Heh, sorry, I've been kind of busy lately and so haven't been able to update in a little while. I'm back now, though, with a new chapter! I hope you enjoy this. :)

District 2: Octavian Grimes, Age 18

I wake up with a yawn, sitting up and stretching slowly. Outside the Cornucopia, the sky is still fairly dark, but it's beginning to turn pink and gold, signaling that morning is near. I get to my feet and rifle through our numerous supplies, looking for something to eat. After a moment, I find a can of refried beans and walk over to Nemo, who had guard duty. I lean against the wall of the Cornucopia, my eyes alert for any potential threats. I doubt any outlier would be brave or stupid enough to get close to the Cornucopia, but sometimes tributes get so desperate that they'll do anything if it gives them a chance of survival, so it's better to keep a firm watch.

"How's your arm?" I ask Nemo. "You think you'll be able to go out hunting today?"

"Nah," He says, shaking his head. "It still hurts too bad. Tomorrow, though, I should be good to go." I nod silently.

"So, was that whole story you told at the interviews true?" I ask Nemo. "You know, the stuff about your dad and brother?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Nemo replies. I glance at him and see he has a bit of a guilty look on his face. He shifts uncomfortably and quickly changes the subject. "Why'd you volunteer, anyway?"

"Oh, you know. Fame, glory, power, money, all of that." I smile. "I guess I like the thrill of it all, too. I mean, don't you think it's fun? Fighting, hunting down tributes, knowing that every breath you take could be your last… it just gives me a rush."

Nemo nods slowly. "Yeah, definitely," He says. He looks behind him to make sure everyone's still asleep, then whispers, "Listen. It seems as though the other Careers have been forming some inner cliques. I mean, it's obvious that Juno and Marine are really close, and I doubt the 1s would leave each other's side for a second. We're the only two who don't have a little group. So I was thinking… Once the pack inevitably breaks, we should, you know… stick together. Two Careers like us hunting down tributes would definitely help to dwindle down the competition quicker. What do you think?"

I consider this for a moment. I've always thought of Nemo to be one of the weaker Careers of the group, but I have to admit he has a point. If the group splits up, it'll be nice to have an ally at my side.

"Alright," I grin. "Deal."

District 11: Angelica Broome, Age 13

"I'm stuck!"

"Here, there's a little ridge to the left of your shoe, try putting your foot on that."

I glance down and see the spot Cole is talking about. Slowly, I reach out and place my foot on the edge of the ridge, easing my way down the cliff wall.

"You two are going to kill yourselves. You know that, right?" Beckett shouts from where he stands at the top of the cliff. I roll my eyes.

"We'll be fine," I shout back. "Don't be so negative."

"Your funeral," Beckett mutters, walking off.

Actually, I'm starting to become a little concerned that Beckett is right. This morning, we walked for a little while and came across a slanted wall of rock about 20 feet high that led into the pool of water we had discovered yesterday. It was Cole's idea to climb down the wall; his reasoning was that if we fell, we'd just land in the water and be fine. Before, the prospect of scaling the rock face sounded fun. But as it turns out, rock climbing is way harder than I thought it would be, and the prospect of falling is terrifying. I know what Cole said is probably true, but what if the water is too shallow? Or what if we drowned? I had taken a small lesson in swimming at the training center, so I would most likely be able to at least stay afloat, but the prospect still scared me.

It's too late to turn back now, though, and Cole and I keep going. My arms and legs are quivering dangerously, making me feel like I'm on fire.

We're a little more than halfway down the rock when my leg trembles so badly that it slips from where it rests on a slab of stone. My heart stops as I fall back, and I desperately reach out to grab onto something, but it's no use. I scream as I freefall through the air, feeling terrifyingly weightless. I hear Cole shout something at me, but I can't hear him through the wind in my ears.

And then my back slams into the cold water and I sink down into the pool. For a second, I just float there, stunned. Then I force myself to move, to swim upwards, and after a moment my head reaches the surface and I take in big, deep gulps of air.

"Angelica!" Cole yells. I give him a shaken smile and wave at him. Before I have time to react, he leaps into the water, landing with a huge splash beside me that sends water spraying into my face.

I peer down, trying to see Cole and make sure he's okay, when I suddenly feel two hands wrap around my ankles. I giggle and kick at my attacker, assuming it's just Cole messing around. The hands leave me, but then they grip my legs tighter than before, and I notice something- these hands don't belong to a human. They're scaly and webbed.

I feel a surge of panic and scream, "Beckett!" right before I'm dragged under the water.

District 12: Beckett Roy, Age 17

"Beckett!"
My eyes widen at the sound of Angelica's shout, and I watch with horror as she's pulled underwater. I glance around for Cole and don't see him- he must have been taken, too. Suddenly it's not Cole and Angelica I have to protect. It's Sasha. I can hear him crying in my head, begging me to help him, begging me to save him.

I don't stop to think. I simply leap off the edge of the cliff and plunge into the depths of the water below.

I hit the water hard and sink down, forcing my eyes open despite the way they sting. I draw my sword and whip my head from side to side, looking for Angelica and Cole. Where are they?

A chill runs over me when I feel a webbed hand on my shoulder, and I whirl around, swinging my sword. The water slows its movement, though, and the creature flits away from the blade, letting out a small, angry screech. I can see it quite clearly now- it's about three feet tall and has a vaguely humanoid shape, but it's body is covered in scales and it has fins decorating its face and arm, as well as a large horn on the center of its forehead.

I have to hurry. Angelica and- Cole are going to run out of oxygen pretty soon if I don't do something. I kick the little mutt in the head, and it flies backwards, dazed. With it taken care of, I turn my attention back to Angelica and Cole. My eyes land on two bodies thrashing in the water. There they are. Beneath my allies, I see a small crowd of the mutts grabbing at their legs and pulling them down farther into the pool.

I spring into action, propelling myself forward with my legs, and swing wildly at the pack. They scatter for the most part, but a few begin to target me, their beady little eyes glistening in the eerie glow of the water. I stab at them with my sword and hit one of them in the leg, and it screams before swimming away, its friends following it.

I grab Angelica and Cole and kick my feet, trying to get out of the water. It's slow work, though, and I can feel my strength beginning to wane…

Come on, you can do it. Do it for Sasha. Push though… Almost there…

My head breaks the surface, and I gasp for air, breathing heavily. I drag my allies to the sand beside the pool and drop them down before collapsing beside them, exhausted.

District 1: Blaze Hale, Age 17

Octavian and I tramp through the jungle together. The rain has picked up again, which is pretty annoying. It's been on and off again for a while now. I think the gamemakers are just trying to mess with us- they'll send it for some time, then turn it off; but then, when we're finally getting dry, they'll just send down some more.

"Come on, we have to walk quicker," Octavian tells me. "I want to find a tribute before Juno and Marine do." This morning, we split into three groups: Juno and Marine went one direction, Octavian and I went a different way, and Ariana and Nemo stayed behind to guard the horn. We decided to make it a competition- whichever group killed the most tributes were the winners. I would've preferred sticking with Ariana, but Octavian told me to come with him, and so I really didn't have a choice in the matter.

Octavian has been increasingly difficult to deal with in the games. When I first met him, he seemed… well, he still didn't seem like a pleasant person to be around, but he was at least a little more laid back and easygoing. Now he's done nothing but complain and try to prove that he's a better Career than Juno and Marine. I don't know why he's so obsessed with beating them, and it's sure to be the cause of his death eventually- I've overheard a few conversations from the two girls that discussed killing him. I'm beginning to get really worried- the tension has been growing quickly, and I doubt it'll be long before it explodes. So far, we've already come close to having a few fights. How long will it be before a battle really breaks out between us? I know one thing for sure: I don't want to be there when that happens. That's why I've been contemplating leaving.

I know that abandoning my allies will automatically place a target on my back, which is really the last thing I need right now. But if I stick around… I'm worried about what will happen to me then.

"Hey!" Octavian shouts. "Are you coming?" I realize that while I was so deep in thought, I had fallen behind him, and I quickly run to catch up. I hear Octavian give a groan of frustration. "I hope Juno and Marine aren't doing any better than us," He mutters.

Just then, a cannon fires.

District 4: Marine Gray, Age 16

I idly twist my knife over in my hands as Juno and I walk, looking for tributes. I didn't imagine myself making friends in the games- or ever, for that matter- but Juno and I have gotten along surprisingly well. We have a lot of similarities, which has helped us click during our time in the arena.

"Do you hear that?" Juno asks. My eyes shoot up, and I glance around. After a moment, my ears make out the sound of quiet footsteps that undoubtedly belongs to a tribute. I draw my knife into a ready position, grinning with excitement. I guess whoever the person is thinks that their best chance is to run, because the footsteps break into a wild run away from us. My head whips around at the noise and I see the District 7 boy sprinting as fast as he can in the opposite direction.

"I'll go after him!" I shout to Juno. "You cut him off from the side!" I don't wait for her to respond. I sprint after the boy, my legs tearing across the damp leaves and grass.

7 is quick, but I'm pretty fast too, and I can feel myself gaining on him slowly. The boy senses it too, because he slows to a halt and turns to face me. I almost laugh out loud. Who does this kid think he is?

7 swings his axe, and I leap out of the way. The motion causes him to stagger a little, and I move to stab him while he's distracted, but he regains his footing and tries to slice at me again, forcing me to duck. Maybe this boy will be harder to take out than I thought. It makes me smile; I love a good challenge.

The tribute once again comes at me with his axe, but I roll under the blade and pop to my feet in front of him. I move to stab him in the chest, but he staggers back away from me and I'm only able to hit him in the shoulder. Still, though, he cries out in pain, so at least I've done some damage.

I prepare to attack him again, but I don't get the chance. It's at this time that Juno chooses to make her entrance. The boy doesn't have time to react before her sword is sticking in his side. He inhales sharply as she rips out the blade before sliding to the ground. The boom of a cannon sounds soon afterwards.

Juno and I high five. Hah! Take that, Octavian! He was not going to be happy when we met back up at the Cornucopia tonight.

District 9 Male: Albin Ainsley, Age 15

Erin and I walk silently side-by-side. The rain has died down to a faint drizzle, which we use to fill up our water cantina. We've been looking for Scorpius all day, now, but so far we've had no luck. I'm beginning to think that it was stupid to try and find him. There have got to be a million hiding places in this jungle. For all we know, we've passed right over him without even noticing.

"Are we sure this is going to work?" I ask. Erin shrugs.

"No, not really. But we have to keep trying. Our allies deserve to be avenged. Besides, even if we don't find him, this is still kind of entertaining, right?"

Her words were vague, but the hidden message was clear- if we stopped looking for Scorpius, the Capitol would get bored of us and decide that they wanted us dead. As long as we kept going, though, as long as we had a purpose, the gamemakers wouldn't have a good reason to kill us off.

Erin is right, of course. But with each step I take, I become less and less hopeful that our plan will be a success.

I sigh, glancing down at the ring on my finger. Maybe this isn't going to work out. But at least Erin and I are trying to make a difference. That's what matters. We're fighting for what's right. I hope my family is proud of me back home for taking a stand. I can imagine them cheering me on at their TV, watching my every step with bated breath. The thought makes me smile. We might be a thousand miles apart, but my family is still out there, praying that I'll make it home to them. I have to win these games for them.

And if we take down the Careers, that would get me a little bit closer to home.

District 8: Alyxandra Lernan, Age 16

"Alright, are you ready for the next round?"

"Yep, let's do this thing."

"Alright. Three… two… one… go!"

I grab a nut from the small pile that's sitting beside me and launch it towards the backpack. It lands inside, and I grin to myself. Alright. That's one point. 19 more to go. Parallel to me, Livia is launching nuts at the backpack as fast as she can.

A little while ago, we found some nuts, and with nothing better to do, decided to make a game out of them. We set up our backpack and water bottle so that they were side-by-side. For the game, we both sit about eight feet apart from the supplies and try to throw the nuts into either the backpack, which is one point, or the water bottle, which is five points. The first person to get to 20 points wins. It's not super complicated or creative or anything, but it helps to pass the time, and it helps me forget, if only for a moment, the constant stress that's been building up on me during the games.

I chuck another nut at the backpack. Once again, it lands inside. This time, I aim for the water bottle, but my nut clatters off the side of it and falls to the ground.

The game goes on. I count the points to myself as I go. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 11! 12… 14… 17… 19…

I see Livia tense up, signaling that she's at 19 as well. We both reach for a nut at the same time and throw it towards the backpack. I hold my breath as mine soars through the air… and lands short of the pack. Livia's goes in.

Livia pumps her fist in the air, and I roll my eyes. "Whatever," I say. "We're playing again. And this time I'm going to beat you!"

Livia scoffs. "You wish. Okay, ready? Three… two… one… go!"

14 tributes are left in the arena!

15th Place: Verin Fleras- Stabbed in the side with a sword by Juno Armstrong, District 2 female

Verin, Verin, Verin. I think that he had a very neat backstory, but unfortunately, I didn't use it very often when I wrote about him. I guess I just never completely clicked with this guy. I did like him, but I think he faded into the background a little and so I decided to kill him off here. He was actually going to die in the bloodbath, but since he's pretty strong I figured that it would be more realistic to let him last longer. RIP Verin. You should never have been in these games in the first place.

Alright, next chapter will be Night 4! I'll see you then!