Sadie Wilson, District 2, 18

The next morning was the first sunny one in a couple days. The mood in the Cornucopia, however, wasn't as bright. We were down to eight tributes standing, and the time had come to part ways, as we'd originally discussed. We spent the beginning of the day packing to leave, dividing the remaining supplies between us.

"What do we do with the stuff we don't want?" Muir asked. "And the traps?"

"We might as well leave the traps here," said Glowla. "They'll serve the same function."

"I don't want to leave the weapons, though," I said. "Can you guys take any more?"

"Not really," said Glowla.

"We could dump them in the lake," Muir suggested. "Or bury them."

Glowla's eyes lit up. "Or," she said, "we could leave them out as bait."

"Oh," I said, realizing what she meant. "How would we do that, though?"

"I can do it," said Muir. "Just let me go get the materials."

Muir trekked off towards the treeline, heading for one of the more densely trapped areas. Glowla turned to me.

"So, this is it, apparently," she said. She kept her tone casual, but her eyes didn't leave my face.

"This is it," I echoed.

"Which way do you think you'll go?" she asked.

I sighed. "Towards the river, I think." As in, not towards those cabins.

"Still saving him for last?" she noted.

"Yes," I replied. "You?"

"Muir and I were talking about checking out those cabins again," she said. "The Eight pair got away, and I think they're still hanging around there."

"You and Muir?" I asked. "You're not splitting up?"

"No, we are," she clarified. "We'll split once we hit the lake."

"Oh, okay," I said. When I looked at her, her expression was steady.

I don't think she's lying, I thought. Then again, when do you really know with Glowla? I sighed. She'd been fairly honest with me since meeting her, but I also had no doubts that she'd only acted that way because it benefitted her. We'd had a nice moment yesterday, sure, but what if that was the last one?

There was a moment of silence. I tucked a few more throwing knives into the side pocket of my backpack. It was already full of food and water purifiers, as well as a sleeping bag, night vision goggles, bandages for my face, and the rest of my weapons. I'd grabbed a machete just for the hell of it, and a few throwing stars as well. They'd never been my preferred weapon, but they worked in a pinch.

"Do you think we'll see each other again?" I asked.

Glowla glanced back at me. She hesitated. "I don't know."

"Maybe it's better that way," I said. I smiled. "Although it'd be cool to beat all of District One."

Glowla smirked. "Yeah, right," she said. "I'm no Virgil."

"Thank God," I agreed.

"How's your cheek doing?" she asked.

At the mention of it, I brought my fingers to my face. My cheek was still swollen- it was a deep cut- but I'd received a large tube of medicine from Godric this morning, and it had been a relief. There were some aspirin and pain relievers in the Cornucopia, but the sponsor gift was the real deal. Much more effective.

"Better," I said. I shook my head. "Still can't believe he got a hit in."

"I mean, he accidentally dropped it on your face," Glowla replied. "And he was basically dead at that point."

"Somehow, that makes it worse," I said ruefully.

Glowla smiled. "What an idiot."

"Who's an idiot?" Muir asked, walking back up with a bundle of metal wires and a large knife.

"We're just reminiscing on the good old days," I said. While we still can.

Muir shrugged and turned to the table that was covered with weapons, beginning his work. Glowla and I returned to our packing. Once we were all done, the three of us gathered our belongings and headed out towards the grass, eyeing each other. We stood there for a moment, the three of us, sizing each other up. Everyone had at least one weapon in their hands. No one was completely sure of what would come next.

"Well, I guess it's time to go," Glowla said.

"I'll go this way," I said, gesturing behind me. I took a step backwards towards the river.

"We'll split at the lake," Glowla repeated. She and Muir exchanged a glance, then each took a step backwards.

"Good luck," I said. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, taking another step back.

"You too," said Muir. I glanced at his hands- he was holding his trusty spear rather tightly. I took another few steps back, and they did the same.

"Goodbye," said Glowla. She gave me a solemn nod.

"Goodbye," I replied. I nodded back. Then, with a mutual understanding, everyone turned and ran from the Cornucopia. No one bothered looking back.

Journie Teffs, District 9, 17

Why don't I feel better?

After everything that happened at the Cornucopia yesterday, I'd fled back to the river, hiking back north. I hadn't seen anyone else since. I had half a mind to head back to the cabins Reese and I had found early in the Games- there was no way anyone was actually in them, right? And I still had that map Marius sent me a few days ago. I could definitely find them again. But as hard as I tried to keep thinking about strategy, guilt kept seeping back in.

Reese was dead. Chaney was dead. Travis was dead. I'd stood up for Reese and avenged them, but their loss still hurt so goddamn bad. Every time I'd punched back before, it had made me feel better. So why hadn't it worked this time? Why hadn't killing Travis helped me get over Reese's death?

Because you were too late, I thought. You didn't change anything. They're still dead.

I didn't regret killing Travis. I didn't. I was pretty sure he would've killed me at the first chance he had. And the way Travis talked about their death, it was like he was proud of Chaney. It was a shame the other guy had gotten caught up in it, but I wasn't losing sleep over it. I was more afraid of death than blood on my hands.

Fighting had always solved my every problem. Need money to make up for wage cuts? I fought for it. Someone say something gross about my sisters? I confronted them. But this time, fighting hadn't fixed anything. I didn't understand why.

I exhaled, pushing the thoughts away. I pulled my map out of my bag and started to try to figure out where I was. I needed a distraction. Besides, the cabins would be a decent shelter in case it rained again. I squinted up through the trees, trying to make out where the sun was in the sky. By the time I'd figured out where it was sitting, I had to blink to get rid of the bright spots. But I was able to tell it was early afternoon, and I already knew I was in the western portion of the arena. I turned around, tracing my finger on the map.

That way. At least, I think.

I dipped my water bottle into the river one last time, popping in a purifier to make sure it was safe. Then, I picked up my scythe and started walking.

A while later, I broke through the trees and onto a dirt path. I was sweating buckets by the time I got there. I was already hoping it would rain again. The rain was miserable, sure, but the heat was even worse. I unfolded my map again and examined it, heading northeast. The path seemed familiar enough, so I seemed to be on the right track. I kept walking.

After a much shorter amount of time, I stumbled onto the cabin, the letter A above the door. Not the same one Reese and I had stayed in, but maybe it was better that way. I tucked the map back into my shorts pocket and held my scythe tightly as I approached. I didn't hear anything from inside, so I dared a peek into the window. Nothing. I tapped on the door with my knuckles and listened again, heart racing. All I heard was my pulse in my ears. I pushed the door open, and sure enough, it was empty. I ducked inside, shutting the door behind me.

Inside, it was decently roomy, with a table, some chairs, a couch, a countertop, empty cabinets, and a separate room with a bed big enough for two. I set my things down on the countertop, except for my scythe, which I took with me to the couch. After a week in the wilderness, it was a relief to relax on a soft couch.

But of course, when the stillness returned, so did the memories.

We don't need to worry about him anymore, though. He's safe in the sky.

In the sky?

Sure. That's what my mom said when my dad died. Whenever we were sad, she'd tell us to look up at the stars. The brightest ones were the ones you loved looking down on you. That's where Deltro is now, watching us and rooting for us.

You know, for someone who dropped out of school, you're pretty smart.

Hey!

You know I'm kidding.

I just hate seeing you sad.

I started breathing quickly, in short, shallow breaths. I couldn't get enough air, and soon enough, I was gasping for oxygen in horrible shuddering breaths. A lump grew in my throat, and I swallowed, trying to get rid of it. It didn't work. My face ached with the pressure building up behind my eyes, but I didn't want to let it go, so I rubbed them furiously, still trying to catch my breath. It was a temporary fix, and before I knew it, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I held my head between my hands, trembling as my sorrow poured out of me. I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried like this, the sobs wracking my body and exhausting me. It seemed to go on and on forever, and I couldn't make it stop. I'd lost control.

I want to go home.

Ianto Baines, District 8, 16

When I woke up, Levi was already awake, humming as she played with something in her hands.

"Good morning," she said, noticing I was awake.

"Hi," I said groggily. I squinted, rubbing my crusty eyes. "What time is it?"

She glanced upwards, gauging the time from the sky. "Pretty late, I think," she said. "But you were sleeping, and you looked so peaceful. I didn't want to bother you."

"Thanks," I said, pushing myself into a sitting position. "'Whatcha doing?"

"Oh, I was trying to recreate one of those snares from training," she replied. She showed me what she was working on, and I grunted with approval. It looked pretty good from what I remembered. I doubted I'd be able to remake it so well. Then, I remembered what we'd talked about last night.

"How are you doing?" I asked. I raked a hand through my hair, trying to get some of the tangles out. I winced at how greasy it was. I had to look like a mess right now.

"I'm okay," she replied. Somehow, Levi looked pretty decent- her hair was neat and her clothes were tidy. I had no idea how she managed that. Maybe it was just a girl thing.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said. "No bs. Last night helped."

"Cool," I replied. I yanked another hand through my curls, gritting my teeth in an attempt to offset the pain. I really should've done this a few days ago to keep it from getting this bad. At least I'd gotten a haircut in the Capitol. Who knows how long it would've gotten if I hadn't been Reaped and stayed in juvie. I had half the nerve to laugh at myself. Getting Reaped was not worth the free haircut.

"Can I… can I tell you something?" Levi said suddenly.

I glanced up at her, pausing the finger-combing for a second. "Sure."

She hesitated. "I… I just wanted to say thanks for being my friend."

I raised my eyebrows, taken a little off guard. "Oh, yeah, sure."

"It's just, like, I don't have a lot of close friends at home," she explained. "Or any. Except for Checkers, but he's a baby. So I'm just really glad that I can have a friend before… you know. Especially because we didn't start off as friends and I kept talking too much and I thought I scared you away, because I tend to overshare a lot, like I did on the train, and-"

"Levi," I interrupted.

She stopped. "Sorry."

"It's okay," I said. "You're welcome."

She straightened up a little, a small smile crossing her lips. The first one I'd seen in days. I had to admit, it was nice to see. "Thanks."

"Yeah," I nodded. I smirked. "You're not half bad. Of all the district partners I could've ended up with… it could've been worse."

"Thank you," she said. "And I agree."

I paused. "I hate to bring it up, but we should probably talk about our alliance."

Levi exhaled. "You mean, splitting up?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Because, you know… there's not a lot of people left, and I don't want to have to, you know, fight you."

"I don't want to fight you either," Levi said quietly. "I don't know if I could do it."

"Yeah," I said, my voice grim. "I'd rather not."

"How soon are you thinking?" she asked. "Now, with eight? Six people left? Five?"

"Maybe five," I said. I didn't want to split just yet. Being alone in the arena… that sounded terrifying. There was no sense in splitting earlier than we had to.

"Five it is," Levi agreed.

"I just want to be on the same page," I said.

"I'm glad you brought it up," she replied. "No bs."

"No bullshit for District Eight," I said.

Levi smiled again. "Nope."

Muir Jansen, District 4, 16

Glowla and I arrived at the lake in the early afternoon. It was as idyllic as our last visit. Unlike last time, though, today there was no one to greet us. We checked the cabins just to make sure, but the area was deserted. Made sense after what happened a few days ago.

"So," said Glowla. "I guess this is where we split ways."

I shrugged. "I guess."

We both stood there for a moment. I kicked at the dirt path while Glowla looked off at the trees. Neither one of us moved for several minutes. After a while, Glowla was the one to break the silence.

"I think we're thinking the same thing," Glowla finally said.

I looked at her, eyebrows raised, but didn't say anything.

She sighed. "You're going to make me say it?"

I shrugged.

"Let's stick together a little longer," she suggested.

"Sounds good," I replied.

Glowla scoffed. "I knew it."

"Thought it was fairly obvious," I said.

"Whatever," she replied. "Would you rather split up and meet back here, or go looking together?"

"Splitting up's quicker," I said.

"Sure," said Glowla. She glanced up at the sun, checking the relative time. "Let's meet back here at sundown."

"Cool. I'll head that way," I said, gesturing over my shoulder with my thumb.

Glowla gave me a look. "You know Caligula's over there, right?"

"I can take him," I said. "You saw him the other day. He doesn't even want to fight. I get the jump on him, it's all over."

"Be careful," she said. "I'll go after the Eights."

"Sounds good," I repeated. "See you later?"

"See you," she replied.

Our plan solidified, we split up. I headed north, and she went off towards the west.

First, I checked the paths. No footprints, but I wasn't surprised. The rain had probably washed any old tracks away. I doubted Caligula was dumb enough to take the paths, anyway. If I wanted to find him, I'd need to head into the trees. So that's what I did.

About an hour later, I was still walking, keeping my ears open and eyes on the ground as I searched for any trace of another tribute. I hadn't spent much time off the paths and outside the Cornucopia, and honestly, it was decently nice out here. Nothing compared to Four, of course, but nice. I did miss the comfort of having an ally with me- it was always nice to know someone had your back- but then again, no need to share the kills. That was a nice bonus.

My thoughts drifted to my family for the millionth time. They were mostly the same as usual- hoping the kids hadn't seen the kills, wondering how my mom was doing, wishing I could hug Nineve again. The thoughts of home were nothing new at this point, but they were comforting. They were the only constant I had in the Games other than myself. I wanted to cling to them as long as possible.

After another fifteen minutes or so, I stopped dead in my tracks, squatting to look at a mark in the dirt. It was faint, but it was there. I checked the bottom of my shoe to make sure- the print was the same. I compared it to my foot. It was much smaller than mine, and I instantly knew whose it was. I followed the direction it was pointing in, and sure enough, a much larger one- bigger than mine- wasn't far off. I followed the prints until I could hear voices.

"I don't get how you could like that stuff. It's so gross."

A girl's voice, I noted. Solid confirmation that the smaller prints were hers.

"Who doesn't like coffee? I don't get how you could not like it."

I didn't have to guess whose voice that was.

"It's just bitter bean juice. You do realize that, right?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to drink in the morning?"

The conversation continued as I drew one of my spears, treading softly to keep them oblivious to my presence. I could see them now, two heads of blond hair between the trees. They were sitting down, their backs to me. Caligula's weapon was sitting on the ground nearby. The girl looked unarmed.

Crunch.

A twig snapped under my boot. In front of me, both heads began to turn.

I launched my spear.

Sienna Asher, District 12, 14

Caligula and I had spent most of yesterday talking about home. I'd learned a lot about District Two and, honestly, minus the training academy and some of the wealth, it wasn't that far off from Twelve. Listening to him talk, I could almost pretend everything was normal, and I was just chatting with another customer. Caligula, in turn, had learned a lot about the antique business.

But there was only so much you could really say about home, and everything else going on in our lives wasn't fun to talk about. By the time we hit this morning, we'd transitioned to some new activities, including one of my favorites. It took a while to convince Caligula to play, but my saleswoman skills really came in handy.

"Your turn," I said. "Truth or dare?"

"I'm sick of truths. Let's do a dare," said Caligula. "But you can't pick anything that'll get us killed. Or seriously maimed."

"Well, yes," I said. I rubbed my hands together, smiling brightly. "I already have an idea."

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I," he moaned.

"Yes," I grinned. "Show me one of your dance routines."

"What?!"

"You said you used to dance before you trained," I said. "I want to see it!"

"I only did it for balance and flexibility purposes," he grumbled. "It was very serious business. I didn't put on shows."

"It's a dare," I said. "You have to do it."

He groaned. "I'm going to get you back for this."

"Still worth it."

It was worth it. While his style was surprisingly graceful, it had clearly been a while since he'd practiced his moves, and it took every inch of self-restraint I had to not burst out laughing. The look on his face alone almost got me. When he sat back down, I applauded, tapping my fingertips together softly to keep from making too much noise.

"That was magnificent," I proclaimed.

"Oh, shut up," he grumbled. "Your turn. Truth or dare?"

"Truth," I said.

"Again?" he sighed. "Fine. Have any crushes back home?"

I hesitated.

"Aha!" he crowed. "I want to hear all about this."

I lowered my voice. "What if he sees this?" I whispered.

"Just tell me about him, don't say his name. And I bet they already aired you making me dance."

"Fine," I said. I scooted up next to him so that we were sitting side by side against the tree. "I met him when we started middle school. He was in my class, and he was really cute. So I asked him if he wanted to be friends with me and my other best friend."

"Very bold," Caligula replied.

"I guess. So now we're really good friends but I'm afraid he only sees me as a friend and I don't want to ruin our friendship," I said.

"Well, being bold worked last time. Why not do it again? Ask him out for coffee or something," he replied.

"Coffee's gross," I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "Coffee is heaven on earth."

"I don't get how you could like that stuff. It's disgusting," I said.

"Who doesn't like coffee? I don't get how you could not like it," Caligula said.

"It's just bitter bean juice. You do realize that, right?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to drink in the morning?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I don't know, milk? Tea?" I answered.

"Well, by your own logic, tea is just bitter leaf juice," he said. "And don't get me started on milk."

"Ewwww," I cringed. "Fine, drink some water then."

"I don't know where that water's been," he replied.

I giggled. "Then don't drink anything at all!"

"Maybe I won't!" he declared, sweeping his arms out grandly. "I'll never drink anything again."

Crunch.

The smiles immediately slid off of both of our faces. Caligula grabbed for his weapon as we both peered around the back of the tree we were sitting against. Seeing the boy on the other side, I began to scramble to my feet, but before I could straighten up, a spear sailed over my head.

"Sienna, run!" Caligula shouted. He stood quickly, stepping towards the other boy.

"Caligula-"

"I said run!" he shouted, and I began to backpedal. The other boy, who had a 4 sewn into his black t-shirt pocket, pulled out a second spear and advanced. Caligula swung his harpe at the boy, and they began to fight.

Caligula glanced over his shoulder. "Sienna, go!"

I swallowed, my throat tight, and obeyed. I ran through the trees until I couldn't hear the clanging of their weapons anymore.

A wave of deja vu hit me as I leaned against a tree, catching my breath. I realized that I'd lost Salome and Jess to this exact situation. I'd left them to die. And now, I was doing it again to Caligula- letting him die for me.

How many people have to die for me before I stand up for myself?

Caligula Van Zandt, District 2, 18

Muir shifted into a fighting stance, placing his left foot in front of his right. He shifted his grip on his spear, pulling his right hand all the way to the back for better leverage. I lifted the tip of my harpe, pointing it at him. We both stared at each other for a moment, waiting for the other to make the first move.

Then he lunged forward, jabbing the spear at me, and the fight was on.

We circled around each other, narrowly dodging each other's attacks. A few times, I was forced to dart behind a tree to avoid the tip of Muir's spear. I'd known he was a good fighter- I'd faced him once or twice in training, and he'd earned a 10 as well- but I hadn't realized just how good. Seeing the firmness in his face, I realized that might have been on purpose.

I was fighting hard, making Muir work for it. I needed to tire him out. Years of training had taught me that on even ground, a spear beat a sword any day of the week. So I kept zigzagging around trees, mostly keeping up a strong defense, occasionally jumping out to swipe at his abdomen. He didn't like that.

"Ugh!" he grunted, sidestepping another attack.

"Muir, we don't have to do this," I panted. "Just-"

Before I could finish my sentence, he leapt forward, whipping his right hand around to smack me on the left shoulder with his spear. The blow landed, and I cried out, almost dropping my harpe. I moved to stab again, but he quickly brought the spear back around, sweeping it under my feet and knocking me down. I lost my harpe that time. I hit the ground hard, my lungs flattening like pancakes as I did so. I wheezed and rolled to the side to try to recover my harpe. Muir kicked it out of my reach.

"I'm not Sadie," he said quietly. "I don't care what you have to say."

"Wha-"

Halfway through the word, he kicked me in the ribs. Our Capitol-issued boots were sturdy, too, and pain immediately erupted in my side. I clutched my chest, groaning, looking for a way out of this. If I had to go down here, there had to be a way to take him with me.

"I said, I don't care what you have to say," he repeated. He leveled the spear at my face, staring me down. Then he brought his elbows back, taking the spear with them, and thrusted the spear towards my eyes.

This is not the end.

As he thrusted the weapon, I reached for the spear, redirecting it to the side of my head. It landed in the dirt next to me, and without hesitation, I brought my foot up, kicking him in the side of the knee. His legs buckled, but he stayed upright. Fortunately, he was distracted for a few seconds, letting me get back to my feet. I didn't have time to get my weapon, but neither did he, and the standoff began anew.

I didn't bother reasoning with him this time. It was pointless. Instead, I charged.

I ran at Muir, grabbing his shoulders and taking him to the ground with me. We grappled, wrestling for the upper hand, before he eventually landed an elbow right on my sore ribcage. As I lost my breath again, he maneuvered on top of me, pinning me down, and wrapped his hands around my throat.

And then he squeezed.

I immediately began bucking wildly, trying to get him off of me, but Muir held firm. His face was tight with a horrible concentration as he worked to crush my windpipe. Black spots began to scatter my vision, and I yanked at his hands, trying to pry them off. I succeeded in loosening a few fingers, but it wasn't enough. My lungs were burning for air, and I couldn't extinguish them.

Just before my vision gave out completely, I looked up at the sky. I hoped Sienna was okay. I even hoped Sadie was okay. I'd hoped to make it farther, but it wasn't in the cards for me.

This is the end.

I blinked sluggishly, the pain the only thing left to think about. I never stopped to think about how painful death could be. Muir's face was blinking in and out, that same cold concentration his only expression... until it wasn't. My oxygen-starved brain barely noticed the shift, but it was there. I blinked again.

Was he… surprised?

All of a sudden, his hands slackened, letting me choke in a few deep breaths. My vision began to clear a little, and when I focused, I could see for certain now- he was staring at me, his mouth open with shock. He turned his head to the side a little, his body shuddering, before he fell to the side. His gaze was empty.

Boom.

And standing behind him was Sienna, blood sprayed across her face, holding the knife I gave her the day we met.

Glowla Lush, District 1, 18

My search for the Eights had come up frustratingly empty. I'd spent the better part of the afternoon combing the forest for them, but there was no trace. I assumed Muir was doing better with his search- he was a better tracker than me, after all, and I had heard a cannon go off earlier that afternoon. I was hoping it was Caligula's. If not Caligula's, then Sadie's. They were both threats I'd rather not deal with.

As the sun began to sink below the horizon, I headed back to the lake. I was able to retrace my steps until I found the path again, which led me to the waterfront. I decided to sit by the lake for a while- after all, it had been a long, hot, sweaty day, and the lake looked so refreshing. I dipped my hands into the water, immediately relaxing as the coolness hit me. I even went so far as to splash some on my face. It was wonderful. Once I was feeling better, I finally had a moment to just sit and think.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how long I wanted to stay with Muir. He would be a good partner for a while. I knew that from our time in the arena together. However, this partnership couldn't last forever. That was just how the Games worked. Maybe tomorrow night, I'd take watch and kill him while he slept.

That might be the right move, I thought. Catch him when he can't fight back. It wasn't honorable, it wasn't honest, but that had never been what I was about. If I'd been honest during every one of those card games, I wouldn't have made it here. Honesty was a valuable tool, but it was a tool- it didn't work for every situation.

I returned my attention to the sky. The sun had nearly disappeared at this point, which meant that Muir was late. I immediately came up with three possibilities: he was lost, injured, or dead. He easily could be lost in the woods once darkness fell, or if he hadn't been careful enough. If Caligula had injured him, he might not have been able to return. Or, the cannon was his. I decided to wait to see the fallen before going to look for him. If he wasn't in the sky, I'd look in the morning.

A while later, the Capitol's anthem began to play, and there was only one face.

Well, at least I wouldn't need to worry about turning on him now. However, this did mean that Caligula was still out there, and apparently, willing to kill again. That was not good news for me.

I stood, brushing the dirt off of my shorts, and headed towards one of the cabins for the night. I was already working on figuring out what to do next.

Godric Channing, District 2 Mentor, 21

"That would've been convenient," I sighed.

"Sure would've," said Braun. "Instead, he went and got himself saved by a little girl."

"Don't remind me," I groaned.

At the desk nearby, Finnick stood. "Best of luck," he said simply.

"Sorry about your boy, Finnick," said Braun.

I glanced from Braun to Finnick. The two had known each other a very long time, and their interactions always confused me. It was as though there was something unsaid they didn't bother clueing everyone else in on.

Finnick waved his hand. "It's sad to see. He had a lot of potential."

"He did," Braun replied. "But he made the wrong decision, and he paid the price."

"Going after Caligula?" I asked.

"Well, that, and Volunteering too young," said Braun. "If he'd waited, I'm sure he would've won."

Finnick shook his head. "I've never enjoyed this Volunteering stuff. Four's really starting to get into it, though."

"Perhaps you should as well," said Braun. "Any Academy would be lucky to have you."

"Perhaps," Finnick replied vaguely. "Anyway. I'll be in the Training Center if anyone needs me."

We all echoed our "goodnights," and then Finnick was gone.

There weren't many people left in the Mentor's building. It was only me, Braun, Marius, and Senna. Everyone else, including Aurelia, had retreated to the apartments in the Training Center to wait out the rest of the Games. Occasionally, we'd get a visitor, but other than that, we were alone together.

I wondered how many people would be left tomorrow.

*Epilogues:

8th: Muir Jansen, D4M (knifed by Sienna): Muir was a really fun one. He's another character who really grew on me over time. Of the Careers, he was probably the most consistent, and I had a wonderful time writing him in his alliance. He was mysterious and quiet, yes, but he was always somehow caught in the middle while desperately trying to avoid the chaos. He just wanted to do what he entered the Games to do: kill and win. I particularly enjoyed his friendship with Glowla, which was never a part of my original plans but ended up working so well. If only he'd listened to her advice and stopped stepping on twigs all the time. Thank you to averyrandomauthor for submitting Muir.

Kills:

Glowla- 2 (Ethan, Jess)

Caligula- 1 (Salome)

Sadie- 3 (Virgil, Ainsley, Deltro)

Damion- 1 (Halley)

Muir- 4 (Damion, Isla, Parker, Dale)

Travis- 1 (Samuel)

Chaney- 1 (Reese)

Journie- 1 (Travis)

Alula- 1.5 (Cataleya, but also Alula)

Sienna- 1 (Muir)

Mutts- 1 (Chaney)

Alliances:

District 8: Ianto, Levi

Redemption Seekers: Caligula, Sienna

Loners: Glowla, Sadie, Journie

Not much to say in this author's note other than, well, we're getting close to the end. The blog will be updated ~momentarily~ as always. Hope everyone's doing well, and I'll see you next weekend with Day 10!

-r-b*