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Levana Coltello
District Two Female, 16 Years Old
Bloodbath

"Let the Hundredth Annual Hunger Games begin!"

I jump off of the pedestal, immediately turning back around and running to the plaque behind me. There are two knives crisscrossing on the wood, and as I rip the two of them off of it, I see the boy from District Three wandering around.

He approaches one of the plaques, this one having a spear attached to it. He goes for it slowly, but he stops at the sound of someone screaming. It's a girl calling his name, and before he can move out of the way or turn around, my knife finds his head.

The boy falls to the side, the end of the knife sticking out from his ear. I grip my other knife, trying to locate where the scream came from, but I don't know. It could've been anyone.

Running over to the boy's body, I pat him down, trying to see if he had gotten ahold of anything yet. There's nothing, though, and with my other hand I rip the spear off the plaque. Mathias finally meets up with me, panting from simply running over here from the other side.

He truly is grating.

I'll keep him around, though. For now, at least.

"Catch," I say, tossing him the spear. "Don't let me see you standing around. Now, go."

Mathias complies, taking off into a light jog back towards the center. I follow him, but nearby, I hear shouts and grunts. To my left is the boy from Seven and Ceylon, the boy from One. The one who refused to join my alliance. The one who resorted to allying with the girl from Four, Otrera.

How stupid of him.

Where is she, anyway?

I planned on killing her. And Leilani.

They're both on my shit-list.

I look to the center, hoping I see at least one of them there by now.

In front of me now is the girl from District Seven and Mathias.

"Mathias!" I shout, watching him spin around. He turns around quickly, and as he notices the girl that was running right behind him, he swings his backpack. It hits her in the face, knocking her down, and as soon as I expect him to kill her, he doesn't.

He just stands there, gawking at me.

I roll my eyes. "I'll do it."

Mathias goes back to collecting a weapon from another plaque, and I take my knife and grip the girl's head by her hair. The girl struggles to get out of my grip and I pull her head back. She stares at me, her eyes filling up tears, but they don't fall out. They just build up, and in her eyes, I can see that she knew this would happen.

She was going to die one way or another.

And, in a way, she should be lucky it's me. I'll make it quick and painless.

"Better luck next time," I whisper, brushing her hair back. Swiftly, I drag the blade across her throat, watching the blood begin to waterfall out. "Eh."

I drop her head, hearing it hit the ground with a thud.

And then I see Leilani.

She's standing there, an arrow knocked on the bow-string. She holds it up, and I find where she's aiming. The two from District Eight and the girl from District Eleven are running up the stairs, with the girl already at the top and the boy from Eight trailing in the back, his hand pressed against the girl from Eleven's back.

How generous of him.

Aiming it at the boy from District Eight who is trying to run up the stairs, she shoots her first arrow. After the first arrow, it misses the boy, completely going right over her head. The boy spins around, hunching over and tries to reach the top of the stairs. The three of them finally reach the top, and they all run around the balcony, slipping into another room.

When they're out of sight, Leilani bends down, scooping up a backpack.

Now is my chance.

Raising the knife in the air, I take off in a full-sprint towards the center. Just as I reach her, thought, she spins around, catching me in her arms. She falls backwards and I fall on top of her, my knife sliding off to the side. I'm weaponless, though, and I start to pull at her hair. I swat her hands away, trying to assert myself, and eventually, I get her arms pinned down. She's not as strong as she appears to be, apparently.

But, I am.

I lean over her face. "One."

"It's not going to be that easy, Levana," she says, her eyes widening as she speaks. I hesitate for a moment, trying to figure out what she means, but she opens up her mouth again, a facetious expression on her face. "See you later."

I hear a grunt come from besides me.

Suddenly, a force pushes me off of her, and I roll on the ground, and I try to stop myself. It's the boy from District Four, Jonah, with a machete in his hand. He stands there, his other hand holding Leilani's hand, hoisting her up. She winks before she runs away, taking a backpack with her. I scramble to get back up, and I locate my knife, swiftly grabbing it.

But, before I can throw it, I see Mathias.

And they see him, too.

He stands there, a backpack and a knife in his hand, motionless as Leilani and Jonah rush by him.

Leilani's still scrambling to wrap her bow and arrow sheath around her back, and just as they run past him, Jonah smashes the machete's grip into the side of Mathias' head. Just as he falls backward, Leilani glances over her shoulder, slipping an arrow out of the bag. With a quick thrust of her hand, she shoves the arrow tip through his stomach, both of them escaping before I can get back.

I stand there, staring at Mathias' body. I shake my hand.

He should have been more careful.

He might have been expendable – and stupid and annoying – but he was worth something.

But, Leilani and Jonah? They aren't. They are worth nothing.

No one here is... Besides me.

Around me, everyone is starting to clear, except for a few stragglers. The boy from Six and the girl from Three are sprinting out of the large room, with the girl from Twelve struggling to keep up with them.

I back up, assessing the arena one last time. There's the staircase leading to a different area, as well as random archways in the walls leading to others as well. There are the glass-boxes that we started in with the plaques behind them. And, when I look up, I see a large chandelier. It's golden and decorated with crystals.

It's not all that bad here.

And, even if it was, I'd have to get over it. I'd have to adapt to it and accustom myself with it in order to win. I will win by controlling these Games; that's what I'll do. I will make these Games mine.

But, it isn't about me anymore. It's not just about my victory – about the riches or fame.

It's about my grandmother, Lyme.

I'm doing this for her. For her name.

I'm going to win to honor her.

To prove that, even though they killed my grandmother, they can't kill me.

Her name will live on.

Tasha Levelle
District Ten Female, 17 Years Old
Bloodbath

The axe on the plaque won't budge.

I try to pull it off again, but it's either stuck on there or nailed on it pretty well. Pressing my one hand on the plaque, I try to pull it off with my other, not stopping until I get it off. Finally, I rip the axe off of the wooden plaque, and just as I turn around, I notice Audrey all the way at the other side of the room.

And he isn't alone.

"Audrey…"

My voice comes out as a whisper, and from all the way over here, I know I can't do anything. I know that, at this point, things aren't looking too good.

For either of us, that is.

I have to help him.

I can't leave him with a Career.

For a moment, I think that Audrey might be safe, but when the boy from District One, Ceylon, notices him, I know it's too late. As soon as they make eye-contact, I leap forwards, going off into a full on sprint. I watch it all unfold, though… I see Ceylon deliver the first punch.

Audrey attempts to tackle him down, but Ceylon jumps to the side, dodging it completely. I bite down on my tongue, trying to sprint as quickly as I can towards them, ignoring anyone else around me. Then, just as Audrey falls to the ground, Ceylon sends his elbow into Audrey's back. He falls down now, and promptly, sends his fist into Audrey's head.

Audrey lies on the ground now.

I'm almost there.

But, it's too late. Ceylon raises his foot, slamming it down on Audrey's head. His head is flattened, with the blood squirting out onto the ground. Ceylon smirks, though, looking up and locking eye-contact with me. The anger intensifies, and as soon as I get close enough, I fling myself at Ceylon, wielding my axe.

Reactively, Ceylon pushes me away with his chest. I slide backwards, still on my feet, and I end up a few feet away from him. I hold the axe out in front of me, with Ceylon still smirking. He shakes his head, waving his fingers, gesturing for me to come at him again.

"Entertain me," he taunts, poking Audrey's body with his foot. "Show me some emotion."

And, just as I take a step towards him, the girl from District Four positions herself at his side.

"We don't have time," she says, frantically looking around. She looks at the center, then looks along the sides of the walls and even up at the balcony. "We have to go."

Ceylon feigns pouting, still staring at me. I take another step towards him. "Please? Just one more."

"Ceylon," she says, grabbing his wrist and forcing him to go with her out of the door closest to us. Ceylon stares at me as I go, and instinctively, I follow him. I leap through the doorway, trying to find where they ran to, but there's nothing.

It's just an exhibit of some sort.

In the center, there's a large urn with ropes surrounding it. It's a bronze-color, with designs made from gold on it. It's the only thing in here, though, except for another door. Slowly, I walk over to it, trying to see if I can hear them.

Then, I hear the girl's voice.

"I want to go back in there," Ceylon says, and as I get on the ground, I lean into the room. I see the two of them standing there in another doorway, this one leading into a brightly-lit room. "I was having fun."

"It would've gotten you killed," she says, still trying to pull him, but he's staunch this time. He doesn't budge. "Why are you such a child?"

This is my chance.

I could throw the axe.

They stand there, and I kneel down, still having enough room to throw the axe. Otrera continues to nag Ceylon, trying to physically move him now from where he's standing. Before she does, though, I throw my axe.

They can't get away with killing Audrey… That was their first mistake. And their second? Thinking that they can walk all over me. That they can get away with it.

That what they did is acceptable.

That what they did I will let side. We're in the Games now. We're in the arena.

I don't have any rules to follow. I don't have any moral code to abide by.

In the arena, I can get payback, not like in District Ten. I got in trouble there and that's what landed me here. But here… I won't get in any trouble.

I can stir up all the shit I want.

The axe cuts through the air, and when she notices it, her eyes widen. She jumps to the side, the axe landing in the wall. It splits the wallpaper, cutting right through it. I stand up now, standing my ground, showing them that I'm not going to run.

I'm not going to accept defeat. I don't give up.

I never have and I am not going to start.

Otrera is tugging at his suit harder now, nearly ripping it off of his skin. He still stands there, staring at me. He grins, his upper-lip twitching as he utters something. Otrera screams in his face, and finally, Ceylon runs off with her.

He looks over his shoulder, though, giving me one last look.

He will be back to find me.

And I'll be waiting for him.

Walking over to the axe, I rip it out of the wall, completely exhausted now. I listen carefully, still hearing the sounds of footsteps running around from the Bloodbath. Then, it finally hits me that Audrey is dead.

Ceylon killed him.

Only if I ran over there quicker… Maybe he would have survived. I could have been a distraction.

Audrey could have survived.

I shake my head.

Why am I acting like this? He was an ally – nothing more, nothing less. Allies are meant to be expendable, aren't they? I'm not supposed to get attached.

Seeing him as something more was my first mistake.

Punching the wall, I let out a scream, angry with not only myself, but with Audrey. Why was he so stupid? Why did he not run away before Ceylon noticed him?

If anyone's to blame, it's him.

It's not me.

I was never supposed to save him. To protect him.

He had to protect himself. He failed.

And, now, I will protect myself. I won't fail.

I can do it without Audrey. I can do it on my own. I don't need him.

I don't need anybody.

I only need myself.

Marlon Haigh
District Nine Male, 14 Years Old
Bloodbath

"Where's Amias?!"

Rea stops in her tracks just as we're about to run out of the Bloodbath. Tributes are still running around, and as I look back into the middle, I see Amias hunched over on the ground. He has a backpack slung over his back, desperately trying to crawl away. He leaves a trail of blood, though, and behind him, the girl from District Five is coming back to attack him again.

This time, her axe finds his lower-back.

"Amias!" Rea screams, attracting the attention of the girl. Her head shoots up, a perplexed look on her face, and after she grabs the backpack, she runs away. "We have to go save him!"

"We can't," Lonan says, grabbing Rea before she tries to run away. Lonan wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her out of the main room. Caden trails behind me, as do the two of them.

I walk through an archway, entering another long hallway. There are paintings lining the walls with spotlights on the ceiling. Glancing out the windows that are alternating with the paintings, I see a forest of some sort. Only if we could go outside.

I already need to get out of here.

"I can't believe we left him," Rea says, her voice shaking. "We just… We just left him."

"We had to," Lonan says, his voice deep. I don't bother stopping to see if Rea will be okay. She can handle herself. "There was nothing we could do."

"He was our ally," Rea murmurs. "He-"

There's a scream.

A loud, high-pitched scream.

Widening my eyes, I spin around, my first instinct being to look at Caden. He just stands there, though, his hands held up in front of him. When I look at Lonan, though, my jaw drops.

He has a knife in Rea's side.

Lonan pushes the knife deeper into Rea's side, making the tears stream down her face as she collapses onto the ground. Lonan stands there, trying to pry his knife out of her side, but before he can, I charge at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I shout, pushing him off of Rea. He is sent flying forward, and he rolls on the ground, trying to grab at the floor to push himself up. I rush over to him, slamming my foot on top of his hand. "Why would you kill her?!"

"She wasn't one of us," Lonan says, breathing heavily. "She was no rebel."

"That doesn't mean you can kill her!" I shout, the rage becoming too much for me to handle. I slam my foot down on his hand again, the sound of bones of cracking muffled by his heavy breathing. "Why?!"

And, before he can say anything, my knife finds his side.

I thrust it deep into his side, the blood pouring out onto my hands. Closing my eyes, I push myself off of him, looking at Rea's body. She lays there, her blonde hair turning a red-shade from the pool of blood underneath her. Lonan's body convulses, flipping over to the side, and I step to the side, staring at both of them. The two bodies lie there now, while Caden just stands there.

He just stood there... He just stood there while I stabbed Lonan. While Lonan stabbed Rea.

He watched Lonan do it.

Why didn't he stop him?

Did he know about this all along? Did they both plan to do this?

Shaking my head, I continue down the hallway, forcefully stomping my feet on the ground with every step. I grit my teeth, balling my hands up into fists. He watched it all unfold. He let this happen.

"Are you trying to leave without me?" Caden's voice speaks up from behind me, and I slow down my pace, letting him catch up. He grabs for my wrist, but I pull it away, not looking at him. "Marlon?"

"Did you know about that all this time?" I snap, pushing him up against the wall. The painting behind him shakes on the wall, and I glance at it, seeing a landscape of trees and flowers. "Did you know Lonan was going to kill her? Tell me the truth."

"No," he says, that stupid grin on his face. I grip my hand around his throat, pushing him harder back against the wall. "I'm not lying, Marlon…"

"I don't believe you," I snarl, trying to keep it my voice a whisper, but it comes out louder than I hoped. "Why should I believe you? You just stood there."

"Marlon… Marlon stop, I can't breathe," he says, his voice muffled and nearly a whisper. I stare at him in the eyes, our face only a few inches from one another, and when I see his eye tear up, I let him go. I drop him to the ground, turning back around and I start to walk away.

"Are you just going to leave me here?"

"Follow me," I say, hearing his footsteps already. "Go for it."

"I really didn't know, Marlon," he says, and I still don't believe it. The sincerity in his voice… I don't believe it for a second. "I really didn't."

"I don't care if you didn't," I say, shaking my head. I stare down at my feet, and as we approach a staircase, I wait at the bottom of it for him to catch up. "You just stood there, Caden. You just stood there as he killed her."

"I didn't know what to do," he says, and for once, I believe him. He sounds defeated.

"I did, though," I say, taking my first step up the staircase. "I killed him. I stabbed him while you just stood there and while Rea was lying on the ground bleeding out."

"Marlon…"

"No," I say, cutting him off. "No more of this."

I walk up the staircase, gripping my hand around the railing. When we reach the top, it leads into another exhibit of the museum. There are statues lined along the walls, each with a different weapon in their hand and a different facial expression. Some are female and some are male, each having their own carvings and designs on them.

I enter the room, turning back around to Caden for one last comment. After this, I don't want to talk about it anymore. It happened, and now, we have to get over it.

He has to learn, though, that I don't want him here. I never really did.

It was Rea who convinced me to ally with him. I don't trust him and I never did.

"Don't expect much from me, Caden," I say, my tone serious. He looks up at me, nodding his head slowly. "I won't protect you. I won't kill for you. I don't even trust you."

I trusted Rea.

I trusted Amias.

But, I never did trust Lonan or Caden. I knew that allying with them was a mistake. Perhaps this wouldn't have happened to us if I didn't listen to Rea. If I didn't let her bring in Caden and Lonan into our alliance.

I wish I told her not to do that. That it was a mistake. I shouldn't dwell on that, though. What's done is done, right?

But, either way, I did the right thing. I killed Lonan.

I killed him because he killed my ally.

Even if it doesn't feel like it, it was the right thing to do.

I had to kill him.

Aella Rafferty
District Three Female, 18 Years Old
Day One

"I'm sorry about Marlin, Aella. I really am sorry."

"Don't be," I say, forcing a smile onto my face. The corner of my lip trembles, though, and I drag my fingertips along the way as we walk down it. "This is the Hunger Games, after all."

"Yeah, but…," Kolter says, shrugging his shoulders. "He was your District partner."

"He would have to die eventually," I reply, not trying to make it seem like a retort. Did I like Marlin? Yes. Did I expect much from him? No.

I'm not naïve enough to believe that he was ever going to survive.

That he would make it out of the Bloodbath.

"I guess if you want to put like that," Kolter says, and I look over my shoulder past him, seeing Wren trail behind us all the way in the back. She stares at the ground, keeping her head bowed and doesn't look up at all. "Marlin liked you, Aella."

"I'm aware," I say, and somewhere in the distance, I hear a creak. It sounds like it come from nearby, and I hold up my hand, crouching down. It's getting darker and darker, with the sunset's rays shining through the glass windows on the walls. Kolter begins to speak up, but I shush him, inching forward slowly.

Wren comes up from behind us, stopping right next to me. She continues to walk forward, and she turns the corner, entering another room. I follow her, seeing this room full of different statues. Wren and I scan the room, and when we notice no one's in the room, we all stand up.

"What's in here?" Kolter asks, turning the corner.

"Just statues," I say, glancing over a few of them quickly. Then, I come across one that looks a tad familiar, but I'm not sure. I walk up to it, and instantly, I remember the face from somewhere. The statue is leaning on a bow, with an arrow placed in between their fingers. It's a male, definitely, with toned muscles and a sharp jawline. "Wren, come here. Who is this?"

Wren comes over, squinting her eyes to get a better look. With every minute that passes, it gets darker and darker, and I know that we should find somewhere to sleep, but I'm intrigued by these.

"Look down here," Wren says, bending over, cupping her hand around an inscription on the bottom of the statue. She reads it aloud, saying, "Cavalier Pavillion. District One."

"Cavalier?" I ask, not too sure of who that is. "Is that a victor?"

"He was killed from one of the bombings," Wren says, nodding. Wren walks over to the statue a few feet away from Cavalier's, and this one is a female. She has chiseled features that are so exact and intricate that it looks real and is holding a spear out in front of her. "Clara Peronne. District One."

"There's another one over here," Kolter says, and I look at him, seeing him wave his hand to get our attention. "Triton Madeira. District Four."

I find another statue, and this time it's another female. Looking up at the statue, I take a step back, triyng to see it altogether. She's standing tall, her arm bent as she salutes the air in front of her. She has a belt on, several knifes carved into the stone on the belt. "Nashira Vire. District Two."

Wren and Kolter walk around some more, reading aloud the names and Districts on the inscription. In one corner of the room, though, I see a large wooden door. I begin to walk over towards it, already having enough with all of these morbid statues.

They were killed by rebels.

They're trying to show us what we caused. What we have done to this nation's victors.

"We've had enough with this," I call out, watching them poke their heads from around a statue. "Let's get some rest."

I wait for Kolter and Wren to find me, and once they're behind me, I push open the large doors. They're wooden, with designs carved into it. It swirls here and there, all coming together in the middle to form a large circle. Behind the doors is yet another room, but this one's much smaller. It's dark for the most part, except for a small light hanging from the ceiling.

The only thing in the middle is a piece of art made of metal. It's a large circle, with a small piece of metal connected to a star in the center of it. It looks rusty and antique-like.

"Do you know what that is?" Kolter asks, poking his head and arm through the circle.

"No idea," I say, shrugging. I find a spot in the corner of the room, placing my backpack against the wall as I lay down. Wren does the same, and Kolter still looks around the room, touching the walls here and there. "We'll look around tomorrow, Kolter."

Wren's eyes are already closed, and Kolter finally lies down, bringing his knees up to his chest. I watch him close his eyes, and when they're both drifting away into sleep, I sit back up.

I'm not tired. Really, I'm not.

I just wanted time to think. About the Games, about Marlin. About me being here and about me wanting to win.

And, now that I think about it, I'm not sad that Marlin died. Like I told Kolter, this is the Hunger Games, after all. It was inevitable. Their deaths are inevitable, too. All of ours are in the long run. But, I can prolong mine by winning.

I can win and make it home. Then, I can die of old age there. That sounds much more preferable than dying in this arena.

Marlin might have died in here.

Kolter and Wren might die in here, too, and I accept that.

That's always been the plan, anyway. To outlive my allies. To use them for as long as I can.

To make the most of it.

That's always been a talent of mine, anyway. I was never here to make friends. I was here to use people to further myself. To protect myself and to get something out of it.

That won't change.

I'll use Kolter and Wren until they're no longer useable. Until they can no longer help me.

Then, at the right moment, I will make the right decision.

I will let them go.

Just like that, I will let them go.

I will let them die.

Leilani Theriott
District One Female, 18 Years Old
Day One

The first face up on the glass roof is the boy from District Three.

His face is being projected somehow onto the glass, still allowing us to see through it to the outside. In this room, the whole roof is made of squares of glass, and outside, I see the moon surrounded by stars. It makes me feel sentimental if anything.

"That was Levana," Jonah comments, pointing to the boy's face in the sky. He slides further down the wall, resting his head on his backpack. "I saw it."

The boy's face fades from the glass, and up next is the boy from District Seven. When I first got the center, I remember seeing him running off towards the other end of the room. At first, I thought he was running away from me, but then I saw Ceylon.

I figured out what happened after that.

"Ceylon stomped his head in," Jonah comments, pointing up to the sky. "I saw that too."

"You saw a lot apparently," I say, smirking. "How's that post-traumatic stress coming along?"

"Funny," he says, glaring at me from the corner of his eye. He looks back up at the roof when the next face appears. "How's yours?"

"It's getting there," I say, averting my eyes from the boy on the roof to Jonah. "We'll see how I feel when his face pops up on the ceiling."

"It will hit you eventually. Just wait," he says, the levity in his voice not convincing me. He really means that – that, eventually, I will feel some form of guilt. "And, if it doesn't, I will. You deserve a good smacking around."

"Is that so?" I say, suppressing a laugh. It really shouldn't be funny at all. "Then why'd you push Levana off of me?"

"Dying in the Bloodbath? Come on, Lei. I can't let you embarrass District One more than you already have," he retorts, and up on the roof, the next face appears. This time, it's the girl from District Seven. Jonah goes on with his observations, saying, "Levana."

I saw her death too, but after that, that's when Levana attacked me. Jonah pushed her off me, and then… And then we killed Mathias. Well, I did, technically. I looked away, running up the stairs, and when we reached the top, we ran around the balcony. There was a door about halfway down it, and now, that's where we're hiding out.

Then, Mathias' face pops up in the sky. His goofy smirk, his wavy hair… This is the boy my arrow was shoved into it. The one who got in my way. Jonah and I were just trying to get away, and really, wouldn't he have killed either of us? Levana was right there, so if we let him go, something would have happened.

I didn't want to risk it.

It makes it easier, though. His death is simply an added convenience.

"Not even a squeal," Jonah says, chuckling. "What has training in One done to you? Make you stoic? Merciless?"

I smirk.

He has a point.

The next face is the male from District Twelve. Neither of us were there for that. His face fades quickly, though, transitioning into the next one.

"I don't remember seeing her, though," Jonah says, and on the roof is the girl from District Nine. I don't remember seeing her die, either, and when the next face appears, Jonah slides himself back up the wall. "Or him."

Now, it's the boy from District Ten. And when I think of it, I remember that the three of them were allies. The three of them plus the boys from Five and Nine.

"Three of them in a row," I say. "What do you think happened?"

"Betrayal," Jonah says, looking at me from the corner of his eye again and smirking. "One of them had to turn on the others."

"Probably."

Jonah looks away, and as the roof clears, the only thing left is the moon, the stars, and the dark sky. He stares out the roof, and I still look at him, now thinking about how he saved me from Levana. I might have been stupid enough to let my guard down, but Jonah came to rescue me.

Would he have betrayed me under different circumstances? Would he ever betray at all?

I don't think so.

Besides, did I doubt for even a second that Jonah wouldn't save me?

That he would let me die?

No. I knew he was going to come and save me.

He can't let me die – I mean too much to him. I am too valuable to him. Without him, he has no one here; quite literally, actually. Out of everyone here, he's the chauvinistic supporter of the Capitol. He's the one with the rebel aunt that the Capitol killed.

I'm not even being self-centered or cocky; I have always known my place with people. He needs me, and I'll admit, I need him. We are allies, after all, and with Levana and Mathias, and probably Ceylon and Otrera, on our tails, we both need as much assistance as possible.

He might have the Capitol on his side, but that doesn't mean anything. If he isn't careful, they'll kill him too, just like his aunt. He doesn't mean that much to them. He might support the Capitol, but one false move and he's dead. A trap, perhaps, or a muttation chasing after him and ripping him apart.

But, with me, he stands a chance. I'm not anti-Capitol, nor am I anti-Panem in general. It was always more than that.

When I joined those protests, it was an outlet for me to prove something to my parents. That, no matter what they said to me and no matter what they attempted to brainwash me with, I would do what I want. That I had my own rights and opinions and that I was going to express them openly.

My parents were always too uptight and too critical. Even if I mentioned the word rebellion they were still annoyed. They continued to be adamant, however, even after all the nights I came home with a Peacekeeper standing behind me at the front door. Nothing changed, though.

So, I continued. I went to more and more protests. Yet, they still didn't pay me any regard or listen to me.

Except for that one night – where I went along with my friends on one of their escapades. They were vandalizing the Justice Building, and although I never touched one of those spray-paint cans myself, I was then considered a rebel. A protest was one thing, but vandalizing was another.

At least it finally caught my parent's attention, though.

I might have only been tagging along, but it didn't matter to them. To them, I was a disgrace. I was a lost cause. I deserved the punishment the District would give me.

Is this my punishment, though? Not really. I volunteered, right?

I put myself into this situation. I wanted to show my parents that, once again, they didn't own me. That I could do what I wanted to do. That not even the Capitol or the District could deter me from expressing my voice and my desire for independence.

I've always done what I want.

No matter what was expected from me –which wasn't much, seeing as I always somehow let people down in one way or another – I always did things my way. In my own fashion and manner.

And, I will continue to do so.

The Hunger Games simply give me more of an opportunity to be free. To make my own rules. To do what I want.

At least, I'm bound to no one. I'm here for myself. Here, I'm free from obligations and expectations. Back in District One, everything was so rigid. So controlled. But, here... Here, it's different. Nothing is controlling me anymore.

Not even the Games can control me.

No one can.

District Three, Marlin Crichton – Placed 24th

District Seven, Audrey Kaman – Placed 23rd

District Seven, Gerri Faulkes – Placed 22nd

District Two, Mathias Mordurie – Placed 21st

District Twelve, Amias Black – Placed 20th

District Nine, Reanine Darsh – Placed 19th

District Ten, Lonan Hurritt – Placed 18th

Author's Note:

There is the Bloodbath, everyone.

I can't even tell you how many times I rewrote certain sections and added/removed deaths. But, I finally get a Bloodbath that I, personally, am content with. I really do think every death through and it isn't easy as it seems, okay. Seven deaths will do, though, yeah? I think so. This is a really short Author's Note... Hm. Whatever, I don't want to ramble. The next chapter might be out a little late. My surgery is on this upcoming this Tuesday, and although I'll try to finish Day Two before then, we shall see.

So… Questions!

Did anyone die that you didn't expect or want to die? Is there anyone you hoped or expected that would die?