Everyone stares at me as the final light goes out on my tablet. I get up out of my chair and walk across the suddenly silent room to drop off my tablet. All that you can hear is the sound of a chair squeaking as it turns and eventually, the sound of my tablet connecting with the metal of the bin.

I turn back around and every eye in the room is shooting straight through my head. I just keep walking, pretending like everything is normal. But it isn't.

This is the earliest that someone that I have mentored has died. I was really hoping to go into the Quarter Quell with a victor and everyone betting on my tributes so they could win a Quarter Quell. District 4 hasn't won a Quarter Quell yet; only 1 and 12.

I take a seat back in my chair and turn my head toward the main television. Eventually, everyone else slowly turns back to their business.

I try to act like it is completely normal that both died this early on, but inside, I have a gazillion thoughts in my head. Did I train them wrong? Could I have saved them? What will District 4 think of me? Surely, I will be looked down upon. I have gotten used to coming home to the cheers of the people. Now, they will still be cheering, but for all the wrong reasons.

I don't think that I trained them wrong. I did what I did every other year. I could use the excuse that they weren't strong enough before prep time began. But, I've been able to make victors out of even the smallest tributes. That is not a valid excuse.

I couldn't have saved either of them. Normally, you can only save a tribute when they have been left for dead or are facing survival problems like hunger. Paul died by the hands of Cato and he died immediately after. Kanani was attacked by tracker jackers, and even the strongest of tributes can't fight them off.

The arena is one of the scariest places because you can train forever and never be truly prepared. The way that the gamemakers mess with you is sickening. They get inside your mind and create monsters that only your wildest dreams could have conjured up. It is like a terrible nightmare that you can never wake up from. Because it is reality.

I break for lunch early. I've got nothing to do anyway. I decide to eat in the waiting room that is normally used for when the tributes are away getting ready for the tribute parade and training. Only a few days ago, I was planning for their victory. All those hours of planning down the drain.

I walk down to the room and fill out the sheet of paper that lets us order food. I hand it to the Peacekeeper and he pokes a bunch of number into his little machine at his side. I've also seen it used as a taser.

Johanna comes in behind me and does the same. She takes a seat next to me and just lets me sit there for a while.

"Dude, you got to get over this! You didn't do anything wrong. If the amount of tributes we brought home was what we were graded on, I would get a F. You have brought home multiple ones, almost a record, and you are moping? You would get an A in the test of mentoring." She knocks some sense in me with her terrible shot at making any wisdom in the situation.

"She's right you know. For once." Cecelia says as she walks in the room. Cecelia has become one of my favorite people here because she actually seems normal. She still has all the qualities that normal people possess. Mags comes in with her.

"It is really impressive what you've done. For some reason, you had instilled so much hope in these little children and to see them leave is hard. We've all been there. If you ever want to talk, we are here. And Annie is back home." Cecelia says. Her voice is more comforting and calm than Johanna's, who is more forceful in her comfort.

"And ocean." Mags stumbles. I always have the ocean.

Short chapter, long author's note! I told you two chapters ago that I would have a special announcement for you and obviously, I haven't told you that yet like I was supposed to. I am going to do another contest. Rules follow:

This contest will be going on for the next five chapters (34-39).

For each chapter, all you need to do is leave a review. There will also be a bonus question at the end of each chapter that if you answer correctly, you will get an extra entry. Leave the answer in your review, but you have to have something else in your review. Ex. "I liked that you are showing some other characters. (Insert Answer Here).

I will pick four winners and each will get a different prize. Winners will be picked using

Prize #1: Pick any previous victor that has already been mentioned throughout the HG series.

Prize #2: Pick any sea creature and name it.

Prize #3: Pick a name for a boy (first and middle name.)

Prize #4: Cannot be disclosed at this time. It will be revealed when the winners are announced because it will make more sense at that point in the story and telling you would be spoilers.

Any questions leave them in the reviews!

Thanks for reading this! The question for this chapter is: What is the most expensive gift ever given in the arena?