Everyone, IMPORTANT NOTICE. I have a pole up on my profile asking you who should win these Games. I want to know your thoughts on this because I'm not even sure who I want to win. So, the voters will influence the story. So . . . go vote!

Also, cried writing this. I really did. Several times.

*Totsie Griffensong's POV*

I felt my sister's pain and happiness as we began to walk again – many, many hours later. We had slept the whole day in the trees (it was sunset), stripping the trees of berries. We were all still pretty thirsty, though, but Echo had told them that there was a river going through 10, and we walked with newly found energy.

I wondered if the Capitol was getting bored with no deaths – just everyone walking around. I knew we didn't have long before they got angry and began to make things . . . complicated. I shuddered, because I knew what they could do.

When we got to District 10, Echo let out the biggest gasp every, and began to faint. I caught her and slapped her face, waking her up. She leaned against me as we gazed upon the ruined District 10. I shuddered at the sight – it was the most gory.

District 10 looked as though it had gotten a bath.

In blood.

Blood was everywhere – bright reds, dark maroons, dried, and everywhere. Sticky and hard. We all gazed at the scene with mingled expressions of shock and disgust and disbelief. This was going a little too far.

And then I spotted the river.

Our hope for water was immediately gone. The river was made of blood. The sight of it made you thirsty – and then you realized that you were going to puke. We sat there staring at it for a very long time, getting very thirsty. Only when the Capitol anthem play did we realize that it was dark. We all looked up at the sky. The night before, we hadn't bothered coming out of the houses to see who had died. But now, there was no avoiding it. We looked.

There was a brief pause, and Luna's picture came up. Then the Capitol seal. Then silence.

*Elvatorix Fox's POV*

After we had made sure everything was okay at the Cornucopia (and replenished supplies), we set out hunting for tributes again. However, we didn't find any until just after Luna Garcia's face appeared in the sky.

Carter James spotted them first. He nudged me, and pointed.

Ahead was a clearing with another ruined district, 10, I assumed. And, right in front of ten, staring at the sky, was Mazie's alliance. Grinning, I nudged Carrie who grinned too.

"All right," Carrie whispered "here's what we're going to do; we will split into groups; Carter and Elvatorix, and Armondo and me. Then we'll make them scatter; easier to fight that way. Each group takes after some of the tributes. Kill them."

Simple enough plan. I nodded along with the others while Armondo coursed,

"Kill them!"

*Totsie Griffensong's POV*

Even after the sky went black, we all still stared up at the sky a moment, trying to believe that Luna was really gone. It was just so hard . . . . The fact that any of us could die . . . I hated the thought.

Then, suddenly, our attention was jerked back to the ground as four figures erupted from the bushes, charging into our group. In an instant, I had my slingshot, shooting at the figures, who were obviously Careers. But it was hard to get a good aim, in such a closely packed group.

In an instant, we were scattering away from the Careers, separating out. I knew instinctively that this was not a good thing, but instinct also told me to get away from the big, bad weapons. I turned to Echo, who had her bow notched. "Let's go," I told her. She nodded and we ran from the Careers.

At first, I thought that we were not being followed – that everything was all right. That we would be fine.

But then I heard crashing behind us. I glanced back, wide-eyed, and saw Carrie and Armondo crashing towards us. I met Echo's eyes – she saw them too. We began to run faster. It was pitch black now, and I couldn't see anything. I was worried I might run into a tree or fall into a pit full of snakes or something, but I didn't stop running.

Then we came to a river, lit by moonlight.

It was the same river that wound through District 10, only this part was not made of blood.

A quick glance told me why.

This was where Mother and Father had died.

The Capitol had preserved it – special, just for me and Echo.

Echo and I both stopped to stare at it a moment, before we came to our senses and ran into the stream. "In here!" Echo hissed, motioning to the water lilies. I knew this was where Echo had hid before. I nodded and we began to climb in. Echo was in, and I was almost, too, when there was a swishing noise.

A sharp pain at the base of my skull.

Then I was falling, falling . . .

. . .

*Echo Griffensong's POV*

I watched my sister fall, and I cried out, surging towards her. Her cannon sounded before she hit my open arms. Tears spilled in my eyes as I held my dear, beloved, dead sister. I turned to Carrie and Armondo, who were standing beside the river, watching me crouch and hold my sister.

"You . . ." I growled threateningly.

Carrie grinned and pointed at Totsie. "My kill."

"Kill!" Armondo coursed happily.

Them – talking about Totsie as though she were an animal they were hunting, filled me with anger. I stood slowly, letting the empty shell that had been my sister float away.

"You think you're so great," my voice shook with emotion "That you're so powerful. You think you're important, the best, huh?"

"Yes, I do!" Carrie called back cockily. Stupid . . . never mind.

"But you aren't!" I laughed loudly, madly. I couldn't function properly without my twin, without my other half.

"What do you mean?" Carrie snapped. She had been about to shoot me with an arrow, as she had Totsie. But now she hesitated. Armondo forgot to echo her.

"Do you know?" I laughed "you're not in charge. They are." I pointed to a random spot. "They are."

"Who is?"

I laughed, throwing my head back and laughing long and loud. "The Capitol of course. They are better than you – that's what these Games are made for – to show you. But you're too nearsighted to see even that!" I laughed again.

Carrie's nostrils flared dangerously. "Are you calling me stupid?" she demanded

"Stupid?" Armondo was still lost.

I considered a moment, cocking my head. "Very stupid." I decided. Carrie lifted her bow, aiming it, and I began chattering. "And ignorant, cocky . . ." A sharp pain in my chest.

I was falling. . .

Something wet was all over me . . .

"Totsie . . ." I managed to mutter before I hit the bottom of the river.

. . .

*Lystra's POV*

I was running away from it all, scared to death, knife in each hand. I was aware of Tanner clutching a spear beside me, and Julius' hand shaking as he held his sword. As we ran, I heard two cannons, and wondered almost groggily, whose they were.

I wasn't aware we were being followed until Juilius fell down. The cannon was quick, and Tanner and I both skidded to a stop, looking behind us. There was Elvatorix Fox and Carter James. I threw a knife at Carter with deadly accuracy. In the darkness, he failed to see it before it hit him. For a horrible moment, he remained standing there, looking at the knife, surprised, before falling, nearly hitting Elvatorix. His cannon went off a moment later.

Elvatorix glared at me. "You'll die for that one."

Tanner stepped in front of me, which made me nervous. I couldn't get a straight aim now. "You'll have to go through me first," he said, which kind of embarrassed me, but made me want to giggle too. Wait. Giggle? Me? There was something wrong here.

Elvatorix sneered at us "So, you've fallen for the confession of love thing?" she asked me.

"Oooh," I made a noise of anger and tried to push past Tanner, but he held me back.

"Ha!" Elvatorix called to us "Restraining your little pet, are you, Tanner?"

At this Tanner let me go, running towards Elvatorix with him. We unleashed our full fury on her – her two long swords vs. Tanner's spears and my knives and short sword. If she was struggling, she didn't show it. She moved with elegant grace – and in one motion blocked my jab, and snapped Tanner's spear in half. He removed one from his back, but he only had two left. As I began to think about what would happen if he ran out of spears, one of Elvatorix's swords made contact with my arm. Right. Thinking later. Fighting now.

We fought roughly, Tanner and me both giving our all, but Elvatorix was just so experience, so good at fighting that she never got touched once. While she didn't touch me after the arm incident, she snapped another of Tanner's spears, forcing him to go to his last one, which she promptly smashed, and then she began to attack him, defenseless as he was. He got a slash on his stomach, and he collapsed to the ground.

I screeched in fury, jumping at Elvatorix and fighting with renewed energy. How dare she hurt Tanner? She was cruel and mean and nasty and a bully! I thought up a billion names to call her as well, but I was too busy fighting to remember them all.

Elvatorix and I were getting nowhere fighting, and I was worried about Tanner. Was he badly injured? Dying? He couldn't be dead – no cannon had gone off. So how was he?

Elvatorix got through my defenses and was about to slash my arm when there was a yell from behind her. Elvatorix stopped and turned, and I stumbled back, trying to see the newcomers. It was Rayne and Nich. Trusting that they had the situation under control, I hurried to Tanner.

"Tanner! Tanner, oh, Tanner, tell me you're all right!"

"Wha – Lystra?" his eyes were foggy and unclear. "That's you, right?"

I broke into tears. He almost didn't recognize me! "Yes, Tanner, it's Lystra. It's your Lystra."

"Julius!" gasped Rayne as she looked at the dead tribute. Her gaze went to me nursing Tanner, and the dead body of Carter James, the former Career. "Wow," she commented "Missed something, didn't I?"

Elvatorix growled her agreement and charged Nich and Rayne, who fought with quick, speedy anger. I watched for a moment to make sure they had it under control and turned back to Tanner, whose eyes were sliding close.

"Tanner!" my voice raised high with hysteria. "Tanner, don't leave me!"

He blinked at me blearily. "Who – Lystra? Lystra."

"Yes, Tanner," I could feel tears in my eyes, spilling out. "your Lystra. I'm here. You're Lystra's here."

"Good, good," his words were quiet.

"Tanner, don't leave me!"

"Leave?" his eyes were confused. "Where would I go?"

"Don't go," I told him. "Stay here with me."

"Okay," he said, his eyes sliding so that they were closed. "okay."

"TANNER!" I screamed, staring at him. I felt frantically for a pulse, and there was one, however weak. I relaxed, but only slightly. I dug around in my medic bag, ripped off Tanner's shirt, and began to desperately patch where Elvatorix had cut him. I wasn't much of a medic, but I could do this . . . to some degree. I kept glancing over my shoulder, to where Elvatorix, Nich, and Rayne were still fighting. None were scathed.

When I looked up, Tanner was struggling to sit up. Whether this was a good sign or not, I don't know.

"No, Tanner, lay," I said, putting a restraining arm on him. He looked at me, and, in that moment, I've never seen more love in a person's gaze.

"Lystra, Lystra," his hand reached for mine, and I grasped it, a bit desperately, frantically. He looked amused.

"Ouch," he said.

"Oh," I looked down to see that his hand was paler than it normally was. I relaxed my grip slightly. "Sorry."

"Lystra," he said, his breathing slower and voice quieter. "You know what comes next, right?"

My breathing stopped, as did my heart. Yes, I knew, but I wouldn't accept it. "No, Tanner, no! You can't leave me! You just can't! I can't," I tried to gulp back the tears, but they came anyway. "I can't live without you!"

"You will," Tanner's eyes flickered close, but he opened them again, gazing at me with suddenly intense eyes. "You will live. You will win. Promise me, Lystra. Don't let me die protecting you in vain. You will win. Promise me."

"I . . . I . . ." I knew I couldn't live without Tanner in that moment, but I had to grant him his dying wish. "I promise, Tanner, but don't leave me!"

"I have to," he looked at me, eyes fogging again, and his hold on my hand was slack. "I love you, Lystra." he said.

I was crying. A lot, but I managed to choke out, "I love you too, Tanner."

And then his hand was empty. His eyes glazed over, like glass, his lips still forming a word – a name – my name.

Lystra.

And, somewhere in the distance, a cannon went off.