When Johanna and I return to Twelve's mentor room, Katniss and Amphitrite are just arriving back where they left Madge and Olive. The two have created a hut of sorts out of the grass mats, open on one side but with three walls, a floor, and a roof. They also plaited several bowls that they have filled with nuts, having roasted them by chucking them at the force field. Their faces turn to their allies hopefully, but Katniss gives her head a shake. "No. No water. It's out there, though. He knew where it was," she says, hoisting a skinned rodent up for all to see. "He'd been drinking recently when I shot him out of a tree, but I couldn't find his source. I swear, I covered every inch of ground in a thirty-yard radius."

"At least we have food,"Olive says,"I was afraid we'd have only those nuts."

"Is any of this safe to eat?"my sister demands, looking at the animal uncertainly."I mean, it doesn't look different from a squirrel's meat..."

"Course you can eat it, it's just a possum,"the girl from Two says."The street kids in Two eat them all the time. And Preggo saw those nuts at the edible-plants station."

Madge nods her agreement and Amphitrite quickly figures out how to cook the meat without having to start a fire. She takes a cube of possum meat, skewers it on the tip of a pointed stick, and lets it fall into the force field. There's a sharp sizzle and the stick flies back. The chunk of meat is blackened on the outside but well cooked inside. The other girls give her a round of applause, then quickly stop, probably remembering where they are.

I get myself a soda from the minifridge before sitting down next to Effie on the couch, watching the alliance eat."Are Cinna and Portia still not back? How far away can that arena be?"

Effie freezes at my question and Terra's head snaps up to stare at me before she pretends she didn't. Effie gives a little laugh that sounds rather forced."Oh, who knows. It could be anywhere. Part of the mystery, isn't it?"

"They upped security this year,"Haymitch adds,"They're probably somewhere in the training centre. Officially, stylist where never allowed into the mentor rooms."

He doesn't sound entirely convinced, though. Before I can press the matter further, Finnick comes sauntering in, back from his "appointment". He takes one look at the screen and sighs."Still no water?"

I immediately feel guilty, staring down at the soda bottle in my hand, already half empty. I didn't even think to ask about the water, too caught up in them all still being alive and having found food. But without water, how long can they survive in that sweltering heat?

"Liv's close to heat stroke,"Terra remarks and she sounds as if it doesn't concern her at all. But when I look at her, I can see the way her jaw is clenched and realise that she's just a good actress. As set in her ways with the Career persona as Effie is with the ditzy escort act. Finnick gently squeezes her shoulder before sitting down next to her.

"She'll be fine,"Johanna offers, causing everyone to turn and stare at her. She lifts an eyebrow in irritation."What? I can say nice things, you know. And they're bound to let them have water soon enough. Would get boring if they didn't."

We all turn back to the screen at that, Effie and Terra both checking the list of available sponsor gifts every minute or two. I look over Effie's shoulder."Does Madge need something for her arm?"

"We sent some gauze already,"Effie replies."Should be enough, keep the dirt and thus infection out. And we didn't want to use a lot of money before we see what getting water will cost us."

That makes sense. Even if Madge's cut got infected somehow, without water she would die before the infection could kill her, and so would the other three. Still, it doesn't sit well with me. But all I do is nod anyways. I have to trust that Haymitch knows what he's doing.

We sit mostly in silence, watching the girls eat and banter. Olive and Amphitrite have seemingly infected Madge and even my sister with their Career attitudes, all four of them not half as on edge as a normal tribute would be. They even seem to be somewhat enjoying themselves until the anthem comes on.

They form a line in the mouth of their makeshift hut and stare up at the sky. I, of course, already know which faces we'll see, but it still makes me feel uneasy.

Districts One to Four have suffered no casualties, Curie and Avalon having gotten away thanks to Demeter from Nine bashing in the skull of one of the girls from Seven as she tried to drown Curie. Johanna only rolled her eyes when that happened, remarking that she knew those kids wouldn't last five minutes. Elise from Ten also joined the odd trio on their flight from the arena, which means there is now three alliances and only three tributes roaming the arena alone. A first for the Games, an all time low as Caesar Flickerman informed us. Haymitch only swiftly jerked his head from side to side, barely a headshake, when I turned to ask him about that alliance. I just knew the girls from Three were involved somehow...

The first face in the sky and on our screen is the girl from Five Madge killed, followed by Jonsa's district partner and both from Seven. Then the girl from Eight Amphitrite killed flashes across the screen. On our personal screens, I watch Olive holding her fist out to the girl from Four with a smirk and Amphitrite bumping her own fist against hers. I'm glad they realised it would be a bad idea to offer Madge a similar congratulation.

The girl from Nine is next and then it's at Amphitrite to offer her fist to Olive, as the next picture shows the girl from Ten she killed. Last is the younger girl from Eleven.

"Four for the careers, three for us,"Terra remarks."But we also have a tribute less in the alliance. All good with sponsors, I'd say."

Finnick nods."And, not to sound arrogant, but my cousin and Prim's sister? We're set either way."

Effie interupts, hectically waving her hand-held computer in Haymitch's face."They added a spile!"

The gift is sent quickly, but unfortunately, our girls have a hard time figuring out what it is."I give up,"Olive finally declares,"Maybe we should hook up with Jabberjay and the Brain, let them figure it out."

For a few tense minutes, they sit there defeated, the precious spile carelessly rammed in the ground.

Then, finally, Katniss gets it, jumping up excitedly and freeing it of dirt."It's a spile. Sort of like a faucet. You put it in a tree and sap comes out. Well, the right sort of tree. I bet you anything there's water in these trees."

And, a few minutes of scraping, wiggling and adjusting, they can finally, finally drink.

)o(

I totally hate work at the moment I'm sad :( it's really stressy and horrible and no fun anymore. I really hope it doesn't come to it but every week I'm not sure I'll manage a chapter so if it ever does come to that, don't freak out if there is an updateless Sunday. I will certainly not abandon this story! and I'll do my best to keep the sundays going, just wanted to say it incase worst comes to worst

love you, darlings xx