Last chapter before the arena! It seems like this story has gone by so fast. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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District 3: Miles McCarthy's POV

I suppose this is what the beginning of the end feels like. I feel like I have nowhere left to go, nothing left to think. I just know in the near future that it will be the end. Shiloh is the only thing now and getting her out alive is my only priority.

Yet, I still feel regrets. I don't think I regret entering. I think I regret giving up so quickly. I have decided my own fate, to die, but I feel like I don't want that as much as I think. Shiloh dying is hard to think about, but me dying is hard to mentally watch too. Will I sacrifice myself when the time comes?

I twist the knob on my bedroom door and find that it opens. I assumed the Capitol would lock us in on the last night as an extra precaution. I slip into the hall and tip-toe past my sister's door. I am almost past the creaky hallway when I collide with Bella.

"Can't sleep?" she asks while rubbing her nose. She smiles a sympathetic smile at me.

"I'm sorry for running into you," I mumble. I don't know why I find it so hard to talk to her. She went through what I will be going through to an extent. Maybe it is that she is still my age and she is supposed to be helping me get out alive. Maybe I feel bad about the fact I will be letting her down.

"I know what it feels like, the last night. I know it is almost impossible to sleep. I don't even think I did. I wish I could tell you it will get better, but..."

"It won't," I finish. "I kind of assumed it wouldn't. A good few of the kids will be gone by tomorrow. I wouldn't categorize that as better." She laughs at that, but it is a somber laugh. I see that look in her eye, the one all mentors get. It happens during interviews as well. She is having a flashback to her own Games.

"I guess I should give you a few last words of advice," Bella says as she comes back into focus. "I think you can get past the bloodbath with supplies, but don't take Shiloh in with you. Grab whatever you can and run. Find a place to hide. Don't fight unless you have to. Killing someone will change you more than you can ever imagine."

Her eyes cloud over again, but I doubt she is thinking of herself. She only killed one person last year and that was an accident. I don't have the same plan in mind, but I nod along. I need whatever she has to say.

"There is one last thing and this is the most important. Do not trust anyone. This game will turn anyone it a monster. People will lie, cheat, steal, and destroy just to live for one more game. I know. There will be villains and there will be heroes. But you will never know who is who until you're on the ground with a knife about to go into your chest. It is best not to look for the best in people because it will disappear the moment that gong sounds."

I gulp after she finishes. I know the Games are bad. Everyone knows they will bring out the worst in you. I just never heard someone say it so bluntly with so much truth to back it. "Thank you," I say softly. Bella does not say anything in response. Instead, she hugs me.

"Good luck, Miles," she whispers in my ear. My initial shock ends with that. I hug her back as well. I don't know if mentors are supposed to hug their tributes, but this is my last night anyway here anyway. I have nothing left to lose.

She pulls away slightly and looks into my eyes. I should have seen it coming, but I am still caught off guard when her lips touch mine. My mind yells at me to pull away, that I am getting in over my head now. But I don't. This is the beginning of the end. I might as well try to kiss the troubles away.

District 2: Ben Valencia's POV

"Is that the plan for sure?" Anna asks a bit restlessly. I thought she would be one to want everything laid out and perfect before she just jumps into it. I don't look into her eyes as I nod. I refuse to look into weaknesses.

"We get everything we need in the bloodbath and we take off. The Careers this year will be too scared to find us. We were the best of them anyhow. Their strongest player will be Marco, but he has too much ego to admit he has been betrayed. He will pretend we were never part of the pack and move on. Then we hold out until the number reach before double digits and we finish the game. It is a pretty simple plan."

"I have one suggestion," Anna says. I automatically plan a response to reject the idea. I despise people going against a plan or toying with it to make it to their liking. Plans amongst a group work for the group and should not be tailored to favor one person. "I want to add another person to our mix."

I don't respond right away. I want to hear who this addition would have been if I had been different and accepted. I feel her looking at me to ask who, but she seems to guess I won't talk until she tells me. "I want to add that boy from 11, Raze. He is strong and I think…"

"You never add things to perfect plan if you only think it will work. That is how things fall apart. Anyway, Raze is too much of a loner. He probably won't join on such short notice and if he did, he would bail when the going got tough. He seems like a decent guy, but not a decent ally," I explain.

"I was just…"

"Ruining the perfect balance I have created?"

"Trying to help. You can't do everything yourself, Ben. I know that truth hurts, but you have to learn that sometime," she snaps.

"It has been working for most of my life," I tell her in a cold tone. I work for myself. I thought I had made that clear. I don't respect people who rely on others. People our unreliable. I don't want to rely on Anna, even if she is my ally. I don't believe she will backstab me, but I don't want my life completely in her hands.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

I roll my eyes at her question. "If I hated you I would have teamed up with you," I say. "I do not hate you. I just hate people in general. They are arrogant and believe they are extremely clever. Logically, not everyone in this entire country can be clever…"

"Which means, logically, not everyone can be arrogant," Anna adds in to mock me. It is a fair counter-argument, so I chose to ignore it.

"As I was saying, not everybody can be clever, but most people think they are. People are unreliable because they only want what is best for themselves, not others. A person could be the nicest person in Panem, but if you throw them into the Hunger Games, they would fight for themselves."

"But that is exactly who you are!" she hisses with a large amount of contempt in her voice. I saw that comment coming after my little speech and I have an answer already mapped out.

"I never said I don't work for myself. But I work for myself because people are that way. If I can't rely on anybody, I must rely on myself. It is really simple if you think about it."

"Have you ever though that is how everyone else is?"

"That is just illogical," I tell her. I hear let out an angry sigh. I know she is one who wants to win everything she does so I know she is angry I beat her in our argument. So I don't poke the sleeping bear. Instead, I just say in a calm voice, "I don't want this to become another Career pack, okay."

Her response is not so calm and collected. "You are lucky you are a good fighter or else you would find another person fighting for herself and she would be fighting you."

Looks like I have made Anna an ally and a dangerous enemy. And logically, there is nothing I can do to fix it.

District 8: Todd Halder's POV

"So?" Sunday looks at me impatiently. She expects me to tell her all about the things I have found out about the Career pack. Though I hate telling people the whole truth, I need her to stay on my side for at least the first few days.

"The Career pack will be easier to destroy then we first thought. I overheard Anna and Ben talking about leaving the pack the first day. The other four don't stand a chance without 2's power behind them. So, I have a plan."

"Which is?" she asks, urging me to continue. I smile at how easy it is to string her along. I know I con people all the time, but this is just a little too simple. People will do anything to earn power and stay alive a little longer. Little does she know, but I have another ally on my side, for completely different purposes of course.

"We will wiggle our way into the pack. It won't be hard. They are looking for something to use for intimidation and to make kills for them so that they don't have to get their hands dirty to soon. We will provide that for them. We will also give them secrets to Anna and Ben's whereabouts. The boy from 1 will not let them just get away. They'll hunt them down and we will make all the kills."

"It sounds a bit risky," Sunday speculates. This throws me off guard. I thought she would eat the plan up immediately.

"How so?"

"The Careers don't let just anyone into the pack and certainly not on day one. It will be hard to get in. They might have blood on their hands after all and it will be ours. We need to think this through a bit more."

"I have done all the thinking for you, darling. I can be very persuasive when I want to be these people will be desperate. This is going to be simpler than you think. You are just over thinking this." This seems to tide her over. She nods at my explanation and even smirks slightly.

"I just have one question for you," she tells me. I make a small hand gesture for her to continue. "Why do you want to kill Anna?"

"Why do you?"

"The girl from District 2 killed my sister. I want to kill Anna and whatever happens after that just happens. Now answer my question." I could have guessed that was her reason behind killing Anna, but I don't want to get into my own. It might send Sunday way and that is not something I can have right now.

"It is a terrific tale. I might have to tell you sometime, but not now. Let us enjoy our last night together. I have been told I am a great kisser if that is something you would like to do." Even in the dim light, I see Sunday roll her eyes, but I also see a creeping blush. Another thing I see is dissatisfaction. She wants to know badly why I have stolen her kill. But that is just one thing that will keep her around.

I look out into the colorful night sky, lighted by the neon of the Capitol. It's a brightly lighted night. But it will be a red morning.

District 12 Victor: Storm Loret's POV

We don't talk. We are at the point where we don't need too. I never believed I could know someone so well as to being able to read their thoughts. I also never thought I would lose said person for a year and then not know what to say when she gives me another chance.

"This is where I first met Mimi, really met her as a person." That is the only thing that comes to my mind and I don't know why I would say it. This isn't Mimi standing next to me. It is Season and right now, I don't think I would give her up to have Mimi back. She looks at me for the first time and surprisingly doesn't look angry.

"Do you still really miss her?"

"I do miss her. You never forget the first person you really fall in love with. I think I have healed now after two years. I just feel I need to move on now. I have missed so many opportunities by mourning over her."

"It wouldn't have worked out for you two."

My head snaps in Season's direction with a clearly hurt look on my face, begging for an explanation. "Sorry, but it's true. She would have gone to District 1 and you to 12. You would see each other on the tour and here at the Games, but you would both have realized things about each other you didn't like. Your romance was a result of the Games. You used each other to take some of the pain away from what was happening to you. It was hollow love, not true love."

"Hollow love? What do you know about hollow love and true love?" My voice was harsh and cruel, but so was her evaluation of my and Mimi's romance. She has no idea how we felt about each other, none. However, I also feel like I am getting some of the real Season back. Still, the side she was giving me does not favor my feelings.

"I went through it too. I think I married my husband because I didn't want to be alone after what I had went through. I need someone to be there for me. That isn't me or at least it wasn't. I used someone like you and Mimi used each other. You need to stop pretending you were the exception to the rule. If Leif and Ever from last year made it out, they wouldn't have happened. I'm not saying it isn't love, it just isn't really real."

"Maybe it was that way for you, but it wasn't for me and Mimi."

"You knew her for a month, not a year. You didn't really know anything about her. I'm sure you didn't know she had an evil sister. I'm sure you didn't know her middle name or what she liked. I'm sorry, but this is the truth."

I start to argue again, but I silence myself. Season is making sense. It isn't sense I want to agree with, but it is pretty much true. I didn't know Mimi as well as I thought. I barely knew her at all. Was it hollow love? I don't ask Season that question though. I have another. "What does that make us?"

Season doesn't rush to respond, but thinks through her answer. "I wouldn't call what we have hollow love. I don't know what to call our relationship anymore. We were best friends, then we hated each other, and now we are somewhere in between."

"I don't know either," I admit. "I just know that I want to be with you again. I just don't know what relationship we can have now after everything."

"I need something Storm. I don't think I can just be your friend anymore. I don't think I can be your enemy or a distant acquaintance. I want there to be an us Storm. I don't know why, but I think that is the only thing we can be now."

"I…"

Third Person

The sun rises on the Capitol and streams into each tributes room. It is a beautiful sunrise, but it is wasted on the tributes. Today could very well be the day they die. The stylists come and wake them all and help them to the hovercraft. This is it.

This is the time for second guessing as the trackers are placed. The strategic ones rethink their plans while the weaker ones pray just live past the bloodbath and earn a shred a dignity. As the windows go black, the tributes wish the next light they will see won't be in an arena built for death.

The hovercraft arrives in the underground area and all the tributes go to their separate rooms. Breakfast is ready, but the tributes can barely digest it. They force themselves to. This will be their last good meal for a long time.

The packages from the Capitol our opened and out comes this year's arena outfit. And it is a surprise to all. The girls all have cocktail dresses completely with gloves and stockings. The boys have suits with ties. Each District has their own personal color that shows on the dresses and ties. It looks like they were all attending a Capitol party. Or maybe they were dressed for a date with death.

Finally, it is time. A few tributes give their stylists hugs good-bye, but many just board the plates that will take them to their destination. The plates all rise simultaneously and station themselves in the arena.

The light that shines in all the tributes' faces is not sunlight, but fluorescent light. The arena before them is a grand staircase that goes up to the left and right and ends in front of them. On the middle landing and the steps leading up to it are the supplies. The arena lurches slightly. The sound of water can be heard. The arena is a boat.

And so the sixty second begin.

Bliss crosses her fingers.

Marco eyes his perfect weapon.

Anna tries to catch Ben's eye.

Ben remains emotionless.

Shiloh lets out a small whimper.

Miles fears for the last time.

Camille hopes for the best.

Kantix says a silent prayer.

Katarina glances towards the ceiling.

Dexter keeps his teeth from chattering.

Cetera keeps her eyes on the prize.

Finn just holds his breath.

Sunday curls her fists.

Steam wishes to be anywhere, but here.

Kamira swallows hard.

Ian waits for the gong.

Almond dreams of winning.

Todd smirk grows a little wider.

Lyli tugs at her dress.

Raze calms his nerves.

Tawncy readies for the battle.

Arin hides any fear he has.

Vina tries not to look back.

Azrael bears his sharp teeth.

Astrid runs her final strategy.

Karter controls his urge to go before the time.

The gong sounds. The 78th Hunger Games have begun.

…

I hope you liked it! I think it turned out pretty well, but on to more important things.

Sponsoring and all the rules is on the forum under everything arena with arena outfits and layout information. The only thing you have to do now is either list yourself as a floating sponsor or what tribute you will sponsor exclusively. You can sponsor your own tribute, but if someone else is sponsoring them already, considering sponsoring another.

Here is the first Capitol Question of the Day: Who has the makings for the best villain?

Reviews are loved! Peace, Love, and All That Jazz.

-Emma