Shane Donegal

That was a most inauspicious first year mentoring. On the bright side, I didn't feel guilty about losing my first Tribute. I'd have broken out my old shillelagh myself if he'd won.

Careen Ellis

That girl had more pain than any of us knew. It didn't make it right to take it out on others, but I could understand how she didn't see where else to put it. She was probably happier to not be alive anymore.

District Four

It was safe to say no one missed Steve or Alex. The small animals of the District finally had some peace, though they were too simple to know it. We were glad to put the last of the Krafts in their graves with the others. Some families were better destroyed.

Ember Steiner

Why did that bloody corpse look so much like Shui? He was a quick runner. He would have run away as soon as the gong sounded. He didn't belong here with the others. We were all looking over the fallen and taking stock, but why did that one look so much like Shui?

It was me on the ground down there. My blood, my genes, child of my mother. I knelt by him and took his cold hand. It was the same hand I used to hold when we were toddlers, learning to walk and leaning against each other. He was pale. There was blood all around him, soaking into my pants.

I gathered him up in my arms and bent over him. Dad said I had to be ready for this, but he wasn't any more ready than I was. Maybe I'd get over it, but it was like the end of the world. If Icarus or Blake had run up behind me and stabbed me, they probably would have gotten away with it. It was Blake who ended up coming over, but not for that reason.

"They have to come get him," she said softly. Her face showed the sorrow we Careers didn't know how to say with words. "Let me help you."

I clutched him tighter. It wasn't right to leave him like this. He deserved a proper memorial. I laid him out flat and arranged him so he didn't look broken. I couldn't see clearly when I closed his eyes. That seemed appropriate.

"I'm sorry I don't have any flowers or anything," Blake said. I slid his token from his pocket. Mother knew she wasn't going to get her watch back from Shui. I'd keep it for both of us.

I didn't want Shui to have flowers to go home with him. I wanted him to have me to go home with him. I reached up a hand and ripped out the biggest clump of hair I could manage. I wanted it to hurt so it wouldn't hurt so much inside. I wound the hair around his hand and curled his fingers in tight. Blake held my hand as we left him behind. I watched the hovercraft come, and my brother flew away.

Icarus Aguilar

Ember was vulnerable. The way she was crying over her brother, I could have walked right up to her and run her through without a fight. Blake read my mind and gave me a nasty look.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, not loudly enough for Ember to hear. She walked over to the kneeling girl and stood protectively by her, twisting so she could keep an eye on me.

It wasn't like I was the only killer here. We all volunteered with the intent of winning. We were going to kill each other eventually, and it was stupid not to take an advantage. Ember was a strong opponent. I didn't want to fight her at her best if I had a chance to fight her at her worst. This was war. There were no dirty fights.

I needed to be careful. Blake and Ember would bond over this. Blake already didn't like me. If she and Ember formed a sub-alliance, I was the odd man out. I was the "bad guy", the one Blake caught planning to kill Ember. It wouldn't be long before they figured out they were stronger as two united people than three fractured allies. They'd be coming for me.

I had two options. I could leave right away. Ember would be too distracted to notice and Blake would stay to comfort her. If I did that, I'd be their target. I'd be the last opposing Career and the one they needed to weed out. If I stayed, I had to lay low and convince them I wasn't a threat. It was a dangerous game to play. I'd be walking a razor-thin wire. But then, I wanted to be the best.

In a chapter like this with no deaths and no major character changes, I assume unchanged votes stay the same. I already have the next victim lined up and posted this first just in case there were some stragglers.