Tiffany Silk (18)- D1F

I wake early in the morning, just as the sun starts to rise. Dawn is just extending her pale fingers across the sky when I blink my eyes open, staring up at the sky. I sit up as if in a trace, the wild desire for blood on my tongue, guiding me to my feet. I draw my sword from its sheath, the sound of metal clanging against metal. It glints in the soft sunlight, a gentle breeze blowing a strand of blonde hair into my face. I raise the sword above my head, my gaze drawn to the figure laying beneath me.

He lies motionless, his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. So vulnerable like this, even though his own sword is right beside him. He may as well be a sleeping baby. I tighten my hold on my blade,raising it up higher and preparing to bring it down- but I can't. Hadrian rolls over in his sleep, his face wrinkled with some unpleasant dream. I wonder what he could be dreaming about that is worse than where we are.

I lower my sword, sighing deeply. I can't kill Hadrian just yet. Am I starting to lose my mind for even thinking such a thing? Killing an ally before it was time is what started the rivalry between Tiger and Hadrian in the first place. It's something that belongs with District Two, not One. We're more sophisticated than this.

I re-sheathe my sword, huffing out of my nose.

"Hadrian." I kick him gently in the side. "We need to get going. It's daylight."

I turn my attention to the large mountain that looms over us, casting its shadow over the arena in the faint morning light. It's going to take a long time to climb. We have the food and water to survive the journey, but Hadrian's leg will pose a problem.

Speaking of- he sits up and groans, stretching out his arms. He winces at the pain, shifting his back.

"How do you feel?" I ask, watching as a group of seabirds fly above us. They're heading inward. Strange.

"Better," he says, grunting as he stands up. The splint is still attached to his leg, helping him stay upright. When we climb the mountain, he'll have to prove his strength.

"Do you want breakfast?" he asks, digging through his bag. "We have apples, and oranges, and some power bars. We need to eat some of it before we climb, to lighten the load."

"Agreed."

We sit for a half hour or so, munching on fruit and protein bars to give us energy. We'll need it for the day to come. The mountain looks rather intimidating as it looks on at us silently. It will be our greatest enemy today, more than any tribute, even if we come upon one. It's taller than the one Tiger and I climbed, and will take a lot longer. We likely won't be back to the Cornucopia for a few days. One of of may never make it back at all. Or both.

I keep my eyes peeled for anything that moves, tributes or otherwise, as we move east. I don't see anything except birds, who are continuing to fly inland. Perhaps there's some kind of water source that we haven't found yet? Tributes could be there, waiting for us to find them and slit their throats. But right now, we have other enemies to attend to.

The sky quickly turns blue, the sun pressing down on us heavily. The Gamemakers are eager for us to get on with it, then. The tribute that was killed yesterday with nothing more than the little boy from Eleven, most likely a dehydration death. The audience will be getting bored by now. Even I can feel the restlessness in my bones.

As we near the base of the mountain, I scan the horizon. Several boulders surround the mountain, and might house hiding tributes. I can also see the entrance to the cave through which we chased the Eleven boy and Five girl. I can feel Hadrian eyeing it suspiciously. I imagine he doesn't have many fond memories of that day. Neither do I, sitting at his side, wondering if he would be able to walk, if Tiger would ever come back, unwilling to move in case we might have the chance of killing the girl.

That's when I see it: a strange arrangement of twigs and leaves at the entrance. I slow down momentarily, wondering if this is simply wishful thinking.

"We should check the cave," I announce.

Hadrian huffs. "Are you crazy? That place is like a maze. We'll never find anyone."

"Then they'll find us first."

Sebastian "Seb" Cassara (18)- D7M

I drift in and out of consciousness all night, the pain radiating from my arm almost unbearable. I can feel the poison throbbing through my veins, snaking its way all the way up my neck, pulsing in my ear. I can feel each breath drawing into my lungs with difficulty, my ribs rising and falling as I wonder which one will be my last. Surely one of them will be. I know enough about the Games to know that I likely won't make it through the night. The Gamemakers like to make their engineered deaths as horrible and painful and possible, and entertaining for the audience to watch, but dragging them out for too long ruins the fun. I'll be dead by morning.

Somehow, this piece of knowledge keeps me awake. I can't waste of my last moments on this earth without taking in every bit of it I can, even the pain. I stare at the moon most of the time, trying to memorize its shape; the way it shines on the gently rolling sea, and the way the stars twinkle. I'm glad I got to see the ocean before I died. I only wish Alexis could be here to see it with me. And little Benji. I'm glad I saved his life, even if it meant sacrificing my own. I can only hope the poor boy won't blame himself as he grows older.

And Tag. He mustn't blame himself either. He sits by me all through the night, occasionally helping me drink mouthfuls of water. I eventually have to deny the small sips that he tries to give me. We don't have much, and there's no telling if it's unsafe anyway. Tag will need it regardless. He's the one that's going to live through this, and survive us all.

I must have drifted into a restless sleep, for the next morning I blink my eyes open slowly, my mouth tasting gritty. The sunlight is bouncing off of the sands on the beach, nearly blinding me. I can nearly feel my own heart pumping painfully in my chest. My breaths drag into my chest like there is sand in the air. I can barely feel my arms and legs anymore.

"Seb, you're awake," I hear Tag whisper beside me, and his movement as he tries to help me sit up. "Are you hungry?"

"I don't know," I croak out. There's no use in eating, but I don't want to tell him that. "I can't tell."
"Well, you need food."

He tries to offer me a sip of water, which I accept, too weak to protest. Then he takes a slab of the poison cat's meat and cuts off a bite for me, bringing it up to my mouth. "I think the meat might help with the poison. That way anyone that manages to kill the mutts and prove themselves worthy might be able to live."

I raise my eyebrows. It's unlikely, considering that I've been eating cat's meat this whole time and it hasn't made a difference, but the sentiment is one that the audience might share. We did kill the creatures, after all.

"I doubt it," I say scratchily.

"Still." He nudges the meat toward my mouth. "You need sustenance."

"You need it more," I say. "Take it yourself."

"Seb…" I can hear the sorrow in Tag's voice. "You're not going to die. Just like I told you before."

"Tag-"
Just then, I hear something dreadful. Voices just outside the cave system are speaking, lowly enough that we can't make out the words, but the cave's walls echo them around, amplifying the voices. I see Tag's eyes widen fearfully as he grabs his knife, turning back to me.

"What do we do?" he asks in a whisper.

"Stay put unless they get closer," I answer, trying to gather my strength. If someone tries to kill Tag, I won't be able to protect him. Of all times we had to run into other tributes, it had to be this time that I'm too weak to do anything.

The voices gradually increase in volume until I'm sure that I'm sure that they must be moving toward us. I recognize the deep one as belonging to the brute from Two, the one who scored a ten and will certainly show us no mercy when he slaughters us. The other surely belongs to the girl from One, considering the girl from Four isn't with them and the other female Careers are dead, even Willow.

"We won't find anything in here," I hear the boy say grumpily. "We should be saving our strength."

"That's what we're doing," the girl says confidently. "If we make a kill here, we'll be able to save our strength another day before climbing the mountain."

I notice Tag grabbing for something inside his jacket pocket. "Stay down," he tells me. "Let me handle it."

"Don't fight if you don't have to," I hiss at him.

"It's too late," he says quietly.

Hadrian Cato (18)- D2M

I can't deny that I'm wary to enter the caves. I don't exactly have pleasant memories of them since the first time we explored them. As if warning me against it, my back starts to ache with each step, my ankle and knee rattling inside my flesh. "Even if we find anyone, they might not be as great a kill," I say, hating to hear my own unsurety in my voice.

"Wouldn't you like to kill anyone of our enemies? You vowed to kill all twenty-three of us, after all," Tiffany says, turning back to raise an eyebrow at me.

I grumble at her taunts, not willing to show my fear. Hopefully the Capitol isn't stupid enough to think that I really intended to kill every other tribute, or else I'll seem like a horrible disappointment to them. But my performance thus far has been disappointing regardless, so what do I know. I draw my sword, the edge glittering in the daylight, before I plunge into the darkness.

Tiffany and I stalk through each of the caves quietly, hoping against hope that we might be able to secure a kill so early in the morning. As we proceed through the darkness, following the dim rays of light that project on the ground from some distant opening. I know which opening that is; it's the one that I followed the Five girl through when she disappeared. I don't care how much Tiffany tries to shame me; I won't be going down that ledge again.

"What is that?" I follow the sound of Tiffany's voice as it echoes around the walls. I can barely see what she's referring to; a discarded coat of some kind of animal, still bloodied with flies buzzing around it.

"Looks like someone skinned their breakfast." Tiffany murmurs, drawing her balde with a loud clanging sound.

I grip my own sword tighter, peering around suspiciously. Perhaps she was right, and a tribute of decent chance is lurking around here somewhere. It could even be Nikki, our biggest rival in the sight of the audience.

Instead, we hear the quiet sound of feet pattering on the ground. An animal, like the slaughtered one?

"If you want me, come and get me!"

Nope, it's a small tribute, his wild purple hair easily recognizable as the little one from Eight. He scitters away before we can react, disappearing behind the rocks from which he sprung.

"Go!" Tiffany roars, slashing the air in front of her as she dashes forward. I follow her eagerly, the thirst for blood suddenly singing in my veins. The boy may be a small victory, but still a victory nonetheless.

I hurry after them, sword in hand. The boy's body is so small, my blade will slice him in half, innards spilled onto the ground for all to see. He scampers just ahead of us, quick enough to evade us for now. Tiffany is right on his heels, spitting insults at him, snarling with contempt. He turns the corner and we follow, only for me to nearly run into Tiffany's back.

"Little bastard disappeared!" she growls. "We're going to kill you, little boy! You and your lumberjack friend."

The mention of his ally makes me tense up, cautiously creeping forward. The Seven boy is still alive, the only ten-scorer aside from Nikki and I. What if this is a trap? The little one could be leading us to where his ally is lying in wait to chop us to bits.

"Be careful, Tiffany," I warn as she proceeds forward. She's isn't usually one to jump into things without thinking, but her bloodlust might be getting the best of her. "We don't know what their plan is."

"He's a foolish little boy and a reckless lumberjack," she snarls. "Let's cut their throats and be done with it."
A good plan, overall. I can hear running water from somewhere distant in the caves, and it drowns out any noise of a small tribute prancing around nearby. But he returns soon enough on his own, running straight past us and into the next cave.

Tiffany and I roar as we chase him vigorously, sweat beading on my forehead. I shake it out of my eyes as my feet beat on the ground in pursuit. The little fellow has balls, I'll give him that. Whatever his plan is, he certainly isn't afraid to take chances with it.

"Come back here!" I growl after him, my blood boiling. "You can't run forever!"

Tiffany and I are running at full speed when we turn the corner again, and the floor suddenly stops. I skid to a halt before I tumble over the edge of the cliff, but Tiffany slides right over, her hand grasping a rock jutting out of the ground.

"Hadrian!" she screams. "Help me!"

I don't think twice before grabbing her wrist and pulling her back up. She's surprisingly heavy for her size, made all of muscle, but I get her safely back to level ground, both of us panting. The boy is nowhere to be found. That clever prick.

"We have to get him before he runs off," I say lowly, standing with my sword raised. "Where are you, little rat? The cats are getting bored."

Tiffany wipes blood off of her hands onto her jacket as I creep forward. She spits onto the ground. "Hadrian, I lost my sword. It fell over the side."

"Then you better put your hand-to-hand combat training to real use."

Just as I creep into a passageway, a thin figure jumps out, slashing forward with something sharp that slices across my chest. A thin sheet of blood falls from the wound as I lunge forward into the darkness, roaring.

"Face me, coward!"

Spool Nylon (12)- D8M

I snigger to myself as the brutish boy from Two stalks forward, yelling with anger, his hand covering the scratch on his chest. I can't come out and meet you face to face, I say to myself. Or I'll die. I glance down at the little fang in my fist. I have to use whatever means are available to me to come out on top, and that usually amounts to ingenuity.

I turn tail before the boy can figure out where I am in the heart of the darkness. Truthfully, even I'm not sure of where I am anymore. The caves are an endless maze that are impossible to navigate. I have to find Seb as soon as possible so that we can get out of here, get down to the beach and as far from the Cornucopia as we can. With any luck, the boy I cut will be dripping with fever and poison just like Seb is right now.

I hear the shouting of the Careers as I flee, only able to hope that they aren't on my trail as I search for Seb in the maze. I finally find him lying in the sun, his eyes closed and his mouth open, groaning softly. The poison has spread through his arm and up through his neck and face, like a tree taking root.

"Seb," I whisper. I hurry over to him, kneeling at his side and shaking him gently. "Seb, it's time to go."

"Leave me," he groans, eyelids fluttering.

"No!" I try to pry him off the ground. His head lolls over my arm. "We're going to get out of here, and I'm going to make you better. Just like you said."

He makes a soft, "ugh" as I get him to his feet. His face is void of color, his eyes rolled back and lips completely pale. "You'll have to walk on your own," I tell him. He sways in place, then puts a hand on my shoulder and stops himself from falling.

"Come on."

We travel as fast as we can through the caves, but I can hear the footsteps of the Careers behind us, singing a children's song as if trying to lure me out.

"They'll follow us," Seb groans.

"They'll try," I grit through my teeth. He's heavy. I take his hand in mine and try to pull him forward. He stumbles beside me, slowly making progress. We emerge into the sunlight, trampling over each other's feet in our hurry. We follow the river, all the way down to where the waterfall flows over the cliff.

"I won't make it down," Seb says weakly. "Please just leave me, Tag."

"No!" I hiss, letting him fall to the ground. He coughs, either from the sickness or from the billows of dust I'm not sure. The Careers haven't emerged from the caves yet, so we have time. "You'll have to try," I say. "You have to try and climb down. Otherwise you'll die."

"I'm going to die anyway," Seb croaks out. "If they find me, they'll leave you alone."

"You're not going to die." I take his arms and pull him up again, nudging him toward the waterfall. "And neither and I."

"Oh, little boy! Where are you and your big friend?"

I gasp and look behind me, where the Career from Two has just exited the cave, looking back and forth for us. He smiles when he spots us, sauntering toward us. "There you are, little one."

"Leave us alone!" I scream, brandishing my fang in front of me. He killed Sock, I think, bristling despite my fear.

"That toothpick isn't going to help you, boy," he spits as his ally emerges from the darkness. She doesn't have a weapon in her hands, but he is carrying a huge broadsword that glitters in the blinding sunlight. He points it at us menacingly, speeding up. "What's wrong with your man? Not so strong now, is he?"

"Leave us alone," Seb groans loudly, impossibly.

"He speaks." he seems surprised. He raises his sword as he gets closer, only a few feet away now. "Not for long, I'm afraid."

I suddenly feel something tug on me, pulling me backward. Before I know it, I'm falling backward, the ground pulled out from underneath me. I scream as I fall backward, Seb a hard wall behind me. When we hit the ground, the wind is knocked out of me, but Seb's body takes most of the impact. Through the ringing in my ears, I can hear the girl from One hissing, "Get down there, Hadrian!"

He replies with a stout, "I will not!"

I cough as I roll over, off of Seb. "Seb…"

He's broken, I can tell. His eyes are unfocused, his body spreadeagled in the sand.

"Why did you do that, Seb?" I sob, holding his head in my hands. "You're hurt."

"It's my job to protect you," he murmurs, conscious after all. "That's all I ever wanted. Now get out of here."

"No, I won't leave you!"
Above us, I can hear the Careers bickering.

"Can you walk?" I ask Seb desperately, trying to drag him along. "We can get away."

"I can't," he mumbles, but slings his arm around my shoulder anyway as I pull him up. He gets to his feet soon enough. Maybe the damage wasn't as bad as I thought it was. The ground isn't too hard, cushioned by the sand. He's weak from the poison, and the impact has surely made it worse, but he's still here. He won't die.

We stumble along the beach as fast as we can, hoping against hope that the Careers won't be able to track us. Everytime I look back, I can't see them. Maybe they decided we weren't a threat. Or maybe they just didn't want to go through the effort of climbing down. The large one seemed afraid. Perhaps we'll make it after all.

Filly Marcoffe (18)- D10F

My feet are tired from walking for so long. I've been traversing up and down the mountain for the past two days, not straying far from my little shack or the beaten path that's laid out for me. The trees along the slopes are laden with ripe fruit, almost too good to be true. It's almost like the Gamemakers want me to stay here on the mountain, isolated from everyone else. Well, I won't complain. Last night, another cannon went off at sundown. It was the rebellious Eleven boy, probably killed by the Careers who are most likely still at large. I'm not climbing down this mountain while they're still alive. As long as I have the food I need, I won't be leaving.

Still, I've nearly run out of water, but I imagine my mentors will send me some more soon. District Ten hasn't had a victor in quite some time, and someone like me with a high training score and a secure hiding spot is like a miracle for the citizens watching back home. My mentors won't let me die of something as preventable as dehydration.

After midday, the sun really starts to get hot and I resolve to sit underneath a tree and watch the world carefully. I munch on a peach as I scan the horizon. I can't see the Cornucopia from here, but I can see the flow of the river moving north, the layers of sand blowing over the ground. It's beautiful in a sort of deadly way. I take another bite of my peach, the juice dribbling over my chin. I wipe it away and suck it off my fingers. The hot sun is making me feel a little woozy, but that could also be attributed to my lack of sleep. I've been avoiding sleeping due to the nightmares that keep plaguing me every night. It's always the same thing, but each time, it's somehow worse.I've been even more uneasy since reading about it in the diary. I've kept reading, but I feel more afraid every time the demon from the dream is mentioned.

I sit beneath the tree, eating my wares until I grow bored of watching nothing, and gather up the rest of my things for the journey back home. The sun is still hot, but lower in the sky, and a deep red color. The walk back up to the shack is sweaty and exhausting. The heat depletes all my energy much quicker than I would have wanted, especially now that my stomach is full. I'm drowsy and all I want to do is sleep, but I know that I won't be able to.

As I round the corner of the path, to where the shack is standing, I see a strange black figure just disappearing around the shack. A sudden thrill of dread fills me, my heart beating fast. It can't be… the creature from my dreams isn't real. It's just my mind playing tricks on me. I'm sleep deprived and slightly dehydrated.

Still, my heart doesn't quiet as I slowly creep forward, hand on my knife in my boot. My breath comes quickly, senses heightened. Could the creature- whatever it is- be hiding behind the shack? The dark sun illuminates the mountain as I tiptoe around the shack, trying not to make any noise. I see nothing, which both soothes my anxiety and heightens it. Perhaps I imagined it… or perhaps it is simply hiding from me, poised to pounce on me once I fall asleep.

I can tell I won't be sleeping at all tonight. I take my food and sit on the edge of the cliff, prepared to throw the demon over the side if it comes for me. I'm not ready to die tonight.

Nicolette "Nikki" Anderson (18)- D4F

The Careers haven't come for me yet. I have to say that I'm surprised. Tiger died a few days ago, probably in some sort of conflict that has prevented the remaining Careers from hunting. The only death since his was the boy from Eleven that I pierced with my trident. Perhaps Tiffany and Hadrian are weakened, easy for another tribute or even aan animal to kill. I suppose that would be good for me… but I can't help but hope that it isn't the case. I'm glad Tiger is dead; the image of him plunging his axe into Eryn's chest fills my nightmares. I hope he received an even worse fate.

But as for Tiffany, I want to kill her myself. Slit her throat and watch her drown in her own blood, or even better, draw it out until she's begging for death. She deserves it after what she did to Jason. She deserves the worst death imaginable.

It's all I think about: how I'm going to kill her. And Hadrian, too, if it comes to that. After that, I don't care what happens to me. I might as well be killed right after. My life as a victor wouldn't exactly be exciting or fulfilling. I have no one waiting for me back home except for my parents. What once drove me, the desire for my own life, doesn't any longer. Instead I only long for revenge.

But I know I won't get it soon. I've been walking ever since I killed that boy. I couldn't stay there, not after what happened. What I did.

So instead, I walk. I don't know where I'm going. Jason wanted to find the edge of the arena, where the force field surrounds us. He thought it would give us an edge, away from all of the other tributes and a way to watch our backs. We never made it, but I might as well try by myself. I'm headed the opposite direction that we were before, but I'll find it eventually. I can at least honor him in this way before I avenge his death.

I carry the boy's food with me, eating as I walk along. I don't feel the need to take breaks. My legs don't hurt, and honestly I don't really feel hungry. All I know is that I have to keep moving. The Careers evidently aren't on my tail, but where else would I go? I can't defeat Tiffany and Hadrian together, so the Cornucopia is out. And the other ten-scorer from Seven is still at large as well. My best bet is to get away from everyone else, like Jason said. Everything else is unimportant to me, even food or sleep.

When night falls, I rest for a few hours, but I don't sleep much. I have only my thoughts to keep me company, and they aren't very pleasant. I eventually decide to keep walking. I don't feel tired anyway. I stay alert as I walk; the Careers ambushed us while it was dark, when our defenses were down. It won't happen again.

I keep my trident up, sweating as the sun rises. A day without death. There hasn't been one in quite a while. But now that there are only six of us left, I can imagine there will be many more to come. The Capitolites will be placing even more bets on who will win, with higher stakes, the fans will be choosing their favorites, whose memory might live on for a few years in their minds, until a new favorite, dead tribute comes along. In District Four, the victors and trainees hoping to be in my position one day will be gathering at the training center to watch the Games and analyze the tributes' movements. I've spent many Games doing the exact same. I did it with my brother. Now my parents will be there, preaching about my mistakes and victories to the new children.

The Eleven boy's bread tastes good. It's fluffy and cooked with butter, probably not as nutritious as I would like, but food all the same. The boy's water is also clear and nourishing. District Eleven probably isn't happy about me killing their chance at a victor and stealing his food, but you can't please everyone.

As the sun rises again, I begin to sweat profusely. I try to drink more water to replenish what my body has lost in my long journey, but I eventually start to feel weak. My head feels woozy, so I stop for a few moments, cursing myself. I should have took a longer break at night, even tried to sleep, while no one could see me here in broad daylight.

I sit for an hour or so, then resolve to continue my trek. The mountain looms above me as I begin to walk, but then the air in front of me shimmers strangely. I stop, unsure, then slowly lean down to grab a handful of sand. I toss it in front of me and it bounces right back, the force field glittering where each granule touches it. I smile and sit back down, starting to draw a line in the sand that I shouldn't cross. Jason would be proud of me.

But just for this. Not for everything else that I've done, or the things I"m going to do.

Hadrian Cato (18)- D2M

"You have to figure out what's happening to me!" I wail, not caring that I sound like a petulant child. "We have to have medicine to help!"

Tiffany sighs as she rummages through her pack. She's still pissed at me for refusing to follow the boy and his ally. She's lost her weapon, we let our enemies slide away, and now I've been compromised. I was fine for an hour or so, during which I waited for Tiffany to return back from her pursuit of the enemies. But we had argued about it for too long; she wanted me to climb down and follow them, but I wasn't about to slip and fall again. So Tiffany said to give her my sword so that she could kill them, but I didn't want to be left alone without a weapon. By the time she convinced me to give it to her, they had already disappeared. And by the time she returned, the poison had already set in.

That has to be what it is; poison. The cut on my chest burned since the little boy gave it to me, but I attributed it to irritation, nothing more. But now the veins spreading from my chest are running black, pulsing with pain and infection. It's reach my heart soon, if it hasn't already. We tried walking through the night, but I've been getting weaker and weaker. We're nearly at the Cornucopia, but I simply can't go any farther.

"What about the medicine they sent you before?" Tiffany asks, sounding unaffected.

"That's for wounds, not poison," I say, my voice coming out smaller than I expected. "That boy did something to me. He was trying to be clever instead of facing me with a weapon, like a real tribute."

"Being a tribute involves intellect," Tiffany drones, giving me a pointed look.

"I didn't become your ally so that you can mock me!"

"Looks like you won't be my ally for much longer."

I surge upwards the best I can, reaching out to grab her. She pushes me away easily, drawing my own sword and placing it at my throat. I growl in anger, my chest pulsing painfully. My back protests as well, as does my knee. I'm broken, completely broken with no way to fix myself up again.

Tiffany moves the tip of the blade away from my neck, walking away. She doesn't care what happens to me. If I die, she's one step closer to winning. The poison had spread too far. We won't make it to the Cornucopia in time to look through our other medicines, and even if we did, I'm sure there's nothing there that would help me. The cut is too close to my heart. I'm unable to walk or fight. I'll be dead in hours.

I look up to the sky, hoping against hope that Celia and Cato will send me something, anything. They have to, they must! They wouldn't give up their chances at having a second victory in a row, a third victory in four years. They'll send me something.

But deep down, I know the truth. My mentors have already spent all the sponsor money on my other medicine kit, splints, food, a personal photograph. Even a Career tribute doesn't acquire enough sponsor money to send any more gifts than that.

I lay there, for minutes or for hours, I don't know. I reach into my pocket, bringing out my photograph of Bellona the cat. Cassius will have her to keep him company after I die. I can only hope he won't regret naming her after the woman who in some part is responsible for my death.

I try to lift my head up, but I'm too weak. I realize Tiffany isn't here; she's abandoned me, left me to die. I don't blame her. I've done nothing but bring shame to my district, my alliance. I feel a tear trace down my cheek as I grip the picture harder. My heart is beating slower in my chest.

I wonder if my brother will mourn me, or be disappointed in me.

Hello everyone! Long time, no see! I'm sorry about the long wait, school has been kicking my ass. But don't worry, the story isn't abandoned. I'm going to try to update quicker next time.

This chapter, we lost Hadrian.

6th: Hadrian Cato (18)- D2M. Created by foxfox12. Killed by Spool. Hadrian could have been a typical antagonist tribute, and he started out that way. But I wanted him to be something more, and I hope I've achieved that goal with him. He died alone and afraid, but he will be remembered by his family and friends in District Two. He was a ruthless killing machine, but was also capable of kindness and a true tribute. I'll miss writing him.

Please stay tuned for the next chapter, and leave a review!