I do not own anything except the OC's Soman, Ariya, and Jaylin. Taylor Swift owns her song "Safe and Sound" and Suzanne Collins owns THG.

Soman Sutherland closes his eyes, but sleep does not come. Visions of Kristi, of Jamison, of their deaths, imprinted on the back of his eyelids, keep Soman awake. The stocky Seam boy sits up. It's no use- sleep will not come.

The fifteen-year-old yawns. It's late- the moon is high in the sky. Soman reaches his tanned arms high above his head, holding the position for a couple seconds before letting go.

Then he hears it. The rustle of the leaves, the crunch of boots against gravel. The Seam boy instinctively reaches for his weapon- a long-bladed, heavy sword.

The sound of footsteps grows nearer and nearer until- swish- a figure steps out of the shadow, watching Soman like a hawk. The boy pulls out his sword, ready to strike.

"Hello, Soman," the figure says. Soman curses under his breath. Jaylin Twist, the only remaining Career. He had hoped it'd be Ariya, the girl his age from Four.

"Hello, Jaylin," Soman replies.

Jaylin smiles a bloodthirsty, evil smile. Soman has accepted his fate- the older girl will kill him easily.

Soman makes the first move, jabbing at Jaylin's stomach, but Jaylin parries. She thrusts her sword forward, causing Soman to jump backwards.

"Scared of a girl, are we?" Jaylin mocks the younger boy.

Enraged, Soman swings his sword. He misses the girl's heart- where he'd been aiming- but he does hit her leg. Jaylin yelps, but quickly resumes her cool façade. She slashes, hitting Soman's stomach. The dark red, warm blood spurts from the wound, and Soman struggles not to scream. Holding his stomach in one hand, his sword in the other, Soman jabs forward. Jaylin jumps back, swinging her own sword. This time, it connects with Soman's chest. Screaming, the Seam boy falls to the ground, and Jaylin smiles. She's won the battle.

Laying on his back on the hard ground, Soman lifts his eyes to the sky. He wants his last sight to be the stars.

Smiling, Soman closes his eyes. He's satisfied. Jaylin, revealing a short-bladed knife, strides over to where Soman lay. She slits his throat, and the young Seam boy falls into an eternal sleep.

The cannon booms, and then there were two.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

BOOM.

Ariya Fulner jolts awake. Who could that have been? Soman, the boy her age from Twelve, or the bloodthirsty Jaylin from Two? The fifteen-year-old smiles- either way, she's one step closer to home.

Home. Ariya's face falls as the thought of home enters her tired mind. The salty ocean, the warm, sandy beaches, and...

Rylie. Ariya looks down at her wrist, where the beaded bracelet lay. Little Rylie, aged only seven, had given Ariya the token of home. Ariya had hugged the child, murmuring the words to a song they both knew.

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be all right, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound."

The girl feels a drop on her hand- a warm, wet teardrop. She looks down at the bracelet and another tear slides down her face. Landing on her thigh, the tear dissolves into Ariya's pant leg.

I must be brave. For Rylie, Ariya stands, wiping a tear away.

A crackle of leaves alerts Ariya that someone's nearby. Whipping around, Ariya places a hand on her spear, which was leaning against a nearby tree. Picking it up, Ariya takes a step back.

"Jaylin,"

"Ariya," the girls greet each other.

Jaylin smiles. Leaping forward, she thrusts her sword. Ariya dodges.

Ariya and Jaylin circle each other until Ariya takes a deep breath. Lobbing her spear at Jaylin, Ariya drops her hands to her side.

They don't stay there for long, for the girl's spear misses.

Jaylin laughs. "Pathetic." Ariya closes her eyes. She's given up.

I love you, Rylie.

The cannon booms, and then there was one.

Authors' Note: Hey guys! This is a one shot following the final three tributes in the 72nd Hunger Games. This is by no means canon.

This was written using the Caesar's Palace prompts Gold, Silver, and Bronze.