Sierra Golding, District 2 (16)

The District 6 boy turned slowly and rose to his feet, trying, but failing, to look calm. His blank face showed no emotion, but I could see his hands were shaking slightly as he balled them into fists at his side. He was either angry or scared, but at this point I really didn't care which one it was. I just wanted to kill him as quickly as possible. I wanted to go home.

The Hunger Games were nothing like I'd expected them to be. Sure, they'd trained us all really well in the district training academy, but nothing they could have told us could have prepared me for the arena. Not even the past victors could have prepared me. Nothing.

Don't get me wrong, it was great at first. Since I was a Career, my alliance got all the best supplies and the shelter of the Cornucopia for those cold nights, while the other tributes were out there freezing, hungry and largely unprotected. I was safe in my skills and in my alliance, and nothing out there was any real threat to me. And there was the killing.

We got taught how to kill at the training academy, but, until I got to the arena, I had never killed anything before. It was a magical feeling, like you were completely in control and you could choose if you wanted to end someone's life or spare them. Of course, I always chose to end it. That's what the Games are about after all.

Then my alliance started to die. One by one they fell, first Brax (who in my opinion never really counted as a real Career), then Seni (killed by that little bitch Maddie in his sleep), then Nic (my own dear brother whose family pride stopped him from accepting the agreed volunteer at the reaping), then Naomi (I never intended to let her live after we split up. Stupid girl, I can't believe she actually thought we were friends.), then Lance (I dealt with that deserter after Naomi), and then the little bitch herself, Maddie, bit the dust. I don't know who killed her, but I'm slightly peeved that I didn't get the chance to. It must have been one of the remaining girls. I couldn't imagine Vee or Capri being able to kill her. Was she really that weak?

Nic's death took a harder toll on me than I thought it would. I knew that he was going to die eventually (after all, I was going to win), but seeing him cut down in front of me, to protect me no less, really made me lose it. I knew it was bound to happen eventually, but when it finally did, the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. Nic, my brother, was dead.

And that's when the Games became less fun for me and, after I was left all alone as the last standing member of the Career's alliance, I realised just how much I wanted to get out of the arena. I'd been in here long enough. It was time to finish off the last tributes and return home.

"Y-you, killed her," Vitz said shakily, his eyes leaving his district partners dead body and glaring into mine. "She's dead."

"Well of course she is," I said in a bored voice. "It's kill or be killed our here, dumbass. I kinda want to go home now, so if you don't mind," I gestured to the bow slung over my shoulders, "I'd like to kill you now."

"Well I do mind."

I sighed. "I thought you might," I replied, frowning. "But see, I really want to get back to district 2 now. I'm tired of these Games and I want my bed." I shrugged my bow off my shoulder and had an arrow in place before he could react. "If you keep still and let me shoot you in the right spot, it won't hurt for more than a second."

"Put that thing down and fight me for real, you coward!" he shouted, his hands shaking again. "Or are you too afraid that I'd beat you?"

I laughed. "Your district partner tried the exact same tactic to stop me from shooting her," I replied, "and look at how well that turned out." I nodded towards Lexi's corpse. "Her death was slow and painful. At least I'm sparing you of that."

"Please, Sierra. I have a child!"

I rolled my eyes. "Changing tactics now, are you? First insults, and now you're trying to make me feel bad for you. Well it's not going to work! I have no sympathy for you."

"Please, Sierra. Don't let them see me die like this. If I'm going to die, let them see me fight first. Let me try to defend myself! Just give me a fair chance."

I drew my arrow back. "This is the Hunger Games, Vitz. There's nothing fair about any of this."

I released the arrow.

The arrow struck the District 6 boy in the chest before he had time to realise what was happening. His mouth moved into a small "O" of surprise and then he stumbled backwards, falling gracefully into the long grass besides his district partner. His cannon went off seconds later.

I walked over to the bodies of the district 6 tributes as they lay there together, so peaceful in death.

"I'm sorry, Vitz," I said, nudging his leg with the toe of the boot, "but if there's one thing this arena has taught me about family, it's that it doesn't last forever. No matter how much you want it to."

Vee Clesta, District 12, (15)

Boom!

Capri and I both jumped as the cannon sounded, staring wide eyes at each other in alarm. Two cannons had sounded in the space of less than half an hour and the closing moments of the Games were now very real for both of us. I had never expected to make it past the bloodbath, let alone to the final three! From the look Capri was giving me, I could tell that she was feeling the same way.

"Who do you think it was?" she asked in a small voice.

"No idea," I replied, not even finding the strength to smile reassuringly at her this time. "But I guess we'll know soon enough." I nodded towards the horizon where the sun was just starting to sink over the edge, casting shadows across the arena's long yellow grass. "The sun's about to go down. Can't be too long before the anthem starts to play and we'll know who the last finalist is."

"I hope it's not Sierra."

I didn't reply. Sierra was a strong competitor and would make for a difficult final fight, but part of me wanted to meet the District 2 girl at the end. I hadn't seen much of the District 6s since our time in the Training Centre (save for the brief moment where they joined in the fight against the Careers where Lara was killed), but from what I remember, they both seemed like pretty decent people. I'd been through so much in my weeks in the arena and I'd seen so much death and suffering, that I probably wouldn't be able to bring myself to kill either of the District 6 tributes. Sierra, though, had been the direct cause of so much pain and so much death. She's murdered so many good people, including my friends Lara and Shay, as well as other tributes I'd come across like little Angela from District 8, who died slowly and painfully with two arrows sticking out of her stomach. I know the Games are about killing, but the way Sierra did it seemed so barbaric, as if she enjoyed every moment of it. I'd always believed that everyone deserved a chance to live, but the Hunger Games have changed that view. I wanted to kill Sierra Golding myself.

But was that my only reason for wanting to see Sierra at the end? She was from District 2, a district notorious for training their tributes in the art of killing so that they would have the best shot at winning the Games once they volunteered. In District 12, there are no volunteers and getting reaped is considered a death sentence. I'd expected to die ever since my name was called out at the reaping. Was that what I wanted now?

"I think it is."

"What?"

"What?" Capri asked, turning her head slightly to face me as we walked. "Did you say something?"

"Didn't you?"

Capri frowned. "No," she said slowly. "Must have been a twig snapping or something." She glanced at me again, her green eyes concerned. "Would you like some water? You're looking a little pale."

I shook my head. "No thanks, I'm alright."

I think, I added in my head. The voice I had heard sounded oddly familiar, and it obviously wasn't Capri.

We continued on in silence until the Capitol anthem started to play and the familiar logo appeared in the starry sky above us.

"Here's the moment of truth," whispered Capri as we stopped walking to watch. "I wonder if this will be the last time we'll see this display."

I didn't reply and just looked up as the first face appeared across the sky. Capri let out an angry sigh as Lexi Deryl's face smiled down at us and it was no surprise when Vitz Morales appeared next. Sierra had survived, and I found that I was glad to know that.

"Looks like you go your wish."

I didn't jump this time when the voice whispered in my ear. I already knew that it would, like it had always been there, just out of reach until now.

"So Sierra it is then," Capri said glumly, resting a cold palm against her face. "I should have known."

But I wasn't paying attention to her. Instead, I was staring at the small figure standing in the shadows of a clump of trees, her light brown hair shimmering in the light of the full moon now shining above us. She lifted a hand and took a step back into the darkness.

"I need to go to the toilet," I said suddenly, moving away from a surprised Capri. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

"Okay," she replied with a shrug as I turned my back on her and started walking away at a brisk pace. "Don't take too long."

I started looking for the figure as soon as I passed the first few trees, searching wildly around myself until I caught sight of the smiling girl standing a few feet away.

"Hello, Vee."

"Shay," I said my voice surprisingly calm as the dead girl smiled up at me. "Is that really you?"

The District 10 girl shrugged. "Who knows," she said, offering a sad smile. "I feel like me though."

I took a step forward. "Why are you here? Are you some Gamemaker trick?"

Even as the words left my mouth I knew that wasn't true. I don't know how I knew, but I just had a feeling that seeing Shay wasn't engineered by the Capitol.

Someone laughed behind me.

"See Shay, I told you she would jump to those conclusions."

I spun around to see Lara leaning against a nearby tree, as relaxed as ever.

"Hi Vee," she said with a smile. "Miss me?"

"L-Lara?" I stammered, blinking hard. "You're here too?"

"Looks like it," the older girl chuckled. "And I'm not alone."

She nodded to her left where two more figures were emerging from the darkness that surrounded us. Killian looked just like I remembered him; his electric blond hair standing up in all directions and a mischievous grin plastered all over his face. Angela look slightly more calm, but there was still a playful glint in her large grey eyes.

"Killian." I sunk to my knees, holding my head in my hands. "Killian, I'm so sorry. I should have gone back for you. I'm so sorry." Tears started to run down my face and into the soft soil of the damp ground beneath the trees. "Forgive me."

"I forgive you."

Killian's voice was quiet and distant, but I still recognised it all the same. I got to my feet again.

"Why are you all here?"

"We wanted to talk to you, silly," said Angela, winking at me. "You made it to the final three. Congrats."

"It's not something to be congratulated for," I said, my voice expressionless. "You all had to die for me to get here. It's my fault you're all dead."

"Sierra killed me, Vee," Shay said. "Not you."

"She got me and Angie too," said Lara, ignoring Angela's glare at the hated nickname. "She's the one to blame for our deaths."

"My death isn't even your fault," added Killian. "I had already given up by the time you found me. I didn't want to live anymore."

"Neither is mine," said a new voice. "I was the one who attacked you first. Karma, right?"

Maddie was walking out of the darkness, her golden hair flowing around her dainty shoulders, shining brightly as it caught the moonlight. She smiled at me, her amber eyes forgiving.

"You're not responsible for any of this. The Capitol is to blame, not you."

I couldn't tell who said it, but I made new tears form in my eyes all the same.

"How can you all be here?" I asked, my voice shaking. "I saw you die! I saw the wounds. How are you whole again?"

"There are no wounds where we come from," Shay answered, her voice soft. "Nor is there pain of any kind. It's a lovely place."

"You'd like there," said Killian, grinning again. "And I think you'd fit right in."

I looked up at the small boy.

"Does it hurt?" I asked. "Dying?"

He smiled comfortingly. "Not at all," he replied. "It's quicker and easier than falling asleep."

"We'll be waiting for you there," said Lara, mirroring Killian's comforting smile. "Be it tomorrow or 60 years, we'll be waiting."

"But right now, you need to go back to Capri," said Shay. "Your time in the arena isn't finished yet."

I turned to face her.

"Are you real?" I asked. "Or are you just in my head."

The little girl smiled.

"Of course I'm in your head. But that doesn't make me any less real."

Capri Arello, District 7 (17)

"Are you okay?" I asked Vee as she neared.

Vee nodded. "I'm fine now," she replied.

"Good," I said smiling, "because we need to get ready for the final fight. Sierra would want us to come and find her, and I know just where she'll be."

"Where?"

"The Cornucopia."

And that, ladies and gents, is our second last chapter! I seriously can't believe that we're finally here…and that my next update will be my last Well, until the sequel that is!

So our victor will be announced in the next chapter. Who do you think it will be? Considering the fact that I randomly selected the victor at the beginning of this story, it could be anyone…But in the meantime, I have some little tit-bits for you in regards to the next chapter:

Either Sierra or Capri will be the first to die.

There will be a guest cannon POV as the person in question watches the games.

Two characters will be killed by the same weapon.

I hope that's enough to make you excited for the final update! Oh, and since you all are such wonderfully loyal readers, I've decided to let you decide who you'd like the first POV of the final chapter to be by. Head off to my page (after you've dropped me a review *hint hint*) and vote on my poll for Sierra, Capri or Vee! I'll start writing once I've received sufficient results, so get your votes in so I can start quickly!

As always, thank you for reading and I hope you'll all send in a review