Zinnia Fraser

Hoban needed some time, so Incy and I climbed up a cliff to see how far we could see and maybe set some traps. It was cool how she could set up rocks and balance them just right so they'd fall and snare whatever came by. Maybe soon we'd get to eat a rabbit or something.

"Maybe there's some water up here," Incy said. There were plenty of hollows and cracks in the rocks where it might gather.

"I hope so," I said. It was weird how far away the Bloodbath seemed. I just saw six children die, but it was like another world. I was worried about water and sleeping in the dark, but it was hard to remember the Careers were out there looking for us. It was probably just too much to process.

"What do you think we'll catch?" I asked.

"Maybe a prairie dog, but I guess not up here in the rocks. Maybe a lizard or a bird. Wrens and songbirds like to nest in the rocks," she said. I hoped we caught an ugly bird. It was selfish, but I'd feel better killing a vulture than a cute little chickadee.

"Think a rock would break if I dropped it from up here?" I asked. It was hard to tell how far up we were, but it seemed pretty high.

"I don't know," Incy said. So I picked up a fist-sized rock and dropped it. It didn't break, but it still made a big commotion.

"Hey!" Hoban yelled when it hit the ground. He leaped up and put up his fists, whirling around and looking for the intruders.

"It's okay!" I called down. "I, uh, knocked a rock loose. Sorry." Incy and I looked at each other guiltily. Maybe we shouldn't be startling people and making noise in the Hunger Games.

Valerie Lenn

It was good to be a Career. It got chilly when the sun went down, but we could have a cozy campfire without worrying. There was five gallons of water in the Cornucopia, which would hold us over until we found a better source. And naturally, there was plenty of food. The Gamemakers had style this year. Among the normal stuff like trail mix and jerky, there were a few other items. After we were done with the hot dogs, we brought out the marshmallows.

"You guys want to hear a scary story?" I asked as I watched my mallow turn golden.

"Is it about your face?" Careen asked. Karyssa snorted through her hand.

"Ha ha. No, it's way worse. A long time ago in Ten, there was this really creepy guy. He lived on a farm by himself, and he never talked to anyone. Nobody liked visiting him because his house always smelled terrible. They'd always stay outside and leave as soon as they could, because it was just so awful. His neighbors sometimes saw him dancing around in the yard in the middle of the night."

"Then this lady from the next town over went missing. Everyone suspected him right away, and her brother went to the man's house to ask about it. The weird thing is, the guy let him right in. Well he went inside and the smell almost made him puke. The man invited him into the living room and the brother noticed he had this horribly made leather couch with an ivory frame. When he got closer, he saw it wasn't that at all. It was made out of skin."

"Oh, ew!" Karyssa cried. Angelo went green. I wasn't even at the best part.

"The brother ran into the kitchen, because the guy said he had soup on, and he saw the guy stirring a pot with a human heart in it. After that, things got crazy. The brother ran out and brought back the Peacekeepers, and what they found is too horrible to list. There were bone cups and skin lampshades, and the guy's sister was in the barn, gutted like a deer. The worst thing they found was the skinsuit. The guy always wanted to be a girl. When the neighbors saw him dancing, they thought he was naked. He was covered in skin all right, but it wasn't his."

"What happened to him?" Theo asked.

"He was supposed to get executed, but he escaped on the last day. No one wanted to look for him, so they say he's still there," I said.

"I'm a Career, but that's vile," Careen said. I could tell we'd be sleeping with a flashlight on for at least one night. Someone would come up with a reason. Obviously it wasn't because a bunch of Careers were afraid of the dark.

Theo Kasius

Death never bothered me, but that was something else. That guy wasn't even in the Games. He was just sick. People like him made Careers look bad. I only killed people in the Games, and I made it quick. I didn't eat them or wear their skin like a nasty tuxedo. Valerie said they knew the guy killed three women, but he probably killed way more. Even the Gamemakers wouldn't like that guy.

It probably wasn't even true. Valerie was probably just mad she and Angelo had to stay behind for our first hunt. I told them we'd leave a few so they wouldn't miss everything. There were so many places to hide, we might not even find anyone.

And we might not have, if they weren't whispering. Karyssa tagged behind me as I crept closer to the noise. One of the girls saw me and screamed, but it was too late. I was too close to miss.

They weren't alone. Someone else ran out from behind the outcropping of rocks that let me sneak up to the girls and hit me from the side. The force knocked me down and I saw the girls running away. Karyssa threw her spear after them, but it was dark and she had no time to aim. I heard the spear clacking on the rocks. The boy battered at my face and chest. My axe was pinned against me, so I hit his nose with my elbow and shoved him off. I hit him in the chest with the axe and I knew it was fatal. He didn't die immediately, though, so I hit him again in the neck. It nearly decapitated him, and his cannon went off. The girls were gone, but we got the strongest of the alliance.

"Hey! They took my spear!" Karyssa said. She looked so indignant it was almost funny. Imagine a couple of girls taking their attempted murderer's spear. The very nerve.

Rory Harris

I didn't even think after I heard Zinnia scream. I had wanted to get home for Gwen, but that was over. Letting Zinnia and Incy die would only prove I didn't deserve to see her again. I knew she'd see what was happening, either now or in the morning when they replayed it. I hoped it wasn't too gory. I wanted to tell her I loved her, and that I didn't die because she wasn't enough. I loved her more than anything, but I had to do what was right. I wanted to be a good example for her. But I never, ever wanted her to live up to it.

18th place: Rory Harris- Axed by Theo

I thought about killing Rory in the Bloodbath, but I wanted to see more of him. His form noted if he died it would be for his allies, and it suited him perfectly. He had a huge heart. It tore him apart than Addie and Chase died, and losing Zinnia and Incy would have killed him. He loved enough to give up his life, and he showed that the best don't win the Games. Thanks Hollyhobbit for Rory. He was one of the noblest and kindest Tributes I've ever gotten.

Theo got two POVs so close because I thought it made sense to show the battle from the killer's and victim's perspectives. Since Karyssa uses a spear she wouldn't have gotten close enough to Zinnia and Incy for them to notice and scream.

Valerie told the story of Ed Gein, except she switched the time to post-Dark Days and it was the police who found him, not the woman's brother.

I didn't put sponsoring stuff up specifically but I usually go by reasonable requests. Everyone gets 10 points per Tribute and if all your Tributes die you become a rich Capitolite patron with 30 points. The only change to price is that in such a dry Arena, the Gamemakers upped the price for water. It is not 5 points for a day's worth. Meals are 5 points and they all count as a lean day's worth of calories, so they can be whatever you want. For everything else I mostly send by the honor system and I've never had people send way too much.