[28] - August

A/N - Just a quick note, I got a review on the last chapter noticing the Rochelle/August chapter imbalance so far in the story, so I just wanted to address it really quick - as I've been writing I've definitely been concerned about keeping it even because of the fact that there are two narrators who deserve equal narration time; however, since August has been wandering the desert without much drama for the first part of the Games and Rochelle has been, well, fending for her life... Rochelle has definitely gotten more chapters so far in the story! For anyone who wants to see more of August, don't worry, by the time everything shakes out the August/Rochelle ratio will be about even, give or take about two chapters :)

Also, thanks for all the love on the last chapter, all your reviews are really motivating me to make the second half of this story as good as the first!

I stagger through the desert, alone with my thoughts. Without Calder or Pollux around, the Arena is a lot more boring - Pollux wasn't pleasant to be around, but he was company, at least. I wonder how Calder's doing right now.

With nobody else to talk to, I find myself talking to myself as I walk. Plotting how I'm going to get to the end of these Games. Sending my wishes out into the universe - wishes that I'll make it out of here alive, wishes that I'll find Rochelle in time, wishes that one of the other threats in here will be the next to go...

The remaining tributes run through my mind until there's nothing left to think about. Zinnia and Princess and Rochelle. Whatever happened to Pollux's partner, Mandy? I wonder where Jasper managed to hide in the unforgiving expanse of the desert.

The girl from Seven - Hazel's her name - is paired with Garrick, the boy from Ten. I never noted either of them as competitors, but here they stand, still alive. Did I underestimate them? Decimus told me to never dismiss anyone as a threat, and that's something I've definitely done up to this point. Hazel or Garrick could be far more dangerous than I anticipated.

Calder's District partner, Lyssa, is still out there, too. The kids from Four are the only pair still in this Arena outside of the Careers. Lyssa's partner's from Nine, and his name's Arlo. Decimus forced me to learn all about the other tributes before I came in here - he told me it was protocol; the best way to outmatch the enemy is to know where they come from, all that stuff. Now I wish I never listened to him.

It's easier to forget the dead when you don't know their names. But I do - I know too much about all these kids, and I'll never forget them now. Zinnia, Pollux, Mandy, Arlo. Lyssa, Jasper, Hazel, Garrick. Rochelle and Princess, Rochelle and Princess, Rochelle and Princess...

The only interesting thing that happened today was the sound of two new cannon shots. Two more names have been scrubbed from the list. Two threats, permanently removed from this Arena.

I watch as the sun slowly sets over the nearby dunes. I can't stop thinking about the cannon shots - I need to know who the unlucky tributes were. In my heart, I know it's probably Hazel and Garrick, but part of me wishes that it was someone else, someone more threatening.

At long last, the Panem anthem begins. It's the only music I've heard since I entered the desert, drilled into my mind every night to commemorate the lives lost. Two words fill the sky: THE FALLEN. They slowly fade away, and I'm met with an all-too-familiar face.

Pollux. His eyes stare down at me solemnly, almost disappointed. He looks as shocked to be up there as I am.

Pollux slowly disappears, replaced by his partner from Nine. She's a young girl; she must be a few years younger than Rochelle.

I feel nauseous. Paranoia turned Pollux into a monster in this Arena - every second, he grew closer and closer to death, and the one thing he feared ultimately became a reality. Just as Pollux predicted, Mandy wasn't able to survive in these conditions, and she took her partner down with her.

Sound familiar?

That could've been me. I could've been the one to die today. How much more prepared is Rochelle than Mandy, in reality? Sure, I did my best to teach her about plants and terrains, but knowledge only takes you so far in a place like this.

I lay against the slanted side of a sand dune, but I know I won't be able to sleep tonight; my mind is racing. I can't forget what Venia and Valentina said: just one more pair has to die before we're free, just one more pair...

Jasper must be even weaker than Rochelle, right? He might be smart, but he's scrawny. The desert is an unforgiving place, and his time might be coming soon. Not to mention Hazel and Garrick; I didn't expect them to get this far, so they could be the next to go. If I came across Arlo or Lyssa, too, I could make quick work of them.

No, I can't just sit around and wait for the others to just die. That could be a fatal mistake. I need to find Rochelle - I can't give up now. She's out there somewhere, and I hope she's looking for me too.

I quickly stand, moving to climb the dune behind me. I feel wide awake; I might as well use this energy to my advantage. It'll be harder to see in the dark, but I have to try and find Rochelle.

I know it might not seem vital for me to find Rochelle, but I feel like my life may depend on it. She'll never be a strong ally because she's not a physical threat, and I know that, but that doesn't mean that she can't be useful. I know that I can use Rochelle to my advantage in here; having two people fighting for you is always better than one. Not to mention that the kid has a strong head on her shoulders. She might not be strong, but she's an asset that could mean the difference between life and death later on. I need to find her.

Maybe it's just the dark, but I can't find anyone as the night passes. The sun rises over the desert, and I strip from my heavy clothing before continuing on my search. Seeing Pollux in the sky lit a fire beneath me, and I won't stop now until I find Rochelle. Whoever killed Mandy could be after Rochelle next, and I need to find her before they do.

My head aches as the sun sets over the desert once again. The intense sun feels like it's burning holes through my eyes, and I'm more than happy to see it disappear over the horizon. I feel as if I've died and come back to life again; walking through a desert for twenty-four hours straight will do that to you, I guess.

I watch as the Panem anthem plays once again, but I already know that nobody died today. Five pairs still remain, and I'm still not free. I should be grateful, though; at least I wasn't the one to go today.

I collapse to the ground as the music fades away. I feel thoroughly defeated now; it's only a matter of time before Rochelle dies and takes me with her, and at this rate, I'm never going to find her. All those years of training were for nothing; it was all wasted on a stupid twist, something out of my control.

Why did I even come here? Right - to fulfill my father's dream. I feel so stupid now; I should have never come here. I had my whole life ahead of me! I was from a good family, I was respected back home. Now I'm throwing it all away, for what? To be famous? To be rich? None of that is worth this, none of it. I wish I saw that sooner.

All I can do now is wait for my eventual demise as it grows closer and closer... only a matter of time now...