-Patrick: Day 6 of the Hunger Games-

"Patrick..."

Upon hearing my name, I began to scrape myself from the depths sleep: progress was slow. Below me, there was some inaudible noise and, again, someone mumbled out my name. I forced my eyes open. A muted assortment of foliage and branches replaced the blackness. In my sleepiness, I swayed, causing the branch beneath me to rumble. A little more carefully, I tipped over the side of the branch I had slept on, to see Evan twelve feet below me, rolling around in a sleeping bag.

"Patrick..." I don't think he's actually awake. Why the hell is he calling out my name in his sleep? "Patrick... Make me some pancakes." Of course.

Evan rolled over once again, now mumbling his words into the oblivion of the blanket. I sighed. After that, I guessed I wouldn't be getting back to sleep tonight.

Sleeping unprotected on the ground? There are like fifty ways that could end badly. That's why I choose to sleep in the safety of the trees. An underground cave system would be better, I suppose, but we have yet to find one of those yet.

A fat droplet of water plopped on my stomach. At least underground, the rain couldn't get us. While the canopy of this aspen did well to protect me against the rain, it won't last long: the storm grew in strength every breath. Between the storm and the darkness, I tried to gaze out into the rest of the forest, but failed at seeing anything: just a view like television static.

Yet my bat-like hearing allowed me to detect that which can't be seen. Speaking of, a few crunching steps alerted me to a new presence. I was about to descend from above, taking out the foreign assailant, but as he revealed his identity by speaking, I calmed down.

"Hey slut, if you don't get up I'm going to punch you." Yup, Chau.

Evan's voice changed from sleepy grogginess to full alert. "Um, why slut?"

Chau's footsteps quieted as he sat down. "What?"

"Slut."

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You just...I heard you..." Evan sighed. "Why do I even try anymore?" The two paused. In the absence of talking the rain seemed louder than before. More droplets pierced the tree line, plummeting on top of the two of them. "I'm obviously up now. What'd you need, Chau? And where's Katlyn?

"Isn't the rain great?" Chau exclaimed loudly.

Evan's voice dropped to a whisper. "Shhhhh! Where's Katlyn? I don't like it when someone's missing. And no, I don't think rain is so great.

Do they even remember that I am here? Forgotten again I suppose. Should I tell one of them or make a noise? Naw, if they forgot about me, then they don't deserve to know. They forget that I am the eyes and ears of the night. I am everywhere and nowhere. I am-

"Rain's great. You jelly." Chau jumped up and walked out of the protective canopy into the rain. "Katlyn says she heard something. She went to go check it out.

"Okay, if she doesn't return in a few minutes you get to go find her. Anyways, jealous of the rain? Yup, that has to be it. I'm actually a little nervous of it."

"Mmmmmmm...rain."

"Chau, pay attention. I'm trying to prove to myself that I'm smart. Don't you know rain symbolism?" Evan took a breath." There's a three options. One: it symbolizes tears in which case there is someone out there who is crying or we ourselves are to become really sad about something. Two: mass elimination and destruction. If this is true, then a lot of people are not going to be here by morning. Three: plain death, the blanket of death is going to drape across an individual." He released the breath.

I'm pretty sure Chau was spinning at this point. "Or it could just be rain."

"Humph...that's boring. Everything needs to be analyzed."

"Then, obviously you don't understand rain." Chau's wet clothes slapped together as he returned to the tree canopy.

Evan crossed his arms and slumped against the tree. "I don't understand you."

Chau's voice sank from his usually peppy tone. "I don't understand me either."

I was beginning to get a little nervous. Maybe, they did need a little privacy...

For once, Evan's voice sounded sympathetic. "Oh come on, Chau. You're you. How do you not know you?"

"I don't know me. I'm just me. I don't have to think about it." The rain beat deep down into the earth.

"Fine, I know you. You're always funny, smart (when you feel like it), weird (in the best way possible), you don't care what others think about you, you just do what makes you happy." He paused. "You're a good guy."

I swear I could hear the smallest smile out of Chau's voice. "If you say so."

"I know so." And then, Evan mumbled something I couldn't make out.

"Thank you."

Evan got up from the tree. "Um...anyways, why don't you go find Katlyn? She's been gone for a while now."

"Um, yeah. I'll be back in a few." Chau wandered off in the direction of the field.

I sorta felt like a creeper, listening to their whole conversation, but at this point I can't just stroll down there and claim I didn't hear anything. Something had to happen for me to justify making an appearance.

Unfortunately, something did happen.

While I contemplated my next actions, Evan sighed and stretched, leaning himself against the tree, head occasionally looking in the direction that Chau left. My attention devised between my own thoughts and listening to Evan mope, I didn't notice her until it was too late.

"Damn. Where is she?" The voice that spoke was too familiar; that voice sent a wave of fear from my neck, rippling down my spine. I slipped my knife from my utility belt.

Evan yelped out and began blubbering meaninglessly.

"I don't want to deal with you," below me the voice neared to my perch. "You're not worth my time."

I glanced downward from the branch. Wielding a pair of pointy knives, a small girl with bright red hair stepped forward: Rachel. Unlike our previous encounter, she was a mess; hair undone, body covered in dirt and mud, sharp smile forced. Yet, she still looked like she was all too eager to get started with the murder. Evan clattered there, unmoving as she advanced upon him. Idiot.

She took one more step, putting herself directly below me. Her smile grew. "Then again, maybe if I get you screaming, a real threat will come."

I slashed off the rope keeping me to branch, and her eyes shot up at me. "If you consider me a threat, I'll dropby."

I descended from the branch, launching myself between the two of them, slashing at Rachel as I went down. My weapon didn't find its target as she leapt away.

As she recovered, she glared up at me. "Really?"

I dove at her, jabbing wildly, but as she parried each blow, it became increasingly apparent my one blade couldn't stand against her two. With each strike, she grew closer to slicing something vital. Her knife shared her taste for blood.

And beside me, Evan hadn't moved; he simply stood there staring at us.

I sent a foot forward into her legs, collapsing her into the ground. With seconds to do so, I turned towards Evan.

"What are you doing? Run! Go get Katlyn and Chau." For a second, his face was blank. "Go!" I shouted. He shook his head, nodded, and scurried off.

"Fine, get the hell out of my way then." Rachel dragged herself from the ground, clutching her arm. Her bangs covered her eyes, cloaking them in shadows.

My ripped a slice through the air. "I'll protect my friends. Just try to get through me."

A grin grew on her face. "Bad choice of words."

I guess I always knew that I was going to die. From the very beginning, it was always in the back of my head. A side character that is ignored doesn't get to be the winner. But, if I am going to die, I'm going to do it protecting someone.

She grinned as I dove at her.

-Katlyn: Day 6 of the Hunger Games-

"Chau, I'm sure I heard something." Chau looked at me inquisitively. "Don't give me that look. I'm not crazy." The rain poured on both of us.

He raised his finger to respond, but his head turned to an incoming flurry of steps. He readied himself, and I pulled out my sword.

To our confusion, it was Evan who sprinted towards us. He tried to speak as he neared us.

Deep gasps interrupted his words. "Ra-...Ra-..."

I held his shoulder. "What?"

He pointed back to camp. "Rachel." A cannon shot broke the night like a thunderclap.

"Come on. We have to-"

Less than thirty feet from us stood the small form of a girl, rain drenched, but still smiling.

"There you are."