Majesty Holland, District 1

Neptune and I ran south, we ran as far south as possible. Fortunately, we seemed to have lost the beast and finally feel secure enough to set up camp.

It was pure luck, really, that the day we decided to leave the others is the day the Gamemakers send a mutt out to displace us. We're very lucky we had already packed our supplies before the attack. The monster destroyed the cornucopia, and most likely everything inside. It'll be hard to salvage anything from it. I can only hope it hurts Callista and Chaze in the long run.

We sit on the ground and take a look in our bag. We have one first aid kit, two loaves of bread, four apples, one sleeping bag, one full water bottle, and iodine. I smile. We should be okay.

"What do you think happened to the others?" Neptune asks me. I shrug. During our escape, we heard a cannon fire. It could have been anyone, honestly. We'll just have to wait and see who.

"Do you think they made it?" Neptune asks me. It takes me a moment to realize who "they" are. I nod.

"I would think so, but who knows. At least one of them made it." I shudder when I think about what the monster could have done to them, to anyone.

"Don't worry about it too much, it's one less competitor." I nod in agreement. I sigh and unwrap a loaf of bread. I take a bite and pass it to Neptune, who does not refuse it. We sit in silence for a long time, enjoying the food and enjoying the quiet. The sun sets on the arena, and the wind cools us down.

"What was life back home?" Neptune asks me out of the blue. I shrug.

"Could have been better." I say honestly. "Nothing compared to the life as other districts, though. I just wish my family was more understanding. They're the reason I'm here." I say quietly, worried this conversation will be broadcasted.

"What do you mean?" Neptune looks confused and I explain.

"My parents pressured me to volunteer. They both regret never volunteering and take it out on their children. It was just my luck I was the only boy." Neptune nods in agreement.

"I hate the games too." He says. Now I'm the confused one. I'm not the only person who feels this way?

"Yeah, I know, most people from Four don't say that. But I'm not like most people. I understand why the Capitol does it, but that doesn't make it right." He answers my questions before I even ask them.

"Huh, and I thought I was the only one who felt that way." I reply. He smiles at me and I smile back. For the moment, I try to push the unforgettable thought out of my head. Only one of us can come out alive.

Holden Hayes, District 5

I lay in the grass, watching the stars slowly form in the sky. Despite knowing its fake, another illusion created by the Gamemakers, there's something relaxing about it. For a moment, I can forget I will either leave here in a box, no longer alive, or a murderer. I haven't decided which is worse.

Layla stands in eyesight of me, standing guard. I sit up from my laying position, brushing the grass off of my body. I slowly stand up and join her.

She stares off into the distance, her hands crossed in front of her with her sharpened stick in her hands. She doesn't turn to look at me when I walk over to her. I can tell she's lost in thought, but that's about it. She's been more closed off than usual ever since we entered the arena. Most of that is fear, that's for certain. But I can't help but think there's more on her mind than that. I know I can't stop thinking about the kiss, what could have happened between us. What could still happen between us.

"Do you want to take a break?" I suggest, immediately wishing I had brought up what's been on my mind for a while. She doesn't move at my question, she stays fixated on that one spot in the distance. I sigh.

"Could we talk, about what happened?" This gets her attention and she turns to look me in the eyes. I think I see her face turn slightly red, but it's hard to tell in the darkness. She shakes her head and turns away again.

"There's nothing to talk about." She says in a whisper. I disagree. I put my hand on her shoulder and she turns to look at me again.

"We both know one of us isn't making it out here alive, we can't continue to hold back. This is our last chance to be honest with each other." Her eyes stare at mine.

"I….I don't know what you mean." She rushes her sentence out and tries to pull away, but I don't let her. I pull her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her body.

"I like you, Layla. I always have." I say with as much confidence as I can muster. She releases the grip on her weapon and puts her hand on my face. I lean in for a kiss and to my surprise she doesn't pull away. My heart flutters, excitement takes over. I pull back with a smile when the anthem begins to play. She takes this moment to pull away from me, but I still catch a glimpse of the smile on her face. We both turn to see the fallen.

I am shocked when the face of the boy from Two projects in the sky. I am suddenly filled with hope, hope that one of us can go home alive. With only three Careers left, we have a real chance of winning.

The last two faces to show are the cousins from Ten. My heart drops for them, but at least they are together. The anthem ends and silence fills the arena. Layla reaches her hand out and holds my hand tightly.

We can do this. We can win.

Rally Toyota, District 6

It's easy to say that I have been one of the luckier tributes in these Games. I have successfully avoided every Career attack, I have found a tiny pond to stay hydrated, and I successfully avoided both mutts that were sent through the arena. I sit by my pond, sipping water out of my bottle and eating some fresh berries I found on a nearby bush. Despite all of these fortunes, I have never felt lonelier. I think about back home, how I would spend my time painting or with Casey. There was never a time where I was alone for more than twenty four hours. I put my head in my lap, wishing my allies could have been as fortunate as I was. I feel tears form in my eyes and I wipe them away quickly. I hold my head back up, trying to blink away the water. I think about the irony of the whole situation. I'm alive, I'm well fed, well hydrated, no imminent threats, yet it's the loneliness that has broken me. I shake my head. I don't understand how we can continue to host these torturous Games, how we can sit aimlessly and do nothing to stop them. I think back to what began this whole tradition, the rebellion one hundred and one years ago. Maybe our ancestors were onto something. Maybe they saw the truths we are too scared to admit to ourselves.

Maybe something needs to change.

Not the most exciting chapter, but I enjoy developing the friendships that form in the Games.

Don't forget to review!