Sapphire Princeps – District 1

We sit around a fire near the Cornucopia. Gabrielle sulks about not killing any tributes. Conrad leans back, smirking. Lucien holds his trident at all times, ready to kill the boy from Twelve. I'll admit it, Cabot scares me.

My head turns to Sorren, sitting by himself, sharpening his sword. I move over towards him and smile. "What's wrong?" I keep one hand on my spear and another on top of Sorren's hand.

"Nothing," he mutters, frowning.

I raise an eyebrow, knowing he's lying. I nudge him playfully. "Seriously. What's wrong?"

"You have changed, Sapphire," Sorren says, staring up at me with his deep emerald eyes.

I scoff. "How have I changed?"

"How have you changed? You did not just ask me that," he says sharply. "Listen, Sapphire. I volunteered to keep you safe. I know what I signed up for. But if you keep acting like this—"

"Or what? You'll kill me?" I retort.

Sorren shakes his head. "You're being a snob. You are turning into a monster."

"How can you say that?" I narrow my eyes at him.

"Are you two done bickering?" Conrad asks, leaning down between the two of us.

"Get out! This is none of your business!" I snap.

"And go where? Into the deep dark forest?" he replies, laughing sardonically. "Where that mutt is? No freaking way."

"Alright, you little mongrels, shut the hell up," Gabrielle commands. We all look up at her. She saunters around the fire. "You all have problems you fools need to talk about. It's keeping us from working together to kill the other tributes. If we don't work as a team, we're going to lose this Game and I never lose."

"Coming from the girl that will most likely stab us in the back," I say. "Literally."

"Oh, and by the way, carrot-top, you're saying we'll lose like you're going to win. How is that going to work out? What if someone kills you first, someone like…District Five," Conrad adds. "Or me." He raises his eyebrows, amused by his comment.

"Shut it, dumbass," Gabrielle snarls.

"Is this like some kind of intervention of some sort? Team working exercise?" Sorren says.

"Listen, the golden siblings are bickering like four year olds," Gabrielle says, sneering at me and my brother. "The jackass in front of me is walking around like he owns this place. And fish boy over here is sulking like a toddler."

"And you?" I say. "What's wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing. I want to win."

"I think that you want to impress someone. That's why you're so competitive," Lucien says, finally looking up.

"Yeah. Who are you trying to impress? You're uncle?" Sorren says.

"My parents were killed by Peacekeepers. My mother thought I was a monster. Maybe she was right but…"

"What? It still hurt your sadistic feelings? You trying to impress your mother?" I say.

"I want to impress the Capitol and the President," Gabrielle says, pursing her lips.

And I want to impress my mother. I gaze at Sorren who is looking at me. He wants to help me and I keep pushing him away. "I'm sorry," I tell Sorren. He squeezes my hand and nods. Finally, I think about what happens when I win. Sorren will be gone. For good. He won't be in the Capitol. He won't have some fancy job at my father's shop. He won't be married to some pretty District One girl. He'll be dead. Because of me.

"Lucien, you should sleep," I say.

"I can't sleep. Not while the District Twelve boy is alive," Lucien says. "I'll sleep when he's dead."

"If you don't sleep now, you won't have the energy to kill him."

Lucien nods warily. Conrad still keeps a smirk plastered on his face. I glance over at the boy from Three who is just digging up stuff from the platforms. I cock my head to the side in curiosity. I walk over to him.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Gabrielle asked me to dig up the mines. If I can reactivate them and use some of the metal from the platforms, I could make a bomb," Maxwell says without looking up at me. "Go to your friends."

"We're not friends. Sooner or later, we'll break up and go our own ways," I say.

It isn't long until we all get some sleep. We alternate, some guarding and some sleeping. Sorren and I talk for a while as we guard the camp. As far as I know, Sorren still wants to protect me. I pray it doesn't come down to the two of us.

"Wake up, you lazy mongrels," Gabrielle says, kicking us awake. "Time to go hunting."

We eat a small breakfast and drink water from the Cornucopia. We leave the boy from Three to continue working on his grenades. Lucien stays behind in case Ector ever comes back.

As we journey into the woods, Gabrielle leads the way. She is careful not to touch the trees. When I accidently touch one, I have to suppress a scream as spiders come crawling out. Sorren touches my shoulder in reassurance.

We go further and further into the woods. Deeper than ever before. The dead leaves move as the wind blows. The trees moan when there are strong gusts of wind.

Finally, we come across a bare spot. I notice large paw prints, like that of a dog. There's a lot of blood stains too. The person was limping and dragging one foot. There was another set of footsteps. The limping person's foot prints veer off to the side. Conrad and Sorren follow those.

Gabrielle and I follow the footsteps of the other person. We hide behind some bushes to see who the person is. The boy is skinny and smaller. His back is turned as he picks berries from a bush.

"Well, look what we have here," Gabrielle says, pulling out her sword. The boy turns around, frightened. I lift my spear as well, aiming it at the boy's heart. The boy's eyes are full of fear as he quivers. I recognize the boy. He's from Eleven. Conrad and Sorren must be hunting for his partner.

"Let's play a little game," Gabrielle says with a murderous glare.

Pietta Carmelle – District 3

Sage picks a few berries off of a bush. "These are not poisonous. It's funny because all the other berries we've found have been toxic." She smiles, popping one in her mouth. She puts a few into my hand to eat.

As I pop one into my mouth, I stick my tongue out. It's too sweet for me. However, I understand that this is food and I need it. If I don't eat, I'll die. After the death of Trenton and separation from Rilly, our chances of winning have slowly shrunk.

"We need water," I say, choking down another berry. We'd found a small stream at one point and the water wasn't toxic. But now it's day three and the Gamemakers dried it up. It's a sign that we're too far from other tributes to come and kill us. We're being pushed closer towards the Cornucopia. The land surrounding the structure is the only green thing in this arena.

At night, Sage and I alternate guarding. We don't have any weapons, but we warn each other if something or someone comes our way. Whenever I watch our small camp, I hear things. And see things. It hadn't taken long for me to realize that this arena shifts to our fears. Somehow the Gamemakers have figured out our fears by the way we act and probably when they watch us when we were in our own homes.

"Where are we going to get water?" Sage asks, munching on berries. "Besides, we don't have any canteens to collect the water."

"We need to water or we'll die. And I really don't want to die," I reply, finishing off my remaining berries. "Sooner or later, the Gamemakers are going to come up with some horrible way to either kill us or push us towards other tributes."

"What do you propose we do then?"

I take a deep breath. "Go to the Cornucopia. Full speed. Wait until the Careers are gone and we can grab some supplies. Just enough to sustain us and not too much that they'll notice."

"That's your plan? Go in there without any weapons?" Sage's eyes are wide open.

"Do you have a better idea because if you do, I would love to hear it, Sage," I snap. "Sorry. But seriously, there's no other option."

Finally, she nods. "Take more berries though," Sage tells me.

I wrinkle my nose, picking more berries off the bush. I stick a couple in my mouth, growing used to the taste. We start heading for the Cornucopia which isn't that far away.

We reach the center of the arena. I grab Sage and pull her behind a wide tree. I poke my head around the trunk. A small gasp escapes my lips as I see Maxwell working on something. Standing near him is the boy from Four. The rest must be out hunting.

I turn back to Sage. "Now's the time to get supplies. Only two people are guarding and one of them is Maxwell. If we run fast enough, we can make it. And…" I look back to Maxwell. "We can get Maxwell out of there."

"We can't rescue Maxwell," Sage whispers. "That Career can kill all three of us, easily. We'll get Maxwell later when there's less Careers."

"By that time he could be dead." I stare at her intensely. Sage isn't letting up.

"We need a plan. We can't just go and take him. The boy from Four is keeping a hawk's eye on him," Sage adds.

"Fine. Let's get some supplies and go." I look at the Cornucopia. They've stashed everything inside. It'll be hard to get in there without someone noticing. We'll need a distraction. I examine all the trees. "How well can you climb, Sage?"

We wait a while to make sure the other Careers aren't coming back. Finally, I nudge Sage forward. I turn back around and hear whistling. The boy from Four leaves, ready to kill anyone that crosses him.

I dart towards the Cornucopia. As I grab a couple of packs, there are shouts from the Career and Sage. Hopefully, Sage has gotten to safety high up in a tree. When I turn around, Maxwell is holding a knife to my throat. His gaze softens as he realizes who I am.

"Pietta," he says with a tone of surprise. "What are you doing here? This is dangerous."

"Isn't this whole Game dangerous?" I say. "Let me go. Or better yet, come with us."

"I can't. The Careers will kill me. I want to but I'm scared and this is my best bet to stay alive for now."

"Don't you remember that you were going to be in my alliance?"

"Things are different. Listen, I'll find a way back to you. But right now, I have supplies to make a weapon to destroy the Careers."

"What kind of weapon?" He's obviously building some sort of technology out of scratch.

"A bomb. Just trust me," Maxwell says. "I know what I'm doing. I'll run when the Careers split up. Now, the thing is that I can't let you run off with those packs."

My eyes widen as he touches my throat with his knife.

"Unless you were to knock me out before I could stop you," he continues. He removes his knife. I nod and raise my fist, punching him in the face. He falls backwards, out cold. I run for the woods just as the boy from Four is coming back. He hefts his trident over his shoulder, ready to throw it, but I'm already in the safety of the woods.

As I sprint, I hit something small. Oof! I gasp for air and find myself staring at a small, familiar red head. "Sage!" I whisper. Her eyes are big and scared. "Let's get out of here." I hand her a pack and we're off again.

I keep thinking about death. A shudder runs through my spine. As more tributes die, the closer I could be to my own death. One or more tribtues will become murderers.

By now, we're deep in some of the darkest parts of the woods. Spiders crawl out from the trees. Large rodents scurry across the ground. Snakes slither around. Suddenly, there's a high pitch scream as we take a turn. Sage and I slow down to walking and we see an area where a bunch of trees have fallen and been crushed.

Splinters and branches are everywhere. Then, my eyes land on a blonde head. As I approach, I notice it's Rilly trapped under a tree. She's screaming and crying. "P—Pietta," she says. Her voice is weak. "Sage…Help me!" My eyes widen. The tree is trapping her from her abdomen down.

"Rilly, what happened?" I ask. Sage analyzes the situation and sees how big the tree is.

"Tarragon…he—he, we were allies…he, something happened and, and he chased me. There was this mutt and I ran and this, this tree fell," Rilly chokes out. Her lips quiver. A knife is sitting not too far away and it's just out of her reach. One of her hands is trapped under the tree.

"Shh. Be quiet. We're going to get you out of this, right, Sage?" I say. "Sage. Can we get her out of this?"

Sage takes my arm and pulls me away from Rilly so we're out of earshot. "We can't move the tree. She's not getting out of this. I've seen stuff like this before. Even if we could move the tree, she's been trapped under it for too long. I'm surprised she isn't dead yet.

"What do you mean?" I understand that we can't move the tree. It's much too large.

"Her pelvis will be crushed. As soon as the tree is lifted, then her body will pretty much fall apart and she'll die of internal bleeding. Since we can't move the tree, she's probably going to die of internal bleeding anyway." Sage wipes her face and crosses her arms across her chest.

I bit my lip, nodding. We kneel down beside Rilly to keep her company.

"What's happening?" Rilly says. She's having trouble breathing.

"You're fine," Sage says softly. She starts talking more and I can't think of a thing to say. I just don't have a good grip of what's happening. I don't understand. And I don't understand why I can't feel anything. "Rilly, you're going to be safe soon. No pain or anything." She takes Rilly's hand.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" she says, crying even harder. She breathes shallowly. "I escape the Bloodbath and my murderous ally, and a freaking tree takes me down…"

"I'm so sorry," I say flatly.

Rilly looks to Sage though and not me. "When one of you wins, will you send a message to my brother?" Sage nods. "Tell him I love him. And tell my friend Lyssa that she's practically my sister and I love her too. And…tell Pan that I wish I didn't have to miss our date." She smiles faintly, closing her eyes.

"I will. Promise," Sage says, gently squeezing her hand. We sit there for a while longer, listening to Rilly mumble incoherent things. Then, she falls silent. Her chest stops rising.

And seconds later a cannon booms.

Nayeli Morte – District 5

I open my eyes slowly, realizing I'd fallen asleep in a tree. I try recalling the events from last night. I was running from the boy from Twelve, Ector. The paranoid schizophrenic as I call him. I rub the sleep from my eyes. I'm surprised that I hadn't fallen out of the tree. I tighten my pack on my shoulders. The branch was just strong enough to hold me. I jump down to the ground.

I need to stay one step ahead of everyone. Only few people have died since the Bloodbath and that means people will be out hunting. There are still sixteen of us left, including me. My plan is to stay hidden and steer away from anyone else. One, I don't want to form any attachments to anyone, hence no alliances. Two, if I stay away from people, then I'll be able to live longer. Hopefully, within a couple of weeks I'll be back home with Felix and my family.

I pull a piece of dried fruit from my pack and nibble on it. I travel further away from the center of the arena, praying I'm getting closer to the edge. No one ever really makes it to the edge, so maybe I'll be a first. They keep a force field up to keep the tributes in, but if it comes down to it, maybe I can use it as a weapon.

The ground begins to rumble. A small gasp escapes my lips as I almost lose my balance. I finish my fruit and hold onto a tree. There's a crack as the ground beneath me splits. I hop to the side and look down at the small fissure. A red glow shines and I realize that it's fire. My eyes widen and I leap as the ground continues to fracture.

The arena shakes and a crevice splits in front of me. I skid to a stop and head backwards towards the way I came. The Gamemakers must have realized that I'm getting closer to the edge. They want me to go back to the center. That must be where all the other tributes are. They're waiting for someone to get murdered as they drive us to the Cornucopia.

It's going to change my entire plan. Perhaps I can just stay clear of people though, even while I'm by the Cornucopia. Soon, the Careers will break up, especially after realizing their inefficiency at killing other tributes.

A tree falls, letting out a huge crashing noise. I grasp a tree as the shaking increases. My hands are sweating and it's difficult to hold on now. Fire spews from a crevice. I cover my head and turn away to avoid the flames from attacking my face. I let out a small squeal as I sprint away. My heart is racing as fast as my legs are moving. The ground continues to split and fire is spit out. It rises up, lighting up trees. The flames reach the dead branches and leaves on the ground.

I suck in air as my jacket sleeve catches on fire. I bite my lip, terrified of the flame. I pat it out before it can burn me. The cracks move towards me. When I attempt to climb a tree, it begins to tip over. I jump from about ten feet in the air. I let out an oof as I land awkwardly. I wince as I twist my ankle. It's not sprained too badly, I can still run.

Finally, the cracks stop. At least, that's what it seems like. I can't hear the ground separating anymore. I keep running though. Something hard and solid hits me. I'm thrown backwards and the wind is knocked out of me. I cough and gasp, trying to remember how my lungs work. I rub my head and sit up. A lanky body rises. The boy is slightly taller than me and has dark hair. I lunge for my sword and hold it up in self-defense.

The boy is Tarragon. I recognize him from his picture when they presented the scores. He holds up his sword too, ready to strike. However, he's stopped as the ground suddenly breaks apart and a large tower of fire is shot upward. We both gasp and gather our things. Without saying a single word, we race through the woods, dodging the rifts and faults and the fire.

The shaking increases as a piece of land cracks and rises. Fire spews and we leap up. I hold onto the ledge as the ground elevates. Then, the piece that I'm on starts to rise and separate. I'm trapped on a square of land rising up. I jump down before it gets too high.

A piece of land rises up, then comes crashing down, rattling probably the entire arena. I dive to the side and roll as a tree smashes onto the ground. I cover my head as cracks sound. When I look up, I follow Tarragon. There's nowhere else to go now. It's like the entire arena is crashing around us. A split behind me pulls apart, then slams into each other, making the terrain quake.

Tarragon and I end up in front of a massive tunnel. I swear it wasn't there before. As I try to run around it, I realize there's nothing but rock. The sides are too slipper to climb. When I try, I cut my palm, wincing as it bleeds. There's only one way to the other side and that's going through the shaking tunnel. Tarragon and I glance at each other before taking off down the tunnel.

The tunnel threatens to cave in as little bits of stone fall. I cover my head to protect it from large rocks. The end starts to collapse. I sprint on my toes and slide out of the tunnel, just narrowly escaping the small avalanche. Tarragon on the other hand, isn't as lucky.

He yells out as large rocks fall on his legs and chest. He coughs, trying to breathe. The shaking stops. "Help me!" he cries out.

My eyes widen as I stare at me. I lean back on my hands, unsure of what to do. I could maybe move the rocks, but I'm not sure. "I—I…" I know he's going to die. Even if I remove the rocks, the extent of the internal damage could range from a little bruising to ruptured arteries.

"Help me! Please!"

I stand up, pulling out my sword. I take in a deep breath and bite my lip. "I'm afraid I can't," I say bluntly. I raise my sword to put him out of his misery.

"Then, please, don't kill me yet. Just, can you stay with me until the end?" Tarragon pleads. I look into his eyes, finally seeing fear.

I lower my sword, nodding. "I'll stay for a while, but I have to go soon. I don't want anyone else to find me." I stare at the broken Tarragon once more, taking in all the rocks on top of him. His arms are trapped and his breathing is labored from all the pressure on his lungs. A cannon booms and I look up as crows fly. At least I think it's a cannon. I look back to Tarragon, struggling to force air into his lungs. "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?" I ask softly.

"The truth?" He laughs weakly. "To be honest, I was scared. And I didn't want to kill you."

"Really? You killed that boy from Ten though," I say. "And you were very enthusiastic about murdering your partner."

"I suppose the arena's changed me like it's changing everyone else," Tarragon says. "Why did you protect her in the Bloodbath? You killed your partner."

"Kage didn't deserve a chance. Sage did," I reply, looking away. "You're right though. The arena does change you."

"Why did you volunteer?" Tarragon asks quietly.

"Same reason I killed my own partner. The twelve year old I volunteered for deserved a chance at life," I say softly. I brush my hair out of my eyes. "Plus, she wouldn't stand a chance at becoming Victor," I add. "The arena is no place for twelve year olds. Any child really. We may be teenagers, but we're still kids."

Tarragon nods, closing his eyes. "Take my pack," he tells me. "And…end it. Please."

I glance at him. I pull out a knife from my belt and inch closer. I try to lift Tarragon, but I can only get him a few inches above the ground. That's high enough though. I cut the straps off the pack and tug the rest of it from under his body and rocks. "Thank you," I say softly. I take my knife and place it on his throat.

"Wait," Tarragon murmurs. I stop myself from slicing his neck. "When you win…don't become a loser like my father." I laugh lightly and rub my cheeks. A wetness is running down them. Tears. I can't be weak now though. I need to be brave. I breathe in deeply and drag the knife across his throat. I swallow hard as I stare at the blood pouring from the slash. The knife cuts through flesh and veins.

Seconds later, a cannon goes off. I wipe my knife off on his jacket. A hovercraft will come to collect the body soon. I take everything from Tarragon's pack and stash it in mine. There isn't as much in his pack as I thought there would be, but it certainly helps.

I tighten the straps and insert my knife back in my belt. I glance down at Tarragon, then look away from the bloody scene. I pick up my legs and suddenly I'm running. I'm running straight for the Cornucopia.

If the Capitol wants a show, they're going to get one.

Clara Lignum – District 7

Wash rinses his hands in the small stream we found. He sits next to me and checks my wounds. I wince, sucking in air. It stings and the skin is raw. I need medicine soon or I will die. I'm surprised that I've lived this long. I lean back against the tree, sighing softly. It's Day 3 and I'm not sure how much I can take.

Earlier we heard two cannons. They were close together. Maybe the Careers went after a group of tributes. Later tonight though, we'll see who is gone. The few people I really want gone are Gabrielle Dictatrix, Conrad Avtlift, Nayeli Morte, Tarragon Layland, and Ector Cabot. Nayeli Morte actually seems like a very nice girl, but deadly as well. I don't want to have to face her and that is all. I kind of wish she was one of our allies. However, she seems the type that would stab you in the back in the end or abandon you so she wouldn't have to live with the guilt of killing someone.

I fear that soon Wash and Dustin and every other tribute will hear my cannon. It won't be long until I die. That is all I can think about now. I shiver and lean against Wash. He wraps his arms around me. Then, he takes off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders to keep me warm.

Dustin is setting up the smallest of fires. It's not enough to really keep all three of us warm. It's to cook some food. Dustin went hunting earlier, coming back with a large rodent type animal. We pray it isn't poisonous and we roast it over the burning embers.

"What do you think happens…when you die?" I ask Wash. He stares at me, astonished. He shakes his head, holding me close to preserve body heat.

"Don't think like that," he says softly.

"We all die eventually," I murmur. I lean on his shoulder, closing my eyes.

"Hey, don't go to sleep on me," he tells me.

"Then tell me an interesting story that will keep me up all night," I say with a weak laugh.

"Want to hear about the Wonderful Adventures of Wash and Miles?" he asks. I nod and he begins to tell a story. I look at Dustin who is sitting near the fire, roasting our giant rat. "Well, you know about that 'haunted house' back in District Seven?" I nod, remembering how my friends dared me to go inside. Of course, I was way too scared and we decided to go back to work instead. "Well, you know the story."

"I don't know the story," Dustin says. I nearly forgot that he isn't in our District.

"Well, supposedly, a long time ago, there was a lumberjack named Grover Elwood," says Wash. "He was married to a charming young lady named Melia. However, he later found out she was having affairs in their very home. Melia was furious and embarrassed, so she tried to divorce him. And, of course, you know the Capitol, they said no. Obviously she was upset and so she hung herself in their home.

"Grover really did love Melia, even though he was cheating on her. Overcome by the grief, he took his axe…" Wash pauses for dramatic effect. He raises his own axe and puts on a creepy grin. I cringe at what comes next. Dustin doesn't know the story. My father told me the story when I was young. I couldn't sleep for nights. Dustin and I both lean forward for the next part. "He took his axe and he—"

"What did he do?" Dustin bursts.

"Okay, this is my story," Wash says. "Now, if you're not interested, I'll just stop—"

"We want to know what happens!" Dustin and I say in unison.

Wash laughs lightly, clearing his throat. "Alright. Where was I?" He rubs his chin. "Ah! Yes. He took his axe…" Wash holds his axe up again. "And he brought it down on his own hand! He cried out in pain, but no one would listen. Then, he cut off his own two legs. He figured the physical pain was better than the emotional pain.

"Then, he slowly hacked himself to death. No one realized he was missing for work. But then, lots of animals were going into the house. One thing people knew was that Grover wasn't a fan of little critters. When a curious little boy and girl go inside, chasing a small rabbit, they smell something completely awful. Rotting flesh.

"The whole house was a mess. Blood was all over the wall. Body limbs were sprawled everywhere! And finally, the children find the chopped up body of Grover Elwood. Of course, the body was even more mangled because all types of critters were munching on him, especially some of the homeless dogs."

"You see, that's why I want to open an animal shelter," I say. "That way dogs won't have to eat creepy corpses." I shudder at the thought.

"Well, let me continue. Supposedly, the house is haunted by Melia and Grover's ghosts. Melia holds a rope and Grover wields an axe. Rumor has it, Melia strangles who ever enters their house and Grover chops them up."

"And let me guess, you and Miles went inside," Dustin says, leaning so close to us that I thought he might fall over with excitement.

"Hold on. A bunch of kids dared me and Miles to go inside. I was like thirteen or fourteen. Anyways, we crept inside. No one is supposed to be in there, but we snuck in. Miles and I quietly went upstairs. As we were on the top stair, we hear footsteps. When I turned around and asked Miles to stop making such a loud noise, he said he wasn't making that sound. I thought I was just hearing things," Wash says with a shrug.

"Then, when we got to the very room Melia hung herself in, I felt these eyes on the back of my neck. Like they were peering into my soul. The whole room got freezing cold. And remember, this is in the dead of summer. It wouldn't be freezing cold, but this room was. When I turned around, I swear I saw this rope just hanging. It was like it was waiting for someone.

"Miles and I went back downstairs and when we were getting back to the kitchen, this vase was smashed on the floor. Now that could have been some stray cat or something, but I doubt it. Then, we heard a moan and a small shriek. And I swear you could smell decomposing flesh at some areas of the house. By now, the hair on the back of my neck was standing up."

I curl up into as tight of a ball as I could without causing too much pain. I wince, thinking about the horror and the pain.

"When we turned around, there was blood dripping down the walls. And in the blink of an eye, it was all gone. Suddenly, you could hear the sound of bones cracking, like an axe coming down on bone. An axe going whack! Whack! Whack!" He mimics the motion with his own axe.

"Then what did you two do?" Dustin asks.

"We ran the hell away from there and jumped back into our beds like little scared girls," Wash says. "I know what I saw and it was freaking scary as hell. Let's leave it at Melia and Grover are looking for their next victims to hang and cut up."

"Wow, I could never get the courage to do that," I say relaxing somewhat. "What about you, Dustin? Have any interesting stories to tell us about you and your girlfriend?" I recall his interview where he talked a whole lot about a girl named Ebony.

"We've had a lot of good times together. I really want to go home to her. Marry her. Have kids. You know?" Dustin says, turning over our rodent.

"You really want to have kids? Risking the possibility of their names being Reaped?" Wash says curiously.

"I don't know," Dustin mutters.

"I'm sure you and Ebony will be very happy together," I say to diffuse the tension. "How long have you been with her?"

"Three years," Dustin says. He opens his mouth to say more, but the Capitol anthem sounds and the seal crosses the sky. The smirking face of Tarragon Layland and the innocent smile of Rilly Jarson flash before my eyes. I sigh in relief knowing Tarragon is no longer a danger.

There are fourteen left including me. So, that makes fifteen tributes left. But soon, I won't be here and there will just be fourteen, not including me.

Dustin finishes out cooking our rodent. Wash fills up our canteens. As I sit there, thinking about Washes story, I hear a slight rustle in the bushes. I jump, calling out to Wash and Dustin. They hold up their weapons. When they scan the area, they don't find anything or anyone.

After eating our non-poisonous rodent, we rest up. Dustin sleeps for a while and Wash and I keep an eye on camp. I lift my head as I hear a soft beeping noise. I squint to see through the darkness. "Wash! Look!" I whisper. He sees it too. It's a silver parachute slowly falling down towards us.


Dead:

Morgan Colliet – D4

Kage Hatenn – D5

Tarragon Layland – D6

Corduroy Dowlas – D8

Rilly Jarson – D8

Gem Minx – D9

Trenton Cedar – D10

Maize Koranon – D11

Larkspur Fisole – D12

Alive:

Sorren Princeps –D1

Sapphire Princeps – D1

Conrad Avtlift – D2

Gabrielle Dictatrix – D2

Maxwell Hoover Demonico – D3

Pietta Carmelle – D3

Lucien Ritsert – D4

Nayeli Morte – D5

Sage Freedan – D6

Washington Hayner – D7

Clara Lignum – D7

Dustin Proelia – D9

Parrow Hosira – D10

Bailey Fera – D11

Ector Cabot – D12


A/N: Well! Two people are dead. After this, I promise to have more bloody and violent deaths from other tributes. Don't worry, it won't be too bad I hope. But in case it is, that's why the rating has been moved up to M. I don't want to offend anyone or get in trouble for not having the right rating or whatever.

So, let's get to the questions on this chapter!

What do you think about Sapphire and Sorren's sister/brother talk? Which Princep will die first? How about that cliff hanger? Will Bailey die? Is Parrow going to get hunted? Who's going to die in the next chapter? What about Nayeli killing Tarragon out of mercy? Should Tarragon have lived instead?

Okay, so, I know that Clara's section was more of a relaxing section of the chapter. I hope you didn't mind it. But, what about that ghost story? Good or bad? And...how about that parachute? The first sponsor gift! (That we know of) And was there someone in the bushes by Dustin, Wash, and Clara's camp? Who could it have been?

Don't forget to check out the forum.

Vote on the polls, post questions and comments, and look at the graphics.

w w w . forum/A_Game_of_Chance/100130/

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, post it in a review, send it by a PM, or post it in the forum. If I get enough questions, I'll have my own little Q&A section either in my Author's Note in the end of a chapter or in my forum.