Who died? Was it Thresh? I hope it wasn't Thresh.

The hovercraft appears over our camp. And it wasn't Thresh. It was the girl from five.

But how did she die? She wasn't bloody or anything. Thresh is probably over in the fields and the careers were way off so who knows where they are...

I tell Gale to stay there and I go to investigate. The camp looks untouched. I don't understand! If something attacked her, there would be blood.

I hop down from my tree to get a closer look. It looks normal. The knives, the first aid kit, the wire, the rabbit, the squirrel, the bird, the berries, the roots, the leaves, the jerky and crackers, and the water. Nothing looks weird. Wait a second... berries?

"GALE!"

Gale walks out. "Did you find out how she died?"

I nod. "Gale, do you know what these are?" I ask calmly, holding out the berries.

Gale nods. "Those are the berries you showed me. I saw them on the way back from hunting and grabbed a few."

"These are poisonous. They would kill you in a minute. I think she thought that since we had them, that they were safe to eat."

"I'm sorry, Rue."

"It's fine. But you just had me worried," I say.

Ok, tributes left: Clove and Cato, Thresh, and Gale and I. We're in the top five! I could go home! I could see my family again. But what about Gale?

"Gale, what would happen if we were the only two left?"

"Rue, if that happens, I will make sure you win."

But I shake my head. "Gale, you want to see your family as much as I do and I won't let you kill yourself for me. I think it's time to break our alliance."

Gale was hesitant, but I persuaded him. We went our separate ways, but split the food and supplies.

While gnawing on a rabbit leg, I try to find a new hiding spot. I find a nice tree and make camp. It was really cold so I'm glad Gale gave me the sleeping bag. I climb in and try to fall asleep.

The anthem plays and it shows Marvel and the girl from five. I feel bad that I never even took the time to learn her name.

I want to win. But I want Gale to win. And Thresh's grandmother needs him. And I'm sure that Cato and Clove have people they care for. But the games aren't about being sorry for the people trying to kill you. It's about being ruthless and selfish and willing to take lives to spare your own. I have to find out how to get rid of the others. And if I'm lucky, someone will take out Gale for me.

But I've never been lucky. I'd rather die than have to kill Gale, who protected me. And I can't kill Gale, even if I wanted to.

I'll let someone else get Gale, and hopefully Thresh. Cato and Clove are big and brutal, but not entirely smart.

I think I hear something... voices! It's Cato and Clove. So they haven't broken the alliance yet.

"Thresh is the only real threat we have of losing," Clove said.

"Nah, I can take him on," Cato boasts. "Gale seems tough, but I could actually hear him after that weakling died! We can take him out."

"And then there's that girl from 11, what's her name? Rue? God knows how she made it this far. If we cross her, we could flick her and she'd die," Clove said.

I'm slightly offended. How could I get rid of them? They don't have food anymore, and I can see their ribs poking through their uniforms, but the capitol will get bored watching people starve. The gamemakers will add some sort of torture. And I can't imagine what kind of creature they'll throw in for the finally. I shudder at the thought.

While I'm thinking, a branch that my foot was resting on snaps. I don't fall, but the careers notice.

They know it's me. I'm the only tribute small enough to climb trees.

Clove grins. "Hey Rue..."