*Lystra's POV! Also, people have been messaging me asking me about Totsie and Echo – Those are their names today, not back then. MESSAGE ME PLEASE, I AM BEGGING HERE! I AM ON MY KNEES!*

The rest of training that day passed uneventfully – Tanner and I spent lots of time at the non-violent stations, trying not to show off our skills, but still managing an 'acceptable' in whatever we could.

I was walking to my room, yawning, planning on freshening up for dinner and then going straight to bed. But that changed the moment that I saw the note beneath the door. It was stark white and perfectly folded. It seemed to pull me towards it, as if begging me to read it.

I slowly bent to take it, feeling uneasy. Was this unusual? We never saw anything like it on the television . . . I had the note in my hand. I looked around me, suddenly feeling secretive. Ducking into the room, I locked the door securely and sat down on the bed.

I took a deep breath and opened the note.

It said something to the likeness of the following:

Lystra Fay Gull,

I understand that Rayne has requested you as an ally. I myself have started an alliance into which Rayne has already joined. We are having a meeting on the rooftop tonight at midnight to get more people to join our alliance. I hope you will join us, for you would make a powerful ally, as well as a formidable foe.

However, Lystra, I must warn you that this is no ordinary alliance. I hope to make history by starting this alliance, for I know that no one has ever been as bold as to make one such as this before. I terribly hope you will join us, if only to put an end to your curiosity.

Also, for safety measures, I must also request that you do the following, whether you decide to join us tonight or now:

Do not tell anyone.

Burn this letter.

Respectfully Yours,

Mazie Skiprose

I read the letter several times before raising my eyes from the carefully printed writing, blinking several times as I considered Mazie's proposition.

Mazie's new alliance sounded . . . risky, and perhaps even illegal. 'no one has ever been as bold . . .' No, I definitely didn't like the sound of this – too many things could go wrong. Would this alliance go against the rules of the Hunger Games? If so, it would surely draw the attention of the President, and the people involved would most certainly be killed.

And I especially didn't like the part about meeting at midnight.

Emerald peeked her head in. "Time for dinner, Lystra!" I jumped, startled out of my trance. I blinked several times at Emerald before saying, "All right." Emerald disappeared from sight, but her words reverberated several times in my mind, leaving an echo.

I started to get up, setting the letter on the table, but my eyes fell on the last line: 'Burn this letter.' I hesitated. I didn't trust Mazie's new alliance, and instinctively wanted to go against their wishes. But . . .

I stuck the note in my pocket and entered the dining room quietly. They were all waiting for me – Tanner, Emerald, Kayton, Vincent, and Kao (Tanner's stylist).

"Hello," I addressed them all as a whole, detecting an odd note in my voice. Maybe not as cheerful as normal.

"Hello, Lystra," Kayton addressed me first, nodding to the seat across from her, beside Tanner. I took it, wringing my hands nervously because everyone seemed to want to talk. My first thought was of the letter, and my hand instinctively darted to my pocket. Had they read it before me?

"So," Kayton leaned forward "how was training?"

"Good," I replied, casting about for something to look at. Tanner grunted his agreement.

"Are you good at anything?" asked Kao

"Knives," I told the piece of bread I was buttering.

"Tanner, what about you?" Emerald pressed the ever-silent Tanner. I looked up at him briefly.

He shrugged. "I'm okay with tools."

"And allies?" Kayton demanded. It was quite clear that she cared about little else.

I tensed slightly, thinking again of the letter. Did Kayton know? Was she going to press me? Why was I being so secretive – obeying the letter without a second thought?

"Rayne," Tanner told Kayton when it was clear I wasn't going to speak. "Rayne wants to form an alliance."

Kayton smiled, seeming pleased. "Good." And she scooped a piece of chicken gracefully onto her plate, soon becoming lost in the food.

We ate more food than humans should, myself included. I was growing accustomed to this new diet. But my mind was not with the food, but in my pocket, with the letter.

Halfway through the meal, everyone was in deep conversation except me and Tanner, and I was finding the burden of the letter quite heavy indeed. Feeling the compelling need to tell someone, I nudged Tanner slightly.

Tanner raised his head from his stew, an eyebrow lifting silently. Just as silently, I took out the letter. His eyes widened suddenly and he thrust the letter back towards my pocket.

"Why didn't you burn it?" he hissed, glancing about him

"I – what?"

"I burned mine," he hissed, ever quieter "Why didn't you?"

"You got one?"

"Of course I – " but he stopped abruptly and returned to his stew. When I tried to engage him again, he swatted me off. I returned to my chicken.

I thought a lot during that meal, hardly speaking at all. But I decided something : I was not joining Mazie's alliance – there were too many risks. The end of the meal fast approaching, and my mind made up, I stood to excuse myself.

"Wait, Lystra," Kayton said. I sat down slowly, glancing at her suspiciously. Was she going to admit to reading the letter?"

"What about Mazie?" Kayton asked

I froze. "Mazie?"

Kayton nodded "Mazie Skiprose. Word is that she's looking for an alliance."

Word's right I thought, but I only said, "I'll look into it." Then I excused myself, walking towards my room.

"Lystra," A hand landed on my shoulder as I was opening my bedroom door. "Lystra, we need to talk."

I didn't turn to face Tanner, but allowed him to enter the room. Again feeling uneasy, I locked the door and sat in the recliner.

"Lystra, we need to talk about the letter."

I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of the leather against my skin. "I don't see what there is to talk about. We obviously wouldn't be attending the meeting."

I could almost feel Tanner's unease. "I disagree." He hesitated before continuing, "We need allies, Lystra. They're vital to our survival."

I didn't say anything for a long moment, because the boy had a point. I weighed my options again, and my mistrust in the alliance won out again. "We have each other, Tanner."

There was a long pause. "Well, I'm going to the meeting. I don't want to pass up something like this."

"You should – it's obviously not trustworthy."

Tanner pounded his face on the arm of his chair, and I slightly opened one eye, lazily.

"This isn't a game, Lystra!" he said in a deadly voice. "No matter what the Capitol thinks – it is no game. This is life and death. Either we die or we kill so we can live."

He paused, breathing hard. He was shaking all over in his rage. I raised an eyebrow slightly at him – where was this new Tanner been hiding?

But the Tanner I knew came back in an instant, and he was on the couch, his face in his hands, sobbing, and shaking harder than every.

"I don't want to kill them," his shaky voice was slightly muffled by his hands.

"Everyone must die," I commented, letting my eye drift closed, and relishing the feeling of the leather once more.

"I don't want to die!" Tanner uttered his little wail, and lifted his hands to look at me. "But I don't to be a killer."

His mourning, troubled voice awakened the same conflicting emotions inside of me. I felt pity, and hopelessness well up inside of me, and I sat up, opening my eyes, all thoughts leaving the leather.

"Neither do I," I whispered. I stared at Tanner for a moment, seeing only a small, brown-haired boy with red eyes. How could he be a killer? "but I have to . . . I can't know them, Tanner, it will only be more difficult . . ." I glanced into the mirror. There was a girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Her eyes were deep with sorrow and regret and pain. How could she be a killer? The girl on the balcony was a killer, but not the girl in the mirror.

"We should go to the meeting," Tanner lifted his face for a moment to say "if we are only going to rob them of their lives . . ." he sniffled and disappeared again. "it's the least . . ."

I considered his proposition. Pictures flashed through my mind : Rayne, Mazie, the siblings from 2, the girl from 8, Totsie, the girl from 10, Echo.

Of Tanner.

Of me.

I might be dead in a few days.

We all might be.

Didn't that unite us, while the Hunger Games continued to rip us apart?

"All right, Tanner," I slumped back onto my pillows, wondering what I was getting myself into. "We'll go."