The following morning I know it's time to finish off the weaklings. Seven and nine. Seven was alone, but I suspect the two nines had stuck together. They spent their training in one another's pockets. I wanted to go after seven first. I went over to discuss this with the others when suddenly the cannon boomed.

'Shit' said Jenna 'Who do you think that was for?'

'In an ideal world?' I reply 'Deneez'. I say no more when Niall gives me a look. It's clear he still has some district loyalty. Crap. I need that gone.

'Sorry Niall. I just mean, you know, her score and everything'

'It's ok' he replies. 'She's a bit of a bitch I know'

Donny jumps up.

'We need to get moving'

'What's the plan?' I ask, hoping Donny and I are on the same page.

'If she's not dead, seven'

'Let's do it'

We start to walk on and another cannon booms. Maybe the careers just got the nines. I'm frustrated that the kills are so early. It will be at least fourteen hours before we know who the cannons are for.

The arena may be safe for me, but it doesn't stop me feeling petrified. Plus it's not necessarily safe for my allies. The game makers promised nothing there.

We follow Donny through a small dark tunnel that leads to a large black and white square board. On some of the squares are tall black or white figures of different shapes and sizes.

'Chess' said Jenna.

'Excuse me?' asked Niall.

'Chess. It's an ancient game played by people that we studied in history. I have no idea how it's played, but I recognised the figures from the pictures.'

We wander through looking at the statues. They are fascinating. Some look as though they are mounted atop horses. Others have magnificent crowns. When I touch one of the crowned statues it's eyes open to reveal blood red eyes. The statue booms.

'OFF WITH THEIR HEADS'

Suddenly every statue on that damn board is coming at us.

'RUN' I scream and everyone starts running different directions. I don't look back, I just keep running, clutching my mace. I run through masses of green forest, where day and night seem to mesh into one another, I run beside a huge river full of singing boats and I run through great thorny mazes that cut and burn me.

I have been running for over an hour when I stop to sip water. I suddenly hear crackling from above me and the two nines drop down, both clutching knives they must've grabbed at the cornucopia. I brandish my mace.

'Sorry five. We have to do this' the boy apologises and then lunges at me with his knife, slashing my arm. I jump back and swing my mace hitting him in the stomach. He doubles over as the girl jumps on my back, attempting to cut my throat. She's really weak, though and I throw her off me, swing back my mace and crack it against her skull.

'BOOM'

She's dead instantly.

'BOOM'

No way, he can't be dead. He's not. Shit, the second cannon has interrupted my thought process and the boy is back up. I grab the girl's knife and we circle each other. He lunges at me, but misses. I do the same. This could go on forever. Suddenly a knife flues past my shoulder and lands into his forehead.

'BOOM'

I turn to see the boy from four. Talk about out of the frying pan into the fire. I wonder why he's alone, but thoughts quickly leave my mind as he runs towards me. I swing my mace back ready to fight and bring it down as soon as he is close enough. It lands straight into his head.

'BOOM'

Wow. Fuck. I did it. I killed him.

So I count the two from nine are dead. Four is now dead, plus the three mystery cannons. I think that leaves seven of us.

I carry on walking. Slowly at first, then I pick up my pace. I need to find my alliance. I need Jenna to look at my arm. I head to the original camp.

When I get to the camp all I can hear is weeping.

'Jenna?' I call. Jenna's pretty face is covered in dirt and scratches, her blonde hair matted and her eyes red raw from crying.

'What the hell happened?'

'The chess pieces. They got me and Donny. Niall managed to escape like you. Donny fought them off us both and we started running. Then he slipped and they...they... Oh Evan I'm so sorry'

I sit in shock. I knew Donny would die in these games. I didn't realise how difficult I would find it. I may not have loved him like the Capitol think, but he became a good friend. I wept quietly. Jenna came over and we held each other, both mourning the loss of our ally.

'I need to heal your arm' Jenna said.

I sniff, 'OK' I reply.

Jenna gets to work on my arm, whilst I think about Donny and all the fun we had together. I knew district five would be in mourning over the loss of such a popular young man. I only wish I had met him before I did. Perhaps we could have hung out a bit.

It starts to get dark and suddenly the anthem plays. I expect the four boy's face to light up the sky first, but instead the girl from two appears.

'What the hell?' Jenna gasps out loud.

The boy from two follows. Then four. The Donny's cheeky smile lights up the sky and Jenna and I clasp hands. Finally the two from nine appear.

'So the careers are no more?' Jenna asks.

'Well unless you count the one boy. I mean one are planning career academies' I reply.

'He's alone though'

'That he is...'

We sit down and go through the remaining tributes. The boy from one, the girl from seven, the girl from ten, Niall and Deneez. And the two of us of course. I have no strategy left now, having lost one ally and had one die. I suspect we need to stick to the plan to kill seven, but I'm not ready to discuss this with Jenna. We realise that keeping watch is neither use nor ornament right now, so we camouflage ourselves for the night and try to get to sleep. I just hope I can get Donny's face out of my mind...