A/N: No, I'm not dead. :D

The Arena

1357 Hours

3:03:57:03

Grey storm clouds cloak the sky. Two dark-skinned children walk side by side down the road. The elder balances a small pack on his shoulder. The younger, who could not be much older than four or five, trots at his side.

"It's gonna rain," the smaller boy says, his voice little more than a pained rasp.

"Don't get your hopes up, Asa." DarJ licks his dry lips, hoping against hope that his brother was correct. The Gamemakers wouldn't want all of the tributes dying off from thirst in the first week, would they? But would they really just give the tributes water? All of the duo's searches for water had been fruitless. The only sources seemed to be the fountain at the Cornucopia and, of course, sponsors. The Gamemakers couldn't force all tributes not blessed be sponsors to visit the Cornucopia. The Careers camped there nearly every year.

DarJ slowly begins to relax. "Maybe," he grants.

Asa hoots happily. How he finds the energy DarJ does not know. The older boy scavenged only a small quantity of food from the Cornucopia, and by now nearly all of it is gone. Only a small handful of nuts remains, which will not fuel the boys for long.

"Think we'll find anyone?" Asa asks. "You can kill 'em and we can take their food. Water, too."

DarJ just shrugs. They had not seen any of the other tributes since the bloodbath, apart from a brief glimpse of Hazel from Seven on the second morning. The Gamemakers might flip a few switches to organize a meeting with another tribute. If they did, it was all too possible that a desperate opponent would take them both down only to discover too late that they had nothing worth stealing. Nothing but a canvas sack, a clumsy sword, a rolled up sleeping bag and some garbage.

DarJ fingers the hilt of his sword. He had kept it in his hand all day, despite the extra weight, in case such a confrontation should occur. He hopes it will serve as a deterrent, for he doubts he will be able to manipulate it should they be attacked. Despite his tough facade, DarJ cannot imagine actually thrusting the sword into human flesh, watching the blood spurt from the wound. The thought of ending another life in such a gory manner does not settle well with him.

Lightning branches across the sky. Asa stops and fixes his eyes on the sky. "Lightnin', DarJ! You watchin'? There's a big storm comin'."

"Just hope it rains," DarJ mutters.

"It's gonna rain," the younger boy assures him. There is a rumble of thunder, and the child grins. "See, DarJ, it's gonna storm soon."

"Keep walkin', Asa."

"Keep wastin' energy, you mean? I'm waitin' for the rain, then we can walk." Asa sticks his tongue out at his brother before focusing his attention on the sky once more.

DarJ huffs in annoyance and reaches for the boy's bony wrist. "Well, get outa the middle of the street, then. Ya wanna get struck by lightning?"

"That only happens in the stories," Asa insists. "Only tall stuff gets hit, and I'm hardly tall."

"Ya think the Gamemakers're above striking a little kid? Nothin' big's happened all day. Crowd's probably begging for some action by now. Get outa the street. Unless ya wanna die, in which case by all means stay out there." DarJ turns on his hell and stomps to the side of the road.

A few moments later, Asa joins him. "What time is it?"

DarJ shrugs. "Early afternoon, I'd guess."

"Awful dark for early afternoon," the younger boy comments, frowning at the storm clouds above. He opens his mouth to continue but is distracted by another flash of lightning quickly followed by a clap of thunder. "It's gettin' closer, DarJ!" Asa says excitedly.

"So it is." DarJ's throat stings. He had never enjoyed speaking whilst thirsty, but the rain could come any moment now, and the threat of dehydration would temporarily be put at bay.

"Get out the containers from the food," Asa advises. "That way we can catch the water."

The fourteen-year-old stares at him. "Decent idea," he admits, letting the sack slip from his shoulder. He digs through it and removes the three containers. "Want one?" He holds out the smallest.

"Nah." Asa steps away. "Hurry up, storm!"

"Gamemakers, you mean. Nothin' here's natural. And ask nicely."

Asa clasps his hands. "Gamemakers, pretty please make it rain. We're, I'm, we're really thirsty and would really really really love some water."

DarJ smiles affectionately, setting the containers on the cobblestones, their lids in a pile to his side. The boys sit for several minutes. Four dark eyes settle on the sky. They do not budge until a fat drop of water makes its quick descent from the clouds.

DarJ's eyes widen as a droplet bursts open on his neck. "Asa," he says quietly, his eyes bright. "It's raining."

The child yelps with joy as the downpour begins. Within seconds, water is streaming down the street. Years worth of dirt is picked up and carried to the rivers forming on each side of the street. DarJ kneels on the cobbles, rejoicing silently as water curls around his neck, carving a trail through the grime. In front of him, the containers are already brimming with water. DarJ lifts one to his lips and downs it in a matter of sips. Water has never before tasted to good. He sets the jug down to fill again.

As his older brother tends to the containers, Asa rises. His brother's warning forgotten, he leaps over the dirty river and into the middle of the street. He spreads his arms wide and tilts his head back, opening his mouth. Water runs down his dirty face and drips from his chin. His soaked clothes hang from his body, but he doesn't care; it's raining, there's water.

The child frolics in the street, blissfully unaware of all but the light show above and the water streaming down his body.

DarJ stuffs the containers in his sack and turns to his brother, watching the younger boy fondly. He allows his mind to drift away. With the threat of dehydration at bay, why not relax for a few moments? He is jerked back to reality when he feels the current of the river tug at his feet. DarJ looks down in horror. The river is nearly up to his knees. It's shallower in the center, but it is rising rapidly.

They must've closed off the drains, DarJ realizes as he steps out of the river and huddles in a doorstep. "Asa!" he yells over the rain. "Get outa the street! We need to get inside!" The younger boy pays him no heed. "Asa!" DarJ pleads again. "Please! Come here before it's too late!"

Asa looks up then. He gives his brother a curious look. It takes him several seconds to notice the rivers raging at his sides. His eyes widen and he begins to struggle through the rapids. Several steps later, the water is at his chest.

DarJ grips the knob of the door and reaches out for Asa with his free hand. The tiny child reaches for the hand, but a good two yards still separates them. Asa tries to inch forward, but the water is at his shoulders and all of his strength is focused on staying rooted and not being swept from his feet.

"Jump for it," DarJ urges. "Damnit, Asa, you can't leave me. Jump! I'll catch you, I will!"

The five-year-old's eyes are wide with fear. "DarJ, I - "

"Jump!"

Asa shuts his eyes tight. "Tell Mama and Papa I love 'em. You, too."

"You're not gonna die," DarJ insists, tears pouring down his face. "I'll catch you! You and me, we can do this. We can live. Just jump. Jump, Asa, please..."

Asa lets out a sob. He bends his knees and pushes off from the slick cobbles under his feet with all the force he can muster. His upper half rises from the water, and for a moment it almost seems as if he might just reach the hand waiting for him. But then he crashes against the raging water, and the little body soon disappears from sight.

DarJ falls back against the door. He clutches his knees to his chest as his body is wracked with sobs. A week before, he would never have thought he would care much if Asa met his end. Even this morning Asa was little more than an irritating reminder of home. But now the child is gone, never to return. DarJ bows his head and sobs.

The storm clouds had been building in the sky all morning, but the downpour doesn't begin until well after lunch. Four of the six Careers sit in the Cornucopia's courtyard. Sage and Gemini are away, scouting out the surrounding buildings. Artemis sits on the top of the golden horn, fiddling with a spear. Cade kneels on the stone close to the horn, cleaning his sword. The youngest members of the alliance sit side by side several years from the fountainheads.

"Oh, joy, more waterworks," Heather mutters, digging her knife into the rut between two cobblestones. "Just when I get sick of the sound of that fountain, it has to rain. As if this arena didn't have enough water already."

"You'd rather we didn't have any water?" Valentine rolls her eyes. "Fond of the desert arenas, are you? Or we can cut you off from the water if that's what you'd like."

Heather glares at the younger girl. "You think you're so tough, don't you. Bet I could beat you in a fight."

Valentine smirks. "Want to try? What are you ranked, fifteenth? Didn't know you were suicidal."

The fifteen-year-old grips the handle of her knife. "Eighth, actually," she says, fighting to keep her voice steady. "You're a bitch, you know that?"

"You're one to speak. Why the hell did you volunteer? You're good for nothing more than guarding the stuff, it's all you can do."

"I got a ten in training," Heather reminds her.

"You expect me to dismiss that as anything more than a stroke of luck? You're useless, Heather," Valentine sneers. Heather says something in return, but Valentine does not hear it. There is a tingling sensation in her spine, and she shivers. She glances back at the fountain, where Artemis has managed to embed the spear in the golden horn. Her eyes widening, Valentine rises. "Artemis, you idiot! You - "

She is interrupted by a blinding flash of light and a sharp crack. Valentine cries out, falling backwards, her knife slipping from her hand. Beside her, Heather lets out a gasp, crawling away from the fountain as quickly as she can. But their cries are easily drowned out by the wail of the spear-wielding girl on the tall golden surface. The Career slips from her perch atop the Cornucopia and lands in a pile at the edge of the fountain.

"Artemis!" Valentine forces herself to her feet and stumbles over to the fallen girl. She reaches for her wrist. When she feels no pulse, she curses and kicks a loose cobble. The cannon must have been lost in the thunder. "Guess this is what happens to idiots who stick up spears during a lightning storm." She turns away, calling Cade's name. The eighteen-year-old had been a considerable distance away from Artemis's lightning rod, but he was much closer than Valentine had been.

The teenager is struggling to his knees several feet from the horn, clearly dazed. He holds his head in his hands. His face is contorted in pain. He crawls away from the horn, dragging himself as far away as possible from the conductive gold. He comes to stop at a fountainhead.

"You okay?" Valentine asks.

"Fine," the older boy says through clenched teeth. "Give me an ice pack, some cake and about thirty years and I'll be good as new."

"It could be worse," Heather agrees, coming up, Artemis's spear in her hands. "You're lucky you're built like this. And it doesn't seem like it was a direct strike."

Cade doesn't respond. His eyes are fixed on the buildings across the courtyard. The girls follow his gaze.

"It's Sage and Gemini!" Heather jumps to her feet and jumps down from the fountain. She crosses the courtyard, Valentine at her heels. "Did you find anything?" she calls. "Anyone?"

The two don't respond. Their eyes are wide with terror. They don't stop at the ledge but immediately jump down. Gemini buckles as she hits the ground, but Valentine pulls her to her feet. "What happened?"

"No time!" Gemini gasps. "Get to the fountain!" She sprints past the younger girl. Valentine glances at the buildings behind her as she backs towards the Cornucopia. At first she sees nothing. She tilts her head to get a better look at the alley. Her eyes widen as she sees the surge of water just blocks away, and advancing rapidly. She turns and hurtles towards the fountain.

The five Careers assemble by the Cornucopia. Valentine is the last to arrive. As she reaches the fountain, the front of the wave surges past the closest buildings. She struggles onto the fountain just as the wave reaches the ledge and pours into the courtyard. The five teens press their backs against the golden horn as water converges on the fountain from all sides.

The wave loses momentum as it flows through the courtyard, surrendering much of its water to the ground as cobbles come loose to reveal storm drains. When it reaches the fountain, the water is not much taller than the fountainheads. The tributes atop the fountain squeeze their eyes shut as they are sprayed by dirty water. The assault lasts not more than fifteen seconds. Hesitantly, the Careers open their eyes to view the ravaged courtyard.

The rain has ceased, and the storm clouds overhead are beginning to clear. As the last of the water trickles into the stone enclosure, the ground begins to mend itself. Cobblestones are adjusted and ground grows over the exposed drains. In under a minute the courtyard looks as good as new, apart from the two bodies at the base of the fountain.

The Careers descend to better view the bodies. Sage prods the larger body with his foot, turning the tribute over. "Artemis?" His eyebrows lift in surprise. "Whatever happened to her? The water wasn't that bad on the fountain. It wasn't what got her, was it."

Heather shakes her head. "Lightning."

"The genius decided to fool around with a spear on top of the Cornucopia." Valentine shakes her head in disgust. "It got Cade, too, but he was farther away. It wasn't direct. He should be fine."

"Who's the kid?" Gemini asks, nodding to the second corpse.

Sage frowns at the small dark-skinned child. "District Eleven. I believe that's Asa."

"Only two were caught in the flood?" Heather says as a hovercraft appears overhead.

"The water wasn't exactly hard to miss," Sage says with a smirk. "All they had to do was pop into a building. And it probably wasn't as bad farther out. It just accumulated as it came here. They probably closed off all the storm drains. If they didn't, we just would've gotten a bit of runoff."

"This tells us a bit about the arena layout," Valentine says. "Unless the Gamemakers were controlling the water direction - which is possible, but it seems like a bit of a waste of energy to me - the square is at the lowest elevation. I didn't notice that much of an incline, but it would explain why all the water converged here."

Asa's limp body is lifted into the air. The metal claws dip down once more and scoop up the sixteen-year-old. The Careers watch their former ally as she is deposited and the doors of the hovercraft fold shut. The vehicle disappears, and the Careers sit in silence.

2046 Hours

3:10:46:59

District 8 Male C: Quentin Landsman's POV:

I am still shaking from this afternoon's storm. I have never liked thunderstorms, a fact for which my sister Adena teased me mercilessly. The experience was ten times worse in the arena, with the knowledge that at any moment a Gamemaker could decide that things were too dull and opt to strike me with lightning. After the scenario occurred to me, I decided to hunker down in a building until the storm passed. Just a few minutes after I settled in a stone structure I glanced outside and saw the water building up. I didn't know how to swim, and I began to panic- what if the water level kept rising? Another ten feet and I'd be under.

And then the wave came through. It raised the water level by well over five feet. I could probably reach it from the window if I dared to try. The wave eventually passed, and the water level subsided until it appeared mere inches deep. Still, I dared not leave the building.

The sky is getting dark. I don't want to be outside after dark, so I take a small sip from my newly refilled water bottle and sit down, leaning against the smooth, cold wall. I wonder where the camera is. I have no doubt that there is one on me now, though the room is dark and I am not doing anything of interest. Each tribute has their own channel broadcasting them twenty-four hours a day until they meet their end. The commentators always focus on another channel, which displays the most interesting fight, and occasionally highlights from the day.

No privacy. Never again. I groan, pressing my back against the cool stone. I'm never going to get out of here. One day soon, my time and luck will expire and I'll cease to be Quentin. Only a shell will remain.

I wonder if Adena will be happy when I die. She always saw me as a threat, since I rivaled her smarts. I wanted us to be friends, the way I am friends with my fourteen-year-old brother, Dale. We're siblings, right? We should be close, we should help each other. But we were never close.

I doubt she will be happy I am dead, though. Adena is competitive, even cold, but she is not that cruel. She would not wish death upon me just to show that she is superior.

You're not dead yet, I remind myself. You could still make it. It's possible. You've made it this far, haven't you? Just hold on a bit longer. You might just get lucky.

The anthem cuts through my thoughts. I get to my feet and make my way over to the window. I stare up at the Capitol seal lighting up the sky. I heard one cannon today, but more could have been lost in the thunder. I wonder who lost their lives today.

The seal fades away, replaced by the face of a dark haired girl. I don't recognize her by sight, so my eyes drift to the writing below her picture: District 1 Female B: Artemis Sinclair. My eyes widen. A Career? Who managed to take down a Career? Or did she drown in the flood? The latter seems more likely.

Artemis's face dissolves into the sky, replaced by that of a little boy. I recognize him immediately. "Asa." The child's name slips from my lips. The one they thought would die first. I wonder briefly if the Gamemakers purposefully killed him so they didn't look too silly for ranking him last. It's possible, but then again, they ranked him last for a reason. He was never going to make it.

As I duck back inside, something catches my eye. I peer over the windowsill to get a better look. My breath catches as I see the hooded figure below. It's too dark to see the number on the tribute's sleeve, and I don't dare hope they are from Eight.

And then I remember. There is only one tribute who invariably wore a hood. I bumped into him once at the Training Center. Jason something.

Fingers trembling, I place my few belongings in the pack and hoist it onto my shoulders. I back into a corner and fix my eyes on the door, hoping he chooses any other room, anywhere but this. But I have been watching the Games for over a decade. I know the Gamemakers will attempt to influence Jason's choice. So though fear grips me, I am not remotely surprised when the doorknob twists and the door is pushed in.

My heart thumps in my chest. Adrenaline courses through me, and I press my body against the wall, hoping against hope that the shadows will conceal me and he will not see me, and somehow I will be able to slip away.

Jason turns in a full circle, taking in the room. His eyes stop on me. My fists clench, my nails digging into my palms.

"Please don't kill me," I beg, raising my hands above my head. "I - I don't have any weapons, I'm not going to kill you - "

"You go around unarmed and then ask people not to surrender to the temptation to kill you?"

"What else can I do here?" I ask, slightly irritated. "I took a random pack from the pile. Not my fault there wasn't a weapon in it."

Jason scrutinizes me. "Either you're a decent liar or you're as helpless as you claim. Quentin, right?"

"I'm a horrible liar, actually. And yeah."

"Well, if you're not going to attack me, I see no reason to harm you," Jason says graciously. "Are you with anyone?"

"No," I admit. "I wanted to join someone else from Eight, but it didn't work out. Kaila and Thimble were in the huge kids' alliance, but I didn't want to be part of a group that size. Jadah and Loom, neither of them wanted anything to do with me. Dylan and Rayon died on day one, and Cade's out of the question."

"I considered allying with someone, but I ended up alone."

After several seconds of silence, I come up with, "Hey, why do you always wear that hood?"

He turns to me, moonlight illuminating his face. His eyes flash in annoyance. "Is that any of your business?"

"No," I mutter, stepping back. "Sorry."

Silence fills the room once again. This time, Jason breaks it. "Would you mind if I stayed the night?"

"Here?" I look up. "With me?"

"That was the general idea, yes. But I could always find another building."

"No! No, it's fine," I say hurriedly. I have not spoken to another human in days. I had missed the company, and I do not want to let go of a possible companion.

Jason smiles, shrugging off his backpack and sitting down by the door. He removes a knife from his bag. My eyes widen as he leans towards me, but I relax when he flips it around and offers it to me, handle first. "Take it. This isn't a place to go around unarmed."

I stare at him in disbelief. "You...you're giving me... You don't expect me to kill you?"

"You don't seem like the type to take another life," Jason says. "Not unprovoked, at least. And besides, I'd be awake before you took two steps towards me. Go on, take it. I have more. I stole it from the Careers." He smiles slightly.

"You took it from the Careers?" My eyes widen.

"Their defense is quite mediocre. They put Heather on guard duty, but she was asleep in minutes."

"Wow." I grip the handle and inspect the shiny surface. "Thank you."

"No problem." Jason lies down, his head on his pack. I do the same, my heart pounding in excitement. I am armed now, and the tribute across the room wishes me no ill fortune. And maybe, just maybe, I have found an ally at last.

A/N: Not my best writing, especially at the beginning. I'm out of practice.

58) District 11 Male D: Asa Margin 5 - Drowned

57) District 1 Female B: Artemis Sinclair, 16 - Killed by lightning

Sorry for the wait. I'm hoping to get a few more updates in before school starts again.

So, what were your reactions do the deaths? What do you think about the possible alliance between Jason and Quentin?

Trivia: What does Effie believe compressed coal turns into?

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought.