Had to work the front desk at work today...there really wasn't anything to do after the first 30 minutes. So I figured I would start on an update for you guys. Also, I feel kind of bad for updating so late all the time now. Call me out on it! Keeps me motivated

Alliance Update

Brat Pack- Paris/Nero/Meg/Berryalise/Dillon/Calico

The Gremlins- Cheyenne/Castalia

Nerd Herd- Abigail/Taro

Chess Masters- Kolton/Mihael

Paris Bastilion- District 1 Female

I can't tell you what happened because to be honest I'm not sure myself. One second the areana was changing, and the next everything was exploding. For the first time since the games started the Princess was not in control. I can't tell you how stupid I feel just standing there while everyone was acting.

People are already showing signs of mutiny. I don't have Atticus here to help me anymore, and if you look at the odds me and 8 are on the outskirts of this alliance. 2 and 4 are bound to stick together to get me and 8 out. Not that 8 will be very hard, but still.

Nero sits on top of concrete wall outlining the hotel. As if contemplating what to do next. It's obvious we can't stay on the actual outside. The terrain was to unpredictable. Which I'm expecting was their goal all along. So the obvious choice is the hotel. Mostly because I don't feel like hiking up a mountain.

"I think we should go in the hotel and set up base there." I say demandingly. "Make a move on."

Nobody moves. Not a single person even flinches. However eyes do roll from the girl from 4.

"I'm sorry did you hear me or are you just stupid? I said move out."

"You're obviously not as hard as you think Princess." says Nero a little snarky.

I'm taken aback. Nero's once chill and gentle voice turned hard, and greedy. I know immediately what's going on. I don't back down.

I walk over to the wall that he is sitting on and flip him over the end. He falls down, and hits his back on the ground, and immediately jumps up to push me over. I side step him as he's putting all his weight into the push like an idiot, and press down on his back causing him to fall again. Berryalise tries to step in and stop the fight, but I pull her down and sit on top of her.

"Wait Nero, I'm sorry..what was it you said?" I say sarcastically and as menacing as I can. "I'm not as hard as I think I am?"

He's livid. This was the first sign of a power struggle not only has he lost, but the District 4 girl has lost as well. Who is left to compete against me for the title of the head of the pack? Dillon and Calico? Oh and the girl from 2, but I think I'm more scared of the District 3 tributes than her. Not to mention she just stood there in the explosion as well. She hasn't been the same sense Seb exploded. I heard her crying as his face shown in the sky last night.

"Now. Move out." I say again.

Everyone moves.

Mihael Reeves-District 7 Male

Kolton and I are in the forest part of the arena. I'm a little nervous because this is where the little army men came out in the blood bath.

"Kolton...we are in the final like what...13?"

He begins to count in his head. The boy from 1, both from 5, boy from 6, girl from 7, Jackson, both from 9, boy from 10, both from 11, and girl from 12. All of them passed. All of them passing means that I'm one step closer to getting out of this arena alive. How do I allow someone else to perish and take care only of myself?

"We are in the top 12." he said "I imagine they'll be doing interviews from our families soon."

"Not to mention the feast." I say probably sounding a little too nervous.

The thing about the Hunger Games is that if you're a career this is everything you live for. Literally. As a non-career from an outer District it's hard to have faith that I'll make it out of here. Kolton has a shot because he's a complete boss with a pick ax.

"Look dude. I have your back. I know we will eventually have to separate...but as of now don't worry." says Kolton

Kolton is a good guy. How can I hope for the failure of him, which would ultimately mean his death when he's being so kind. He keeps the food in check. He hunts when we need it, granted he isn't very good but hell of a lot better than I'd be. He's basically doing all the work and I'm mooching off his kindness.

"Thank you Kolton. I appreciate that." I say.

Abigail Magnet-District 3 Female

"DID YOU SEE THAT?!" Taro screamed again about the explosion that happened yesterday. Still going on about this thing.

"Yes Taro. I saw the damn explosion. Moving on with a new topic of conversation, we only took out District 9. I need to make some power moves if I expect to get out of here."

Taro just stares at me. Then he opens up his mouth and says the damn phrase I always hate hearing.

"Abigail. Language."

This kid absolutely amazes me. Only Taro would freak out about something as little as language whilst here in Hunger Games. The freaking Hunger Games! Sure he can blow up the whole freaking career pack, but when it comes to saying the word damn I might as well kill his mom.

"Taro. I say whatever the hell I please. When I want to say it. So back the hell off."

He looks hurt. His eyes staring off into nothing as he sniffles a little bit. This is why I can't be rude to this kid. Tears get to me bad. It's something that I have experienced my whole life from myself...I don't want to cause them for other people.

"Taro...I'm sorry. The games are getting to me." I say

He perks up and smiles. "It's ok Abbey. I know you're doing your best. I am too."

I don't think he understands both of us are going to die. Or at least one of us. More emphasis on him more likely. But nonetheless one of us.

We sit in a room on the 9th floor of the hotel. There was two beds, and I was exhausted so we crashed here for the night whilst the careers were having an anarchy fest. Speaking of the careers, aren't these supposed to be organized in how they do this? These kids wouldn't know the victory if it bit them in the ass on the way to the cornucopia.

"DUDE THIS HOTEL IS BITCHIN!"

What was that? I walk over to the peep hole in the door and stare out of the door. The whole freaking career pack is walking down the hallway towards our door.

"Whoever said that. Language." says Taro as he pops up behind me.

I was startled by him and I let out a tiny yelp. The yelp was harmless, but loud enough to catch the girl from 4s attention as she stops and stares at the door.

"Guys. I think there is someone in there!" she says all to happy.

"How do you know?" ask the girl from 1. Obviously she is still in charge after our little explosion debacle yesterday.

"I heard a yelp."

All of the sudden there is a banging on the door. I don't know what it's from, but I know the door is caving in every time it hits.

"Taro I'm so sorry." I say as I push him towards the door right as it opens.

It was like throwing a lamb to the lions den. The girl from 2 had his head in her hands and snapped his neck right in front of my face. It was like 3 seconds after getting in the room.

I run out onto the balcony, and stand there. It's either I come up with something quick, or I die. It's simple as that. I notice there is a balcony directly below me on the eighth floor and am hopping over the railing when the boy from 4 comes onto the balcony.

"I'll try and make this as painless as possible." he says attempting to grip onto my shirt. I let go and lunge myself towards the bottom balcony before he has a chance to grab onto my shirt.

I freefall for about 2 seconds, and it was the scariest 2 seconds of my life. I hit the balcony hard, and notice that District 4 fell over the railing. I take this as an opportunity and throw my disproportionate body and grab onto his feet. He's struggling to hold on, and the girl from 4 is attempting to pull him up as I attempt to pull him down.

He struggles, but finally I manage to jump and land hard. He lets go of the balcony above me and somehow manages to grab onto the one I'm standing on. Thinking fast I take the knife I kept in my back pocket and slammed it into his hand.

He screams and lets go falling to ground.

BOOM

BOOM

Did Taro really just die? How did it come too late? The poor little guy must have suffered a lot…

"THREE!" I hear as the door to the room who's balcony I'm standing on slamming open.

I turn to see the girl from 1 as she's running towards the balcony that I'm on. I throw a chair at the glass door that separates me and her before she gets there however. The glass shatters and she flinches with just enough time for me to climb over the railing and balcony hop again.

I hop down to the 7th floor and run out the door and towards the stairs. As I'm running I hear things from the top floor, and from the 8th floor as the girl from 1 is barking orders to come get me.

I run down the stairs, level by level. The careers are not far behind. I feel as though I won't make it very much longer, but faced with the point of death, you learn your desire to live. I desire to live. I will live.

I finally make it to the lobby as I run towards the front door, and run out of the hotel. I make it past the main courtyard of the hotel. I make my way past the cornucopia, past the forest. I'm halfway up the mountain when I finally have to stop to catch my breath. After I stop running the adrenaline stops pumping and I'm able to process what just happened.

Taro is dead. I just killed and sacrificed my friend to preserve myself in this arena. He trusted me and I betrayed his trust….I'm worse than a career.

Castalia Reiss-District 6 Female

"Two cannons?! That was two cannons!" says Cheyenne as she stares into the nothing that is this blasted mountain,

We haven't wanted to leave the house, mostly because why fix a strategy that isn't broken. It's almost like we've been given a free pass to survive until the end. And in pretty decent positions also.

I sit there and just kind of take in what's been going on throughout the last couple of days. I bested a career, Cheyenne killed her rapist, we took down the boy from 9 with the nerds from 3. It's been a pretty productive Hunger Games for Castalia Reiss.

Main problem? I'm starting to like Cheyenne. I don't like anyone. People have always been pawns. Cheyenne is becoming….a friend.

"Do you feel that?" she ask

I snap back into reality. The earth is shaking. Is this another arena change? As if to answer my question I hear a loud sound. We look out the window and see that there is an eruption of lava flowing down the mountain.

"HOLY SHIT" we scream in unison as we are running out of the house that has been our salvation in this game. We are booking it down the mountain. So fast I'm surprised I don't fall over.

We make it to the halfway point when Cheyenne trips on a rock. I stop running and look. Should I help her? I turn around and without thinking a lot more on the topic help my ally up and continue to run, I throw her forward using the momentum of the downward slope we were traveling at. It was to late for me though. I jumped on a rock as I saw my ally leaving me in the dust. She turned to me and looked at me. I might still have a chance on this rock.

As if to answer my thought another sound of an eruption goes off. I turn to see a giant wave of lava flowing down. Covering the rocks and what they once were. I watch as my ally, and somehow the girl from 3 as they run towards the cornucopia, but there's no need. The lava stops at the base of the mountain.

I joined these games so I could show the world I could manipulate and win. I didn't think the arena would manipulate me.

I stare stoically at the lava as it flows down towards me. Engulfing everything in its path. When it gets close to me, I don't give it the satisfaction of it taking me. I take myself. As I throw myself into the fiery pool. The last sound I hear is the cannon.

That was so much fun to write. I should write at work more often.

Eulogies

Taro Aka- Man oh man I loved this character. Mostly because he reminded my of myself. A lot. I don't think I wrote him with the intention of him loosing so soon. The games are moving fast though, and though he was a witty character. I didn't feel I was doing him justice by keeping him around. I kind of lost my inspiration to write him. Thanks Draphy for submitting Taro, I hope I didn't disappoint you in his representation.

Dillon Albacore- My friend sent in Dillon. He was such a fun write...when writing the first chapter with him. After this part of the story though, his background wasn't something you could just include. Personality is what you have to work with, and sadly he didn't have one. Thanks Ally, you the bomb.

Castalia Reiss- Honestly it was her and Cheyenne. I addressed this in her POV but they've had no struggle since being in the arena. To much comfort makes for boring characters. So one of them had to go. Cheyenne was honestly chosen out of a hat. I couldn't decide who to save. Castalia just got the bad end of the draw. Loved her character. Loved her. Thanks for the submit. She's definitely going down in my all-stars.

What's the opinion of this chapter?

Paris is still reigning HBIC...but for how long can a sinking ship float?

Abigail became her own worst nightmare. Any ideas as to how that plays out?

Opinions on the chess masters?

Who are you saddest to see die?

Keep it classy,

Caleb