Hello!

Me again. You know what, I reckon we could have a victor in the next couple of chapters... Ideas would be helpful, if you could review them, I'm having some difficulty deciding who should win and how they should win.

Once again, the victor poll is on my profile page, feel free to vote.

*In the Blink of an Eye

Charms Penlum, District One

It's over.

The small bloody figure limps doggedly forward. Kyle seems to grin around the hilt of the knife.

I kick out at Kyle, try to get him to move. In desperation, I smack him around the face. He does not flinch.

Then I feel the hands on my neck and I know that this is how I'm going to die.

But nevertheless, I twist my head to see my killer.

It's a girl. Her eyes seem kind and-

Bronte Pratt

I'm just getting my breath back and tenderly probing my neck when I hear the cry. It's female. Must have been the tribute I ran into. I wait, frozen for another few seconds. Then the cannon goes and I close my eyes and pray that it was swift.

So it's just me, Jaysper, Stag Browning and Coraline Rige.

How are we going to find a victor when none of us want to kill?

Mylo Kingfisher, Head Gamemaker

I knead my forehead. I can feel a migraine emerging. The latest mutations have one kill to their name, but how are they going to be able to take on an alliance?

The Mutation Head took at least five solid days of work to provide the coding for just two undead mutations. We don't have that long to make another one. By then, we could have a victor.

There is only one way I can think of to make this easier. A natural occurrence, a mine or something. The alliance has to be split up as soon as possible, because they'll be much easier targets that way. Then my mutations can get them. The audience always loves a bit of undead action. Maybe we can even pull in a few extra viewers. Then a bigger pay check for me.

It all works, but first we need to work out what disaster to use.

I tap my fingers, a nervous habit, on the metal bar of the balcony and survey the spotless shiny white room full of screens and immaculate Gamemakers.

"Gamemakers," I bellow.

Forty heads turns upwards. "I have a problem. We need to divide the alliance to make each individual tribute vulnerable. Any suggestions on how to do this?"

The Gamemakers think for a minute and one tentative hand rises. "We could use poison?"

I nod approvingly. The young Gamemaker's face brightens with pride. "Good idea – any other suggestions?"

After a few minutes, I have a drafted list on my digital pad.

Poison

Mine

Rabid Animals

Acid rain

Falling rocks

Flood

Drugs

Scrutinising the lists, I pick out a few and prepare to announce it to the room.

"Priscilla Flark, could you get onto researching poisons. And next to her, yes you with the ginger hair, please look into drugs. And that group over there, please evaluate flood efficiency. That's all, thank you."

I sag into the plush chair behind me and snap my fingers. A small boy with big eyes appears. "Yessir?"

"Coffee, black, thank you," I utter with my eyes closed.

A hot mug is pushed into my hand and I sip the bitter scalding liquid. Almost immediately, I can feel my limbs waking up. I open my eyes to see the boy staring at me curious.

"Don't you have other things to be doing?" I ask irritably.

He cocks his head. "What, like you have other things to do, like planning to kill people?"

At this point, I slam down my coffee and press the button on my belt. "This is urgent. Yes, a sympathiser... Balcony of Gamekeeper Room. Come as soon as possible."

Four Peacemakers burst through the double doors that lead onto my balcony. I point at the helpless boy. They grab his hands and lock them together, but the boy isn't resisting.

"Be careful what you say," I hiss as the boy is dragged off.

He looks at me in the eye, steel clouding his huge eyes. His mouth is set in a grim smile and then the door close and I cannot see him anymore.

I feel a bit rattled, but I sit back and sip my lukewarm coffee, waving below as a sign for 'no trouble'.

The Fallen:

Charms Penlum, District One Girl (Cause of death: snapped neck – Natalie Dismal Mutation)