Beulah Sairel (District Twelve Female, age 17)

I am feeling a lot better than I was a few days ago. I woke up yesterday still sick, but over the course of the day, my stomach calmed down a lot, and now I don't feel that bad. It was a really close call with that water and I'm surprised I lived. I'm not complaining, though.

Who am I kidding, though? That's a blatant lie. At this point, sometimes I think I'd be better off dead. I don't want to be in these Games anymore- I don't want to kill anyone, and I don't want to have to worry about my next meal or whether I already purified my water. I don't know. It might be nice to die...

I think about death like I think about dating and romantic relationships- better in concept than in practice. On the one hand, dying sounds great- I don't have to keep myself alive, and the stress of the Games would be gone, and who knows what the afterlife is like!- but then, on the other hand, it sounds like death really sucks. It would hurt, and I'd never get to see my family or friends again. I rarely speak to my parents because they're so busy, but I can't imagine knowing I'd never, ever see or hear them again. And even more, I can't imagine never seeing my sister Jayne or my friends Katy and Aubrey again. It's terrifying. It's conflicting. And I guess I wish the Capitol and the other tributes would just hurry it up already and end the Games one way or another.

That brings me to thinking about who's still alive. According to what I've noticed, there are nine of us left, and I know who most of them are. Peridot and Heron from One are still kicking, as are the Four pair Aqui and Abby. The boys from Seven and Three whose names I can't remember are too, and then the girl from Five, and I think the boy from Two? And me. I'm still going, too.

It was a little bit shocking to see Ethan in the sky last night. I thought he'd either go in the Bloodbath or make it all the way, and I don't know how to feel, knowing he's gone. I make a mental note to talk to his family if I make it out alive.

From the nine of us, I try to imagine each one as a Victor. I start with Peridot. From what I know about her, she's a real bitch, but she's got some problems at home that I can't even talk about. I would, but I don't think I know enough, and I don't want to disrespect her. I think she'd be a fine Victor, although there'd definitely be other better Victors.

I can't say the same thing for Aqui or Heron. They're both really bloodthirsty. This makes sense, since they're from Career Districts, but it still scares me to think that there's a possibility they might go home victorious. They sure seem scary.

Abby, Gabriel and I are in a similar boat. She's from Four and he's from Two, but I know from training that they don't identify with the Career mindset. In my opinion, they'd be some of the better choices, out of the nine of us. I think the three of us have a chance, if we suck it up and get stuff done, but we're not likely to win.

The boys from Three and Seven would be my honest choices. They're sweet, and they seem like great kids. I don't know how realistic it is for them to win, but I wouldn't mind them being the Victors.

And Camilla. I don't know her very well. She's sweet, but maybe too sweet, and I don't think I can imagine her winning. Not to mention how little she is compared to the rest of us... She would be a good Victor, but it simply wouldn't be realistic to hope she'd win.

So I guess that I would like Three or Seven to take it home, or myself, but we all know how well that'd work out. It's simply not likely for me to win.

I pull my jerky out of my bag, remembering suddenly that I haven't eaten in days. As I sit on the ground and chew on the meat, I look up at the sky. It's a cloudy day. This isn't abnormal in most Arenas, but this specific one gives me a bit of pause. The sky's always so blue here. I don't know what the deal is, but it gives me an unsettled feeling.

Well, I think, we'll just have to wait and see what the sky does.

Just like we'll have to wait and see who wins.

Solder Carvahall (District Three Male, age 17)

It's hard to keep smiling.

I used to be the light in the lives of everyone's lives. Everyone around me smiled when I entered the room because I was the sunshine in their dark times. This has only changed three times now, and all three of them were recently.

The first time I dimmed was when I was Reaped. It terrified me, I'm not going to lie. I still am terrified of dying and of never being the sunshine someone needs ever again. However, I think that's the reason I recover so quickly from being sad: if someone around me needs sunshine, who am I to refuse to give it to them?

The second time was when Nokia died. It was one of the saddest days of my life. I don't think I've ever felt so guilty. She was my pupil, and then my ally, and through everything she was my friend. I only allowed myself to mourn for a short time, though, due to the Games. I was back in business a few days after her death.

The third time was last night. I looked up at the stars last night as the Anthem played and saw the little girl that reminded me so much of Nokia, the little girl who I gave my supplies to, in the sky. Dead. She will never walk down the street to school or banter with her friends or eat an orange ever again. That makes me really sad.

I know I need to get over it. It's not like Kiara had any relation to me the way Nokia did, and it's not like I was a huge part of her life or vice versa. I dunno, It just makes me insanely sad.

I'm lying in the loft of the barn we found within the carrot field with Delancey by my side. I can tell he's worried about me because he keeps shooting me this expression, like he pities me, and stroking my back. It's a sight, that's for sure, but I'm glad he's doing it because I don't think I'd be able to overcome all this sadness if I didn't have anyone to help me.

"Hey, can we go get some carrots?" I ask. He nods and helps me up. We head down the ladder.

As we make our way through the field, picking carrots as we head to the river to wash them off, he keeps looking at me funny. Eventually, he speaks. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you so much, Solder?"

I bend down and pick up another carrot. "I thought you knew."

"Nope," he replies, popping the P. "No idea."

"Kiara died yesterday."

"So did Aino and Ethan. What's so special about Kiara?"

I ponder his point for a while. What isn't special about Aino and Ethan? They, and Kiara too, were kids with lives, with families and friends and hobbies and maybe even pets. They were special in their own ways. I guess he has a point, but he's using it in a strange way. I tell him so.

He's quiet for a few steps. "I don't know. Like, you have a great point. They are just as special as we are. It's just confusing to me, how attatched you get to the tributes, when you know we all have to die except one. And since you have a soft spot for the kids, they're all pretty much guaranteed to die."

I shrug.

"Well. In my humble opinon, you gotta get over it. There's no way we're going to be able to fight it out to the end if you're this sad all the time. I miss Sunshine Solder."

I smile sadly. "Okay, I'll work on it. Please promise me you'll slap me out of it if I'm still this way tomorrow."

He has a mischevious look on his face. "Sure," he says, "if you're still alive tomorrow!"

I reach over and slap him good-naturedly on the arm. "Jerk face."

"You know it!"

We walk in amicable silence to the river, where I kneel down and wash off the carrots. I hand the wet ones to Delancey and chomp on one on our way back to the barn. It's loud, and as I eat, I hope with everything I have that no one can hear it. Thankfully, we haven't run into anyone isnce we met Kiara the other day, and since she's not here anymore, I don't think anyone is nearby.

I eat another carrot when we reach the barn. They're just so good. I can't believe I'd never liked them until the Games.

Although, a lot of me has changed these last few weeks.

I hope the rest of me stays me, and makes it out alive.

Peridot Jones (District One Female, age 17)

Heron's pissing me off, but that's normal. He's being a huge jerk about pretty much everything, and I can tell that both Abby and Aqui also kind of want to murder him.

Good thing we're in the Hunger Games, where murdering someone who gets on your nerves isn't illegal, and rather encouraged.

I'm stirring a pot of soup, trying to figure out the right time to add the poison. Yes. Poison. I went off in the night the other night, and I dug around in the carrot fields nearby our camp until I found a poisonous root that's similar to a carrot, but deadly. I guessed it'd be the perfect thing to add, because it looks like a carrot, and I can say it's a carrot, but it definitely is not a carrot.

I pull out a knife and chop up the "carrot" on a little plate. The soup is almost done, so I pull it off the camping stove's burner and seperate it into four bowls. I plan to add the poison root to one, and regular carrot to the other three. I'll give Heron the poison soup.

I've thought hard lately about who I'm going to want to murder with my poison, and I've settled on Heron because he's just such a major jerk. I have enough of the root to get Aqui, too, but if I do that, Abby and I will be alone. As much as I hate Aqui, he's the most bloodthirsty of us four, and he's a valuable asset to the alliance.

I dump the carrots and the root into the bowls, and mark the poison one with a spoon's handle pointing left, not right, out of the bowl.

"Lunch!" I call, and when the others come walking up to me, my heart starts beating. I hand Heron his special soup and he immediately takes a bite. As I give Abby hers, I notice that he's already ingested some of the root. He'll start to feel sick soon, and as the poison spreads, he'll keel over into his soup.

We all sit down on our rocks and I swirl my soup in the bowl. It's too much. Too many calories. I feel the tube in my back pocket, and I guess it's a warning of death to me, because I bring a spoonful of broth to my dry lips. It's delicious, but I refrain from eating any more. I don't deserve it.

All of a sudden, Heron vomits. I grab my knife and motion for Abby to do the same. I know that this is risky, because Aqui and Heron are just as close as Abby and I. It's not unrealistic for Heron to die and Aqui to freak out on us.

Heron vomits again, and then his eyes slump closed and he falls onto the ground. I run over to his side, and feel his wrist for a pulse. I can hear Aqui breathing behind me as I do. There's nothing.

"Nothing," I tell Aqui, not looking at his face. As if on cue, a cannon booms.

Abby, bless her heart, has grabbed a few bags and is frantically stuffing them full of supplies. She throws one over her shoulder, and I look up to see Aqui drawing his knife. He's got a menacing, knowing look in his eyes.

"Deny it," he tells me. "I dare you."

I shake my head. There's nothing to deny. As quickly as I can, I stand up, and I flee to Abby's side. She tosses me a backpack and I sling it over my shoulder as we start to run.

"I'LL GET YOU!" Aqui screams after us. But he doesn't follow us, so I guess he doesn't care that much.

Abby and I run as quickly as we can through the grass, but I look up not too long after we get out of the danger zone and realize there's something wrong.

The sky is a sickly green.

"Abby," I say, "Look at the sky."

She stops, panting, and looks up at the sky. "Oh my god."

"What does that mean?"

She shrugs. "It can't be good."

I wrack my brain for anything that might help. It's not a hurricane, because there aren't any large warm water sources for a storm to form. But this might be a tornado. It's realistic.

As if on cue, I hear a rumbling behind us, and turn around. I see a funnel-shaped gray mass, barreling toward us, growing closer by the second. I scream.

"Run!"

We run, and we don't look back.

MWHAHAAHHAH betcha forgot about the tornadoes! It's gonna be an interesting few days in the arena...

If you want a head start with submitting to my upcoming The Amazing Race / THG crossover SYOT, please let me know via PM or Discord, and I'll give you the link to the form along with some guidelines. I'm not publishing it until the Games are over in this story, but I'm really excited for it!

Questions:

Did you forget about the tornadoes?

Are you excited for the action? I am!

Who do you think will win?

Death Recap:

9th Place: Heron Filigree, District One Male: Poisoned by Peridot Jones, D1F

I actually had a really hard time writing Heron, but I appreciated that I had a Career who wasn't afraid to kill. He was a great tribute, even if I can't say that about him as a person, and I'll miss him. May he RIP.

Family Fact: Victory, Heron's girlfriend, was destroyed when Heron died. She was shunned by the District, as well as Heron's family, and never married. Heron was forgotten by all except Victory and his family, because he was a bringer of shame to the District.

#WeHateAqui: Peridot, Abby

Boys Next Door: Delancey, Solder

Loners (not an alliance): Gabriel, Aqui, Camilla, Beulah

Dead and Gone: Heron, Katie, Nokia, Solario, Kiara, Jack, Aino, Taffeta, Sonny, Demetrius, Duroc, Bri, Barric, Tilly, Ethan