a few worser torture-deaths like ripping the legs of someone, but atleast someone's gotta give me point for creativity. I don't ever think the Capitol has seen. Looking at the sky, I open my mouth, letting my blood covered fangs be visibel to the entire Panem.

"You see that?" I ask the audience, pointing at Fiona's body. "That's what happens when you call me worthless. That's what happens when you anger the predator."

Ophelia's POV:
The tall dark trees creates an ominous setting. They raise upon you, downstaring you slowly, as if they were threatning to swallow you up. Every single step me and Kodai takes echoes out in the area, creating this ominous feeling that something is watching.

Let me explain. After what happened with Fabian, we decided to splidt up and go look for him. All three of us were gonna splidt first but Kodai wouldn't let me go alone. After a bit of discussing back and forth, Dyna splidt up from up and now, me and Kodai are walking here alone.

I feel goosebumps move down my spine as I think about Dyna, walking out in the forest all alone. Or myself, walking alone for that matter. Which make me feel even more thankful that Kodai is here. Kodai... It's hard to figure him out. He seemed so... scary, when I first met him. I was almost certain he was gonna kill one of us anti's in our sleep and I was lying there, hoping it weren't gonna be me. Because really, with those fangs and his strong body only Dyna would have had a chance against him. If he had attacked me, what would I have been able to do to safe myself? Nothing, that's what.

And yet, even with him being so creepy, he's still... Well, he's friendly toward Dyna and towards me he's almost... gentle. I noticed it on the morning of the second day, when he woke me up by rubbing his face toward my cheek, like a cat would nuzzle it's head against it's owners hand. After that... I guess I decided to try and treat him like less of a mental person and more as an ally. To this day, I still have no idea what goes on in his mind but somehow, he has decided that I am under his protection. Maybe he decided this because of me simply treating him like an actual human being instead of a scary physco? I am not really sure... But what I do know is... I can't help but like him, for protecting me... Not like "Oh I like this person as a friend", but actually like like him. Does that make me crazy? To like a person who mostlikely has some type of mental disorder? Maybe. But I don't really care, Kodai shows me more kindness than most, and that's good enough to me.

"Something is near," Kodai's light voice rips me out of my strain of thoughts. It's has lost it's childishness and has more of a cautious tone. Somehow I don't doubt that he's right. Up in front of us a small clearing, surrounded by trees and bushes.

"Ophelia stays here." Kodai points to the area behind one of the bushes. "I call when it's safe." I know for fact that argueing with Kodai isn't gonna help. Even if I were to counter all his reasons, he would end up rambelling about pineapples and refuse to have it any other way than his. If he has decided something, it's not to be altered with. Which is why I without any protest creep behind the bush he points at, before watching Kodai walk out into the clearing.

Nothing happens. Kodai looks left and right, as I calm myself down a bit. We're safe. Kodai walks up to check on some bushes and―

As if out of nothing, a body of leaps through the air, pinning Kodai. A scream in surprise escapes his lips, as the whip is knocked out of his hands, and before I can even react, a rope is put around his neck, and he's dragged to his knees. In shock, I stand up from the bush,

"Stop!" I yell desperately. The body turns around, Kodai hanging from the rope in his hands, struggeling desperately to be freed from the rope, that slowly chokes him. Fabian sends me a surprised look.

"Ophelia..." He says, an innocent look covering his face as Kodai wriggles become less and less strengthed. Fabian has placed his hands perfectly, so that Kodai can't use his fangs in a bite. Kodai's defenseless.

"Let him go!" I shriek, clustering my brass knuckles.

"Ophelia..." Fabian voice is weak, pleading but also smooth. "Ophelia, please. I never wanted to... to betray you guys, I just got so scared in the battle with Fiona," His voice turns from silky to innocent sounding. "And then, I overheard Dyna, wanting to kill me while I slept, that you wanted to betray me! What should I have done? What would you have done in my situation?" He looks at me pleadingly, with a voice matching his puppy eyes.

"Let Kodai go," I whisper, hoping my fear and doubt isn't shown into my voice. What if he really is right? What if it really is right what he says? If really it was us who betrayed him? A chocked sound coming from Kodai's throat brings me back to reality.

"He'll kill me if I do, Ophelia, you know that. And are you want me to release him? I remember when we first met him in the training hall. He mauled a training doll until it was nothing but threads. You might be friends but... You know as well as I that this physcopath doesn't know love, Ophelia. You know he doesn't feel it. Do you really think he would care about your friendship if you ended up in the final two?" Fabian asks me, his voice being soft as silk. "I'll make you a deal. Let me drag Kodai away. Then, turn around on your feet and run away yourself. Leave me and Kodai. I promise I won't follow you. I promise I won't hurt you." Kodai wriggles beneath the rope, his moves getting more and more desperate as the life is slowly chocked out of him.

Would Kodai really not care? Fabian is right about the love thing, I really don't think Kodai can feel it... What if we did end up in the final two...?

"F-F-Fine," I whisper, stuttering the words out. It must have been the hardest word to say in my entire life.

"You're doing the right thing, Ophelia," Fabian mutters softly, as I turn around to run.

I only have one chance. With the speed of a cobra bite, I spin around, sending my brassknuckle out my hand, flying right toward Fabian's tratirous face. I was never the good thrower but I hope this situation is like when a father throws his kid out in a pool to teach them how to swim, that the hecticalness of the situation will make my attack hit it's spot. It has to, or else Kodai's dead meat.

"Klonk!" A dull sound rungs out within the clearing as my brass knuckle collide with Fabian's shoulder. I had aimed for his head, still a feeling of incredible relief spreads through me, seeing that I hit my target.Fabian falls to the ground and Kodai reacts immediatly, using this oppertunety to pin Fabian to the forest ground. Only a quick ''"No!" ''reaches to sound before Kodai closes his jaws around Fabian's throat, puncturing his airways. '''BOOM! '''

I run across the clearing, to Kodai who's still pinning Fabian's body to the ground and almost slam my arms around his back. Blood from his fangs run down onto my hands but I don't care. "I am sorry," I whimper, burrying my face into his back. Kodai looks up at me, before putting his hand around my chest, gently positioning me so that I sit next to him, instead of clinging to his back. Forcing me to look into his creepy multicolored he tells two simple word:

"Thank you."

And then I feel his warm arms around me, embracing my small body, and I let my tears run freely.

Janu's POV:
The sun burns relentlessly. So it has been doing all day long. We knew that with the changing zones we would one have to face it, still The Fire Zone seems like a nightmare in itself. How many tribute could want to run here freely on day 1 is almost unbelieveable.

Luckily for me and Yul, we have found quite a good cover. Two wall like rocks tower upwards to the right and the left, leaving a gap in between filled with refreshing shade. We stayed low today, mostly because of all that happened last day. With me and Yul and that tribute from 8.

I think Yul said his name was Polyvester or Polymester or whatever. I remember having commented on the name, and Yul had chuckeling told me that it was some kind of fabric. When I asked him what was so funny he had pointed out the fact that I just manage to trick a person whom's name I didn't even know the meaning of. Apparently that's funny. It wasn't really anything special what I did though.... any idiot could fake fainting, it's not even that hard, you just have to lie down, and close your eyes. Some people prefer to let their tounge hang out of their mouth when they do it but I think that makes it look a bit fake, I mean, I have never seen anyone who's fainted actually have their tounge hanging out of their mouth... Now that I think about it, I have never seen anyone who's fainted. So maybe I am bit ignorant. I don't really kn―

All thoughts of fainting and hanging tounges and being ignorant are pushes away from mind as I feel a warm hand over my mouth, getting dragged futher into the shade. I look up, the hand belongs to Yul, of course. With the hand that's not holding my mouth he puts his finger to his mouth, signalizing me to be quiet. Oh wait, that's why he put the hand over my mouth.

With a shaky hand, Yul streches his arm, pointing out from the shade we're sitting within. A tall, big figure is seen in the distance... or maybe not in the distance, because that distance is quite close... Only about 20 meters. It's that tall guy from 2 who got the highest training score... For a moment we just sit there. He's slowly turning around, like a water-spreader back in the gardens of District 11. It won't be long before he can see us and running means noise which means attention...

"Listen to me," Yul whispers, very very quietly. "When he's almost about to be turned, I want you to stand up. Stand up, and run in the oppersit direction and don't look back. Don't worry about me. I'll be alright." He tells me, his voice extremely calm compared to the situation we're in.

"But won't he see me?" I ask Yul.

"I won't let him hurt you. You just run Janu, run far away. Run to another zone.... I'll see you there." He tells me, sending me a small smile, that somehow doesn't reach his eyes.

"You promise?" I ask quietly. The career has almost turned...

"I p-promise... Don't worry about me, Janu... I'll be alright." Yul whispers, and before I reach asking about the stutter he pushes me forward. "RUN!" He yells, as Michael is completely turned. I see the career dragging out his sword,  and Yul getting out two of his three knives. A part of me just want to stay, stay by Yul's side.

"RUN JANU, NOW!" He yells at me and I turn and take some step cautiously. ''He promise he would be alright... He promised... ''I tell myself forcing my legs to move across the rocky grounds, faster than I have ever moved before.

At the border between the Earth Zone and the Fire Zone, a "'''BOOM!" '''rungs throughout the arena. Who would that be.... The Career? Yul? The career might be strong but... Yul promised he would alright... He promised he would meet me, right here. So I climb a tree close to the border for clear view and sit to wait.

I p-promise...

Wolf's POV:
The cold winds of the air zones bites around me, and for the first time in these games, I find myself being happy about the zone switch. After spying the large career from 2 wandering around in the fire zone, his sword covered in crimson blood, still fresh and glistening, I decided it would be better to get moving to a zone with more cover.

So naturally I choose the air zone, it being shrouded in deep fog. However now, I am not really so sure if I choose the right thing. The passage way across the pillars are small, the cold is biting, the fog almost feels like wearing a pair of blurred out glasses. However I will stick it out, because after all, if my calculations are correct, I should wake up to a blooming forest. like the ones I am used back home.

Back home... It's odd how these games can make me miss my home, eventhough it wasn't much. But there were something in those woods. The life around you made you feel... consealed. Like no one would be able to find you in the massive bunch of trees. You were alone but you weren't... lonely. Some kind of life would always be near you, no matter where you went. It made it much easier to cope with the loneliness. It made it... easy, to be a loner. But now, with the cold pillars and ever-so-heavy fog... I am afraid I feel more lonely than ever...

A shadow. In the edges of the blurry fog, a mixture of what I can and cannot see, there's a shadow. The form of a standing human, their bag turned toward me. They haven't seen me, it appears... And they're within range of my chained sickle. I should attack... but I don't. Can't bring myself to it. Somehow I don't wanna kill the only living thing I have seen since I killed my own district partner, Riven. I don't want to kill them, even if my mentor or my district or the Capitol wants me to. I should just sneak away...

They turn. He turns. His jaw drops as his sees me and I realize that I standing next to the Capitol Male. We just stand there, both completely frozen. And then, as if my body moves on it's own, I see my chained sickle flying into his stomach, acting solely on survival instinct, to eliminate the sudden threat. I watch, as blood is splattered onto the arena wear, and he falls over onto the platform, my sickle still stuck in his stomach. Gasping, he's not completely dead, but he will be soon. I turn around, ready to drag out my sickle and just run.

"Wait... Don't go..." I spin around again, hearing the dying boy's weak voice calling me. Causiously I move over to him, though keeping a certain distance, not wanting to be an easy target for some kind of last revenge.

"Don't worry... Even if I was a-armed, I wouldn't kill you," He stammers, each word sounding like a struggle on it's own to pronnounce. But it's the meaning of the words that surprises me.

"Why?" I ask, bending my eyebrows in a questioning expression.

"What would be the point of it...?" He mutters weakly, responding to my question with another.

"I don't know... some kind of avenging of yourself?" I stop, about five meters from him, not wanting to go any futher.

"And what would that help me? You killed me because you thought I was a threat. I don't... blame you. There's no point of having another death happen, just to "avenge" myself. It's not gonna highen my odds of survival." He looks down at the gaping wound in his stomach, the sickle still stuck in it. The calmness in his face is almost frigtening. "Please... Talk to me... I don't want to die alone, bleeding out..." He groans, wriggeling in pain.

I consider this... A certain part of me just wants to run. I don't trust this tribute, they might hurt me... And... I don't want anyone to talk to me. Back home, if someone wanted to talk to me, it would just mean more namecalling, and accusations about my parent's death. But I can't leave him, can I? I sentenced an unarmed guy to death, who wasn't gonna hurt me... Can I really just leave him to die on his own, when he asked me not to...?

"Okay." I tell him, sitting down, but still keeping my distance.

"You're Wolf, right? Wolf the tribute from District 12." I nod in responds. "My name is Quintus, from the Capitol." He takes a deep, pained, breath before continiuing to speak. "I suppose you would already be aware of that.... How is it, in District 12?" He then asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask back, confused by this question.

"Like... We always heard that it was this district full of barbarians. I didn't really believe that myself, I wanted to find some kind of book about the district so that I could learn more, but there weren't much written about your district... I wanted to go there, when I was done school. Be a doctor down there, helping people." His explanation caught me off guard. I will admit, I don't know much about the Capitol but... I thought the people there only wanted to dress up, dye their hair and watch children die for entertainment... Not all of them, apparently. A sudden, nausious feeling of guilt spreads through me.

"I... Well... We don't have much food. Many people live in poverty. The peacekeepers are..." I trail off, not wanting to get into that subject more than needed. "... Strict. Many people starve..."

"I see..." He gasps for air. "I don't have long... Wolf, listen to me.  Don't blame yourself for this. Don't blame yourself for what happened to me. I don't want you to live with that guilt. I hope you win so that the citizens of your district will get something to eat for a year. I have a first aid kit lying around... Take it with you... And thank you, Wolf... For not letting me die alone." He lets out one last gasp, as something changes in his eyes, as if they become more distant.... He's dead. BOOM!

I crawl forward, dragging out my sickle from his dead body. Before leaving the corpse, I put two fingers on his eyelits, closing them.

"Thank you."

Ella's POV:
The night draws in slowly, reflecting the pase of this day. I guess the fact that there were one extra death today did mean something, however, I haven't seen a single tribute in my zone since day 2... Maybe I am alone? I am not really sure. Still, I am thankful for being left alone, knowing that I have just survived another day. And now, we're less than half of the tribute amount we started with... that's a little odd to think about.

I am not sure what I think of the games. Some victors of the careers talk about how this was the "best time of their life" and that they would do everything to get in the arena again. Most of them, however don't say much and you don't have to be a genius to figure out why. Because they thought the arena was horrifying and life scarring, however, they don't wish to give the Capitol a bad answer, when they ask: "How did you feel during the games?".

I volunteered mostly because of my cousin... I wanted to make sure she didn't went into these games. She's barely 13, I couldn't let her into the games. However.... I also felt this... urge. An urge I had been feeling ever since I killed my traitorous mother and her stupid little boyfriend, Jason. Killing feels good somehow. Almost feels like you're playing with destiny, as if you can control the row of nature, play with the balance of the universe. To feel feared... To me, that's one of the best feelings I have ever felt. When I saw the despair in my mother eyes as she realized that I figured out her little trick with the poisonous wine. I didn't even reach to look Jason, before my dagger collided with his ugly face.

I wonder... I wonder if I should have stayed with the careers instead of going off on my own. I would have truced with them, however they refused. And personally, I could see why. I mean, after all I am only one small girl against the six... Well, now "only" three of them. In a way, I wish that I had gone with them, because after all, that would have probably gotten me a kill or two. However I guess there's a side of me which is happy that I didn't. The act of murdering someone... it can do horrible things to a person. I knew from the beginng that the female from 2, Claudia, would go completely nuts after her first kill. How I knew this, I am not really sure I blame it on my intelligence. Maybe I did the right thing for both my physical and mental health with no joining? Who knows...

Dragging me out of my thoughts, the sky lights up and I wait in anticipation to see who died today. The first face to appera is Fiona, from 5. I raise an eyebrow as her face appears, because honestly, I did not expect this. From what my memory tells me, her odds were 18-1 when we got our training score, only a little worse than mine. She was a strong opponents... But I guess even the strongest of the opponents will have to go some day in these games.

And then, the male from 5, Yul appears. Wow... I guess District 5 really lost their hope today. Yul isn't a surprise though, he was pretty weak, and he allied with a 12-year-old, so he had it coming. Although, it still surprises me that 12-year-old from 11 has manage to keep alive.

Then Fabian Matthis face from District 9 appears. Another one that didn't surprise me, he only scored a 4 training. This means that the Anti-careers are down to only three people though. Unless someone has broken up from the careers and survived that (which is pretty unlikely), the career still have four people left... Not looking good for the anti's, I guess.

To finish the montage, I see Quintus' picture, looking down at me, his ridicoulous purple spade watching upon the arena as a third eye in the middle of his forehead. To be honest, I am surprised he made it this far. He was from the Capitol, had terrible odds and training score. The only weapon I remember him wielding in the group training was a pathetic little knife. The guy deserved it.

The sky fades to black and everything goes quiet. I close my eyes, letting myself drift off, happy to be alive another day.

Careers:
Lynx Striker (D4M), Helena Krisp (D10F), Hester Riva (CF)

Anti-Careers:
Ophelia Carlile (D6F), Kodai Hitogoroshi (D7M),  Dyna Ploson (D13M)

Loners:
Ella Massey (D1F), Michael Kaizer (D2M), Lucy Perch (D4F), Araneae Web (D8F), Janu Wong (D11F), Wolf Fang (D12M),

 '''Day 5  -  "The kill is all yours..." -  Lynx Striker'''

Janu's POV:
Wamth strookes me gently awake. Kinda like how my mother, Wren would wake me up by letting her warm hand gently strooke my shoulder. It was always so hard for my mother to wake me up. When she would ask why I was so tired, I just said that I couldn't sleep. Really, I was out at the beach, exploring the place, and watching the sweet little hermit crabs walking around in the sand. I wonder if the hermit crabs miss me, now that I am gone? I hope Dorai, my own personal pet hermit crab, miss me.We were pretty good friends, except when he clawed my finger. I would have taken him as a token, but the gamemakers didn't allow him in.an advantage for me. I guess that's true though, Dorai does have some really sharp claws. He could probably win the games, I bet even the careers would cry in pain when he would pinch their toes.

But my mother isn't here and neither is Dorai. So they can't possibly be the ones to wake me up.

"Yul," I mutter, wanting the heated hand to go away. "Yul, I'm awake, leave me alone." The heat doesn't go away though, so I end up opening my eyes. Where I thought there were a hand, is really just a patch of sunlight. No Yul. The mountains frows upon me like yesterday. Where is Yul...?

It all come crashing down. The memories. Like when there's too many apples on the carts and suddenly, all of the apples fall out and tumble onto the streests in one gigant, red, apple-smelling chaos. Seeing Yul's face upon the night sky, his little smile, and kind face which I had come to trust. He had promised he would meet me... He promised he would be safe, but he broke his promise. He said it so that I would run away. But... I should stayed.

The tears falls upon my cheeks, quietly and still. It's not like when I fall and scrape my knee, and cry, sob, yell and say bad words that mother probably woudn't like. These tears are more... sad. More painful. And the worst thing is that I can't do anything. I told Polyvester or Polymester that no one should mess with my ally but... What can I do to a career from District 2, who the highest training score? I can't do anything, I am not strong or smart enough to avenge Yul, and I am not even good enough to win the games for the both of us. I am just... nothing.

I would give them anything to get Yul back. My panda hat, my mother's secret wok receipe, that dress that my stylist made for me, which he told me I could keep... I would even give them Dorai. Yul would be worth much more than all those things combined. But he won't be back... I'll never see Yul again.

Hester's POV:
"Hester, Hester, time to wake up. There's lot of more tributes out there who's life doesn't end themselves~" A female voice chants sweetly, as if she was waking a little child. My eyes flies open and look up in Helena's eyes, her red hair brushing my face as she stand before me, with a sweet smile on her face.

I can't say I get her, her weird mixture of attitude. She used blood to color her hair, she carries blood in a vessel around her neck, and used camueflage paint to color her arena wear bloodred, saying that she wanted to be dressed in 'the color of blood'. I had questioned her when she did, after all it's not exactly a good color of camueflage yourself in, however she just laughed softly and said that the careers aren't camueflagers. They're killers. Which I guess she's right about... And me being blue as the sky, I guess I shouldn't really talk.

Still, she's hard to figure out. With all that talk about blood, one would guess she was mentally ill or something, but when she first joined the careers in the training hall, she actually acted... shy. Lynx and the others thought she was gonna be a weakling career-recruits. They knew she had the skills, yes, but not the right killer instinct. Or so, they thought right up until the interview, where she openly admitted she had dyed her hair red with blood. Personally, I thought she was gonna go crazy in the arena, killing left and right, however she seems to act more like a silly little schoolgirl on a fieldtrip with her friends.... She does have yet to make her first kill though...

I shake the thoughts away. I can't think of Helena now, I have more important things to focus on. The thoughts had run through my mind all night, before. The amount of tributes left is smaller and smaller, and we'll have to splidt up at some point. Call me paranoid if you like, but something tells me that Lynx isn't exactly gonna be merciful on the both of us after that. I wondered if I should run away that evening, however, not being able to decide, I decided not to. But looking at Lynx devouring one of the last rawr cattlestakes left, and Helena just staring at it, watching the blood drip down from his teeth, I kinda wish I had just run...

"Where are we going?" Helena chimes, almost singing while putting a bowl of soup in front of me.

"We're going to the air zone. It's a good zone for me to hunt in." Lynx says, his tone of voice making it clear that it's not up for discussion.

"It's alright for me." I tell them. Infact, it's more than alright; the air zone is a good zone to dissappear in.

Ophelia's POV:
The sunlight comes slowly creeping, rising over the stone. Because of the morning air, the terrain of the fire zone is still quite cold. But not for me .With Kodai lying behind, he has cast his arms protectively over me holding me toward his stomach and chest, bring me warmth and protection. They say happiness leaves you in these games, that you don't feel it until you're taken out of of the arena. Yet with Kodai snuggled so close to me, I can't help but have the this warm lump of... calm, thankful, happiness within in me.

"Kodai?" I mutter, softer than a whisper. I am rewarded with some grunting, him still being  half asleep. "There's a parachute." I tell him, eyeing the parachute lying around camp, it's silver sheets slung across it like veil. Those words makes Kodai get up, almost like a dog catching the scent of something interesting. He almost crawls across the rocky grounds, retrieving the parachute before running straight back to me, with it. It contains water.

Kodai takes a swig of it, desperately drinking as if his life depended on it. Which it does. All of our water supplies has run out. Kodai's gift is truely a blessing... for him. I look up at the sky, longingly. My mentor hasn't send me anything, my throat feels like a desert. But I tell myself not expect much. I am, after all, only a little District 6 tribute that barely managed to get a 4 in training. Who would sponsor me? I wouldn't...

I feel Kodai's hair nuzzle against my upper arm. He has this weird way of getting attention, almost like a cat, apparently avoiding spech when possible. I look up, as he strecthes his both arms out, holding the water bottle.

"O-phee-lee-aah's" he says, stuttering my name. "It's Ophelia's" he says, again. I smile a bit at him.

"It's yours, Kodai. Your mentor send it," I tell him.

"I knows. But it's Ophelia's. Is gift." He throws the waterbottle at the ground beside me, apparently not wanting to wait for me to take it, anymore.

"I can't receive this, Kodai, it's yours, your mentor send it for―"

"OPHELIA'S!" Kodai almost screams, tired of discussing. When he has decided something it's his way or no way. In the background, Dyna grunts, awoken from his sleep. One would think Kodai's angry when he screams, although after a while in his company, I realized that he's just natrually loud. Yelling is his way of communicating, when he's tired of talking and can't keep silent. And when he's tired of talking you either have to his way or compromise. I choose the latter.

"It's our's." I tell him stubbornly. "Or I won't drink." Kodai looks changes from annoyance to concern, an almost sad look covering his face.

"Ophelia needs water," I nod my head agreeing, "Fine. It's our's. Now drink." I take a swig of the water, feeling the refreshing feeling of fluid in a dry throat. I really did need that. Kodai sends me a grin, feeling awfully victorious that he got me drink, coviniently forgetting that we compromised.

"Guys?" Dyna has gotten up and sat down beside us, with a stern look on his face. Kodai and I stop fooling around, putting the water away. The look on Dyna's face, determined, stern but also a little anxious, makes it clear he wants to discuss something.

"Yes, Dyna?" I ask, carefully, awaiting the worst.

"Well... It's just...Dyna looks at the ground. After all the stuff that happened with Fabian, Dyna became like a leader for us, a beacon of hope. Yet now when the situation has calmed again, his more quiet, shy, yet friendly side has come out again. The one I came to know in the training center. Though, I don't doubt that if needed, Dyna could go back to "leader Dyna" any time it's needed.

"... Do you guys want to keep me? Like... You guys are like..." He pauses, not knowing what to say. I don't exactly blame him, me and Kodai's relationship are kinda hard to put words on. "... liking each other. Do you want to still have me around in the alliance? I can leave if you want me to, I won't be angry or anything..." I take in his words, realizing what he's proposing. Kodai reacts before I do.

"No. Dyna stays. We stay to end. All." He says, his voice making it clear that this is not up for compromising. Dyna looks to me.

"I agree with Kodai, Dyna. You have been a great help, I have no idea how to repay for standing up to Fabian when no one else dared. We should stay together. The chance are slim that we'll have to fight each other anyway 'cause..." I let the senetence hang in the air, not wanting to finish it. The chances of us all making it to top 3 are pretty slim, yet it feels like not stating it outloud somehow makes it less true. Dyna sends us both a smile.

"Thanks guys," He says, his voice filled with relieve. I take a gaze upon both Dyna and Kodai's faces as a terrifying realization hits me like a wave; If I live beyond these games, Dyna will be dead. Respondsible, gentle, friend Dyna. And Kodai too... The boy whom saved my life. The boy whom I think I am falling in love with...

Helena's POV:
The mist of the air zone floats around us, almost like a hungry tiger sneaking around it's prey. Waiting for just the right moment to strike, ending one of our lives. It's almost as if you expect something to happen. A tribute. Or maybe Lynx, somehow using his unatrually animalistic senses to discover a victim around. Though, it has been quiet so far, just walking around here.

"Guys..." Hester speaks in a low voice breaking the ominous silence. "I don't... I don't think we should leave the cornucopia unguarded... I mean, people are welcome to take whatever they want from there..." Hester says, her voice sounding concerned.\

"You can go back and guard if you want. But I don't plan on missing a kill." Lynx says dryly. Hester looks first at me, then at Lynx, before nodding, confidently.

"I can go back with you, if you like?" I ask although really, I don't wanna go back. I need a kill, I still have yet to make one in the entire games. My sponsors must not doubt the fact that I am not afraid to kill to survive within these games. I need to show them my skills. Still, I wish to keep a polite attitude towards Hester, hoping for a career-recruit alliance between us, when Lynx decides that we should break up from one another.

"No." She says quickly, to my relieve. "I will go alone, it's saver. And you need to be there if Lynx gets in trouble."

Lynx snorts an arrogant 'ha' apparently dissagreeing with the trouble part. "As if there were actually any tributes who could kill me," He almost whispers the words, viciously... deadly, making goosebumps spread down my spine. Apparently not wanting to waste anymore time, Hester makes her leave yet her little whisper fills the air, so faint that it's difficult to tell whether it's really there or not.

"We will see..."

Lynx and I walk for a while. It feels as if the silence and the mist are threatening to swallow us up, prison us and never let us escape. I almost find myself wishing that Hester had stayed with us. It’s as if some kind of horror could emerge from the fog at any point of and kill the both of us. A part of me is happy though, that Hester left. The thing is… I need a kill. I haven’t made any in the entire games, and I fear my sponsors may have grown a bit… doubtful about my skills to win the games. I can’t effort that. They must know that I, Helena Krisp, am as fierce as any other career. Now when Hester’s gone, it will be easier for me to get that kill. Although, I know I’ll have to get some kind of agreement with Lynx… If I steal a kill from him without his permission, I might as well just slit my own throat afterwards, before Lynx does it before me.

“Lynx…?” I ask, breaking the silence. I have never addressed him alone before, it’s hard not to stutter.

“Mhm?” He just grunts, awaiting my words.

“I was wondering… Well… It’s just… I…” I can barely make myself construct a full sentences.

“You what?” Lynx asks, tired of the murmuring.

“I-was-wondering-if-I-could-make-the-next-kill?” The words erupt out of my mouth, as if speaking them in normal pace would make it too hard to say. Lynx takes in my words before scowling at me.

“And why would I let you have it?” He almost hisses a bit at me.

“Because… well… I need a kill, I haven’t made anything yet. And you would want the sponsors to see the fierceness of your allies… that way your odds go up.” I think carefully before choosing my next words. “Your odds won’t go up if the Capitol thinks your allies are less fierce than you. Then you’ll never top, for example Michael. And I am sure we can find a way so that you can assist the kill, still showing off your skills… I just need to show the audience what I can do.” The mention of topping Michael put him in a bit of better mood, yet he doesn’t seem all happy about giving up a kill. Still, I hope my words made an impression. Lynx considers it for a while.

“I might… But on conditions.” He finally says. I nod my head, not having expected any less.

“And what would those be?” I ask.

“First off, if we encounter either Lucy or Michael, I will be the one to kill them. No matter what. I know that Hester wants to kill Lucy after what she did to Claudia, but if we find Lucy when we’re all out hunting you must hold Hester back. I don’t care if she tries to claw your face off, I will kill Lucy. No one else. And as for Michael, I will kill him too. Is that understood?” I nod my head, accepting the terms. “And second… When you kill the tribute… You’ll give the audience a good show. Got that?” I nod my head again.

“Good. But remember, if you or Hester kill Lucy or Michael… I will kill you, both of you, the same way I did with Fiona. Lucy and Michael are my prey. No one else’s.” I feel the goose bumps spread down my spine yet again. I must have shown the fear in my face, because he sends me an arrogant smirk. I nod again, a very quick, frigtened nod. In a almost whispering, scary tone, he says the words:

“The kill is all yours…” 

Dyna's POV
The deep descent from the mountains was quicker than we thought it to be. Only about ten minutes after we decided to go, we’re here by the fire zone ending, taking cover behind two large boulders, scouting over the cornucopia field. As we saw before, there’s no one there. The cornucopia has been left all alone unguarded by the three not-so-smart careers left in these games.

Kodai had seen it first. From the sky-tall mountains it was easy to spot the three figures leaving the cornucopia. The one from 4, their leader, the girl from 10 with red billowing hair and the blue one from the capitol. We had first thought that Lucy, the girl from 4, had stayed behind to guard the place, however Kodai reported to not be able to see anyone guarding it. And besides, if she was hiding, how should one somewhat weak career defeat three anti’s? The cornucopia was wide open like a shop holding a sign saying: ‘please come and steal stuff.’ Which is why we ended up paying a visit. We are the anti-careers, after all.

“Can you see if Lucy should be there?” I ask Kodai, who’s peering out from the boulder.

“No Lucy,” Kodai answers, “No one there.”

“That would be perfect… So we take whatever stuff we want, get some water for me and Ophelia and then go to the waterzone?” I ask, making sure the plan is followed. The water zone should be the best zone to retreat to incase the careers somehow found out we had been there visiting their supply stack, as our mentors told us their weakness when it comes to swimming.

“I guess we’ll get going then…” Ophelia says, and we all begin to sprint.

It’s hard not expect anything. That somewhere, a spear or an arrow will come flying out of the cornucopia. That the careers somehow are still here. I mean, I know that Kodai said it was safe, and Kodai’s intuition is actually really good, but it’s hard not to think of the cornucopia-field as a graveyard. That stepping on it’s pretty much the equivalent to running into a cave of lions, asking them to tear your flesh into shreds. As if you’re death sentencing yourself.

But nothing happens. No spears, no swords, no arrows. We run safely into the cornucopia, and it’s hard not to just stand there, amazed. Swords are lined up in rows after how long they are. They gleam of silver, yet sharp as steel razors. There’s at least twenty of them, and that’s just the beginning. Claws – probably belonging to Lynx – are lined up on the walls as well, some of the blades longer my own forearm. But beneath the rows of weapons lies all the food. They must have eaten most of the meat, yet a sea of dried fruit, soup canteens, and salads in plastic concealers and bread lumps are lying around aimlessly. And to put the cherry on top, there’s even more water canteen, just tossed aside in a mess.

To think that the careers has been living within such luxury while us other tributes has suffered droughts and starvation; It’s almost sickening. Yet now is the time for pay-back, and I must admit that even though I am not really the whole fond of revenges, this act of stealing from the careers taste better than even the sweet desserts I was served back in the Capitol.

Kodai quickly gets two knives, one for himself and one for Ophelia. A clever move; Brass knuckles and barbed whips hurts but aren’t very good at ending lives quickly. Ophelia gathers some boxes of dried fruit while I get my hands on two precious water canteens. We put it all down in Ophelia’s empty backpack, and are about to retreat when I look up and see something very dangerous (and very blue) on the horizon. Hester, running toward us and from the look on her face… she’s not happy. A panic looked is thickly painted on Ophelia’s face, as I feel the fear spread within me. We might be three against one but she’s a career. At least one of us will die in a battle with her, most likely two. And we can’t effort to lose anyone in this alliance.

“Kodai, take Ophelia’s backpack and run with Ophelia to the waterzone.” I tell him quickly. Surprise first covers both of their faces as they realize what I am asking of them.

“But… No, Dyna, no! We’ll fight together, all three. We won’t sacrefise anyone!” Ophelia tells me, beggingly as Hester draws closer to the cornucopia center.

“… And that will make us die together. At least one of us, most likely two. And if there’s more careers out there, then that’ll be all of us. I don’t… I don’t want you two to go through what I felt when Bailey…” I trail off. Ophelia’s eyes tear up, as Kodai places his palm on her shoulder, almost ready to drag her out of danger. Me and Kodai’s eyes meet and I watch as he bow over his head, expressing silent thankfulness. Though it’s a small action, I am not in doubt of what my risk means to him. It’s clear within his eyes.

“But… I…” Ophelia trails off. She knows my words are true, yet she does not wish to face that truth.

“Keep her safe,” I tell Kodai,

“I will,” Kodai answers, quickly and determined. Then he sprints out from the cornucopia, holding Ophelia’s arm tight to almost drag her along, making the run quicker. I turn to see Hester less than twenty meters away. She has stopped running, and is now walking toward me, with slow steps, her walk almost as threatening as her sharp steel claws, hanging from her hands. Almost.

“What a touching scene, huh? Staying back to safe your allies,” She tells me, almost mockingly. I grunt as an answer, unsure of what to reply, and also fearing that my voice might stutter if I speak up.

“Tell me this, though. What does it really matter if you safe your allies for another day? We’ll find them, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. What does it matter if they survive for a couple of extra days? They won’t win anyway. We’ll make sure of that.” I keep my shut, not even wanting to give her the satisfaction of an answer.

“A bit of a quiet fellow, now are we?” She says teasing, her capitol accent revealed even more than it already was. I think for a few seconds, just trying to come up with something, some kind of battle strategy, some kind of way to possibly give me a chance of victory. Yet nothing comes to my head. I have lost this battle, and I know it. Hester knows it as well, sending me a mocking grin as she continue her poised walk of death, almost mockingly slow, dragging out my death.

“You’re smarter than they are. They might be tougher, stronger and faster… but you’re smarter. Use it, Dyna. And please… come home safely.”

What? I have heard a lot of people talk about death, yet no one mentioned that voices appear within your mind. For a moment I just stand there, before I realize who the voice belongs to… Charlotte. She’s right too. Hester is stronger, tougher and faster than me… But I might just be able to outsmart her. I am not sure what to call this… it’s not hope. I know I have lost this battle. But Charlotte asked me to come home safely… And so, I will try. As if with a new pair of eyes, I view the situation. Hester is armed with two long sharp claws, less than fifteen meters away from me. I am armed with a sword and my two water canteens. We’re at a small field of grass we no escape routes or hiding places. Only one big, golden cornucopia… cornucopia…

I dart back as the plan comes into my mind. I may not be a good climber, and it may be a plan seen before in the games, however Hester is from the capitol. She shouldn’t be the best climber in the world. I sprint to the walls of the horn, starting to scale it. It’s a somewhat slow process but I reach up just as Hester reaches the button of it.

“You wanna play cat and mouse, I see.” She almost purrs at me, playfully. “I may not be the best climber in the world but don’t think I can’t scale a cornucopia, little boy. It’s the oldest trick in the book, you know.” She places her hands at the walls, her claws pointing upwards, to catch my sword if I try to cut her while scaling. She kicks up from the grounds, starting to climb. It’s now or never.

In one quick moment I almost tear off both plugs of the water canteen pouring them out over Hester and the cornucopia side. Her climbing stops for a moment, as she looks up at me, raising an eyebrow as if to tell me: You really think a puddle of water is gonna stop me? “Pathetic,” Hester mutters, lifting her arm up to grab the last ledge of the wall. And then it happens.

She screams, a long and painfilled sound, as the slips. Her being an inexperienced climber and a rather arrogant career, I had expected her to underestimate the slippery effect of water on a very steel metal surface. The fact that she thought the splash of water was simply an act of panic helped even more. She plummets to the ground below, falling directly onto her back, and I can almost hear as the air is slammed out of her lungs. I slide down, not wasting a single second. If she gets back on her feet, all is lost.

I land right beside her body, lying helplessly. It’s almost a bit sad to kill someone like that, who is lying on the ground, helplessly gasphing for air, as they can’t even fill their own lungs with oxygen… but then again… She wouldn’t have shown me any more mercy. “Thank you, Charlotte,” I whisper as I deliver the killing blow, piercing my sword through her throat. BOOM!

Lynx’s POV:
''Author's Note: To be sure, I put yet another warning on this POV. The death isn't as gorey as Fiona's yet, some people might find a bit... disturbing. Again, I don't find it to be bad, it's only text, not a movie. But to be sure, I will write this warning.''

Helena and I continue to walk. Her flaming red hair falls along her face, as she looks upon her feet. I wonder if I gave her a scare. Maybe I should have gone a bit easier on her… I mean, I am the leader, and I am a career but I don’t want my own allies to quiver in fear as soon as they see me. And yet… There are cameras everywhere in this place, and showing too much friendliness won’t gain me sponsors, while intimidation will. And I have to get sponsors. When the remaining careers split up, the sponsors that I have gained now will be essential for my survival. And I have to survive. I have to win, for myself… and for Hunter, too.

Still I feel kinda bad for Helena, blame it on my pack-instincts I guess… In the pack of Lynx that I once called my family, you would lick each other’s wounds no matter how small, yet we had no problem killing a baby deer or a little wolf cub. I guess I feel the same way with the careers, though less attachment. Unlikely the lynx, I don’t owe the careers anything. They didn’t safe my life. Still, they are my pack, and they shouldn’t walk around injured or this case, scared. Yet I have to keep this attitude up. Helena will have to get over it herself; I am the alpha in this pack and I can’t let anyone forget this. Not Helena, not the prey and definitely not the sponsors. So I keep my mouth shut, as silent as the fog floating around us.

It doesn’t take me long to sense it. Yet another prey in the fog, just like how I found Fiona. Had anyone asked me how I knew that prey was near, I wouldn’t have been able to answer. It’s just… everything within the atmosphere seems to… carry a scent of… of fear, I think. As if the fear is filling the air, like smoke, thick but still… not there. It’s hard to explain. I can just sense it. It’s coming from the right. And it’s near. A certain urge flies up in me, fills me up on the inside. The desire to kill. It’s my prey, I sensed it. Helena didn’t. It should be mine, it belongs to me. But I did give it to Helena…

It’s almost hard not to let out a groan in defeat as I stop to make Helena aware. She doesn’t seem to have sensed the prey, yet she watches me intensely. She knows I feel something. I let my senses guide me in my pounce. It may be Helena’s kill, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do the chasing.

I calculated a bit wrongly though. As I land within the fog, I see the career drop-out from 1, Ella, widen her eyes in shock as I suddenly appear in front of her, in one wild pounce. Yet, I don’t strike her down, I miss. Her scream in surprise cuts through the air, she probably hadn’t even seen me to begin with. Being annoyingly clever, she doesn’t try to engage in combat. Had she done that, I could have killed her and claimed it to be self-defense. Instead she runs, her dark blonde hair billowing after her before she’s swallowed by the mist.

And then a second scream pierces the air. Filled with surprise, fear and pain, it’s not hard for me to figure out that Ella probably had a little meeting with Helena. Getting up from my fall, I run toward the platform and as the thick fog faded from my gaze, I see Helena frowning over a terrified Ella. Helena’s slender, razor-sharp blade is pierced through Ella’s lower leg and there seem to be a rapidly bleeding slash at Ella’s right hand. A clever move by Helena; Ella used her right hand to throw her knives. Guess that’s gonna be pretty hard to do with a broken hand.

“Lynx?” Helena almost chant my name softly, as she applies slightly more pressure on the kartana, stick up from Ella’s leg. Ella gasps in pain, as blood flows from her meat.

“Yes?” I ask back, and Helena let her hand fly through her hair teasingly at Ella, kinda like how schoolgirls will flick their hair when they walk past their rivals, as if to challenge them.

“I think I need you to assist me a bit,” Helena turns her attention from Ella, but plants her foot fierce at the wound which her kartana left, to hinder Ella in escaping. In reality, shaking off Helena’s foot wouldn’t be that hard for Ella, but with a wounded leg she isn’t gonna run very far, and the blood trail would make way to easy for me and Helena to track her. The prey can’t escape. She knows that too.

Helena continues, her voice calm, slick and yet filled with an almost intimidating kind of viciousness: “I am sure you know about District 10’s industry, Lynx, is that correct? Of course you do, most of your meals in these games has probably been provided by my home district. You know how we kill the animals for slaughter? I am not gonna explain the entire slaughtering process, however when the beast is already dead and gone, a large hole is cut in the throat, and then it’s hung from the wall so that the blood can run out of it quickly. And you know… you said you wanted to give the audience a show, Lynx… What do you say we try that but maybe in a little different fashion?” I nod in agreement, pleasantly surprised. Of course, her method of murder isn’t nearly as painful and vicious as the one I used on Fiona but I gotta give her credit for being creative.

“Take Ella, lift her and hold her up so that she doesn’t wriggles. Make sure the skin of her arms faces outwards from you, we don’t want you to get blood all over your arena-wear” Helena instructs, as I pick up Ella from the ground. She whimpers and wriggles, but I bend her arm backwards on her back, to stop her unnecessary movements. It’s not like she can escape anyway.

“Hold her still now,” Helena picks up one of Ella’s throwing knives as she walks toward me and her prey. Gently, Helena places her hand on Ella’s right arm, right above elbow, making sure to place the knife on a major artery. I feel Ella wriggle, gasp and whimper but I just hold her tighter. Then Helena presses the knife down, in one violent, big movement, cutting one very very deep hole down in her artery, first on the right arm, then on the left. I must admit Helena’s show is quite fascinating. The blood flows out of her arms, the streams so thick like the ones that flow out of a powerful water hose, plunging out of her with the beat of the heart. It’s exactly like a shower of blood, only that showerheads are two arms, and the water is blood.

Helena almost dances around in it, letting her get soaked. The red blood is sprayed all over her, as Ella’s body is slowly emptied all over Helena, whom seems to love every moment of it. It’s almost hard to tell the features of Helena’s body as her skin turns into the same color as her hair. Ella screams and scream, and wriggles and wriggles as the blood is emptied out of her body, through the two large cuts in her arteries. But it’s to no avail of course, I much too strong for her.

After for what seems as an eternity of watching Helena almost dance around in her shower of blood, and listening to Ella’s screams of pain, the blood stops running from her arteries. Ella’s head fall backwards, resting on my shoulder, an empty gaze in her eyes. BOOM! Helena looks at her, with what I think is a little smile on her lips. It’s hard to tell, when her entire body is covered in a thick layer of crimson blood.

And then, with no more words, we begin to head back towards the cornucopia.

Wolf's POV:
The mist flies around me, mysteriously shrouding my body in an almost taunting manner, as if it was a living thing. I need to get away from it. After what happened to Quintus, I won’t take any chances with staying in this horrid zone. So instead, I moving straight towards the water zone. If I am lucky, I can make it from the water zone to the earth zone, the only place where I feel somewhat familiar in. Even though I am well aware the trees didn’t start growing there the natural way, it is still forest. It’s still home.

Quintus… Everything within in this place reminds me of him. Or rather his death. It’s hard to explain… I never knew much about him, I didn’t really pay attention to him. He was just another loner, another obstacle, another person I thought was just out there to make sure I didn’t see the daylight of tomorrow. He was more. It’s still hard to understand… Why would he act this way? Why would he wish to talk to his own murder… and even… help him? I killed my own parents; if there were a way to get to talk to them, they probably wouldn’t wish to talk to me. Their own killer. But Quintus would… I wish I had known him better. I should have.

He didn’t even blame me. He said it wasn’t my fault… I wonder… Would my parents blame me for what happened to them? Everyone told me they would with pointed fingers, name calling, and angry yelling voices. Yet Quintus choose not to blame me… I wonder if my parents would do the same…

She appears so suddenly out of the mist that I don’t even reach to react. Her flame-red hair is blowing around in wild cascade, almost as if someone had set her scalp on fire. In her arms, she carries a whole bunch of bread, canteens of water, first aid boxes, rope and much other things as if she had was a living, breathing cornucopia. You don’t have to be a mutation-scientist to figure out she has probably been at that horrid place to get all her stuff.

As she see me, all the things roll out of her hands, scattering around the earth, almost like a waterfall of item. Most of them leap across the ground, reaching the edge of the platform before getting forever lost in the endless abyss. We just stare at each other. Frozen; the only thing moving around us is the mist, as if in anticipation for the upcoming battle. Yet none of us reacts. Her grey, mysterious, button less eyes just stare into mine.

Finally one of us reacts. She jumps up like a pouncing cat suddenly realizing that a mouse is right in front of it. In her hands, she carries her blowgun taking it up to her mouth. I get my chained sickle out, though knowing it’s way too late. Her dart will fly one thousand times and over before my chained sickle will reach her body. I am dead meat.

She’s about to send off the dart. She’s breathing in, my death only parts of a second away. Only a breath. And then, as saving grace send from heaven, three spikes appear, perfectly placed within Araneae’s face, piercing both eyes, and the back of the nose. Blood splashes out of the three holes within Araneae’s once beautiful face, and her body falls to the ground, only to reveal yet another threat standing behind her. Her killer. BOOM!

Lucy's POV:
The boom of cannon almost rolls across the sky, as my trident collides perfectly with the back of Araneae’s head. I was moving my way to the water zone when I saw her. From her arms filled with supplies, it wasn’t hard to guess that she had been at a little visit at the cornucopia.

I can’t say that I enjoyed stalking around after her, knowing what I would have to do. Wait for her to be distracted so that I would be able to pierce my trident through her body. Yet supplies are vital at this point… It was a struggle between morals and needs.

Sneaking around, trailing someone who had no idea that you were there, who weren’t a threat to you. I felt so… low. Like a vile little parasite, selfish and with no honor. Yet the thought of Lily’s welcoming hug as I arrive back in District 4 as the victor, and the dry desert called ‘my throat’ won me over. I had to kill Araneae. I knew it all along. And so, when she stopped, and dropped all her items, I didn’t blink an eye. I just let my trident fly.

I regret it now, though. I couldn’t see what distracted Araneae, because of her body blocking my vision. And now I stand with the mysterious loner from District 12 right in front of him. His chained sickle is lying ready in his hands, and my trident is hopelessly far away, pierced deep down into Araneae’s face.

He reacts immediately; the shock of Araneae probably filled his body with adrenaline and he’s now ready to take it out on me. He leaps through the air, piercing my body to the ground. A strong hand is placed on my chin, lifting it up to expose my throat. Goosebumps spread down my arms as I feel the cold, razor sharp iron on the thin skin keeping blood and airways within me. All I can do is stare up into his cold piercing eyes, looking deep into mine, the gaze almost as sharp as the blade at my throat.

“I… saved you,” I mutter, trying to press the word out without moving my throat too much, fearing a cut on the throat. His expression reveals nothing; like a mask, disguising the intentions of its wearer. And then, with such a low, almost painful whisper he mutters one single word, a name, so quietly I am not even sure if actually said it, or if it was just my ears playing tricks with me. Yet hearing the way he said it… It means something, something important.

“Quintus…”

He stares at me before letting out one last sigh. Hesitantly, he pulls his blade back an inch, not so much that I can escape, but enough so that I can speak without fearing cutting myself.

“Look… I’ll make you a deal… Lucy.” He tells me, still wearing the mask of no emotions, “We ally. It might be late in the games, but the odds of us ending up in the top two are so low that it’s pretty much impossible. We ally to the end, and if we end up as top two, we kill one another.” He tells me, awaiting my responds.

“How do I know you won’t just kill me right after I get up?” I ask him. He lets out a little ‘hah’, sending me something which could almost be a mocking smile… almost.

“If I wanted you to die, I would have driven that sickle through your throat by now.” He just tells me, staring coldly. Not very settling but true, I guess.

“… And how do you know that I w-w-won’t kill you?” I ask, stuttering a bit. Would I kill him? If he spared my life and allied with me? Could I affort not to?

“Because I know you; I saw you in the group training. People think that because I don’t speak much, I don’t notice much. They couldn’t be more wrong. I notice most people around me… I like to think it’s a talent of mine. And I noticed the career group within the training. You stood out. You didn’t mock the other tributes like the rest of them. Didn’t yell at them, telling them ‘We’re gonna kill you all!’ like the lot of them chanted… in fact, you seemed disgusted by it. You don’t seen happy to be here, in the arena… You seem sad. You volunteered for your sister, I remember. So it’s pretty safe to say that you’re not a killer by instincts… You would probably kill if your life was endangered… but you wouldn’t kill someone who spared your life. You couldn’t make yourself do it, even if a game of life and death. People think I am stupid. They only see a mask; none of pays attention to the eyes beneath it's layers.”

I stare at him, almost in awe. Just the way he sounds so secure about things that he just observed. The fact that someone could be so… observant. I wonder how much he knows about all of us. Would he be able to analyze the other tributes the way he just did with me? Probably. I thought he was a bit odd, another poor tribute in these games; An absent minded loner who didn’t seem to notice the world around him. Yet he was able to see all of this. He is correct, of course. He knew that I wouldn’t be able to kill him if he spared my life… even before I knew it myself.

“F-f-f-fine,” I whisper, and the weight of his body is removed. He silently begins to pick up the supplies of Araneae’s that didn’t fall to the abyss and I end up joining him. While picking up the mess, his eyes catches mine in what I think would be a smile… I think.

Michael's POV:
It’s the anthem which ends up pulling me out of my light slumber. The anthem of Panem. Of course, I haven’t slept away the entire day. I woke up, ate and hunted a bit with no gain. When I received the parachute with the mentor note, telling me to go night-hunting with the night vision goggles I decided to lay it low for today, getting some sleep I would miss out on. And now, when the stars are shining above all of us, and the anthem is blasting out, I finally feel ready. When I have seen who’s dead, of course.

As I exit the little rocky cave I found within the fire zone, the hologram is already lit up, ready for displaying the faces of the dead. I wait in anticipation, not really sure what to hope for. We’re not many left. The guy I killed yesterday, Yul I believe his name was… he had an ally, the 12-year-old. It’s impressive she has stayed this late into the games I must admit. She would probably want to avenge Yul, although the chances she’ll kill me are pretty much non-existent. I don’t have to hope for her to be on the sky tonight, she’s no threat.

I guess a career would be great to see up there, especially the leader, Lynx. He seemed pretty annoyed that I got better odds than him to start with. His death stares towards me was clearer than any words he could ever speak. Yet I do not fear him either. If he wishes to fight me, he can. I could never be afraid of a person like him. I can’t say that I know I will defeat him but I can say that I will do my very best to end his life. And I have the confidence to believe that my skills are great enough to win me the battle. But of course, Lynx’s death or just the death any career wouldn’t exactly hurt. Just make it a bit easier. So with that, I await the faces of the dead.

The first face to look down upon me is Ella’s. The other girl who ditched the careers. Somehow, I didn’t wish to die. I liked the fact she choose not to be with them, like I did. But she being a trained killer, she were indeed a threat, and it’s nice to see her eliminated.

The second face belongs to the girl from 8. I can’t exactly remember her name, she tended to avoid attention during the group training. She mustn’t have been the biggest threat, though it’s nice to know that I am one step closer to victory. And the last face is the face of Hester’s, the most weirdly looking Capitol tribute to date. A smile breaks through on my face. Yet another career is down… only two to go. The sky fades away in unison with the anthem and I am left staring at the night sky. And then I see it… see it and smell it.

Long flames are licking up from some of the trees in one of the outskirts of the earth zone, and even though the fire is quite far away, the wind still manages to carry the scent smoke and embers. Perfect. Whoever lit that just make my hunt for tonight a whole lot easier. Whoever is in that zone will be running to get away from fire, most likely forgetting everything but the fiery flames coming their way; A perfect method of distracting victims so they won’t notice the killer coming their way.

And with those thoughts in mind I slip on my night vision glasses, get out my sword and walk toward the outskirts of the earth zone.

Careers:
Lynx Striker (D4M), Helena Krisp (D10F),

Anti-Careers:
Ophelia Carlile (D6F), Kodai Hitogoroshi (D7M), Dyna Ploson (D13M),

District 4 and 12:
Lucy Perch (D4F), Wolf Fang (D12M),

Loners:
Michael Kaizer (D2M), Janu Wong (D11F)

Janu's POV:
The fire spreads more rapidly than I thought it would. I guess I should have known better. Back in District 11, they had about thirty-seven different warning signs, telling us if a wild fire was likely to start. At first I thought it was for our own safety. That the governors of 11 would care enough for us to warn us about the fires. But of course it wasn’t. It’s for their own sake, to see how much likely the crop is to burn down, so that if the risk of fires is big, they can get out the water hoses, ready for anything. No instructions were ever given to us, the workers, about how we should act in case of a wildfire. They wouldn’t care if we burned.

Not that I care much for who burns now. I don’t care if anyone in this arena burns. In fact, I hope that the career from 2 burns a flaming death. He deserves it. Yul didn’t deserve to die, he deserved to die. Yul would never have hurt a fly. Yul were a good person, slaughtered by a monster, who’s not afraid to kill. The other tributes left in the arena doesn’t matter much either, they can burn too. I mean, what would it matter if I allied with anyone? I can’t win anyways. So they can burn too …

I guess we all deserve to burn. We’re all murders, we have all killed. Even if it’s self-defense, we have killed, ended the lives of other people who should never have been in this arena. I guess it’s easy for me to assume that Yul was the best person in the arena because I knew him; that he was the one who deserved to die the least. But I wonder if it’s true… all the other dead tributes… Maybe some of them had been kind and good like Yul? If so, they shouldn’t have ended up in these games. No one should be in these games, no one should be murders. These games are for people such as the cat-man from 4 and that monster from 2. No one else.

The fire has caught onto some more branches now, hungrily swallowing the forest floor with its massive blanket of heat and colorful flames. Embers are blown up into the night sky like small seeds, drifting off before starting their own fire. In a minute or two, the flames will be unstoppable. I better get going... I may be a killer and we may all deserve to burn but… I guess I hope to win these games, even if I am killer. To win for me and Yul.

Michael's POV:
The descend into the flaming forest went by quickly. It wasn’t much work to follow the steep mountains of the fire zone down towards that clung of trees, looming over the ground. The trees are towering up, almost as if they’re determined to hide their secrets from any approaching intruders. But even the trees can’t with stand the strength of the burning flames, which are slowly eating away the green masses. In the end it’s the flames that win over the weak plants. The strongest will always win against the weak.

As I enter, I almost immediately scene the heat – there’s no flames around me, I am not stupid enough to march right into the inferno, still the air in the forest is thick with swallowing heat, almost as if it tried to drown you. For most tributes, being here would mean death. Not many have the strength to keep running in these temperatures. Most would faint and just lie there, as the flames swallow them up. But I have prepared for moments like this. Endless runs in the summer heat back in 2; I wouldn’t stop to I had reached my goal. The runs were tough, more tough than most of my other training. But now, in this chaos of heat and smoke, I thank myself for forcing my legs to run, even when the heat seemed to want to burry you alive.

And then I hear it. Running feet, quick and swift against the forest floor, heading right toward me. I turn, knowing that planning some kind of ambush is too late. We’ll have to go near combat, though I don’t mind melee fighting; In fact, I prefer it.

The girl that breaks out from the bushes would barely reach my chest, in terms of height. Her black hair is put in messy braids which are sticking to her skin, sweaty from running. Her creepy white eyes have a rapid, wild look to them, shocked by her sudden encounter of me. In her hand, she clusters a dagger. It’s Janu, of district 11. The youngest tributes in the games – and also the ally of the guy I killed yesterday.

It’s hard not to feel sorry for her... Or not ‘sorry’. Sorry is something you feel when you feel bad for something you have done. I don’t feel bad for killing her ally, killing is what I do… But I guess I do pity her. Just a little girl stuck in the these games of insanity.

“You…” She whispers under her breath, as she strengthens her grip around the dagger lying in her hands. Her chest pumps up and down, her wild eyes staring at me. I remain silent, yet slowly take the sword up in front of me. There’s no way she can run. Behind is a forest of flames, so even if she were to try and climb away, the flames would melt her flesh. And in front of her… Well, that’s where I am. She knows she can’t win, but I guess she would rather take the fight on me than the fight against the flames.

“You… You killed him,” Janu mutters, words filled with hatred as her anger seems to boil up inside her. I can’t say I would know how to respond… I did kill him. It’s the games. That’s how it is. And now I am gonna kill her. Put an end to her misery. And then she charges, her little hand clinging the knife as if she hopes for some kind of luck, some kind of miracle to end my life. But luck doesn’t exist and neither do miracles. I raise my sword, parading her thrust with the dagger. Desperately, she yanks the knife back for another pathetic hit, which I easily parade. Tears begin to stream down her eyes, as she thrust the dagger again and again, each time my sword parading.

Finally, I parade her last thrust. Her dagger’s blade slides against the steel of my sword, and she falls to the ground in front of me, head bowed down, the tears rolling down her cheeks. Huge sobs escapes her lips; Over and over, she mutters one line:

“I couldn’t even avenge him… I couldn’t even avenge him…”

I stare at her, my sword raised to deliver the final blow. Why I haven’t done it already is a riddle to me. I let the blade swing through the air, just about to remove her little head from her tiny body when she changes her speech, almost screeching out the words:

“I cared for him, you know. Yul. We’re all just flesh to you but… I cared for him. But what does that matter to you? To you it’s all just the game that matters! The honor and glory… But what about the people?! Yul… Yul was the only thing I had left. All of my friends died… somehow I thought that because my friends hadn’t stayed with me, Yul would stay. I loved Yul as my brother… Did you ever even think of that?”

I look down in her eyes, which are covered by a thin crystal layer of tears. Her face is red from exhaustion, her sobs barely audible. I just stare at her; and then, swinging my sword, I remove her head from her shoulders, putting her out of the misery… Or am I? Maybe I am just playing the games. BOOM!

Wolf's POV
The sun rises slowly from the horizon… or, at least I think it does. It’s hard to tell with all the trees blocking the view to the sky. It’s a bit weird… There had been a cannon-shot earlier in the morning which woke me and Lucy up. We woke up to see the mist of the air zone, the zone that we had fallen asleep in. But after going back to sleep, the zones much have changed because now we’re surrounded by tall trees and bushes. I take a deep breath, happy to at a place there’s at least somewhat like home. Feeling that feeling of the trees surrounding you, screening you from view of others, feeling the wild life around you – even this late in the games to make me relax.

But this time around I am not screened… not entirely, anyway. Lucy is there. My… odd ally from 4. I am still not sure if it was right to ally with her. I guess I tend to prefer to be on my own, that’s just how I am. ‘The Lone Wolf’ as the people of my district would call me… when they didn’t call me a “murderer” or “nuisance”, that is. Still, even being a loner and murderer, Quintus found it in himself to forgive me for ending his life. And how could I have ended Lucy’s life, when Quintus had given me such a gift? I already murdered my parents; I murdered Riven from 12… I murdered Quintus. I can’t kill Lucy too – not when she saved my life.

But why do I feel like I trust her? Sure, I observed her. I know her personality. But I usually never trust anyone, neither in the arena or back home. So why trust her? Maybe it’s just knowing she’s not a killer by instinct and then the fact that she doesn’t know I killed my parents. She doesn’t know I am murderer, she just thinks the only people I have killed are people I killed in the arena. And it should stay that way; it’s one thing that my entire district knows – I don’t need my only ally in these games to know as well.

I look over to Lucy, who’s curled up in a ball, sleeping. Her blonde hair is kept in messy pigtails, screening her face almost like veil. Walking over to her, I gently put my hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake. It almost feels weird approaching her; as if I should keep away, as some other kind of sick person, kept in quarantine. Like me approaching her is not only dangerous for me, but also risky for her. I guess you become like that when you’re alone for so long.

Lucy groans and opens her eyes slowly, rubbing the grains of sleep away. As she looks up and sees me beside her, she slowly draws away from me. Of course she does. An awkward silence spreads, where we just sit and stare at each other. I never talked much and have no idea what to say; And I guess Lucy just doesn’t want to talk to me.

After a while, I turn my back to her reaching over for the newly dropped silver parachutes. The one which has “LUCY PERCH” written on it carries a long slender trident and coil of wire. I gently throw it in her direction and she slowly removes the veil of the parachute from her new weapon. In the one that says “WOLF FANG”, a bread and dried meat is carried. I guess that my mentor doesn’t wish to see me starve, after all. Packing out the meat, I take one strip for myself, and hand another to Lucy.

“I already have food,” Lucy says very 'as-a-matter-of-fact-like',

“I know,” I tell her, still holding the strip of dried meat from her. The meat is newly cooked, still warmed in my hands. She looks for a bit, and finally, she snatches it from my hand and takes a hungry bite.

“Thanks,” She mutters shyly, not even bothering to swallow the food in her mouth before speaking. I sit down beside her and we eat in silence, yet I know I made some kind of approach. I guess she hadn’t expected me to give her some of my food, knowing she had enough for herself. “Wolf? Can I ask something?” Almost done with her strip of meat, Lucy finally breaks the silence. I remain silent, nodding in reply.

“You mentioned this name… Quintus, I think. Why did you say his name?”

Just about to take the last bite off the meat, I flinch, sitting silently. I can’t tell her about him. I won’t. If she knew about what happened to Quintus… What would she think of me? Or even worse… if she knew what happened to Quintus, we would know why I can’t kill her. And then she’ll kill me. I can’t trust her with that.

I almost feel the mask of no emotions slip onto face, as a defense mechanism. Looking her deeply into her bright blue eyes, I tell her with a cold, hostile voice:

“None of your business.”

Lucy looks at me, before crouching away from me, reaching for the wire in parachute to set up some traps. But maybe the traps are just to get a bit away from me... It’s obvious I scared her… or at least creeped her out. But maybe it’s better that way. Maybe it is better if she’s scared of me? Then I won’t have to trust her; then I won’t get attached to her.

Dyna's POV
The mist of the air zone flies around; it’s grey mass lying protectively around us, shrouding us from view. Right now it’s a blessing, though it was a curse last night. It took me more than a lifetime to try and find Ophelia and Kodai’s camp, after we split at the cornucopia. Hearing their breaths being inhaled and exhaled in perfect unison was the only thing that even alerted me that I was in their presence.

I look up at the couple, both of them already awake, sitting together enjoying breakfast together, with dried fruit and a bit of Kodai’s steadily dropping supply of water. Ophelia hasn’t received anything in days. I wonder how her odds are. I guess people from the Capitol’s money are much too valuable to spend on water for a girl who has her first love. I wonder if she regrets being in these games. I mean, yeah it’s tragic but had she not been in these games, Kodai would be nothing but a crazy district 7 tribute running around on her TV screen. Even if she’s going to die, at least she has Kodai by her side – which is more you could say about the rest of us tributes in here.

I look around to see if my sponsors have decided to be more generous than Ophelia’s. Surprise and wonder fills my mind as I see a shovel lying beside me. What is that good for? I guess it could be an alright weapon, though nothing compared to that regular sword lying beside me. I read the note attached.

“Guys?” I almost feel bad for interrupting their little… I wouldn’t call it a date, all circumstances accounted, but I must say they make quite a good attempt to turn an area in an arena full of people out to kill you into a little romantic break-fast-picnic. They turn their heads, looking at me.

“My mentor has a plan to go digging for bombs…” I tell them. Both of their eyes widen.

“It could be useful…” Ophelia says, unsurely, “We’re not very many left. Unless the gamemakers decide not to make one this year, a feast should be just around the corner. Bombs would make a great advantage,” she then adds.

“It’s a bit risky too,” I remind her. It’s not that I do not wish to get the bombs – I just wanna make sure Kodai and Ophelia knows what this plan might not be safe. But then again, at this point in the games, what is safe? Certainly not staying in one location and wait; if the tributes don’t find you after a while, the gamemakers will make sure they do.

“The mentor-note says that you, Ophelia, and me should go and get the bombs while Kodai distracts the careers,” I inform them. Ophelia looks at Kodai unsurely, but Kodai nods determined. “I am fast. I can do distracting.” Kodai says. Ophelia nods her motions filled with anxiousness, and just so, we are on our way.

We’re almost by the end of the air zone, when Ophelia finally breaks the silence. The mist is thin, we can almost see the field. We have come so close to launching the plan.

“Are you sure?” Ophelia asks, looking directly at Kodai. He responds by nodding his head. Ophelia face is crossed by fear and hopelessness; for a moment, I am almost sure she’s gonna refuse to do the plan and just march back into the mist. You can almost the fight between the promise of safety and the excitement of a new weapon fought within her mind. Then, with tears in her eyes, she just embraces Kodai, snuggling to him.

“Just be careful,” She whispers in his ear, and I look awkwardly at the ground. She places her lips on his, nothing intense, just a soft little kiss. I guess that’s the way they are. They’re not a couple who believe they can overcome the grim reaper by love. They are not the teenagers who say goodbye to one another by figuratively eating each other’s faces. They’re just a shy girl and slightly mental boy who love one another, which is all they could need. Kodai looks at her, almost confused by the act of kissing. Then, he sneaks in a shy peck on her cheek, before breaking the embrace, running off toward the cornucopia.

Ophelia just stand there looking after him, as a couple of minutes passes. No wonder she must be almost drowning in worry. Then, a new determination spreads on her face, and she begin to walk to the field, and I follow along.

Kodai did his job. The field is as empty as a tomb, the thick silence spreading like an ominous fog. I rush out into the field, Ophelia trailing behind me.

“We’ll just dig up the bombs around one pedestal. There should be at least four scattered around it, and we don’t need many,” Ophelia says, running over to the nearest of the tribute launches. I begin to dig, while Ophelia stays a bit away, looking out in case anyone were to come around.

The first one of the mines is easily found, not very far beneath. Struggling, I almost use the shovel as a pickaxe, trying to get the mine free. Since they’re deactivated, they are about as explosive as a sandstone… until you enter the code which activates them again, that is. Finally, I shake the bomb free and throw it in Ophelia’s empty backpack, before looking up to check on Ophelia… And it’s about there that I feel the cold tip of a blade softly pressing the skin of my neck. Turning my head, I feel my jaw drop to the floor, as my heart begins to beat as if it was trying to break the bones of my chest.

The career-recruit from 10, the one with the blood-red hair and matching clothes is holding Ophelia’s wriggling body tight, 10’s sword threateningly pressed up against Ophelia’s throat. Tears are running from her eyes, as she tries to speak, but the career-recruit has her free hand pressed tightly up against her mouth, hindering any communication. The career leader from 4, who I believe is named Lynx is the person pressing the claws up against my neck. Whatever happened, something with Kodai’s task must have gone terribly wrong. But I can’t wonder about that now. I can’t wonder about anything but me and Ophelia’s lives.

“Don’t even bother reaching for the bomb. Ophelia’s throat - and your throat for that matter – will be cut before you even reach to sip up the backpack.” He tells me, a vicious smirk covering his face. I just stare at him, trying to keep myself from showing the fear growing within me.

“Now, we want you to fur fill a request from us,” Lynx begins his tone of voice running vicious and still smoothly, “Go back to the beast from 7… Kodai, and tell him we got his girl,” An almost taunting grin spreads on his face as he says the word ‘girl’. “If he wish to see her again, he’ll have to come and get her. Also, should you refuse to tell Kodai this message, or should Kodai refuse to show up, we’ll slit the little girl’s throat. Got that?” I nod my head, and he slowly removes the claws from my throat.

“Run now, or we might change our mind and kill the both of you,” Lynx’s last words to me are yelled, as I leave Ophelia’s side. She wriggles, the muted sounds from her mouth said in desperate tones. But what could we have done? What could I have done? Refusal would have meant the death of both her and me. No matter what I did, it would have gotten us both killed. With those thoughts in mind, I run into the mist, in search of Kodai, a creepy feeling of being like a puzzle piece in a sadistic career game spreading through me.

Helena's POV
“He can be here any minute,” Lynx voice breaks the long-lasting silence, yelling from across the cornucopia field. Other than his voice, only the wind’s howl has been heard for quite a while. Ophelia’s screams was once also filling the somber grey atmosphere, driving both me and Lynx nuts. That is, until we ended up stopping a sock in her mouth, to keep her quiet.

Her high pitched voice would keep on yelling thing such as: ‘Don’t do it Kodai’ or ‘stay away, leave me behind’, like the idiot that she is. Would she actually think it was going to help? That it was gonna keep  her allies from trying to go get her? He’ll run right into our trap like the brainless beast that he is. She’s an idiot and he’s an idiot. They were probably a good couple. Soon they’ll be a dead couple. Who’s falls in love in an arena with people out to kill you anyway?

I check the battlegrounds yet again. Ophelia’s neatly tied up, her hands and feet pressed together by the strong ropes to prevent any movement. In the cornucopia, only a meter or so away from Ophelia, Lynx is standing, almost hidden beneath the shade of the cornucopia’s dark walls. And in the edges of the earthzone, hiding in a big push behind leaves and branches is me, spying out from under. It’s my job to take care of Kodai – Lynx will be guarding Ophelia and take care of Dyna, in case Dyna decided to go with Kodai. You could almost feel and grab the disappointment within Lynx’s facial expression as he was given the role as guard. Not that I mind, I have been in the shade for far too long. Time for me to get some action.

Almost on cue he comes running out from the mist. Kodai. His multicolored eyes are filled with rage, his whole body running faster than I have ever seen any human run; straight for Ophelia. I step out from the foliage, and almost thank myself for picking a bush close by. A little further away and I wouldn’t have been able to catch up with him.

I elegantly slide between him and his running path, him having to stop quite abruptly to not collide with me and my sword. I lock eyes with him – he knows he won’t be passing me unless he kills me. As I look into his eyes, I feel goose bumps spread down my back. Within his eyes is something is not just anger… something far stronger is looming in there too. An endless, dark hatred. That’s what Kodai feels. Dark fire burns within his eyes, as he lets the whip fly; I graciously dance out of the way. I lash out with my sword, which he avoids before biting out at me, his long sharp fangs at full display. I again lash out with the sword, which he almost avoids. I manage to give him a small cut in his lower left arm but he doesn’t even flinch far too angered to even feel the pain.

And then I hear steel cross other steel. Dyna (I think that’s his name) and Lynx are fighting at the cornucopia, Ophelia lying helplessly at the ground beside them. Dyna’s sword crosses Lynx’s claws, which Lynx parades as easy as breathing. A deep cut within Dyna’s calf sheds crimson tears onto the grass. I must give Dyna credit for being up for returning to the cornucopia with Kodai – His bravery would be touching, had his action not been the same as death-sentencing himself. Lynx won’t lose.

I lash out against Kodai again, slicing with my sword. But this time, Kodai only takes a small step to the side, before raising his arm with the whip. The barbed whip’s long tongue is wrapped around my sword… and then everything goes fast – With a single pull in the whip, Kodai rips my sword out of my hands. Then, with the speed of a mantis, he puts his teeth down into the flesh of the beginning of my throat. For a moment, memories of Fiona’s death flashes past me, as I fall to the ground. I slap my hand onto the wound, a vain attempt to try and keep the blood from flowing out. He’ll kill me now.

I look up suspecting to see Kodai bowed over me, ready to slit my throat with the sharp fangs of his… but he’s not even there. He has already run past me, heading straight for Ophelia and Lynx. As for Dyna, he is lying before Lynx, after having received a deep cut in his remaining calf. He can’t even stand. I guess Dyna will die like me, bleeding out on the cornucopia field as well. Maybe not though… his cuts aren’t as bad as mine, not nearly. Still, he’s bleeding heavily. He’s probably going to die.

We’re just awaiting deaths; just cannons waiting to be fired. But at least we’ll have one last show before we die. As we die on the grass, we watch Lynx and Kodai arise, for one remaining battle.

Ophelia's POV:
I don’t waste time. As soon as Lynx leaves the cornucopia side, I begin to crawl over the ground. It’s not easy; the ropes bite my skin with their strengthened bonds, as I creep across the floor inside the cornucopia. But I have to get my arms free so that I can rip out the piece of cloth they gagged me with and the knife lying just one meter away from my reach is perfect for it.

The haste feels like it’s ripping me apart. I can only watch as the boy I love fights my capturer. That’s probably the worst – I would feel much at ease just fighting by his side. Even if that mean that I would die, even if it meant that I would get tortured, bitten to pieces by Lynx’s sharp fangs... Everything is better than this. Just lying here, so useless while Kodai struggles for both his and my own survival.

I look up watching them. A part me just wants to look away, still my eyes are glued to the scene. Kodai has put his chain together a couple of time, turning it into a weird shield of wires which he steadily parades Lynx’s claws. Lynx raises his claw, in a quick uppercut towards Kodai throat. Kodai takes up the mass of whip-wire, catching the blades of Lynx’s long steel claw before kicking away at Lynx’s feet. Lynx evades swiftly, before lashing out towards Kodai’s arms with the claws, cutting a smaller trail of crimson blood as they collide with the flesh of Kodai’s upper arm and I look away quickly.

Just knowing that he is risking his life for mine… possibly giving his life for me makes me feel almost sick of myself. Here I am, lying tied up, far away from battle while the boy I love is standing up the leader of the careers just to protect me. But there’s only one thing I can do. I can rip out my gag and tell him to run. Get away. Kodai’s strong but his speed is his best talent… if he could just escape, leave me behind. But would he even go? What he stays and gets killed because he didn’t want to leave me behind… I couldn’t live with myself… but I can’t think about that now.

I finally reach the knife and with much struggle, manage to get up into a position where I can sit on my knees, the shaft of the knife held between my kneecaps, so that the blade bends upwards. Placing my tied hand on each side of the blade, I drive the rope between my hands onto the knife, slowly cutting the rope away. I look again, I can’t help myself.

The wire shield thing is lying on the ground, both of Lynx’s claws struck deep inside the wire, pierced out through the other end. A bit away from it, are Lynx wrestling on the ground, the dirt flying around them like a sandstorm. Lynx forces Kodai to the ground pinning him deep down, while both of them are holding onto each other arms. Kodai head shoots up, biting Lynx’s shoulder flesh, which switches the balance and they and they roll around yet again. Both of them covered in a red blanket of crimson fluid, both their enemies and their own their jackets ripped to threads.

Finally I feel the ropes bend, as my arms I freed, and my hand shoots up, dragging the icky sock out of my mouth. The ropes on my feet are done much tighter than the hands, but there’s no need to bother with them, as long as I can jump my way. Holding onto the knife I just acquired, I manage to jump my way out of the cornucopia waving with my arms. A panic-filled mixture of desperation and adrenaline fills me from inside, as I hurry out. Tears prickles in my eyes as I try to attempt to save the life of the boy I loved, just like he attempted to safe mine.

“KODAI! “ I yell, my voice hoarse, high-pitched but most of all panicked.

“PLEASE, KODAI RUN!” I yell at the two of them, as I watch them roll around in the dirt, which is now more red than brown. In the distance the red girl of District 10 lies in a pool of her own blood. Dyna is fighting his way upwards; trying to stand on his two deeply cut legs, trying to get away from the hell which is out folding itself. His eyes lock with mine. He sends me a troubled look, as his lips mimic one word: ‘Sorry’. He wants to flee scene; if he doesn’t rest, he’ll bleed out. If he tries to help Kodai or me, that will mean the death of him. I can’t have that.

“DYNA, DON’T STAY, RUN AWAY!” I tell him quickly, hoping that that is enough permission for him, before turning my attention back to Kodai and Lynx. I take a deep breath, ready for another scream.

“KODAI, PLEASE LEAVE! GO! PLEASE!” I cry out as my eyes locks with his for a second. But then, he avoids my glance, staring straight back at the attacking Lynx. A pained grunt is heard as Lynx jaws manages to lock themselves around Kodai’s shoulder, before Kodai shoves him off.

Dyna is slowly trying to move away, guilt painted on his face. Kodai is staying right where he is though, nothing but dark hatred for Lynx within his eyes. Kodai won’t run. I guess I deep inside knew that already. He won’t run as long as I am here… Lynx pins Kodai yet again, this time his arms seems to more easily get freed from Kodai’s… and then another realization hits me. What is hatred against years and years of training restlessly? What is a 14-year-old, slightly mental boy against a robotic trained killing machine?

I know that answer. Kodai won’t win this battle.

And then a quick plan comes to mind. One of those, you don’t even consider. One of those that are worth price you pay – you know it before you even bring the plan to life. A part of me wants to spend more time before this, thinking about it; I am usually not someone who acts without thinking. But the rush of the situation, Kodai’s life, Lynx’s winning arms, my desperation and the adrenaline makes the decision for me. If I am not there anymore, Kodai will have no reason to fight Lynx. And then I can only hope that he runs. Escapes. Kodai won’t leave this battle – not before I am gone.

“Kodai!”

Win these games… for you and me…

And with that, I take the knife clustered in my hand up to my throat, letting the cold steel collide with my fragile skin, ending my own life.

Kodai, I love you…

BOOM!

Lynx's POV
The roar is inhumane, almost tearing through skin, and I feel the small soft hair on my arms rise as new strength explodes through from my opponent body, so powerful that even I can seem to sense it. All it took was his pathetic lover to end her life, an ending she already knew was going to happen eventually. The muscles in Kodai’s body tenses as he breaks my grip on his throat, as he rises up from the mud, fighting his way out from my pinning of him. The mud splashes onto the mixture of blood which had colored both of our hides, both of our bodies as he breaks free, escaping the death I was so close to give him.

I pounce toward him, not wanting to let him leave the pool of dirt and blood which had become our own personal arena, but he’s already gone. The kid’s fast, I’ll give him that, as I watch him sprint toward the cornucopia. There she lies, Ophelia the little idiotic weakling who cut open her throat to safe her lover. He kneels beside her, shaking her dead body furiously as if she was only asleep. Odd, almost robotic screeches fills the air – not exactly angry, not exactly sad, just… there, as Kodai tries desperately to get life back into her body, as if he thought he could reverse the cut in her throat.

Getting up, I yank my steel claws out, and walk slowly toward the scene. At least twenty different vicious taunts and comments fill my mind, but I don’t utter a word. Somehow, it’s unfitting. The boy should die, yes. Of course he should, he’s one of my few rivals, one of the few who could possibly challenge my title – and there should only be one beast in this arena. But he shouldn’t be mocked. When I kill, it will be because I was stronger than him; because I am the predator, because I am the victor of these games, and not for any other reason. Still, one sentences does escape my lips as I walk toward the ‘oh-so-heartbreaking’ scene:

“Forget about it. She’s gone and there’s nothing to be done.”

Kodai looks up, hissing at me, but he knows I am right. You can’t revive the dead, no matter what you do. Even if he was to go and win the games, it wouldn’t bring back Ophelia. Just like me winning the games could never bring Hunter back to life. He was shot down and it was because of me just like Ophelia killed herself and it was because of Kodai. And we could never hope to change that, neither of us could. The only thing you can hope for is revenge, which I suppose we both long for now.

As I come nearer, Kodai finally stands up, looking at me. The anger in his eyes is gone, yet the dark hatred lingers along with a new feeling: Emptiness. As if nothing matters. And then, finally listening to what his girlfriend had been yelling for him to do all along, he takes off running away from the scene, away from me and Ophelia, leaving it all behind. I would have chased after him, but I know I wouldn’t have caught up, not when Kodai is that fast; not that matters. I’ll kill him later.

I watch the field, taking in the grotesque scene. Most of the grass is covered in blood from either me, Kodai, his girlfriend, District 13 or Helena. District 13 must have taken off while me and Kodai were fighting because he’s nowhere to be found. Judging from the blood-trail it won’t matter anyway. He should die from blood loss soon. But there’s something odd… Like something is missing but I can’t exactly point out what. There is me, Ophelia’s corpse and Helena’s corp―

The cannon. There’s two deaths but only one cannon… And Ophelia couldn’t possibly be alive…

Sprinting over to Helena, I kneel by her body. Blood has spread from shoulder like a crimson halo around her head, making it unclear exactly where her hair ends and the ground begins. She coughs, barely audible and more blood from her mouth spreads onto her pale skin. She’s practically dead, only barely clinging onto the few threads that hold her life together. Beyond the point where she could possibly be saved… unless, of course you have a…

Almost as if it was made of stone, the little flagon of Instant Relief within my inner pocket seems to weigh double as much. It’s mine; given to me rightfully from the amount of sponsor money I have managed to scrape up. Helena doesn't deserve it, it was her who couldn’t defeat Kodai. She brought this onto herself…

And still, she’s the only member of my pack who has managed to survive; the only career that hasn’t been completely worthless. And technically, she was the first person to go against Kodai… But it’s my instant relief. My sponsors wouldn’t be happy if they saw me give it to her – my mentor would probably even throw his glass of wine against the televisions screen cursing at me for giving my medicine up for my ally. But I am Lynx Striker, dammit. I don’t need to fear my mentor. I don’t need to take directions from him, I don’t need to take directions from anybody in general! F*** my mentor, his dismay would be my pleasure. Helena fought, she has fought for long and if anyone should kill her, it should be me, when we eventually reach top 2. I won’t let the beast from 7 claim her life. He doesn’t deserve another death. Helena has been the only part of my pack who have actually been worth something, who have managed to survive. As this packs leader I should reward it. You can’t revive the death but you can safe the dying. I could never safe Hunter… But I can safe Helena.

And then I press the mouth of the flask filled with the lifesaving instant relief against her almost-cold lips.

Lucy's POV
The dark slowly draws over the sky, as Day 6 draws to an end. Not much happened today, other than me setting up traps while trying my best to keep away from my creepy ally, Wolf. It’s… odd to determine his intentions. One minute he shares his supplies with me, even though I have my own food. The next, he gets that creepy emotionless expression and tells me to keep away… Maybe I should just have killed him. But how could I, when he just saved my life? Maybe I am being too soft… The sky lights up and the anthem is blast out onto the arena. Wolf and I sit down, staring aimlessly at the sky. I hope Lynx’s up there. Maybe Michael too but… he let me live. But Michael also left me the next morning, which to me is the biggest sign that he really didn’t care for me. That the only reason he spared me was because I didn’t fight back. That only spared me because of him.

First the face of Ophelia appears, the shy girl who never had much to say. I am honestly surprised she lasted this long, though I guess I sort of in a way, empathized with her. Even though I am a career and she isn’t, she’s probably the tribute in the arena that reminds most of me. But I can’t worry about her now. She’s dead and I am not. A person who wants to survive shouldn’t worry about others’ lives or deaths. The next face it’s Janu’s, the poor 12-year-old from 11. I look down. Both of them were some of the most innocent in the arena… they didn’t… deserve to be here. And now they’re both gone… Are we anymore innocent left? Are any of us good-intended, pure hearted? Or were Ophelia and Janu the last people in the arena that shouldn’t be here?

I suppose… I suppose I once thought I wasn’t supposed to be here. But that was before Aranaea… that was before I stalked her around, like a ruthless murder, killing her because she had some supplies I wanted. Maybe this arena is truly the place that I belong in. Maybe I am supposed to be here, just like Michael and Lynx.

I lay my body onto the hard ground, trying to get comfortable lying on a pile of leaves. Wolf lies down as well, in the other end of the camp, which is more than fine with me. I feel goose bumps spread down my spine as his mysterious grey mirror-like eyes stares at me, before he rolls onto his side. I wonder if I will close an eye with him around...

''Me and Aranaea. We’re in a dome, in a little circle painted on an empty field. She’s standing there, no bruises on her body, no gaping hole in her face from where my tridents wants pierced through her skull. A trident lies beside my feet, but there are no weapons around her. A little clever smirk is painted across her porcelain face, her red hair prancing around her like a sea of flames. Opening her mouth, she strolls over to me, like a model walking a cat-walk. Her voice speaks softly, silky but it’s not her own voice:''

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy... Little, sweet, innocent Lucy… Lucy who volunteered for her sister… but not so innocent anymore… Who would have thought that little sweet Lucy could become such a monster…?” She asks, Claudia’s tone of voice lingering in the air. “Aren’t you gonna kill me now, Lucy? Come on, go ahead, you know you want to end lives. You’re nothing more than that. Do it, Lucy. It’s so easy. I am not even armed.”

''I want to scream at her. A mixture of apologizes, of denials, of rage and fear but nothing comes out of my mouth. But it’s as I can’t open my mouth, as if I can’t control my own actions. As if it’s no longer me within my body, it no longer acts on my intentions. Just a puppet, a lifeless robot. Slowly, I pick up the trident, walking over to Aranaea who just smirks at me.''

''“There you are… That wasn’t that hard, now was it?” She asks me, in a superior tone of voice, like a vile teacher talking to a dimwitted student. I lift up my trident, slamming Aranaea’s body down to the ground, her red hair cascading after her as she falls. My trident tip is places just on her throat, yet she doesn’t move, scream or fight back. Instead she just stares at me, her grey eyes drilling into mine.''

''And then she changes. Her red hair turns to blonde, her misty grey eyes turns sky blue, her pale skins tans… Until it’s no longer Aranaea lying below my tridents cutting edges, waiting for me to spear it through her throat. It’s my sister… Lily. But I don’t remove my trident. Instead my body presses it through her throa―''

“LILY!” I scream, kick, and punch as if I could somehow hope to shake away the nightmare. I open my mouth to scream yet again before feeling a large hand close around my mouth, drowning the sound. My body is pressed tightly toward my silencer and I look up, my eyes meeting with Wolf’s. He holds my arms, and slowly I stop myself from wriggling. No matter how much I kick or punch, I could never erase this nightmare from my memories.

“Shhhh…” He whispers, not unfriendly or commanding, more like soothing a child, “Shhh…” A part of him feels a bit unsure. As if he’s not used to holding someone close, as if he’s not used to trying to calm people down. And yet, he doesn’t move away.

We just sit there for a bit, my body pressed toward his. As I calm down, he slowly removes his hand from my mouth, carefully checking if I am done screaming too. I breath in, deep rapid gasps, like a person who has been in under water for long time, and then suddenly, traitorous tears of terror and despair starts running down my cheeks, my gasps slowly turning to sobs. I try to stop them, I try to keep myself calm but they keep flowing down my cheeks like water on windows. Finally, Wolf breaks the silence, his tone unsure as if he’s not even sure whether he should be uttering the words or not:

“Quintus was… Quintus is one of the tributes that I… I killed him. I… I didn’t mean to, I was just… In shock. He appeared in the mist so quickly, I though he would… try and kill me. But he was unarmed, he was innocent… He didn’t blame me for killing him… He didn’t hate me, he didn’t call me a murderer… He… Helped me. He wanted to help everyone. The poorer districts, the people who starved. And now he’s gone and it’s my fault alone…”

Wolf’s voice finally stops, and for a moment, we just sit there in silence, as tears flow down my face. Even now, Wolf doesn’t cry, but his expression does gives away one emotion, even if he tried to cover it up: Pain.

“… It wasn’t your fault.” I tell him, after a while of loud silence. And then he holds me tighter.

Careers:
Lynx Striker (D4M), Helena Krisp (D10F),

District 4 and 12:
Lucy Perch (D4F), Wolf Fang (D12M),

Loners:
Michael Kaizer (D2M), Kodai Hitogoroshi (D7M), Dyna Ploson (D13M),

Dyna's POV:
The sun slowly creeps its way up from the surface of the earth. Not much of it sunrays slips through, my body screened by the thick fog surrounding me. The Air Zone… This horrid, cold place where Bailey died; killed in her sleep by an unknown assassin with a blowgun… I wonder if they’re still out there. If they are still hunting through the others zones with their lethal darts. Maybe they have taken more lives? Maybe they are sleeping only inches away from me, right now, hidden by their cloak of fog. Or maybe they have joined the rest of them… Ophelia, Bailey, Madoka, Hester, Train… People who didn’t deserve to be in this place, in this horrid arena. Bailey killers did something terrible, though… They didn’t deserve to be sent here either… No one did. Not even Fabian, Fabian who I used to hate. I used to tell myself it was good that he was dead; but I know better now. It’s no good that any of us is dead, no matter what we did before we died.

I try and sit up. The pain cuts through my leg, through the marrow of bones like a thousand of razor-sharp blades, travelling upwards through my body, piercing everything they run into like a knife through butter. On both of my calves, like a little macabre children’s pattern, three deep crimson holes has been cut from where Lynx’s claws slipped through my flesh. The crimson liquid has spread like wings from my body, as I slept. It spreads like a red blanket across my legs.

I know I’ll die… I can’t possibly live through this, not when I lost this much blood. That will be my fate, unless of course someone come and kill me before the blood loss does, and then there’s only Kodai left. He will have to win this… for all of us. But mostly for Ophelia. She not only gave her life for Kodai, she gave her life for me too… Had she not told me to run… had she not committed suicide…? I probably wouldn’t be alive. Kodai wouldn’t either. She gave herself to safe both of us… And though her sacrifice for me was in vain, how could I ever hope to repay what she did? How could me, or Kodai or anyone hope to repay for anything that she did when Ophelia’s now locked in a coffin on the way to District 6? That’s probably the worst about it… Not only is she… gone but… All know that we will never be able to repay her, never be able to thank her… we weren’t even able to say goodbye…

A noise takes me out of my thoughts. I know the sound, it’s not a dangerous noise, but what is it… My brain searches for the answer, trying to ignore the burning flames of pain in my wounds when finally I realize what I am hearing. I am hearing the beeping noise that a parachute makes when sponsors sends you items.

The silver container lands right next to me, to which I thank my sponsor for placing so precisely. I wonder if I would have been able to get it, had it dropped just 20 meters away… Maybe but… Just trying to crawl over the platform would feel like getting stabbed by Lynx’s long claws all over again… and the amount of blood I would lose in the process; I would probably have died.

Opening the silver container, a little pale flask is lying safely stored inside it. On the sticker slapped onto the flask is with big blog letters written: ‘INSTANT RELIEF’. It feels as if a stone drops from my heart. As if just by looking at the little flask of miracle is enough to make the pain go away. If you watch a couple of Hunger Games, you’ll know what these little bottles of life are able to do. Tributes with gaping wounds in their chest has drunken these and lived… But usually only careers are receiving them…

“Thank you,” I whisper slowly to the sky, to my mentor who somehow scraped up enough money for this; enough money to safe my life. Taking off the lid, a yellow gooey nectar-like liquid is revealed. Taking the flask up to my lips, I drink the juice in one big swig; it smells fowl and tastes worse but that hardly matters as I can feel that warm energy of recover spread in second, the pain waves of pain washed away.

I slowly get to my feet; the wounds don’t bleed, though they hurt a little, but nothing compared to before. Tomorrow I probably won’t feel a thing… If there’s a tomorrow for me, that is.

And with that in mind, I head out in search of Kodai.

Lynx's POV:
The morning sun slowly washes the night mist on the cornucopia field away, as if preparing for new battles, new baths of blood. The top 7… It’s all so close, I can almost smell the blood of the last prey within these games. We are so close to victory… Or rather… I am so close victory. Because after today, there will no longer be any “we”.

I steal a glance over at Helena, who is sleeping on a makeshift bed that I made out of empty food containers and extra arena wear. Her red hair spills onto the ground almost like a waterfall of blood, forecasting the theme of the coming days in the arena. Her eyes are closed, in pleasant calm sleep and the wound within her shoulder is healed completely.

A part of me still wonders why… Why did I use my instant relief on her? Especially now, when I am leaving the cornucopia, leaving my ally behind. I suppose some people would call it a waste… But a part me just felt… she deserved it. She managed to survive, she earned her spot among the careers, instead of people such as Claudia, Hester and Dior, weakling who were only good for giving the Capitol some comedic relief with their stupidity. But Helena managed to survive and she even gave the capitol quite the show when we killed that Ella, the career who decided not to be a career. She deserved to die…

… Quite a lot of people left the careers; Lucy, Michael, Ella… And only one of them has died yet. One could argue that it’s embarrassing for us, that they’re still alive but… To me, it’s just victims, just prey which will eventually be hunted when the predator catches their scent. They can run and hide but eventually, they will be hunted down, found in the corners of that they creep in. And when I find them, the show I put on is gonna be spectacular. Better than Fiona’s death, better than Ella’s death. Especially Lucy.

Slowly I get up from the damp grass on the inside of the cornucopia, looking through the pile of supplies for some useful stuff before I leave. It won’t matter what I take, there’s enough for Helena anyways. I wouldn’t want her to have fewer supplies than me. She should have the same odds at me, the same chances of winning when we leave this place. On equal footing, I suppose, so that one day, when we fight each other the battle will not be won by the one with the most supplies; it will strongest. And I will be the strongest, I have to be. That’s who I am and when I stare at Lucy’s and Michael’s and Kodai’s and Helena’s faces up on that night sky, I will know that I am the strongest. That I am the victor.

As quietly as possible I fish out a chunk of uncooked pork which should probably be able to last me a couple of days for food. I retrieve a canteen of water, and of course my trusty steel claws, still red from Kodai’s and my own blood, a decoration which hopefully will remain there until I leave this arena, dead or alive. If I am lucky, there’ll be new blood on the claws. New lives that has been ended by them.

I set out ready to leave my ally behind; ready to leave my alliance, the few spares of my lynx-pack behind. I can’t say I will miss her greatly. I can’t say it pains me to leave her behind… but if I somehow don’t make it, don’t win these games… I hope she’ll win. She deserves it.

“You’re leaving,” I freeze by the sudden sound, spinning back. Helena hasn’t moved an inch, still lying in the same position that I checked on her in, yet her dark red blood eyes stares intensely into mine.

“Don’t worry, I won’t stop you. It’s time to break up anyways, no reason to stay,” She says, trailing off. I keep silent; I was never really a genius when it came to words and speech and especially not goodbyes. She continues:

“I just want to… thank you, I suppose. For giving me the instant relief. You didn’t need to do that, you didn’t have to…”

“You deserved it,” I tell her shortly, cutting her off before she begins rambling about how it was rightfully my sponsor gifts, that she shouldn’t have used it. “You lived beyond all of them… all of the pitiful creatures that called themselves careers… as the leader of the pack, I rewarded you for that.”

“I suppose that would make me beta of the pack?” She asks, sending me something that could remind of a smirk.

“I suppose it does,” I tell her. An odd silence spreads between us. Somehow, for us, it’s easier to say goodbye without words; without saying anything, just staring at each other. For a while, we just stand there. Then finally as I turn to walk, Helena speaks again:

“I’ll burn the supplies here when I leave… I’ll see you in the final two,”

I send her one long glance before replying, “See you there… there, or in death,”

And then, with no more words, I slip off into the mass of trees surrounding the earth zone.