A/N: I apologize for not updating in two years. I have been struggling with job transitions and finding my path, so I haven't felt inspired but I have been reading this beautiful fanciftion that inspired me. So the past three chapters were shorter because I felt like I had said everything I needed to. Chapter 8 is written in the POV of Unique, in case you couldn't tell. I am working on finishing this story. I will come back to my other ones in a while, still working on inspiration for that one.

Chapter 10- In the Games

Its been three days since the games started. I found a cave that I could bunker down in. I had slowly received some supplies from different sponsors just like Mags had said. I had enough food to scape by. My stomach hurts from the drastic change in food. We went from feasting on sweets and chicken legs and now i get cans of soup or whatever I can catch.

I went back to the Cornucopia when the other tributes were asleep and raided some of the supplies. It was a blood bath. 10 tributes died at the Cornucopia: both tributes from 12, the girl from 11, both from 9, the boy from 8, the boy from 3, the girl from 5, both from 10, and the boy from 6. I was able to get two backpacks, one of which had a knife. I made a spear I could use to catch fish in the nearby creek for food.

The second day only two people died. The girl from 9 died and the boy from 5. The tributes from Districts 1 and 2 have formed an alliance and go out on hunting parties. They tried to include me, seeing I received one of the highest training scores, but I declined their invitation.

Each day I go out and look for Marina. She has hidden herself well. I don't go very far and I am constantly covering up my tracks. It has been three days, I know that they are looking for her, she had one of the lowest scores. The alliance is picking off the "weak" ones, and then they will split up once they have finished. Marina is clever however.

Today was the day I was going to find her. I need to find her. I have to make sure she makes it back. I packed up my bag with everything I needed. I packed the sleeping bag, as many cans as I could carry to not make the bag heavy. The fire starter that I had received from a sponsor. The smaller knife I had found at the Cornucopia, my canteen, and an extra one just in case Marina didn't have one. I grabbed my homemade spear and set off. It was daylight and I knew that the hunting party would be getting close. I went for higher ground. I knew that Marina would be as far away from the Cornucopia as possible. With each step, I grew more worrisome. Maybe she died away from a fight. They told us that more of us would die from disease or hunger than fighting.

Each step I took, I grew closer to danger. I knew that hunting party would be on my tail. I knew they wanted me to either join to help kill the others, or to leave. I wasn't going to do that. All I wanted to do was to protect Marina.

After walking for what felt like hours, I finally decided that I needed to stop and rest. I found a place that we well covered and took out a can of soup. I used my knife to open a hole high enough to drink it. I didn't want to risk lighting a fire to draw attention. I sat there sharpening my knife and drinking my soup when I heard some leaves rustle behind me. I quickly grabbed my spear and spun around to protect myself only to find the one person I had been looking for.

"Don't kill me!" She squealed. I dropped my spear and hugged her. Her eyes were dark, She had a make shift bandage on her hand. She was pale. I pulled her over to the place where I was sitting and placed her down. She sat with no objection.
"Marina, here drink this." I gave her the last of my soup. She didn't need anything to heavy if she hadn't eaten in a while. Even the little bit of soup she couldn't keep down. I touched her forehead and she was extremely clammy. I gave her the second canteen of water. "Drink this". Marina was suffering from extreme dehydration.

"Thanks. I've been following you for a while now. I just didn't know if you were going to hurt me." her voice was shaky. I insisted on her finishing the canteen and eating some more of the soup. She was able to keep some of it down. We rested for a while, but it was getting dark and we needed to find shelter.

"We have to go. It's not safe to be out in the open." I helped her up and took her bag. We kept heading away from the cornucopia. I could see the light from the fire the alliance had lit. Most of them would be back from their "hunting". The further we went, the safer I felt.

We had walked until it was past dark. I found a high enough tree for us to climb and helped her into the tree. I used a vine from the tree, gave Marina my sleeping bag, and tied her to the branch so she wouldn't roll off. I then tied myself to a different branch with another vine.

She told me all about how she ran all the way to the edge of the arena before she stopped. She got as far away from Cornucopia as possible. She then wandered around looking for me. She found the tribute from 9 on the second day and took her bag, which had barely anything in it. It had some food, and a knife. She just kept looking for me. Eventually, she spotted my blonde hair from a couple hundred feet away and just followed me.

"Go to sleep, I'll keep watch, You will need your rest." I softy said to her. Marina nodded her head, then look straight up into the sky and closed her eyes. After a while I could hear the snores drift from her branch.

I just stared up into the night sky. The normal daily wrap up popped into the stars at the sound of the Pam Em Anthem. The typical seal of gold and a flying eagle shone brightly in the sky. Normally the image would change to the different tributes who had passed away throughout the day. Today, the flying bird seal that represented fear, oppression, and death, remained in the sky, reminding us that tomorrow would be worse. The game makers will usually never let the day go by without something happening.

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I woke up in the middle of the night to a high pitch scream. I must have dozed off after the anthem. Marina was screaming. I looked over and saw these shadows pulling her down from the branch. I looked down and saw the alliance laughing. The girl from 2 and the boy from 1 were in the tree pulling Marina down towards the ground. She was screaming as loud as she could.

"Leave her alone!" I shouted as I ripped the vines away from my legs. I grabbed my knife and started down the branches. It was dark enough up here that I missed a branch and slipped and fell all the way to the ground. My head was spinning as I watched the boy from 2 laugh. He got up and walked over to me, grabbed my jacket and lifted me into the air. I was swinging my legs and arms but he was just out of reach.

"Don't worry mermaid, we'll kill you after we kill her." he said as he motioned to Marina who's screams turned into sobs. I could feel the anger building in my core. I grabbed his wrists and pushed off of his torso and got away. I grabbed my knife that I had dropped and lunged for the boy from 2. He deflected my attack and laughed. "Looks like the mermaid has some spunk! Maybe I will kill you first." He was much stronger that I was. With one punch, he sent me flying. I got up and ran towards him. He grabbed my wrist spun me around and pinned me to a tree.

"Now, watch this while we rip her apart." He whispered into my ear and smiled crookedly. The tributes from district 1 held her arms while the girl from 2 grabbed her knife. "Which part should we cut first? I think we should take her eyes." he laughed. "Do it! but make her suffer"

"NO! I screamed." At this, I could hear the faint beep of a sponsor gift. I knew that this gift was for me. I watched as a gold trident floated down from the sky. I wanted it. I knew how to use one. I could stop them from hurting her. I bit his arm. He yelped. I pushed him away jumped and grabbed the trident. I swung it and knocked over District's 2 girls legs. She fell. Both tributes from one then went after me. I knocked the girl over the head, she fell and grasped her head. The boy I pushed so hard in the stomach with the bunt end of the trident, he fell gasping for air. I then turned to face District 2 guy. He was holding Marina and held a knife to her throat. As I lunged to attack him, he did the unthinkable.

Blood was spewing everywhere. Fear covered Marina's face. Rage filled my bones. I threw my trident and hit him square in the chest! Fear filled his eyes. I grabbed my trident, ripped it from his chest and threw it at another tribute. It caught the District One girl square in the back. She fell forwards and landed on her knife. The other two tributes ran back towards their camp. I could hear a faint "This isn't over" from one of the tributes. I turned and ran over to Marina. She was holding her neck, crying, gasping for air.

I wanted to say she would be okay. I wanted to say that she would live, but no help was coming, no one was coming to save her. I grabbed her and pulled her into my lap. She began convulsing. Panic and fear were in her eyes. Softly I let out, "It's okay. I've got you." She then looked up into my eyes and a sense of peace came over her. She then closed her eyes and got very still. I held her as she took her last breath, as her heart slowed to nothing, as her spirit left her body. I felt something warm roll down my cheeks. I was crying.

I held her for a while longer as I contemplated what I should do. I looked down and my clothes were covered in her blood. When I looked around, I saw the fruit two people I killed. Two of the alliance, the powerhouse, and I did it. I could hear the hovercraft entering the stadium to take the three of them away. I placed Marina down, placed her arms crossed over on her chest, and moved away from her. I then grabbed my bags, took the knives around and threw them into another bag, grabbed my trident, and headed up hill. I ran, as fast as I could, trying to leave the place that made me do the unthinkable.

I ran up the hill. It felt like it was going forever, but I couldn't stop, I wouldn't stop. I just watched an 18 year old boy kill a 12 year old girl, and it didn't phase him. It was just another check on his list, and now, he's a check on mine.

I kept running until I almost fell off the edge of the hill. I made it to the end of the arena. I was angry. I looked down and contemplated jumping. I couldn't see the ground. Then I thought of Marina. I thought of the night on the train where she fell asleep in my lap. I got angry at everyone, the tributes, the games, the people from District 2, the people from the Capitol, the game keepers and President Snow. They are the reason she's dead. That more that one kid had already died and that 23 total will die before the end and one person becomes victorious. I grabbed a rock and heaved it off the ledge screaming.

I fell to the ground weeping. Why me, why her. Then I felt it. The same rock that I just threw off the edge, came back and hit me square in the head. I was so confused. I didn't know what happened. So I threw it back, but this time I watched. And sure enough, it flew back and I caught it. There must be some sort of force field at the bottom of the cliff.

I knew what I had to do, and I knew how to do. Annie don't be collecting your winnings just yet. I may be coming to collect on our bet.