The sound of the cannon jolts me awake. My first instinct is to grab the spear. I look over the ledge, expecting assailants to be waiting below with swords and knives but nothing makes an appearance. It must have happened somewhere far from me because I look in the air and see no hovercraft. The final 8, I think to myself. I never expected I'd make it this far, outlasting 16 others.

In the morning the Capitol will likely send out cameras and reporters to all the districts who still have tributes in the game. Mom will wake up to cameras and interviewers and they will sit my family down to talk about my game, my life, what I mean to them. Michelle will likely be too dazed to answer most of the questions but mom and Clauria will likely try to gain me more sponsors by giving thorough and moving answers. Clauria more so. She was good at stuff like that, a very clever girl. I always thought that if she was ever picked for the games that she would get to the finals without a problem and by then she would have some plan in place to take out the final tribute and win. But now that I am in the game and she will be interviewed I know she will be exaggerating some of the answers to get me more favour in the Capitol.

I begin to nestle back down into the small bed I have made for myself when I notice a green glow on the rocks. It's coming from below me. I glance down and see the pond below me is illuminated with a greenish tint. But there are animals within the water, not fish but birds, monkeys, and other animals I have never seen or heard of before. They float, dead in the water. Their bodies have begun to disintegrate and break apart. Was this what the fish were eating when I got here? I thought maybe the chunks of food they were working on were just insects that fell into the water not other animals. Something isn't right here.

Feeling vulnerable I scale the rocky wall until I reach the top, the small stream washes between the rocks and I make sure not to touch the water. Even though the stream doesn't glow I don't trust it, at least not during the night. I make my way along the stream figuring I mind as well stay up for now. I collect a few berries, the ones Vicuna showed me, along the stream. As the sun rises up I find myself in a part of the stream that is eerie. Large boulders create mazes and massive shoots of bamboo conceal what lays further down. If I was in better shape I would walk in there and hide, no tribute would ever find someone in that, but knowing the games there is likely a mutt hidden within the bamboo just waiting for some innocent stupid tribute to walk in. I do see sugar cane growing on the outskirts though and gather some of it before leaving the arena.

I walk through the jungle, eating sugar cane, as I hear the birds wake as the sun rises. By now my mom has probably discovered the army of Capitol citizens wanting to interview my family. Clauria will be getting done up and helping Michelle get ready. I wonder if they are at Petro's door to? Or was she the cannon that sounded late last night?

The trumpets suddenly blast through the arena. An announcement! That is the only reason those trumpets play. And it is usually to announce a feast. The feast is an event that takes place at the cornucopia where items are offered. And I am not wrong. Claudius' voice booms through the arena saying there will be a feast at the cornucopia tomorrow morning.

I have a good sense not to go, feasts always result in deaths. But then I remember mom saying how in games that she watched if the feasts had no deaths the gamemakers would take it out on those who did not attend and would usually kill off one or two of them to make up for the lack of an entertaining feast. So I figure I will just sit at the outskirts of the cornucopia and observe the feast, that way if there are no deaths I won't be targeted. Besides, maybe I will go in. Usually, they offer food, but the arena has plenty of food to offer, so maybe they will offer armor, powerful weapons, or medicine...Medicine. I didn't apply the medical substance I got from sponsors the other day and I feel no pain.

I lift up my shirt immediately and notice the deep wound on my shoulder has healed tremendously. It is no longer deep as it was, maybe a half an inch deep now and covered in scabs. I lift my hand to my cheek and only feel a bump where there was once a gash. It isn't for pain, the sponsor gift accelerates healing! This couldn't have been bought by one sponsor, no way, this was bought by many. The small container full of pink goo now becomes my most prized possession. I rub a small amount on my chest and bicep, even though the injuries there have begun to heal it will be quicker with the substance on it. I apply small amounts to the rest to help them along as well and then place them in a pocket on my pants.

With this, this miracle gift, I have a high chance at winning. I try to remember who all is left. The female from 1, both from 2, male from 4, that right there is the career pack. I figure one of them was likely not the cannon since they are the strongest of us. Then there is Petro, Blaire, maybe she was the cannon since she was with the careers and they might've turned on her. And then Vicuna. That's seven...I'm missing one more. Who is the other tribute? Was it the male from 11? No, he died on the second day, his cannon almost got me killed. Then who is it? I figure I will see all the tributes at the feast so I don't place much thought into it.

The careers will not pass the chance to kill tributes at the feast and neither will Blaire f she is still alive. Vicuna lost most of her supplies on the attack we had so she will likely go to make up for what she lost. Petro, I don't know if she would go. I hope she does, though, that way I can meet up with her and we can stick together and maybe come up with a plan to take out the careers alliance.

I begin to make my way to the feast. I finish off the sugar cane and it gives me a boost of energy. I move quickly, knowing the cornucopia is far from where I am now but I must be able to reach it before tomorrow morning, the gamemakers would never pick a spot and time that some tributes couldn't make it to at that time. If they did I'm sure the Capitol citizens would complain, either for the lack of possible deaths or else favouring certain tributes. I doubt it is the latter. I stop every few hours, taking sips of water. The arena is getting hot, too hot. A few days ago walking during the day was warm but now the sun beats down on me and I drip of sweat. I am beyond happy when the sun begins to set.

I'm tempted to use my lantern but it is too dangerous. I have to be getting closer to the cornucopia by now and there will be seven other tributes gathered nearby, they could easily spot the light of the lantern and I wouldn't stand a chance, well maybe I would. I've evaded the careers before and have killed two of them, so maybe I would have a chance against them again. I further believe that when the anthem plays. I look in the sky and see Marco, the District 4 male in the sky. I didn't expect a career to be dead. Maybe they took him out because he was weak after the snake attack or maybe another tribute took advantage of him being injured and picked him off. Either way, the careers have one less member in their alliance.

It is late at night when I reach the cornucopia. I hear the sounds of the waves crashing against the beach that the cornucopia sits on. It is nice and calming, I almost fall asleep a few times listening to it but then I shake myself awake, knowing that I am in close proximity to the other tributes. It is hard to stay awake, harder than I had originally thought. I end up emptying my bag and refilling it over and over again to keep my mind busy so I stay awake. By the time I am too bored to continue with that the sun has begun to rise. It's time for the feast.