This chapters includes things that younger/fearful readers may not want to read macabre things. It is recommended to read this chapter, but if you don't want to, skip to the bold italic words at the end of the chapter.

Chapter Twenty

Day 5 (cont.)

"Wait! Jackie! Hold up!" we kept calling, trying to catch up with her. But Jackie was very fast, and tried to shake us in the process. She'd swerve one direction when we'd least expect it, she'd duck into a bush or something and go invisible for a moment, or she'd stop suddenly and we'd past her as she vanish somewhere.

But still, we were in her view. Not for long. Jackie took a turn into a bush and when we followed, she was nowhere.

"Jackie! Where are you?!" I called. We slowed to a stop.

"She's mad," Ethan said.

Wade rubbed his eyes. I slapped his hand, knowing what he was doing was a bad thing. "You think?" he answered.

"She is going to find the Careers and they'll kill her!" I cried "What happened to being an alliance?"

"We still are, Alanna," Wade said and rubbed my shoulder, but he was worried.

"Look!" Bonnie said and pointed at the tree in front of us. We stepped closer to it and saw the arrow pointing to the right.

"It does't look like a knife sketched it in," I said and felt the perfect lines with my good fingers.

"Its the Gamemakers," Ethan realized "They want us to find Jackie, who probably found the Careers. They're leading us to them."

"What if we ignore it?" Wade asked with a smirk.

Suddenly, there was a growl that sound like hissing at the same time. Slowly, we twisted our heads and saw 5 large mutts. Their skin was a pale yellow and covered in scales from head to toe. Their eyes had no pupils or whiteness at all, just pure blackness in their eyes and what appeared to be gills above them for eyelashes. They stood on two legs and slowly inched towards us. As the closer they got, they more they hissed and growled, sending out a pink, thin forked tongue from their mouths. Their claws were as long as Wade's knives, only more ragged and silver and long. They looked ready to kill us.

"Thats what happens," Bonnie cried. She ran in the direction of the arrow. We followed with the mutts at our heels. We saw more arrows along the way and ran in the direction they pointed, knowing if we didn't we'd probably be killed. Finally we stumbled into a clearing, facing a battle between Jackie and the Careers. They stopped and looked at us.

I looked behind and saw the mutts running behind us, growling and hissing their death cry.

As the mutts approached, we ran to Jackie as the Careers attacked them. Not really. Collin and Antonio were the only ones approaching it, sword and ax drawn. The other took a step back and watched.

Collin lashed out first. He threw his ax at the one in front. It only caught the blade in its palm and crumbled it like it was paper.

"I'm getting the heck out here," Antonio said.

Before anyone could move, the mutts ran right to Collin. Collin tried running away but two of the mutts grabbed his each of his legs, sinking their knife-like claws into his legs. Collin let out a cry as two others did the same to his arms. They held them apart tightly, which strangely reminded me of how apart two people would hold a jump rope before a third would come in. Shocked, I watched blood drip down from his wrists and ankles. I knew Collin was a goner.

"Naomi, guys, help!" Collin cried.

Naomi picked pulled a knife from shirt just as the fifth mutt approached Collin's head. Collin looked up at the mutt's faced and muttered, "Hi," before the mutt's claws sank into his neck. The other began to pull at his limbs.

I covered my eyes, turned one direction, and ran. I heard many screams over the one cannon fire and saw a blade whizzed past my head. I twisted my head and saw Naomi running after me, her hand full of silver blades, some red. Her attention wasn't on just me, but the mutt behind her and fleeing. Her eyes were wide and wild. She seemed to have gone crazy.

It had been five days. Five days without much action for the Capitol audience. The one-death days may have not been enough and the day without any was boring, minus the Careers' attack. Along with the fire that killed Hugo and Audry and the mutts killing Collin, the chase was a chase to stir things up. What mattered was running. Without running, I knew I'd be dead. Now there is some excitement and horror in the air.

It was a life vs. death moment right here.

I don't how my legs kept up for so long. I found myself in the big water ring, somewhat away from the burned-out campsite but still on the beach of the ring. I saw the swamp in the background and saw the mutt and Naomi behind me, and knew I couldn't stop.

Running was not an option anymore.

Swimming was.

I held my breath and dove into the cool water, hearing the underwater noises I sometimes find comforting, but not today. I'm a better swimmer underwater, faster too, and went with it. Every few times I resurfaced I saw Naomi frantically swimming behind me and the mutt as well. No soon did the water get too shallow for me to swim in. I got up and ran. I felt the mossy and muddy ground slosh under my boots. I didn't stop. I never did until I heard a girl scream.

Swiftly I turned around, slowing my footsteps I expected Naomi to be slashed by mutt and dead. She wasn't, only the she had slowed down and rubbed her back, which was now jacketless. Both of us watched as the mutt ripped apart Naomi's jacket into shreds then do its growling hiss.

Unaware of each other, Naomi ran into me. Surprised by her size being so petite but she still knocked me over. I thrashed as she her back landed on me. I saw the claw marks the mutt had made through her torn shirt as they oozed blood on me.

"Thanks a lot, McLee," Naomi said as the mutt towered over us "Now we are both going to die."

I waited for the mutt to rip apart Naomi in front of me then have me follow in her footsteps. Instead, the mutt's evil growling hiss turned to a whimper and it bounded away like a dog into the swampy air.

"Ha, I guessed I scared it," Naomi said. She got up and dusted herself off, only smeared mud and blood all over her shirt. "District 2 rules."

I slowly stood up and looked around the swamp. Eerie trees hung vines from their branches. I heard bugs screeching somewhere in the fog. The fog wasn't thick but it was a creepy white. It only added to my uneasiness.

I knew Naomi was looking at me when she said, "I should probably kill you now, but I'm not in the mood. And you look worried so, if you're worried, I am too."

I suspected this a trap of some kind, but I saw that her knives were away.

"Why does this place feel so…" I began "Familiar?"

Suddenly, I heard loud sloshing. I readied my metal spear for the possible encounter.

Just as a boy with red hair appeared, Naomi threw her knife, just missing the boy who acted like it didn't happen. He wasn't wearing normal tribute clothes for this arena. All his clothes from jacket to boots were dark green. It was obvious this boy had been in fights with blood and mud all over. He held a black bow tightly in his hand with a quiver full of 6 or 7 arrows making noise with every step he took. He walked past me and Naomi like we were invisible.

I was, at first, confused. But I hardly recognized him. But then I dropped my spear and cried out, "Aaron! Aaron, wait!"

As Aaron got distance, not noticing me a bit, I began running after him. Not far did we go when Aaron whipped around, his bow already strung and the arrow head in my face.

I held up my hands."Aaron, it me-" I started but he interrupted me.

"Sam, I told you, we're done," Aaron said.

"Sam?' I said "Who's-"

"We're done?!" said a crazy and dark voice "Ha, no, not me, I'm not done."

I moved out the way and faced the way Aaron's eye's were going. There was a boy about 15 years old in the same tribute outfit Aaron was wearing, except his jacket was nowhere to be seen on his body. His pale skin was covered in scratched that leaked blood. His black hair was uneven and crazy looking. His wide, brown eyes showed insanity, only adding to the fear of his ax which was covered in blood and rust. It was Sam, from District 10, but he died in the 52nd Hunger Games.

I turned around and realized, so did Aaron.

I just noticed Naomi hiding behind a tree with her eyes full of confusion, fear, and excitement, when Aaron said, "Thats not what I mean Sam. As allies, we're finished. There is only 4 left."

"Three must die," Sam said. He pointed his ax at Aaron. "You, you, you of all people… should know that!"

"I do know that. Calm down." Aaron held out his hands like I did when his arrow faced me.

"Calm down? Calm down!" Sam stepped closer. I backed away from their line of view. "You, you… you left me to… to die!"

I remembered how water had quickly become scarce for a few days. Sam had gone insane and Aaron had to abandon him. But this made no sense. Why was this happening here?

"Sam," Aaron began "I only went for-"

"Shut your mouth!" Sam yelled. His ax flew right at Aaron. I screamed and Aaron ducked. Instead of the ax slicing Aaron's face it sunk into the tree that was behind him. Aaron shot his arrow at Sam, hitting his upper arm. Sam immediately yanked out the arrow. I tried not to see the blood gushing from his arm.

Sam wasn't done yet. He charged at Aaron, but Aaron only stepped out the way. He watched Sam make a fool of himself as he ran right into the tree. I didn't even chuckle.

Sam turned back around and screamed in rage. It was an unearthly screech. Both the boys charged at each other, fell over, and began to wrestle on the ground.

At that moment I realized what was going on. While one part of me watched, the other part of me took in everything piece by piece and figured it all out and told me right now. This battle was exactly how it went a couple years ago. The reason why the swamp felt so familiar was that I recognized it so from the 52nd Hunger Games. This swamp was precisely the exact same as if was before, as if the Gamemakers took part of the arena from the past and placed here. The battle was exactly right as well. I was unsure if they were some sort of holograms or real humans acting it out, but the Gamemakers intended for me to get here. They did all this just to torture me.

I watched the boys tear our each other's hair, skin, and pieces of clothing off each other, getting muddy and wet in the process. My heart felt the same as it did two years before. I felt fear.

Aaron was finally able to reach into his quiver and pulled out an arrow. Then he sank the arrow into Sam's back, where his chest would be. Sam stopped moving, but pounded on the ground with his fist in defeat. Aaron pulled the arrow back out and repeated the sequence over and over until Sam died.

There was no cannon fire. Aaron looked up in the sky and said, "I'm sorry you had to see that, but I'm only one step closer for coming home to you."

I knew he was talking to me and Amy, not directly, and not to me and Amy now. I was confused, what was really going on? I was still in questioning until I saw Sam stand up.

I stood back. Sam had died, here and in the past. Or-"

I saw Sam's eyes. No pupils, no white, just a deep black. And he growled. He looked like a zombie, risen from the dead.

I shrieked. Sam lurched for his ax, which reminded me for the real reason he died: Sam was useless without his ax. I realized "Sam" was a mutt, Aaron probably was too. They would act out a part of the previous Hunger Games and when they "died" they'd only wake to their true mutation programming to kill the real tributes.

I began to back up when I saw Naomi behind me now. She more likely wanted to make sure the Sam-mutt killed me before bolting.

The Sam-mutt threw his ax. Both me and Naomi ducked and it lodged into a tree. He ran back to get it- I had the idea that the mutts may be programed to the real tribute's I.Q. -giving me a chance to shot my arrow into one of the stabbed spots in the mutt's back- It was much easier to shoot knowing that Sam wasn't really a real person. The mutt cried out when the arrow went in, as if the spot hurt as it would for me. I shot another one in the back of his head, then the Sam-mutt really collapsed in death. I didn't retrieve the arrows for two reasons: one I didn't want too and second I couldn't.

Naomi slipped out one of her knives and prepared to throw at me. I turned and ran away, following the direction Aaron had gone. I knew I shouldn't, knowing I was putting myself in worse danger than Naomi, but I wanted to know what was next.

I just had to for some reason. I couldn't stop myself. The sight of Aaron and how I felt about him overcame my worries and fear. For some reason, I wanted the comfort just seeing Aaron again would be.

"This is a bad idea, Amy," I told my sister "But I can't stop myself."

I could hear Amy yelling at the screen, either at home or in the square, telling me to turn back. Run somewhere else.

Or she would want to me see what Aaron would do next, and who he way encounter. Even if it really wasn't him.

For those getting bored who are like, "When is Day 5 going to end?" It will end in Chapter 21. I wanted the two chapters together but I decided to shorten it. The only reason I put the warning is because I don't want people going like, "eee! thats scary!" or being scarred, if possible. And I do have a habit of warning people.

if you skipped this chapter to here: Jackie found the Careers but before they could fight the rest of the Survivors came in with 5 mutts following them. The mutts killed Collin then they all chased everyone. Naomi and Alanna ran and swam to the far off swamp ring. The mutt strangely gave up once they reached the swamp ring and fled. Alanna felt the familiarity of the swamp because it was as if the Gamemakers took a piece of the 52nd Hunger Games arena and put it in this one. Suddenly Aaron appeared and so does Sam. They fight, Aaron kills Sam, and runs away. Sam then comes to life, showing his black mutt eyes, and attempts to kill Alanna. Knowing Sam really isn't human but mutt, Alanna is able kill the Sam-mutt, loosing two of her arrows. Before Naomi attempts to kill Alanna, Alanna runs in the direction "Aaron" had gone because of the feelings she had to him. Even if it really wasn't him.

Is Alanna doing the right thing. 99% of you may be saying "Yes, she TOTALLY is!" but some may not say that. What is going to happen next with Alanna, "Aaron," and Naomi? What about the Careers and Survivors?

+Update+ how do you like the new cover photo? Vote on my profile 'cause the poll is up. I don't want reviews about it.