The Feast isn't being held at the Cornucopia this year. Instead, it is held in the form of a silver table covered with food. My mouth waters when I see the packages of crackers and apples. Not as common are the potatoes and thermoses, which probably hold soup of some kind. But the best thing there, beside the water canteens, are the little chocolate truffles. They sit hidden among the goodies. I've only had chocolate once, in the Capitol. And it tasted amazing. I can practically feel the chocolate melt in my mouth all over again.

I crouch down behind some rocks, hoping no other tributes who happen to be nearby will see me. Who knows how many of the 8 tributes left attended. My guess is that at least one Career is here. Out on the hunt, weapon out and sharp, looking for a fresh kill, someone to slice through, some blood to spill onto the dusty rocks. And that cannon that signals the end of the line. The dead and crumpled body. The sickly grin they show on their faces.

But nobody shows up. I can't be the only one who chose to attend, am I? Maybe I should make a run for it while nobody's here. No wait, there's that girl from 7. I watch from my hiding spot as she runs up to the table, grabs a canteen and tucks it under her arm.
Something triggers a sound I can just barely hear and she whips her head up. I barely catch the blue shine of Arrowhead's jacket as her shaking hands fire that one arrow.

The shaft plunges itself into her chest. The girl from 7's eyes widen with shock, then droop. And she tumbles over and sprawls to the ground, dead.
Arrowhead is now grabbing what she can. As she shoves some crackers into her quiver, a yell pierces through the arena and the boy from 1 appears out of nowhere. Dominic is right behind him.

I watch as the two boys chase Arrowhead around the table. This is my chance. I spring from the rocks and run for the table. I grab hold of some crackers. Another glance around, and then I pick up a sack of potatoes. I finally shove a truffle into my pocket for later.
As soon as I turn around, I see Dominic standing right behind me. arrowhead and the District 1 male are behind him, wrestling. Dominic suddenly drops to the ground and grabs my legs. I fall and he begins to drag closer towards him.

"I've waited long enough to kill ya, 10. I'm not letting you slip past our defense again!"
I let out an accidental scream, then attempt to kick free. But Dominic has a iron grip. "Why we never took you out when we had the chance, we'll never know. But I'm gonna ram my sword into your intestine if it's the last thing I do!"

Arrowhead lets out a hollow scream. Just barely past the giant mass of Dominic's body, I see the boy from 1 get up, hands sticky with blood. Dominic catches my gaze, then grins.
"Ya see what happened there, 10? Ya see what we did to that archer girl? That is what I'm gonna do to you. Because no tribute crosses paths with me and lives. Ever."
Dominic picks up his sword and raises it over his head. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale. Dominic has let go of my right leg so he can use his sword. If I just get my position right...

I spring my leg up and kick Dominic straight in the face.

He drops the sword, which lands in the District 1 male's foot. I take my chance and wriggle out from under Dominic. Then I force myself up. And run.
I manage to grab the crackers and potatoes that I dropped. As I run off from the Feast, I catch the Careers collecting the food from the table. And then stop just in time to hear Dominic yell.
"We'll be back 10! This ain't over! It will never be over until your blood is spilling onto the ground!"
"Just leave him, Dom. We can kill him later. Let's just take the food and head back to camp."

I stop a few times to catch my breath. It doesn't matter where I'm running, anymore. As long as it's away.
Away from the Feast. Away from the dead bodies of the girls from 4 and 7. Away from the Careers and their death threats. I can tell, based off the stain on my foot, that I gave Dominic a bloody nose. Or, at the very most, broke it. He'll be upset at that. No wonder he now wants to kill me so badly.

I open my bag and shove the crackers and potatoes in. Then I remember the truffle and pull it out. It's wrapped in some sort of covering and is a light brown ball with a white squiggle on top. Looks delicious.
Tastes delicious too. I shove the whole thing into my mouth. At once, the sweetness takes over. It's just how I remembered it in the Capitol. A little water is all it takes to wash it down.

Then the cannons fire. Two of them. One for the District 7 tribute who tried to get me killed by sending me after a killer herself, one for the girl from District 4 who everyone referred to as Arrowhead for the bow she possessed. Dead and gone.
"Just 6 left," I say quietly. "Only 6. I can do this Skyle, can't I?"

I have made it pretty far. To the final 6. With three Careers and two tributes who I can't remember, but the final six all the same. Maybe I can win this thing. All I have to do is outlast the others...
But there is a death threat hanging over my head. A promised threat. Careers stop at nothing until the last drop of blood spills, and them they turn on one another. It's always the same.
A District 2 tribute will kill a District 1 tribute. Then a District 1 tribute kills a District 2 tribute. Then the remaining two battle it out. Survival of the fittest. That is always how it's been here.

I spend the day in the grove, which I recognize from yesterday. The mockingjay is still there, so I say hello. To my surprise, it gives a song. The first song I ever sang to it. When we met after I killed that quail. And the familiar song it has to say is so comforting, I can't help but smile.
"Nice to see you too," I say. Then I leave.

The day is drawing to a close. I find myself waiting, waiting for them to show who's been killed. I already know, of course. I watched both of them perish in front of my own eyes.

So it shouldn't surprise me when Arrowhead an the girl from 7 appear one last time. Then they disappear, now ceasing to exist.
But they'll now live as memories. Just like all the other tributes who have died before us. Like Brillia and Spence. Like Lilac. Like Barle.

In the 8 days that have come and gone, 18 tributes were killed. Only 6 still remain. They've all come back to memory now.
One from 1. Both from 2. One from 4. And both from 10. Caddy. When was the last time I've seen her? In the hovercraft that brought us here. That's when. And she's been out there ever since. Still alive. Probably injured in some form? Waiting for the right moment to kill? On the very verge of death?

I lie down and close my eyes. But the threat of Dominic bringing my death still looms over me.
And then the nightmare begins.

He's chasing me. I can't run any longer. At first I thought I was in a field back in 10. But now the field has turned into ghosts that hold the sharpest weapons I have ever seen. They all chase after me. Smiling their twisted smiles.
Suddenly out of nowhere, the ghosts part and Dominic grows a pair of blood red wings. He flies over me and lands on my chest, pinning me down. Upon closer inspection, I see that his real wings are grey and are actually just coated with blood. The blood of all the other tributes that have died.

I manage to wake up just as Dominic cuts my throat into a bright red smile. My hair is mangled with sweat. I feel myself gasping to breath. It takes me awhile, but I assure myself it's alright. I am not lying dead with my throat cut open. It was just a horrid dream.

Outside, the air feels cool. But it's rather reassuring. I feel myself bask in the breeze for a bit.
I head to the grove, hoping to see my mockingjay friend. But I can't find the bird anywhere.

I try whistling, which doesn't seem to work. Then I call out, "Hey! it's me!"
Then I hear it. Faint at first. But I can make it out alright.

The scream of a tribute.

The Fallen:

8th place-District 7 female. Killed by Arrowhead.
7th place-"Arrowhead. Killed by District 1 male.

Remaining Tributes:

District 1 Male-District 1.
Dominic-District 2.
District 2 Female-District 2.
District 4 Male-District 4.
Skyle-District 10.
Caddy-District 10.

I hope you guys enjoyed the Feast, with all its chocolatey goodness!

Feedback is depreciated, to let me know what you guys think of the story and Skyle's adventures!