Foxx's A/N: I'm alone. Poo. PS, I'm pissed that Sub calls Koalas 'Koala Bears'. They ain't freaking bears. They're marsupials. They're Koalas! Turns out I am required to write a super-duper long A/N. So I am just going to let you know - as if I haven't reminded you guys enough - that I absolutely love pie. Pie is just the food every created by man. Just putting it out there.

Snev's A/N: *At the beach with my sister's best friend's family because I steal her friends for the lack of my own. Currently not contributing to the writing of this chapter*

Subject's A/N: Hello faithful and unfaithful readers! We hope you like this chapter, just 'cause the bloodbath took forever. Thankfully, we are still two chapters ahead of schedule.

~SFSSFSFSSFSS~

Chapter 17: Gallivanting, Maia's POV

I gaped, appalled, at the gushing wound along my left forearm. A bubble of blood dripped down my arm, entwining through my fingers. A stinging pain gnawed at the arm and I bit my lip not to cry. If I needed sponsors - which I certainly did - then I needed to show no pain, to prove myself worthy. The sun was blistering in the sky, no clouds in sight, the heat was awfully suffocating and it took effort to stop myself from cringing. I heard cannon fire ring out nine times, and my thoughts flickered to Derryl. Please don't be dead! Trying to clear my mind of him, I started to walk.

I stumbled through some of the long grass, attempting to find an area devoid of the retched plants. Dear god, please don't let me have allergies! It took almost 45 minutes of walking to find a strip of cleared land, and when I finally came across one, I collapsed with relief. Worried about the large collection of dried blood congealed on my arm, I set to tending the wound.

I ripped a piece of cloth from the bottom of my shirt and wrapped it around the wound. Fortunately, it wasn't too deep, the worst that could happen is that it would scar. But who would care about a measly scar? Trying to ignore the receding pain in my arm, I started to take an inventory of all the supplies I had grabbed: a small brown backpack that was maddeningly empty of contents, a small carving knife, a small pack of assorted nuts, and, best of all, a single, beautiful axe that had a glistening, sharp edge. I tried to get the rest, but that damn Career interfered! Although there was only one, I couldn't believe the luck I had. Back in the lumber district, axe working was essential. Now why would that tiny bag have been in the center of the Cornucopia?

Curious, I moved to get the rest of the supplies into the small brown backpack, but I was shocked at the unnecessary in the bag. What the hell? It feels like there's a ton of bricks in here! Reaching into it, there appeared to be nothing. Unfazed, I groped at the bottom, searching for the small catch I knew was there.

Aha! By pulling a loose string, the bottom of the bag fell out, and it billowed outwards. I jerked backwards, the 'bag' folding and rearranging itself. Holy cow! After all movement had stopped, I looked at where the bag had once been. In its place, a tent had been erected, level with the wheat around me. No wonder this was in the center! The tent was the same texture as the plants, it's camouflage removing it from the site of others. YES!

I ducked into the entrance and found myself in a small room, shielded from the pounding sunlight shining endlessly in the Arena. I expected the tent to roast me alive, insulating the heat, but instead, I was actually cold. So it keeps out the heat, too? I wonder if it comes with a TV. I wonder what the Gamemakers think now. I knew my new sanctuary was most likely laced with cameras, but I could care less. Stepping out, I proceeded to move my supplies in.

Having finished settling in to my tent, I let the events of the day wash into my thoughts. Then suddenly, it dawned on me. I wounded that boy. The one from district one, the Career, Victor; the one who had darted for the same axes I had. He was a trained killer and I was a mere girl who worked in the lumberyard, yet I had managed to wound him. Possibly fatally, by the look of the gash he limped away with in his leg. Then another thought struck me. He actually ran away. From me! Yeah, sure, there were probably bigger people for him to worry about and he wanted all the supplies from the Cornucopia, but that was besides the point.

"Shit," I swore aloud, indifferent to anyone who may overhear. I had suddenly realised my biggest mistake. After gaining all these wicked items, I still had no water and just a couple nuts. A few days and I would be dead, if I didn't find some water. My tongue was already dry. I thought back to the bloodbath, picturing what I knew of the arena in my head. Well, I thought, there's that river, but it looked so far away. I could die of dehydration on my way walking there, in this horrid heat.

"Shit," I swore again. Freaking hell, I was so stupid. It was still daylight and I had already set up for sleep. I should keep going; set up some distance between me and the other tributes first! I paused, then argued with myself, but that's what they'll expect you to do. You could go back and spy on the careers. They would never know you were there! But what if they caught me? They won't. You don't even know how to fold the tent -peasy-bright-and-squeezy. But there's Bella, and the district one guy would want revenge. But they'll never know you were there. Bella can probably smell me! Stop making up bullshit, Maia, she won't smell you. You are a professional thief back home so you can be a professional thief here. Fine, but I hate you.

I rubbed at my temples: arguing with yourself hurts. If I kept it up, I would probably turn into some crazy old cat lady. Having decided to turn back and spy on the careers, I swiftly packed all my supplies, finding the tent surprisingly easy to morph back into the bag. Just one string, eh? I would've enjoyed more of a challenge. Not that finding water is an easy task...

My thighs burned, my calf muscles ached, my feet stung with every step. I had spent all day walking into my grassy home, and now the sun was setting and I hadn't arrived at the careers' camp yet. At least the oncoming darkness would bring a slight drop in temperature from the heat. Hopefully. You never know WHAT the Gamemakers plan to do. As I walked, worries raced through my mind, even things I hadn't thought about since I was reaped: What was it Jessamine wanted oh-so desperately tell me in the goodbyes but didn't get the chance? Was it something bad? And how was mum handling this right now, watching me? Was she proud I survived, cheering me on? Or had she already accepted me death? The sky was darkening rapidly, and I looked up.

The night brings the faces of the dead, and I was positively anxious to see who appeared. The question of Derryl's survival was nagging me, along with my terrible thirst and growing hunger. I paused mid-hike as the Panem's anthem rung throughout the arena and looked up in the sky to see the faces appear. Both from district three, so obviously the careers from one and two made it, including Bella and Victor, the guy I 'fatally' injured. I guess it wasn't so fatal.

Followed was the boy from five. That meant Derryl was still alive and kicking. Maybe not kicking, he could've be lying half-dead in a puddle for all I knew. I couldn't fight back the sigh of relief, but it was short lived. Next was the girl from six, Rathead, and then both from eight. So, Saxon had survived too. It was most likely everyone was probably to scared to even go near him, being the intimidating boy he is. Then both faces from eleven and the boy from twelve shone in the sky. I hesitated at that: the autistic girl had survived. I wonder how that happened.

That was nine dead. Fifteen left alive in the arena. Fourteen more deaths needed for me to go home. And one of those deaths included Derryl's. Hopefully someone else would get to him first.

Foxx's A/N: Mwahaha! I have succeeded in getting Subject addicted to wattpad! Unlike some people... *points finger at Snev*. Yeah, and see what we did there with that chapter? Entertaining, yet absolutely nothing happened. Bam. Oh look, it's midnight, again. On a school night, again. *sighs*

Snev's A/N: *I have a life, unlike Foxx and Subby.* Thank you. Even though I actually didn't contribute to this chapter because I was gallivanting off the the beach (gallivanting - don't you just love that word?) I'm not going to leave you lot without your hint for this chapter on how to get hits and reviews. This chapters' hint: one-shots. Now, there's two ways you can swing them into advantage of your main story. Number one: do an array of different one-shots for different non-main-story related things in the same topic. This means more people will be aware of your presence on here. Number two is a bit more direct, however. Number two: create one-shots branching off from the main story, like little scenes you never included, to entice people in. Because if they read that and like it they might go on and read what it was branched off, which is always a good thing. Either way you'll probably get more reviews and hits. End of chapter's hint. ;D

Subject's A/N: Foxx has succeeded in getting me addicted to Wattpad. It's like fiction press. But cooler. Anyway, Snev had no influence in this chapter, and it shows. Let's hope for more, but, as always, we have chapters left over. And some one-shot ideas... It's too bad Snev's tip was what Foxx and I were planning on doing...