Well… it's been a while. To be perfectly honest, I have no excuse. I never even considered ditching this story, but I was losing some motivation for this particular chapter. When I'm so close to the end, I feel like I can't really try to get any chapters out of the way, even when I'm struggling with them, which is why it took so long.

I also reopened submissions for Feathers. My tribute list is mostly complete and to be honest, I'd be happy with my current selection of characters, but when I'm so close to the end of Rapids, I figured I might as well get in a few last-minute reservations. If you already submitted, your character will likely stay in the cast, but I just wanted to give more people the opportunity to submit before I don't get another chance.

This is unedited because I don't want to hold off any longer.

District 2

Glorian Stafford

"Gonzalo?" my breath catches in my throat as I look up at the boy leaning over me. A wave of his golden hair shines as he leans before me, cupping my face with one of his hands.

"Glorian."

"How are you here?" I ask in amazement, unable to look away from his eyes. He doesn't respond, he just continues to stare me in the eyes.

I'm awaken by a beeping sound.

Pain. My entire body is in pain, sharp, blinding pain as my broken body lays splayed across the floor of the cannon. I slowly open my eyes, groaning in pain at the simple movement. My tongue feels swollen and dry inside my mouth, and tastes a bit like blood. My breath comes out in rattling gasps that send bolts of pain through all of my limbs.

I just want it all to end. I want to feel at peace for once, and to no longer feel constant pain. Emotionally or physically. I'm sure just lying at the bottom of this cannon will eventually be the end of me. It's not like I can do anything else.

I close my eyes again, hoping I might somehow fall back asleep. Anything to get rid of this awful pain would be wonderful, but I can't imagine going to sleep in this much pain… even if I could, I probably wouldn't wake back up.

That wouldn't be too bad, I think.

A few seconds later, my eyes shoot back open, sending another jolt of pain through my body. The beeping noise… could that have been a sponsor gift? I look for the source of the noise, and there is indeed a package a few feet to my right. Rather than being uplifted by the sight of the package, a sense of despair fills me. The package is out of my reach - attempting to drag myself over to it would be a nightmare, and that's not even accounting for the fact that it's likely impossible.

I can't give up. I know that. I have people counting on me back home, and I must honor Gonzalo. He didn't give his life for me so I could die at the bottom of a canyon. If I die, I need to at least make it count. I must do whatever I can to win for him - otherwise, his sacrifice would have been meaningless.

My left arm is a mangled wreck, but my right arm is still intact. With teeth clenched and feeling as though I might pass out any moment, I grab a hold of the ground and begin pulling myself toward the package. I yelp in pain as I drag my broken body across the canyon floor, but I will myself not to give up. I can't.

Despite the short distance, it still takes me several minutes to reach the package. However, I don't relax even with the package in my hand. Shakily, I open the box and a small slip of paper flutters out. My grimy, blood-stained hand smudges the note when I grab it, but I can still read, even through tear-blurred vision.

This is some of the most high-tech medicine in the Capitol. Swallow all of them - it should take roughly 24 hours before you're good as new. The game is coming to a close; use this to get you home. - B.

I release the slip of paper and grab the only thing inside the box - a bottle of pills so small, I can wrap my entire hand around it. The cap is a bit tricky to open, since it's one of those impossible kid-proof ones, and I only have the use of one arm. Rather than struggling with it for a while, I simply break open the glass bottle with one of the many rocks scattered across the canyon floor.

I carefully pick up all of the pills scattered in the dust and swallow them immediately. They're a bit tough to swallow, since my mouth is so dry, but I manage. They're quite bitter and my mouth contorts as I attempt to choke them down. It's honestly one of the grossest things I've ever tasted, and between years on the streets of District 2 and my weeks in the arena, I've eaten some nasty things.

After a few minutes, my head begins to feel foggy and my limbs grow weak. I gently lower myself back onto the floor. I suppose this must be the medicine kicking in - either it has some sleep inducing drugs, or it's a powerful side effect. Either way, I'm falling asleep whether I like it or not. Considering that I'm fairly safe down here, I don't have many qualms about being drugged asleep. It's actually pretty nice.

I'm hoping that when I awaken, the pain will be gone and I can finally win these Games.

District 6

Axel Woodleigh

I watch as Lennox carefully divides the collection of berries into equal amounts. To be honest, I wouldn't be too picky about how many we each get, but she's counting one by one. It's pretty irritating, because at this point, my stomach is rumbling and I just want to eat.

I wipe another bead of sweat off my forehead. The Gamemakers have really cranked up the heat today. The sun's barely up and I'm already stifling. Not only that, but the dark clouds signal that it will rain fairly soon.

"Come on, Lennox, does it really matter?" I whine.

"Yes," she mutters, sending a quick glare at me. Honestly, Lennox hasn't really grown on me yet. Perhaps she'd be friendlier in less dire situations, but she's a tough ally to work with. She's quite independent and dislikes compromising; it's clear she's not accustomed to having an ally. She can also be quite stingy and paranoid. She doesn't trust me yet… not that she should.

I don't want to kill Lennox, but this far in the Games, it's a necessary evil. I want the Final 4 to come quick, so I can finally get the hell out of this arena. I was trying to avoid losing my morals, but… after Hadley and Tristana died, I promised myself I'd do whatever I could to survive. For them. I'll do whatever I can to make it out alive, even if it means killing.

"Here," Lennox finally says, passing me my small portion of berries. I mutter my thanks and quickly begin nibbling on them. I glance up for a second, and see that Lennox is leaning against a tree several feet from me, watching me suspiciously out of the corner of her eye. She doesn't look away, even when I catch her staring.

I miss Hadley. I miss Tristana. Hell, I even miss Glorian a bit. He was a good ally until I pushed him off the cliff… I still feel bad about it; I've had a knot of guilt in my stomach all night; but I can't say I regret it. It was for Hadley.

And even if it means killing others, I must do it. For Hadley.

Lennox turns around suddenly, looking into the jungle. The brief glimpse I get of her face shows fear; I'm guessing she heard something behind her, but there's so many noises in this forest, I've learned to not rely on them very much. With her attention directed at the jungle, I see my opportunity.

Taking a shaky breath, I grab a small rock from the ground. I no longer have my darts (I was forced to leave them at the feast) so I'll have to make do. I quietly rise to my feet, sneaking up behind Lennox. Thankfully, she doesn't notice me. I begin to raise my rock above her head…

Suddenly, something crashes against my skull.

"Ugh!" I groan, stumbling forward. The rock drops from my hand as I tenderly grasp the aching pain on the back of my head. My vision goes spotty, but I will myself to stay conscious. I look for the source of the pain and see a bronze-skinned man looming behind me. He holds a rock in his hand as well. His brown eyes are cold and determined as he raises the rock again.

I try to back up, but before I can, he swings the rock at my face.

Everything goes dark.

District 7

Vincent Elm

"Let me go!" I choke out as the tribe yanks me through the jungle. We've entered deep, and branches claw at my cheeks as I'm pulled through. They disarmed me a while ago, so I have nothing but my fists to try and attack them. I jab an elbow into the stomach of one of the men dragging me, and his grip slackens. I yank my arm free, but it's quickly grasped by someone else.

After several more minutes of being practically dragged along the jungle floor, we break through a wall of vines into a clearing. My overwhelmed brain takes a minute to process my surroundings, but when it does, my mouth drops open.

The clearing is one of the largest I've seen, roughly the same size of the one the Cornucopia is situated in. Except instead of the Cornucopia, a giant moss-covered statue stands in the center. It depicts a lanky, bearded man looking off into the distance. Around his feet are a number of lit braziers and several more people grouped around the outside.

Equally spread along the edge of the clearing are four more statues, each much smaller than the one in the center. The one closest to me is a sharp-featured woman holding what resembles a ruby… just like the one Tristana had. Scanning the rest of the statues I see that they hold an emerald, sapphire, and diamond, respectively.

The clearing, despite its size, is packed with people; a ridiculous number of people. Even if I had my sword, I wouldn't be able to have any chance of escaping. Most are armed with some sort of weapon, and all of the archers are aiming at me.

I'm dragged toward the very center of the clearing, the crowd automatically parting to make way for me. They're screaming things in a foreign language. When I reach the center, I'm thrown toward a brazier. I smack my head against the pedestal, which is a bit painful, but my attention is immediately taken by something else.

I'm not the only tribute. A few feet away from me are two more tributes crouched at the base of the statue, looking absolutely terrifying at the people surrounding us. One of them is the tiny boy from District Six (Axel, I remind myself). I'm surprised he survived so long - he's the only person remaining who isn't eighteen, which technically makes him the only child.

The other is the girl from District 3 - Tristana's killer. Immediately, I lunge at her. She gasps and tries to back up, but she doesn't have much space. I'm about to grab her when I feel a sharp pain in my upper thigh. I cry out and my legs buckle, forcing me to collapse. I look down and see an arrow lodged firmly into my leg. Only a bit of blood trickles along the outside, but I suspect it would be more if the arrow was not lodged in place.

Groaning in pain, I pull myself a bit away from Lennox in case she attempts to kill me while I'm weak; it seems like she won't, though - I found out the hard way that the people surrounding us do not want us to fight.

The crowd has been shouting things the entire time, but quickly falls silent. For some reason, the silence sparks dread in my heart. I look up for the source of the silence and notice that the crowd has parted once again; this time, for a tall, beautiful woman walking toward us. Her wavy hair fans out behind her as she approaches, and the crowd watches her in awe.

When she reaches us, she doesn't both looking at any of us tributes. Instead, she turns to face the crowd and in flawless English, begins to speak.

"These three have stolen our precious jewels. They are thieves who have caused a curse upon this jungle. We lost William's jewel a long time ago, which was terrible. And now the remaining three jewels have been taken. We have observed the children to the best of our ability and currently believe that the jewels lay with these three," the woman points at us. "I have been told that the girl has Annabelle's jewel…"

The woman is interrupted with screams of anger directed toward Lennox, who cowers with widening eyes. The woman waves her hand, and everyone falls silent again.

"The younger boy has Robert's jewel; and the older boy has Elinor's jewel."

"Huh?" I ask, confused. I don't have any jewels! What the hell am I doing here?

The woman walks over to us, wearing a smug look. She stops in front of me.

"Now; give me the ruby."

"What?" I ask, my voice squeaking. "I don't have a jewel!" The woman's smug expression grows cold at my words.

"Fine," she says simply. "I suppose we'll just have to take it from you."

At her words, several men leap from the crowd and grab me by my shirt.

"Should we start searching for him?" one of them asks in much less fluent English than the woman.

"Not quite yet," she responds, now making her way over to Lennox and Axel. "Will you two cooperate?"

"I don't have a jewel," Lennox says with a clenched jaw. The woman looks at Axel next. He refuses to meet her eyes, his jaw trembling.

"Do you have a jewel?" the woman questions, leaning closer to him. After a moment, he shakes his head. The woman looks furious. She turns back to the ground and opens her mouth to speak; however, she is interrupted by a beeping noise. "A gift!" she gasps, looking up in the sky in wonder.

Indeed, a sponsor gift is descending from the sky. For some reason, nobody moves as they watch the gift descend, and it lands in front of Lennox and Axel. It's quite large, and I see both a 3 and 6 stamped on the side, which rarely happens. Lennox and Axel eagerly open in, and they each pull something out.

Lennox has a giant shield and a very long, extremely sharp sword. Axel, on the other hand, holds some kind of contraption that doesn't look fully assembled.

The woman looks furious.

"Get them!" she shouts, and walks toward the pair. However, Lennox automatically swings the sword at the woman. The blade passes cleanly through her torso, easily splitting her in two. My mouth drops open as the woman falls to the ground in two parts. Lennox looks in shock at the blood-covered sword, but when a crowd of people begins charging at her, her expression hardens and she waves the sword threateningly. Everyone immediately stops in their tracks.

After Axel regains his thoughts, he immediately crouches down and begins putting his contraption together. It doesn't take long for it to take form, even with the arrows being shot at him (all of which are blocked by Lennox's shield). Eventually, I recognize it - a bomb.

When Axel has finally assembled it, he sets it down and he and Lennox begin running in the opposite direction. At the threat of Lennox's sword, the crowd parts for them and they escape without any opposition.

"Let me go!" I shout, trying to yank myself free of their grip. For some reason, none of them seem concerned about the bomb. "Why aren't you moving?" I demand. "That's a bomb!" They just look at me, confused. "There must only be a few more seconds on it!" I scream desperately, but the very few who know English must have no idea what I'm talking about.

Desperation kicking in, I slam my head back into the face of the man holding me. His grip slackens and I break free, running away from the group. They immediately begin to close in on me, in no way threatened by my weaponless self.

However, before any of them can get a hold of me, there's an ear-shattering bang and a bright light…

District 1

Cecelia Hart

A cannon fires for the first time since the feast, shocking me out of my half-meditative state. I realize with alarm that I've just been sitting against the tree for nearly two hours now, with almost no awareness of my surroundings - not a good thing to do in the middle of a fight to the death.

My throat feels dry, so I take a large gulp of water before standing back up. Immediately, I sink back down into the muddy floor. I honestly hate this portion of the arena. The only upside is that it seems to be mostly inhabited - I didn't encounter any danger yesterday, which was good. It's a bit sparse in terms of food supply, but this late into the games, that doesn't really matter. I suspect that by the end of tomorrow, I'll either be dead or on a hovercraft to the Capitol. I'm hoping for the latter, but I'll be in a better place either way.

I don't have much of a goal, to be quite honest. There's nothing for me to do but wander around aimlessly. I wish I could fall back asleep, but I'm not tired in the slightest. I could hunt down other tributes, but… that no longer feels okay. I'll kill someone in self-defense, but hunting someone doesn't feel right. I suppose none of this is.

Another bang echoes through the air. For a second, I think another cannon has fired. But I quickly dismiss that thought. It didn't sound like a cannon, it sounded like… a gunshot.

A second shot fires the air, and I spin in a circle to detect the source of the noise. It sounds fairly close, which is concerning. I bring out my sword in one hand and my gun in the other (I'm hoping I won't have to rely on long-distance, my aim isn't the best). I scan my surroundings, but I don't see anyone.

I'm about to sit back down and decide that the gun must be against someone else, when I see a man jump out from behind a tree. He aims a rifle at me and I barely get a chance to gasp and leap aside before he fires. The bullet flies past my right, only a few inches away from my arm.

I frantically grapple for my gun, attempting to aim at him. Before I can line up my shot, he fires again. The bullet's much closer, and skims my leg. It takes a second for me to feel the sharp pain, but when I do, I simply dig my fingernails into my palm and try to ignore it.

I run behind a tree (limping slightly) and allow myself to catch my breath before peeking behind it. The man, to my terror, has disappeared. Nervously, I scan the rest of my surroundings, but he's very sneaky.

What's going on? Is this guy a mutt? He was far too old to be a tribute -

I scream when he jumps out in front of me from God knows where. Much closer, I'm able to recognize him. Stony face, blond hair and cold blue eyes… it's my Dad.

No. It can't be him. It must be some Capitol-constructed muttation of him. Just like how that creature who attacked me a few days ago wasn't Noelani. I raise my sword, but I hesitate - I know it isn't him. And it isn't even like I love his true form. But it's still difficult to drive my sword down into his skull.

However, when he raises his gun again, I get over my reluctance and slam the blade down into his neck. He crumples down to the ground, only a thin stream of blood pulsing out of the wound. I pull out my sword before it can get lost in the mud. Sighing, I turn around and return to collect my supplies.

The Game is coming to a close. It's about time I get out of here.

District 3

Lennox Porter

Axel is asleep, perched against a tree. After we escaped from the tribe, we found a nice little meadow where he decided to rest. I'm keeping guard, but my mind keeps returning to the fact that we only have five people left in the arena - one more until I can go home to my Ada.

I've bitten my lip raw from indecision as my mind struggles with the internal debate; on one hand, I don't want Axel to die. He's only twelve and he seems like a nice kid. I don't want to stain my hands with any more blood. On the other hand, I need to make it home to my daughter. There's a chance I'll be the next person to die, and I have the opportunity to change that right now.

It's an awful choice, and not one that I want to make. I keep talking myself out of it, but I always end up talking myself right back into it. I feel like I'm going crazy.

Just do it, Lennox! my brain urges as I watch him sleep. There's a tuft of dark hair sticking up on one side of his head. I nervously unsheath my dagger and stare at the blade with a heavy heart. I have to make it home to Ada. I promised her I'd do whatever it took, even though she didn't fully understand what was happening. She's expecting me to come home, and my only goal should be to do just that. I can't worry about someone else's child when I have my own to protect.

With shaking hands, I crawl over to Axel. My dagger glints as I hold it up, the sharp tip only inches away from his neck.

It's very sudden. With a gasp, Axel's brown eyes flash open and something shiny flashes out of his pocket. My knife clatters to the ground before I can respond and I'm shoved backwards.

The shock doesn't allow me to feel it at first, but when I look down, the hilt of a dagger is sticking out of my stomach. I'm no doctor, but I know it's a fatal wound. I glance up at Axel, who is rocking back and forth with tears in his eyes.

"I," he croaks, then takes a moment to clear his throat. "I didn't want to."

"Neither did I," I tell him. I consider taking the dagger out, but decide to leave it in. After all, I'll probably be dead soon anyway. What does it matter?

My head's already growing fuzzy, so I scoot myself back so I'm propped up against a tree. Axel glances at me, but doesn't move. He looks unsure of what to do with himself. I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my stomach - the pain has finally arrived. I grimace, squeezing my eyes shut. When I open them back up, tears flow down my face.

"You can come over," I whisper to Axel. "I'd actually like that. I don't want to be alone."

Axel, though initially hesitant, crawls over to me.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his voice clogged with tears.

"It's okay," I tell him. "I started it, after all. Would you have killed me even if I didn't try to do it first?"

"Probably," he admits. "I knew you were planning on killing me - that's why I only pretending to sleep."

"You fooled me," I laugh. He smile crookedly, but there's no happiness in it. I take his hand in mine for some comfort. It's small and warm - like Ada's. "I do - did - everything I could for my daughter. She's the only family I have. And I'm the only one she has. I don't think she'll understand that I've died, but I hope she doesn't forget me. She's young; maybe one day, I'll just be a distance memory. Not her mother."

"She won't forget you," Axel says quietly.

"If you survive - which I hope you will - will you visit her? She won't be watching this, so… so I can't give her a message."

"What do you want to tell her?"

"I - I want to tell her that I love her. And one day… not soon, I hope - she'll see me again. And Devin. I don't really know what to say. Nothing can describe how much I love her and it's starting to get difficult to think."

"I'll tell her. If I make it out, I'll tell her."

"Thank you," I sigh, biting back tears once again. I don't want to leave her alone. I'm fine with the concept of death, but I just don't want to leave Ada alone. "You know what? I can't die. Screw this," I say, yanking the dagger out of my gut which only sends a jolt of pain through my stomach.

Though I grit my teeth at the pain, I use the tree to pull myself to my feet. Dark blood is pulsing out of my stomach quickly, and even when I clap my hand over it, it soaks between my fingers. But no, I'm not going to die. I can't.

"Lennox…" Axel whispers sadly, but I ignore him.

"Nope! Not dying!" I scream, my voice choked with tears.

I'm not dying. I can't. I'll go to the Cornucopia, and the next time somebody dies, I'll be picked up and saved by the Capitol. Yes, I could be saved. I'm not going to die.

"I can't leave Ada!" I shout at Axel. I stagger away from him, through the jungle as my abdomen protests painfully. I hold it tighter; even though it hurts, it's increasing my odds of survival. Increasing my odds of making it home to Ada.

My limbs begin to go weak and I fall against a nearby tree, crumpling to the ground.

"No…" I whisper, my eyelids growing heavy. "Ada…"

A cannon fires.

District 1

Trajan Seth

The wolf and I have an excellent view of the arena below. We've made our way to a convenient overlook, where we can stare down at the arena. It even comes equipped with a zipline leading directly into the Cornucopia, which will be perfect when morning comes. Morning won't be too long from now. The sky is pink, and I think it's already Day 16. The sun is rising, even though it's still hidden behind the trees in the distance.

"We'll be dead or out of here by the end of today," I whisper to the wolf, scratching his shaggy mane. "The end has come."

If you skipped ahead to view the eulogies… well, jokes are on you. The only way to find the deaths is by reading the chapter. I know, I'm evil :)

There will be a new poll as soon as I post the next Capitol chapter (which will have eulogies inside). That poll will be for the Victor, so be on the lookout for that. It will hopefully be up soon.

GEM CARRIERS:

Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)
Ruby - Nobody
Sapphire - Nobody

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)

DAY 8:

11th: Yael Harident (D11F)
10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)

DAY 9:

None.

DAY 10:

9th: Noelani King (D4F)

DAY 11:

None.

DAY 12:

None.

DAY 13:

8th: Tristana Rockett (D6F)
7th: Hadley Moreau (D9M)

DAY 14:

None.

DAY 15:

6th: ?
5th?

SOLO:

Cecelia
Trajan
Glorian
Lennox
Axel
Vincent

KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:

Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 3
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 1
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 1

- Lilah