Dionysus Bacchus, District One male (18)

Careers wake like cats. When something grabbed my leg I was standing before my brain processed my body's movements. I felt a flash of guilt in the instant before I saw Gigi had evaded my kick and was screaming at Soleil, who was still running on the other side of our camp. I wouldn't have known it was her if I couldn't see Anthony right ahead of us.

Anthony's arm moved and again I acted on instinct. Gigi gasped as I grabbed her by the back of her collar and yanked her so hard she came mostly off the ground. She landed behind me as Anthony's knife thrummed through the air where her face had been. Just because someone specialized in one weapon didn't mean they weren't capable of throwing a knife fifteen feet. He must have hoped if he acted quickly he could eliminate Gigi before she even knew we were fighting.

This was it. No joking around or chatting with my ally. In less than ten minutes someone would be dead. If we killed Anthony we won the Games. If Anthony killed me he would kill Gigi too. Soleil was the smartest of us all along. She was off hiding somewhere and hoping against hope that Anthony and I killed each other.


Anthony Morgan, District Four male (18)

My throw may have missed Gigi but I still gained something from it. I learned Dionysus cared enough about Gigi to save her instead of letting me kill her and taking the chance that one of us would flee the fight and Soleil would be dead before we found each other again. We could have both won but that wasn't an option for Dionysus, which meant it wasn't an option for me.

It was lucky for me Dionysus was the last Career left, and I didn't even mean because of any perceived ineptitude. I used a trident and he used a pointed staff. Both short-distance weapons, though his was longer than mine.

Gigi scuttled after the fallen knife. I watched without much alarm. Two fighters unused to working together were weaker than either on their own. Gigi would only get in the way or distract Dionysus.

"Stay away!" Dionysus yelled at her, confirming my thoughts. Gigi stood some feet behind him, watching me uncertainly. Then she bent, still keeping her eyes on me. As Dionysus and I looked for an opening, Gigi stepped to the side and threw a rock at me. As I reeled from the sudden pain in my chin, Dionysus charged.


Gigi Sampson, District Five female (16)

I don't know how to help. I don't know what to do.

Too late I realized we should have gone over how to fight before the fight started. Now I was stuck wringing my hands and watching Dionysus and Anthony grapple. It was horrible to see someone who had become my friend struggling for their life, but the worst part for me was how savage Dionysus looked. Every time I managed to forget what kind of person he was, the Games forced me to remember.

As I circled flightily, looking for a chance to throw another rock or just somehow help Dionysus without hitting him instead, I watched the fight from the front lines. I saw how Anthony stuck his trident out to impale Dionysus as he charged and how Dionysus turned sideways to avoid it and shoved a flat palm at Anthony's already-sore face. He tried to wrap one of his legs around Anthony's and trip him but instead they both just staggered but stayed upright. Dionysus grabbed Anthony's spear between the prongs so that as he tried to maneuver it it just went sideways. At the same time he tried to position his spear to stab Anthony, but they were too close together for him to get any leverage.

Anthony craned his neck forward and latched his teeth into Dionysus' cheek. As Dionysus yelled and pulled back, Anthony pulled back in the opposite direction, ripping a strip out of Anthony's cheek. He spat it at his eyes as he bent his arm and punched Dionysus in the ribs. Dionysus huffed but grabbed Anthony's forearm and yanked him sideways off-balance.

There had to be some way for me to help. I grabbed a branch from the nearest tree and started to snap it off. As my back was turned I heard a yell.


Dionysus Bacchus, District One male (18)

To Gigi it looked like we were fighting. Really I was trying to stay alive. Even with his wounds Anthony was beating me. I thought back to all the days I'd partied instead of training and I saw once again how dumb I'd been. I could beat a normal tribute but I wasn't going to beat Anthony. I could only hope to wound him enough that Gigi could get away.

Anthony stumbled over a root and we both went down. Gigi came over brandishing a stick and Anthony tried to kick out a leg from under her. She jumped back and I took the moment to elbow him across the temple. He went in for a choke and I turned to avoid it, but at the last second he changed course and hooked his fingers into the hole in my cheek. Pain blinded me- which was exactly what Anthony needed. I felt a punch in my stomach and knew at once it wasn't a punch. I tried to take a breath and thick wetness clogged my throat as Gigi screamed.


Gigi Sampson, District Five female (16)

I screamed as Anthony pushed off of Dionysus and started to stand. He looked up at me where I stood brandishing a stick like I was trying to fend off a savage dog. I stumbled backwards, hyperventilating and starting to cry.

Anthony took a step forward and staggered, sucking in air. I looked down and saw Dionysus twisted onto his stomach, blood lining his sides, his spear stuck through Anthony's foot. He looked up at me and we locked eyes.

"Run!" Blood sprayed from his mouth as he yelled it, then yanked Anthony down and jumped on him. I took a last glance at the two of them and then fled.

Branches sliced at my face and arms as I tore through the forest. I tripped and fell headlong, rolling in the dirt before I landed on my side. I got to my feet and froze. What should I do? What do I do? Should I keep running and get far enough away that Anthony couldn't find me? But what if Dionysus won? He'd be wounded and if I didn't stay close he would die before I got back.

I was still hesitating when a cannon sounded. It told me everything, but it told me nothing at all.


Well well well another cliffhanger...