Day 16

Kendrick Everborn POV:

"Attention, attention all tributes, this year to show the mercy of The Capitol, there will be no feast, this will be the only announcement," Acacia and I turned to each other and smiled. The feast announcement was good news for us, it meant we didn't have to move.

"We might have a chance," Acacia said with a smile, drawing patterns in the ground with a stick. I gave a small nod and stood up, walking out of our shelter and heading into the woods to go mushroom hunting. The air was dry, there didn't seem to be even a hint of moisture as I breathed in the hot humid air.

The early morning sun covered the arena in an orange tint, the sky, or what I could see of it through the dead, dried up leaves, was beautiful.

I followed the river until I came across some tall, skinny mushrooms. I knelt down, pulling out a wild plant identification book I had been sponsored and searched for it. It took a few moments but I soon found the one I was looking for. It was Enoki and I was happy to read it was edible. I started to pick them, placing them in the basket our food came in. Suddenly, an arrow cut through the air and struck me in the side.

I screamed and fell sideways, making sure not to pull the arrow out, the booklet in the first aid kit taught me that could kill me. I looked up to see Atlas walking out of the bushes towards me, readying another arrow. The closer the I was, the less likely he was to shoot me.

I stumbled to my feet and charged at the blonde male, holding my dagger out towards him. His eyes widened as he rushed to get his arrow ready. When I was close enough, I took my knife and thrust it into his stomach, he moved at the last moment and missed. He tried to move backward to get some distance to shoot his arrow but I charged at him again, this time, hitting him in the stomach. He growled, swatting me away when I went to pull it out. I raised my leg to kick him when something hot burned across the back on my foot. I would have turned to see who it was but my leg gave away from under me. Only then, did the pain hit. I turned my head to see Lavina, holding a sword and looking at me with anger. I glanced down to my foot and started to cry, she had cut my Achilles tendon.

"Shoot him," she growled but Atlas just shook his head, clearly in pain.

"No," he snapped, kicking me over. I started to weep as he loomed over me and pulled the arrow free. I screamed as blood started to flow on the forest floor. The two walked off, Lavina helping Atlas walk but I hadn't given him a deadly wound, he wouldn't be walking otherwise.

I followed them for what felt like hours, leaving a blood trail as I did so. I didn't care, though, I just needed to get back to my supplies.

When I approached our shelter, there was a bloody trail from the entrance that was no longer hidden. A hovercraft hummed above as I crawled faster, dragging my body along until I could peek my head inside. I started to cry at the sight.

The inside was splattered with blood, more than I thought a human body could hold. Lodged in the bark were multiple arrows along with other ones that covered the floor. She was gone. I had failed.

Acacia Quinn POV:

I was reading a booklet on gunshot wounds when something started to move the branches that hid the entrance to my shelter.

"Kendrick?" I asked, there was silence until the face of a blue-eyed female appeared at the entrance. I screamed, leaning over and grabbing my dagger as her face was replaced with that of a male.

"It's the kid from Six...we should leave her, she will die anyway," a female voice sighed. The male pulled away and vanished.

"You don't like killing kids do you?" he snapped, the female didn't answer. "Sorry, we have to kill her, it's too close to the end to leave loose ends," he said in a softer tone. There was so much silence that I thought they were gone until the final branch was pulled away and the female from one poked her head in.

I screamed and lunged at her, she tried to dodge it but the knife still cut her cheek. She screamed and stumbled back. I watched as the male ran over to her, worry on his face.

"I'll kill her," he growled, turning around and place an arrow in his bow and firing it. It twisted through the air and hit me in my arm. I screamed but he fired another one, this one hit me in my stomach. He kept firing them, some hitting me and some hitting my shelter. He couldn't see what he was firing at but there wasn't a problem there. I was trapped, all I could do was allow him to keep firing. He stopped for a moment, the female tried to crawl back in and attempted to stab me in the head. I swung my knife at her neck and she became angered.

"I am trying to make the pain stop," she snapped before stabbing me in the eye and ending the pain, just like she said she would.

Finley Magik POV:

I was used to the hot weather, back in Nine, it is always humid. If anything, it made me feel like I was at home. I climbed a small sapling that was just big enough to support my weight and bathed in the midday rays.

Bug was gone but I was trying my best not to think about it. He was my family and would have been a great addition to my gang back home. They would have loved him and I am sure they cheered him on as much as I did. If I was going to die, I wanted him to go home. I didn't like anyone else so I guessed I had to win.

Since I got into the arena, everything I had done, I wondered about my mother. She loved me, the only blood relative that did other than my aunt who only showed herself to me during my goodbyes. I kept wondering that if she was in an arena like this, would she have made it back home? If she had won, she could have raised me, not the streets. And she would never have to worry about my deadbeat father ever again, as a victor, she would have had everything she needed. I also sometimes wondered how I could have been so bad as a baby that my biological family would abandon me. It was fine, though, they would all get a taste of their own medicine when I won.

My father would be the first one, I would make him wish he never left me alone and looked after me and my mother. I would also help Rixos get his revenge too. His father deserved to pay.

With the money I got for winning this thing, my adopted family would never have to live on the streets again. We could all live a life of luxury and play pranks on the people of the District, knowing we were above the law. I could be District Nine's firstvictor and all I needed to do was outlast a few more people. Nothing could stop me now.

Finch Maylor POV:

I read the letter from my brothers over and over again as I ate the grapes. The handwriting was so bad that I could only just make out what it said. However, even if it was just scribbles on a page, it was a sponsor gift from my brothers and that meant the world to me.

Dear Finch,

Just as we promised, we have stayed out of trouble. Only because when you get back, we don't have to work ever again and get all the grapes we can eat.

We are all missing you, mom cries for you every night but me and Topa know you will be back soon. You might not be the strongest but you are the bravest and the kindest. The Capitol has to let you win.

Love, Luca and Topa.

The letter made me cry and want to be home. I wanted to greet them after all this was over with a large basket of grapes so, for the first time in their life, they could enjoy the fruits they worked with every day without being beaten for it.

They would never have to worry about getting into trouble, no one would ever hurt them, not when their sister was a victor. I would never have to worry about where our next meal was coming from. I lost my freedom as a victor but my family earned so much more.

The smell of burning interrupted me as I sniffed the air. I was sure someone had started a fire to cook something until Ezra and Ashton burst through the bushes. They paid me no mind as they ran past. I stood up and looked behind me and my stomach dropped.

Everything was on fire. The whole forest was burning and any tribute it reached would too.

FINAL SEVEN! What are your predictions for the placings and victor? If you have any. And what do you think to the fire?

Thank you PaintingMusic14 for Acacia.

Acacia Quinn-Stabbed in the head by Lavina Zephyrus

Acacia was a sweet girl but she could have never won. She stayed alive this long because I enjoyed her dynamics with Kendrick. However, as we at the final seven now, everyone left all have a chance at being victor. Acacia was too sweet and too timid to ever pull out a victory. R.I.P Acacia, you were sweet and will be greatly missed by everyone who was close to you.

Also, Finch was sponsored grapes and the note. It is not her submitters fault she missed it, I do update fast.