Short chapter... I just wanted to get a this out since there won't be an update until Saturday/Sunday since I have plans tomorrow. I hope you like it! (: I have a really good plan for the next couple chapters, this idea actually came to me in a dream!

-Alana

Chloe DeBenedetto

"Stop!" I yowl, while Marvel holds me down, my bones crushing under his weight. Cato is pulling out the stingers of the Trackerjackers I was stung by last night. The Career alliance now consists of Bakerboy, Marvel, Cato, and me. A million hours go by, and Cato soon takes out the last stinger.

A sponsor item arrives, carried by a parachute. Marvel grabs it, twisting the lid and peering inside. Cato rips it from his hand and reads the note attached:

Apply generously to Trackerjacker stings. Good luck. -M & W

Cato reaches his hand into the container and smears a Vaseline-like substance over my arms. A cooling sensation overcomes me and I close my eyes in relief. But I open my eyes once again as I realize something.

"Mellark did lie to us," I say with an amused psychotic grin. "He loves the girl."

Cato stands up from his kneeling position next to me, as well as Marvel. I sit up. A smirk appears on both of their faces. "Disloyalty to the Career Pack?" Cato tilts his head menacingly. "Trying to protect the girl, no doubt. She was up there with that girl from 11."

"I swear, I didn't think she would climb up a tree… That's so unlike Katniss…" Peeta says, obviously a scared edge to his voice.

"When we find her, I kill her in my own way, and no one interferes," Cato snaps, his mood changing to deadly.

"Run, baker. We'll find you. And we'll kill you," Marvel snarls. Peeta takes off in the opposite direction, kicking up leaves and mud behind him. We all share a laugh before setting off to find more Tributes.

When we don't find any after searching for a good three hours, nightfall is quickly approaching. We set up camp, pitching two tents: one for Marvel, one for me and Cato. We sit around the fire, sharing stories of our lives back home and more strategies.

"This alliance is going to have to break up soon," Marvel states, examining his spear, looking for imperfections and cleaning dried blood. "How about we wait until the final five?"

"Sounds good," I say, not looking up from sharpening my knives. "Three more kills, and I'm gone."

"Hey!" Cato motions for us to be quiet, "did you hear that?" he picks up his sword and starts readying for battle.

"Yeah," I say, smirking. "But who would be stupid enough to raid us?"

"I would, but I wouldn't consider it stupidity," A shadow emerges from behind a tree, the silhouette dark. The voice is clearly feminine, but there are another person is standing behind her.

"Is that -" Marvel is interrupted.

"It's District 12! Both of them!" Cato yells, not believing it. The duo steps out even more, the fire illuminating their faces - Katniss's braid is gnarled and messy, her face showing bravery.

"Wipe that smirk off, Everdeen!" I say threateningly. "You won't live much longer!"

With that, Katniss places an arrow in her bow and shoots. I duck and run towards her, fearing nothing. Meanwhile, Cato and Marvel are teaming up on Peeta. I wrap my hands around her warm throat and squeeze. She's choking, gagging, closing her eyes. She weakly tries to hit me with her bow, but her life is draining…

"Katniss!" Peeta screams, and I feel a sharp object dig into my side and it stings like a snake bite. He somehow escaped Marvel's tight grasp and ran away from Cato. I double over and pain and land face first into the dirt, my mouth full of it. I howl, but it's muffled. Tears drip from my eyes and turn the dirt damp; I can't stand up.

I can feel someone standing over me, and I would bet my life that it was Katniss to finish me off… whoever it was, they topple onto my back with force.

A cannon fires.

"No!" That's Peeta Mellark's voice, and it rings through the night like a bell. "I'll get you back for that, Vindisi!" He's running away, like a coward.

I roll over weakly and push Katniss's dead body off of me. She's taller than me by about three inches, but she's a bit lighter. But don't call me fat - she doesn't have a lot of food back in 12.

"Chloe!" Cato shouts, throwing the dead Tribute's body into a big rock. Crack! "Chloe, are you okay?"

"It hurts so bad…" I cry, my head in Cato's lap. "Make it stop! I'm sick of this! I want to go home!"

He wipes away my tears holds my hand. "I want to go home!" I repeat, louder. "Please, take me home!" I wrap my arms around his neck and he pats my back. Marvel is just standing there, awkwardly, fiddling with his spear.

"We're stuck here," Marvel says. "We're stuck here until someone wins."

Cato carries me into the tent to treat my wounds; there are cuts and scrapes all over me, along with my shoulder blade that was struck with an arrow. And my sore back from landing on it when I fell out of the tree. My newest injury: right above my hip on the left side lays a bloody gash. "Cato!" I jolt, while he wraps gauze around my waist. "Who's guarding the supplies?" At that exact moment, an explosion goes off. The underground mines that Carter, of District 3, set up!

"Shit!" Cato and Marvel shout at the same time.

Nothing can be salvaged from the explosion. Our medical supplies, food, and weapons are destroyed. Marvel kicks a rock around, clearly irritated. "Who did this?" I fume. Cato sets me down, since I'm not strong enough to walk on my own yet. I glance around the airy, grass-smelling field. No one else is here but the moon, raised high in the sky.

"Look at these," Cato motions to the ground, where shoe tracks are embedded in the mud. We follow the tracks until woods start again, where they vanish.

"The shoes are small," Marvel says, and I nod. "Like a little girl…"

"Rue," I suspect. "It's got to be Rue… no one else's feet are that small!"

"Who's Rue?" Marvel asks, confused.

"From District -" I'm cut off by the majestic Anthem of Panem. Katniss's face flashes across the sky, and I grin. Cato saved me from her wrath. He drapes his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close, that familiar warmth surrounding me. Everything is silent again. "From District 11," I explain. "She's twelve. She's got to be the one that blew up everything."

"I agree," Cato tightens his grip on me. Another cannon fires, signaling another death. But who?

Peeta Mellark

"Don't eat those!" little Rue smacks my hand, the berries dropping to the floor.

"Why? It's food. And we currently don't have any," I reply to the twelve year old, a little agitated.

"Those are nightlock! When they grow in District 11, they have to be cut down! They're not edible, they're poisonous," Rue tells me, and my face burns with embarrassment. I reach out and give Rue a hug. I need some support, ever since my Girl on Fire died. I feel like my body walks around, empty, my soul gone.

She's dead. I can't believe it - it just won't register in my mind. Katniss Everdeen is dead.

I almost want to eat the Nightlock to join Katniss in Heaven, but then who would protect Rue from the bloodthirsty Careers, who would never even think about showing mercy.

DEATH REPORTS

DISTRICT 5 FEMALE [FOXFACE]

Consumed poisonous Nightlock berries

DISTRICT 12 FEMALE [KATNISS EVERDEEN]

Stabbed straight through back by Cato Vindisi's sword

Death toll: 18 (6 Tributes left in the Games by end of third day)