The 6th Hunger Games.

Lorala Selkie, District 4 female tribute [17].

Every moment brings me closer.

It's been a tough Games this year, an arena of dark, twisting and mind tricking caves. There was a smaller Bloodbath too since so with so little light and so many passages out and away a lot of tributes were able to sneak off to freedom. It's been frustrating at times. Even with the alliance we put together this year-myself and my District partner Nemo, the pair from 2 and the girl from District 1-things could be stressful. Bad enough for alliances to fall apart like in the 4th Games but the very last thing we need is someone going as off wire as the District 7 boy that year and turning this all into a horror hunter show.

But we're past that now, long past it. It's just myself and one other tribute left. The District 12 girl.

Aoife Morgan.

At first I thought they might have mixed up some of the death portraits, misreflected them against the cave lights or something, and that someone else was left. But no. It's her.

The girl from 12 of all places, who was probably least noticed of all, of everyone, in training, managed to not only escape but survive? I don't, I just don't see how. The Hunger Games are no place for people like her.

My only guess and understanding is that she somehow got used to hiding in the dark. 12 is the mining District so that would make sense, they probably barely have any daylight over there. And she's managed to sneak around like some fucking upstart.

Well you still had to 'start', Aoife, when I was already leagues ahead. And your coal sparkle can't go on forever because I've got you now.

I've gotten good at stealth tracking myself, one knows how to find things when you poke through the ocean for your day's work, and I've backed her into a corner now. Nowhere to run 12.

She barely even has a scratch! I genuinely have no idea how to put it together. These are caves, they're full of edges and spikes and rocks for crying out loud! Unless the whole District 12 population are vampires from those old stories before Panem I just don't know how she could make it through caves without scratches, bump marks, anything. She does look hungry, though, so she didn't have a perfect time of it. That's good. Maybe I'll give her something quick to eat before I cut her head off, just so she doesn't have to die on an empty stomach.

'Hey there 12!' I call grinning as I get within 20 paces of her. 'You've made a great run of things you know. Exceeded all our expectations. I'll make your death good and quick out of respect'.

She just stares back.

'Aren't you going to say something 'miner girl'' I call back jeeringly now. Does she have the first idea of what's going on? I will feed her alright. Feed her my sword through her legs and arms.

Then she runs. She runs…..at the cave wall.

I'm honestly just perplexed right now. I know the far outlier District people may not be the brightest but even they ought to know that bashing your head off a rock wall will probably kill you.

I sort of move forward out of pity. Probably less dignified to die from something like this. I'll actually make it quick….mostly.

Then she speeds up and breaks through the wall.

I jump back a pace, a little bit stunned. What in the name of all the god's names was that?!

There's rubble everywhere but she isn't unconscious. In fact she's not even hurt. She's getting away!

The fucking walls were hollow. They've been hollow all this time. There's literally no rock in between; it's just sandpaper and garbage spilling out. This was one of those Gamemaker tricks; where they wait to see if anyone can figure out if they've been played. If the whole thing around them is a lie.

We could've ended this so much quicker, hunted everybody down like I considered, if we just figured that out.

How the hell did she know? Something to do with the shape of the walls? Do they teach advanced physics over in 12? Perhaps I mixed it up with District 3? I'm pretty sure we found a few real walls, or at least they were strong enough to lean against, but then again the Gamemakers probably have extremely layered imaginations. Stranger things have happened.

Like what's happening now, for example.

I slap myself back to reality and start sprinting off after her. She won't get far. I'll make absolutely certain of that.

I'm just shoving through the rubble when Aoife catches me.

She must've snuck up on someone who made it to the Cornucopia. Punched through the walls, choked them out or something. Then she took their knife.

The same knife that's cutting my throat now.

I think I hear her say 'I'm sorry'.

I don't get to ask her to repeat it.

Yes, again, I am not Suzanne Collins and do not own the Hunger Games. Please consider dropping a review. Sorry for that particularly long wait [ironic that the chapter ended up being a notable bit shorter but different formats for different stories]; at the moment I can only promise that when you get a chapter, it'll be what I think is it at its best potential. I'm still here to try and put something in for all 73 previous Games [after that, lips are sealed].

An especial thanks to my friend audreyoctopus, who has reviewed every single chapter so far with kind and helpful words. You should all definitely go to at the very least check out her story 'Crocodile Tears', the story of Johanna Mason's time in the arena. I mean, it's Johanna Mason. And Audrey doesn't hold back from her delightful savageness [didn't we all just want her as our best friend] and she paints it really well and yeah. It's an awesome read. You can see her author page on the list of my Favourite Authors after clicking on my profile name. Brace yourself and enjoy the ride.

Yes, I imagine many of you will be inclined to compare Aoife to Lucy Gray Baird. If any of you are wondering if Snow will show up in this story, I'll just seal my lips again.

Stay tuned for more…

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