Okay, so 9 months... sorry about that. Heh. Well anyways, all that matters is I came back eventually right? I'm going to be putting out chapters once or twice(if you're lucky possibly even thrice) a week until a finish the games. By then I'll be on winter break and should be able to speed past the post-games. After that I'll just see how I'm doing and decide what to do next, whether it be start another SYOT, take the slightly less difficult path of just doing a normal story, or even taking another break(I swear this one won't be a year long). Anyways now that I'm done rambling, without further ado, the next chapter(might be lower quality writing since I'm so rusty).

District 1- Emerald

Day 3 Night, Forest Cornucopia

Alone

Boom! Boom!

The two canons ripple through the air, signifying two more deaths in the arena, two deaths closer to the end. I figure that Mason must have found the other two kids in here and killed them. That means there's there's only two of us left in this section-and allies at that- so the walls should be going down soon.

I twirl one of my knifes and let out a sigh, slumping against the cold, metallic cornucopia behind me. Everyone at home must be so disappointed in me. I was by far the favorite to win the games, and all I've done is let everyone down by doing absolutely nothing while Mason picks up his 3rd and 4th kills. I didn't pick anyone off at the bloodbath, then went for a half-arsed attempt at searching once, then just flat out refusing to go hunting afterwards.

I sat around and watched while a little kid took down the whole section by himself. And yet... I'm not disappointed in myself. It's hard to explain, But I'm just not. Maybe it's because I made it into the top half with ease, not having to get my hands dirty. But no, that's nothing to be happy about, is it?

No matter the answer, me not doing anything is going to have to change soon. The gamemakers won't be happy with the favorite for the games not getting a single kill. But a feast should be happening soon, then I'll have my chance. They'll probably hold it when the wall goes down, letting everyone flood out at once into the center.

It wouldn't be too bloody because everyone would be looking for split up allies, but still the tension of all the tributes meeting again would make for some blood. Not to mention that none of the careers have died yet-unless one of those canons was actually a career- so once all of us meet up there'll probably be some immediate betrayal going on. District 4 will probably go right away, then we'll see if the rest of us can keep it together until later.

My thoughts are interrupted as I notice the Panem national anthem playing, and I look up to the sky to see the day's dead. The Panem logo dissipates and in it's place appears Mason's face.

My eyes widen and I look again, confirming the fact that my ally is dead. The first career death of the games. His face is soon replaced by the boy from 7's, confirming my thoughts. The kid from 8 killed Mason.

I don't think too much of it, the kid probably just got a lucky kill on an over-confident Mason and is now crying about his dead friend,nothing for me to have to stress about.

But one thought cannot be put to rest as I slowly drift off to sleep.

I am alone.

District 6- Percy

Day 3 Night- Mountains

Temporary

A growl comes from my stomach as I lean against the damp cave wall, trying to sleep away the hunger pangs futilely. Letting out a groan I slowly slide myself up, nearly stumbling to the ground. I hadn't eaten since yesterday night, which doesn't seem that long, except for the fact I've been moving that whole time, attempting to find somebody or something.

After a long time searching, I finally stopped for rest in one of the many small caves, hoping to find something in here. I'm willing to bet that if you go down into the caverns below there'll be something, but I'm not exactly keen to find out what.

The sunlight temporarily blinds me as I step out of the darkness, and I have to shield my eyes, slowly making my way forward. My hopes is that I can find some water at the least, since I had just recently run out, but what I really need is food.

I had seen some snakes slithering about earlier, but decided against going for them, thinking they may be poisonous. Not to mention that I don't have the slightest clue how to eat a snake anyways. My only option at this point seems to be to find another tribute, and steal from them.

Even though the chances of my finding another person by just loudly stumbling through the mountains are low, I doubt the gamemakers are going to be against some action. Possibly they'll lead someone to me, or vice versa.

Another 5 minutes of walking and it appears my hunch was right. In the distance I see a person leaning against a large rock, asleep. I stop for a moment, and begin to creep up on the tribute.

Only the girl from 1, the boy from 3, and I are left in this section, and since the girl hasn't moved from the cornucopia yet, it's safe to say that this is the boy from 3. Not much of a threat. He's fast, but other then that he's pretty average, and if I get a sneak attack on him I should be able to beat him easily.

I pause now, just 10 feet away from the boy and contemplate my options. There's nothing near him that I can see, but he could easily have something on him. All that I can spot is a knife, laying just a half-foot from his outstretched right hand.

I could easily just go up to him, slit his throat, and search him for anything, but I quickly dismiss that idea. I'll kill in here if I need to, but I'm not a stone-cold killer. I've got to at least give the kid a chance. Maybe we can even ally up.

A plan quickly formulates in my head, and I grin. Slowly walking up to him, I kick his knife away, and give a quick knock on the tree with the back of my dagger. He shoots up, and reaches out in the place where his knife was before, not even realizing it's not there.

I put my hands up in the air and give a smile, "Relax, not gonna hurt you."

He stares back at me cautiously, "Then why did you take my knife?"

"Because," I start, pointing the handle of my dagger at him. "Sorta figured you might lash out at me or something." I shrug, then add on, "Looks like I was right."

He eases up a bit, and narrows his eyes. "So why exactly are you talking to me right now?"

"Well," I respond, "I'm sort of out of food and water, as it appears you are, so I figured that there's no point in us two fighting. Especially when that career chick is sitting up at the cornucopia with mounds of food."

"So," I continue, "I figured that us two could maybe work together, make a sort of temporary alliance."

"With what in mind exactly?" He asks, clearly interested.

"There's only 12 of us left if I'm counting right, so I figure that the wall should be going down soon. And when it does, there's sure to be a feast."

He looks at me expectantly. "And?"

"Well, neither of us can exactly storm the feast while the careers are up there, and they are pretty sure to be the first ones there. So the only option I see..." I pause, making sure he's paying attention. "Is for one of us to distract them."

He lets out a quick laugh. "So that's why you wanted my help? Bait?"

"No, not bait." I backtrack. "Just..."

"Bait."

"Does bait get half the prize once everything's said and done?" I ask.

"You're saying that is if I'm going to survive."

"I saw you running in training, you're probably the fastest kid in the arena, you won't even be carrying anything, you'll outrun them easy." I know this isn't even close to true, but figure he might buy it.

"Okay, even if I do somehow manage to get out of it alive." He narrows his eyes, looking strait at me. "How do I know you won't just take all the food and leave me to die?"

"You don't." I reply simply.

"Then why should I work with you?" He asks.

"Because, if we don't both do something soon, we're done for. Don't you think it's worth the risk?"

He shakes his head and sighs."Fine, we work together to get the food, we meet back here and split the reward, then go our separate ways, deal?"

I smile and put my dagger at my belt. "Exactly what I was looking for."

District 8- Natalie

Day 3 Night- Small island in ocean

Stranded

Marren is dead. His face stares down at the arena, a slight smile somehow on his face. I shake my head, no need to be worried about anyone else, right now I need to focus on me surviving. Almost all of the original alliance is dead now, David and Lizzy didn't even last a day, and now Marren is gone too, with Caddis stuck in a zone all by himself with a career.

It's weird to think that I might be our best shot at winning. Not that I have much of any. I'm stuck in a great big ocean with two careers from district 4, not exactly what you'd call a favorable position.

But still, at least I'm still alive. With only half of us still left, that's definitely something I can be grateful for. I roll up into my sleeping bag and nibble on some crackers, hoping to sooth myself to sleep.

"Why are we stopping here?" A voice calls in the distance. I panic, and jump out of my sleeping bag, hiding behind a large tree nearby. "The girl that died probably just crashed her raft here before she got killed by some mutt."

Another voice adds in, this one a girl."Really, I suppose she crashed both of her rafts her then?"

"Maybe she did." The boy answers.

"Even if she did," The girl sighs. " I think it's worth at least checking out don't you?"

They both fall quiet for a while, then there's a rustling in a bush behind me, and the two both step into the clearing where I was sleeping just minutes ago.

"Look," The girl says in a hushed voice. "A sleeping bag."

"Probably just the girl from 9's?" The boy says unconvincingly.

"No, look. A bag of crackers."

"They're fresh..." The boy trails off.

"She's still on the island, probably nearby." The girl finishes. "I'll search for her, you go back and guard the raft."

My heart races, and I hold my breath, praying that she has a sudden change in heart and leaves. I hear soft footsteps creeping up behind me, and I lock myself in place, fighting the will to run for it. She's just a couple feet behind my hiding spot before she stops.

Minutes seem to last for hours, and finally I can't take it any longer, and begin to stand up. I am now aware that I'm shaking crazily. I take a deep breath and jump out of my hiding spot, but find nobody in sight.

I let out my breath and collapse against the tree. But still I'm confused. She knew I was nearby, why did she stop looking for me? I begin to run in the distance the two came from, and soon find myself at the edge of the inner forest, facing the beach.

At the edge of the water, I make out the boy sitting in the raft impatiently while the girl smashes the two rafts beyond recovery. "That should take care of it." The girl says as she gets onto the raft. "Since you seem so keen to get out of here so quickly."

"I don't know," The boy replies. "Something is just off about this place, I just want to get back to the center."

"Ya, whatever." The girl replies. "At least this saves us time."

The boy shakes his head and mutters something that I can't hear, before the two retreat into the ocean. I sink down into the ground and sigh. It sucks to be stranded here, but at least they didn't kill me. Plus, it's not like I had any plans to leave.

I walk back into the forest, and shakily sink into my sleeping bag, desperate to end the long night.

District 9- Ameathon

Day 3 Late Night- Middle of Grassland

I let out a sigh and toss the small ninja star into the dirt in front of me. The arena is dead silent, everyone either sleeping, or quietly hunting.

I don't seem to fit into either group really. The whole games I've just been sitting here, killing the occasional animal passing by. It's quite boring really.

It's already late, so I should probably be getting to sleep. The feast will be coming soon, and that's when the real action begins. That's when it's my time to shine.

I'm just beginning to drift off to sleep when a soft, rhythmic pounding sound starts off in the distance, and I shoot up. The sound is getting louder, closer to me, but still distant.

I begin to sneak towards the sound, careful to not make any noise. The sound at this point is much louder, and much clearer as well. It sounds like... a stampede.

A shout echoes through the arena, coming from the same direction as the stampede.

A smile creeps onto my face and I dash over towards the sound, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I reach a small clearing, and stop myself at the edge of the tall grass. In front of me I see the two siblings from 11 running from the stampede, which I now see is just a handful of bulls.

The two appear to be getting away, but then the girl, Zaphrina I think, trips and tumbles to the ground.

She barely has time to scream for her brother before a bull stomps on her leg.

She lets out an ear-piercing scream and her brother turns around, causing a bull to smash into him.

He's flung to the ground, all his ribs probably broken, but he's still not done yet.

He reaches behind his back, pulls out a crossbow, shakily places an arrow in, and fires.

The arrow pierces the bulls forehead, dropping it dead. Another turns it's head toward him, and shares his friends fate.

The couple of other bulls still left in the clearing scatter, and I allow myself a smirk.

Two tributes too injured to move, and two bull carcasses, what a treat.

Thinking the danger is over the boy drops his crossbow to his side, and soon after falls unconscious.

Meanwhile the girl sits still, clutching her leg as if it's her lifeline. Any weapons she had she must have dropped, as she has nothing near her.

I sneak my way over to the spot on the ground the boy is, careful to not be seen. He's right at the edge of the clearing, so it's easy to sneak up right behind him, and send my cleaver strait into his neck.

Boom!

The girl shoots up and looks towards me, and screams.

I block out all the sound coming from her and yank the cleaver out of her brothers neck, blood now pouring out of him like a river.

I take my time, slowly walking up to her, twirling a ninja star in my hand.

"Well what do we have here?" I crouch down , now just a foot away from her. "It looks like you went and got your leg broken didn't you?"

She lets out a barrage of cuss words at me, and I just sigh and shake my head. "Now that's not very nice to say now is it?" I pause for a moment then continue. "Now what should I do with you? I could just leave you here to slowly die, but what would I get out of that? Torturing could be fine... But no, I don't care about that. No, I just want to see you dead."

I pull the cleaver out of belt, hold it up to her neck, and let out a chuckle. "I just want to see you bleed."

Boom!

Yay, chapter done! Sorry again if it's low quality, haven't written in forever. So two deaths this chapter, Zaphrina and Oak. They were great tributes, but in the end I couldn't see either of them winning it, so they had to go. That means 14 tributes are now dead, with just 10 remaining. Congratulations to Emerald, Sapphire, Icilla, Harper, Ryan, Hayla, Percy, Caddis, Natalie, and Ameathon! The next chapter will be the walls going down, and the feast. Just one question today.

1) Who do you think will die at the feast?

24) Aron- Cut in neck with cleaver by Ameathon

23) Digit- Dagger thrown to chest by Susan

22) Lizzy- Throwing knofe to head by Mason

21) Fawn- Stabbed in stomach by Sapphire

20) Bree- Throwing knife to head by Mason

19) Susan- Harpoon thrown to chest by Ryan

18) Kaylee- Javelin thrown to head by Sapphire

17) David- Throat slit by Icilla

16) Eve- Mutilated with dagger by Natalie

15) Cole- Stabbed in chest by Harper

14) Mason- Dagger to head by Caddis

13) Marren- Poison from throwing knife by Mason

12) Oak- Decapitated by Ameathon

11) Zaphrina- Cleaver to throat by Ameathon