Hi! Okay, I know it's been three weeks, but I've been moving stuff around, and I'm doing all sorts of things in order to see if I can land a job and sort out my uni stuff (I have to retake the year due to this year's events). That, and I put this off because I knew this chapter needed a lot of editing.
I apologise if it's not up to my usual standards because of that, I will do my best to improve as always.

BUT STILL, ITS HERE NOW

I'M SO EXCITED OKAY!

I CAN'T EVEN!

WE'RE SO CLOSE TO THE END XD

Also: go read the authors note at the top of chapter 34. I want everyone to have read it so that they're aware. I find it important to make sure that everyone knows it. Thank you! :D

Thank you to BamItsTyler, AKLNxStories, Titanic X, writer12122121, Maysha-chan, Alecxias, and EllipticDART who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games in any way, shape or form. I only own the arena I've created.

"The bottom of the valley never provides the clearest view." ~Matt Haig

Tiffany Splendour, Seventeen, District One Female

Three cannons into the afternoon, and I'm nervous. As a top career and a powerhouse in the Games, I shouldn't be feeling so afraid, but I can't help it. I have to keep reminding myself that there's not only one life at stake, there's two. A growing child, not even a month into its development, could be snatched away from me in seconds. I've had to adjust my fighting style as well. I have to play things far more defensively because I can't afford anything to damage my child.

Is it a girl? Is it a boy? The gender of my baby doesn't particularly matter, but I'd like to know. It's a question that keeps on pestering me during the waking hours of every day. It's something that rules my thoughts. Considering I have no allies to talk to, my thoughts are all I've been left with. If this keeps up, I'm worried that I'll start to lose it.

It's been quiet since the feast.

The memories come without being called. The distant sound of explosions, Mariel and the little boy heading to the cornucopia, and Taser's guttural screams. He's dead for sure. I wonder if his girlfriend got to him in time. Either way, she'll be out to kill me. She's the type of girl who will want revenge. But hey, it's an untrained career and a twelve year old, what could they possibly do to me? My confidence battles my worries. I must underestimate no-one…or can I afford to? As far as I'm aware, the only careers left are Steven, Kleska and Mariel. Any of them could have died earlier today, or none of them.

I must stay vigilant.

A light tinkling sound echoes from nearby. My current camp is in a secluded area hidden at the base of the valley, shrouded in large boulders and jagged rocks. It's next to the river, not too far from the large waterfall. I've had thoughts about heading there soon. There might be tributes there, or at least better shelter.

A silver box attached to a parachute falls from the sky. Of course! That tinkling noise! My heart soars in hope as the box lands nearby. It feels so comforting to receive a sponsor at this time. There aren't many tributes left either, so this must have been an expensive gift. I smile as I detach the parachute from the box. Royce sent this. My emotions are mixed when it comes to Royce. After all, all we have between us is an awkward one night stand and a baby. There's certainly a part of me that likes him, but another part of me is still dumbfounded by the thought of having a family with him. I like Royce. I always have done. But…

I shake my head. I'll have more time to think about Royce later. Now, my sponsor. Hands shaking, I open the box and take out what's inside. It's a glass vial filled with a thick bluish liquid. It looks to be like some kind of medicine, but I'm not sure. I don't think I've seen anything like this during my training either. Placing the vial back into its box, I look at the note next.

Head to the waterfall. Now. Use this if you get in trouble.
Come back to me alive, Tiff. ~R

Confused, I pick up the vial. Royce's message sounds ominous, like a warning. If anything, I trust Royce. I sling my backpack over my shoulder, and grab my spears. I slide Royce's note into my pocket, along with the blue vial. If Royce is telling the truth, then I need it in a place I can access more easily. Pulling up the hood of my poncho, I set off at a brisk walk. I'm not sure if this threat is immediate, but I'd better get moving just in case.

Taking leave of my old camp, I set off. The plants have grown since we were first here. In fact, they've grown unnaturally fast. Large stems have cracked through the mud, rising to my shoulder, where large buds are closed, ready to spring open. I'm in awe of these plants…they must be some kind of tropical flower. I've been seeing them ever since we arrived in the arena, but back then, they were only small. Now, they're giant. It must be from all the rain they're getting.

A burst of static alerts me to the voice of Dallas Cornwall. The silver eyed spectacle annoyed me enough during my interview, and he decides annoy me in the arena as well.

"Prepare for the finale." he says simply, before the burst of static arrives once more, signalling his departure.

Wait…what? There's six of us left. The finale usually occurs when there's only three or four tributes alive. Did I miss any cannons? Are there more people dead? No, that can't be the answer, I've been alert all day with nothing to do. There's no way that I would have missed any more cannons than the three I heard this morning. So what does this mean? There's a new Head Gamemaker this year, so maybe they want a more fantastic finale to celebrate the Games' eightieth birthday?

My question is quickly answered. It's almost as if everything hits me at once; Royce's note, the growing plants, the weight of the vial in my pocket. The metal of my spears feel ice cold in my hands. The plants. The goddamn plants! Why didn't I realise this before? They're everywhere in the arena, except for the clearing near the cornucopia, and some other places. Scanning the area, I can tell that my camp was also surround by the plants. It's a clever move on the Gamemakers part. A mutt that can blend in. I shake my head. There's no point in wondering what they are. I'm worried about what they do.

I'm not sticking around to find out.

My legs jumpstart into action, a split second before the flowers begin to bloom in front of my very eyes. They bloom unnaturally fast, smoothly opening up. Their petals are wide and red, fading to an orange at the centre. Attached to the centre of the flower is what looks like a dart of some kind. I don't need an explanation to what these flowers are going to do, and I don't care. I run through them as fast as I possibly can, almost stumbling over my haste to get away, the flowers slowly blooming behind me and turning to face me.

And before I could wonder if it could get any worse, I hear a low thunk. Whipping my head to the source of the sound, I see one of the darts from the flowers embedded into the trunk of a tree. Yeah…there's no way I'm getting hit by one of those.

Increasing my speed, I hurry towards the waterfall, the nearest landmark to me. Hopefully there can be a place where I can hide. After all, waterfalls tend to have caves behind them, and plants can't grow without a bit of sunlight. I hear darts hitting trees nearby. One flies so close to my cheek that I also scream out loud. My heart is thundering inside my ears. I can't go out like this.

I could admit to anyone at this point that I'm scared. And with this admission, a dart strikes me on my arm, ripping through my jacket with ease. The jagged point of the dart rips into my arm, and I fall down with a scream.

The pain…it's unimaginable. For a second, I feel nothing other than the throb of my cut arm. Ripping out the bud, I can feel something coursing through my body.

It's poison.

My body begins to feel like it's on fire. Crying, I reach out for some kind of assistance, my skin feeling as if it's melting straight off the bone. Sweat beads on my brow and my lungs feel like they've been crushed. I'm drowning, but in air instead of water. Panic sets in. Am I really dying now? No, I can't! I can't die like this! A vague, fleeting memory reminds me of the vial in my pocket. Burning inside, I grab it trying to stop myself from writhing in pain. I can feel my body rolling on the ground, but I manage to take the stopper out of the vial and shove the contents down my throat. Coughing, my body cools down. It feels as if I've jumped into a pool of ice water. Goosebumps rise up on my skin, and I shiver, dragging myself into a clearing, next to the waterfall.

Fortunately for me, I don't see any more plants in this area.

I lay down, my chest heaving.

I'm alive.

Kissing the vial gently, I thank Royce for saving me. If he hadn't have given me this sponsor, I would definitely be dead. Slowly, I stand up, and check myself. Other than the pain from my bleeding arm, things seem okay. I check my surroundings.

The waterfall is very close to me, so close that I can see someone else collecting water from the pool. The golden hair, the belt of knives…it can only be Mariel. Her back is to me, and she seems very involved with her task. The sound of roaring water coming from the waterfall probably masked my noisy entrance. I am lucky today.

I take a deep breath and collect myself. Mariel is just another steeping stone that can help me get out of here. There's no point in wasting this chance now. I drop one of my spears to the ground, and swing my backpack off of my shoulders. Smiling, I might as well make this entertaining for the audience. With all my strength, I launch my backpack at Mariel, and it hits her in the back, sending her tumbling forwards, the open bottle in her hands spewing water back into the river she took it from.

Turning around, she spots me. Her face settles into a grim line, but her eyes are like fire. She wants me dead. She wants to torture me until I beg her to stop. I've seen this look in so many tributes' eyes before, that I know this battle will be an interesting one. She's not like the other tributes. Mariel's careful. She's angry, sure, but she's not stupid.

Picking up my other throwing spear, I shoot her a wicked smirk.

"Hey honey," I drawl sarcastically. "How's it going?"

Vella Contessa, Fifteen, District Eleven Female

"Hey Vella! Look at this!"

I draw my attention away from bandaging my side to look at Luke's new creation. Ever since we were separated from Mariel and Franz, Luke's been working on making new weapons and little traps to help us. Personally, I don't see how they're going to help us, but it seems to make him happy. So far, he's made a little catapult, and a wooden slingshot, both of which can be set up and used in seconds.

Luke's new creation however, is surprisingly beautiful. It's a small hand crossbow, beautifully carved and whittled into a masterpiece. Using wooden sticks to make the crossbow and some vines to make the elastic, he's made a masterpiece. All that needs to be added is some sharpened sticks, several of which lay in the top pocket of his backpack. If we're lucky, it could stun or hurt someone enough for us to get the upper hand.

"That's incredible!" I marvel, looking over the weapon in his hands.

Of course, it's no sword or bow, but it's the first gadget of Luke's that I can actually see being vaguely useful. While my belief in his gadgets and tools is somewhat absent, we're going to need all we can get. Who knows? Maybe one of his little gadgets will come in useful. I smile at him as he stares down at his creation lovingly. He's almost like a child himself, someone I want to protect. My hand rises to touch the scar on my cheek that I earned so long ago. All I did was protect the innocent children, and a Peacekeeper gives me a scar to remember it.

Luke is almost childish in some ways, but he is far more mature in others. No child could protect a wounded ally for days on end, fight people, and still live to tell the tale. What Luke has done for me is miraculous. Maybe I'll get to return the favour before the time comes for us to fight.

We've already decided that we're not fighting each other until there's only us two left. Even though there is something that draws me to Luke, I have to put aside my feelings to get home to the children. I need to protect them, even if they aren't my own. Luke agreed with me on that. It's obvious that both of us have an incredible connection; both through those letters, and through our close friendship. I doubt that anyone could get as close to me in seven days as Luke has, even if this is a place where friends turn on each other to survive.

There was a very recent announcement from Dallas about "preparing for the finale", so I've been reorganising our backpacks and preparing our weapons. We need to make sure we know where everything is in case we need something. I've put medical supplies and what food we have left (including a rabbit that Luke caught earlier) at the very top of our backpacks, and other miscellaneous things like wires, string, and iodine at the bottom. We've prepared ourselves for two days; today and tomorrow. Somehow, I doubt that the Games are going to go past tomorrow, since there are only six of us left. Three have already died today, but that doesn't stop anyone else from dying as well.

I'm surprised I've gotten this far. I know that I'm tougher than I look, but I never expected things to go by so smoothly. We've only ever been in one major battle and a few minor scuffles with other tributes. I expected the Hunger Games to be something that was way more immersive, but I guess the size of the arena compensates for that. Either that, or we've been lucky by not running into any of the other tributes. The careers, Mariel's and the District Two boy's alliances were all rather large as well, so I suppose that the larger packs simply battled it out and left smaller alliances like Luke and myself to survive for the time being. This is both good and bad; the survivors could have found better gear, but they're more likely to be tired after wasting their energy on killing other people. The other tributes could be hurt as well.

"Vella!"

Luke's call snaps me back into reality. I look over at him, where he stands with his sword out, surrounded by rapidly blooming flowers. Narrowing my eyes, I stand up and grab my backpacks. Are these really mutts? They don't look like they're capable of much damage, but I'm not going to hold it against the Gamemakers to try some sly tricks like these. I look closer, taking in the size of the flowers and their colour. My heart plummets upon the realisation of what the flowers are capable of.

"Luke, get away from those!" I cry.

Luke looks back, confused, but obeys me.

"Luke, I saw those at the plants station. Except, they're bigger than they usually should be."

"What do they do?" Luke asks, now on guard and weary.

"They're called Venenosas, large poisonous flowers that are known to create and shoot poisonous barbs with any sign of movement," I tell him. "However, they aren't the fastest or most efficient trackers. If we run fast enough we can get out of their reach and maybe find some kind of safe place."

"We could stay here and hide." Luke offers, but I shake my head.

"Even the slightest sign of movement can set them off." I tell him. "We need to cut them down and run away before the buds regrow. The Gamemakers are behind this, I'm sure of it."

Luke nods, grimly.

"Let's go then." he decides, holding his sword out in front of him.

And with that, we run, dodging and weaving under the barbs and heads of the Venenosa flowers. I'm surprised they grew to such a size, but there must have been something artificial about growing them in a place like this. Sure, these forests are damp and wet, but they aren't tropical. Luke slices the head off of one of the flowers, and I tackle and stamp on another. We're moving quickly, but not quickly enough. Ahead of us, I can see flowers almost fully bloomed and ready to shoot.

We've wasted too much time.

I see the clearing ahead of us, not too far away. There's a loud roar nearby, and I can see the top of a waterfall through the trees. Maybe this way is a good way to go.

"Run for the waterfall!" I yell over the crashing of falling water, and Luke gives me a thumbs up, cutting another flower down with a single strike.

The next moments all happen in some kind of rush. Luke dodges a dart from a flower, but trips over a tree root, landing on the floor. Ahead of me is a clearing, behind me a couple of flowers, slowly turning to shoot Luke. I think this through in my head. Leaving him behind might end with his death. Saving him might end with both of us dead. Dare I take a risk?

Time slows.

The flowers turn.

I run.

With all my strength I bound over to Luke and heave him up, ignoring the stabbing sensation in my side and the renewed pain it brings me. The both of us charge towards the clearing and break through the bushes. The area around us is roaring with water. Near the waterfalls end, I see Tiffany and Mariel battling against each other, before Tiffany pushes Mariel into the water and dives in after her.

"Mariel!" Luke cries, and the both of us begin move towards her.

Suddenly the world grows hot, and my body screams in pain. No…it can't be…

"Vella?" Luke yells, worried as I fall to my knees, crying out in pain.

It hurts. All of me hurts. But why? I check my side, and see the sharp barb from a Venenosa embedded in my side, cutting through my stitches and injecting poison straight into my bloodstream. I can feel it surging through my veins. It's a toxic darkness that consumes me in seconds. I roll around on the wet grass, my hair wild and my eyes bulging out my skull. Every part of me feels as if it's about to explode, either from the heat or from my muscles straining against my skin. My lungs feel empty, my heart is beating too fast, and my mind runs circles around itself.

Before me, the world is dimmed. My eyesight is blurry, but I can make out Luke trying to hold me up.

"Vella!" he shouts again, but this time is voice is muffled.

The air around me is muggy, and it's stiflingly hot, as if I'm being smothered by the very air itself. I feel squashed and constricted as I feel liquid bubble up my throat. Foam drips from my mouth and slides down my cheeks and onto my neck.

The world is darker now, and it's fading quickly.

"Vella!" Luke screams. "Don't leave me! No! Not now!"

I can hear his muffled sobs fading away into nothingness.

"I can't live without you, Vella, wake up! Vella! Vella, I need you!"

My life flashes before my eyes, distorted images with bright colours and twisted smiles.

My parents gone without a trace. An old man, reaching for me from the shadows. My fist breaking a boy's nose at school. Cherri and Nettle playing tag in the fields. The Peacekeeper lashing me across the face with his whip. Luke smiling at me from across the training centre. Writing letters with a pencil in my hand and a smile on my face.

I can't leave now.

I can't.

I…

Mariel Tide, Eighteen, District Four Female

From under the water, a cannon fires. Who that was, I don't know, but Tiffany made a grave mistake. How foolish was she not to realise that District Four's greatest strength is water? With the initial surprise of being pushed in, I quickly regain control, twisting out of Tiffany's way and she dives into the water as well, stabbing at me with her spear.

All I can hear is water bubbling in my ears, and all I can see are blue shadows in the water around me. A cold hand grabs one of my ankles as I try to swim away from Tiffany, but I kick back hard, connecting with a face. A muffled yell confirms that I hit my target. The hand loosens, and I swim away swiftly, my powerful arms and legs propelling me through the water with ease. The weight of the water crashing down onto the surface of the pool pushes me down when I try to rise, the force effectively stopping me from taking a breath. Thankfully, I can hold my breath for a long time.

Only two minutes before, Tiffany had surprised me with a backpack and a greeting before she attacked me, launching one of those spears at me. We grappled for a short moment before she managed to push me in. I was met with a world of blue, but there were no fish here, unlike at the beach in District Four. Often at home, the water is so clear that you can see some of the braver fish swimming around your ankles. Other fish swim away at the sight of you. I remember going out to the sea with Taser, diving deep underneath the surface to scout some of the stray fish swimming by. Of course, back then, I'd do my best not to focus on his physique, since I was afraid of letting him know about how I felt.

It was an incredible day.

This recreation wasn't the one I was expecting.

I break the surface of the water, now behind the waterfall and in a crystallised cave. Getting out of the pool, soaking wet, I survey my surroundings, still in awe at the beauty of it. Franz and I have been camping here since after yesterday's events. I wince, the thought of Taser bringing me more emotional pain than I need right now.

It's an incredible cave, lit up only from the light coming from outside. Across the cave are white and purple crystals, some bigger than others with sharper spikes or smoother edges. The floor is slippery, glistening with the spray that comes off the crashing water. Mine and Franz' stuff still lies in one corner, backpacks and all.

But no Franz. Where did he go?

I check both sides of the cave, temporarily lost in finding my ally. There are two entrances to the cave, one on each side. Both of them lead to opposite side of the river. Maybe Franz decided to scavenge for some food while I collected the water. He never told me he would, but it's a possibility.

Splashing sounds come from behind me, and I turn to see Tiffany wiping her eyes and turning to find me. Unfortunately, she didn't lose any of her throwing spears, but I'm glad to see that I've definitely broken her nose.

"Had a nice wash?" I question her coldly.

"I've had better." she comments, before rushing at me.

I rip two long knives from my belt and block her attack, kicking her leg. She slides away, dodging the next slash of my knife and responding with her own jab from one of her spears. One cuts me on my shoulder, but I don't give her the satisfaction of wincing.

"How's your boyfriend?" she asks innocently.

"How's yours?" I reply. "Is he ready to see you die?"

I have no idea if Tiffany has a boyfriend at home or not, but the jab seems to work on her, and she growls back.

"Oh, I wish I saw your crying face when I stabbed Taser in the gut," she spits, blocking my knife with her spear. "He begged me to leave you alive so you could give him a good night kiss."

"I can't wait see your boyfriends face when he finds out you no longer have one." I snap in reply, elbowing Tiffany in the breast and shoving her away from me.

Tiffany hisses and pounces, trying to pin me against the jagged crystals on the wall. I can feel the sharp points of the crystals beginning to rip through my clothes with the pressure. I head-butt Tiffany, sending both of us reeling. Part of me wishes that I attended the career academy, in the hopes that I could pull off a head-butt that didn't hurt me too. Tiffany retreats a few steps, keeping me at bay with her throwing spears while she recovers for a second.

"You've got nerve, I'll give you that," she tells me, panting. "But you're no match for a trained career."

"You're not looking too good right now," I tell her honestly. "Chucking a District Four girl into water is a pretty stupid move."

"We all make mistakes," Tiffany shrugs, uncaring. "But at least I have you where I want you. You've survived longer than I thought you would."

"So have you," I reply smoothly. "I figured that maybe your idiocy and arrogance would have killed you earlier."

"Well, I made sure to tone it down a little so that Kleska wouldn't kill me in my sleep." Tiffany sighed.

I frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I question.

"Kleska killed Hans," Tiffany says. "But like that matters now. The career pack broke up straight after. I've been surviving pretty well on my own ever since."

Behind Tiffany, something moves. Franz silently walks into the cave with an armful of berries. His eyes widening in horror, he silently sets down the berries and takes out his silver knife. Determined, he begins to creep up behind Tiffany, obviously hoping to stab her without her knowing.

Keep her busy he mouths.

"I'm impressed," I stall. "Careers don't often survive for very long on their own."

"I'm not your average career," Tiffany replies. "I've studied my fair share of survival skills. Well, enough to survive that is. That, and I'm not an idiot."

"You could have fooled me." I taunt.

"You could have as well, if you didn't look at Franz like you just found salvation." Tiffany smirks.

Swiftly, she turns and throws one of her spears at Franz. Just as quickly, Franz nimbly dodges and the spear clatters to the floor on the other side of the cave.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, did I ruin your plan?" Tiffany croons condescendingly. "Honestly, you two are so predictable."

I look at Franz, and he nods. This fight needs to end now. We both rush in. Franz swipes to the side, and I stab forwards, but Tiffany uses her long leg to kick Franz in the stomach and block me with her spear. While Franz stumbles back, she twirls her spear, hoping to uppercut me repeatedly, but I jump out of the way. She comes in with a neat punch to my chin, and I reply by grabbing the shaft of her spear and twisting it. It's hard to hold onto the spear, because it's soaking wet, and Tiffany manages to wrench it out of my grip. With a punch to my abdomen, Tiffany pulls back her spear and plunges it into my shoulder.

I cry out in pain, my voice echoing throughout the cavern. Tiffany rips out her spear and pushes me down, ready to send the weapon into my eye. Suddenly, Franz leaps onto Tiffany's back, sticking his knife deep into her arm and wrapping his legs around her middle. She shrieks, trying to buck him off with all her might. He pinches her and punches her, which do little but distract her from me. My wound searing with pain, I use the wall to help me stand. Tiffany runs backwards, smashing into the crystals on the wall, earning a yell of pain from Franz. He lets go and stumbles back, rubbing his spine. When his hand comes back into view, I can see it's caked in blood. I can tell that I'm weak and giddy from the pain in my shoulder, but I refuse to give up. I grab one of my knives as Tiffany and Franz continue to battle. Tiffany jabs at Franz quickly, continuously stabbing, but Franz is nimble and clever, managing to dodge every swipe. At some point, I must have missed a part of the fight, because Franz has managed to retrieve his knife from Tiffany's shoulder, and is swiping it at Tiffany with every opportunity.

At this point, I launch forward, slashing my knife at her, but she blocks me and disarms me, sending a spear jab at my waist. It catches, but the most it does is rip off my belt of knives, sending the jagged weapons to the floor. Instinctively, I dive to grab one or two of the knives, with Tiffany lumbering after me.

"Mariel no!" Franz cries as I go to reach them.

I roll out of the way of Tiffany's plunging spear, feeling a slight vibration as the point slams down near my head. I kick Tiffany in the stomach, and she cries out with horror, stumbling back and cradling her stomach. Meanwhile Franz leaps for one of Tiffany's abandoned spears and tosses it into the water with all his might. It's obvious that he can't use it, and it's a smart move to make sure she can't either.

Tiffany sees this, and she runs at him while his back is turned.

"Franz!" I yell, but I'm too late.

Tiffany sends her spear straight through the back of Franz's neck and through the other side. For a second, everything stops. I stare at Franz in horror, his green eyes alight with shock and his body flopping like a fish on Tiffany's spear. The point almost looks like a jewel, poking out of his neck and shining red with blood. He gurgles and writhes for a moment, before Tiffany kicks his body off her spear and into the pool of water nearby.

"Franz…" I mutter.

"Dead." Tiffany growls triumphantly, and his cannon fires at her words.

I force myself to stand up once more, a knife in my hand. I'm angry, furious.

"You're disgusting." I tell her.

I rush at her, but before I can do anything, she throws her spear, the projectile landing straight in my stomach. I fall to the floor, coughing up blood and whining in pain. I can taste the metallic liquid in my mouth, and I spit it out, staining the rock next to me.

"You know, you tried." Tiffany says simply, walking over to me, and wrenching her spear out of my body.

I try to get up, but she kicks me down and pins me to the floor.

"But as I always say, beggars can't be choosers."

She kneels onto my back, grabbing my wrist and forcing me to let go of the knife in my hands. I growl in both anger and pain, trying to move but with no success. Tiffany leans down next to my ear and whispers in it.

"I'm going to kill you Mariel," she tells me. "I'm going to kill you and you're going to feel every second of it. We're going to go nice and slowly."

I wriggle, using the last of my energy to try and escape. I could run away, or try to flee at least, anything to get away from what Tiffany is about to do to me. She flips me over, pinning me down. Her knees dig painfully into my hips, and her hands are on my shoulders.

"Ready?" Tiffany teases.

I spit blood into her face as an answer.

"Bitch," she hisses at me. "This is going to hurt."

Grabbing a knife from nearby, she gives me a sweet, white smile, and plunges it in to my side. I scream in pain, crying out for help, for anyone to save me. Tiffany only laughs and twists the knife in deeper. She rips out the dagger, and then stabs me again but in a different spot this time. I cry out each time she stabs me, again and again and again. Hot tears wash away lines of blood from my face, dribbling onto the floor and adding to the dampness that already exists there.

This goes on for what feels like hours. Soon it doesn't hurt anymore. I just feel kind of numb. The pain is so overwhelming that it drowns itself out. Eventually it stops. I can feel myself fading away. I can't say a word. I can't move a muscle. Only my heart beats feebly as pools of blood slowly drain from my body and slide across the wet rocks to the water nearby.

Tiffany has stopped, but there's something different about her. She doesn't seem as evil, as brutish as she was during our fight. She surprises me by doing the one thing I don't expect her to do.

She cries.

She sobs gently as she looks down at me, almost scared at herself for what she's done. Maybe the Games have gotten to her too. Maybe she was too obsessed to survive or to live up to the face of being a merciless career? I will never know.

"Nothing…" she tells me. "Nothing ever prepared me for this."

"Then why…" I croak, my voice barely a whisper.

"I never wanted this," she explains. "My father…he…"

With the last of my energy, I slowly reach over and grab her hand. The hand of my enemy. The hand of my killer. The hand of a girl who was forced into the Games, by her own father.

"I understand," I whisper. "But I want it to end."

Tiffany nods at me. We both know that there's no saving me. She knows she can't be forgiven for what she's done. After all, she's just another tribute who wants to survive.

"It's okay," she says to me, her voice gentle and smooth. "You can rest now."

She takes a knife from one side into her hands, and holds it at my throat.

"Any last words?" she asks, her tone firmer yet more sincere.

I look her deep into her dark eyes. A single, final tear falls from them.

"I hope he waited for me."

Massai Puna, Twelve years old, District ElevenMale – Stabbed to death by Hans Schmittling. Placed 24th
Florescent Neista, Fourteen years old, District Five Female – Stabbed to death by Hans Schmittling. Placed 23rd
Rachelle McKenzie, Fifteen years old, District Three Female - Stabbed in the heart by Kleska Giori. Placed 22nd
Adelaide "Addie" Plum, Twelve years old, District Nine Female – Neck broken by Taser Shock. Placed 21st
Ali Combs, Seventeen years old, District Eight Female – Beaten to death by Taser Shock. Placed 20th
Skyla Truce, Sixteen year old, District Ten Female – Speared to death by Tiffany Splendour. Placed 19th
Hans Schmittling, Eighteen years old, District One Male – Throat slit by Kleska Giori. Placed 18th
Kip Lightcomb, Sixteen years old, District Ten Male – Mauled by mutts. Placed 17th
Zest Churna, Thirteen years old, District Six Female – Bludgeoned to death by Taser Shock. Placed 16th
Sedan Bristol, Seventeen years old, District Six Male – Impaled by Nicolo Boone. Placed 15th
Charlotte Moore, Sixteen years old, District Twelve Female – Bled out from a sustained injury. Placed 14th
Nicolo Boone, Fourteen years old, District Eight Male – Stabbed in the heart by Luke Coloss. Placed 13th
Shaune Greyson, Eighteen years old, District Five Male – Blown up by Steven "Spray" Krane. Placed 12th
David Peterson, Seventeen years old, District Seven Male – Stabbed in the throat by Kleska Giori. Placed 11th
Taser Shock, Eighteen years old, District Four Male – Speared in the chest by Tiffany Splendour. Placed 10th
Steven "Spray" Krane, Seventeen years old, District Two Male – Stabbed in the eye by Kleska Giori. Placed 9th
Kleska Giori, Fifteen years old, District Two Female – Stabbed in the heart by Karina "Kari" Faust. Placed 8th
Karina "Kari" Faust, Fifteen years old, District Seven Female – Impaled with a scythe by Derek Schutze. Placed 7th

These last six tributes were so hard to choose from in terms of finding a victor. I can safely say that I have seriously considered each of them for the victor of this story, but eventually I had to come to a conclusion. It's taken me a long time, but I want to congratulate all tributes (and their authors) in the top six for giving me tributes that are worthy of being the victor of this story!

Vella Contessa, Fifteen years old, District Eleven Female: Vella was stunning. Easily, I would say that she has been one of my favourite characters from the beginning of this story. I loved her spirit and her determination, as well as her worries and her fears. Everything about her was something I loved writing, because she could be simple, yet complex at the same time. That's what I look for in good characters; a mix of something unique and interesting, yet also sometimes simple and straightforward. I loved her alliance with Luke, and her unyielding belief in herself to get back home. However, we all know how it goes. Vella has done some impressive feats in this story, but even she has her limits. In this case, I chose to leave her behind. I'll miss writing her :'( Poisoned. Placed 6th

Franz Wight, Twelve years old, District Three Male: Not all twelve year olds are bloodbath fodder. Obviously, there can be characters that you dislike that are young and sweet, and often they have to go. Everyone tells me these days that I shouldn't kill them in the bloodbath...oops. However, well made twelve year olds like Franz deserve to go further. In fact, at one point, I'd pinned Franz as my victor, the first twelve year old victor in Panem. He would have gone back to get Jonathan for Shaune and returned to his parents. I know that a lot of you liked Franz a lot, and would have hoped to see him live, but for him, this is the end of the line. I loved Franz to pieces, but he was not the victor I envisioned. I'm sorry. Stabbed in the neck with a spear, courtesy of Tiffany Splendour. Placed 5th

Mariel Tide, Eighteen years old, District Four Female: Mariel was everything. She had heart. She had strength. She had the ability to win. She had Taser, Franz and her alliance, and she's been through so much turmoil, that she deserved to win. She had everything to fight for, and everything to lose. When I first received Mariel and Taser, they were a match made in heaven. There were so many stories and ideas that I played around with…to the point where Mariel killed Taser, and vice versa. But it felt wrong. Even though it would be horrible, I knew that one of them killing the other was what you all wanted/expected. I liked the idea, but I didn't want that. I always figured that Mariel would be the type of girl to struggle through things, and while she has been an incredible character, the struggle just got too much for her. Thanks for sending her in! Stabbed repeatedly by Tiffany Splendour. Placed 4th

*cries*

This story is nearly over! We're at the finale, and quite frankly, it's blowing my mind! What do you think about Tiffany's sponsor? It came just in time! As for Vella, she wasn't so lucky. What do you think about Vella, and how do you think Luke will do without her? Will you miss Mariel, Franz and Vella?

I know, I know, I'm a horrible person. I also feel like I almost went into too much detail with their deaths (even though it was really cool for me to write). Make sure to tell me if this went too far, I don't want this flagged for the wrong rating. I might change the rating to M or I'll leave it, depends what you all think. :D

We have three tributes left for the Victors crown. Derek. Luke. Tiffany. Hm, interesting. I know that a lot of you cared for the tributes that just died. Still, I know that the remaining three tributes all have crowds cheering for them. Remember, so many tributes deserved victory, and now it's only these three left. All of them are decent tributes. A mother. A brother. A lover. It all depends on who's going to win :o

Are you ready for the end?

Over and out!

~Mental

P.S. This chapter was 7,329 words, I swear my chapters are getting longer and longer XD