Titus Gein
I didn't grab anything at the Cornucopia. I just ran. When I finally stopped, I tried to find water. I knew I should go downhill, since that's where water flows, and I got lucky. I found a tiny spring coming out of the bottom of a cliff. The water was full of silt, but it didn't seem to have anything alive in it. I squished myself into a crack in the rocks and hardly moved until nightfall.
I spent a lot of time thinking about the faces in the sky. Addie was my District partner. I would have thought she'd outlive me. She was so bold. It hit me hard when Diggory and Chase showed up. I never saw Chase do anything but smile, and Diggory was really just a toddler. I knew there was no hope for Panem when they died. Ash had always seemed so angry. I hoped he found peace. I hardly knew Blaise and Rory, but I still missed them. I even felt bad about Hiyas. He came from a different world, and he killed himself trying to meet their standards.
There was a lot of time to think. Seven people were gone. There would never be anyone just like them ever again. Fourteen parents were burying their children. Fourteen beds were empty. I didn't know how many brothers and sisters were trying to be brave for their parents.
The stars stretched out before me like I could see to eternity. Was there eternity? Were twenty-three of us going to vanish, like we were never born? Even the Victor would die eventually. We weren't supposed to think about those things, only about what we could do for Panem. Panem wouldn't last forever, but eternity would.
What was it all for? The Capitol said it was so the Dark Days wouldn't happen again. I didn't think about it before, but I finally knew. These were the Dark Days.
Kerry Samosa
I didn't want to get between Ventrix and Hoban, not that I could have. Once we made camp, I started climbing. The Arena was made for me. I loved all its orange, sandy cliffs and towering spires. I passed from one to another, trying to find the very highest. When I did, I could see all the way to the Cornucopia. It was early in the morning, and the Careers were still in their sleeping bags. I ducked behind the rock and peeked around so they couldn't see me. I felt a thrill at being able to spy on them, and I knew my allies would be happy we could keep tabs on them.
I was careful to stay out of sight as I kept climbing. I knew I shouldn't be exerting myself, since water was limited, but I couldn't help it. In all likelihood I only had a few days left. I wanted to make the most of them.
I must have been twenty feet up when I found a narrow crevice in the rocks. I squeezed into it and in eventually flared out like a funnel. If the Careers didn't know where to look, they'd never find me in the tiny hollow. Only one person could fit, but it was like a fortress. It went on a little farther, but the tunnel was too small to squeeze into. But when I tried, on my hands and knees, my hand came away damp.
That got my attention. I stretched out on my belly and stuck my arm into the tunnel. My hand slid into a pool of cold water. I waved my arm around and discovered it was a circular puddle maybe two feet across and two inches deep.
I was out of the cave in record time. Ventrix and Hoban had to hear about this.
Electra Magneta
I was up bright and early to check our bag. Desiree followed and we huddled expectantly around the bush.
"We got like two teaspoons," Des said.
"How are we even going to drink that?" I said. The bag was slightly damp. There wasn't even a puddle at the bottom. Des carefully removed it and opened the bag. She swiped her finger on the condensation and licked it off.
"We're gonna need more bags," she said.
"Yeah, and we need them fast," I said. We tried to divide the drops equally and I stared at the sky. It was another clear, sunny day. I fiddled nervously with a rock while I calculated. I didn't know exactly how long we could go without water, but it had to be less than a week. All the Careers had to do was not move.
I couldn't believe it when I heard the parachute. I hadn't wanted to ask Acee for anything. I felt like I should have been able to make it myself. But it seemed even she wouldn't hold it against me if all I had was batteries and rocks.
"It's water!" Des cried triumphantly. I looked over the canister attached to the parachute. It looked like an alloy, but it was at least partially aluminum, which was a good conductor. I might be able to use it, or the string and the fabric parachute. The small dagger had more obvious uses.
"It's only half full," Des said, looking into the canteen.
"Can we use it like the bag?" I asked.
"No, it has to be clear," she said.
"Then we better drink carefully. And we should keep moving. We need more than this bush," I said. Acee bought us time. I had to take care of the rest.
Angelo Tempest
Secretly, I was happy I was wounded. My time in the Games Center changed my attitude a lot, and the Bloodbath sealed it. I did what I did with Diggory because I wanted it to be as easy as it could, but I'd never forget how innocent he was and the part I played in destroying that. I saw the Tributes fleeing in terror and I was what they were fleeing from. I volunteered in part so someone worse wouldn't get a chance. I couldn't become that something worse.
I'd made my choice. I didn't want to kill again. I was a healer, not a killer. The only exception was the other Careers. They were just like the bullies I'd dealt with in the past, and killing them would be like cutting out a tumor.
All the same, I was playing a dangerous game. I was valuable as a healer, but I'd be the target when the Careers broke up. I could slip into a more passive role by playing up my injury and volunteering to watch the camp while I "recovered", but I couldn't let them think I was too weak.
I'd gotten myself into a terrible mess. The Hunger Games were no place for someone who wanted to preserve life.