A/N: Hello again! The tribute count dwindles once again as the third day passes in our arena. I'm not sure how long each games will last, but the games involving career districts will definitely go by a lot quicker.


Lycra Torren, 17

District 8 5th Female

The forest looks beautiful this morning, the many various trunks shooting and twisting into the sky, all connecting to the conjoined canopy of leaves. My backpack thumps familiarly between my shoulders as I run. It's the only think that's familiar anymore.

I think back to yesterday evening, when I spotted the careers walking near my camp. I didn't have any time to gather up my supplies. It was literally all I could do to sling a single backpack over my shoulder and run for my life.

I don't think they spotted me, but now they know the general region of the forest I currently inhabit. And maybe most terribly, I'm no longer carrying a single drop of water with me. Finding more water is my number one priority. Otherwise, I have one, maybe two days until I'm dead. Full stop.

The sun is at its peak in the sky when I spot a thin line of smoke spinning into the sky. From the cornucopia, I could see several of them, but this is the nearest I've ever been.

Instinct tells me to turn around and run, but now I'm too intrigued to turn back. It isn't long before I feel heat pulsing in waves from the source of the smoke. I see the ledge of the pit dropping off before I can see what's inside. Peering over the edge, all I can see is darkness in the depths of the hole.

I back away from the hole and slowly set down my pack. The heat is already starting to melt the plastic straps, and I don't want it falling off.

Returning to the hole, all I can see is darkness. I grab a rock and throw it in. The rock slowly sinks beneath the line of blackness, revealing a thick mass of crimson as it sinks. It's lava, and it's hot.

The sound of something crashing through the forest brush makes my heart jump into my throat. Figuring I should get away from the lava pit in case it's some kind of attacker, I disappear behind the first line of trees and wait.

A small girl walks slowly out of the trees, alone. Her movements are slow and sluggish; whether from dehydration or hunger, I can't tell. Is it… Lilith? Yes, it's her. Lilith walks to the very edge of the pit and stands there, so close to the ledge that her toes touch the edge.

I've burst out of hiding before I can stop myself. I know I'll regret this as soon as I'm finished, but I find my limbs moving without my brain's permission. Lilith whips her head around, but I've pushed her into the pit before she has time to scream. Her body slowly sinks beneath the lava's black surface, revealing the fiery inner hell underneath. The thick, molten rock engulfs her body slowly. For a moment, there's a small dent in the surface, as if a bucket of the thick liquid has been scooped out. In a matter of minutes, all traces of Lilith's existence are gone.

I'm about to leave when the sound of sliding metal comes from behind my back. It's a table, slowly rising out of the ground, and it contains two small objects: a shimmering golden sphere and a silver flower. Two words are carved into the base of the table: choose one.

Oh, no. The gamemakers are using this trick again. My choice will wreak havoc on a random part of the arena. This trick hasn't been used in decades, but it's back again. And this time, the decision lies on me.

How will I wreak havoc? With gold or silver? The ground starts to rumble: the gamemakers' cue for me to hurry up. I touch the golden sphere, and the table sinks slowly into the ground. Then there is only silence.


Crochet Undersee, 18

District 8 11th Male

Dark clouds begin to roll in as Cloth, Velvet and I tread quietly through the forest. The frightening weather is sudden: ten minutes ago, the sky above was spotless and clear.

"How'd these clouds roll in so fast?" I ask, not really expecting an answer.

"It's got to be some trick of the gamemakers," Velvet says. "We need to get to shelter as soon as we can."

Cloth nods in agreement and breaks into a moderate sprint, the two of us trailing close behind. The sky seems to twist into a darker shade of gray every second, slowly masking the brilliant blue of the summer sky. Velvet suddenly stops dead in his tracks, pointing a finger at the sky.

"What?" I ask.

"It's centered around us," Velvet stammers, shaking. Just then, the first bolt of white-hot lightning shoots out of the sky, connecting with the ground just a few trees away. The ground shakes, and five trees simultaneously topple away from the site of the lightning strike.

"Run!" Cloth screams, and the three of us break into a mad run as bolts of lightning shoot out of the sky like fingers. After twenty seconds, a tree in our path is struck. Pieces of flaming debris fly in our direction, landing on my chest. For a moment, the scalding pain drives everything else out of my mind, a pain that I think is going to worm its way down into my skin and kill me from the inside out, slowly spreading through my body. But Velvet grabs me by the arm and tugs me along.

"There!" Cloth screams, pointing at a rushing gray river just ahead.

"It still isn't safe! The water will get hot!"

Cloth shakes his head. "No. Look at the cave on the other side!" He points to a large, rocky hill at the other end of the river. A wormhole about the diameter of a train is carved into the mountain.

Burning branches fall and clouds of smoke billow as we ford the river. Once, a branch catches onto my back, scraping a long gash in my skin. A cloud of dark blood spreads around me, and I want to scream. I want to give up and let the river carry me away. But right now, I can't let myself focus on anything but the cave. If I can get there, I'm safe.

Velvet steps out of the water first, with Cloth and I following close behind. Velvet leaps into the cave, instantly disappearing in the pitch-black interior. Cloth dives in next, and just as I'm about to enter, the ground vibrates underneath my feet.

A lightning bolt has struck the top of the hill. Now a tide of debris—dirt, plants, fallen trees—rushes down the hill in my direction. I have to make a split second decision. There's no way I'll have time to reach the cave without being crushed by the falling debris.

"Get away!" Velvet and Cloth scream from the safety of the cave's interior. "Hurry! Quick!"

I take one last look at the cave, then, turning around, race along the edge of the river as fast as I can in search of some other shelter.


Patternia Veil, 16

District 8 2nd Female

"What's with that big storm?" Preston asks, pointing to the tempest on the horizon.

"I don't know," I say. "But I don't think it's coming for us. Let's go hunting."

"No." Electron stamps his foot on the ground. "I hate to say this, but we need to wait here until it dies down. It's not worth the risk."

"Yeah, it is worth the risk," I retort. "The tributes will all be off-guard after the storm. Weak. Easy to put on a show with."

Electron crosses his arms. "Well, if you want to go by yourself, go right on along. I'm not coming with you, not risking my life because of a fucking stupid hunch!"

"Guys! Shut up!" Organza shouts. "There's lightning now."

The five of us fall quiet and watch as the first arc of lightning shoots out of the sky. A moment later, thunder rumbles for the first time. Organza raises her eyebrows. "There's no way we can go hunting in that."

I hate to agree with her, so I don't say anything, just sit down on my sleeping bag and cross my arms. I pass my throwing knives between my hands and drum my fingers against my thighs as the hours pass. No cannon shots fire, and sooner than later, the storm is clearing.

"Alright," Electron says. "Let's go. Madras, it's your turn to stay behind."

Preston, Electron, Organza and I gather up our weapons and supplies, then each take a big sip of water before sprinting away from the horn. "Hold on," I say, pausing after less than ten seconds. "Look at that hill."

Electron squints. "Which one?"

"That one." I point to the tall hill in the far distance. "There are tributes up there."

"Holy shit, you're right," Preston admits, smiling. "Four of them. It must be those girls: Moxie and Silky and Sasha. And Nimona."

"If we're fast, we might be able to surprise them," Electron says. "Now hurry, Patternia."

"I am hurrying!"

"Shut up again!" Organza shouts, and that's the end of that.

Two hours of jogging takes us to the base of the hill. There's always the risk that the four girls have left the hill by this point, and we came all the way here for nothing. But that's a risk worth taking for the prospect of four victims.

"We should take a break," Preston suggests. "We need our energy to get up that hill."

The four of us sit down, our backs leaning against the same thick beech tree. The slope of the hill is an almost perfect 45-degree angle; a treacherous journey, even for us.

After about fifteen minutes, we stand up and start running again. Preston starts to lag behind as the top of the hill gets closer and closer, and the four of us are panting with exhaustion. But it'll be worth it. It'll be so worth it.

We pause when the crest of the hill is a short distance above our heads. "I'll go first," I say. "And I'll throw my knives at the first thing I see."

Preston, Electron, and Organza grudgingly kneel on the slope while I continue walking. I pause just below the crest of the hill, then take a quick peek over the edge. The four girls are sitting in a circle, eating from a shared basket of food.

In one motion, I burst into sight and hurl a volley of two knives. Both of them land in one of the girls' shoulder blades, and she screams instantly. My allies burst into sight as two of the weak girls run for their lives. One of the girls kneels beside the dying girl, crying, "Moxie! Moxie! Talk to me!" When Moxie's cannon fires, she makes a desperate attempt to run for her life. However, she turns just as Preston's spear enters her gut, and she collapses onto the first girl, falling still almost immediately.

"Two down, two to go!" I cry out as we rush to the edge of the hill. The girls we didn't kill, who look to be Sasha and Nimona, are literally rolling down the hill, bouncing and crashing over rocks and roots in their descent.

"We'll never catch up," Preston laments, shaking his head.

He's right, we won't. Even if we rolled like them, we'd probably end up killing ourselves with our own weapons by accident. I begin to walk toward the two dead bodies.

"Who are they?" Organza asks.

I turn their bodies over to reveal their faces. "Moxie and Silky. They died right next to each other. How cute." I roll my eyes.


Threada Collins, 17

District 8 11th Female

It's been over twenty-four hours since I was separated from the anti-careers. Twenty-four hours that I've been completely alone in the forest.

I'd like to say I've been brave enough to explore and search for my allies, but that just isn't true. All I've been doing is slowly travelling in a single direction since then. I might as well stop thinking about them right now, because there's no way I'm getting them back.

I come to a stop when the sun begins to glisten on the west horizon. Water is my first priority now. I need to try my hardest to find it before sunset or else I'm doomed.

It starts to get noticeably dark within twenty minutes, and I still haven't found anything to drink. My throat feels like sand by this point, and real fear starts to set in. A faint quaking sensation in my gut for the time being. I'm sure it will soon escalate.

I settle down at the base of a medium-sized hill, a place hidden from sight by a curtain of willow trees. The ground here is muddy and soft, which means water must be nearby. Night stars sparkle overhead, and I lie down on my side, my hands as my only pillow and my clothes as my only source of warmth as frost begins to form on the tall grass.

Worrying about water is for tomorrow. For now, what I need is sleep.

I'm just about to doze off when the anthem begins. I open my eyes slightly and glare at the three faces, all of them girls once again. There are twenty-one of us now. Nine of us need to die for the others to move on. I don't feel anything for those poor kids. The games are already changing me.


Lilith Mercier, District 5 2nd Female

Moxie Cratchit, District 5 9th Female

Silky Ianis, District 8 6th Female

Remaining Tributes (21): Preston, Felix, Francina, Dawson, Thred, Looper, Everly, Electron, Nimona, Boltson, Organza, Madras, Patternia, Lycra, Cloth, Velvet, Rollag, Brigitta, Sasha, Threada, Crochet