Only seven remain... only six left to die... what fates and feelings will be discovered... who will tremble in the eyes of their murderer... and who will drown in their own tears? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the beginning of the end of the 28th Hunger Games. Enjoy the show.

The Final Main Characters: Ashton Samuels, Somber Thrax, Mylene Frostblight.

All rights go to Coldplay for the song lyrics (which are out of order on purpose and specifically chosen, by the way :))

District 10: Ashton Samuels - 94 hours

The final seven; I was in the final seven. I knew it wouldn't last, of course, but it was a start; a very big start. I, Ash Samuels, had the chance of surviving. And it made me sick.

I didn't want the other tributes to just die brutal and early deaths. I didn't want to win because I was bloodthirsty, or because I was cruel. I wanted to win because I wanted to see my family. And that was the only thing spurring me on.

"Hey Ashton," a voice said from behind me, and I shot up. It was Isabella; the girl from District 2 who I suspected was a little bit crazy for volunteering so young.

"Hi, Bella," I replied shakily, hastily checking that my bow was still in my hand. Her hard, steel eyes narrowed slightly, but she kept walking. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" I asked her, gesturing to the summer trees and bright blue sky.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Beautiful." She took a step towards me, hesitant and deceiving. I didn't believe for a second that she was innocent, but I didn't think she was a cold blooded killer either. We had both killed a tribute for revenge, out of anger; we were even, in my eyes.

"How are you doing? Keeping... active?" I tried to see if humour would help, but she just kept advancing, the simple knife in her hand very intimidating.

"Oh yeah. I've been running laps, keeping up with climbing, amidst other things." Other things? Oh, sugar honey ice tea.

"Good, good." That was when I closed my eyes. She was right in front of me now, and I could feel her breath on my cheek. It was warm, but I could smell the sickly stench of blood. I tried not to think why there would be blood on her breath, or if it was just my active imagination.

"I don't want to kill you, Ash. I really don't, but I don't see a choice. I have a family. I have a home. I have a reputation. And I'd prefer if I kept those things, you understand?" There was a hint of something in Isabella's eyes, something not quite right. Off.

"I understand," I squeaked, instantly regretting it. It showed my fear, I reckoned. And animals could smell fear.

"Do you? Because I don't think you do. You don't know what it's like to have the weight of your sister's perfection on your shoulders, your cousin's pitiful loss in a previous Hunger Games, and your parent's harsh training techniques. Do you understand?"

I didn't know how to respond, so I stayed silent. It was a pleasant change for me, I decided. I watched as her possibly even more insane ally, Trista, approached from beside her.

"I don't think I'll kill you now, Ashton. I assure you, Trista will be kinder," Isabella told me regretfully, a small, sad smile on her face. One tear, one droplet of water only crawled slowly down her pale cheek, and over her delicate chin. It made me realise how young she was; how much she hated doing this. Some careers were like us after all.

"I'm sorry," the older girl said, bending down and taking my bow from my fingers. She took the arrows from my back and passed them to the other tribute.

"I'm so, so sorry." And with that, a sharp point of a deadly blade broke into and through my skin. I felt it rip and tear at my black jacket and black top, and in slow motion I felt pressure on my bare flesh. I winced, and closed my eyes. I didn't want her to see my unmistakable tears of pain.

I felt the knife draw blood, felt it dig deeper and deeper. It was slow, painful, but that must have just been me. In real time, it was probably over in seconds.

I felt a vein pop, felt the blood drip down my shirt once more. The blade pierced an artery, and I gasped. Even more blood poured out like a small, fatal fountain.

I felt my heart pump desperately, trying to hold the red liquid in. I shook with the effort, and trembled to my knees. Trista's hand didn't hold the knife any longer, and instead it supported itself. My heart gave one final beat, like a last goodbye, and I felt it falter.

Random lines from an old Panem song came into my head. It was a sad song, I thought, and I could never remember where I heard it. But I had known it my whole life; it only seemed ironic that it would come to me when my life was ending.

Shattered windows and the sound of drums, people couldn't believe what I'd become.

I used to roll the dice, feel the fear in my enemies' eyes.

One minute I held the key, next the walls were closed on me. I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand.

Never an honest word and that was when I ruled the world.

The final six; I was never going to be in the final six. And then, under the artificial arena sky, I died a coward. I died an arrogant king who ended up with nothing; nothing at all.

Just a puppet on a lonely string; oh, who would ever want to be king?

District 7: Somber Thrax – 95 hours

It was cold, so very cold. But I was too afraid to move from my hidden spot, with snow over the entrance to my cave and a dark, shadowy patch near the back.

I was too cold to face up to my fears and accept that I couldn't stay here forever.

I stomped my feet and blew into my hands, tucking my dark jacket around me tightly. I kept my eyes trained straight ahead for a movement in the thick snow. I listened out and strained my ears to hear if someone, or something, was coming.

"Somber, I'm sorry." There was a person behind me; a person I had never known was there. Three sharp spikes dug into my frozen, stiff back.

"There's a tunnel connecting the caves at the winter and spring areas. Sequin's sniffing around out there, so I ran and found it. She would catch you by surprise, Somber, and murder you with a vicious temper that killed Michael and Floyd."

I looked up at Mylene, fear in my eyes. I knew she was right; if Sequin was coming, I was dead, cut up and sliced meat.

I fell to the floor and felt the ice chill me to my fragile bones, the snow sticking to my hair and falling down my neck. She looked down at me, pity in her crystal blue eyes. They were similar to the ice, but not as hard and not as cold. It was a nice blue, a calm sea blue.

"Are you going to win?" I asked her, tears clogging my throat and making my voice thick and wavering. I closed my eyes tightly as the pain levels increased.

"I'll try, Somber. I'll try and win for both of us, okay?" Mylene told me sadly, and she knelt down by my head. She stroked dark strands of hair away from my face and placed her hand on my cold, pale cheek. I could feel her gentle breath on my shivering face.

"Okay," I replied weakly, and an image of a boy and a girl came into my head. There was a kiss; a wedding; a house; a baby; a graduation. There were tears; a walking stick; a funeral; a smile. The life I could never have with the boy who would never know. The images changed, and there was a different girl, a prettier girl. And she lived that fairytale life.

She wore a beautiful wedding dress, and walked down the aisle. People clapped and cheered as he ducked her, and pressed his lips to hers, sealing their fate. On their hands were two bands of gold, linking them together forever.

They stood outside a pretty house, small and quiet, peaceful and calm. They walked hand in hand and he opened the door wide. Inside there was furniture already there, and tears formed in her eyes as she watched her house become her home.

She sat outside the house, rocking a radiant, blonde haired baby. It laughed with her, and he came out. He took her hand and they watched the child in fascination. It was beautiful, with his calm face and her beautiful bright, blue eyes.

The same blonde haired child threw a black cap into the air, and as the graduate walked away, her parents waved and cried, tears dripping on the dirt track. She shed her black robes, revealing a prom dress and a smile of 100 watts.

The couple walked down the road and were greeted by those that they knew. Both had a wooden walking stick, their grey hair was limp but their eyes were not lifeless. They were happy as they wondered into shops, taking in the little pleasures of life.

The woman, the blonde girl, sat at the front row of a funeral and cried waterfalls. She wore a black dress and a black hat covered her weeping face. A coffin sat in front of her, taunting the congregation and full of seemingly unending grief.

Then the old girl was in a bed, a faint smile on her cracked, thin lips. Her skin was sallow and wrinkled and her eyes were closed. The bed was white and beside her, a machine bleeped, continuous and loud, a line on the screen. But the woman was still smiling. She was joining her husband.

I shook with cold, and wrapped my frail arms around myself. A warm tear fell onto my cheek from above, and I saw the haunted face of my killer hovering over me. She pressed her warm lips to my forehead in a gesture of peace, and held my icy hand tightly.

As I drifted away and saw the piercing vision of Mylene's calm blue eyes, I thought of something; something important, and risky, and stupid. But my lips moved for a second and were still. I could tell that they were ice blue, a harsher blue than that of the girl's eyes.

"Tell Jeyy I love him."

District 4: Mylene Frostblight – 96 hours

I hadn't wanted to kill her. Somber Thrax was just another person standing in my way, and however much I hated it, it was me or her. And that was why I wanted the Capitol to fall, and fall hard. They would pay for the girl's death, for Casey's death, for all the past tributes' deaths, and hell, even for Ivory's death.

In the midst of it all, none of us had ever deserved to die.

"Do it, Storm! Do it!" I had cried, watching my cousin as he jumped down from the platform gracefully and into the calm sea. I giggled and clapped my hands with glee. My feet dangled in the water, and my hair was soaked wet from the splashes my cousin had caused.

He appeared from the ocean, shaking his hair away from his face and gasping for breath. He smiled broadly at me, and swam over to the shore where I sat.

"Did you see me? Did you see me?" He asked excitedly, in the way that only an eight year old can.

"Can you show me, Storm? I want to learn how to dive like you!" I was seven at the time, and as eager to get into the water as a girl from District 11 was eager to climb a waiting tree. I climbed up the rocks after him, carefully placing my hardened feet on the rough surface. I almost tripped countless times, but I kept on going.

"Place your hands in front of you like this. " He showed me the motion, and then continued. "Tuck your ears in between your arms, and duck your head down."

And very carefully, I flung myself off of the cliff edge. It felt brilliant for a while; I was souring through the air, feeling the breeze play with and tangle my hair and touch my cheeks. Then I saw the water getting closer and closer, the sea suddenly looking a lot more intimidating and rough.

" Mylene!" I heard someone call, but I couldn't do anything. My arms flailed around me, and I let out a terrified scream as a felt my head touch the ice cold water. With a crash, I began to drown.

XxX

"Mylene!" A voice said again, but this time, it was a lot closer. Someone's light breath tickled my ear and I let out a surprising giggle. I blinked, and coughed. Salt water spurted from my mouth and all over the shoes of the boy beside me.

"Sorry," I groaned, my voice raspy and deep. I rolled over, and retched more of the sea water onto the sand.

"Yuk," the same voice murmured, taking a hesitant step backwards. I looked up to find my friend, Regal, from school making a weird face down at me. A blush formed on my cheeks and spread down to the base of my neck. Regal grinned.

"Storm, how could you let this happen? You were supposed to be responsible and be watching your cousin! She could've died, Storm!" A woman's voice scolded and I turned to see my elder family member looking down at his bare feet, his mother hovering over him.

"It wasn't Storm's fault," I whispered, almost inaudibly. "I asked him to show me how to dive."

"Mylene; dive? Storm, what were you thinking? She hasn't learnt her five times table yet," my best friend, Regal, commented, a smirk on his plump, boyish face.

"I have! 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30-"

"That's enough, Mylene. We need to get you inside," my mother said sternly, taking me in her arms and carrying me to our coastal home like I weighed nothing. I hadn't realised she was there, but then again, she was probably the one to pull me from the ocean in the first place.

"I'm sorry, Lenny," my cousin mumbled, using the nickname I despised to break the tension, probably. He smiled a brilliant, white smile down at me and I couldn't help but smile sleepily back. As I felt my mother life me over to the couch and rest my head down on the pillows, I said something incoherent back.

"Don't ever leave me," I murmured, but nobody heard my tired words.

"Sleeping on the job, Mylene? Really, I might just have to fire you, hon." I turned abruptly to see the form of well-known career Sequin Allure watching me with a murderous glint in her violet eyes. I blinked back, but not in shock. I had seen her coming a mile away.

"Why, Sequin, I thought we were getting a bit under-staffed at the moment. You won't want to lose a very hard worker like me," I replied icily, going along with her sick little game. She smiled, but it was more like a shark's grin that a friendly, comforting action.

"I wouldn't? Why ever not, sweetpea?" She asked, prowling forwards slightly, tilting her head at an angle to watch me. I had always known that she was psychotic, from the very start. Like the way she twisted Floyd around her little finger and then murdered him. Or the way she carved Loser into her victims' heads.

"Oh, I just thought you might like a bit of drama in the office. With only a few of us left, economic cuts are sure to be soon. Shouldn't we start saving?" I was moving backwards slowly, reaching for the spear hanging down from my belt, taken from the feast. Maybe if I could get it without her watching, I had a chance.

"It's no skin off my nose, sugar." She flashed me another smile, and noticed the hand moving towards my spear. "Oh, Mylene, Mylene. I hope you're not trying to cheat me, are you?" She said mock-sadly in her District 1 drawl. "I'm going to have to fix that. Do you know what I do to employees who just... don't... make... the... chop?" She said the last few words very slowly, taking a step for every syllable until she was almost on top of me. I realised then that she was slightly taller than me, and gulped.

"Surely, you're one for second chances, Sequin," I said, my voice wavering a lot more than I had hoped.

"I would be, but I'm not in a very forgiving mood today, pumpkin," my enemy said, taking just one small step towards me. She grinned again, and I saw that her teeth were slightly stained... stained blood red. My eyes widened in that last moment, and I tried not to tremble. Her unnatural eyes drank me in, before making one final threat to send a shiver down my spine.

"Bye bye, sweet cheeks. It's been fun, but you can never have too much of a good thing." Her knife came down, just a simple knife, and cut my spear in half. I gasped, ready for pain that didn't come. I breathed out a sigh of relief, and then the pain came.

She stabbed the knife just to the left of my heart, not exactly piercing it, but that didn't mean it sent a burning pain through my body. She moved in a vague circle, cutting and slicing as I screamed. The knife was in deep, too deep for it not to be fatal.

"I always knew you had a heart of stone," Sequin murmured sinisterly, an inhuman twinkle of insanity in her hard eyes as she looked down at me.

"Says the Ice Princess," I muttered back, feeling everything slowly slipping away. It was similar to drowning, almost, but it hurt more. The darkness was the same, the feeling of leaving everything behind was the same. But I didn't have Regal or Storm's strong arms to lift me, and the air around me was tinted red.

The last thing I felt was a sharp object digging into my forehead, making me cry tears of blood. Loser.

Well, there are only a few chapters left to go. I was going to announce the victor in this chapter, but I got to 3000 words half way through the 3rd PoV and decided against it :P You would have a 7000 word chapter on your hands.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope it was worth the wait! As you might've seen on my profile, I am leaving pretty soon. I promise to finish all of my ongoing multi chapters, so don't worry. I'm not going anywhere yet!

Congratulations to our final four... Sequin Allure, Trista Angel, Isabella Rose and Brook Callins! When you think about it, they would be mostly careers anyway. And consolidations to the dead in this chapter... Ashton Samuels, Somber Thrax and Mylene Frostblight. So close and yet so far.

*~Joy~*