Ugh. This took quite a long time. Sorry, but there's not a ton of action in it and I just wasn't feeling motivated. :/ Hopefully the next chapter will take less time.

Also, another announcement: This story has been up for more than a year now! Crazy, right? A big thanks to all of you for being patient with my inconsistent update schedule.

District 11: Cole Cambridge, Age 13

"Can we please take a break?"

Beckett turns to give me an annoyed look. "We can't stop now," He tells me. "We need to get as far away from the other tributes as possible."

"But I'm so tired," Angelica says, backing me up. "Can't we just rest for five minutes?" Beckett gives a long, exaggerated sigh before mumbing an agreement. Angelica and I breath a sigh of relief in unison, both weary from the running and walking we've been doing. I plop down on a log and take the heavy pack I've been wearing off my shoulders. Eagerly, I open it up, excited to see what I managed to grab.

Inside the pack, I find a pack of sunflower seeds, a small container of cookies, a sheet of plastic to use against the rain, a bottle of iodine, an empty water cantine, and… a butter knife. I scowl as I pull out the last item. What in the world am I supposed to do with a butter knife?

Beckett grins when he sees my frown. "You're going to be unstoppable with that weapon," He remarks, letting out a laugh.

"It's not funny," I mutter, but my lips curve upwards into a smile. It feels strange to smile in the Hunger Games.

I take a look at what Angelica and Beckett got. Angelica wasn't able to escape with anything, which she seems disappointed about, but Beckett managed to grab a full sack of supplies, as well as a sword. He rummages through the sack for a moment before flinging it back over his back and standing up.

"Come on," He says. "We should keep moving. I don't want to be anywhere near the Careers when they start hunting."

My legs still ache, but he makes a fair point, so I stand, and together, the three of us continue our trek through the jungle.

District 12: Erin Arden, Age 15

"Woah."

That's the only word that comes to my lips when I push aside a large leafy branch and seem to enter some sort of Hunger Games paradise. I hear Rois gasp beside me as I take in the sight. A large sunlit clearing is laid out before us. A small, sparkling pool lies in the center, and crystals of all colors surround it, glittering in the fading light. The call of exotic birds fills the scene, singing beautiful tunes, and all sorts of fruits hang down from the trees.

"I guess this is where we're stopping," Rois says. I can only nod in agreement. Silently, we unpack our supplies, still marveling at the scene before us. I find an empty bottle and a small container of iodine in my backpack and carry it over to the pool, filling it to the brim with clear water. After squeezing in some iodine, I set it aside and wait.

I realize suddenly that I'm sweating, and I glance at the pool. On an impulse, I leap into it, a smile crossing my lips as my body meets the cool water. It laps around me, going up to my chest. I dig my feet into the sand below me and let out a sigh. For being in the Hunger Games, things haven't been so bad.

I see Rois glance at me from where she's sitting. "You know, we should probably be working on building a shelter," She reminds me. I shrug.
"Come on," I urge, "Jump in. If we're going to die, we might as well spend our last few days on Earth to the fullest, right?"

I see Rois roll her eyes, but she complies, hitting the water with a splash. She grins and laughs, whipping out her hand and sending a flurry of droplets in my direction. I beam, and for a moment, I can forget about my impending doom in these deadly games.

District 2: Octavian Grimes, Age 18

I pace back and forth at the opening of the Cornucopia, my eyes landing on each Career member in turn.

"Eight deaths," I say, my voice low and threatening. "Eight deaths! We're supposed to be trained killers that strike fear into the hearts of the outliers, and we only managed to kill eight people?! That's ridiculous!" I whirl towards Nemo, who sits on a crate of food. "You! How many kills did you get in the bloodbath?" His face turns pale.

"None," He whispers so softly I almost can't hear him. I roll my eyes and turn to Blaze. "How about you, huh? How many people did you kill?" Blaze's eyes flit away from me, and I see him look terrified for a second before regaining his confidence. Before he can respond, however, another voice intervenes.

"Maybe you should stop blaming the low kill count on us. I saw you in the bloodbath. You only managed to get one kill, and it was that skinny ten boy that had just about given up on life anyway. I think you're just yelling at us to cover up the fact that you're not as strong and powerful as you made everyone think."

My head whips in Marine's direction, who's casually propped against the back of the Cornucopia, cleaning off the blood from a long knife. I feel rage bubble up in my stomach. Honestly, she has a point. I spent most of my time at the bloodbath trying to find the perfect weapon, and by the time I got my hands on a sword that felt right, almost everyone had already dispersed. To be quite truthful, I don't actually care all that much about the rather low death count. After all, it just means more fun later in the games. I'm only trying to keep on iron hold over my pack. I need my allies to know that I'm not someone they want to mess with. But Marine is completely ruining my plan. She's making me look weak, and that's the last thing I want. Quickly, I attempt to come up with a response and eventually resort to a lie.
"As a matter of fact, that wasn't the only kill I had," I retort. Marine's eyes glitter with amusement.

"Really?" She asks. "Who else did you kill, then?" I rapidly think back and remember spotting the District 6 boy lying dead on the ground.

"The boy from 6, Nathan," I respond. Marine smirks, and I hear Juno snicker in the background.

"Actually, I killed him," She tells me. Crap. I chew my lip, trying to think of some sort of remark to say back to her, but my mind goes blank, so instead, I promptly snatch up my sword.

"Come on," I say. "We're going hunting." I see Blaze and Ariana exchange glances.

"The bloodbath just ended," Blaze states after a small hesitation. "Don't you think we should take some time to rest and get orga-"

"We're going hunting!" I repeat. "I'm the leader here, remember? That means you take orders from me! Ariana, you stay here and guard the horn. Everyone else, come with me."

I hear some muttering from the Careers, but they follow my lead, which gives me a strange sense of satisfaction. They are part of my alliance. And they will do as I say.

District 9: Albin Ainsley, Age 15

The bloodbath raged around me as I searched desperately through the fray, my eyes frantically attempting to find the dirty blond hair of my ally. I finally spotted her about twenty feet away from me, and my face lit up in a smile- but before I could reach her, a scream escaped her lips. Horrified, my gaze landed on an arrow implanted in her back. Carlina fell to the ground, limp, and I rushed to her. As I ran, however, something long and thin scissored through the air, hitting me in the side and knocking me to the ground. I looked up, stunned, and to my horror saw the District 1 boy standing above me, his spear raised over my chest. My heart felt like it stopped beating. My entire body went stiff, and I could do nothing but lie on the ground and watch as the boy began to lower his weapon. Then he stopped. He spared a glance behind him before shouting, "Go! Run!"

I still don't understand why he saved me. He's a Career, after all; Careers are supposed to kill without hesitation. I suppose there have been times in past Hunger Games when kids from the Career districts have actually had a conscious and don't enjoy what they do; but they're very rare. I finger the silver ring on my finger, deep in thought. Then I sigh. Who cares why the 1 boy decided to spare me? I'm alive, and that's all that matters.

My mind turns to Carlina, and pain once again shoots through my heart. Despite only knowing her for a few days, Carlina was one of the closest friends I've ever had. I guess I always knew, deep down, that she was going to have to die for me to return home, but a part of me hoped that maybe, somehow, a rule would be altered and we'd both be able to win. But of course, that thought was ridiculous. The Capitol would never show that much mercy.

District 12: Beckett Roy, Age 17

My breath catches in my throat when I hear the growl.

I stop in my tracks, shushing Angelica and Cole, who are talking behind me. The growl comes again, a low, bloodcurdling noise that makes a shiver run down my spine. Slowly, I turn in a circle, searching for the source. And then I see it. Two gleaming black eyes glaring at me from behind a bush.

"Run," I whisper to Angelica and Cole. They look at me, frozen with fear. "RUN!" I repeat. They take off just as the creature pounces.

My feet are moving before my mind has time to catch up, carrying me after my allies. I'm a pretty fast runner, and it's not long before I pass them. I glance behind me and see that the animal, which appears to be a wolf, is quickly catching up to Angelica and Cole. I pause. I could help them, of course- my hand reaches for my sword instinctively- but if I'm going to live… well, they're going to have to die, right? I doubt they'd be able to take on the mutt; it would probably shred them to bits in a matter of seconds. It'd give me the time I need to get away. But they're my allies. I can't just leave them behind.

The wolf snaps at Cole's heels, and I make my move, leaping towards the monster and slashing at it with my sword. It whimpers as the blade makes a cut from it's ear to it's eye and backs away before running back into the wilderness. I breath a sigh of relief.

"That was close," Angelica says, laughing a bit. "Thanks, Beckett." I give a weak smile.

"No problem," I respond, and we begin to walk once again.

District 4: Nemo Fisher, Age 18

"Ouch!"

Gingerly, I pull the thorn out of my leg, wincing. "This is ridiculous," Blaze mutters, stepping over a bush. "We've been walking all day and haven't seen a single person. My feet are exhausted. We should turn back."

Juno and Marine give a muttered agreement, but Octavian continues to press onwards. I'm in the middle of a fantasy in which these horrible games didn't exist when I hear a noise.

The five of us pause. "Do you think it's a tribute?" Juno whispers.

"I'll go and investigate," I offer. I'm not keen on the idea of killing someone, but if I want to keep my spot in the pack then I'm going to have to prove myself to them. Slowly and carefully, I mske my way towards the noise, which is gradually getting louder. I push away aside a vine, and-

Wait.

Oh, God.

That's not a vine.

That's a snake.

I give a strangled yelp and jump backwards as the giant beast turns it's scaly head on me. The other Careers come running to me, then pause as well when they see the cause of my fear. The snake hisses, and I freeze. I blink, and it rushes forward.

I don't have time to move before it bites me in the arm. I scream and clutch the wound as Marine streaks forward, stabbing the reptile in the side repeatedly until it dies. She turns to me. "You okay?" She asks. I ignore the pain and stand up straight, forcing a nod.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I reply. I try and pretend not to notice that my arm is slowly turning into a sickly yellow shade.

District 3: Scorpius Herin, Age 16

My whole body hurts.

I've been walking all day, trying to put as much distance as possible between myself and the Careers. I'm exhausted, no matter how much I toss and turn in the bed of leaves I've made, I can't fall asleep out of fear.

I hear the anthem begin to blare and crawl out of the makeshift shelter I've made. The Capitol seal pops up first. Then Jessica pops on screen.

Jessica. Oh, no. I sit down, breathing deeply. Jessica and I were… complicated. I never really liked her- at least, not in the way that she liked me- but she was kind to me, and the closest person I've ever had to a friend. I find tears burning my face and hastily wipe them away.

The next tribute to show up is the girl from 5. So no Careers died. I'm not surprised, but it still makes my stomach lurch. The boy from 5 comes on as well. Then comes the boy from 6, the girl from 7, the boy from 8, and both from 10.

So eight people are dead. I let out a shaky breath. There are sixteen of us left in the arena.

They all have to die for me to live.

District 6: Livia Fleet, Age 15

I killed him.

I killed a human.

I killed Wyatt.

He will go home in a wooden box, now.

His family and friends will cry, now.

He will never be able to live the life he deserves, now.

Because of me.

I try to make excuses for myself. He was probably going to die at some point, anyways. He betrayed the alliance and tried to kill Alyxandra; I was only helping her out. He volunteered to go into these games, anyway; it was really his own fault he died so young. But I can't escape the guilt that's shooting through my body, plaguing my mind, threatening to take over completely and destroy me.

I feel myself beginning to tremble, tears running down my cheeks. Alyxandra notices and wraps her arms around me in a comforting hug, and I give her a grateful smile. We're sitting at the edge of a river, our shelter propped up against a tree, looking dangerously fragile and shaking whenever it's hit by a gust of wind. I realize that there's probably a camera on me right now, and so I look up to the sky. I figure an apology can't hurt. It'd help to ease the pain a bit, at least.

"Umm… Wyatt's family, if you can hear me right now, I'm… I'm really sorry about… what I did." My voice breaks and I feel more tears burning my eyes. But even though my body still aches, I feel just a little better than before.

I'm sorry about these POVs being so short, but I couldn't really write any more without it turning to absolute garbage. In day 2 and night 2, I'm going to be describing the games through Iris' POV. I'll see you later!