Once again I'm going to remind you that deaths are not consistent in this story like they are in the book/movie. I hope you like it! I love your feedback (: thanks for reading!

Chloe DeBenedetto

My Cato intertwines our hands as we sprint to the sound of dead leaves cracking and twigs breaking. I squeeze tighter, holding back tears. I was starting to feel remorse for the dead… it suddenly dawned upon me; this was a sick, sick game. The Tribute who is causing all this ruckus is going to die by the hands of my love.

We reach the source of the noise - it's the crippled boy from 10. He's crawling around on the floor, his leg bloody and his wound open and fresh. The boy, maybe a year or two younger than me, should not have been mixed up in these Games. With his condition, he was almost guaranteed to die.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Glimmer scowls. "Can I kill him, Cato?"

"No," Cato hisses. "He's suffering. And he should. We'll leave him here."

"Cato, please kill him. Slit his throat," I wrap my arms around his torso, shielding my eyes from the unfortunate boy. Please, put him out of his misery. Slitting his throat would be painless and quick. Cato throws me off of him - he wasn't going to let love be a weak spot for him. "Please, Cato!"

"Just kill him already," a voice behind us growls. It's that pathetic boy from 12... Bakerboy. "Drain his blood."

"Why don't we drain your blood, you dopey baker?" Michelle bellows.

"I think I have what it takes to hang out with the Careers," Mellark challenges.

Cato howls with laughter. "12? A Career?" More laughter. The crippled boy from 10 is currently being held hostage by Marvel, who is making sure he doesn't stray far from us.

"I got an eight for my training score. That's gotta count for something," Bakerboy replies. Why does he want to be in our alliance, anyway?

"I have an idea," I cling to Cato's shirt, looking into his eyes. He motions for me to continue. "Glimmer is the weakest Career -"

"As if!" Blondie grits her teeth together, aiming her bow and arrow at me.

"Not so fast, Glim," Marvel gives Michelle the responsibility of District 10 and grabs Glimmer's arms and holds them behind her back. The bow drops to the floor.

"Go on, sweetie," Cato rubs my back.

"Peeta and Glimmer are probably on the same skill level -" I continue…

"I'm not on the same level as 12!" she thunders.

"Shut up already! Your nothing but an annoyance to this alliance!" Cato snaps, and she closes her fat mouth.

I spit out my words fast so she can't interrupt: "Peeta and Glimmer should fight each other to the death… Whoever wins advances with us. The loser burns in hell," I may hate killing innocent people, but not Glimmer. I'd kill her with pleasure.

Cato smirks, pulling me closer. "That's the best idea I've heard all day, baby. So it's settled: Glimmer versus Peeta. Winner joins the Careers. Loser joins the dead."

"You've made a mistake showing up here, baker," Glimmer narrows her eyes.

"But before you start…" With one thrust of Cato's sword, the already-wounded crippled boy is dead. His cannon fires. I blink back tears.

Peeta Mellark

I have to protect Katniss. I have to protect Katniss. I have to protect Katniss.

I have to kill Glimmer, who has at least ten more years of experience…

Those thoughts are racing though my head as the blonde-haired devil from the Luxury District pounces on me, knocking us both to the earthy ground. Her bow, which is long distance only, is no use here. But that sharp, pointy arrow that she's trying to stab me with is.

I take out my knife. I never liked throwing them, but fighting with them is pretty effective.

Come on, Peeta. For Katniss. If you lose, they'll kill Katniss.

After rolling on the floor for what seems like hours, what I fear the most is happening: Glimmer's arrow pierces my upper ribcage. Blood spills from the wound and soon, she's covered with my blood as well. I can barely see; my vision is clouded with white pain. I'm weak. I flip us over with the last bit of energy that I have so that I'm on top of this awkward position. I jab my knife in her shoulder, and she shrieks.

"Cato!" Glimmer is crying, the pain is too much for her. I can hear laughing the distance. The Careers. Would they care if this gorgeous blonde passed on? "Cato, help me!"

The leader of the Careers is kissing the other blonde of the group, I can see this from the corner of my eye - and it's literally killing Glimmer. "Cato! Stop! Help me!" she's weeping. "Please stop kissing her! I love you!" Her death wishes are ignored. No one from her 'alliance' even acknowledges her.

She's in such a limp state; the color is draining from her face, more and more every second. This beautiful, intimidating girl is crumbling; dying in front of me. "Cato… please… Marvel… help…"

I can't kill her. This is too heartbreaking.

For Katniss!

I drag my knife across her throat when my thoughts mention her name - her beautiful brunette hair, so soft. I'm sorry, Glimmer. But I had to do this. For Katniss.

For Katniss. My beauty - your safe now.

For a little while, at least.

Chloe DeBenedetto

"Finally!" Marvel sighs, exasperated. "She should have died at the bloodbath."

Cato nods in agreement. "She was pretty annoying. Welcome to the Careers, Bakerboy."

Mellark smiles gratefully, his hand applying pressure to his wound on his upper ribcage. This could have ended worse for him.

"We have to find Katniss Everdeen," Cato says determinedly. "She got a higher score than me… So it's only natural that she has to die by my hand."

Peeta freezes up and Marvel grins. "You guys love each other," he cackles. "Don't you have some kind of connection? Do you know where she is?"

"You're an idiot, Marvel," Michelle giggles. "But I love you anyway."

Me and Cato exchange a 'what?' look but we shake it off. Michelle and Marvel are just friends… right?

"I can lead you to her, I think. I know where she is. We discussed strategies. She's in the tall grass… in the field," Peeta says.

"Great, let's go -" Michelle starts, but I know better.

"You lie," I grab his shirt and try to menacingly hoist him up, but I'm not strong enough, so I just pull him closer so my words are right in his face. "I can tell."

"No, no, I promise. She's in the fields!" Peeta is shaking. What an idiot. I'll take pleasure in killing him later.

"Lead the way," I sneer. "But if your wrong, you'll end up like District 10," I no longer feel guilty.

But the trees above tell me that someone is up there. "Cato," I whisper. "Look," I point to the tree above us. It's midday now, and I can see someone up there… her skin the color of milk chocolate, hair blacker than a raven.

"It's that girl from 11," he flashes his teeth - a scary smile. Death is near. "Climb that tree, Chlo, your lighter than me." I nod. The other Careers are out of sight, led by Peeta, to where Katniss apparently is.

I grab the branches, pulling myself higher and higher until Rue (I think her name is) notices my presence. "Katniss!" the little girl yells.

"So the Girl on Fire is up there with you?" I smirk. "You've made a… fatal mistake."

"District 12 is up there!" Cato shouts victoriously. "You can get her, Chlo!" I remove a knife from the inside of my jacket and crawl till I'm only a couple feet below Rue. I don't want to kill this little girl! But I have too. I want Cato to be pleased.

"I'm sorry," I take the knife and reach out and cut her arm, and a bright red gash appears in her chocolaty skin.

"Katniss!" The little girl bellows again.

The next thing I know, an arrow pierces my shoulder blade, and I fall at least thirty feet out of a tree.

"Cato…"

The familiar walls of the orange tent bring a sense warmth. I'm sore all over, and my shoulder blade stings with pain. It's dark - very dark. Cato unzips the tent and makes his way in a couple minutes later.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit with a car," I reply groggily. I try and get up, but Cato gently pushes me back down.

"Don't get up for a couple hours. We moved camp - we're under that tree you fell out of… that was a day ago. Everdeen is still up there. She can't live up there, so she's got to come down sometime. We'll be waiting when she does."

"Your so smart," I mutter, closing my eyes. He kisses my head, his lips warm. "It hurts."

"I know, baby, I know. Everything's okay, Chlo. Everything will be fine," he looks into my eyes, and a dam breaks in my mind.

"We're not going to be okay, Cato!" I sob into the crook of his neck. "I'm going to die. You know that. Only one can come out alive." I'm trying to keep a straight face, but the tears keep coming.

"Don't think like that," Cato hisses.

"Whatever. It's going to happen, one of these days. What happened to Carter?" I ask, referring to the boy from 3.

"He's keeping watch," he replies. "He won't stick around much longer."

"Okay," I say, cuddling against him. His body heat provides a feeling of safeness.

Sleep. I need it. My words come out faint and weak. "Your so warm, Cato."

He chuckles and changes my bandage from where the arrow buried itself in my shoulder.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

"Five more minutes, Mom," I grumble, deep in sleep. "Just five more minutes."

"Get up, Chloe!"

"Go away, Mom!" I shriek. The blankets are so nice… why are they stinging me? Tiny, poisonous needles digging into my sensitive skin.

"The lake!" Marvel screams. I'm snatched up from my fortress of fuzziness and carried for a good distance, then dropped into cold water just as two cannons fire. I'm drenched from head to toe. I resurface, catching my breath.

"What the fu -!" Cato wraps his arms around me.

"My baby…" he mutters. He strokes my wet, blonde hair and whispers sweet nothings into my ear. "Are you okay?"

"Michelle's gone," Marvel's face is in his hands. I look down at my arms - tons of little Trackerjacker stingers are buried into my skin, still not removed.

Trackerjacker stings cause powerful hallucinations…

"Along with that stupid boy from 3," Cato adds.

"Where's… Peeeeetaaa?" I say drunkenly, regaining all of my strength.

"I'm right here, Chloe," he answers. I fling myself at him and start laughing.

"Do you have any rootbeer? That's my favorite!" I giggle. "Catch me!" I fall into Peeta's open arms.

"Where's Catooooo?"

"Are you okay, Chlo?" Cato asks, unsure.

"I bet you can't catch me, Catoooo!" I start running. Cato is chasing me, trying to get me to calm down, but I'm lighter and quicker than him. I trip over a fallen candy cane and roll around on the floor, hugging the earth.

"Stop, Catoooo!" I scream. "I just want to give you a hug!"

"Chloe, calm down!" he howls, and the birds in the trees fly away, alarmed.

"Catoooo, I don't feel so good," I purge blood, crimson red.

Then I black out.

Oh no! Chloe is mental! Those darned Trackerjackers! Why is Cato so dumb? REMOVE THE STINGERS CATO! (: The Careers are dying too soon! Nooooo! stay tuned for the next chapter. :-)

DEATH REPORTS

DISTRICT 1 FEMALE [GLIMMER GLOWSPARK]
Throat slit by Peeta Mellark

DISTRICT 3 MALE [CARTER JOZWIAK]
Stung multiple times by Trackerjackers

DISTRICT 4 FEMALE [MICHELLE MARINA]
Stung multiple times by Trackerjackers

DISTRICT 10 MALE
Pierced by Cato Vindisi's sword

1 KILL FOR PEETA MELLARK, 1 KILL FOR CATO VINDISI, 2 KILLED BY TRACKERJACKERS

Death toll: 16 (8 Tributes left in the Games by end of second day)