Ainsley Blare, District 5, 18

I woke up just as the sunlight began to slip through the trees and hit my face. I stretched carefully, making sure not to lose my balance and fall out of this tree.

It had been easier to fall asleep last night than I'd thought. Easier than the night before the arena, somehow. The night before, my mind had kept me awake as I worried about the possibilities. Yesterday, the possibilities became certainties, and then the past. That, combined with the exhaustion and the stress, helped me pass out as soon as I'd strapped myself into this tree.

I carefully began to loosen my belt, which I'd used to strap myself to the tree branch while I slept. I had taken Palmyra's advice to sleep in high places, and while it wasn't the most comfortable setup, it had definitely made me feel safer. I unbuckled it and rolled it up, putting it into my backpack.

Yesterday, I had taken the leftmost path after taking the backpack from the clearing. I ran as fast as I could until the path had ended at a lake. Grateful to have found water so fast, I filled up the bottle from my backpack and purified it with the bottle of chemicals inside. I'd been hiding in the trees ever since, sticking close to the lake for food and water. I could tell there were fish in the lake, but I had no idea how to catch them, so I'd been eating the plants around the lake for sustenance. I recognized several from training, so I stuck to those.

The only noteworthy event so far was a near run-in with the pair from Nine, who came tearing down the path not very long after I did. They ended up circling the lake and taking the path to the north before disappearing. No one else had come after them, but it took me hours to relax. From what I saw while observing them during training, I doubted they'd hurt me at this point, but avoiding confrontation was simply safer. They were missing their friend from Six, though, which was explained when I saw his face in the sky later that night.

Five had died by now. Nineteen were left. The dead included both from Six, the boy from Three, an unknown tribute whose cannon fired last night, and Samuel. It was still strange to think about. I still remembered seeing him on his pedestal preparing to run. I hadn't managed to catch his eye, though I'd tried. And then by nightfall, he was gone. It was a lot to process. At least I didn't have to worry about running into him now, right? I still felt bad for him, though. He hadn't deserved to die. None of them had.

I climbed down the tree, drinking some of my water and picking from fresh plants from the lake. Before I could return to my tree, a silver parachute descended from the sky and into my hands. I opened it up to find a pair of binoculars, except when I put them on everything was tinted green, and I couldn't see anything.

Night vision goggles, I realized.

I tucked them into my bag, whispering "Thank you," and giving a little wave towards the sky to show my gratitude. They would definitely come in handy come nightfall. Who knew what else was lurking in this arena?

Then, I retreated back into the treeline. As far as I was concerned, my situation was as good as it was going to get. Now, I just needed to lay low and wait it out.

Isla Evenair, District 4, 18

We were eating breakfast when the strategy talk began again. We were sitting on top of the picnic tables, which had been arranged in a circle.

"I want to go out searching today," said Glowla, who was snacking on some fruit.

"So do I," said Sadie. "Now that we've gotten everything sorted here, it's time to do what we came here to do."

"Well, not everyone can go out," I said. "We need to have some people here to guard our stuff. What if someone steals it?"

"We can leave someone here, then," said Sadie. "That's fine with me."

"I'll do it," I said. "Since I'm injured and all."

Glowla scoffed. "You're barely-"

"I'll stay too," interrupted Virgil. "Since Isla is injured, I'll fight off any attackers."

"Oh, my God," said Glowla. "This is ridiculous. She's fine."

"I don't see an issue with it," said Sadie. "Isla and Virgil and stay back, and the rest of us can go out. Are you guys good with splitting into pairs?"

Muir nodded. "Works for me."

"Who's with who?" asked Glowla.

"I'll go with Cal," said Sadie. "And you and Muir can go out together."

Caligula, who had been zoning out during all of this conversation, suddenly perked up. "I'm not sure I'm interested in that."

"Yes, you are," Sadie insisted.

"Sadie-"

"Remember what we talked about," she said, her voice firm.

I looked from Caligula to Sadie. They seemed to be having a silent conversation, and from the looks of it, Caligula was very, very reluctant to do this. Interesting. There was clearly a rift growing between them, and I was willing to bet that forcing him to go out searching would only widen it.

And that was something I very much wanted.

"Oh, go on, Caligula," I said smoothly. "Virgil can protect me just fine."

Caligula shot me a look. I smiled back. Sadie, on the other hand, looked almost grateful.

"Then it's settled," she said.

Muir reached down and picked up one of the spears. Glowla began to fill her hands with knives, and Sadie did the same. Caligula reluctantly picked up a sword- noticeably not the one he'd used yesterday.

"Are you okay with taking the path to the north?" Muir asked Glowla.

"Sure," she responded.

"Is there a time we should expect everyone back by?" I asked.

"Midafternoon?" Glowla suggested. "Like, not dinnertime, but solid afternoon."

Sadie and Muir nodded.

"See you then," I said.

Virgil waved. "Happy hunting!"

Muir waved back. He and Glowla took off, heading for the northern path Muir had suggested.

"Anywhere you want to go?" Sadie asked Caligula.

He shook his head.

She sighed. "I saw the pair from Nine go off that way. Come on."

She began to stride towards the westernmost path. Caligula begrudgingly followed. After a few moments, they were out of sight, leaving just Virgil and I in the Cornucopia.

"Thanks for keeping me company," I said.

"Of course," he said, kicking back. "Figured we could use the alone time anyway."

"Very true," I said. "I've been meaning to speak with you."

"What about?" he asked.

"The Twos are falling apart, fast," I said. "I'm not nearly as worried about Caligula as I was."

"Yeah, me neither," Virgil agreed. "He's super out of it. He barely even talked yesterday. What was that about?"

"He's gone soft," I told him. "He killed that girl yesterday, and he couldn't take it. During my shift on watch last night, I heard him talking about it in his sleep. I doubt he's interested in killing anyone else."

Virgil considered this. "I mean, that helps us, so I don't see a problem with it."

"Me neither," I said. "That only leaves Sadie. The sooner we get rid of her, the better."

"True," said Virgil. "She's too bossy, anyway."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "After Sadie, then we can worry about Glowla. She's getting on my nerves."

"Did she really hit you on purpose?" he asked.

"Yes!" I said.

He laughed out loud. "That's awesome."

"Virgil! It's not funny," I insisted.

He sighed, calming down a little. "Yeah, whatever," he said. "Glowy is Glowy, but for now, Sadie's more dangerous. She's got the higher score and more kills. What do you want to do?"

I smiled. "I have a plan."

Reese Hastings, District 9, 16

"How are you doing?" Journie asked.

"I'm fine," I said. "You?"

He flashed me a thumbs-up. "All good."

We had spent the night in a cabin labeled "CABIN B" by the sign out front. It was honestly pretty nice, with a bed, a couch, a sink, and a table and chairs. We'd kept the curtains drawn and the door locked, but since arriving, we hadn't seen or heard a peep from anyone else. We'd even managed to get some water from a lake on the way here, making sure it was purified with the chemicals the trainers had taught us how to use a few days ago.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Just fine," I replied. "This place definitely feels more like home."

"Minus all these trees, I have to agree," he said.

I nodded. "I've never seen trees like this before. I didn't realize trees could be pointy."

Journie nodded. "Me neither."

We continued on like this, making an effort to talk about anything but the Bloodbath. Losing Deltro had clearly hit both of us pretty hard. I couldn't speak for Journie, but Deltro had felt kind of like a younger sibling to me. He was like a mix of Evanna and Terry- smart, introverted, mature beyond his years.

And just like that, he was gone.

The worst part, I thought, was the look on his face. I just couldn't stop picturing it. He hadn't said anything out loud, and he hadn't needed to. His face had said it all.

I knew Journie was thinking about it too. He hadn't smiled since. Since I'd met him, despite the bleakness of our situation, he'd smiled often, and genuinely too. But since Deltro had died, that part of him had disappeared.

I was getting antsy in this cabin. I didn't like not having anything to do, even if it was just talking. And I hated seeing him so upset. He was my friend.

"Journie," I said, "it's not your fault, what happened to him."

He glanced up at me. "I could've protected him more," he said.

"As soon as that girl set her sights on him, I don't think you could have done anything," I said. "Even if she'd killed you, she would've killed him right after. And I, for one, am glad you're still alive."

"Still…" he trailed. "I just wish things had gone differently."

"So do I," I said.

"I know that it probably would've happened eventually," he said, "but I didn't think it would be so soon."

"I didn't either," I said. "We don't need to worry about him anymore, though. He's safe in the sky."

"In the sky?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. "That's what my mom said when my dad died. Whenever we were sad, she'd tell us to look up at the stars. The brightest ones were the ones you loved looking down on you. That's where Deltro is now, watching us and rooting for us."

He looked at me for a moment, considering this. "You know, for someone who dropped out of school, you're pretty smart."

"Hey!" I protested.

He cracked a grin. "You know I'm kidding."

I smiled back. "I just hate seeing you sad," I said. "I have a lot of practice cheering people up."

"I can tell," he said. "You're good at it." He thought for a moment. "I've never known anyone who's died before. My birth mom died when I was little, and my bio dad wasn't around, but that doesn't really count since I didn't really know them. And I never knew anyone in the Games before me."

"It's not the best of times," I said. "It's definitely hard. But it gets easier with time and with talking about it."

He nodded. "Thanks."

"Of course," I said.

He changed the subject. "So, I'm thinking maybe we stay in this cabin a little longer."

I sighed. "It's nice, but I hate feeling so cooped up all the time."

"I don't love it either," he said, "but we haven't seen anyone since we got here. Maybe it'll stay that way."

"And if it doesn't?" I asked.

"Then we fight back," he said.

I hesitated. "You know that's not really my thing."

"I know," he said. "But we have to defend ourselves. And I'd rather be two-on-one than one-on-one, you know?"

"I get that, I guess," I replied. I sighed. "I don't like being in the Games."

"No one does," he agreed. "Well, maybe not no one."

Muir Jansen, District 4, 16

Glowla and I reached the edge of the clearing and set off down the path.

"What made you want to go north?" she asked.

"That," I said, pointing at the ground.

Her eyes followed my hand to where I was pointing. "Oh, wait. Is that… blood?"

I nodded. "I saw it yesterday while we were setting up snares. It goes a decent distance. I think it's worth our time to track it as far as it goes and see if it goes anywhere."

"Huh," Glowla said, more to herself than to me. She turned to me. "That's pretty good."

I shrugged. "Thanks."

We continued walking silently for a while. Then, I remembered what Finnick and Annie had said to me.

You need to find out what's going on with Glowla. Get to know her a little.

I groaned internally, both because I knew they were right and because I didn't want to do it.

"So," I said.

Glowla glanced at me. "What's up?" she asked.

"Uh…" I thought for a moment, searching for something to say. "How are you liking the Games so far?"

She gave me a curious look, but answered. "It's been interesting, that's for sure. I'm hoping to get my kill count up while we're out today."

"Did you get any yesterday?" I asked, happy to leave the focus on her for a while.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "There was some... miscommunication, let's say, during the Bloodbath. And if I had, I definitely wouldn't have made dinner."

"True," I said. Virgil, Glowla, and Isla, the only ones without any kills so far, and therefore the losers of our bet, had spent some time trying to figure out who was going to cook last night. It had quickly become apparent that Virgil and Isla, who were both from extremely well-to-do families, had never cooked a meal in their lives. The job ultimately fell to Glowla as a result.

"How are you liking it?" she asked.

"It's fine," I said, shrugging. "But I could use some peace and quiet sometimes."

"I hear that," she said. "We're not the most coordinated bunch, huh?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Can… can I ask you something?"

She glanced at me. "Sure."

"How long do you think this alliance will last?" I asked, lowering my voice.

She considered the question for a moment before responding. "I think it depends," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised if Isla or Virgil, or both, got themselves killed doing something stupid. And Caligula is obviously having issues, which is stressing Sadie out."

"Sadie is stressed?" I asked. I hadn't noticed.

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," she said. "Remember when I came over yesterday to help with the snares? They were having an argument while we worked."

"Oh," I said. "So… that leaves us."

"Yes," she said. "You know…" she trailed off, thinking. "If it came down to us two, I wouldn't be mad about it."

"Neither would I," I said.

She smiled. "Not to sound like Isla or anything, of course."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"So she made a final two deal with you too?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Something like that."

She rolled her eyes. "I knew it," she said.

"I think everyone but Isla knows that everyone knows," I said. "I just said yes to make her stop talking about it." I decided to leave the bit about Thalassa out… at least for now.

She laughed a little. "Makes sense," she said. "Why haven't we talked more? We make a pretty good team."

"I don't know," I said truthfully. Glowla wasn't so bad. And it would be helpful to know what she was thinking later down the line.

"Wait," she said suddenly. "Look."

We both looked down at the trail. The blood splatters, which had become further and further apart over time, suddenly veered off to the side.

"They went that way," I said, pointing. I took a few steps to the side, examining the ground. Faint bootprints were visible in the dirt. "Follow me."

Glowla nodded, drawing a throwing knife as we began to creep into the woods.

Ethan Hart, District 10, 14

We spent much of the morning debating what to do next. We had no supplies- no food, no water, no weapons- as well as no idea where we were, other than a general idea of where the path was.

"We could just pick a direction and start walking," I suggested. It was close to noon, and the sun was high in the sky.

Parker shook their head, scribbling on their notepad. After Halley was injured yesterday, it had acquired a few bloodstains. At least it seemed to have dried overnight. 2 easy 2 get lost.

"We're already lost, though," I said. "And we need to do something. We can't stay here."

Parker sighed. We could go back 2 the path.

"Do you think it goes somewhere?" I asked.

I don't kno. MayB.

"I mean, it doesn't seem like there's many better options," I said.

Parker sighed again. It doesn't.

We both stood, dusting off the needle-like leaves and dirt we'd acquired from sleeping on the ground. The arena had thankfully cooled off a little when the sun went down, making me appreciate my jacket, but it was already starting to warm up again. A lot. We needed to find water before we sweated all of ours out. The trainer's warnings of dehydration suddenly seemed much more relevant than they had a few days ago.

That way? Parker wrote, gesturing off to my right. They took a few steps in that direction.

"I think so," I replied. "I mean, we kind of… left a mark."

Parker grimaced. It was true, though- Halley had done a lot of bleeding before letting go, and a few traces of it were still evident on the ground.

We began walking, Parker leading the way. We had only been walking for a few minutes when Parker froze.

"What?" I asked.

They turned their head a little. I could see their eyes were wide with fear as they brought their hands to the side and signed something at me. I recognized it as one of the ones they'd taught me yesterday.

Quiet.

And then another:

Danger.

I froze too, my muscles tense. I listened for a moment, trying to detect whatever Parker had noticed. It took me a few seconds, but I eventually caught it.

Crunch.

The sound of twigs snapping underfoot.

And neither of us were moving.

Parker signed to me again:

Run.

We both turned and fled back the way we'd come, sprinting into the forest. All attempts at stealth went out the window as we focused more on dodging trees than being quiet. Whoever else was there abandoned stealth as well. It was obvious from the footsteps behind us that there were at least two people, and that they were giving chase. I peeked over my shoulder to see that my worst fears were confirmed: it was the Careers. One was the tan boy from Four, and the other the dark-haired girl from One. They were both holding weapons.

I turned my head back around to front, my heart racing. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to get out of this. Maybe if I just kept running, they would get tired and leave me alone. I just had to keep going. The chase continued for several minutes as Parker and I ran side by side through the trees. Thank God I was a decent runner.

Just as I thought we were in the clear, something hit the ground beside me. I glanced to my side to see that Parker was nowhere to be seen. I looked behind me, searching for them. To my horror, they were splayed out on the ground, gasping with pain, a spear protruding from their back.

"Parker!" I screamed.

They looked up at me, their face screwed up with pain. They managed to lift their arms enough to sign to me one last time:

Go.

Run.

"I'm sorry," I said, tears beginning to pour down my cheeks. They shook their head tiredly, waving me off.

Go!

I didn't need to be told twice: the Careers were rapidly approaching. I took off, mentally kicking myself for leaving Parker behind. My best ally. Honestly, the best friend I'd ever had next to my siblings. I swiped at my face, trying to get rid of some of the blurriness in my eyes. I dared to look behind me again, and saw just one Career this time: the girl. She was close enough for me to make out her face, despite my watery eyes. Her face was full of pure focus as she raised her arm. The knife in her hand glinted in the sunlight.

I turned around and sprinted with all of my might. This couldn't be happening.

Boom.

I sobbed a little, gasping for breath as I continued to run. That was Parker's cannon, it had to be. I had failed them. I'd left them behind, and now, they were dead. I might have Volunteered for this, but Parker didn't deserve to die.

I ran for a few more seconds, barely swerving around the trees, before a fiery pain erupted in my lower back. I crashed to the ground just as the girl came jogging up, her breath heavy.

I knew that this was my end. It was practically what I'd asked for. I stared up at the sky, hoping my parents were seeing this. Hoping that my siblings weren't.

The girl didn't waste time in dragging it out. She raised her hand, a second knife shining in the midday light.

Boom.

Caligula Van Zandt, District 2, 18

"I can't believe you're making me do this," I said.

"This is what you trained for," she said. "What we trained for."

I sighed, but didn't say anything else. I'd tried to convince her to do things many times before- granted, it was usually about coming to a party or something- and I'd never gotten through to her before. I wasn't optimistic about my ability to do so now.

Last night I'd gotten maybe the worst sleep in my life. The scene of Salome dying kept replaying over and over again. The look on her face was unbearable. Claudia's breakdown two nights ago made perfect sense now. And it terrified me that if I survived this, I could end up just like her.

I can't believe I was so stupid to buy all of this. I can't believe I really thought that murder was honorable. I can't believe that I thought murder was my duty. I was so focused on how I could play the Capitol's Games that I never stopped to think about what the Games actually were. They were no honor. They were a slaughter.

I saw that now.

We walked in silence for a while, Sadie leading the way. After some time, we arrived at a lake. There didn't seem to be anyone around.

"I remember this place from the map," said Sadie. "If we follow it around that way, we'll find the cabins."

"Sadie…"

She whipped around, her eyes hard. "Prove to me that you've dropped this. Prove to me that the Capitol shouldn't just let you die."

"Fine," I shot back. I followed her off to the right, my grasp firm around my weapon.

After some more walking, we arrived in front of a small wooden building labeled "CABIN A."

"This is it," Sadie whispered. She drew one of her trademark knives, flipping it around in her hand before solidifying her grip. She glanced back at me. "Ready?"

I nodded.

I let Sadie head in first, peeking through the windows. I hid on the other side of the wall, watching her take everything in. "See anything?"

"I…" she hesitated. "I don't think there's anyone here."

"Good," I said, a wave of relief washing over me. "Let's head back."

"Are you kidding?" she asked. "According to the map, there's a second cabin over here. I bet this path leads to it. Come on."

I reluctantly followed her away from Cabin A and further down the dirt path, hoping desperately that no one was in the other cabin. I glanced down at the harpe in my left hand and swallowed, hard. Hopefully I wouldn't have to use it.

It took only a few minutes before we emerged in another, smaller clearing. We repeated the process of Sadie looking in the windows while I hid around the corner.

"The curtains are shut," she whispered.

"No one's there, let's leave," I said.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Who shut them, then? Someone's here." She pressed her ear up to the side of the cabin wall. "I think I hear voices."

She stalked over to the cabin door, positioning herself with her hand on the doorknob and her face to me. "On the count of three. One, two-"

"Run!" I shouted. "Get out of here! You're in danger! Run!"

We heard a commotion within the cabin. There were at least two pairs of footsteps running around. Sadie's jaw dropped as she stared at me, utterly shocked.

Behind the cabin, two pairs of boots hit the ground. I caught a glance of them as they took off- it was the pair from Nine. They quickly disappeared into the trees, vanishing from sight.

"I can't believe this," Sadie fumed.

We were back at the Cornucopia. The walk back had been a long, silent one, with Sadie refusing to so much as look me in the eye. Glowla and Muir weren't around, presumably doing what Sadie and I had failed to.

"For the millionth time, what happened?" Isla asked.

"He ratted us out," she replied. "He told the other tributes we were coming, and they ran."

"Did you at least hit one of them?" Virgil asked. He was kicking it back on top of one of the picnic tables, munching on some crackers.

"No," said Sadie. "They got away."

I hopped one of the picnic tables, landing in the piles of supplies. I began to gather up some stuff. Some food, water, night vision goggles, a sleeping bag, my harpe…

"What are you doing?" Virgil asked.

"I'm leaving," I said, my voice calm.

"You're what?" asked Sadie.

"You heard me. I'm leaving," I said, raising my voice. I stuffed the supplies into a backpack.

"What?" said Sadie. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," I said. "I can't do this anymore. I can't kill people, Sadie."

"Called it," said Isla. She and Virgil exchanged a look.

"Did you even hear a word I said yesterday?" said Sadie. "We trained for this. We trained for years, Cal. You have the right to do what you need to do in the arena and not feel guilty."

"I can't do that," I said. "This whole thing is sick. Can't you see that?"

"I can see just fine," said Sadie, her voice cold. "You're the blind one here."

I shook my head. "After what happened to your parents, you'd think that you of all people-"

"No!" she shouted. I turned around to face her, and saw I'd crossed a line. She had gone from cold anger to red-hot furiousness, her ears red as she fought back. "No, no no no no no. You don't get to talk about my parents. You don't. You just don't get to. Fuck you, Cal."

"Oh, shit," Isla mumbled, smirking.

"Listen, Sadie," I said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But-"

"No buts," she hissed. "How fucking dare you. After everything they put me through, you know exactly where I'm coming from right now."

"Sadie-"

"Do you know what that feels like?" she asked. "To try so fucking hard to keep someone safe, to dig your heels in and try to hold them back, just for them to walk right into the firing squad anyway? Do you know what it's like to watch someone be literally shot to pieces, or whipped to shreds, because they'd rather die than listen to you? The person who just wanted them to be safe? That's what they did. And that's what you're doing now."

"I'm not a rebel," I said.

"You're sure talking like one, then," said Sadie. "It's nothing I haven't heard before." She adopted a deep voice, clearly intent on mocking me. "'It's sick, Sadie. Can't you see that?'"

Isla snorted. Virgil popped another cracker into his mouth, watching intently.

"You're no different from them," she said. "You're all the same. You've all made your choices, and there's clearly nothing I can do about it. Sorry I tried to help. I'm done."

"I'm sorry we don't agree," I said. "But I can't change my feelings. I don't know what that's like, but you know what I do understand?"

"Here he goes," she scoffed.

"She was pleading for her life," I said. "She was so, so scared. And she had every right to be, because I took her life. I had no right to do that. I can't get the look on her face out of my head. I see her when I sleep, and every time I blink. She haunts me, and I deserve it, because I took her life from her. And it didn't belong to me. I wish I could give it back, but I can't. All I can do is promise not to do it again, and realize that this whole thing is seriously messed up."

Sadie shook her head. Her ears had calmed down a little by now, returning back to that cold anger from before. "You're more of a dingus than I thought. Get out."

"What?"

"Get out," she snapped. "I'll see you in the final two, because I don't break my promises."

"Sadie-"

"Leave!" she shouted. I quickly finished packing and headed towards the southeastern trail, avoiding eye contact with the others.

"Bye-bye!" Isla called after me, her voice sickly sweet. "Best of luck!"

Travis O'Quinn, District 7, 17

A cannon fired in the distance, followed by another not long after.

"Seventeen now," said Dale. "Seventeen left."

I nodded grimly. "Seventeen."

Yesterday, we'd taken the path towards the north, walking for most of the rest of the day. Fortunately, it had been worth it. Just as the sun was setting, we'd arrived at the side of a waterfall. The water was cool and refreshing, and once we'd purified it, tasted delicious. The arena was a little different over here. It was much rockier, and now that we were close to the waterfall, a few mountains were visible. Our camp was close to the water, but not directly on the riverfront, because that would be stupid.

I honestly kind of liked the arena. It wasn't too far off from the wilderness of Seven. It was definitely more homey than the Capitol, at the very least.

"I wonder who it was," said Dale.

"Honestly, as long as it's not me, I don't really care," I said, kicking a rock with my shoe. "Well, a Career would be nice…"

"I keep wondering if it's Sienna," said Dale.

"Sienna?"

"My district partner," he explained. "We didn't talk much, but I kind of feel bad for her."

"Remember when we first met and neither of us talked?" I joked.

Dale chuckled. "I do. Not much else to do right now, though."

"Fair enough," I said. I picked up a pinecone and started pulling the seeds off of it. Somewhere deep in my brain, I remembered one of my friends- Larkin, probably- saying they were edible. I wondered what they tasted like.

"I like the arena," Dale said. "Reminds me of home."

"Really?" I asked. "Feels a lot like Seven to me."

"Well, the trees are kind of different, I guess," he said, "but it's pretty similar. Especially the mountains."

"Cool," I said. I pulled off another seed and tested it with my tongue. It tasted like wood.

Dale kept talking. "I've always liked being outside. Whenever I get stressed, I just go hang out by the river."

"Nice," I said. I crunched down on the seed, trying not to get it stuck between my teeth.

"How about you?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"What do you like to do?" he asked. "I feel like we don't actually know each other that well. I'd like to get to know you better."

I sighed. My thinking up until now had been quite the opposite- I was fine with not talking, because Dale would have to die eventually if I wanted to win. I finished chewing the seed- not as bad as I was expecting, but not great either- before answering his question.

"Sports are cool," I said, shrugging. "I always go to my friend's games. Sometimes I play too."

"What sports?" Dale asked.

"Uhh… soccer, stuff like that," I said vaguely.

"Cool," said Dale.

"Yeah." I picked another seed off my pinecone and threw it just to see how far it would go. The answer: not very far.

"So… how long do you want to stay here?" asked Dale, changing the subject to strategy. Thank God.

"Honestly, as long as we can," I said, flicking another seed away. "This is a pretty sweet setup, don't you think?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "I just want to be prepared if anyone comes. Especially the Careers."

"That's fair," I said. "I think we just need to be careful. If we keep a good lookout, there's no way they can sneak up on us. And in close range, we stand a solid chance. The only thing I'm worried about are the knife girls."

"The knife girls?"

"The ones who use throwing knives," I said. "They're long-distance, and we don't have anything like that. Just the knife from our bag, and I don't want to waste that one."

"I saw them throw a few times in training," said Dale. "They're good."

"Exactly," I said.

"But I agree that I'd rather let them come to us," said Dale. "I'm pretty sure, based on that map we saw back there, that we're towards the edge of the arena. They'll probably go for the closer, easier kills before us. And then they'll get tired, and we'll be at full health."

"Good thinking," I said. "Sounds like a plan. You want first watch tonight?"

"Sure," he replied.

Jessie "Jess" Tuscon, District 10, 18

Towards the end of the second day in the arena, Ianto still wouldn't drop it.

"I still think we should leave," Ianto said for the millionth time.

"That's ridiculous," I shot back. As it turned out, all it took was a good old-fashioned stabbing for me to throw all of my country politeness out the window. I wondered what my parents were thinking, watching this. Another part of me didn't really care, though. It's not like they knew what it was like here.

"We're only here because of your leg," said Ianto. "And I'm sick and tired of hearing you complain about it."

"I have every right to complain about it," I said. "Look at it! It's disgusting!"

"Guys," Levi said. "Let's lay off for a little while, okay?"

"Fine," said Ianto. "Maybe I should just go off on my own, anyway."

"We'd be better off for it," I said.

"Guys," Sienna said, her voice quiet.

"That's not true, and you know it," Ianto fired back.

"Guys," Sienna said, her voice growing louder.

"It's my opinion. Opinions can't be wrong," I said.

"Guys!" Sienna shouted.

Everyone turned to look at her, shocked to hear her raise her voice.

"Stop it," she pleaded. "Stop fighting."

"I agree," said Levi. "It's getting old."

"He's the one fighting, not me," I said.

"It's both of you!" Sienna exclaimed. "You both need to stop fighting, and Ianto, you're not leaving. We're staying together and figuring this out. And we're not going to argue any more."

"Sienna," Ianto said, "I can't deal with this anymore. I'm seriously considering it."

She spun around to face him. "Have you forgotten what's going on right now?" she asked. "Look at where we are."

"We're in the Games, we know," I said, rolling my eyes.

"People are dying," she said, her voice rising again. "Salome is dead!" She turned again, and I could see the tears shining in her eyes. "Have you already forgotten about her? She's the reason we're all allies in the first place. And you know why she died? Because we weren't protecting one another. When she needed us most, where were we? Far away. When we're not together, we suffer for it, and Salome's death is proof."

Levi nodded. "We have no chance if we keep bickering and split up."

"Exactly," said Sienna. "This stops right now."

Ianto, who looked solemn at the mention of Salome's name, nodded. "You're right," he said softly. He turned to me. "I'm sorry for bickering, Jess. I know your leg hurts. I'm sorry I got mad."

"Thank you," I said. "I apologize for losing my temper. However, I still think we should remain here for now."

"Are you serious?" Ianto asked. "After all that?"

"Think about it," I said. "Like I've said before, the walls and roof are our protection. We're close to a water source and food source, once the food from our backpacks runs out. You're right that maybe we're easy to find, but we're just safer here, period. No one has even come by."

"That could just be because they went to the other cabins first," said Ianto.

"That's true," said Sienna. "There were other cabins on the map other than ours."

"Still," I said. "What's that quote? 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it?'"

"I'm with Jess on this one," said Levi. "There's everything she said, and that if we go out, her wound is way more likely to get infected, and we'll be even worse off than we were. I don't see why we can't stay here until it's not a viable option anymore."

"Is that really what you think?" Ianto asked Levi.

Levi nodded.

Ianto sighed. "Fine. I'll stay here with you guys, if just for a few more days."

"Thank you," said Sienna. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No," Ianto grumbled.

I smirked, happy to have gotten my way. Took long enough.

About an hour later, the Capitol's anthem began playing outside. We knew that at least three more would be in the sky based on the cannons. Ianto opened the door, and the other three went out to go watch. I stayed inside, silently cursing my leg for holding me back. It wasn't long, and after a few minutes, they came back inside.

"Who was it?" I asked. "How many?"

They all exchanged a glance, hesitant to say anything. "What? What is it?"

"Um…" Levi trailed. "There were three tonight. The girl from Three, the silent one from Eleven, and the other… I'm sorry, Jess."

"Who?" I asked.

"Your district partner," Levi said, her voice gentle.

"Oh," I said, letting this sink in. "Oh."

"I'm sorry," said Sienna.

"Me too," said Ianto.

"It's okay," I said, still thinking it over. "It was bound to happen anyway, right?"

"Jess," Levi chastised me.

"He had no intention of winning," I said. "I heard him say it. So I'm okay."

"He didn't want to win?" Ianto asked. "Then what the hell did he Volunteer for?"

"Something about his parents," I said. "I think he wanted their attention so he could tell them off? We didn't talk much, I'm not really sure."

Ianto shook his head. "Damn."

To be honest, I'd never really understood Ethan. I hoped he'd gotten what he came here for, though.

Grover Delcid, District 11 Mentor, 23

"That's a shame," I said as the two cannons fired.

"Eh," said Dimitri.

Dimitri and I had been friends for several years. We were the same age, both from outer districts, and had won back-to-back Games. It only made sense that we'd naturally be drawn to one another.

"What do you mean, 'eh?'" I asked, turning in my desk chair to face him.

"That kid was something else," said Dimitri. He was leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed. "He knew what he was getting into. He didn't even want to win. This would've happened sooner or later. I'm sorry about your tribute, though. Seemed like a nice kid."

"They were," I agreed. "At least it was over quickly, right?"

"Right," said Dimitri. "Not thrilled about the girl's chances, though. Don't think we'll take it this year."

"That's a nasty injury," I said. "I'd take an arm injury over a leg injury any day."

"So would I," said Dimitri. "How's your other tribute doing?"

"I…" I glanced at the screen on my desk showing Alula. "Wait…"

"What?" asked Dimitri.

"I'm not sure exactly what she's doing…" I trailed. "Oh, God."

Dimitri stood and walked the two steps separating our desks, peering over my shoulder. "Wow," he said. "Wasn't expecting that."

"How do they not see her?" I asked. "They should've noticed this by now, right?"

"They're too busy talking," said Dimitri. "Well, why don't you look at that. Want to trade tributes?"

I shook my head. "I don't understand her," I said.

"Don't have to," said Dimitri. "She's alive and clearly up to something. Sometimes, that's all you need."

*Eulogies:

19th: Parker Dillio, D11NB (speared by Muir): When it comes down to it, Parker had an unlucky life, and that included their time in the Games. They were a kind and selfless individual who didn't deserve to be Reaped. That's just a fact. I really enjoyed writing Parker's communication style and the perspective they brought to the Games. Thank you to Miss Hourigan for submitting Parker.

18th: Ethan Hart, D10M (throwing knifed by Glowla): Ethan was an interesting character to me from the start. No one, other characters and reviewers combined, thought him Volunteering was a good idea. But it made sense to him, and it made sense why he would do that, and I really enjoyed exploring his thought process around it. Some tributes I changed to be Reaped, but I never considered doing that with Ethan, because it was so integral to his story. Regardless of whether or not you agreed with him, this was the outcome. Thank you to chcolate for submitting Ethan.

Kills:

Glowla- 1 (Ethan)

Caligula- 1 (Salome)

Sadie- 1 (Deltro)

Damion- 1 (Halley)

Muir- 2 (Damion, Parker)

Travis- 1 (Samuel)

Alliances:

The Careers: Virgil, Glowla, Sadie, Muir, Isla

(Salome's) Dream Team: Ianto, Levi, Jess, Sienna

District Nine: Journie, Reese

Quiet Bros: Travis, Dale

Loners: Caligula, Ainsley, Chaney, Alula

And that's the second day! Lots going on, that's for sure. I hope you guys enjoyed this one- hopefully, it answered some questions about a few tributes we hadn't seen since the Bloodbath. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter- what do you think our resident Career schemers are plotting? What do you think Alula's up to? Will the Dream Team's truce last? Do pinecones actually taste okay? I'd love to hear what you guys are thinking!

I'm aiming to get the next chapter up Sunday or Monday. Updates have been so quick lately because my classes don't start until next week, so I've been trying to get as much done as I can before that's added to my plate. Blog will be updated in a few minutes, with an added spot for placements (both individuals and districts) under the Arena tab. Hope you're all doing well, and I'll see you next time!

-r-b*