Since Arma is currently unconscious, I didn't want to skip a chapter, nor did I was to fill a chapter full of pointless dreams, so I chose a character to replace him for a chapter, and the one I chose was Bala. Enjoy.

Chapter 38: Bala

The Hunters

I didn't want to chase down Moray. I swore to her father that I'd protect her and I will. That's why I wanted her in the careers. I figured she'd last longer with them. But I guess I was wrong when Arma, Jacob, and Crescent attacked her. I did what I could to let her escape without getting killed myself.

I should have gone with her though. But seeing her with that Alder guy from District 7 assured me that she'll be fine. Still, I didn't like seeing her with him…. It's probably because his leg's cut and he can't protect too much with a hurt leg.

He's just like me, Alder, we're both protecting Moray, and we both want to return to our little siblings. If my little brother White wasn't reaped, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have volunteered. I would be sitting at home, watching the Games.

I wonder if anyone would've volunteered for White. Even though District 4's a Careers district, we're not as crazy about it as Districts 1 and 2 are. All of us have reason for wanting to go back home, but the only reason for people like Arma and Jacob to want to go back home is for fame and glory.

Techno and I return to our little hide out and I'm pretty sure that we both stink at hiding. The fog has nearly done lifting, but the others still won't wake up.

There's been no cannon shot, yet I see the hover craft hovering over the cornucopia. Once the fog's finished lifting, which happens the moment the sun falls and the moon shines light in its place, a rope falls down from the hover craft. The others still aren't awake and I have a bad feeling about what's going on.

"Techno grab our things and get back to the cornucopia," I order, "Afterwards, come help me bring the others in."

He nods and I run out and grab Crescent and I begin to drag her into the cornucopia. Techno zips past me and dumps everything inside. He then turns and helps me bring her inside. We then move onto Jacob, and we pull him in. We then get Arma and just as we get him inside, people fall down the rope and into the arena.

But these aren't ordinary people. Their faces resemble that of a blood hound.

Techno lets out a gasp of fear.

"I know what those are," he whispers.

I'm about to ask him what it is that they are, but then, the twelfth human dog drops to the ground and they all turn their attention to the cornucopia. One growls and half of them begin to run to the several forests. I hold onto my spear and Techno grabs a sword.

The one who stayed behind pounce. I immediately throw my spear and it impales one. The thing lets out a howl of pain and then becomes silent. It sinks into the ground and it's going to take my spear with it! I grab the spear and turn my attention to the next thing.

They have all seemed to somewhat falter. All, except one who pounces and is about to claw at Techno. The kid has no chance against this oversized humanoid thing, I chuck my spear and kill it before it can land on him. The rest retreat and go off to hunt the other four tributes.

Before the second dead one can sink into the ground, I take out my spear.

"What were those things?" I ask.

"They are hunters," says Techno.

"How do you know about them?" I ask.

"They were being created back in District 3," Techno answers, horrified by these mutts.

"What for?" I ask.

"They…" Techno falters, "You know those areas between the districts, the ones out side of the fence, the areas no ones allowed into? Well, turns out there were some people going in those areas. So the Capitol demanded District 3 and 5 to try and create these hunters that would find and kill anyone who went in those areas. Hundreds would be sent out. But they weren't sure if they could actually hunt…"

"So…" I ponder, "They sent them here?"

"To test whether or not they can hunt… people…. " says Techno, "Bala, we're being used as lab rats. They're testing these hunters on us."

"These games are going to be a lot longer than I thought they would," I say to myself, "But we've already killed two of them."

"There's still ten more out there though," says Techno.

He's petrified by the idea of being used as a lab rat. I almost want to tell him that we already were lab rats. This whole time, we've all been used by the Capitol for entertainment. But he's still young.

"What are we going to do about Arma, Crescent, and Jacob?" asks Techno.

I think we're both happy that he changed the subject.

"Well," I say a little unsure myself, "Let's lay them down on their beds."

"When do you suppose they'll wake up?" asks Techno.

"I don't know," I say, but I do know, they'll wake up when the Game Makers want them to wake up, "They might be in a coma."

"Should we kill them?" Techno asks and I stare at him dumbfounded, "To put them out of their misery I mean."

"No," I almost laugh, "I think we should keep them around for a while longer."

"I was just thinking because there are more Careers than there are tributes," Techno says, "I'm honestly surprised that the Career pack hasn't broken up yet."

"Yea well, it's already started to," I say insinuating Moray and Techno gets what I'm hinting at.

The Anthem begins to play and are no faces in the sky. But there are now seventeen deaths, with four tributes, five Careers, and ten mutts left alive.

Ha! Plot Twist! Review! So here's the death list in order of when they died:

Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath

Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath

Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath

Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath

Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath

Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath

Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1

Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1

Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2

Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3

Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3

Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4

Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4

Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5

Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5

Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:

The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/

Other Alliances: (Moray Eel-15-District 4/Alder Black-17-District 7)

Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*
- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8