Nyx Nyctores, 17, District 1 female

"Pregnant." I stare at the word as the two lines align next to the word. I can only sit in the restroom and stare at the result in disbelief, How…I know how but why? Me and Chester, we were always careful and i, I trained my whole life to one day be able to walk out of the arena alive, but this pregnancy…this changes everything. I wanted to be a mom someday and maybe the idea of starting a family with Chester would've been something I considered down the line but…

I let the pregnancy test drop to the floor and cover my face with my hands as I continue sitting over the toilet, This is just too much to take in, it's overwhelming and I can't stop the tears that are beginning to come down my eyes. I'm nowhere near my top form obviously, ever since I got here I've just felt like complete shit, I don't have the energy for anything, whatever I eat, I just vomit it back up, I'm just a complete liability right now and I don't want it to be this way…I don't want to be weak, I want to be strong, like Nox and Caspian but now my brother will be on babysitting duty as I doubt I can even take down the weakest tribute in the arena. I can't let anyone know this though and I especially can't tell Nox about this, he's already acting like my protector so just imagine if he knows I'm pregnant.

This is all going down tomorrow and Nox and Hunter got into it again, and I can't help but be worried because I think Hunter is in his head and Nox, he can't fight to the best of his ability when he's distracted like this, but there's no stopping him. I know he's going right after Hunter and there really isn't anything I can do about it. I feel a tight knot in my stomach and it's that time again, I wretch what little contents remain in my body into a bucket below me and pant heavilly as I wipe sweat off of my forehead.

I need to muster up some strength…and see how Nox is doing.

Nox Nyctores,17, District 1 male

I gaze out the living room window as i envision the scene over and over of that little girl from 12 being shoved out of her seat and falling right on her head and that grin that followed on that fucking face of Hunters. I clench my fists as I see that smug look on his face glamoring his work. This piece of shit, this waste of life, he crossed the line and I swear, I'm going to make him regret every ounce of this. I already made up my mind, I made up my mind long ago that he'll be the first one I go after and after he insulted Nyx, there's really just no way I can let this go. I feel a light tap on my shoulder and I quickly spin around.

"Whoa easy there big guy!" Nyx takes a step back, she looks a bit winded...

"Sorry…" I apologize, hope she wasn't startled too much.

"Its ok, you good though?" She asks with some concern and I do a hesitant nod.

"I will be soon enough." I grunt.

"Thinking about that dickhead from 12 huh, seriously Nox, it's not fucking worth it." She explains to me but I shake my head in disagreement.

"I can't let this go Nyx, I can't. The way he walks around like he's some kind of god of destruction, the way he bullies other tributes and the way he beats on Annabeth, there's just no way I can let that slide." I state.

"Yeah it sucks Nox, it sucks that he's an asshole but I mean it's not like Annabeth is your daughter or anything, why does it matter what he's doing along as he isn't harming us." She responds and I start feeling a little irritated.

"Why are you trying so hard to convince me not to go through with this? Is it cause you don't think I can beat him? You don't trust that I'm strong enough to bring him down?" I growl and she seems surprised by my "outburst".

"Nox…what are you talking about, you can smash this guy like a grape if you wanted to, but there's other things we need to prioritize. He'll get what's coming to him, but you're our leader and you need to start acting like one." She lectures me, is she trying to call me childish?

"You can't stop me Nyx." I remind her and she narrows her eyes a little.

"I can't believe the way you're acting, he's completely in your head." She sighs.

"What about you Nyx? What's been your deal vomiting and getting dizzy every 5 minutes? Even now you're looking pretty slumped. You can't tell me it's nothing cause I know it isn't." I state and she starts looking a little nervous, she can fool others but she can't fool me.

"Its food poisoning…" she practically mumbles.

"Yeah sure…" I sarcastically say as I begin walking away from her.

"Nox…" she calls after me and I stop in my tracks but don't turn around to face her.

"Nyx, I'm going to kill Hunter tomorrow and there's nothing you or anyone else can do about It, I know this'll upset you and for that I apologize, but I know you'll understand someday…" I vow to her and continue walking away as she doesn't say anything else, Hunter needs to die, and I will make that a reality!

Blyana Wellish,17, District 2 female

I continue gazing at the picture of my mother and let out a small sigh as i lean my head against the sofa. I finally know the truth about you, but I kind of wish I didn't because now, things are just that much more tragic.. she thought she was weak, but…maybe when she sees how strong her daughter turned out to be that'll at least make her feel a little better about herself, and that's if she's even still alive...

I imagine she would've found some way back to me if she was still alive, especially after seeing me volunteer but maybe she's ashamed. I'm not upset with her though, and I wish there was a way I can let her know that. That's besides the point though, these last couple of days have went by so quickly, and tomorrow is going to be bloodshed and I already know how things are going to play out. I need to settle this situation with that bitch from 7, it's been going on way too long. It's pretty obvious she's not on my level after I put her on her behind yesterday but tomorrow, I'm going to finish this and I'm going to strike down anyone else who gets in my way, just watch me mom, I'm going to show you the strength that you blessed me with!

Hyperion Corvinus,18, District 2 male

I can't sleep, I know it's important for me to get some rest so I can be at my best tomorrow…but I can't sleep. Can it be because I'm excited, cause I'm nervous, or maybe it can be a combination of both, but I know what needs to be done tomorrow and that punk from 9 only has himself to blame for that.

He wants to protect that little midget so much huh? Well let's put that to the test, see how much he really cares about her, either way though things won't be ending well for them, I know my capabilities and I'm not worried about anything he brings to the table. I sit up from my mattress however since I know I won't be falling asleep anytime soon and decide to take a little stroll into the living room area but I see Blyana is sitting across the sofa and she quickly put away what looks like a picture after noticing me.

"I'm getting you also can't sleep." I mutter.

"Why does it matter to you?" she glares me.

"It doesn't." I state and proceed to pour myself a cup of water and add some ice cubes to it.

I look back over at Blyana and she's eyeing me a little like she wants to say something but I pay her no mind for now.

"From that interview, It's pretty obvious you and your father didn't have the best relationship." she suddenly comments.

"Hmmph, did I make it too obvious?" I sarcastically say before taking several sips of my water and sit on the other sofa across from her.

"Guess you can say that…" she sighs and looks down at the floor.

"All I wanted from him was some acknowledgement, that's it, you look at me and yeah you probably think I'm a piece of shit who cheated my way to the top and you have every right to feel that way. I'm not proud of the things I've had to do, I sometimes even hate myself for it, but I did it all in the hopes of him being able to finally acknowledge me as a son but it never got me anywhere…" I lament and theres a silence, I don't know why I'm opening up so much to her, she's just going to say some smart shit and I am at my limits with her.

"Now that I know a little bit more about you…we're not much different from each other. You've tried to gain acknowledgement from your father and I was trying to gain acknowledgement from my mother. She left me only a few days after I was born and I was mainly raised by my father and my aunt. For a long time I felt she left me because she thought I was weak and I wanted to prove to her that I wasn't, so that's why I worked my way up to the top and volunteered because I thought maybe with a victory, she'd see how strong i am." she admits, hmmph looks like even she has a soft side.

"Yeah, we have a similar upbringing, we went down different paths though. You played by the rules and got to where you were with hardwork and dedication, but me…all I did was bend the rules to my liking and cheated my way to the top…" i sigh.

"Not saying what you did was ok…but I know the feeling, doing whatever needs to be done to win someone over, I know how you feel." She relates to me.

"Yeah but I made it pretty clear that I no longer give a shit about him, I found something else to fight for and that makes me even stronger." I state, and she looks up at me with a faint smirk.

"I also found something else to fight for and I also feel stronger because of it." She also states and I give her a respectful nod.

"We're both fighting for something or someone, everyone is, so we're going to go out there and may the best person win." I extend my hand and she hesitates for a moment but shakes my hand as well.

"Yeah." she confidently shakes my hand and i give her another nod before walking off, if only she was always like this. I know exactly what I'm doing tomorrow though and mom, I hope you still love me even after seeing how horrible I truly am…

Acer Deluca,17, District 3 male

My eyes open again and I can feel my body trembling and sweatting along with my heart threatening to pound out of my chest. I'm so tired but terrified as well and that's what's keeping me awake. I just can't stop envisioning these scenarios of me getting killed in dozens upon dozens of different ways and the fact that I know it can be a reality terrifies me even more. I have allies yes... but I need to be able to pull my weight too, they can't always be there to protect me and if I'm too much of a liability they might abandon me or even kill me themselves.

I feel myself beginning to hyperventilate and I cup my hands around my mouth to try and concentrate more on my breathing. It's ok to be terrified, but i…I need to be more confident in myself, like come on Acer, you're so much better than this! I can heal, I can fight a little and I still have an ace up my sleeve if I really need it so i…I just need to try and relax a little, brains always beats the brawns and If I use my head, maybe…just maybe I can find a way to win…right?

Emmerane "Emmi/Screech" Vestrat,18, District 3 female

I hum a tune to myself as I comb out my messy hair and manage to make it look even more messy which is exactly what I want so yay to me! Tomorrow is finally the bloodbath and should I say I'm excited, ok I am! I just get to be me out there! Completely unchained and free to do whatever I want, and I know exactly what I'm going to do! Some people try so hard to hide who they really are, to give everyone else the illusion that they're someone they're really not, but you can't trick me, you can't fool me! I'll rip your skeleton straight out of your body and show it to you right before you lose consciousness and I'll say right now, someone is going to suffer greatly tomorrow because of this, because they were too much of a coward to show who they really were rather than embracing themselves and when i think of that particular tribute, I can't help but grin to myself, once I take care of that tribute however, then the fun will truly begin! Rest well cute little tribute, it's only a matter of time before you're resting…for an eternity! Hahahahaha!!

Caspian Delamar,18, District 4 male

I can still feel a slight sting on my face as I can see a slight red handmark on my face, Blyana really didn't hold back huh? Well no worries, she'll have her fun tomorrow and won't have to worry about any intervention. I continue standing in front of the window in the living room area gazing up at the sky and wondering if anything up there is even real. Maybe the stars are fake too.

Tomorrow is the day though, where emotions collide. Pretty sure every other tribute has that one particular tribute they want to go after. Me though, I'm just going in there to face my punishment. Whatever happens to me, I have no regrets, i'll just grab a trident and let my instincts do the rest, that still might not be enough, afterall I've done nothing but fail. I failed to save you Dewton, but it's ok…because my punishment will be served.

Ryena Shore,16, District 4 female

My eyes open again as I realize I once again only managed to drift off for several minutes. Why can't I get any sleep? I know why…who am I fooling? I've trained so hard for this day but yeah I'm still nervous because literally anything can happen out there.

No one can ever be fully prepared for what's out there, I've seen the strongest tributes fall out there in the opening seconds of the games and I know this year won't be any different, but I always prided myself as a realist. I'm no superhero and I can die just as easily as anyone else can but I still believe in myself despite the steep competition I'll be up against this year.

It's steep, there's no denying that, so many of the other tributes stand out and even with my confidence, I still can't help but sometimes envision myself come up short. Realizing I won't be getting any sleep with my mind being flooded with this many thoughts, I decide to get off my bed and I'll probably be able to sleep better after a small snack. When I arrive in the living room area, I'm a little surprised to see Caspian on the sofa, appearing to be in deep thought about something.

He looks over at me but I look away from him and continue my way to the fridge. Caspian…it hurts so much ignoring you but…dammit I'm just so upset with him over throwing the fight like that. He clearly had it in the bag, he didn't even try to pretend Nox was a better fighter, he humiliated him and just decided to give him the win in the end for whatever reason and that just upsets me in so many ways. Maybe he did have his reasons but still, he didn't have to lead me on like that!

I grab a container of carrot cake from the fridge and begin making my way back towards my room but I stop partway there and clench my fist. How can he just sit there all calm? How can he be ok with this? I can stand here and come up with all these difference scenarios, but I need answers and I quickly turn around to face him.

"Why did you let him win Caspian? Why did you allow yourself to be beaten?" I ask with some irritation and he lets out a small sigh but doesn't answer.

"You couldn't have made it any more obvious so don't try saying you were caught off guard, You will never get caught with such a cheap trick!"

I say through gritted teeth and he once again doesn't answer and it's really pissing me off as all he's doing is staring at the floor not saying anything. I've had it with him at this point though and just suck my teeth before beginning to make my way back towards my room.

"You're right, I did throw the fight, and that's cause I don't believe I'm competent enough to lead an alliance." He finally admits and I'm a bit surprised, he's arguably the most level headed one here so I'm curious as to why he feels that way.

"Why though?" I ask.

"Remember when I told you I lost someone close to me? That person was my fiance…" He mumbles and my eyes widen a little, he…he was engaged?

"I'm sorry…" is all I really could say.

"My fiance, Dewton got caught in the crossfire of some stupid drunken incident and was fatally wounded, I couldn't save him however. No matter what I did, it wasn't enough and he died in my arms. I couldn't even help the person most important to me so why would I trust myself to lead an entire alliance?" he looks up at me and I'm at a loss of words, this all just came out of nowhere…I really don't know what to say.

"It was only the next day that I earned the name that I despise the most. I didn't know how else to cope so I arrived at the academy and just wanted to find something else to focus on, I didn't want anyone to know how I truly felt, so I painted a smile on my face and challenged several of the trainees there to a spar. I didn't hold back on them though, cause when I looked at them…I saw myself, and i wanted to make absolutely sure I punished myself. Two of them were badly injured and had to end their careers short because of me…" He laments, so that's how earned the name of "The smiling ghost" I knew he took them down with ease, but he crippled two of them, goodness...

"Caspian…I really don't know what to say…I'm sorry, I was just being so childish." I apologize.

"You have nothing to apologize for, it's me that's sorry. You were counting on me…and all I did was let you down in the end." He sighs

"It wasn't your fault this happened though Caspian, and you can't continue to blame yourself for it…it'll destroy you in the end. You have people to fight for so think about them and use that motivation to find a way back to them, it's what your Dewton would want, right?" I put my hand on his shoulder and he slowly nods.

"Yeah, you're right…" He mumbles..

Caspian, he always seems so bubbly and happy, it never occurred to me he was dealing with so much internally, but then again, everyone is going through their own struggles, fighting their demons…

"Thank you Ryena…" He manages to smile a little and it lights me up as I bet look like a child who just found a large stash of candy, it's kind of embarrassing to envision honestly.

"You really dobhave a cute smile." He compliments me and I feel myself blush a little.

"I don't think so…" I disagree with him and he chuckles a little.

" Alright then, it's time for me to get some rest, we got a big day tomorrow." He stands up,stretches his arms and he looks over at me, I can still see in his eyes that he's sad but he smirks a little just to prove to me that he's better now.

"Yeah we do…" I take a deep breath, for just a moment I was able to take my mind off of all of this but yeah, it's inevitable, I'm going to have to fight, kill and hopefully be able to walk away from all of this alive.

"Good night Ryena." Caspian waves me a good night and begins walking away.

"Caspian…" I practically whisper but he still somehow hears me and turns around.

"Hmm?" he asks.

"Seeing Blyana hit you like that, I wanted to kill her…and I still might." I admit and he chuckles a little more.

"Well for both our sakes, I hope you don't, well not so soon atleast, see you tomorrow Ryena." he gives me a final wave before disappearing down the hall and I lean my head back against the sofa. I know I said before I won't have any issues killing Caspian if it came down to it, but I don't know if that's still true…

Here we go with the first part of the final thoughts! I really had no idea how much time has passed since the last update but I'm still not at my full strength yet and ofcourse dealing with a bunch of other things that leaves me with little energy and time to write but I'm glad I got this out! I want to thank all of you guys for the kind comments, Private messages and reviews, you are all amazing and I'll see you guys soon with part 2, till next time!