I do not own 'The Hunger Games' or anything related.


I wished I hadn't dropped my weapons! I went for my knife, but it was stuck in my belt.

Come on come on come on come on!

When the rabbit got close enough it leapt towards me, opening its mouth wide, aiming for my neck.

Fortunately I got my knife out and hurled it at the rabbit, hitting it in the eye.

It let out an unearthly scream as it hit me, then fell to the ground.

Bending down, I took a closer look at the rabbit. Placing my boot on it, I pulled out my knife, then used it to push the upper lip out of the way, so that I could examine the teeth better. These were unlike any teeth I had seen on any rabbit, wild or domestic. Long, shiny and sharp, like a pair of daggers. I thought of what Raybearta told me about how rabbits at least had their teeth to fight back, but nothing in nature could produce something like this. A Muttation. A Mutt, designed to look like a harmless, even friendly creature, that was really a violent killing machine. I could only imagine some of the other tributes, the younger ones or the girls (Not that I'm saying all girls like fluffy white things, or just exclusively to older girls!) spotting one of these, beckoning it to come over, only to have their jugular ripped out of them when they realised too late. I remember seeing that one of the tributes this year was a boy about Larie's age. It made me sick. I wondered if I should still add it to my food supply. Was mutt edible? I don't think anyone had tried before (Mainly because no one has ever had a chance to eat a mutt!). Even so, I shouldn't be too picky. After skinning the rabbit mutt (I felt much less guilty about doing so after discovering it was really a monster disguised as a cute, innocent thing), I cooked its body on a spit. I was in no hurry to eat it, though (As for one thing I wasn't sure if it was safe to eat). I would save it until I was completely out of food. Sticking the body into a bag I had, along with taking the fur (I was sure it would have some use. I wasn't completely sure what, though!), I moved on.


Watching the girl in the present, I noticed her examining the empty bottle of water, and I knew she was already thinking about where to find some. She was bound to have better luck getting her hands on some than I was!


Later in the day, I came across a stream. Checking my bottle, I found that it was half empty. I dipped it into the crystalline, sparkling water, and once it had reached the top, I took out the iodine to purify it. Even though it was the cleanest water I had ever seen, I couldn't be too careful. I heard a twig break. Not trusting anything that moved in this wood, I hid behind a tree. I readied my weapons. Peeking from behind, a saw a stag walk by. I noticed how the tips of its antlers appeared to sparkle. Probably to impale tributes. After surveying its surroundings for a moment, it moved on. I was about to take another gulp from my water bottle when I realised something. What kind of deer just passes a chance for a drink? I heard scuttling. Looking up, I saw a bunch of fluffy golden squirrels looking down at me. Watching me. Just sitting there on the branches. I didn't like it. I felt like I was surrounded by a pack of wolves, waiting for me to make a wrong move.

I stepped on a twig.

Run for it!

And running for it I did, ignoring the cries of squirrels behind me, chasing me. I didn't know how I was going to lose them, only that I had to keep running, and if I stopped, it would be it for me. I turned back to see how far they were only for one of them to leap at me. I knocked it away with my mace, trying to remember that despite the pitiful squeak it made it was a killer. Another came at me and I cut it in half with my axe. At this point I decided to stop running, and make my stand. I didn't know how I was supposed to lose them, and I was going to run out of energy running like this. At first the pack just stood there on the ground, then leapt at me. I screamed as I hacked and bashed at the flurry of golden fur scratching and biting me. It was only when they stopped attacking that I knew that I beat them. I caught my breath as I surveyed the ground covered in blood and golden flesh. Dead squirrel mutts were dotted everywhere. Some of them looked like they were squashed. Pieces of squirrels were also here. Checking my weapons, I noticed that a couple of squirrels were still stuck on my mace, their limbs twitching, with another on the blade of my axe. I also noticed that one of the squirrels was still alive, trying to get away. I grabbed its tail. The creature tried to scratch and bite me. It wasn't so bad when it was on its own. But I had to be sure of something. I undid the lid of my bottle.

"Bottom's up."

I stuck the mutt's head in the bottle. After making sure that it had taken a gulp, I pulled it back up. Moments later, the squirrel was making gasping sounds as if it was struggling to breathe, then stopped moving altogether, hanging lifelessly from its tail.

I knew it! The stream was poisoned! It was made to look wonderful, but its beauty concealed its deadly nature, just like the animals here! I swore, as I realised I had just contaminated my entire water supply. I could get by without food, but water was essential. At once I poured out the contents, but then thought about the remaining drops in the bottle. Deciding that the bottle was contaminated regardless, I dropped it, but then decided that it was best to keep with me and cover my tracks. After peeling off the squirrels from my mace and pulling off the other from my axe, I decided to get out of there, as the blood would likely attract others. I also tended to my injuries. Just scratches and bit marks, nothing serious, but even so I dabbed some iodine on the wounds, and put plasters on cuts. There had to be a clean source of water. Even mutts needed it. But if not the stream, where else? The only safe source of water I knew was at the cornucopia, and even though that was likely being guarded by the careers, it was not in my trajectory, so there was no chance of going back there. I also started wondering about food. Probably the only safe source of food was also at the cornucopia, so at once I took out the bag that contained the rabbit mutt I killed earlier and threw it out.


Food appeared to be no problem for the girl, who was already cutting off part of the bark of the pine tree and scraping a handful of the softer inner bark, and later setting up snares for rabbits. She later set camp, picking the tree had offered the most coverage, finding the strongest branch and using her belt to strap herself on in her sleeping bag, as I did. And then came the broadcast of the fallen tributes. While this was happening in the arena they showed replays of each of the slaughters to the viewers. I had no need nor desire to watch those again, not even the one for district 4. Just because I wasn't sorry he was dead, it didn't mean I took any pleasure in his death. Well okay, maybe a little, but not enough to re-watch it. I was reminded of the broadcast from my own games.


Throughout the day, between the initial broadcast and nightfall, I heard the canon go off three times. I wondered if they were killed by the career pack that was likely made, or if they fell victim to the mutts here or the environment. Unsurprisingly all the tributes from 1 and 2 survived. I also noted the two survivors from district 4, remembering them dining with the rest of the careers at lunch (This was before District 4 became official careers, if there was such a thing). After the death count for District 11 came tributes from my district: Leslie Herlihy and Mat Rayburn. I shouldn't have been surprised. I knew deep down that they didn't have a chance, and it's not like district 12 tributes haven't died in the bloodbath before, but still it was a shock to know that they were dead already. Tearful Leslie Herlihy, and angry Mat Rayburn. Were they killed in the bloodbath or died afterwards? Somehow I already knew the answer. Maysilee Donner had survived, though. I was actually glad she had, despite how much she had annoyed me. But I wondered how long she would survive.


The girl then went to sleep. The boy would be up for hours with the rest of the careers, hunting for any survivors. I was startled when I felt a soft hand on mine. I turned to look at Effie.

"I'll be on night shift. You go ahead and sleep."

"No, I'll be fine-"

"No. You need the rest more than me."

Touched by Effie's offer of help, particularly as it's not an escort's job, I nodded. Getting up, I could see that the teams for Districts 6, 7 and 9 had already left, leaving 9 remaining. They would have been interviewed as they exited over their thoughts on their tributes' losses. I went to my room, and as I slept, I thought back to my first night in the games.


Even though sleeping in the tree would protect me from other tributes, there were still other threats that could get me. Taking out my knife, I held it close as I tried to drift off to sleep.


Back in the present, I couldn't sleep. Grabbing a butter knife nearby, I was able to sleep easier. I know there was no need of it, but I've never been able to sleep without a knife since my first night in the games. Well okay, there were a few nights. Sleeping is easier when you have someone close to you.


Katniss was surrounded by the careers. Every one blocked her off as she was attack by Clove of District 2. They all laughed and cheered as she beat her up, throwing knives in Katniss' body, making her scream. I felt the same anger I felt whenever Peeta and Larie were hurt.

"Don't you touch her!" I shouted at Clove, "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

Running into the circle, I plunged my knife into the girl's laughing, cruel face. However, it impacted not the face, but the pillow next to mine. I laid straight on the bed. Even though I assured myself it was only a nightmare (Well, a dream really, as nightmares in my experience tend to come true), I couldn't get back to sleep. I checked the time. It was probably dawn now. Getting up, I rushed back into the control centre into my booth.

"You can sleep in a little longer if you want," Effie told me sleepily.

I shook my head.

"I'm awake now. How is she?"

"She's fine, Haymitch, she's been fine all night."

Even though I trusted the information Effie gave me, I still felt like checking the monitor anyway. Even though I couldn't see her in the foliage (Which was the point), the fact that her monitor was still active meant she was alive. I breathed a sigh of relief. She was all right. I also checked the boy's monitor. As expected, he was still up, hunting with the careers. This received the most attention on the broadcast to the viewers, although it would occasionally flash to the other tributes, including the girl, even though she couldn't be seen. Only one other tribute aside from her, the girl from District 11, slept in a tree, while the others slept on the ground. The district 11 boy slept in the field. One tribute was even stupid enough as to build a fire at this time of day. Just at the beginning of nightfall would have been one thing, but by now the careers had spent hours going through the woods for victims, and would likely see it. She may as well be jumping on the spot, waving her hands, screaming "come and get me"! And sure enough, I could see the pack running towards her location.

Wait a minute.

Oh no.

OH NO!

I had just noticed that the fire could be seen from the girl's position, meaning she was nearby, meaning that the careers could very well find the girl! I couldn't help but glare at the District 7 team for their tribute risking the life of mine. Sure, tributes were meant to kill each other, but not like this!

And sure enough, the pack surrounded the dozing tribute, waking her up. She pleaded them not to kill her, for all the good that would do. Cato stabbed her with his spear, and she screamed. Laughing, the careers congratulated themselves. One of them shouted "twelve down, eleven to go!", which got a round of appreciative hoots. I hated them. I hated the lot of them. I hoped that they got nothing more than gruesome deaths. Searching her still writhing body, finding nothing of use, they left her for dead, and to my horror, were walking in the girl's direction. Even worse they stopped just ten metres from the girl's tree. They become concerned over not hearing a cannon, and argue whether she's still alive. The boy breaks the argument, and volunteers to go check on her. Sure enough, she was still very much alive, but clearly in pain. Cato had done a poor job, rather than performing a clean kill he must not have hit a vital organ, or at least not well enough for an instant kill. She also appeared to be drowning in her own blood. The boy bent down. At first she looked terrified of him (not surprising given the circumstances), and seemed to try to back away, but was unable to. She appeared to be unable to speak, blood gushing out from her mouth.

"Shhh," The boy said, trying to comfort her, "shh."

He raised his hand over her forehead. She looked confused, and still frightened, but remained still. The boy stroked her forehead.

"It's gonna be alright. It's gonna be alright," He kept telling her.

Her eyes were focused on him, and she stopped writhing for a moment. Then the boy took out his knife and slit it across her throat. The blood poured from her neck. At first she looked startled, then started to lose conscious, with the boy continually given her assuring 'shhs'.

I don't think the audience understood what the boy just did, but I did. It may seemed like he was appearing nice before brutally murdering her, but I knew that what he did, slicing open her throat to allow the blood to escape and that the victim died of blood loss, was the most humane way to kill someone with a blade at least. I myself attempted to do so with one my victims in my own games, but I messed it up. I can still remember him gasping and clutching his throat.

The boy stayed with her until she closed her eyes, certain that she was dead this time. He went to rejoin the pack, the canon fired, signalling the tribute's death. The District 8 team had left, leaving 8 teams remaining. Usually after both district's tributes had died the reporters would come and interview the defeated team, but it was still early in the day. Commentary of the games started at 9am, and finished sometime after the death of the broadcasts, but highlights of the night would be among the first things they would show. They were bound to find them later though. The team was probably off to tell the other mentor (who was sleeping in) about the fate.

Moments after they left, heading back to their camp, the girl slipped out of the tree and landed into the grounded. Had I not known her location, something in me would have dropped. This was bound to cause a shock in the audience. They knew, or at least suspected, that the boy only joined up with the careers, but she didn't know. The girl cocked their head and gave a smile. When they rolled that footage in the morning, between the boy's wink and the girl's smile, many would be sure that they were in on it with each other, playing against the careers, which was far from the truth, as the girl had no idea about our plan. I wondered what was going through her head, after discovering that the boy was part of the careers. Actually, I didn't need to wonder, as I had a very good idea. The idea of anyone from District 12 joining up with the careers, I was sure she would feel was a form of betrayal, and was already contemplating how to kill him. If only there was some way to let her know that the boy only joined the careers in order to protect her. But there was no way I could contact her to let her know. I was worried she might just succeed in killing him, never knowing that all he ever wanted to do was to save her life.