Recommended Listening: Roll On Down the Highway by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Greis Karpusi, District 8

I like the Career pack this year.

Not for what they do, obviously, but for how convenient they are. Not only is the pack small enough they don't get to guard their supplies, they also argue and yap about the next hunt so much I'm warned far in advance of their leaving.

So, when they decided to hunt in the afternoon due to their apparent failure the night before, I snuck out.

Having restocked—I also commend the pack's rationing skills, leaving plenty of food and water for me to take—I think this stash'll keep me for a good five days. I could've gotten more, but I think four backpacks of supplies might drag me down a bit. Just a hunch.

It's nighttime now, but I don't let myself fall asleep. The easiest way to do this is with a little sugar—someone thought to put some hard candies in one of the backpacks, and I may as well take advantage of it. Of course, napping on and off half the day doesn't hurt staying awake now, either.

So, everything just works together. Kind of nice, isn't it?

Amer Jones, District 10

While I've been in danger of falling asleep since... Well, since I woke up, the screaming pretty well snapped me back awake.

I've been climbing back down the mountain, so when whatever happened happened, it was practically right next to me. I was still above, though, and could figure out the noise came from the crater with the humongous tree. I figured this was useless information, but a few minutes passed, and no cannon. Whoever had made that noise was still alive.

Whoever made that noise needed my help.

So I kept progressing downward, and then I hung out at the edge of the crater until I kinda pieced together what had happened. The big guy, from 9, is trying to get to sleep, a bloodstained pickaxe held protectively to his chest. The boy from 12 took some sort of damage to his hand—I don't know what it is, since it's wrapped up in a torn piece of T-shirt—and I'm guessing it's the 9's fault, considering the pickaxe. And then there's the boy from 7, trying to comfort the 12 while zipping up his jumper to cover up the jagged end of his shirt.

Hey... The 7 and the 12 are allies, right? Come to think of it, they're the allies that up and rejected me as a friend. But it was because they didn't want more people. So why would they end up allied with the 9?

I don't know, but it looks like it didn't turn out well.

Screw grudges—I can help. I can get them out of there. But... What am I going to do about the 9? I don't think he's actually going to fall fast enough asleep soon, and I don't really want to confront him. He kinda has a huge freaking pickaxe, and I don't have any sort of weapon. I don't think I could sneak up on him and knock him out with a punch. Forget sneaking up on him—I'm not even completely sure I could deal him a knockout punch. Yeah, Training Centre training, but... I don't know how strong I really am.

And this isn't the sort of thing to take chances on. I need to get those guys away from him.

So, what? I just wait? Hope I show up in the right part of his sleep cycle? How's that gonna work out?

I barely notice the silver gleam from the parachute that lands next to me.

Putting my hand over the thing, I pick away the cloth to reveal a full, kinda big hypodermic needle. I pick it up carefully, balancing it in my hands.

Well, I'm not sick, and I don't think this is food or water. I wonder if my mentor is on the same wavelength as me...

I peek back over the crater's little wall, where the 9 is still shuffling his limbs around uncomfortably, but with his eyes tightly closed.

Well. I think I've got the "knocking him out" part covered.

Let's see how that "sneaking up on him" part works out.

Raivis Lithu, District 12

I'm almost too busy fretting about my pinky finger—or lack thereof—to notice the tribute sneaking over the crater wall.

But I do notice. I can't quite tell who it is in the moonlight, but...

W-Wait! Didn't Eston say that-that my screaming could attract C-Careers?

It's all I can do to stifle the newest wave of terror with whimpers instead of screams.

"It's okay, Raivis," Eston whispers suddenly, making me jump.

"H-H-How...?" I whisper back.

"Not a Career," he says quickly, reassuringly.

Skeptically, I look back over at the tribute, and I soon place him as Amer from 10.

B-But wasn't that the guy we wouldn't let into our alliance? What if-What if he has a grudge? What if he's just g-going to-to kill us after all?

"Calm down." I still can't help but give a bit of a start when Eston whispers in my ear again.

"H-H-H-How could I c-c-c-c-calm d-d-d-d-d-down?" I whisper back, still barely able to talk. "H-H-H-H-H-He—"

"Just watch."

I go ahead and follow his instructions, although it's hard to keep paying attention when my hand is still hurting.

Okay, "hurting" is a serious understatement. Even though it's not as bad as it was when the pickaxe first...

Oh, I-I don't want to think about it. I really don't. Imagining it happening again just makes it hurt worse.

So I focus back on Amer. He's slid off the crater wall—the borders on this mountain are a lot thicker than the ones two years ago—and is creeping toward Vahn, still a good two meters away.

Vahn suddenly flips over, making me squeak, but doesn't get up.

But he'll notice Amer's footsteps, just like he noticed mine. Th-there's no way this'll work... Should I warn Amer now?

I-I'm too terrified to. What if it works, and he gets away? Would Vahn be m-mad at me? I-I-I r-r-r-really don't want th-th-th-that!

There's a hand on my shoulder, and I squeak again.

"Calm down," Eston urges again, squeezing my shoulder. I realise I've started shaking again.

Well... I don't think I ever stopped, actually... But I'm pretty sure I must have started trembling harder.

"Vut do you sink you're doing?"

I yelp, pushing myself back against the tree trunk even though I know deep down that Vahn's not addressing me.

"Uh, what'd you just say?" Amer responds, quickly hiding the needle behind his back and disguising the movement by shifting into an odd fighting stance.

"I asked you vut you sink you're doing," Vahn repeats, standing up. "I hope you're not trying to keel my helpers."

"Nope. I am most definitely not doing that."

"Ah? Are you trying to keel me?" Vahn responds, moving his weapon a bit as a threat.

"Not qui—" Amer cuts off mid-sentence, spinning and shoving the needle into Vahn's lower arm. The 10 squeezes the handle-things together hurriedly and jumps back. He doesn't quite manage to avoid Vahn's first swipe, though, receiving a score across his left arm. Vahn makes another massive swing, but stumbles when he misses and suddenly collapses onto the ground.

Amer, crouching and panting, puts a hand over his wound and makes a pained sound of disapproval before deciding Vahn is out for the count. The 10 looks up at us and immediately gets to his feet.

I make an effort to stop shaking, but I only manage to make my head hurt, so I give up. Amer starts toward us speedily, slowing down once he's gotten about a foot away.

"I have no clue how long he'll be out," he pants, snatching both my and Eston's wrists. "We'd better get outta here now." He starts away from the tree, tugging on our wrists until we're able to keep up with him. We keep running straight to the crater's edge, where Amer pulls himself up and extends a hand to me. I clasp it with my right hand—so very luckily my dominant one—and I'm pulled up and over. Eston's already gotten himself to the top of the ridge, and he jumps over.

"I think there's an open crater over this way," Amer pants, motioning to our right. "Let's go check it out, huh?"

Eston nods as Amer and I go the rest of the way over the wall. Amer leads the way away at a quick pace. I allow myself one last glance back to Vahn.

And I can't help but think of how mad he's going to be when he wakes up.