Greis Karpusi, District 8

I poke around through my supplies drowsily. I stayed awake last night, not to mention all day because of that rainstorm, so I'm not that perky this morning. Once I down breakfast—which today is a banana and one strip of dried beef—I'm going to take a nap.

I make my way through the banana quickly. My supplies are starting to wane, and I didn't want to risk getting anything soaked, so I didn't get my three meals yesterday. I'm not going to pig out now, though. I'm too tired.

I finish up the strip of beef and curl up uncomfortably. Despite the prarie crater being covered with grass, it's not cushy, and it's still wet. The only tree's bark is too slippery to climb, so I'll have to bide my time in the squelching mess of a grassland. This isn't a nice place to stay.

But no one else is here. The tree isn't that thick, but it's much better shelter than the mountainside or the now-active volcano. I can still get out of here in time if I hear someone approaching.

So I'm pretty much safe. Not comfortable, but safe.

And in the Hunger Games, that's all that matters.

Spain Carriedo, District 3

I sit back up, brushing some more ash from my side. Of course, if we stay in this crater, the one that used to have a tree, we're never going to quite get our clothes clean, but I don't mind. It may not have any cover right now, but it's at least more comfortable than sitting on a bunch of jagged rocks.

I guess we can't really stay here. We might still have some food now, but it's not much. Our sponsors have stopped sending us water, so we'll have to find that ourselves.

Well, that last bit isn't much of a problem right now. There's plenty of rainwater in puddles all over the place, and while I can't guarantee they're still clean, we can't drink much of any water here without risk, anyway.

Food, though. Lovi's already decimated her beef jerky, and we only have two tomatoes left.

We could always try the jungle again. Even if it's still sweltering, I could probably find some critter before I get heatstroke.

Well, no time like the present.

"Lovi? Are you awake?" I call quietly—I wouldn't want to give our position away.

Lovi doesn't move for a minute, and then rolls over quickly to face me. "Yep. You ready to give me some breakfast?"

I roll my eyes at her, but she doesn't seem to get the picture.

"More or less. Have to catch it first," I respond, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the jungle, silhouetted by the morning sun behind it.

"Oh." Lovi sits up, sweeping some ash off her clothes with a frown. "Well, let's go ahead, then."

I nod, pushing myself to my feet and leading the way over to the crater wall. I pull myself up easily enough and turn to check on the substantially-shorter Lovi. She isn't making it over very well. Though I know she won't accept it, I offer a hand.

But she lets me help her over.

"Are you feeling all right today, Lovi?" I start, a little confused.

"Er..." She looks to the side a little, expression unreadable, before looking back at me with her usual pout. "Yeah, if you call starving fine."

I smile a little. Yup. Same old Lovi.

"All right. Let's get going, then."

Fronce Foybon, District 6

Nothing much has happened since we came in this crater. We had a small lunch. Argued about my views on women. Made more fun of Igris and his tea. Uneventful, but I'm just fine with that.

"I'll be right back."

I look over at China, who is getting to her feet—or at least putting weight on her good foot. From the way she's squeezing her knees together, I can tell what she needs to go do.

"And if you're planning on following," she continues, looking at me pointedly, "let's just say, if you try to see anything, I will kill you."

With a sigh of exasperation, I promise, "I won't try anything!" I shake my head a little. "That joke at work was a one-time thing! It's not as if plotting to see more of beautiful women is my number-one hobby!"

"Yes, that's because it's your only hobby," Igris responds.

"Hardly!" I just notice China hurrying off. "I do many other things in my spare time. Of course, I don't have nearly as much free time as you, since I actually work for a living. Work hard, too."

Igris snorts. "Anyone who works hard doesn't have enough energy to come up with your little schemes."

"Oh, so I have more than one scheme now?"

"I'm not around all week to see what all you cook up. I can only assume—"

He's cut off by an ear-splitting boom.

"Wha—" I start, but Igris is already getting up.

"That was in the direction she went," he barks, moving ahead carefully. "The tributes aren't given explosives, so it's something in the environment. Watch your step."

Knowing this isn't the right place for talking back, I head after him silently, staying away from anything on the ground that looks even vaguely suspicious.

Before I have much time to realise I hear screaming, Igris exhales shakily and picks up the pace. Unable to see past him, "I breathe, "What is it?"

Without looking back at me, he responds, "Let's just say we don't have to worry about cutting off her arm anymore."

Horror knotting my stomach, I barely notice Igris slowing to a stop. I scamper over to Igris's side and finally get a glimpse of our other ally.

She's slammed into the side of a tree, her mouth open to keep howling. A little scrape decorates one of her tightly-closed eyelids. Her legs are bent uncomfortably but not quite unnaturally back around the side of the trunk. Her left hand's fingers are curled into a tight fist, the rest of the arm resting on her side.

And her right arm is gone.

Right about where the arm muscle near her shoulder forms an indentation in her arm, the flesh ends. A few tendrils of muscle and edges of bone jut out, and a tattered length of skin projects a good bit farther. Further into her shoulder, where a charred stretch of shirt appears, lies a slash from some sharp bit of shrapnel.

I can't keep looking. It's only been a few seconds, but I can't stand a moment more of the horror in front of me.

Just as I'm contemplating how I need to be helping somehow, the sound of metal scraping metal forces me to look back towards the scene.

Igris has drawn his rapier.

"What are you—" This time I'm cut off by a lack of sound. China's ear-numbing screaming dies after an even sharper shriek.

In shock and confused, I only stare as Igris tosses something over his shoulder. It's a nearly invisible thin bundle that I realise must be nerves.

"No reason to let that thing keep dangling to bump into things," he clarifies as he starts to stretch some of China's bloodied skin over the raw flesh.

"Y-Yeah," I breathe, slumping back against a tree. I can't keep watching him work, so I just turn the other way.

After a few dissatisfied growls and some ripping noises, I hear Igris standing back up with a grunt. I dare to look back over.

The remaining section of China's arm is wrapped tightly with a length of torn jumper, which is quickly staining red. She doesn't look damaged anywhere else.

"Well, then," Igris starts, tugging the newly-sleeveless side of his jacket back over his shoulder, "I think we have good reason to leave this crater now."