Mors solum initium est

Pullox Shimmers, District 1, 18

As soon as the gang rang I leapt off my plate, tributes seemingly doing the same as me. As if we were a united army, together we tore off our accessories - wigs, gloves, brollies, masks or anything restricting would be strewn across the floors of the corridor. It seemed like a brief moment of inactivity even while people ran simultaneously; some immediately made a dash down the stairway, others made their way over to the banister. I knew the Careers would need a strategy quickly, many tributes were almost rushing down the stairs or securing supplies.

"Careers!" Honora shouted. She may have been down the corridor from me, but I heard her loud and clear over the desperate shouts and scuffling feet. "Get them now! Jericho, Lorelei, don't even get weapons, seal off the stairway and stop the rats from escaping!" Lorelei, in her black dress, paused to give Honora a confused look but immediately sprinted when Honora continued: "Kill them with your bare hands! Pullox, take the chandelier with me!"

I smirked. I had always thought she was an imbecile whose brain was absorbed by trivial things... ego and anger... emotions that crippled her and made her weak. But Honora was, underneath it all, an excellent strategist. Not as good as me, but she was good at standing tall, telling the group what to do and making sure it was executed. For that I admired her. And if she wanted me to charge into the Cornucopia with her towering by my side she must have respected me, too. With a grin I rushed towards the banister and vaulted over it, sailing through the meter gap and landing on the solid chandelier easily.

I had expected it to be difficult and unstable, to swing under the weight of the tributes, but it did not budge. It was frozen into place. I cast one glance behind me, noting many tributes had tried to make it down one of the two stairways, and then glanced forwards and noticed tributes rushing towards the weapons. I laughed, running into the midst of what would soon be death. I couldn't let any of them get weapons just yet; it would make them a threat, or make them able to kill me. We didn't want that, did we?

I carelessly jumped over the food, the tents, blankets and first aid kids which many other tributes would stoop to get to. These things were all irrelevant to me, and the Careers would secure a majority of them after the Bloodbath. My main aim was to either get to the gun or to just get to the nearest weapon and get to the killing part as soon as possible. I heard my riding boots stomp on the solid metal beneath, the golden buckle on them glinting grandly. But something else was glinting underneath them and I stepped away, noticing an impressive looking dagger.

I bent over, gripping the ruby plated handle of a long bladed knife. Well, who said I had to get the gun? The Careers would get them anyway. And I was much too impatient to just let my victims escape.

Lorelei Draven, District 2, 17

It was chaos.

Jericho launched one of the tributes, the District Twelve boy, down the stairs with immense brute strength. He rolled down the stairway I saw opposite to me, crying with pain each time he rammed into the floor. Sadly, Jericho had given him the ticket to escape and the boy managed to stand up and run away quickly. As I stormed down the grand stairs, noticing the red rug that trailed down it, I could only watch him dash away as Jericho helplessly lingered and waited to kill one of the tributes with his bare hands.

The entrance hall was... interesting. It was so much blander than the corridor above, with stone walls that were lit by torches. Jericho and I took a staircase each, both of them trailing down parallel to each other. The stone floors of the entrance hall were bland. The ceiling above was concealed by the humongous chandelier above, which had diamonds dangling down it like frozen rain. The only pieces of decoration I could notice were four suits of armour in each corner, two gripping onto axes and two holding onto large swords.

I wasn't experienced with either weapon, but killing with my hands was something I wasn't quite used to. The District Three boy was running my way, he had obviously not even chanced the Cornucopia. Instead of targeting him I made my way towards one of the suits of armour. In front of me Lexie ran, looking terrified and thinking that I was swooping down on her. Her gold and white dress billowed behind her, so far it wasn't tainted by blood. I could only hope Jericho didn't get to her and paint it into her dress. Trying to repress these morbid thoughts, focusing on what I had to do for my baby and my baby only, I hurried towards one of the suits of armour.

Before I snagged the sword off of it darker hands seized it, yanking it away. I glanced into the dark eyes of the District Three girl. I had let her District partner escape, I had let Lexie get away unharmed... That had to change...

She seemed to know my thought process. She was clever enough to have not retrieved any supplies, but the temptation of the sword must have lured her to her death. As my arm went out to snag the sword she jumped back gracefully, struggling under the weight of the sword and swinging it. Barely having to react, I side stepped it. She swung again and I jumped back, watching the sword pierce the emptiness in front of my eyes. She brought the sword down again and I could barely react, I just felt searing pain as it slashed down my bare left arm.

That could have been my baby. Anger took over me as I realised my baby could have been killed by this Three girl. I think she stepped back to sprint away, but as I gave a cry of rage I became much too quick for her. I leapt forward, tearing the sword from her grin. Before she could even turn to run I span around, dragging my sword with me and watching it slide neatly through her belly. Blood jumped out of her dress, spraying along the stone floor.

However, instead of dying immediately the girl's eyes widened. I watched in horror as she gave a pained screech, howling in horror and nursing her stomach. As if she had the chance of escaping she staggered around before she collapsed against the wall, holding her fatal wound. After a second her screams ceased, but I noticed the tears flow down her eyes.

I looked down to her, holding my bloody sword. "I'm sorry."

I sounded so indifferent. Without even thinking, struggling to breathe, the girl spoke quickly: "I-It's okay... I'm okay..." She tried to stand but collapsed in pain, screeching out her next words: "Mum, do you hear that? I'm okay. No pain... d-don't worry..." She seemed to drift off, slumping on the floor as a pool of blood began to form around her. An unsettling smile furrowed its way into her cheeks. "I-I'm okay... Don't worry..."

Trojan Reid, District 3, 15

I had done it! After running down the stairs and fearing for my life it seemed so surreal once I managed to reach one of the doorways, one that seemed to go into the West Wing of the mansion. I think I was the second tribute to escape, as the District One girl and the Twelve boy had sped down the North Wing corridor. I had, despite everything, worried that today was going to be my last. But everything had worked to plan. I sped out of there and got away. After taking a minute to pant, I peered into the corridor outside. Some tributes were screaming, very few of them were in the main hall. Above me, on the chandelier, I could hear even more calamity.

Cheering inwardly and even gloating, I froze for the briefest second at one sight.

The District Two girl wasn't chasing after tributes. She was in fact being useless, looking down at a dead girl (the first death in the Games, I presumed) with an empty, confused look in her eye, carrying no evidence of a fight bar a light cut down her arm which bled freely, sending beads of blood into a bigger puddle beneath. The first death, the girl who created the puddle of blood, was no-one other than Liz. Despite the fact blood seemed to be rushing out of her from a wound I couldn't see beneath her red, stained hand, she looked rather peaceful. She looked as if she were in a sleep, a good one without pain. A smile dashed along her innocent face, her body refused to stir.

I didn't know how I felt. Despite how at peace she looked, I knew death was a darkness. It was, depressingly, nothingness, and she would never experience a piece of anything again now her mind was in a state of nothing. The girl before me would never finish her education, never spend her first wage, never have a first kiss or give birth to a child, never fall in love or admire the stars with her best friend. She would never see the Capitol collapse, if it ever were to collapse. She wouldn't see anything ever again.

Liz was actually a nice person. I tried to remain indifferent - in a vague sense, I was indifferent. I wasn't upset by it. I purposely distanced myself from Liz because I knew this would happen and if I got close to her it hurt. But I knew Liz meant well, I knew she was strong and competent and under any other circumstances she could've even struggled her way to victory. Obviously, that wasn't to be. I could've liked her, but I was relieved I never did.

So burying Liz's memory forever, I slammed the two large, wooden doors behind me as I saw the District Two girl speed my way. The doors had a wooden panel which could be slid into a lock. Hoping the District Two girl didn't stampede the door open, I slid the panel into the lock, preventing her from ever reaching me. I sighed, slumping against the wall to regain my thoughts and breath. I could only hope that the other escaped tributes could take my initiative and lock the other tributes out, meaning all the tributes inside were trapped to die.

Honora Flloyd, District 4, 18

How sad.

The chandelier was so large and everybody was so scattered. The nearest tribute to me was the District Ten girl, who was collecting supplies with two bulky men close to her. I decided to charge towards her, I could take all three of them no problem, even though I was weaponless. I couldn't spot Pullox. There were only two of us on the chandelier, which meant trying to chase after the remaining tributes was futile. This was annoying me. My strategy was good, but it seemed as if barely any tributes were dying on this stupid fucking excuse of a chandelier!

And to top it all off, the Gamemakers had placed me in a dress. Not only was this extremely sexist, making us dress differently and less efficiently than the boys, it was plain stupid. I was a killer and a Career, not a pretty doll. My intimidating face did not paint itself well when I wore a wig of raven hair, my muscles did not look good in my pretty dress of turquoise and blue. I stormed towards the District Ten and her allies, screaming with rage as I tore the hem of my dress away, letting it fall to the floor as useless material while my legs were now freed.

I paused and noticed something. Nobody had managed to get to the centre of the Cornucopia yet. The District Twelve girl and Eight girls looked as if they were heading that way, but they were scooping up other supplies first. But the one person I wanted to kill, Ross, was heading towards the guns. I instantly forgot the Ten girl and her little pack existed and immediately sped towards Ross, cackling with glee at the very prospect of killing him. As I approached him I think he heard my voice, because he immediately scooped down and picked up a swinging mace.

I was fast, and was already behind him. "Hello Ross..."

I expected his response and stepped to the side, the nasty looking ball of spikes swung uselessly and hit nothingness. Ross glanced at me, glaring daggers into me as he swung the mace again. I think he swung it one hundred times, but without even thinking I ducked, jumped, stepped to the side. I laughed every time Ross missed, taunting him, letting him know that my reflexes were ten times better than his. While I was effortlessly dodging, I saw sweat creep into the corner of his temples and laughed harshly.

"I've had enough of this, I'm bored now," I said, ducking under one of his attacks and intercepting his arm. With one horrid twist I snapped Ross' arm so harshly bone splintered out. My rival screamed in pain as blood dripped out of his arm, the clatter of his weapon hitting the ground and echoing around me. I laughed as he desperately tried to pull himself away, but I was too strong for the pretty boy.

He tried to not look agonised, tried not to give me the satisfaction that already burst through me. I let him get out of my grip, and he held his limp arm and turned to run.

"What's up Ross?" I cackled, as he turned to run I hooked my legs around his, using his speed against him. There was a horrible crunching sound as he sped onto the solid ground beneath, bruising his lovely little face as I kicked into his back, grating it into the ground further. "Realised that this is a big boy competition? Realised you're not one of the big boys?"

I think he had given up now. It was funny - Ross usually always had a retort, he'd call me something or give me a lecture. Now he knew that was useless. He stared emptily into the metal beneath as I grabbed into his golden locks, wrenching him onto his knees.

"You'll lose," he hissed, cringing while blood seeped from his nose into his mouth. "Just like-"

Ignoring him, I snaked my leg over his neck and cut the air away from him as I pulled him into a deadly grip. My leg locked him into my bulging, immensely strong thighs and he didn't even struggle. How could he, with his broken arm and mediocre-Career skills? My strong legs tightened him into asphyxiation even further, and I watched the light fade from his eyes.

"What did I tell you Ross?" I smirked. "I always keep my promises, I told you I'd kill you and I did, and Lexie-" It was the first time I called her by her nickname. My leg moved with an almighty jerk and instead of giving him a slow death of strangulation, I watched as his neck twisted three-hundred and sixty degrees as I snapped it with my single leg. His lifeless body slumped against the floor, dead and useless. "-Is next."

Magnus Carmine, District 5, 17

"Hurry!" Leda snapped at me as I stooped down, collecting more and more items for my possession in the Games. The chandelier was so big that tributes were all separate, I didn't think I could hear a battle but there was the occasional scream. To my surprise and relief I couldn't hear the crack of a gunfire. Nobody had a gun yet. That was okay. I grabbed another water bottle, stuffing it into a bulging backpack and grabbing another, larger backpack for good relief. "Magnus hurry! If someone-"

"I'm getting there are fast as I can," I growled, running forwards a little. Like a lapdog... or, to be more honest, as if I were her guard dog, Leda ran with my pace. I glanced upwards only to see the Four girl charging towards us, cackling with glee at the prospect of catching her first kill. I had thought nobody had died, but I saw the dead body of her District partner, neck lolling and snapped, lying near the ground she stood. Shocked, I zipped up the second backpack, picked it up, held close onto a large knife and glanced at Leda.

"You have your knife?" I asked. I didn't need affirmation. Her blade, curved like a crescent moon, was safe in her hands. She also held a tiny knapsack.

"Okay," I said, grabbing her and pelting away as Leda began to scream. The Four girl was a while away from us, and I had spotted her just in time. We rushed to the edge of the chandelier. With my assistance Leda managed to crawl over the banister, her feet touching the more secure ground. Honora's cackles were growing louder and knowing she wouldn't pursue us once we managed to get down that stairway, so I quickly vaulted over too. Leda was already rushing down the stairs and I quickly followed, catching up, sure Honora wasn't going to catch me.

As my foot reached the first step a laugh was right behind me. Evil and menacing. The Four girl was right behind me, she grabbed me and yanked me to the floor.

"Oh no," she tutted, taking out what seemed to be a gun and aiming it at me. "Time for my first experimental shot-"

She disappeared and I heard a concerned scream. As Leda did a u-turn, bouncing up the stairs after me and looking as awkward as ever, Honora and her gun disappeared. Nausea had slumped into me and I held onto one of the many marble columns so that I didn't collapse. I think Leda was saying something, but I couldn't hear. All I could do was see the corpses of dead children, some animate and some not, in the corner of my vision. Vomit rose up my throat and burned in my nostrils before I felt Leda grab me and throw me down the stairs.

Blackness came and reappeared. It felt like I'd been out for hours, but children's screams rang in the room around me. I think Leda was dragging me, straining deeply under my body weight. The District Two male came charging towards us, I think he was going to kill us.

Acting on instinct I lifted my elbow and it slammed into the Two boy's face, sending him onto the ground.

"Wow..." Leda said, releasing me. We both started running to a doorway which was meters away. Leda was actually somewhat faster than I expected. She was managing to keep up with me, anyway. "That was good."

"He thought I was out," I panted. "I only got him because of surprise. What happened? Why did you push me down the stairs?"

We got through the threshold of a red carpeted hallway. It looked grand, but I glanced back into the Bloodbath. It wasn't over yet, not until we were far away from the unfolding carnage. The District Two boy was running towards us, looking more pissed off than ever. I didn't know what was right and what was real, but I couldn't take any chances.

"You blacked out, I didn't push you down the stairs," Leda said behind me as I closed the two large doors. She was still regaining her breath, breathing with relief because she had actually survived the Bloodbath. To my surprise I noticed that a panel on the door could be slid across it, therefore locking out anyone else. I grinned as I slid it into its rightful lock. This meant I trapped more tributes in there and kept more Careers out. "You-"

The shadow of some kind of specter dashed out right behind me, I could see the silver glint of a knife in its wake. I quickly managed to grip it by the throat, glancing into its dark eyes as I immediately slammed its head against the stone walls beside me. Through flickering torch light against the walls, I managed to see the eyes, though couldn't pay attention to the rest of the face. Only acting on instinct to survive I tightened the grip around its neck as I continuously dashed it against the wall, feeling my hands bruise in the process. Its knife fell to the ground. I felt my knuckles bruise as they grated against the wall, felt blood trickle from the wall onto my hands and heard its strangled cries which ceased when I felt my hands crush its trachea.

Sighing with relief, knowing it was dead, I let it slump into the shadows. I felt sick. I had killed, even if it was for the greater good. When I turned back to Leda she stood there in her orange and black dress which innocently ended at her ankles. But my attention was on her face, which was pale and disturbed, but considering I had crushed someone's throat and bashed their head against the wall, she didn't seem too bothered. She glanced indifferently at the traces of brain matter and blood and then glanced at me.

"How did that feel?"

"Awful," I admitted, not wanting to look back or think about it. I inspected the hallway, noting the fancy desks, chaise longues and eerie paintings. "Well, that's the Bloodbath... on we go..."

Brandy Gripen, District 6, 13

"Where is Darius?" Hadley asked anxiously, unable to see him around the chandelier. I was surprised there was only one corpse there. That was horrifying enough, but it seemed so light for a Bloodbath. Granted, it had only been a minute in and there was undoubtedly dead people downstairs, but this seemed way too sparse... it felt as if the real slaughter was yet to begin... And considering there were an abundance of people rushing through the Bloodbath, some forming crowds as they ran, making it difficult to see Darius amongst them, that made my heart skip with anxiety.

"I don't know..."

"What are we going to do?"

"Wh-Why don't we do the sensible thing and leave?" I said, edging towards the stairs.

"What food will we survive on?"

"I d-don't know... but Darius is dead..." I said, the words feeling bitter in my mouth. "And if we don't get moving anytime soon, we will be too," Darius edged towards the banister and I grabbed his hand. "Hadley... He wouldn't want us to..."

"Look, I'll be okay," Hadley turned towards me. We had barely ran, only avoided the four Careers in the corridor and waited around the upstairs hallway, occasionally peering downstairs to try and divulge any of the chaos, yet there was sweat coating him. I noticed he struggled to speak. "I'm going to find Darius. We'll get the supplies, we'll get out of here, hide behind the column-"

"Hadley!"

"If we're not back in a minute go, I promise," he said, clumsily managing to jump past the banister. My heart skipped a beat and I feared he'd slip down the small gap between the ground and the chandelier, falling to his death beneath. But he was safe for that period of time at least. I watched him rush into the chaos, only dropping down once to pick something up. I hid behind the column, sliding down it. Ten dreadful seconds passed and I stood up shakily, glancing out to find Hadley. Instead I only saw the District One boy rushing towards me and looking gleeful.

He wouldn't jump past the banister, miss all those potential kills, just to get to me, right? I paused, reluctant to abandon Hadley and Darius. I could've hid behind the column but I knew he spotted me. And as he reached the edge of the chandelier I turned, repressing my screams as I darted down the corridor in an attempt to reach the nearest stairway. I constantly reassured myself that I had the head start, the stairs getting closer, but my foot tangled with the hem of my dress and I yelped as I fell, knees first. Despite the throb I immediately got up, annoyed at such a hindrance, everything counted...

I got to the top of the stairs and screamed out loud as hands grabbed me and pulled me back.

"What an unfortunate trip..." the One boy crooned. My eyes widened as he moved his knife over my throat. I felt its coldness, the sharpness of the blade, before he moved it away. I tried to scream out loud but his hand muffled my mouth. Where was Hadley? Where was Darius?

"Help!" I tried to scream, its sound barely going out.

"Do you think anyone can hear you?" the boy said, agitated.

The next thing I knew a slow, dull pain flared around my innards as he jammed his knife into my gut. Blood bloomed out like of my bodice's fabric like a rose. I thought I'd scream, but I didn't, I merely tried to inhale air through the solidity of the boy's hands. I could only think of the pain. Before I knew it, the knife jammed into my gut again. Before I tried to think he slipped it into my shoulder. Before the blood even seeped out he slammed it into my chest. I couldn't think of anything but the pain, but the feeling of the blade breaking skin and invading what lay beneath.

"It isn't as fast as it looks on television, is it?" He said. He pulled the knife away, the knife stained with my blood, waving it tantalisingly over my face. Already my vision had gone blurred. I heard my blood drip onto the floor. How many times did he stab me... six... seven times? "I'm not a fan of blood, but I have to admit Brandy..." How did he know my name? "There's nothing more thrilling than watching the life fade out of your eyes..." He grinned. "Funny eyes you have... one blue... one brown..."

He trailed off, his knife moving into my gut again. I squeezed my eyes shut and felt a tear slip out.

"I can see the life fade already," he said, stabbing me three times more. I didn't know how I was still alive. I wish I ran away faster. I wish Hadley and Darius were here. I hoped my family weren't watching away. "I hope you had fun." Four more roars of pain pelted through my body as he withdrew his knife and replunged it into different areas of my stomach. "And don't feel bad. You see, the others who survive the Bloodbath are going to have it much, much worse..."

And then he threw me down the stairs. I didn't even feel my body throttle against each stair as I smashed down them. I only felt myself speed into death.

Hadley Allard, District 7, 16

After a frantic search for Darius I considered running back to Brandy, so I turned to the column where she was. I prayed she was hiding behind it, out of sight from the District One boy who leapt back onto the chandelier and rushed towards an unknown victim with his bloody knife. My heart halted and I rushed towards it, only to rush into a figure that was also running away.

"Hadley?"

"Conifer?" I said, noticing her curly brown hair. She had trapped two backpacks, but immediately grabbed onto them again.

"Hey," she smiled brightly as we stood up. Then we both noticed with horror that we were running away from a Bloodbath. She turned with me, both edging our way towards the chandelier. "We need to get out of here."

"Agreed," I said, pausing. "I need to get to Brandy."

"Your ally? Mine has gone missing..."

"I've got a missing ally too," we both turned to run. I didn't know which of the two Careers on the upper floor were chasing us, but I felt a pair of eyes on us. Conifer and I immediately ran towards the edge of the chandelier before a voice called my name. I paused. I tried to listen to the voice, discern it. Conifer tried to drag me along but I braked, turning around and seeing his kind smile.

I almost cried out with relief: "Darius!"

His face was purple and he was out of breath. Unlike me, he seemed to know we were mere meters away from tributes who would literally carve out innards out. In his hands I noticed three backpacks and what looked eerily like solid wire. He seemed out of stamina, unable to run, but he walked quickly towards me and looked around the chandelier, paranoid.

"I thought you-"

"We need to go, the One boy was after me," he explained, his breaths strained. "Brandy?"

"Safe behind the column," I said. Darius didn't even seem to notice Conifer, who looked at me imploringly, begging me to go. "We go now?"

"We go," Darius said, and we turned to run.

As we sped quickly, Conifer now the quickest of all of us now Darius barely had any oxygen left in him, there was a noise that filled the air. It was loud and swallowed any ounce of silence. Gunfire. I didn't feel any pain, and I glanced at the both of my allies (if Conifer counted as an ally), expecting their corpses to be slumped across the ground. Conifer continued running, and I noticed her give a shocked scream at the sound of the guns. Darius had frozen in fear temporarily, glancing the source of the noise and talking.

"Guns... we need to go fast... Oh my god..."

"Darius, Brandy is waiting for us..." I was trembling while Darius glanced at the source of the noise.

"Mirane..." He said, rushing back into the carnage. Not knowing why I was doing it, I rushed with him, hearing an angry Conifer shouting something at me as she ran hot on my heels.

Mirane Saffell, District 8, 17

I watched the bullet plummet into the ceiling, cracks forming around it like a spider web. I had tried to shoot the Twelve girl, who had kicked me onto the floor as I grabbed onto the small handgun. I tried shooting her but it was useless. Before I could shoot again her high heels slid to the gun, kicking it. I watched with horror as it skidded away. Laughing maliciously, she kicked me in the gut while I was down. The air was forced out of me as she slugged me and I was crippled with pain, unable to move in any way. I tried to move, but everything felt so weak. Before I could even think of acting she kicked me again, walking to the gun awkwardly in her high heels before she picked it up.

"Wow, didn't expect to be the first to get a gun," she said, her well manicured finger nails brushing across it while she aimed it at me. "The Careers were too arrogant to head straight to the gun, they'd bump off the competition first and assume they get dibs," she said. In the background I noticed the District Six boy had grabbed one of the shotguns. I hoped he'd blow the Twelve girl's head off, but he only sprinted away. "And as soon as I saw you going for the gun I knew you had to be stopped." Freya grinned. "Kind of funny, when I ran towards you... you didn't seem that scared... I mean, who takes the malnourished Twelve girl seriously?" I tried to wheeze something, but she laughed, kicking me again. "Who takes a whore seriously?"

"Burn in hell, slut," I coughed before I felt a stiletto run into my side. I sobbed in pain and dropped to the floor.

"Truth is, no matter who you are, no matter what you do..." Her expression seemed manic as the gun pointed right between my eyes. "Everybody takes you seriously when you have a gun pointed at them."

I noticed her finger twitch, ready to end my life. I closed my eyes, expecting my soul to be blown out of me, but there was an anguished cry and I heard the Twelve girl give a shocked yell. When the clatter of her gun hit the floor I immediately grabbed it, noticing the girl's heels skidding across the golden chandelier ground. Still in pain, I managed to stand up shakily and to my shock Darius was strangling the Twelve girl with what looked like wire. I noticed it compress into her skin, she fought desperately and choked out loud.

I aimed my gun to shoot at her as her nails immediately dug into Darius' forehead, leaving a nasty scratch, but before I could Hadley and his District partner caught up with Darius. Hadley, looking shocked but acting on fear, grabbed the wire and helped Darius strangle the Twelve girl. Conifer also joined in. Their joined force sent the wire digging through the girl's dark skin, slipping into it and continuously tearing into it. Soon her chokes dissolved into gurgles and her admirable fight immediately ceased. I couldn't even think, only stare in shock as she drooped, spitting out blood and drowning in it.

Darius let go of her and she fell to the ground, her head rolling off. The wire had slit into her so deep her head was rolling away from her body and blood was gushing onto the ground around us. I didn't know what to say. I glanced up at Darius, who looked similarly shocked. Hadley and his District partner looked extremely disturbed, not just at the sight, but they too had also killed the Twelve girl. All of their hands were bloody, a product of the wire digging into their skin.

"You killed someone..."

"... I didn't mean to..." Darius said, emptily.

"... Thank you," I finished, the throb in my stomach fading with adrenaline and numbness.

Darius paused. "Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it."

The Seven girl interrupted our conversation. She was crying, either in fear of being in the middle of the chandelier or with horror at the sight she had seen: "Can we get moving now? I could've gotten away from here - I - I don't know what to think of all of this but... We... we need to get away from here before we drop dead-"

Her sentence was halted with a gleeful laugh. A swinging mace buried itself into her face. Darius stumbled back, Hadley screamed in pure shock as blood sprayed across him. I couldn't even comprehend what I was seeing. I thought the Twelve girl's death was gruesome, but when the mace pulled itself away from the Seven girl she didn't even have a face. Her skull had collapsed in, no nose, no eyes... nothing. It had all been obliterated, a chunk where her face was supposed to be just gaped there and revealed useless tissue beneath.

The Seven girl's body slumped as the Four girl struggled to pull the mace out where it had been well buried. There was a splash as the corpse fell into a puddle of blood, its seeping wound adding to the river that we stood in. The Four girl looked at the two corpses with absolute glee. I didn't know what it was, but in that moment I knew that she was the worst tribute of them all. As she raised her mace again with impressive speed, ready to slaughter Darius, I didn't even have to think about it:

"Run!" I screamed, pelting two bullets into the girl's chest.

Giovanni Bescari, District 9, 17

Everything was happening so fast. This Bloodbath seemed so mild, but then there were guns. The District Six boy rushed past me with his, though didn't stop to blow my brains out, he made a beeline to his allies who both held supplies. Then I glanced to the source of the gun fire, first noticing what seemed like three corpses that lay in the biggest pool of blood I had ever seen. As three tributes ran away from the scene one of the girls who lay there, the Four girl, managed to stand up shakily with a groan. Her back had been coated in blood but there didn't seem to be any bullet wounds on her.

I had managed to stay behind and obtain numerous useful supplies in my conquest: enough water to last me two weeks, enough food to last me three and a flashlight. I lingered behind, waited for the chaos and hysteria to reach its peak, and then jumped in late to get the supplies while everyone was distracted. But I was the only one left standing on the chandelier, the last tributes were running around the perimeter of the hallway and desperately trying to reach the stairs. Everyone else I shared this platform with was now either dead or a Career.

I was close to the edge of the chandelier anyway. A ten second run that sapped my stamina away got me to the edge, and I vaulted over the banister as a bullet blasted bits of rock out of the column beside my head. I winced. I knew my guns well, and the impressive chunk in the column next to me belonged to a larger gun - a shotgun, or a rifle. The desperation it had been fired at belonged more to the Four girl than the more precise One boy. Stooping down underneath the banister, out of gun range, I rushed around a corner, managing to reach the stairs while the Careers inevitably tried to track me down.

"Brandy!" I noticed the Seven boy, Hadley, scream out in lamentation at a torn up body that was at the bottom of the stairway. I heard him choke on sobs while the Eight tributes continued to try and get him running again: "No! No! No!"

As I rushed down the stairs I noticed multiple shots of gunfire, though the Eight girl wasn't firing it off. The Six boy was also downstairs. He held a larger gun, trying to pelt bullets into the District Two tributes. As I rushed past the Eight tributes and their wailing ally I noticed the District Two girl throw herself behind a suit of armour, the force of his next shot sending both her and the armour onto the ground.

A bullet whizzed past me, almost hitting the Six boy. His aim was still a little off and he wasn't used to the force of the gun, which was probably why he hadn't managed to kill the Two tributes. The District One boy stood at the top of the stairs where I had been only seconds before, grinning as he fired another well aimed shot at the District Six boy. He hissed as it pierced his shoulder and the Eight girl turned around, missing him with a shot as he ducked for cover around the corner, out of sight.

"Fuck!" Someone shouted. There was manic laughter which seemed to be coming from the chandelier above, and Honora, holding a gun, fired a strong blast that shattered the earth in front of the Ten boy. The Six boy fired back, barely managing to dent the gold of the platform above. The other alliance with the gun had managed to get through one of the doors, slamming it behind them while the sound of what sounded like something locking into place sent a sickly sensation through me.

I turned to observe the rest of my surroundings, but was suddenly blasted into darkness.

Aurochs Vierra, District 10, 16

Another death. So many seemed to shoot by, but the District Nine boy who seemed to lurk everywhere was hit in the back of a head by a bullet. He immediately fell to the ground, still, unmoving... and the District One boy stood at the top of the stairs, blowing smoke from his gun and walking down the stairs confidently.

"My second kill," he acknowledged. Sebastian raised his gun as the boy stepped over a girl's corpse. Everywhere I looked there were dead people...

Pullox threw himself to the side, predicting Sebastian's shot at the right moment. His gun came skidding out of his hands. Wherever Honora was, she had disappeared from the side of the chandelier, where she was trying to shoot beneath to kill us. This seemed like our only hope. The District Two tributes were still hiding undercover. Carlie, looking so pale in her pretty pink dress turned to run, holding onto Sebastian desperately.

A roaring bullet that seemed to come out of nowhere - probably from Honora - whizzed past us with immense strength. I lost my footing and collapsed onto the ground, watching Carlie and Sebastian run without me. I called their name as they rushed towards the last open door, standing up desperately and rushing after them even though three Careers were rushing behind me desperately. As I edged towards the door, it growing bigger and bigger, Carlie and Sebastian passed the threshold.

"Carlie!" I screamed so loudly my throat burned.

Sebastian had ran down the corridor but she turned. Her brown eyes seemed to hold some sympathy, but narrowed at me with coldness and hostility. As I ran towards the door she slammed them closed, my body crashing into the solid wood as there was the sound of something locking. I pulled at the door, screaming out desperately... but the doors wouldn't budge. Whatever Carlie had done, she had locked the doors and there was no way of opening them. There were no open doorways. I was trapped in a room with four Careers and two guns. There was no way out.

"Carlie! No! Please!"

I didn't know how I felt. I understood why Carlie and Sebastian ran without me when I fell, I could understand that, even if I'd have paused to help them. Pausing in the Games when you're supposed to run only increases your chance of death. But Carlie could have let me survive, I could have survived... I continued beating my fists against the door, feeling tears stream down my face. I was betrayed. Carlie knew that by slamming those doors and locking them she was condemning me to death. But she did it anyway. After all the trust I placed in her, she just let me die...

I turned and to my shock saw all four Careers standing together. Honora held what looked like a shotgun, and the One boy held a smaller gun. But the larger gun was pointed towards me.

"Life is shit, isn't it?" Honora sighed. "Well, you get a lucky pass."

I felt something blast into my stomach. Blood exploded around me and stars popped into my vision, not managing to prevent me from seeing my stomach blasted out of me. I felt my head bash into the door, and then I slowly slid down.

Willow Horvat, District 11, 13

"Is he dead?"

The Careers were all looking at the District Ten boy, who was moaning on the floor. His stomach had been carved out. He wasn't going to survive, but he was moaning and miraculously still alive. In all the gore, they hadn't noticed me. I hoped downstairs wouldn't reek of blood like the upstairs did, but if anything it was even more blood stained. Unhindered by heavy bags or even a weapon I rushed down and threw myself underneath the corpse of a girl, her blood dribbling onto me. Her eyes stared into mine. One blue, one brown...

"He's my kill," the deep voiced Two boy said. In his hand he held an intimidating looking sword.

I managed to glimpse to see him march towards the Ten boy, who was grasping onto the side of the doorway, trying desperately to stand up. He didn't even get a chance. The Two boy swung the sword with such power it sliced through the skin above his hips, bisecting him cleanly. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the gore and death, even though I could hear the boy's upper and lower halves slam into the floor with the squelching of wormy innards falling out after him. I tried not to vomit. At least I was alive.

"Bloodbath over?" The Two girl said to the others, no tone in her voice.

"Think so, Lorelei," the Four girl said. "So, we're all alive."

"That's good," Lorelei responded. "I killed the Three boy, Jericho just killed the Ten guy, Pullox killed the Nine boy-"

"And the Six girl," he corrected her precisely.

"Right... And who did you kill, Honora?"

"Seven girl and Ross."

"You killed Ross?" Lorelei replied, trying not to sound shocked. "But he's your District partner... that's really... taboo..."

"Boo hoo, a Queen doesn't care what her peasants think, she makes the tough decisions," Honora's voice grew closer and I froze. I followed Iopian's advice. I used my surroundings to my advantage, tried to be smart like he was. Knowing I'd be killed whether I ran downstairs or jumped onto the chandelier, I hid behind one of the many columns and waited for the Bloodbath to cease. Knowing I'd be found if I didn't move soon, I jumped under the Six girl's corpse and played dead. I stopped breathing, knowing Honora's eyes were on me.

She booted me in the side lightly, but it was still painful. I winced, refusing to cry out and reveal myself.

"I know but..." Lorelei paused. "Are you wearing Ross' clothes?"

"I took the liberty of stealing them from him," I noticed Honora wasn't dressed like a stupid girl. I had to put up with a weird dress, but Honora had torn the fabric of her dress away. She wore pants too small for her, they rose above her ankles. Male pants. She also wore a silver shirt which glistened with the blood of a victim. Honora must have stolen from her District partner. "I hate dresses, and they're stupidly impractical. I also put on a bulletproof vest in the process, which is why the stupid Eight cunt couldn't kill me with her stupid bullets."

"Don't say that word," Lorelei said shakily. I noticed Honora roll her eyes.

"I'm just a little upset I didn't kill Lexie," Honora sighed. She was still wearing girly heels, which was pretty funny. Her District partner's shoes musn't have fitted her. "I promised Ross I'd kill her..." She glanced at me suspiciously for a second, mumbling something obscene under her breath before she turned to the others and announced: "So, we're setting base up here?"

Shit. I didn't consider that...

"Nah," Pullox said calmly. "This arena isn't open like a forest, it's miles of rooms and corridors and goodness knows what..." He paused. "We have so many supplies we can just take it all. Go to the chandelier, there's ammo, food we can carry that'll last us a month... the Gamemakers have been generous and given us a bountiful amount, we should just take as much as we can carry and go on a permanent hunt. Wander the corridors, the grounds, whatever the Gamemakers have set out for us..."

I expected Honora to flip out for being challenged, but Pullox tended to reason with her better than other tributes did. Her lips burrowed into a frown a little, but then she nodded.

"You're right."

She darted up the stairs. I closed my eyes and played dead a little longer, trying to appear as still as possible. I was scared that I was trembling. All four of the other people in this room were trained killers. They'd kill me without remorse. Another painful second passed before I heard footsteps going down the stairway again. A few backpacks slipped onto the stairs, rolling down onto the floor, but then I peered and saw Honora and Jericho still carry supplies that could last them forever. It seemed as if tributes hadn't seized many of the supplies.

"Off we go," Honora grinned. "Time to open the door by force, then."

There was the noise of what sounded like the hacking of a door. That continued for a solid minute.

"Ew, a dead body, another rat killed," Honora said.

Footsteps continued and eroded straight away. I was still shaking. I didn't like girls too much, but it was awful that there was a dead one on top of me. Maybe she was like me... maybe she liked climbing trees and wrestling and making mud pies... and even if she was stupid, ultimately she had feelings and a family. I shoved her off me and tried not to cry as I stood up, avoiding glancing at any of the corpses around me. The Careers drop dropped supplies as if they were worthless, even though the supplies they left could last me the whole Games. Feeling incredibly grateful I managed to sling three bags over my shoulder - enough to last me forever, I guess - and grabbed a small hatchet that had been left on the floor.

"Bend every moment to your advantage," I mumbled to myself like it was a life motto. I was still shaking, and decided that I was going to be okay. I had more supplies than most people did, and I was alive. As eight cannons fired, I walked away from all of the corpses I outlived, only glancing back to observe them once before shuddering and ramming my hatchet into one of the closed doors, hoping it would open and take me away from the Careers or any of the other tributes.

Luke Diorite, District 12, 17

I had survived. But it felt like I was dying.

My lungs were strained and ached massively from running non-stop for what felt like forever. I felt them throb beneath my ribs, sometimes constricting and threatening to empty the contents of my stomach. My body was mildly bruised from getting launched down the stairs by the aggressive District Two boy. I didn't have any supplies, any weapons. I didn't even have Conifer with me. Considering the Gamemakers had given me a relatively high score I was sure the audience expected this. I was still alive... I had that to be grateful for... but I expected better than this.

In the distance a cannon fired. Then another. I slumped down as a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh... eight cannon fire filled the void, one after the other. I guessed that was eight tributes I was doing better than, at last. I remembered every single one of their faces in training. All twenty-four of us, and eight of those tributes were now lying in that big room as corpses. Maybe Conifer was one of them. I tried to shake that thought, but it lingered that she was now dead. If she was alive, I had to find her somewhere. I managed to stand up shakily again. The Games were a third of the way through. I just needed to keep fighting.

I memorised every hallway and corridor I ran around. The Palace seemed way too big to explore completely, but it would be advantageous of me to memorise big chunks of it. I was about five floors upwards, and I glanced down the corridor nearest to me. A mirror with gold-sprayed ivory twisting around its edges was propped up against the rich red walls. The room was dimly lit by golden chandeliers. Knights with golden armour stood close by, some holding fake weapons, some with nothing. This corridor was worth more than my entire house, but it was somewhat bare compared to all the other rooms - the chandeliers above were certainly a hundred times smaller than the one the tributes had stormed onto.

I strolled down the corridor, twisting one of the door handles and sighing when it refused to budge. I checked the next door that opened to reveal a bare bedroom, with a sea of made sheets surrounding the king-sized bed. There were two large wardrobes, plush romantic furniture littered around, and dull paintings. Closing the door behind me, making sure it didn't make much noise, I moved to the next room and noticed that it was open. When I peered into it I could only see a large bookshelf. Inspecting one of the books was a tall girl with dark hair. I recognised her face - Tear Nikuya... District Nine. She had a dagger, which was impressive. She also happened to have a bag full of supplies. Though more fortunate than me, I could take her by surprise. Another death and more supplies couldn't hurt.

Finding it difficult to believe that I was thinking in such a brutal manner, I followed common sense anyway by creaking the door open slightly. Tear didn't seem to hear me, removing another book and blowing the film of dust off it. While she was distracted I stepped into the room, a two second glance showing me that it was some kind of study; I saw bookshelves, ceiling paintings, yellowed pieces of paper. Before another second passed I silently charged at Tear, using the element of surprise to my advantage.

Tear seemed to pick up on the noise and acted immediately and impressively. I grabbed two of her arms, roughly slamming them against the bookshelf. She struggled, but was not as strong as I. With one swift movement and a cry, she slammed her head into mine.

I was already in pain, but a new pain erupted through me. Thank god she didn't crush my nose, but lights flickered in my eyes as I felt myself slump back onto the floor. Tear immediately straddled me, pushing a knife against my throat.

"Expecting a speech before I kill you?" She said nastily. "I'm getting this done with, time to break that cliche-"

Before she pressed the knife into my throat I protested. "No! You... you don't have to do this... it's not even the Final Twelve yet... let the Careers do the bad stuff..."

Tear laughed bitterly. "You didn't give me time to say that."

"I wasn't trying to kill you," I lied. "Only steal your supplies. And that was stupid of me. How about we split them?" Tear seemed more incensed by my sentence, but didn't kill me. She only gut her knee further into my gut, making me release a strangled gasp. "Pl-Please... I mean, you d-don't have an ally!"

Tear relaxed her grip. She said, almost regretfully. "I did have an ally. She's dead."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." I said, finding it strange to give condolences to someone who had a knife against my throat a second ago. However, I knew I had struck a chord and tapped into her human side. I remember Tear was with the Three girl, Elizabeth. I also remember her being attacked by the Two girl as I ran out of the Bloodbath. Looked like the District Two girl won. "That's pretty awful."

"Tell me about it," she slumped away from me, opening her backpack up. She removed an apple, taking a bite out of it. "You had an ally?"

I leaned up, my gut aching slightly. "Yeah. I don't know if she's dead or alive."

"Safe to assume dead."

"True..." I said, with a hint of remorse.

"I can't believe I'm doing this..." Tear paused. "It was just nice to be able to talk to someone in the Games... someone competent... I think you had a higher score than..." She was hesitant to say her name. "Liz..."

"I'm strong. I have a good memory."

"Utilise that for me and you get my food, then," Tear said, extending her arm. "Deal?"

I shook her hand. I didn't know if Tear was being stupid or if she was following her heart, considering I had gotten her to spill it out to me. I had attacked her. Did she not think I'd betray her? ... I knew I wouldn't. I could kill, but I could never exploit someone for my own gain. I had seen what that did - not just in the Hunger Games, but in real life, with people like Freya.

"Deal," I said, shaking her hand and knowing this was going to be the start of a very complicated Games.

I can't believe the Bloodbath is over! I mulled over it like one thousand times, switching the order of deaths, trying to make it as dramatic as possible. I don't know how I feel about it, but I have no regrets ;_;

I'm going to do epilogues this games, but in the chapter after they die so people can't have spoilers once a chapter is posted. However, for this chapter, I'll list the people that died and the order they died:

Liz (D3), Ross (D4), ?, Brandy (D6), Freya (D12), Conifer (D7), Giovanni (D9), Aurochs (D10).

They were all special characters who I really loved, this has been my most difficult Bloodbath chapter ever. I'll make an epilogue for them next chapter. Also, since it's the Bloodbath chapter, you can now all sponsor stuff! Those that didn't review 9 or 5 chapters can't sponsor anything at all, sorry, but the deadline has been reached. Keep reviewing, because it will still points so you can sponsor something after the final 12 :)

On a lighter note, I'm throwing CCQ's and IQ's back into the authors notes :)

~Toxic

Capitol Commentator Question: Who do you think it was that Magnus killed? Was it a tribute, or someone completely new/some kind of twist?

Interview Question: If you were in the Bloodbath, what would you do? What would your 'bloodbath strategy' be?