A/N: I am not creative enough to write a song, so song credit goes to whoever wrote Shireens song in game of thrones, which is what I used here.


I slept for a little while, but spent most of the night devising a plan.

At sunrise the careers got up as well. Today they took Charlie with them, leaving the girl from 2 to guard, saying she was better equipped than she was. I snuck in through the roof again doing my best not to alert her.

I heisted myself down once again, I bent off the ledge and grabbed a few small things. I made sure not to take more than they would notice was gone. I had my food and water, as I sat on the ledge about to leave the girl from two apparently wanted a snack, she turned around and immediately spotted me. I grabbed my stakes, but before I could fire there was a knife in my hip. I groaned in pain. She ran towards me I left the knife in she grabbed my hair being bigger than me, she pulled me down and threw me to the ground. I again groaned in pain when I landed it was pretty far. She got on to of me and started choking me out. I struggled but eventually was able to grab a stake. I slammed it against her with all the force my adrenalin could muster, I coughed a few times she was about to get up again and attack me. If I fell down again I do not think I would be as lucky as before. Luckily I was quicker than her, I rolled on the ground and grabbed a stake, it landed in her right thigh and she collapsed as I lied there for a moment to recover. She groaned in pain. I got up and looked at her, I walked past her when I felt her grab my leg.

I was confused, but I kicked the sword she was hold away from her. I figured she would hold me long enough to stab me. But without a weapon she still did not let go. She yanked as if to tell me something. I lowered myself down and she whispered:

You don't deserve to win.

I got out of that house as quickly as possible. I was sad, not only had I killed people, but I did not deserve to be alive to these people. I had to live with guilt and now also the fact that I did not deserve to live with guilt.

I had not stayed to see if she would survive. The worst part I had no idea if I rooted for her to. That would mean I or someone else would have to kill her, for them or me to live. I hated this feeling, but I also knew I needed to focus, I could deal with all my demons if I survived.

I hurried to a tree and sat on a branch, it was a much bigger struggle than yesterday. I leaned against the branch and prepared myself. I slowly pulled out the knife and tried my best not to make any noise while doing it. I then took some of my precious water and used it to clean the wound. I sat back in pain almost passed out from just that. I woke up a little later with the sound of a parachute. I was confused as to why people even wanted to sponsor me. But I still thanked Beetee and whatever god I could think off. I once again really struggled to climb the small distance to the container. The note said: I thought I told you to stay alive.

I smiled and could almost hear the sarcasm in his voice, now that I had gotten hurt. I opened the container and found two bandages, while it was mostly healed it was nice to wrap up my shoulder with something other that my now dirty shirt. I put the longer one on the wound on my hip and wrapped it around myself. It was so nice, I knew the capitol probably had an ornament that could heal it in a couple of hours. But I knew how expensive things were in the games. I did not want to imagine what that was gonna cost. I much appreciated the bandage. Made sure to say a quiet thank you to them. I knew there were cameras everywhere filming this.

Once night time came, I watched the career house carefully. They were upset when to see the wounded girl from two. The guy from four was made to stand guard for the night. I smirked knowing this would be my chance to plan something for her. I wanted her to win, she was so innocent and much more deserving than me.

The night sky lit up once again. I tried not to think about the girl from two. The girl from 12 had been killed. That meant we were only 8 tributes left. I knew the game makers had a big finale planned to lure us all together. I knew it would come once we were 6 or less left. I just had to survive until then, and then I would have to fight it out with the careers. And either die from some injury by one of them or kill myself so Charlie could go home. I revised a plan in my head once it was done I stayed up for a few hours to make sure the careers were asleep, before finding a new tree to sleep in, this one was too much covered in my blood for me to stay in it. Someone might notice. It required some effort, but I found a nice tree not too far from the city and slept there.


I spent the next few days not really doing anything different. I stayed put for most of the day making sure my stakes were sharp. Stole a few supplies from the careers, I was not seen by the guard these times. I saw the girl from 7 try but fail to get any supplies and ran from the career into the woods. She was right by me when I saw the career turn back and go back to guarding the food.

I noticed her stopping at the foot of my tree panting. I did not view her as a threat, and I honestly did not want to kill her if she looked up and discovered me. She was a little younger than me, about 13-14. She looked horrible, and I would hate to have to do anything to her. I even got a little angry that, not only did I have to live through this, but she did too. She had survived so far which was impressive. But I felt sad that she would have to go through this. Angry at the cruel world that made sure that she did. I decided to stick it to the man while I still could. I was gonna die for Charlie anyway. Might as well make a little bit of what was left of my life count for something.

I went into my backpack and carefully took out a full water bottle, a packet of meat and a packet of nuts. I carefully dropped them to the ground in front of her one by one.

She looked up at me thankful but very confused. Even a little scared. Maybe she thought I did this to trap her. Or I was just so sadistic that I would bait her with food and drink only to kill her.

I smiled down kindly at her, my eyes met her brown ones. She smiled back grateful and nodded at me. It was too far in the game for us to form an alliance, we would have to kill each other in a couple of days, so what would be the point? Instead I just put a finger to my lips as a way of saying. That this would be our little secret. She smirked, gave me a quick nod before running off into the woods in a different direction.

I would just break into the house again later today and get more supplies. I had been so successful of doing it for a few days. I tried to rain in my confidence, an over confident tribute always got killed.


At the end of that day the boy from 6 was killed, the girl from district 2 too. We were just 6 left now, the big finale would be soon. I then climbed down from my tree and snuck into the city. I climbed the fire escape like so many days before. This time I sat and waited for the careers to be asleep. Lucky for me it was Charlies turn to stand guard. I had checked the last two previous nights, but did not want to risk waking all of the careers up in order to talk to Charlie. Once I was certain that they were all asleep I made a small noise altering Charlie that I was there. She smiled when she saw me and hugged me when I jumped down and walked up to her.

"I thought for sure you were dead when Brutus saw you." She whispered and I smiled at her and nodded, I had thought so too for a moment there.

"Listen Charlie, are you still up for that alliance?" I asked and she smirked and nodded. I lead her around the house so we could talk more freely. I explained my plan to her and she agreed to it.

We parted ways with a small hug, I told her I would see her tomorrow and not die in the meantime. She smiled and replied: Likewise.

I climbed my tree once again and caught a few hours of sleep. I hoped this plan would work.

The morning was not as light as the others, it was grey and a little dark. Implying we were preparing for the big finale. Suddenly I heard a scream from the other side of the city, where the rest of the forrest was. This also woke the careers up, who were out of the house immediately. I climbed down from my tree but hid in the bushes.

The girl from seven ran out in the open. I knew this was not a good sign. It means she was running from something more terrifying than the careers. Once there I noticed her arms were shredded. Then there was a hoard of giant eagles, they attacked all of us, one found me and I had to run into the middle of the street I knew that is what they wanted.

Once we were all there the birds had maimed us all a little they flew off. We were now 6 tributes in the same place and we all knew there was only one winner. However I was prepared for something like this to happen. We were quiet and still for a moment. My eyes met Charlies and after a few seconds I nodded. With that I threw my knife at the boy from four but sadly missed.. At the same time the girl from one tackled me. I fought against her until the boy from four stabbed her with his sword, saying that I was his kill. He towered over me which was a big mistake, Because I kicked upwards and hit him in the crown juvel, he groaned and sank down. I quickly sat up from my exposed position. I quickly reached for a stake as he was about to get up again and raise his sword, I threw it and it hit him in the chest. He groaned but he still stabbed downwards. I rolled too the side, thinking I felt some hair being chopped off. I turned quickly again. This time throwing another stake at him. It hit his stomach. He pulled it out but slowly collapsed due to his injuries. I got up as he took one last stab at me hit my shoulder a little, before he collapsed completely.

Mean while the boy from one had killed the girl from seven and were now fighting Charlie.

I grabbed another stake and quickly aimed it behind me where Charlie was fighting the boy from one. I quickly turned and used the momentum to power a throw of the stake. I was aiming for the boy from one, that did not know what happened, Charlie made a weird turn and I accidentally hit her. I cried out when I saw it happen. This gave the boy from one the upper hand because Charlie was weak now. But I was very quick to throw another stake her way, which hit perfectly. She fell down and I ran over to Charlie discarding my weapons. I put pressure on her stomach where blood was gushing out.

"I am so sorry Charlie, I did not mean to hurt you. I wanted you to win, you know that? I was gonna let you win. I am so so sorry." I cried but she looked at me calmly.

"I am so sorry, you deserve this so much more than I do I am so sorry." I cried out but she smiled and put her hand on my cheek to make me look at her face. I felt like breaking down when I saw her looking too calm for someone our age.

She smiled at me and pulled me downwards to say something, I tried to contain my tears as I leaned down.

"You deserve this Nova." She said and I shook my head and cried.

"No no I don't, you have a real family to get back to. Remember you told me about your brother Dale. Bet he can't wait to see you again." I said but she just shook her head slightly.

"It is okay Nova." She said with a pause and I tried to contain my tears looking her eyes, thinking about my family. It was unfair that it was her and not me lying there right now.

She pulled me in closer and I could see a small tear in her eyes.

"Kill me, please Nova, this hurts so much. Make it stop. Kill me." She pleaded in a whisper. I could no longer contain my tears but she wiped them away and nodded at me content.

I was about to kill someone I cared for, I hated this I could not do this. How could I kill her? It was my fault that she was in pain in the first place. I hated this. I grabbed my head and cried once again before looking at her again she nodded once more. Her weak hand grabbed a knife and put it in my hand. I looked at her and cried but tried to pull myself together, so the last things she saw was not my ugly crying face.

I slowly took out my hand, and stroked her hair in a comforting manner, she just smiled at me.

I started humming this old song, she had hummed it at training. She smiled when she recognised it. I started singing it in-between sobs. I still stroked her hair with my left hand. With my right hand I slowly and shaking took it upwards until I punctured her neck once I knew this was the quickest way to end it. She smiled and sighed as she let out one last breath.

Its always summer under the sea. I know I know.

The birds have scales and she fish take wing, I know I know.

The rain is dry and the snow falls up, I know I know.

The stones crack open and the water burn, I know I know.

The shadows come to dance, my love.

The shadows come to play.

The shadows come to dance, my love.

The shadows come to stay.