Demeter and Madge are carrying Avalon between them, Amphitrite is in the lead, Olive walks between them and the jungle, and my sister brings up the rear. Curie is scrambling along somewhat aimlessly, bumping into the other girls now and again, continuously mumbling her mantra.

I'm waiting desperately for someone to connect the dots and figure out the arena, but unfortunately, no one does.

Now that Beetee, Wiress, and Kyla from Nine have joined us, Twelve's mentor room is pretty full. Then again, it'll make rotating shifts easier because there's so many of us. I got some proper sleep in an actual bed while our tributes were sleeping themselves and have to admit that Haymitch was right – I can concentrate a lot better again now.

Cinna and Portia have still not returned and no one will give me a straight answer about where they might be. I'm starting to get really worried. The thought of Darius and what was done to him crosses my mind but I quickly push it away again. Right now, I can't afford to think like that. I don't have the time or energy to worry about anyone but Katniss and Madge, even if that makes me a bad person.

The girls make camp two sections over from where they started out, which means they're at five o'clock. By the time they've set up camp anew, it is almost four and I've started gnawing on my nails, getting more and more nervous by the second.

"We need more water,"Olive suddenly says,"And food. Who's up for getting some?"

After a bit of back and forth, Amphitrite takes to fishing while Madge, Katniss and Olive go into the jungle to find nuts, meat and water. Curie trails after them, leaving Demeter to guard Avalon and the few supplies they have.

Olive turns around once they are a few yards into the jungle, making a shooing motion towards the young girl from Three."Go on, off with you. Back to the beach."

Curie shakes her head without looking at the other girl and Olive sighs."Okay. But don't come complaining to me if you get killed or something, yeah?"

"Should we really let her tag along?"Katniss asks, concerned. Whatever else they might say is cut off by an ear-splitting scream, full of fear and pain. It takes me a second to realise how I know that voice and why all eyes suddenly turn to me. By that time, Katniss is already running, Madge hot on her heels."Prim! Prim!"

"What the hell?"Olive says and makes to follow them, when suddenly Curie is hanging from her arm, stopping her."Do you hear the Whisper Men? The Whisper Men are near. If you hear the Whisper Men then turn away your ear. Do not hear the Whisper Men, whatever else you do. For once you've heard the Whisper Men they'll stop. And look at you."

Olive frowns and swats Curie's hands away."Look, I don't know what you're trying to tell me, Jabberj - oh."

Just as she understands, Katniss reaches a clearing and finds the offending bird, shooting it down, ending the wails of my own voice, so distorted with terror that I still barely grasp that it is my voice. My voice used to hurt my sister.

Madge crashes into the clearing after her."Katniss? What's happening?"

"I'm okay,"my sister replies, her hands shaking."I'm okay. It's just -"

That's when the screams cut her off. Before Katniss can stop her, can even try to explain Madge is already sprinting after the voice, shouting out for her mother. Katniss follows her and brings down the bird, grabbing her friend by the shoulders."It's not real, it's just jabberjays, it's not real."

"They mimic,"Madge half-shouts."They mimic what they hear! Where do you think they got the voices?"

They stared at eachother in blank horror for multiple seconds until the next bird starts. This time, it's Gale's voice. They both spin around, trying to locate it, seemingly forgetting again that it's not him. I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach myself. But then Madge grasps Katniss's arm."We have to get out of here."

They run until they catch sight of Olive and Curie who stand there, frozen and staring. The girl from Two shouts a warning but they can't hear her and collide with the invisible wall surrounding the four o'clock wedge and keeping them from their allies.
Then the birds begin to arrive. One by one. Perching in the surrounding branches. And a carefully orchestrated chorus of horror begins to spill out of their mouths. Madge and Katniss sink to the floor next to eachother, staring at the things defiantly, Katniss shooting down bird after bird until her quiver is empty.

Madge is the first to give up, covering her ears and screaming herself to drown out Posy's voice. Posy crying, screaming, begging. I get to my feet, staggering, blinded by tears, retching helplessly. Someone thrusts a bucket into my hands just in time before I heave up everything in my stomach. Posy's screaming gets louder, more desperate and there's Mum too and Rory and Vick. Hands close around my shoulders and I'm steered from the room, into the nearest bathroom.

Effie wipes my tears away, holds back my hair as a second wave of nausea washes over me and finally just holds me in her arms until the hour is almost up.

We go back to the mentor room to see Madge and Katniss curled around eachother on the ground, lying as motionless as puppets a child dropped and forgot about. The birds are retreating, the screams are fading and then finally stop completely.

Katniss and Madge slowly get up, realising that the horror is over. Then they notice that the invisible wall is still in place and I comprehend what I had failed to observe before: Olive and Curie are now trapped in the next slice over.