I promised...

and here you go!

PIPER RAVINE, DISTRICT 7 FEMALE (MTNGWN)

Tonight, I don't retire until late. Instead, I spent the last few hours wandering my island, hoping to discover a tribute or two. Really, if I can manage to get rid of District 4 and District 6, it's only me and the careers. A 1/4 chance.

But no one shows up, and I eventually assume that everyone's caught on the other island, the big one with no mixed trees. That's alright, because possibly they'll run into each-other, and maybe each loner'll take out a career as they go, and then it'll just be me and another. I want to go home. And now, I'm closer than ever.

When I finally do take to a tree, I pick one for comfort, not secrecy. It's a wide willow, with a great thick fork about twenty feet off the ground. I rule out all tributes being near me, and anyway, I don't think any but the careers would be able to accurately kill me with distance weapons before I wake up and escape. I mean, it could happen, but I would have spotted a three-man team on this island easily. I truly believe Serena's knife found it's way into Ashton's skull by pure luck.

Once I'm up in the tree, I slide off my sandals, tie them together and stuff them in my black sleeping bag. I can never sleep with those things on. Otherwise, the outfit we're forced to wear in here isn't that bad, although I wish I had long baggy shorts like all of the boys do. The girl's get leggings, which are great for swimming, but not so great when you're trying to run and people can get a good shot at your legs. Oh well. It was probably the perverted head gamemaker's choice.

GLORY SPINDEL, DISTRICT 1 FEMALE (tinkerbell980)

I wait a few hours before preparing. Really, I should have woken up Clare two hours ago, but that would screw with my whole plan. And it's not like they're going to wake up, it's been an exhausting day. Which, of course, is perfect.

It only takes fifteen minutes to get ready. First of all, I harvest about two handfuls of this great moss that I found barely ten steps from our tent. Then, I snatch one of Clare's good knives, the kind that's so sharp if you so much as brush your finger across it, it'll open up a cut in your finger.

Then, I take about five minutes to think through my plan. There are two that I have to get rid of in consecutive minutes, without the other noticing. The only problem in this plan is that both of them have weapons near them.

Jared's is a sword, while Clare has a pile of throwing knives by her head. The latter is much more lethal, but again, a better sleeper. So I cross over to the boy first.

I set the knife up against his neck, and prepare the moss to go straight into his mouth if he wakes up. I take a deep breath, through my nose, and then dig the knife deep into Jared's neck. I see the panic in his eyes moments before he shrieks, and I stuff the moss in just in time. But there's no use. He's already slipping away.

Boom.

Shit. I forgot about the canon. And this mistake might be my last. Clare's looking up, bewildered, and I have blood on my hands. Jared's dead.

"You!" She shouts, climbing to her feet. "What the hell?"

"Clare!" I say, trying to calm her. Because, right now, she doesn't have any weapons in her hands.

"Trying to betray us or something?" She cries unnecessarily, because it's clear that, yes, that is what I did. "Was I next? Answer me!"

"No." I lie automatically. "I mean, yes, you were." Truth will get me farther.

"Well fuck you, then, Glory. You just killed in the most dishonorable way. Betrayal. The problem is, I don't even feel like killing you in response. Yeah, sure, you got rid of our dictator," she pauses and then kicks Jared's body, "but I was next? Trying to kill two birds with one stone? Get out! Before I kill you. This alliance is over."

"Fine," I spit, because truly, I'm lucky to get away with my life. I snatch my pack and sleeping bag, and a few knives off of the pile, all while glaring straight at Clare.

"No one takes the tent." Clare says simply. "We burn it."

"Why?" I automatically say, because I just assumed she or I would take it. Why burn it?

"It's too big of an item to be split fairly. And we don't want another tribute using it."

"Good point." Before I can think twice, I light and toss a match carelessly over my shoulder. And then I get the hell out of there.

SERENA TRANQUILLO, DISTRICT 4 FEMALE (Lighty 7)

I sleep on the beach that night. I dig myself a deep hole, line it with pine needles (thank god this island has several types of trees, and then find a nice piece of driftwood to keep over my head. It still allows me to see outside, through several angles, and I spot the lethal district 7 girl passing by my copse several times. After what I judge to be an hour after her last visit, I hear first a canon, and then a flame leaps up into the sky across the ocean. It spreads quickly, enveloping the left side of the island quickly. The gamemakers must have interfered, however, because the flame doesn't reach the side of the island that's facing me.

I wonder who that was. Could they even have collected the body of the person? Or is it just ashes?

I hope I don't die that way.

And... here we go!

FINAL FIVE!

6. Jared Pierce (2M); Glory Spindel (district 1), slit neck while sleeping (DAY 10, early)

And the final five is:

ALEX TRAIN (DISTRICT 6) AGE 18

CLARE BROOKS (DISTRICT 13) AGE 16

GLORY SPINDEL (DISTRICT 1) AGE 17

PIPER RAVINE (DISTRICT 7) AGE 17

SERENA TRANQUILLO (DISTRICT 4) AGE 15

Thoughts?

sp

** you might get a second chapter today!