Chapter 45

Time: Day 15

Tributes Remaining: 7

POV: Griff (District 4)

The mentor room is very busy today. Last night, Vispania, the Head Gamemaker, was interviewed by Ross, and she revealed that today would be the final day of the Games. After 15 long days, the 125th Games are going to be coming to a suspenseful end.

Because this year is the 5th Quarter Quell, there are five Arena Events. The first four were the Hydra Vines, the Glutton Flames, the Midas' Touch Gas, and finally, the tidal wave of Ultimate Solvent. However, it is time for the fifth event, when all four attack once again simultaneously, pushing all tributes to the Cornucopia island.

After all my years of mentoring, I'm not one to get my hopes up. This year, there are seven tributes still alive at the end. That is extremely rare, as the ending usually occurs when three or four tributes remain. However, because the Arena Events occur once every three days, the Games are on a set schedule that must be maintained.

I hear screaming behind me and I glance back to see a young Victor being dragged from the mentor room by Capitol guards. She screams as the guards carry her out. I recognize her as Misty, who was Tanner's mentor this year. She's a relatively new mentor, so she's probably more attached to her tributes than the rest of us.

"Must be her first time here," Cressa says, and I nod in agreement.

I glance up as a door opens over the balcony above the mentor room. Vispania steps out, looking over the mentors as we quiet ourselves.

"Mentor gifts are now suspended," she tells us. "Please find your way backstage. The mentor of the winning tribute will be interviewed immediately after the finale."

Cressa helps me stand from my seat, and we follow the other mentors backstage.

We're seated in a row backstage with a television set up in front of us so we can watch the end of the Games. Immediately after the end, one of us will be interviewed by Ross, so we all have to be prepared.

At the end of the row is Maroon, who is Victoria's mentor this year. He doesn't acknowledge me or Cressa as we pass. Fangs from District 2 sits next to him, mentoring Orion. Next to him is Iris, who worked closely with Cressa and me until Robin abandoned his allies. On the other side of Cressa and I are Rose and Greta's mentors - Rochelle from District 8 and Rye from District 9. Rochelle is a sweet girl, although she's certainly been dealt an awful hand in life. I believe she's hooked on Morphling, although that's just a rumor. Greta's mentor, Rye, is one of the oldest Victors in Panem, even older than me. He's one of only a handful of mentors still alive from before the 75th Games and the Second Rebellion; only six Victors survived the war itself, and only three of them are still alive.

I focus my attention on the screen ahead of me. I believe that Lacie has what it takes to win. She just has to live up to her potential.

POV: Orion (District 2)

The Arena is silent. All I can hear are the insects hidden in the trees above me chirping as they buzz around me. If I've counted correctly, we've been in the Arena for over two weeks now. Usually, the Games don't last that long, but this year there are more tributes than usual, so that's expected.

Seven tributes left, and here I am, still standing. I might sound surprised, and I am a little bit. You know, even at the Academy there were so many people who doubted me. All those people are rooting for me now. I think back and I can't believe how far I've come. Of all the Careers, I'm the only one left, other than Victoria, of course.

I miss Murray. I know Careers aren't supposed to be attached to one another, but I've probably failed as a 'Career' anyway. Honestly, I can't believe we weren't friends at the Academy considering how close we got in the Arena. It still hasn't registered that Murray's gone. But, I still have a chance to avenge his death - Greta is still out there somewhere. I just have to find her and make sure she pays. Then I'll be happy.

Murray isn't the only one I think about, though. Remember Amethyst? The District 1 tribute I killed in the Bloodbath? I can't stop thinking about her, either. Before she died, as she struggled against my grip, she begged for her life, and her words still haunt me.

"Stop, please! I'm on your side!"

I can't stop thinking about what she meant. Sometimes I wish I hadn't killed her. Maybe she meant that she was going to betray the others. I don't know. And she's long dead now.

All I can do is keep fighting for my own life and leave the others in the past. I may not be as strong as some of the others, but I will fight until the very end.

POV: Robin (District 3)

I know, I know. Don't hate me. I did what had to be done.

I think Lacie was right when she refused to tell us about herself. Every time I go to sleep, I see Dalia. I see her grandma, alone in her District 11 cottage, crying to herself. I see those who cared about Dalia, and I see the consequences of what I've done.

But I had to do it. It was what I had to do. Before I went into the Arena, I watched some of the older Games to see the Victors' strategies. Rarely do the civil tributes win. This is a fight to the death, not a schoolyard game. It takes a true Victor to do what I did.

So no, I don't regret my decision. I have supplies and weapons to last me weeks. All I have to do is wait for the others to die off while I keep myself alive. At the end of the Games, when the dust has cleared, I will be the last one standing. You can count on it.

POV: Rose (District 8)

I have a bad feeling about tomorrow. Every three days, a dangerous muttation sweeps the Arena, but all four quarters of the Arena have already been attacked. What will happen next?

To be frank, I'm shocked I've made it this far. Every person I've had contact with on my journey here has been killed, with the exception of Greta. I know I've made it to the homestretch of the Games, but still, I feel abandoned. Who in the Capitol is rooting for the small girl from District 8? I'm running out of supplies, my allies are gone, and I feel hopeless.

I feel spite in my heart. Here I am, in the last seven tributes, and all the raving Capitol fans probably don't know who I am. My mentor, Rochelle, is nice enough, but she's a destroyed woman with a lot on her plate. What more can I do to prove my worth?

I'm scared of what is to come. Greta is still out there, and while I am afraid of her, I also fear for her. I've seen how destroyed she has become. If she finds me, she'll kill me, and nobody in my own District will even try to remember me then. A dead tribute is a tribute left in the past forever.

POV: Soren (District 4)

I decided to take the first watch tonight while Lacie sleeps, but I don't think she ever fell asleep. I wouldn't be able to either - the end of the Games are nearing, and we have to be prepared. The clock is ticking down to the moment that one of us will have to die.

I remember when Roman came back from his Games. I was so excited to see my brother again, but it felt like such a bitter letdown when he turned out to be a completely different person. That's what murder does to someone. And while I might seem more innocent than the other Victors, my hands have blood on them too. I killed Felix when he was chasing us. I killed Ada at the Feast. And my biggest fear is that I'll have to kill someone I care about to make it out of here alive.

Lacie.

I know I have to see my family again. Jasmine is only six years old, and I've thought about her every day. Will the only thing she remembers me by be the recordings of the Games? Will I be left behind, forgotten, by my own family? I can't let that happen. There's only one problem - Lacie's still here.

It's true that I did fear Lacie when we first got here. She's one of the smartest people here, and that's one of the deadliest weapons of all. At first glance, I was worried that Lacie would betray me at the first opportunity because of how clever she was. Turns out, I was so focused on her that I couldn't see the threat of Robin right under my nose.

I definitely trust her now after everything she's done for me. I never thought we would get so close, but I can't bear to think about the fact that she will have to die for me to see my family again.

POV: Lysandra (District 9)

I'm one of the last people left in the District 9 town square as the Games slowly scroll from camera to camera. Almost everyone else went home for the night the moment the Peacekeepers let them leave for the night. Only a few District 9 citizens remain, watching the cameras roll. For the most part, because we're in District 9, the cameras focus on Greta. She's sitting on the Cornucopia island by herself, staring distantly at the ground. I can't seem to tear my eyes away.

It breaks my heart to see one of my closest friends like this. I still remember when we walked together to the Quarter Quell announcement. I was so excited, since I knew I was safe, and this year was my last time in the Reaping bowl.

Now, Greta's a shell of herself. I barely recognize the witty girl I once worked with in the wheat fields. Before I realize what's happening, tears stream down my face. Greta is a different person from the girl I knew, and even if she survives the Arena, she'll never be the same. She's murdered people, and she's become dangerous and unstable.

It sounds horrible, but I wish my friend would just die so she doesn't have to suffer any longer. It's the only way she can truly be at peace.

POV: Lacie (District 4)

Tonight is an important night. According to my calculations, there are high odds that something major will occur tomorrow. The end of the Games could even be upon us. I really should be sleeping, but my brain is moving at light speed and I can't seem to calm down.

I think everyone expects me to know everything. I know a lot, but a lot is out of my control. I know the odds of who is slated to win, and I know that Soren and I have a good chance of making it out of here. But, I'm not magic. I can't predict the future.

Back at the Reaping, I was confident in my abilities, and I was almost excited to enter the Arena. I knew that if I made it out, I would be able to pursue my dreams. I could achieve anything I set my mind to. Now I realize the naivety I had at that moment. I can't help but think of all of my friends who have died - Nia, Jomilee, Wade, Dalia, and more. I will never be able to speak to any of them ever again. I wish I would have valued my time with them more before they were gone.

My odds are good to win, but I think I've underestimated my competition. Everyone has something to prove, and everyone has a secret, and I think all of us are fighting to prove ourselves. The Games have shown who the real threats were - not the brutish Careers, but the tributes from poorer Districts who were cunning enough to outsmart them.

As I said, my odds are good. I want to stay alive. But in the end, I know the Capitol doesn't want me to win. I'm self-aware and intelligent, far more than the others, and if I make it out of the Arena, I'll be tortured into submission for the rest of my life. Is that a fate that I want? That's the question that's tearing me apart.

POV: Vispania Callendew (Head Gamemaker)

The Gamemaker workroom is buzzing with energy, even late into the night. I think we're all excited for the dramatic end to a dramatic Games. There are still seven competitors remaining - usually there are three or four - so any tribute could win tomorrow. At this point, the Games are out of my hands, and I have to let them play out the way they are intended to.

I feel prepared. I've done this six times before, you know. Every tribute has a storyline planned out for them if they win the Games. Just like how every Victor has a story and a manufactured character to them, each tribute has one prepared. I know who I would like to win, but my creation is now out of my control. I must hope for the best - my job and my life are on the line.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

The end is here! Thoughts on everything we learned this chapter? I know there was a lot!

There are seven tributes left, as we mentioned. They are Victoria from District 1, Orion from District 2, Robin from District 3, Lacie and Soren from District 4, Rose from District 8, and Greta from District 9. Who do you think will become the Victor? Let me know your thoughts!

Next chapter we'll have a surprise narrator - I'm excited!

~S