Day Six:

Part One:

Lawson Dean (18)- D2 Male:

"You did what!?" I exclaimed, staring at Almiro, slack-jawed. "Okay, let me just get this straight. You had an opportunity to take out the biggest competition, and you let him go, to sit beside your dying district partner and hear her sob story, and when you could've killed her too, you listened to her bizarre request and came back!?"

Almiro fixed me with a stern look. "What was I supposed to do? Run off after some guy when my district partner was dying!? And you think it's easy to just slit someone's throat like that? Especially after you've spent so much time with them? Could you kill Siobhan if she was dying?" he demanded. I stopped for a moment, my eyebrows furrowed in angry concentration. I turned my gaze to him.

"If it came down to it, yes. I would." I told him, my voice steely and hard. Almiro raised an eyebrow, his eyes flitting to my clenched fists. He looked back at me with a meaningful expression on his face. "Yeah, go ahead and tell yourself that. I may not be the smartest career in this year's lot, but I can read people. Trust me on this Law. I couldn't do it, and neither could you." He said, leaning against a huge boulder.

I sighed. "Look, Almiro. I don't know about killing district partners, but there have been eleven kills, and only one of them has been mine. One. I'm a career for goodness sake! I should have the highest number of kills! And do I? No, I most certainly do NOT!" I could feel my voice rising. I knew this wasn't correct. I shouldn't have been taking out my frustration of not getting a kill on Almiro, but at the moment, I simply needed to know that I hadn't been completely useless in these Games.

I'd come in these Games to make my district proud. The son of the Head peacekeeper and the mayor, I was always the best at everything. The best trainee, the best student, the most popular guy. I'd unanimously been chosen as the volunteer. And now, when I was in the actual Games, I couldn't help feel more pathetic. All I'd done so far was kill a measly twelve year old from Three, and that too to save Lisette. Well, that and get my butt kicked every couple of hours by some new Gamemaker trap.

Almiro stared at me as I sheathed my sword. "What in the name of Panem are you doing!?" He asked, bewildered. I glared at him. "Whaddya think, genius? I'm going hunting. I need at least one more kill, okay?"

"What!?" Almiro exclaimed as I tried to walk away. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I shook off his arm, not doing any effort to hide my annoyance. "Are you crazy!?" He asked again. I rolled my eyes.

"Look, I don't think any career alliance in the history of the Games has been as useless as us. I mean, Bellona was taken out in the goddamn bloodbath, Siobhan was killed by a twelve year old, Kai and Anna are God-knows-where, and the two of us are sitting here, doing absolutely nothing. I mean, seriously, we're the friggin' careers!" I reasoned. Almiro simply looked at me incredulously.

"Well let me tell you, Law, no career alliance in the History of the Games has been as damaged as us. We've been subjected to trap after trap, and we're broken, okay? No matter what you tell yourself, we're broken. Kai's arm almost got burned off, Anna's skin was cut up by the glass, and we still have glass shards sticking out of our hands! And Siobhan's FREAKING DEAD!" He yelled. I hesitated. I'd never seen Almiro get so angry before. Usually he was the calm, level-headed one. But now, he was making no sense. I mean, yes, true, we had been subjected to torture. But that didn't excuse anything. Almiro wasn't being much of a helpful ally at the moment. All he was doing was impede my path. If he was going to stop me from getting kills with that sort of logic…

I intensified my glare and set my jaw. I held out my sword in his direction, almost digging the tip into his neck. "Fine. If you stand in my way like this…" I didn't finish. I could feel my throat constrict. I couldn't believe it had come to this. I was actually holding a sword to the throat of the guy who'd saved my life. I took a moment to ponder what the Games had made me. Yes, I wasn't above killing, or manipulation, or betrayal. But I owed Almiro. However, I valued bringing honor to my district.

Almiro's expression was beyond shocked. His gaze travelled between the sword and me, and he backed up, clenching his lips tightly together. He drew his massive sword and touched his blade to mine. His eyes held a rage I'd never thought I'd see in them. "You're an idiot." He said simply.

With that, I swung my sword, aiming for his legs. Almiro easily blocked my strike and rolled away, brining up his sword just in time to meet my next move. He kicked out my legs from under me. I hit the ground hard, and I could feel the metallic taste of blood flood my mouth. I'd bitten my tongue, badly. Before Almiro could attack, I shot to my feet and readied my sword again.

I spat out a blob of blood, my mouth burning with pain. Almiro scooped up his sword and I went for him, for his back was facing me. Before I could land a hit, he swiftly turned and slammed the hilt of the sword onto my shoulder. I crumbled to the ground in pain, clutching my throbbing shoulder. Almiro hacked down, and I barely caught the strike on the hilt of my sword. That maneuver sent a jolt of pain through my already-hurting shoulder, but I ignored it.

However, in so much pain, I hadn't seen Almiro slide out the small kunai knife from his belt. He stabbed the thing into my forearm, and I dropped the sword, reeling back in pain, letting loose a broken yell. I yanked the kunai out, which led to another yell. Almiro kicked me in the chest, sending me flying back into a tree. I hit the trunk hard and slid down to my knees, helpless as Almiro approached me with his sword. I simply looked at him, blood dripping in a slow stream from my mouth and gushing from my hand. He pushed the tip of his sword in my face, the bronze point hovering mere centimeters in front of my eye.

I closed my eyes, expecting the worst.

It never came.

A sigh made me open my eyes. Almiro retracted his sword and buried the tip in the ground. He sank to his knees in front of me, causing me to give him a confused glance. He glared at me. "I'm not killing you Law. I don't care if this puts me in danger, or harms my path to victory. I won't sink to the depths of killing my only remaining ally." He said.

My mouth fell open. "You're… giving up… a chance…" I couldn't even complete my sentence. Was this guy crazy!? I mean, I wasn't complaining of course, but if Almiro continued like this, he'd be in trouble. But more than that, the emotion that overwhelmed me was guilt. I'd mindlessly attacked Almiro, who'd stuck with me since day One. He was my ally, and he trusted me. And I'd snapped that trust for the incredibly stupid reason of trying to get a kill. I looked at the ground, my face burning in shame.

"Almiro I'm…" the word sounded foreign on my lips. I'd never apologized to anyone. No matter what happened, I never apologized. But now, what I'd done was almost unforgivable. I'd attacked Almiro. And he'd spared my life. If I'd owed him before, I had no idea what my situation was now.

"Don't. Don't apologize. It's the Games getting to you. I know. You may be a career Law, but you are human." He said, sitting down cross-legged. I gave him a bewildered look. "I don't know if you're stupidly noble or just simply crazy, but I tried to kill you. And you spared my life. So yes, Almiro, an apology is needed. I'd sorry for acting like the world-record-setter for crappiest ally. And I'm sorry for being such a shit-face." I said. Almiro looked up at me with a smile.

"See? You are human. I was correct." He said. I took a moment to digest what he'd just said, and then, very surprisingly, burst out laughing. After a few moments, the two of us simply looked at each other. "We've lost it, haven't we?" I asked. Almiro shrugged. "Probably. Now, unless you want that thing to get infected, go patch up the wound," he ordered, pointing at my arm, "while I go set up camp with whatever supplies we have."

I nodded as Almiro got up and started to walk away. I heavily leaned against the tree and supported myself to a standing position, when Almiro stopped and turned to face me with a smirk.

"Oh and by the way, I know about Lisette."

Nick Noelle(16)- D7 Female:

The sound of my axe against the rough surface of the rock was both annoying and calming. How, you ask? I don't know, I say. The screeching noise was probably painful to my ears, but it gave me something to concentrate on.

I didn't really know what I felt. I couldn't describe it as anger, because I wasn't angry. And even if I was, I had no idea who I was angry at. I wasn't angry at Nova, I mean, I had no reason to be. And I definitely wasn't angry at Colt. We'd started the alliance as a temporary one, and he's stuck to his end of the deal. He'd been a good ally, and I couldn't complain.

I sighed as I set down the axe and leaned back against a tree. I guess I was simply angry with myself. I should never have made the alliance and I should never have imagined Colt as Flint. Of course, I couodnt help it. Both of them looked and acted so freaking similar.

I shook my head. I was in the Games. All these emotional thought about my family and missing them would have to wait. At the moment, I needed to survive. And that meant finding water.

I looked up at the sky and smiled my most innocent smile. "Hey Blight? A gallon of water right now would be marvelous, don't you think?" I asked. I waited for a few moments, hoping a parachute would appear, preferably with some water and maybe even a note from Blight in which he apologized dearly for neglecting me. No such thing happened.

"Yeah, real sweet man… real sweet." I grumbled. I slowly got to my feet and hefted my bag onto my shoulder. I grumbled something about stupid mentors and stupid parachutes, but even I knew that grumbling would get me nowhere. I needed to find some water on my own.

I hadn't picked up much from when I'd broken off the alliance. I mean, there hadn't been much in the first place, and Colt and Nova were two people. They'd obviously need more supplies than I did. Except now that I thought of it, that kind of thinking was exactly the kind that got idiots like me killed in these games.

"Okay, could you at least show me a direction to the water source, instead of having me walk around like a lost puppy?" I groaned. Of course, nothing happened. I kicked a rock and sent it flying off into the tree lining.

"Okay, Nick, calm down. Obviously our brilliant mentor isn't going to be of much help, so get your effin' wits together. Use that noggin' and think." I ordered myself.

I hadn't done much after the alliance split. Of course, I didn't have much time after that, for it had been almost nighttime when I'd found a suitable tree to take shelter in. I'd only managed to grab a packet of beef jerky and some small biscuits from our supplies. I'd finished the miniscule amount of water I had left.

That's when I remembered the rabbit. When I'd been looking for shelter, I'd found a rabbit cuddling next to the tree I'd chosen. I'd tried to stab it, but the fluff-ball had run off. But now that I thought about it, the thing had had mud caked on its paws. And mud didn't come from nowhere. Where there was mud, there was water. It was a long shot, but I got to my knees, looking for any signs of the animal's footprints.

I let out a whoop on noticing it. It wasn't exactly a footprint, but it was a patch of grass, which had been muddied. Possibly by the paws of the animal. There was a line of such patches, leading off into the trees. I grinned, satisfied with my brain (for once).

I followed the track, and before long, heard the ever-endearing sound of flowing water. I broke into a run, and after a few moments, the stream became visible. I dropped to my knees beside it and slashed open my bottle. I sat down to fill it up, and watched as the water flowed in. Of course, I knew better than to simply gulp it down. I dropped a few drops of Iodine, and waited.

Now, let me tell you, patience is not one of my virtues. However, I decided to push myself. I mean, how embarrassing would it be if I died from salt water? The glorious legacy Of Nick Noelle came to an end when she was too stupid not to wait three minutes more for the iodine to work.

Yeah, not the greatest way to be remembered.

Suddenly, something shot out of the water and grabbed my ankle. I let loose a blood-curling scream, because the thing looked like a vine. To my utmost horror, the thing yanked me forward, and before I could gather my senses enough to fight, I could feel myself being pulled under.

Have you ever seen a stream which was about two hundred feet deep? Yeah, me neither. But apparently the Gamemakers found it hilarious, because I could feel myself being dragged into the depths of the water. I was rapidly losing air, and I wasn't exactly the best swimmer.

I bent down as best as I could and tugged at the vine. It momentarily stopped. Great. My lungs were screaming for air, but I ignored it. I wasn't going to drown. Nope. This was not how I was going to die. Not killed by some vine at the bottom of a stream. I, out of sheer desperation, bent completely and started biting the vine off of my leg. It yanked my again, but I was almost done. I pulled it off of my leg with full force, and threw it away as best as I could under water.

I was now seeing stars due to lack of air. Every nerve in my body screamed. My lungs felt as though they were on fire. I flailed weakly, but with lack of oxygen came lack of strength. I could feel the darkness clogging my vision.

But I'd set my mind, and once I'd done that, nothing changed Nick Noelle's mind. I more stubborn than the word itself. I kicked upwards and beat back the water with my hands. The surface was coming closer, but the stars in my vision were growing darker. I needed air, and I needed it fast.

Just when I thought I was done for, my face broke to the surface. I lunged for the bank and pulled myself up, collapsing on the soft grass. I took deep breaths, retching and coughing. I scrambled back from the bank after hurriedly grabbing my supplies, but I didn't get far. I simply leaned against a tree, trying to breathe. Never before had I been so close to death. I was dripping wet and shivering, but at the moment, all I needed was air. I didn't even care about the cold.

I leaned my head against the tree, my breathing somewhat normal again. I knew this was dangerous, but I couldn't help it.

So, for the second time in the games, I let unconsciousness drag me under.

Anna Austen(17)-D4 Female:

I flinched once more as Kai tried to apply fresh bandages. "Sorry, sorry…" he muttered. I shook my head. "Stop apologizing. It's not your fault, okay?" I said. I was surprised at how weak my voice sounded. Apparently Kai noticed it too.

"Anna, look. I know what happened, it shouldn't have. I know you feel bad about killing Ruben. But the guy was a psychopath! He tortured you and would've killed me too!" He said. I looked at him, tears stinging my eyes. "I don't feel bad about killing Ruben, Kai. Really. I feel bad about turning into a monster, even for that brief moment. A few months ago, I was afraid to even kill a bug which wandered into my room. And now, I've mutilated someone."

I hated crying. I didn't want to cry and seem like a damsel in distress. I knew I wasn't the toughest career of the lot, but I hated being weak. I didn't want to have to depend of Kai for everything. But Ruben's death had shaken me to my depths. I couldn't even begin to describe how I felt.

When I'd seen Ruben hold the knife to Kai, I'd lost it. I'd ignored every ounce of pain I felt. All I felt was loathing. The knife seemed to move on its own. His fear-filled eyes still flashed in front of my face. I could still feel his blood as it splattered on my clothes. I could still feel the flesh as the knife dug into his body.

Kai had wrapped a bandage around my head and ear. My ear still throbbed, but the painkiller seemed to work. As it turned out, Ruben hadn't stabbed me too deep. He'd stabbed me in a way that I'd simply lost a lot of blood. However, with regular changes of bandages and immense care from Kai, I was much better. Yesterday I couldn't even move. Now I felt relatively less weak.

Kai hadn't moved from my side since that incident. We'd gotten some meager rations along with the painkillers as a sponsor gift, but we'd had to sleep on barely-filled stomachs, to preserve the food. Kai insisted on not leaving me until he was sure I could fend off an attacker at least until he came back.

I looked at the boy wrapping the bandage around my arm. Now, there was no doubt that Kai was probably the best-looking tribute in these Games. With his Golden-blonde hair, piercing gray eyes and sharp features, Kai was truly good-looking. And with his skill and athletic build, he was intimidating too.

But there was something more. Something he kept locked away. Kai wasn't a normal bloodthirsty career. I'd seen his expression when he'd killed the boy from Six. Remorse was washed all over his features. He may pretend to be uncaring and emotionless, but now, watching him gently wrapped the bandage around my arm, I knew Kai had a good heart. A heart capable of feeling.

"What?" he asked, barely looking up. "What do you mean, what?" I asked. Kai shrugged, still focused on the bandage. "You were staring at me." He said simply. I looked away, feeling my cheeks heat up. "Nothing."

I felt Kai take my face and turn me to face him. He looked concerned. "Hey, Anna. I know all this must be hard, and I know what-"

"I'm not broken Kai." I cut him off. "I know I'm not as emotionally strong as some others, but I'm not weak. I won't let Ruben's death break me, and I certainly won't let a few cuts break me either. I may not be the strongest tribute here, but I'm not helpless."

Kai was silent for a few moments. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I know you aren't. And I never said you were. Heck, Anna, you deserve more credit than I do. You killed a guy twice your size, and a year older than you. I've only managed to kill a fourteen-year-old who wasn't even half my height. So that crap about you not being as strong as others? Yeah, let's pretend you never said that okay? For the sake of my self-respect."

I couldn't help but chuckle. The laugh intensified, but it hurt my whole body, so I quickly quieted down. Kai was still grinning at me. "Told you I'd get you to laugh." He smirked. I shook my head, still smiling. He'd told me firmly that he'd get me to laugh no matter what happened. "Okay, you were right. Now, if you don't mind, I need some sleep. Being cut up in about a million different places demands sleep, ya' know?" I said. Kai didn't drop him smile, but he nodded.

I tried to rest my head against the rock on which I was leaning, but flinched. The place where Ruben had smashed my head against the roof after breaking my nose had left a bruise. Apparently Kai realized the same as he quickly scooted to leaning against the rock beside me. "Hey, I got you, okay?" He said softly. He took y head and leaned it against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer.

Right here, right now, I felt safer than I had the whole Games. Kai wasn't just an ally, he was a friend. He was the last remnant of home I had. I tilted my head up slightly and smiled at him. He siled back and reached up to push a stray strand of hair from my face. "Sleep you idiot. A million cuts demand sleep, remember?" He said, his voice barely above a whisper. I chuckled again and closed my eyes.

For the first time, my sleep was peaceful.

~.~.~.~.

A/N: Hola again! Yeah, I know, I haven't updated since like, the Ice Age. I know, me exams are over, but still, I've been hella busy, and haven't gotten much time. Also, yeah, I know, no deaths. But I didn't want too many deaths in a row... so... yeah...

OHMYGODS GUYS 422 REVIEWS YOU GUYS ARE SO FREAKING AWESOME. I mean, I loved reading each and every single one of your reviews. Every single one puts a huge smile on my face. Seriously, guys, thank you so much for all the support you guys've given me... it makes me so unbelievably happy, I can't even say.

Oh and if you haven't you should go check out Mystical Pine Forest's story Articulosis. It's a really cool concept and they're a really REALLY good author. I feel honored having a tribute in their story. So yeah, go check it out cause it be awesome! :D

So, what did you guys think of the fight between Lawson and Almiro? And what about Nick passing out for the second time? Oh and what do you think about Kai and Anna? Seriously, hearing your thoughts aboutmy writing makes me so so so SO incredibly happy! I'M SO HAPPY! AND YEAH! AND I'M GOING INTO RAMBLE MODE AGAIN. SHUT UP WIZARD.

Death list:

Almiro
Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate
Lawson
Anna
Kyle
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap
Blake
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

Colt
Nova

Dwayne
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels
Lisette

Frankie-Leigh

Absalom

Raymond

Nick

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

Until next time then...