Astra POV

I didn't feel too good. I was always thirsty, and the more I drank, the… grosser it came out. I knew things were serious when I threw up seconds after I drank.

Maybe if I just don't drink for a few hours and pace myself I can keep the bugs to a minimum, I thought. I curled up in my tree and tried to rest. I felt so tired, and maybe if I stayed still I wouldn't need as much water. I pressed a hand to my head to stifle the nagging headache I had.

Time went by, and I wondered if I should eat. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't want to use up water digesting.

Two cannons had gone off in the day. I hoped they were Careers, but they were more likely to be Sarla and Timber. I wondered when my cannon would go off. I had a plan for surviving, but I didn't have one for winning. The Careers would have to screw up big time. This was their game to lose.

It began to rain lightly, and I caught some water in my hands. I liked the drops off and marveled at their sweet taste. If it kept up, I wouldn't have to drink the dirty water anymore. I only needed to hold out a few more days. The Games couldn't last forever.

Dane POV

My breath caught in my lungs and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. I collapsed onto an island and curled into a ball.

I didn't sign up for that. I didn't sign up to watch children get torn apart by monster crocodiles.

But you did, I thought. And I had. I'd signed up for everything. I had asked for this.

Pull yourself together and get through it, I thought. I sat up and caught my breath. I felt stiff all over, and my arm throbbed from all the movement. I unwrapped a bit of the bandage and took a peek. All I saw was a little red line where Peppermint had slashed me. It wasn't even puffy.

As I wrapped the bandage back up my arm jerked slightly.

What was that? I thought. I held it steady and finished wrapping. I picked up my canteen to replace some of the water I'd burned. I took a mouthful of water, but my throat didn't want to swallow. It was like trying to drink with my nose pinched shut. I forced the water down a sip at a time and put the canteen down.

What's the plan? I thought. Steer clear of the Careers. Keep moving in case they come for you, and keep an eye out for other Tributes. If you find one in bad shape… do what you need to. If they're still strong, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I'd already come a long way, so I knew I could rest a while without risk. I was sweating like crazy and my heart was pounding like I'd run a marathon. I lay back, then jerked up, looked around for crocodile monsters, and crawled between the roots of a tree. With luck, they wouldn't be able to reach me there.

Valencia POV

I laid a hand on Royal's chest and watched his face. He was asleep, and so was Venus. I rose carefully, then crept to the foot of our bag and picked up Royal's spear near its tip. I bent over Royal and looked at him one last time.

"Shame you're so cute," I whispered. "This would be a lot easier if you were ugly."

I wrapped both hands around the spear and slammed it down into his throat. His eyes snapped open and he tried to breathe, but no sound came out. I watched his eyes flutter shut and pulled the spear out.

I knew I had mere seconds before his cannon woke Venus, so I crept to her bed and crouched over her.

"I never liked you," I said. I raised the spear.

Something blurred in front of me and blood flew everywhere. I looked down and my chest was covered in my own spraying blood.

What?

Venus sat up, ignoring the blood spraying her like a hose.

"You think it's that easy? You weren't suspicious when I moved my bag? You didn't notice my sleeping bag was unzipped? Girl, you never should have messed with the Careers," she said.

I dropped the spear and pressed my hands against my slashed throat. Blood shot through my fingers, and I toppled over.

That wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was. I didn't want to be in the Games, I thought. Venus stood over me and watched as I twitched. She opened her mouth to speak.

"I never liked you either, bitch."

The Careers have split, and Venus is on the loose! Looks like Royal's note didn't do too much damage, though Bree would say otherwise.

Obituaries:

16th place: Royal

Royal was a pretty good guy, even if he was a Career. He didn't go out of his way to make Tributes suffer. He just wanted to win. If he hadn't lived in District 1 he probably would have grown up to be a decent family man. I had this breakup for the Careers planned as soon as I received Valencia. It turned out to be pretty wimpy, since there were only four Careers and one split, but she did what she could. Thanks Dakota77 for a Career who was just a Career and not a monster.

15th place: Valencia

We all knew she was gonna bite it. Her type never wins. Her plan was the only way she could outlive the Careers, but it ended up failing. She did better than she had any right to. I tried my best not to make her a complete femme fatale, and she ended up more like a Valley Girl with a little brain. Thanks thepencilunleashed for a Career that could have been a stereotype but hopefully wasn't.

Things don't look good for Astra and Dane. If you can read the symptoms and know what's going on, you know their chances. If not, you'll have to wait and see.