With only 12 left, I decided to change the number of chapters to two per day. This is all of Day 7; I also just realized that I haven't posted a Day 7 poll yet, so that will be on my profile.

District 1

Trajan Seth

I had another nightmare last night. The face of Lucretius haunts me, as does the two children I killed - the boy from District 12 and the girl from District 8. It makes me feel upset inside… not like guilt. It can't be guilt. I don't feel guilty about murder. Maybe I'm just going crazy. I prefer that idea to the one where I could possibly be feeling empathy.

The tip of my spear has been scrubbed clean of blood, but it still reminds me of when I plunged it into the heart of the thirteen-year-old from District 8. No matter how much I try to admire myself for killing her, I can't manage to feel pride anymore. Why should I feel proud? She was a child, crippled by the time I got to her. Why should I feel proud of delivering the final blow? Maybe Lucretius had it right…

Cecelia sits up suddenly, awake from her slumber. She looks around, panicked when she realizes Noelani isn't here. She finally sees me, and glares, as if I did something to Noelani.

"Glorian took her hunting," I explain. For some reason, no insults come to mind. Even my sheep-wolf threats sound stupid when I play them over in my brain. I return to sharpening my spear, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Cecelia looking surprised at my silence.

"I'm surprised," she remarks. "No sheep or wolves?"

I glare at her.

"Do you want me to talk more about sheep or wolves?" I ask. She shakes her head and falls silent.

District 5

Dennis Fielder

The pair from District 1 sits inside of the Cornucopia, silently sharpening their weapons. I suppose they don't have much else to do.

I crouch behind a large plant, watching them through the leaves. I'm waiting for them to become distracted, so I can have the opportunity to run in and steal some food. As if on queue, the two of them and stand up and exit the Cornucopia. They walk over to a large fire pit where smoldering remains lay.

I watch as they both begin trying to start it, and I take this as my opportunity. If I wait any longer, they might decide only one of them needs to start the fire and the other will go back into the Cornucopia.

I carefully look both ways before racing toward the metal horn. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that they haven't seen me. My fortunate position allows their backs to face me, so I don't have to worry about them noticing me unless they happen to turn around. I skid to a stop at the mouth of the Cornucopia and begin sifting through the supplies.

Unfortunately, the Careers haven't gained much since the last time I was here. I was hoping they found a lot of food or were sponsored some great supplies, but it doesn't seem that way. However, this does give me the opportunity to take some of the things I didn't have space to carry last time, including more of their blankets. It will by no means benefit me greatly, but I'd like to see the Careers lose a decent chunk of their supplies.

I'm packing stuff into my bag when something slams against me from behind and I'm knocked into the ground.

"I got him!" a female shouts out. I curse, struggling to get to my feet. That means the girl from District 1 was the person who tackled me, which is slightly humiliating. She did take me by surprise, though, so it's not like it's my fault. I grab my satchel, but I'm yanked to my feet by a strong pair of hands - the boy from District 1.

"Look! He was trying to steal the supplies!" the boy shouts, holding me up by my collar. I'm tall, but so's the boy from District 1. I bring my elbow into his stomach, and he immediately drops me. I start to run out, but the girl slams her sword into my thigh.

"Agh!" I yell out, face-planting on the ground. This time, a boot is pressed hard into my back, keeping me pinned to the ground. My face is smashed into the dirt, so I can barely breathe.

"Here, you can have the honor of the kill," I hear the boy say.

"Why?" asks the girl suspiciously.

"I'm just being nice."

"Ha! That word isn't in your vocabulary. Why do you want me to kill him?"

"You've only had one kill, I've had two. We should make it even. It's fair."

"Since when do you care about what's fair? You kill him."

"I don't want to."

There's an awkward silence. I'm very glad the two Careers who caught me are the ones arguing about who has to kill me. It gives me a chance to flip over, grab the boy's leg, and knock him to the ground. I see the girl rushing toward me, but I jump to my feet and begin running back toward the jungle before she can jump on me again. I'm not getting knocked down by a girl for a second time.

I leap into the bushes, hiding behind them. The clearing with the Cornucopia is right next to me, but I'm not moving anymore. My leg aches painfully. As I peer through the leaves, I notice with relief that the District 1 pair is not chasing after me. The girl helps her District partner to his feet and they begin looking through my satchel with glee.

I curse, just now realizing I left my bag behind. It had a bunch of marvelous goodies, probably more than the Careers did. I can see them celebrating over the supplies as they look through it.

I may not have my supplies, but at least I have my life. After a week in the arena, it's beginning to become something I'm appreciating more and more.

District 9

Hadley Moreau

"Why do you want to cross the canyon again?" Axel asks as we trudge through the jungle.

"We need to be closer to the Cornucopia," I explain. "Half the tributes are gone, which means a feast will be announced soon. While I don't know if going would be the best idea, it's definitely important to have the opportunity to attend. Some years, it's required. Feast or death. I'd much sooner choose the former."

"It seems like a reach."

"You can never be too prepared in the Hunger Games. Besides, the Careers have dwindled down to four, so they're less of a threat."

"The four highest-scoring Careers," Axel reminds me. "One of them got an eleven!"

"I'm sure none got their score based on tracking ability. We just need to keep an eye open. It's unlikely we'll run into any. And as soon as the feast is over, we'll re-cross."

"Fine," Axel mutters.

The jungle ends suddenly, and I can see the canyon. I thought we'd need to walk further, but I suppose we've wandered closer to the canyon than I expected. There are no bridges in front of us, though, only the canyon. I walk out to the edge, Axel warning me to be careful, and look both ways for the rope bridge.

It's an unusually clear day in this arena, free of fog, so I'm able to spot the bridge some ways to our right. I wave Axel over, point it out to him, and we begin walking in that direction.

When we reach the bridge, I'm dismayed to see that the acid rain has frayed it a bit. The wooden planks have holes, and the rope is thin in some parts. It doesn't look very sturdy. It didn't look good in the first place, so it's pretty dangerous right now.

"Do you seriously want us to cross that?" Axel asks.

"Well, we will have to at some point. It will likely get worse the longer we wait, right? There might be more acid rain, or someone might break it."

"That someone might be us," Axel reasons. "Maybe there are more bridges - after all, the Gamemakers wouldn't want to divide tributes, would they?"

"I'm not taking any chances," I respond, and take a step onto the bridge. It creaks, but supports my weight.

"Hadley, this seems like a huge risk."

"I know, but we have to take it," I say. I take a few more steps until I'm completely above the canyon. Axel still hasn't stepped on. I know that no matter how much he hesitates, he will follow me. I walk forward a bit more, and wave him on. Hesitantly, he steps onto the ladder. It dips even lower with his added weight. My hands automatically tighten on the rough rope handles and I feel my stomach plummet, but it doesn't snap.

Noticing the fragility, Axel tries to step lightly as he hurries over to me. I walk forward a bit more, until we're half-way across. I look back, checking on Axel. He's fine, but he looks terrified. His face is sickly pale as he clutches the rails and gazes downward.

"Don't look down," I advise.

"I have to look at where I'm placing my feet!" he exclaims shrilly. My eyes wander away from his head and I notice something that strikes terror into my heart. Standing on the end of the canyon, from where we emerged, is the boy from District 7. He's staring at us, and he has a sword in hand.

"Axel, run," I whisper.

"Huh?"

"Run!" I shout, taking off down the bridge. I need to get to the other side before the boy decides to do something. I have an awful feeling he's planning on cutting the bridge's supports and send us flying into the canyon below.

My careless running is taking me across quickly, but about two thirds of the way across the bridge, one of the planks gives in. It breaks in two and I begin to fall downward. I gasp and reach out, grasping the ropes on either side. It's a good thing I did, because they're the only thing keeping me from falling. My legs dangle above the canyon without support. I'm trying to pull myself back up, but every time I look below, I get dizzy.

Suddenly, I feel someone pulling me upward. It's Axel. He can't carry my weight fully, but with his help, I manage to pull myself up and onto the next step.

Panting, I hold out my hand to help him across the gaping hole in the bridge. I glance back, and notice with horror that the boy from District 7 is holding his sword in the air, directly above the bridge. He brings it down onto the rope.

The whole bridge shakes, but the rope doesn't snap completely. It will only take a few more hits, though.

"Let's go!" I shout at Axel, and we continue rushing. Once again, I'm careless and I almost trip. But I don't. Axel does, though. He falls, almost taking me down with him.

Somehow, he doesn't break through the boards, but he does slow our pace. I pause to help him out, but I see District 7 hit the rope again. This time, it snaps.

One of the holds snaps, but there are three more ropes keeping the bridge in place. He moves onto the next. I yank Axel to his feet, and we begin running again. We're only a few feet away from safety…

With another snap, one of the lower ropes breaks and the board fall from underneath us. I hear Axel scream and my stomach leaps up to my throat. For a second, I'm in the air with nothing below me, and then I begin to drop.

My hand shoots out and grabs ahold of the final rope. It's the only thing between life and death right now. I look back at the boy, and he's getting ready to chop this one. Axel has also managed to grab onto the rope, and he's hanging on for dear life. I don't know what to do.

He brings his sword down and as if in slow motion, the rope breaks. Axel and I, still holding onto it, go swinging toward the rock face. We gain momentum as we swing forward, and my hair is pushed away from my face thanks to the wind. I hit the rock side with a hard impact, and the breath is knocked out of me.

"Uh!" I grunt, and automatically let go of the rope. I'm extremely lucky that there's a ledge only about a foot under me which I fall onto. It takes me a few seconds to figure out how to breathe again, but when I have, I'm faced with another issue.

"Axel?" I gasp, terrified.

"Hadley! Help!" a cry comes from underneath the ledge. I peek my head over the side and see Axel, who was hanging a bit lower on the rope, still clutching to it as he dangles above the canyon. He looks terrified. "I can't hold on much longer!" he cries. "I'm slipping!"

"Wait, hold on!" I shout. I try to grab the rope, but it's too far. The ledge doesn't extend that far, so I can't pull him up using that. I empty my backpack in a panic, searching for something I might use.

My lasso falls out, and I sob in relief.

"Axel, grab on!" I shout hoarsely, throwing one side down below. Axel grabs for it, and manages to get a firm grip. I begin to yank him up. It's a good thing I'm strong and he's light, because I just barely manage to get him onto the ledge. He's crying from his near-death experience. I hug him tightly. I notice with slight concern that his arm is bleeding through the bandage again, but that's not very important right now. At least we're alive.

I look up and see the boy from District 7 standing on the other end, watching us. I can't see his face from this distance, but I'm guessing he's not too happy. After a second, he walks back into the jungle.

District 4

Noelani King

I'm panicking. I'm trying not to let Glorian see, but I think he can sense my fear. I'm just terrified that something's going to happen to Cecelia. Glorian made me leave her alone with Trajan. They obviously hate each other, and there's no telling what Trajan may do if he's alone with her.

Or what Cecelia might do to him. Because she hates him just as much as he hates her, probably even more. I'm just very confident that any moment now, a cannon will ring out signaling one of their deaths.

Glorian's watching me out of the corner of his eye while we hike through the jungle. He knows I'm distracted.

"Everything okay?" he questions. I shrug.

"I'm just pretty confident that by the time we return to camp, either Cecelia or Trajan will be dead," I admit. Glorian chuckles lightly, which bothers me. "What?"

"There's nothing to worry about," he assures me. "Cecelia can beat Trajan in a fight. She'll be okay."

"Well, what if she kills him?"

"Are you seriously worrying for Trajan now?" Glorian raises an eyebrow.

"Not for him. But I know that if she kills him…"

"You think I'll kill her and avenge his death?" Glorian completes. "Or kick her out of the Careers?" I don't respond, but my silence says enough. "I wouldn't do that. I prefer you two to Trajan by far. And I trust you much more than I trust Trajan. I wouldn't ditch you guys, even if Cecelia killed Trajan. Don't worry - I'm loyal to you two."

Glorian looks ahead, smiling obliviously. I feel a spike of guilt in my chest. He has no clue Cecelia and I are planning on leaving any day now. In fact, we've decided that the moment we get an opportunity, we'll leave with all the supplies we can carry. But Glorian has no idea.

I'm pretty sure that Glorian trusts us a lot and is hoping the Career alliance will stick together until the end. But I know that Cecelia and I will disrupt that plan. There's no way Glorian and Trajan will stick together after we split off, so we'll pretty much be leaving him to fend for himself without any supplies.

I used to think he'd be fine by himself - he got an 11 after all. But after learning that 11 was from magic tricks? I'm not so sure he can function very well by himself. I have no doubt that Glorian has skill, but I no longer think of him as some invincible guy.

Glorian glances at me again. He must mistake my guilt as worry, because he wraps an arm around me in a comforting way and whispers, "everything's going to be alright," to me. "It's going to be the three of us to the end."

It's difficult to hide the grimace that emerges on my face after that statement, but Glorian's still clueless. The poor guy doesn't know what's coming.

District 11

Yael Harident

My head is aching like crazy. The voices ping-pong around inside of it, bouncing against my skull and driving me mad. I thought I could control them. I thought they were gone. But I was wrong.

It all started when we saw Arabella's picture in the sky. We were hoping she had just gone lost, but a tiny part of us knew that she was gone for good. While Tristana and I were mourning, Rachel made a remark about how the supplies were gone, and suggested that perhaps Arabella had tried ditching us and left the alliance. Then, Tristana got really upset. She argued that Arabella would never do such a thing, and it was an insult to her memory to suggest Arabella was anything but loyal to us.

They literally fought all night long, keeping me up. As I tried to sleep, I couldn't help but begin to hear voices. They started out quiet, but they grew stronger and stronger as time passed. Eventually, I managed to fall asleep. It was a momentary relief. When I awoke, the voices were screaming inside of my head. They wanted me to kill. To murder my allies.

Rachel and Tristana were fast asleep after a night of bickering, so they don't even notice when I sneak away. I'm worried I won't come back, but I don't want to be disloyal. I know that me leaving is what's best for our alliance, though - if I stay, I'll undoubtedly kill one of them.

I don't bother taking any supplies. I don't deserve them, and it's better if my allies keep them.

I also want to let go of my weapon, but my hands won't unlatch from the butt of the whip. My knuckles are practically white, they're clenched so tightly. I quickly give up trying to let go - I know it's futile.

It's only midday. That realization shocks me. But that time quickly passes because I wander around the jungle for hours, my skull nearly about to crack open. I've begun to realize that the only way to stop the pain - to get the voices to shut up, even if temporarily, is if I kill. I don't want to kill, but I feel like I won't be able to resist. I only hope I don't run into anyone else…

I stumble upon the canyon, where we've crossed the bridge many times. I drag myself to the edge and kneel on the rock. There's no fog today, so I can see straight down into the canyon. There's barely anything at the bottom - just rock and shrub. I don't think the Gamemakers expect any tribute to venture down there - if they do, they'll die on impact. I scoot myself closer to the edge.

Would it be easier if I just jumped right now? If I through myself off the edge? I don't want to hurt anyone. I've never wanted to. But the voices in my head tell me to, and it's difficult for me to resist. I want to be a good person, just like my family. My parents were always the most selfless, amazing people. And I wanted to be like them, but the nagging voice didn't allow me.

When I ran off into the woods, away from them, I knew I was breaking their hearts. They didn't know why their daughter suddenly separated herself from them, and didn't allow any contact. They didn't understand what they had done wrong.

But I couldn't tell them. They must be watching me right now. They can see me gradually losing my mind. How will they feel when they see me lose control? What will they think when they see the girl they raised become a monster?

I want to jump off the edge, into the canyon. I don't want to subject anyone to the voices… or me. Because they are a part of me, aren't they? Are they something separate… or is it just me? Am I the one who wants to kill? Or am I just being forced to? I don't know, but what could make it better? I still kill, and I still kill innocent people. Well, I haven't yet. But the urge is growing stronger.

My eyes drift and I notice two figures across the canyon. Nearly in the canyon. I can tell by the color of their jackets that it's Hadley and Axel. They must have gotten stuck on the ledge, because they're trying to scale back up. I'm so glad they're inaccessible because I know that if I had the option, the voices wouldn't hesitate to make me kill one or both of them. And I don't want to kill Hadley or Axel.

Or do I? Because the voice might have been me all along… So is it me who wants to kill Hadley and Axel?

I hope not.

It would be easier for everyone if I just threw myself down the canyon.

No innocent kids have to die. At least at my hands…

My parents don't have to see me become a monster...

I wouldn't have to kill. I'd die without innocent blood on my hands. I could die at peace, knowing that I wasn't a terrible monster. And even if I did scheme up terrible plans and had urges to kill innocent people, I never went through with them. I could finally be at peace.

I've made up my mind. The idea of ending everything right now seems so tempting, it's impossible to refuse. It benefits everyone. It could be my last chance to do something good. I move right to the end, at the point where my legs are hanging off. I grab the edges of the cliff, preparing to push myself off and into an eternity of peace…

Don't jump.

The voice stops me. I freeze. No! I almost did it! But now, I can't. Not when the voices are shouting at me not to. I can't resist them anymore, not even with the smallest things.

You haven't done what we've wanted yet. You have to kill. Plenty of tributes are nearby - it won't be hard to see them. And if you don't find any by nightfall, you always know where Tristana and Rachel are…

"No!" I shout aloud. I won't kill my allies… or former allies, possibly. I don't know whether I'll return or not. I hope not. Across the canyon, Hadley and Axel are staring at me with shock. They must have heard me yell out.

"Yael! A little help?" Hadley shouts, echoing across the canyon. My eyes widen. He wants me to pull him up… to what he thinks is safety. But I know if I have the opportunity, I will kill them.

"No…" I mutter under my breath. There's no way he can hear me, but I give him a clear hint of my response by standing up and walking back into the jungle. He must be a bit confused, but I can't worry about that now. It doesn't matter if he thinks me rude… he doesn't know that I just saved him… from myself.

The voices begin to shout even louder in my head. It nearly drowns everything else out. I can no longer hear the constant bug chirping or the wind blowing through plants. All I can hear are the voices in my head ordering me to kill.

I come to a halt the second I stumble across a campsite. There's a crudely constructed shelter directly next to an even larger firepit. Ash and burnt logs lay inside of it, but there are no remains of whatever the owner was cooking. I suppose they ate all of it. I can't blame them - in the Hunger Games, there are no leftovers.

At first, I'm pleased. Nobody's home. Nobody's inside the shelter, or seemingly anywhere nearby.

But when I turn around, there's someone standing behind me. A tall, scarred guy with one eye messed up. The boy from District 5, Dennis Fielder, doesn't look well. He looks surprised to see me. He's holding a group of rats by the tail in one hand (dinner, likely) and a dagger in the other. After the initial shock fades, his surprise turns into a grin and he leaps at me with surprising agility.

The voices tell me to kill him. I breathe a sigh of relief. I know that this guy will undoubtedly kill me first. While I'm slightly afraid to die at his hands, at least I won't have killed anyone first. My conscience can be at rest.

I only have a whip. He has a dagger. He's much larger than me, even though I wouldn't call myself small. To my delight (and obviously his) the odds are stacked against me.

Until I realize he's injured. He limps a bit, and then I notice a tear and fresh bloodstain on his leg. His thigh has recently been injured, and that puts him at a disadvantage. I'm still in fairly good health, so when he lunges at me, I can sidestep. When the voice commands me to snap the whip against his injured leg, he can't move.

The leather strap hits the injury with a sickening crack. It wraps around his thigh before falling loose. He yells out and drops to his knees in pain. The dagger he was carrying hits the ground at my feet, and I have no control over myself when I pick it up and approach him.

He's not going down without a fight, though. When I'm about to slice his throat (quite unwillingly, I may add) he jumps toward me and knocks me to the ground. My ankle gets caught at an awkward ankle and when he violently slams his entire weight down on me, it snaps loudly and a flash of pain runs up my leg. I yell out, and his smile reappears.

Don't just lay there you fucking idiot, stab him!

I still have the dagger. I sit up, jamming the blade into his stomach.

The fight, where everything was happening at a pace so fast I could barely understand what was happening, suddenly slows. Time begins to crawl. Dennis's face is one of absolute shock. He looks down at the dagger handle sticking out of his stomach, shocked. He's still kneeling over me, so when he slumps down, he's still partially on top of me.

"I didn't think…" he begins, but doesn't finish his sentences. He looks at me, no rage left in his expression, and opens his mouth as if to say something, but closes it. He grabs the handle of the dagger, but doesn't remove it from his stomach. He considers it for a moment, then lays back and closes his eyes. He breathes out one final breath, and…

BOOM!

The moment the cannon fires, something snaps in me.

I can no longer hear the voices, but I don't feel peace. I feel completely empty. As if when the voices left, so did the rest of me.

I killed someone… I killed someone… I killed someone…

Playing on a loop in my brain is… I killed someone… I killed someone… I killed someone…

I guess I am a monster after all.

District 3

Lennox Porter

Welcome lucky tribute,

You've discovered one of the three gems placed around the arena. This jewel could save your life - with this, you can survive the Hunger Games without having to win.

It is possible that four tributes survive this year; one victor and three survivors.

However, you must make it to the final five to be able to escape. If you're in possession of the jewel by then, go to the Cornucopia. There, you will be rescued via hovercraft and will be taken home. You won't receive glory or wealth or even a place in the Victor's Village, but you will live. You'll go back to your old life as though you never were in the Hunger Games.

If you're with an ally, be very careful who you select to take the jewel. It can not be transferred between tributes. The first person to touch it is the only one who can use it to escape… with one exception. If you kill the current possessor of the jewel, then you will be the new owner.

May the odds be ever in your favor!

I finish reading the plaque, and by now, I have a giant smile on my face. All pain is forgotten. Because as I grab the glowing sapphire with my good hand, I know one thing.

My chances of seeing Ada again just grew greatly.

I chose not to write about Lennox actually going through the temple to find the jewel because I had already described the process about three times (the girls, the boys, and Cecelia and Glorian) so I didn't think it was necessary to talk about the traps.

I just want to clarify this - Dennis did NOT eat Arabella. He joked about it a few times, and he probably wouldn't have had anything against it, but he liked the idea for the emotional torment it would have on others. He'd like scaring Arabella by assuring her that he'd consume her body after she died. He had no actual urge to eat human flesh and wasn't starving. He also knew he'd face consequences if he participated in cannibalism since that's one of the only things frowned upon by the Capitol. The hovercraft picked up her burnt body. Obviously, this doesn't make him any less evil, but I just wanted to clarify that in case some of you suspected it and it grossed you out.

GEM CARRIERS:

Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)
Ruby - Rachel Ivy (D12F)
Sapphire - Lennox Porter (D3F)

DAY 1:

24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)

DAY 2:

None.

DAY 3:

16th: Linen Baird (D8F)

DAY 4:

15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)

DAY 5:

None.

DAY 6:

13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)

DAY 7:

12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)

ALLIANCES:

Cecelia/Trajan/Glorian/Noelani
Tristana/Yael?/Rachel
Axel/Hadley

SOLO:

Lennox
Vincent
Yael?

KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:

Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2
Glitter Monique (D2F) - 1
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0
Noelani King (D4F) - 0
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1
Yael Harident (D11F) - 1
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1

- Lilah