HI! Well given how ridiculously busy my life is right at the moment, the show I am in opens in less than two weeks so it is all systems go, I am so glad that I got this chapter. I hope that you enjoy it!

The answer to last week's riddle was a joke! And someone asked about how do you play a joke. It means playing a practical joke! And my top three TV shows would have to be Doctor Who, NCIS and Glee. Top three films would be 12 Years A Slave, Les Miserables and The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas.

Enjoy the chapter!

Day 3

KAYA VERIDAS – DISTRICT 5

Well isn't this arena just full of surprises? Right now, I hate surprises. It means it is catching me and Cassius off our guard and trust me, we are being very guarded. After he injured that boy from 9, he's been strange. He wants to go and find the other tributes, he wants to protect me. I don't think he understands the true concept of killing, what the action in itself could do to someone. Maybe this is what violence does to him, make him obsessed. It's quite scary really.

I can't let him do that. He only just seems to understand that if we go after other tributes, especially those big kids from the top districts; he could endanger me as well as himself. At least I have got him understanding that. At this rate, he is becoming a danger to himself as well as me. Is this what the arena does to people? Turn them into people who are going crazy?

I've done research on the effects that killing and other such horrific events do to a person's brain, it was part of my studies that my dad made me do. And the results are never good. The amount of tributes who come out of that arena changed is terrifying. I don't want to go out of here different, I want to be the same Kaya that went in. is that possible?

As we scoured the arena in that first day, we found this small cave in one of the hillocks that surround the Cornucopia. Cassius was all up for going to the castle but we can't. And so we stayed in the cave. It's dry enough, it goes in quite deep and so we were well sheltered from that horrific tornado that swept through yesterday. I thought it would make the cave unstable, that perhaps the roof would cave in but it hasn't just yet. So we've been lucky but I get the feeling that being lucky isn't the best thing to be in these Games, that at one time or another the Gamemakers are going to come and get us.

Well would you look at that, I was right. As I blink blearily awake, woken by the thunderous sounds of what seems like a thousand people stamping their feet and shouting, I realise what the sounds really are. And it isn't good at all. Rain. A lot of it.

Cassius is still sleeping, curled up in a small ball, the picture of innocence. A small smile graces his lips as he dreams, how can he sleep with this noise, as if he is no longer in the Games. Well sorry Cass, time is up, back to reality we go. "Cassius!" I hiss, shaking the small boy awake.

He jumps up with a start, but his breathing slows and he smiles slightly as he sees it is me. "Morning Kaya." He frowns, gaging the sound outside. "What's that?"

I jerk my head towards the entrance. "Rain and lots of it. We need to get out of here, before the cave floods. The roof is precarious as it is and we could get stuck in here if we aren't quick. You were right; we need to go to the castle."

Cassius jumps up, light in his eyes. "I knew it! Then we can get rid of all the people there! Fantastic, let's go!"

I give him the backpack, it isn't too heavy and I am sure that he can manage it by himself. I take the knife, the last time he used that thing, he hurt that poor boy from 9 and himself. Thank goodness there were some basic bandages in the backpack, it stemmed the blood flow a little before it stopped altogether but I know it isn't completely healed and we will need to get something else soon to make sure it doesn't get infected.

We move out into the rain, it pelts down on our heads, soaking my hair instantly. Thank goodness I had the sense to tie it up in a bun before we went into the Games. You can barely see five feet in front of you. There is a terrible crashing sound behind us and just as we come out of the mouth of the cave, we see the roof, the hillock top that was there, falling. I can feel my eyes widening, imagine if we had been in there even a second longer? We could have been stuck in there! We could have died!

Cassius is moving ahead, he walks quickly and I hope he knows the direction in which we are heading, the way to the castle. With all this rain that feels like it is ice more than anything, it is getting very difficult to make out anything.

The ground is getting difficult to walk in as well. The water turns the hillocks into grey slush and with no shoes; it is hard to get a grip on anything. I can feel my feet dragging through the mud as I head towards the younger boy.

Hey, wait. Why can't I move my foot? I could just a minute ago. I can feel both of them sinking. Oh no, no…no, no, no, no, no….not quick mud. I've heard all about this. You need to get pulled out by someone else. And neither Cassius nor the backpack, which doesn't have anything useful in it anyway, can be seen.

"Cassius!" I call over the rain, can he hear me?

The voice seems far away as I feel my knees go in now. It is speeding up, trying to kill me quicker. "Kaya! Where are you?"

He wanted to protect me, now it is my turn to protect him. "Go to the castle, I'm being held up a bit, nothing you can help with."

"But I'm supposed to help you!" The voice is a little closer and far more indignant. "What do you need Kaya?"

This is it, I'm going to die. Death by quick-mud, never thought it would be that horrific. I can feel it up to my waist now, the mud around my lungs is starting to cut my air off. "I need you to go to the castle and stay safe!" I call my voice softer. I can't speak much more, the more I move the quicker I will go. "Promise me you will keep yourself safe."

There is a pause. "Kaya, are you dying?" The voice is also soft, almost desperate.

I bite back a laugh. "No Cassius, I'll be with you in a few minutes. Just go to the castle and wait for me there."

I can't say anymore. The mud goes into my mouth. Ugh it tastes disgusting! What is this? What will my father think of me? Death, I never thought it would be so slow…

RI JETT – DISTRICT 2

BOOM! The sound of the canon can barely be heard over the noise of the rain. It beats at the Cornucopia like a thousand drums all sounding at the same time. Another canon, just like February. Poor February, she was so young. She was chosen by the academy, it was all she would ever say to us, she was so proud. And yet when it came to that tornado which I thought would kill me too, she was gone in an instant.

I wonder who that canon was for. Is there something out there in the rain? Have the Gamemakers unleashed the mutts yet? Are there any mutts for these Games? Maybe they will be merciful and give us an arena without any mutts. Pah, it's the Gamemakers, of course there are going to be mutations, things hell bent on killing us either quickly and mercifully or slowly and painfully. Either way it is purely for the entertainment of the Capitol, a punishment for the districts and the changing of a life for whoever comes out of here alive.

The rain pounds at us, making a few of us jump as it continues to batter at the Cornucopia. Anything less stable and I think Aedan would have made us move out, protect our skins. But even with the protection of the golden horn, we aren't completely out of risk. I mean, we thought we were safe in here when the tornado swept through. And look what happened as a result of that. We are hidden right at the tail, sure we can't actually go up but it is where we are most safe unless the metal caves in and smothers us. But we are the biggest threat to the Games; the five of us are the biggest human threat that any of the tributes are going to face.

"We should go hunting." The glint in Florin's eyes is mad, he wants blood, he is aching and thirsting for it and quite frankly, it creeps me out. How could anyone be so up for causing death? All of us came for a different reason; February came because she was chosen. Zoe came to escape whatever rubbish life she had to endure in 4 and Aedan came to show the world that the name of O'Hara was one that was still to be feared, was one that was a great competitor. I came because I thought it would be great fun. Huh, guess I was wrong.

And Florin came because he wanted blood, because he wants to further himself in his quest for becoming the next President of Panem. Yep I can certify, the boy is crazy. And if he doesn't stop trying to overtake the alliance and telling us all what to do, which is driving me crazy, I am pretty sure that one of us is going to kill him if Aedan doesn't do it first. We all can't wait until he gets out of our way, whether that is in death or in leaving the alliance.

I am not the only one who looks at him in incredulity. "Are you crazy?" I am surprised to hear Zoe speak up, she has remained the quietest out of all of us so far but now she looks as if Florin has grown two heads. "Go out there in that weather?"

Florin smirks, one that is very much off putting and one I don't like the look of. "The tributes are vulnerable and exposed to the elements. We haven't had ANY kills since the bloodbath two days ago and WE are supposed to be the ones who are a threat. If we don't go out now, the Capitol will think that we are pathetic."

Aedan snorts beside me as he sits, his legs pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. "Who cares what the Capitol thinks about us? We're just the tributes, the ones that they can get attached to and then watch die in a couple of days."

Zoe and I breathe in quickly, was Aedan trying to rile up Florin? Does he have a death wish? Maybe by coming into the Games he does. But Florin doesn't get as riled as I thought. The boy who is just a couple of inches shorter than Aedan, steps up to the boy, towering over him as Aedan remains seated, apparently unperturbed by the boy's shadow.

Florin speaks loud enough so that we can hear but the menace laced in his voice is more than clearly evident. "That is no way to speak to your future leader Aedan, and especially not the way to speak about the people who have kept you alive and healthy up until now. I am going hunting and I don't care what you say. Anyone is welcome to join me if they want but know this, that one day I will snap and I will decide that it is time to off you. And you better be ready O'Hara, you better be ready because once I am through with you, your family won't even be able to recognise you."

Am I the only one who is getting shivers? The boy gives me the creeps. Florin grabs his war hammer and a small backpack, presumably for if he stays out there overnight and starts to walk away. But I can see Aedan move beside me and he is over there in a flash, pinning Florin to the wall of the Cornucopia in a way that the boy from 1 cannot use his weapon to strike Aedan. "No, it is time for you to listen to me Florin. Fine, go out there and hunt. But believe me when I say that you won't be welcome here when you return. If you leave, you are on your own. Am I clear?"

The boy doesn't let the fear show and I have to repress a cheer. You tell him Aedan! Florin breaths a little heavier as Aedan releases him, glowering and a fire in his eyes that makes me question if his sanity will remain with his leadership of the alliance and his life. They stare at each other for a good few minutes; I break my own gaze away to look at Zoe who is staring at the two, biting her lip. She catches my eye and we both grimace, I really hope we won't be caught in this crossfire.

Finally Florin speaks, grabbing another backpack. "Fine then. See how far you three will get without me. I'm going to go and look for the girl from six." He smirks slightly. "You always were a coward, too cowardly to go out there yourself."

And with that, before Aedan can respond, he stalks out into the rain, almost lost immediately in the thunderous hail that pelts him. Now the alliance is down to three. Aedan stares out to where the boy has lost his breathing heavy. Finally he speaks. "As soon as this rain passes, we are going out. Hunting. Whatever it takes." The danger laced in his voice makes me shiver, what have I got myself into here?

JEZZIE WELLWOOD – DISTRICT 12

It's like trying to walk through a solid wall but the solid wall is at our feet. Ever since the rain started, we have had to move. The Cornucopia only provides shelter from the prying eyes of other tributes and perhaps a little shelter from the tornado but now we have been plagued with another thing that the Gamemakers have thrown at us. Is this going to happen every day? Are we going to be plagued with something that could very easily kill us just like that, every single day that we are in this arena? I suppose that is the point of the Games, to kill most of us and take out the survivor, the one who was clearly fitted best for these Games.

But this is bad, this is really bad. With every dragging step, we get that much closer to our goal, the castle that looms up. I want to be happy, I want to be optimistic about the state that the three of us find ourselves in. but how can I be when Flint is struggling with each step and the rain hit our heads, trying with all its might to knock us out, to plant us into the mud that could take our lives.

I have to get back, I have to go home. How is Stella going to manage without me? Cros will never really know me, he will have those distant memories of your earliest childhood that surface at irregular intervals that either make you smile or make you shiver. I want to protect them; I need to stop them from getting reaped. Can I do that? If I become a Victor, is that possible? I have known tributes whose siblings have been reaped before and so a family loses two members. I don't want my parents to have to go through that if I don't survive. It is for them that I continue on our journey to goodness knows what.

Ruva and I support Flint between the two of us. We have that backpack that Ruva grabbed the girl has it on her back, and I have a small knife tucked into a belt we fashioned from what we found in the pack. It feels dangerous, as if it is the last thing I should be carrying in these Games, in this time, but for some reason, they both trust me to defend them. And as they trust me, so must I trust them also.

The icy water sloshes around our ankles as it soaks into the grey hillocks which have almost seemed to disintegrate into softer hillocks that give us next to no protection for any dangerous tributes that may be hanging around. "You guys should go on ahead without me."

Flint's voice sounds exhausted, he sounds as if he wants to give up. No, he was the one who joined our alliance to try and help us out. He is not going to abandon us. "It isn't far Flint." Ruva insists even though we both know with him, it is another twenty minutes worth of walking, on our own we could do it in fifteen, maybe less. "You promised to help us here." Her voice is determined but like with my eyes, I can detect some fear and pleading in her voice.

Flint smiles slightly as we stoically press on. "I did by giving you time to get the backpack and stuff. Now my help, my usefulness is finished. I got a one in my private score, none of those people in the Capitol think that I am worth anything and they certainly don't think that I can get very far."

I open my mouth, about to complain but then something catches my ear. A very familiar sound that it makes Flint previous remarks defunked. "Shut up Flint. Number one, neither of us care what you got, the fact that you still stayed with us is trust enough. Number two, do you guys hear that? It was coming from over there?"

At my questions, both Ruva and Flint strain to listen, trying to reach past the sound of the rain and pinpoint the new sound. There it is again, the faint tinkling sound that is lie bells. But there are no bells in the arena, only the thing that follows the sound. "No way." Ruva breathes and we immediately change our course towards the sound. She grins at Flint as we haul him, our gait quickened by the idea of a sponsor gift. "What were you just saying?"

Flint snorts, trying to defend himself. "It'll be for one of you two I bet."

It takes only a minute to find the gift and I marvel at how large it is. It must be slightly smaller than the backpack Ruva has on. "Jezzie, take Flint." Ruva quickly speaks and I use my arms to offer support to the taller boy while she goes over and opens the package. "To Ruva, Flint and Jezzie, keep calm and carry on. Here's something to help you on your way."

She opens the packet and takes out a folded rectangle that has to be about a quarter of the size of Flint. She frowns momentarily. "What is this?"

Flint's eyes have gone wide with delight and there is life in his eyes once more. "Open it in half again Ruva. I never thought I would see one of these. It is perfect." She opens the brown rectangle again and now it goes just above Flint's hip in length. "Lie it on the ground." He orders and Ruva doesn't waste a second, holding it in place on top of the slush. "Jezzie, can you help me on?"

Okay…I still don't understand what this is supposed to do but if it is going to help us get here faster, I am more than up for it. With a little difficulty, I help Flint onto the raft thing and he sits himself comfortably down, putting both legs out in front of him with a small smile. "So, what does this do?" Ruva asks as we watch him smiling on the raft like a slight mad man.

Flint doesn't lose the smile. "There should be a rope at the front. It is so you can carry me. The material automatically makes whatever weight is on the stretcher, as they call it, lighter and it can be pulled around in any kind of weather. You won't have to support me anymore."

Wow…I don't even want to think about how much money that cost people to get to us. But people are rooting for us! That is more than uplifting, that is inspiration. Ruva finds it with ease and we both take a rope string each. Now we can get to the castle, now nothing is going to bring me down. Maybe, just maybe we can get through this day.

NICO HELION – DISTRICT 3

Stupid rain, stupid, weather, stupid Games, stupid Panem. Ugh, when I came into the Games, I expected something normal. But no, the Gamemakers really have pulled out all the stops for this Game. They really have tried to make us as miserable and dejected as possible, tried to break apart alliances and turn people against each other. Well not Emmett and I, they can't tear us apart that easily. Sure the castle has several tributes, less than I initially imagined and we have just had three new additions, not that I know or care who they really are, but since the girl from 7 died, it hasn't exactly been eventful.

Emmett and I have been down here since we felt the rain at about 5am this morning. It's thick and heavy, like the sky itself is falling down. The heat is verging now on uncomfortable, it should tip over the edge any moment now and now the day is coming to an end. Another day, another freak weather to contend with. The castle is expansive and while there are some doors that are locked, trust me, we've tried a lot of them, we have been able to remain hidden.

Right now, as the sun goes down once again, we are hidden towards the top of the castle. The roof was good until the weather came thundering down on us, or whirling towards us in the case of what went down yesterday. So we had to move and fast. I'm surprised one of those scary training kids has died already; well I suppose that not all of them can live so long. That makes 5 out of 15 of the remaining tributes from those scary districts, including the kid who didn't join the alliance. I wonder what that did to the moral of the group. Sucks for them though.

The room that we are in is sparsely furnished. The Gamemakers were gracious enough to give us some good hiding spots in case someone came in and a small cupboard where we have stashed all the stuff that we gathered from the Cornucopia. Therefore we know that is well hidden and if anyone comes in, trying to find stuff of ours, all they will see is the two of us asleep, well hopefully only one of us but you can never tell given how tiring these Games are and both of us are very prone to falling asleep fast.

Now is not the time to be thinking about sleep, I'm supposed to be the night watchman tonight, let Emmett get some rest. I don't know how much longer this harmony if it even can be called that, is going to be kept up for. Sooner or later one of the two of us is going to die and while I would rather not have to see Emmett go, or even worse have to do the killing myself, I don't exactly want to leave here in a wooden box.

The room is starting to darken once more; another day and the customary footsteps have been and gone past our room. We've put the cupboard up against the door so anyone who tries to come in won't even be able to make it past the supposedly locked door. There is a large bay window through which we can get a good view of the Cornucopia so we didn't miss the spat between the boy from 1 and the boy from 4. Friction in the Career alliance already, what fun! I bet that's got the Capitol citizens excited, the tributes that are always the favourites to win, getting into hot water with each other.

Emmett has his back against the wall, his eyes closed in thought. I wait for a minute, letting the comfortable silence fill the air. "Emmett." I speak after a moment, my eyes narrowing as I look at the door.

There is a pause before the hulking boy gives me a non-committal grunt. "Uh huh. What do you want?" his voice isn't unkind but it is the voice of someone who was clearly being disturbed by their name being sounded.

It sounds stupid. No, I shouldn't say it. It doesn't matter, I've interrupted the guy and if he has a nasty temper, that can't end well for me. No, but it's important that I tell him. It could mean the difference between life and death. Okay, I might as well say it. "Emmett, the only way in and out of this room is through that door, right?"

There is a small snort. "Well yeah unless you feel like jumping out of a fourth floor window." He immediately sucks in a deep breath and stutters. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that, that was rude of me man."

I love how apologetic he is. Sure it can get annoying at times, if he wants to crack a joke there is no harm in that, if he wants to jovially poke fun at me then there is no problem with that. "No sweat man, you're allowed to joke about stuff like that. I don't mind. But think about it, what if someone comes in through that way and he blocks the way out. Will we both die? How do we get out?"

Silence, clearly he didn't think about it either. Now we are trapped. "Everyone else is in the same position." Emmett speaks slowly after a moment. "But there are two of us so one of us can be a distraction while the other escapes." He looks at me finally for the first time since we started the conversation. "If it gets to that, you will be the one getting out of here. I have very little to go back for, I live for the work I am given and I want to do more."

I snort. "Trust me Emmett, I don't even have work to go back for. Who wants to go back, known as the orphan Victor?"

There is an awkward pause as Emmett digests this. We haven't ever really talked about back home, there's always the focus on the present and what is going to happen now. Before either of us can speak again, the anthem plays in the sky and we both go to the window, ready to see the face of the tribute whose canon sounded earlier. After a pause, the Capitol seal is replaced with the face of the girl from 5, oh what was her name? Kaya, I think. She smiles kindly down on the arena before she is gone. Too young, too innocent. Wasn't she the one with the crazy kid for a district partner who thinks he's dead?

Another day, another death. What will tomorrow bring?

District 5 - Kaya Veridas - quick sand/mud - placed 16th

Kaya Veridas - I had admittedly originally planned for her to go further but I knew that one of the two of them was going to die soon and so while Cassius was predicted me, I feeel I could do more with him and her often cautious nature was too much this time.

So what did you think of the chapter? Day three gone and only 15 tributes remain! We are nearly half of the tributes down! Do feel free to write your thoughts in the little box below as I love to hear your comments and feedback. Feel free to answer these questions below as well:

What did you think of this chapter as a whole?

Which POV stood out to you most?

Now that the pool is being narrowed down, are there any tributes that you would like to see more of?

Here is your token random riddle for the week:

Romeo and Juliet are found dead on the floor in a bedroom. When they were discovered, there were pieces of glass and some water on the floor. The only furniture in the room is a shelf and a bed. The house in is a remote location, away from everything except for the nearby railway track. What caused the death of Romeo and Juliet?

Here is your token random question for the week:

What is your opinion on the song 'Blurred Lines' by Robin Thicke? Are there any other songs that you feel particularly strong about whether you hate them or love them?

Happy writing and see you next week!

PenMagic x