I'm still waiting for Life to apologize to me for not letting me write this chapter until today.

Oh, and random note: if anyone wants to hear my version of "The Hanging Tree" or listen to me trying to sing a two-part medley of a bunch of THG-related songs, go to (slash) amata-le-fay (slash) sets. Thank you.

Fun Fact of the Chapter: How the Mentors Won Their Games, Part XII. Bella Coleman, Bri's mentor, won the 175th Games, which was the seventh Quarter Quell. The card for this year mandated that those reaped from each district would be a couple with at least one child, to show how the rebellion ripped families apart. Bella's husband was killed at the Cornucopia and the Games ended with a second bloodbath as she killed her husband's murderers with an adze. Bella's child later died of tuberculosis.

…..

Ivan Chekhov, Victor of the 173rd Games, District One Mentor

Emily Raine died of an arrow in the back of her neck at 3:13 a.m., day six of the Games.

Spark had been screaming at the TV the entire time, desperately pushing buttons to send non-existent parachutes from non-existent sponsors as if it would somehow add time to her life span. After that one time, though, the girl didn't scream or ask for help or anything. She just kept running with this dull look in her eyes, the look of a tribute who knows they're dead already.

That gave the girl from Seven plenty of time to explain her motivation for killing this girl. Apparently there were plenty of specifics. From what the Gamemakers let the audience hear, it doesn't seem like much—Spark killed someone she was close to, presumably in the Hunger Games. Only the Gamemakers, the President, Spark, and I have seen the full tapes.

What Seven actually said was that Spark killed her father in the woods outside District Seven. Quite a difference, there. Exactly what he was doing there is what President Shadow and her Capitol interrogators are trying to find out right now. Though, since his niece is already dead, I doubt they'll have much leverage over him.

Because Emily Raine is dead. The girl from Seven shot her in the back of the neck, and apparently the arrows aren't too blunt to pierce human skin. Blood leaked from the wound. Her eyes rolled back into her head. The cannon signifying her death fired minutes ago.

So what the hell is her body doing still running around, being chased by the wolves and shot at by an incredibly confused-looking twelve-year-old girl?

It's not like it even looks like she's alive. Her limbs are jerky and awkward as they move. The freaking arrow is sticking out her freaking neck. But somehow she's still moving, and whatever feat of technology the Gamemakers have managed, it is seriously starting to creep me out.

That Seven girl must be one hell of a tough kid, not to be screaming her head off right now.

I blink, and see that the wolves are descending upon Emily's walking corpse. They're fast, faster than you can believe, and soon they're ripping it apart, blood all over their teeth. But you can see parts of her body still trying to move.

It's gory and raw and so typically Hunger Games it makes me want the vomit. Being in the arena is hell, but watching the Games is a completely different sensation. In the arena, at least you're glad to be alive.

Seven refuses to watch the gore-fest, instead heading as fast as she can in another direction, making good use of the wolves' distraction. Unfortunately, six of the mutts have gotten bored with desecrating Emily's body and start chasing Seven again.

I lean back in my chair and try not to think about the fact that I just saw a fourteen-year-old girl's dead body running around for about a minute. It doesn't work. I just end up with the mental image of the Two girl from my Games, Ioanne, who strangled people with her braided hair—her corpse is running towards me—a gaping hole in her chest from my cannon—

I practically sprint across the room, eyes locked on the clock on the far end of the wall. I can't watch this. It would make me insane. Why don't they show anything of Luka? Or, frankly, anyone except the Seven girl? There have to be other things going on in the arena.

If all else fails, I can volunteer to help interrogate Spark Raine. They'll need as many people as they can get in the intelligence department after the Aetius shooting—was that only two days ago?

"You too, huh?"

I look up. Standing in the hallway is Bella from Seven, swallowing some pills that can't be legal. She stares at me coldly. "Victim of the walking dead?"

"Shouldn't you be watching out for your tribute or something?" I ask.

"Shouldn't you?" An eyebrow raise.

Before I can think of a suitable retort, the D2 victor-mayor Montague steps out of his room and gazes at us. "I can't be the only one thinking that these Games just aren't possible," he says.

"Deny it all you want. It's still happening," says last year's "winner," Eleven's Amy Oswald. 16 years old and already a contender in the contest of which-mentor-is-the-most-jaded.

Quill from Four pokes her head out of the door. "You think there'll be more?"

"Definitely," I mutter back. "The Gamemakers wouldn't waste the opportunity to have the highest ratings in Hunger Games history."

For a full fifteen minutes, there's silence. Then Ilma from Five comes out to talk to Bella. "Your girl's alive. She's at the edge of the arena, near Veras. Both her legs and her bow broken, but at least she's alive."

A pause, then someone far away adds, "Aren't we all?"