Day Two, Night

Luke Diorite, District 12, 17

They told you that when you went to heaven, your life flashed before your eyes. But when our memories withered away so easily, I doubted that. My memory had always been exceptional, but as time blossomed on even I had memories that faded - particularly if I consciously made no attempt to remember. But I fell into my whole life being flashed towards me. Memories of me as a child showing exceptional ability while my father looked on flashed by, so did all my friendships, school and working in the sooty coal mines of District Twelve.

I thought my reaping would be the memory that hurt most. But it wasn't. It was my dad's funeral. I remembered looking at his basic, rotting coffin as it was lowered into the ground in a graveyard where the many killed in mining accidents were laid to rest. I didn't feel sadness. I only felt resentment, the man who had thrown away a potentially good life for me had died. I'd always felt neglected by him, but that was bad enough.

When my memories reached my reaping, the escort shouted something that I didn't recall her saying as she unravelled Freya's piece of paper, the paper which belonged to a girl destined to die:

"You poisoned him, you bitch!"

I woke up to a sound of a slap. There were no crowds around me. Sadly, I wasn't even in District Twelve. The soot surrounding me had faded into something so much cleaner; red walls, a large table in front of me. I had been placed on a grand chair and had slumped back. My head buzzed as I tried to remember where I was and tried to absorb my surroundings. The rotting food that littered the table before me jogged my memory a little.

"No! I didn't! I promise!"

"Don't lie to me!"

I turned my head to face the sound of the noise, every syllable striking a distinctive pain in my head. I realised blood was dripping out of my nose and mouth, and that the fancy clothes that fitted me uncomfortably were filled with the blood that refused to stop leaking. A tall, broad girl was shaking another girl who was almost a foot shorter - she had messy, ashy hair and looked petrified.

"I didn't poison him! I don't know what happened!" She looked pale and terrified despite her tan skin.

"Tear," I was shocked at the gravelly sound of my own voice - pain blossomed in my Adam's apple with every word. "I-I don't think it was her. Leave her alone."

Tear immediately froze, she had gripped Willow tightly and I saw her palm wrapped around the hilt of a blade. She turned to face me, smiling with some kind of relief and storming towards me. I smiled a little as she stooped down to face me, she inspected my features and my eyes. I was still bleeding.

"I'm so glad you're not dead," she said.

"That'll change if we don't do anything soon," I paused. "We need to find the source of the poison. And we need to find an antidote, too."

"I didn't poison you, Luke," Willow said timidly behind Tear. She didn't edge closer, but gave me a sympathetic look. "I-I wouldn't do that to somebody who had spared my life. I promise."

Despite Tear's skeptical glare, I contorted my aching facial muscles into a slight grin at Willow. "It's cool, Willow. I know it wasn't you."

"It's Will!"

"Don't shout at him, can't you see he's dying here!" Tear snapped at Willow, facing me with a puzzled expression. "If you're so positive it isn't the kid, then what poisoned you?"

"It won't be Willow because if I were in her position, I'd have poisoned you," I covered my hand as I coughed sticky blood onto my palm. That was never a good sign - in fact, it was a sign that death was visiting. I laughed a little. "I've figured out how smart that kid is. I wouldn't underestimate her, she'd have figured out you were the one worth poisoning - not to mention I didn't drink anything she had given to me. If she used a nerve agent of sorts, you'd have been affected too."

"You make sense..." Tear admitted, looking at the plates of mould behind us. They continued to release unpleasant odours, but everybody seemed used to the smells by now. "The Gamemakers gave us food. What if that food... what if it was poisoned?" I frowned while she buried her head in her hands, gripping her hair lightly as she began to pace around the table. Willow, still ashen faced, just watched her as if she were a dynamite that would explode any second. "For Panem's sake. I knew we shouldn't have ate from the Gamemakers. They're less trustworthy than a Career, for Christ's sake."

"We can't jump to that conclusion," I croaked. I tried standing but merely slumped forward. Using the chair to balance myself, I tried to stand even though my legs shook crazily. The backpacks I had held that been stuffed underneath the table securely. I glanced at them. "We ate the exact same thing... if the Gamemakers poisoned it you wouldn't be so great. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tear faced away from me. "I'm a bit shaken, but I'm fine."

I furrowed my expression a little, thinking. Tear had fallen asleep earlier than I had and - depressed by Conifer's death - I had taken the third wine bottle, indulged from it, and slipped it into my own backpack. Tear didn't know this and neither did Willow. Horrific realisation struck me as I immediately stooped down, provoking a reaction from Tear. She hurried towards me, thinking I had collapsed as I dragged out the backpacks, unzipped them, and searched through them hurriedly with a worried expression.

"What?"

I finally found the third wine bottle. Its green glass, most of its contents filled. I withdrew it and stood up, making Tear looked confused as I searched for a crystal glass and poured some of the contents into the glass.

"This isn't the time for-"

"Did you drink any of it?" I asked, glancing at the ruby red liquid as it rested neatly in the glass.

"I drank from the first two..."

"The third?"

"No... the Gamemakers told us to drink it last for whatever reason... it never struck me to..." Her eyes wondered up and met mine and she looked shocked. "Oh my god. You drank from it, didn't you? I should've noticed it wasn't in my backpack any longer." I shakily nodded and she was silent for a minute. Willow looked at us, still not comprehending what was happening. Even after the horrific Bloodbath, it must've been difficult for a thirteen year old to process that somebody was dying right in front of her. "What do we do?"

"I suspect I know what poison it is," I coughed blood out and it splattered across the table. "I learnt all about poisons with Connie and one struck me as particularly clever. It's called Chloracyde. The good news is that it's slow acting," that made Tear relax a bit. "It takes three days to kill off somebody. The Capitol invented it and would use it so that they could interrogate somebody and know that that person would die whether they would escape or not. It was a death sentence that still gave them time to torture information out of people," I continued coughing throughout my speaking and, finding myself too weak to stand, I slumped back down on the seat. "It turns red when it is put in an acidic substance, say wine. We can counteract it with alkali."

"What even is alkali?" Tear said, confused.

"I never really got to know..."

"We learned about it in science class," Willow spoke up, her voice sounding petrified as we both turned to look at her. "I don't usually listen, but acids and alkali are both really cool. We didn't even learn much about it, I just know alkali is the opposite of an acid and we had to find examples of what is an alkaline substance. I could look in the kitchen for something?"

"That'd be great," I smiled at her as she scarpered off.

"So..." Tear looked like she was trying to remain calm as she sat on the corner of the table, thinking things over. "What does this poison do?"

"The first twelve or so hours isn't bad at all," I said, remembering the flashcards filled with information. I was picturing it in my mind, reciting it word for word. "Just cold and flu-like symptoms - aches, pains, headache, nausea and persistent coughing and sneezing..." I paused. "Clever of the Gamemakers to sneak it into wine. Made me just think it was the effect of a hangover. After the nicer symptoms are done with, the deadlier ones kick in. They're designed to severely cripple the victim. They involve heavy bleeding out of orifices, fainting and extreme weakness and nausea."

"Describes you well," Tear said. "And how does it finally... You know..."

"Well I'll be like this for another twenty-four hours," I paused. It was going to be an unpleasant time. "Then the deadly symptoms kick in. The poison will destroy every blood vessel in my system. This bleeding I have now? This is only a foreshadowing of what's to come..." I felt awful as I recited the next sentence: "When your blood system is actively destroyed, I will bleed internally and externally a lot. If this loss of blood or severe dehydration doesn't kill me..." I sighed. "Drowning will."

"Drowning?" Tear's eyebrows raised as I glanced at her seriously.

"Yes. In my own blood."

Tear tried to hide her shock, but it was evident on her face. She didn't respond, and began to look around the room. I knew she wanted to look at anybody but me. She'd already lost her first ally... maybe she was preparing herself for losing another. I wheezed slightly and Willow came in, decreasing the awkwardness a little as she held a bucket of something.

"I found this in one of the cupboards," she said, waddling over with it and struggling under its weight. "This isn't supposed to be a cure, right, because it won't exactly heal you..."

"That's a cleaning substance," Tear's nose wrinkled as Willow lifted the bucket onto the table.

"Yeah. It has alkali in it."

"It's not a cure, no, it's a test. It'll reveal the presence of the poison," I said.

Understanding, Tear immediately gripped the bucket and tipped it slightly - the gloopy substance, which smelt similar to bleach and burned my nostrils, slowly trickled into the wine bottle. The effect was immediately; the red of the wine reacted, frothing and fizzing as it shifted into a dark blue colour. I knew what that meant. As Tear glanced at me for affirmation, I nodded sadly.

"Yeah. That's it," I said. "L-Looks like I have... a day or two to live..." The thought of dying was weird. I never assumed I'd die, even if I was reaped. It just seemed as if I wouldn't be one of those people that died young, despite the hardship I had endured.

Willow had somehow turned a shade paler, and Tear barely reacted. She shifted off the table, sitting down. Willow, probably wanting to get out the way, gripped one of the buckets and struggled to carry it back into the kitchen. Inside I wanted to smash everything up and scream at the top of my lungs. After everything - after surviving that horrific Bloodbath... I was going to die because I had taken a sip of poisoned wine. I watched the blue substance froth in front of me. A part of me, however, felt calm. Maybe death wouldn't be that bad. I doubt it held the pain life held, no matter the outcome.

We must have sat there in silence for an hour as I came to terms with the prospect of dying.

"Is there a cure?" Tear said eventually, looking at me.

I thought for a second. "Yeah, there is. It's incredibly rare though... I... I doubt it'd be in the arena. It's a rare herb... I think it's called hoven-flower... or something..."

"It must be," Willow said from the doorway, peering in on us. She must have been watching us the whole time. She frowned a little. "The Gamemakers are nasty shits, but they never place a tribute in inescapable situations - that's part of the Hunger Game ethos. There's always some way to survive." She stepped into the room a little, speaking up as Tear acknowledged her. "I saw a load of greenhouses out one of the windows yesterday, before I bumped into you guys. If there is a cure in the form of a herb, it has to be there."

"She has a point."

I paused, smiling. "Then I need you guys to get it."

"'You guys' - you're not coming with us?" Tear was affronted.

"You know I'm too weak to walk all the way there," I said, putting my memory to use as I remembered seeing the greenhouses outside the window. I thought of all the possible paths I had ventured and how they could lead us towards the greenhouses. "Willow can't go on her own, and she can't be left with me because if something happens... I can't protect her," I wiped blood that trickled from the corner of my lips. Tear looked ready to protest, but remained silent. "If you go into the corridor above, and down and turn left you'll be more towards the west wing. You can see the greenhouses outside from there," I pondered. "Keep towards that wing of the corridor and look for stairways that lead downwards - on the ground floor, there'll be somewhere that will let you into the garden. If not, there's windows to break. You may even have to abseil."

"Seriously?" Tear said. "And what about you?"

"I stay here and pray for the best. Any better ideas?"

"No... I don't," Tear sighed, thinking of strategies of her own. As Willow was silent, she crumbled. "Okay. We take the backpacks. There's plenty of food in the pantry that can sustain you, if anyone comes try to remain hidden but no matter what happens don't leave here ever. Okay?"

"Okay," I nodded. "Remember that you don't have much..." I sneezed. I'd never heard of sneezing blood before, but somehow red droplets had been shot out of my nose. "Much time."

Tear slung a backpack over her shoulder and zipped another one up, nodding. "Yeah. That's why we're leaving tonight. I'll keep an eye on the kid," she glared at Willow slightly. "Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah," Willow said, moving over to me and putting a collection of bottles in front of me with a faint smile.

"Gas?" I said, remembering the glass bottles.

"No... I lied," she blushed. "It's medicine. I know it won't heal you but if it helps in any way, take it..."

She smiled, grabbing a few of the many backpacks she had. It seemed as if they were already prepared, struggling under the weight of plenty of supplies in the next ten minutes.

"Thank you so much," I said gratefully. "To both of you. Anyone else would've left me for dead."

"We'll let the Careers do the killing for now," Willow smiled lightly. "I guess it doesn't do any harm to keep you alive."

Tear's expression conveyed something else. She didn't seem as willing as Willow, but she was going to do it anyway. She looked at me without a word. I blushed, feeling a little inconvenient that I had to have my life saved for me - luckily the errand Tear was sent on didn't seem too life threatening, otherwise I doubt she'd have ventured on it. She may have liked me... or showed signs of caring for me... but I knew who was the last person on her mind. It was Rita. No matter how affectionate she seemed, there was someone at home she loved more.

And she'd do anything to get to her.

"Yeah, hang in there," she said, turning around. "Come on then, kid. Off we go."

Sebastian Keating, District 6, 17

The Three boy had been really quiet since we had captured him. But at least we didn't have to worry about him running off or killing us - days of living in a farm and tying animals to fence posts or making sure that they couldn't move before they were shipped off to the abattoir made Carlie's tying skills particularly useful, and the ropes that bound the boy were so strong he barely had the chance to move. I may have had the higher score, but recently Carlie had proven herself a practical ally with an array of miscellaneous skills that could be put to use. Even now she was cooking a big pot of soup, it smelled delicious and she stirred pepper into it whilst singing melodic songs.

I held my gun in hand, watching Trojan curiously as the nice aroma from Carlie's soup had filled my nostrils. He was tied up against the pillar, looking at the floor. He had been looking at it for hours without ever moving his gaze. There was a patience in him that I couldn't comprehend - I felt as if he could just sit down and wait for hours if need be. Sometimes I could forget he was dangerous, but then I'd turn and notice the shattered floor and the chunks of marvel that littered it and I realised he wasn't to be underestimated. Even with Carlie's immensely tight knots, it was good to keep an eye on him at all times.

"Hey," Carlie put a hand on my shoulder and I smiled up at her.

"Hey."

"How's it going?"

I shrugged. "I'm alive. Bar homesickness... I'm fine I guess," that was a half-lie - I had noticed developing bruises paint themselves along my skin where Trojan had struck me after our brawl, but it was nothing too bad.

"Yeah. I understand. I'm missin' home too," Carlie frowned, glancing at the boy. "He done anything?"

"Not uttered a single word."

"Well he needs to eat," Carlie said, keeping a cautious glare on his face. He didn't even seem to notice. "If we're capturing him, we can't just let him starve. I'll scoop out some soup. If he's as stubborn as a mule he may refuse to, but just refuse him food. He'll come around - he might not seem like it, but he's like any one of us. He probably just wants to get home." I nodded. "At least try to get some conversation out of him, Seb. Any information you can will be useful. You're good at speaking to strangers."

I smiled reassuringly at Carlie as she moved over the the pot. It had been formed under a burning fire created by a fire making kit we found in our supplies. We'd also been fortunate enough to be given a ladle, a pot and two bowls - obviously eating anything was great, but the supplies we had ensured we could eat like any other human beings. Carlie scooped some soup out into a bowl and walked over to me. I took it with one hand, tuckling my gun under the other, and anxiously made my way towards the Three boy.

"I have some food for you," I smiled. He looked up with me and glared a little bit, but he didn't speak from there. "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"You've not eaten for almost two days. Of course you are," I moved the bowl towards his face, but he turned away indignantly. A little frustrated, I almost shoved the bowl further towards him so that the soup been sloshed out of the bowl. It trickled down his chin and dribbled onto his lap, the heat of it making him scrunch his face up in mild pain as I sighed. "You're acting like it's poison!"

"You can't guarantee it isn't."

"I have a gun, for Panem's sake!" I moved the bowl away from him. "If I really wanted to poison you, I'd just blow your brain out!" My words echoed around the room, causing Carlie to turn and glance towards me once. I felt unsettled. Already I knew the Games were changing me. I'd never ever thought I'd do the things I've done so far. I'd never thought I'd make death threats, get into a fight, run away from an ally who was being mauled. And so far, to my disgust, I had done all three. I used to judge the lower District kids who'd stooped low and killed people in a similar manner to the Careers. But I didn't understand the experience; us lower District kids are also raised in a Hunger Games culture, even if it's much weaker. Most of us were prepared to do anything to survive. I had always been an altruistic, easygoing guy. But while I was in the arena, these personality traits had seemed temporarily discarded.

The Three boy's words further injected horror into me. "You wouldn't waste bullets on me."

I paused. He had a point. Every thought I had was in the lens of the Hunger Games and I wouldn't waste precious resources so readily. Knowing there was only one way to make a point, I cupped the bowl with my hands and lifted it to my lips, letting it trickle into my mouth. It was perfect; my family had never went without, and having gone almost forty-eight hours without a hot meal made me grateful to feel the meal trickle down my throat. To top it all off, it was delicious. I only had a little bit, and soon put the bowl away from my lips to show Trojan I was fine.

Suddenly, pain burst through my throat and I coughed a little, making the boy eye me wearily as I beat my chest, finding it difficult to breathe.

I finally inhaled and smirked at him, the pain in my throat fading a little. "Yeah. Don't have it too quickly though. It's hot." He didn't say a word and I shrugged. "But you know, if you want to starve-"

"No," he said, his faith finally shattering. "Can I have some?" I didn't move and he begged even more uncharacteristically. "Please. I haven't had anything to eat in days. I'm starving."

"Yeah, that's cool," I moved the bowl towards him. He gratefully lapped it up, trying to take as much of it as he could. Some of the soup naturally spilt, staining the red waistcoat he had been given. I noticed there were no bloodstains - he musn't have had a life or death resulting conflict yet, which was interesting. In mere seconds the soup in the bowl was empty.

"Do you want more?" I asked.

Once again, he had adopted his more moody expression. He had got what he needed, I don't think he wanted anything more to do with me. "No. I'm fine."

"Okay..." I paused awkwardly, taking the bowl and gun with me as I stood up. I looked down at him sympathetically. "Well, you probably know this by now but I'm Sebastian. But I prefer being called Seb," I smiled warmly. "So if you ever get really hungry and you want to eat just call me, okay? I'll be eating with Carlie and if you need anything I'm sure she'll be happy to help too."

The boy rolled his eyes and looked to the floor. I didn't know why. I turned around, noticing Carlie had made a bowl of soup for herself - she was taking small sips of it in a courteous manner.

"Hey, Seb?" I turned around and glanced at him. "The name is Trojan."

I smiled at how he had opened up. It wasn't much, but it was something, and it showed some potential. Trojan was so unlike Carlie; reserved, worried and calculating. It was interesting. I'd say he was more suited to the Games compared to the mild-mannered and sweet Ten girl, but Carlie had managed to prove herself and she wasn't the one who was tied up. As I stormed towards her, my stomach growling and begging me to fill it with soup, a part of me couldn't help but wonder what was in store for all three of us. All I knew was that eventually somebody would die.

Luster Harbetto, Victor

"So she'll be sponsoring the flashlight?" I asked Contessa as we made our way down the well lit corridors. I'd never interacted with the District Five escort before, and she had always struck me as frivolous and just plain weird. However, I hadn't seen Rayann in a couple of hours and I was growing desperate. I knew what waited for Magnus and it wasn't good - not that he was in a condition to talk about it anyway. Not that Contessa seemed to care.

"I think so dear, I told her to sponsor something - just so she doesn't seem neglectful."

"A flashlight?"

"Maybe," she shrugged.

She eventually turned a corner and stormed down a corridor which made it clear that she was going down an escort's only zone due to the signs that plastered the wall. I watched her walk away, giggling to herself. Seemed like I was alone and I would never know. Not that I needed Magnus to survive anyway. I was only acting in Rayann's interest - Lexie and Pullox were both still alive, and they needed my help. The only way I could make sure they came out of the arena alive was if Magnus died. Perhaps this was for the best.

Turning down the other corridor, the one that led towards the mentor's room, I made my way back to where I could be of some assistance. There were a few blue cushioned sofas and I noticed a little boy in one of them - he must have been about fifteen or sixteen. As I made my way closer towards him, I noticed he was the Head Gamemaker's son. He had his dark eyes and hair, as well as his shy smile. As he gave me the quick smile, I bashfully returned it.

I barely had time to react when I heard a door behind me open. A hand gripped mine and as the boy looked confused, I was dragged into a small storage cupboard. I worriedly surveyed my surroundings, noticing mops and massive bottles full of various cleaning chemicals. But as I turned I noticed a pair of hazel eyes looking into mine affectionately.

"A cleaning cupboard, Yinga?" I said to the Gamemaker. I laughed nervously. "Of all places?"

His lips brushed against mine. I felt his hand tighten around my waist. I didn't want to, but I knew I had to reciprocate the kiss. We continued kissing passionately in the cleaning cupboard and soon his hands moved towards my belt. I swatted them away, feeling as inadequate at romance as ever. Once again, he tried groping at me but I pushed him away completely.

"We had a deal," he was panting, looking at me lustfully. "I'll give you what you want if you give me what I want."

"I gave you the layout of the Palace," Yinga complained, slumping against the wall and knocking a few mops out of his way. "I told you what the Gamemakers are planning to do once the final eight strikes, I even told you how to save your Victor friend's tribute when you asked," he ran his hand through his hair, putting his arm around my waist again. "You gave me the best night of my life and I gave you vital details - which I could get killed for if they were leaked, you know," he pecked me once and smiled. "And yet you want more?"

"If you want more," I pressed my finger against his lips once. "I want more."

He looked at me. I think he was going to storm out of the cupboard, but after some contemplation he finally submitted. He sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you. If you want Lexie to have the best shot at survival, you need to direct her towards the Palace's grand library - there's something in there that will help her a lot." He smiled. "And by help a lot, I mean it'll guarantee her a win."

"What is it?" I asked adamantly.

"Hmm," Yinga thought for a second. "If you unbuckle my pants, I'd consider-"

"I am not stooping that low," I said instinctively. "A cleaning cupboard? Really? Maybe we should go back to your-"

"It's a twenty-four hour shift," Yinga sighed. "We're at the calm before the storm, but we're approaching the storm and I really need to prepare for day four. I can't go back to my apartment with you, it's too risky."

"Then I'll just work the rest out myself," I told Yinga, shoving him forward.

I opened the door as the sound of shelves crashing to the floor violently was audible. To my surprise, I noticed the Head Gamemaker's son was still sitting comfortably as if nothing had happened. He regarded me with a surprised smile as I exited. But my mind was on Yinga and Lexie - I had to guide her to that library, I had to think of something innovative to sponsor her so that she had a good shot at survival. I wanted my mind to whir the right way, but my mind was only whirring on one thing...

My dignity.

I had slept with Yinga for information. I liked Pullox and Lexie, and was dedicated to helping them survive. If they died, how could I forgive myself knowing there was something I could do? Since coming out (on live television last year) I hadn't had a romantic experience. I didn't even know if I wanted one, but if I did I knew I wanted it to mean something. But I just gave myself away to Yinga for dissatisfying morsels of information. I paused, trying to push out all feelings of guilt and worthlessness. The President was kind enough to ensure I wasn't a prostitute, on certain conditions, but I had already prostituted myself by choice.

"Are you okay?" The boy asked me. "You seem sad. I heard a crash in the cupboard, is Yinga okay?"

Ah. Yinga worked for his dad, so of course he knew him. "Yeah," I turned towards him and smiled. "I'm fine. Just a little bit worried about my tributes. You're..." I tried to remember his name. "Edrick, right?"

"Eldrick. But call me El."

"Oh, okay El," I smiled and sat down beside him. "Yeah, we just talked."

"I'm not that interested, what were those crashes though?" He turned towards the closed cupboard door. "I don't have to know. I know you District folk are a little different, but in the Capitol we're just kind of taught to keep our noses out of other people's businesses at all costs," that made sense; how else would an incredibly tyrannical, secretive regime remain put in place? "It's really cool to actually meet you. Can I have an autograph?" He seemed to withdraw a school bag and shoved pieces of paper out. "Dad doesn't let me come to work so I haven't met any victors, even if all of you are awesome."

"Why does your dad not let you go to work?" I asked, quickly signing the piece of paper. The cupboard door opened and an incredibly frustrated looking Yinga acknowledged me with the slightest nod.

"Hey, Luster, I'm sorry for that," he smiled at me a little. "How about we go for coffee? When we're both free?"

I nodded, though with Yinga I didn't know if I wanted to go or not. Yinga caught my slight nod and hurried off, probably to where the Gamemakers worked their magic. As he did, I watched him move on and wondered if he cared for me. I didn't even know if I cared for him - in fact I barely knew him. But his desire for me seemed to grow. Were we even dating? I wasn't used to all these social relations and complications.

"Thanks," Eldrick stood up with my signature, looking at it happily. "I just want you to know, Lexie is my favourite, and Pullox is in my top five," he blushed a little, not knowing how to talk to me. I still found it difficult to process that I was a celebrity and my mere presence excited people. Just because I knew how to kill people? It seemed weird.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"It's just too bad the Careers are after her. If she kept away from them, I know Lexie could win."

Something processed quickly. If the Careers were kept away from her... that made sense. If I could sponsor Lexie something that made sure the Careers didn't get within a mile of her, she could evade them and make her way into the final eight with few difficulties. She was skilled and smart enough to do it. I stood up, trying to think for a few seconds. There had to be a way I could get her to the library Yinga told me about while ensuring she kept her distance from the Careers, and Eldrick's words had inspired something in me.

Yes. I knew exactly what I had to do.

Alexandria Tarsus, District 1, 15

Getting onto the roof was a struggle, but I was glad it was one I endured. Even if it was really dangerous, you felt so secluded away from the danger - with the supplies we had I reckon Nate and I could linger around and survive up here until at least the final twelve. We had used tiles and a collection of branches to roast slabs of horse meat. It cooked quickly behind us, letting a trail of smoke dash into the sky. Usually producing smoke in the Games was a big no, because it let everyone else know your position, but we were free to make as much noise and smoke as we wanted. We were away from everything.

"Okay," Nate and I stood at the edge of one of the roofs - a few metres away there was another roof. Nate had been teaching me how to climb and navigate the roof for hours now. I was pretty bad at it, but I was readily improving. "Now we're going to practice jumping from roof to roof."

"What?" I said, a little worried. "If I fall..."

"You won't. You have me... you have to learn eventually," he said, bending his knees slightly as he narrowed his eyes at the parallel roof. "Okay, you bend your knees a little bit so that you can spring across more easily," he paused, sucking in a chestful of air. "Then you run-" as he slipped out those words he dashed against the tile roof. "And jump as high as you can!" Once again, he leapt. I watched in awe as he sailed across the wind, hitting the other roof and rolling across the tiles neatly. I clapped, really impressed by his performance. He should've gotten a higher score, even if he was a cripple.

"You need to roll when you land," he said, turning to face me. His messy hair fell in front of his eyes, his effeminate features curling into a smile. "For obvious reasons. The running, the jumping, everything you do is gaining momentum. If you land and the momentum is still there, you're likely to tumble and look like human jam," I shivered, though I think it was the wind. "You ready?"

"I-I think so..."

"I'll be here. It's not that far of a jump, it's scarier than it looks."

Reassured by him, I bent my knees slightly and focused on the roof. My heart was almost beating faster than it had in the Bloodbath and I felt myself shaking. Trying to turn my nervousness into power, I began to sprint. I was a moderately athletic girl, so I think I sprinted quite well. As I approached the edge of roof I sprang forwards, soaring across the edge. The gap was shorter than I anticipated, but I had no idea how to turn a jump into a roll. My feet slammed onto the harsh tiles, pain springing through them.

I felt my balance lose itself immediately and cried out as I felt the momentum push me backwards. I waved my arms desperately, but before I plummeted small hands moved themselves around my waist. They kept me secure until I was being held at the edge of the roof, a scream lingering in my throat and desperate to be released. I looked down at Nate.

"Told you I had you," he smiled lightly.

"Yeah, thanks," I laughed a little awkwardly. "Well... awkward..."

Chuckling, he moved his arms away. In the background the last vestiges of sunlight had sank into oblivion and stars began to litter the sky. I was pretty certain that the anthem would've played by now. No deaths on the second day seemed unusual, but they must've felt there was no rush after the large Bloodbath. A breeze kept hitting us like waves, sending goosebumps across my skin. I stared in the horizon deeply, and then looked down at Nate and smiled again. For the first time, he seemed to smile back wholeheartedly.

"I know, that was awful," I said.

"Not bad," he replied. "You're alive, which is a positive."

"Only because of you."

"Trust me, it was great for a first time. The whole rolling thing is complicated - not many people can do it."

"Yeah," I turned around and looked into the sky again. "You know, I'm really impressed you could do it. I know District Eleven kids are usually good climbers, but you can just do all these cool tricks. And I was trained for twelve years and couldn't do anything cool," I chuckled. "Way to make me feel like a failure. I really admire you, you know. I mean, you have a heart defect and that didn't stop you..." I sighed. "I'd think that doing that was impossible. How do you-?"

My sentence was halted when the tile under me slipped. This time, I did scream as I felt myself be flung forward. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, adrenaline jarred time for me - I was looking at the pavement beneath, it edged closer to my vision as I span in the air. My hand desperately reached out and snagged a windowsill, and there was a jerk as my momentum was braked dramatically. I felt the strain of my own weight seer through my arm as I continued screaming desperately.

Tears spilled out of my eyes. I was shaking with fear.

"Lexie, are you okay?" Nate peered down at me, looking pale.

"I-I..." I didn't want to seem weak. "Yes. I'm alive." My other hand gripped the windowsill and, supporting my weight better, I pulled myself upwards. I could see in the room, through the window. It was a room that seemed bigger than my house, with pink walls and rose patterns dashing across the skirting boards. A heart shaped bed dominated the majority of the room, but there were other bedrooms items - desks, drawers, a wardrobe. But the thing that caught my attention most was a flash of silver that I could see.

"Oh my god," I gripped the bottom of the window, careful not to fall. Nate called my name again, but I ignored him and forced the window upwards. I awkwardly clambered into the bedroom, feeling warmth of the indoors washing over me. The room seemed larger when I was actually in it. There was no door, merely adoorway which had a waterfall of transparent silk draping from it. That must have led into a corridor, and the silver I saw was glinting in the room opposite. Could it be...?

"Lexie?" In a second, Nate had dropped from the roof and forced himseif into the room. He stood beside me, only managing to reach slightly above my shoulders. "What's up?"

"I think I saw a sponsor gift," I said, storming across the bedroom.

"Lexie, no!" Nate gripped my hand and managed to keep me still. I turned around, giving him a quizzical look as his eyes suddenly widened with fear. He dashed to the window, leaping out onto the windowsill and - like a grasshopper - leaping forward before he climbed out of sight completely. I watched him disappear, moving towards the window and leaning out of it curiously. The air hit my face, but did little to conceal the loud sounds of footsteps storming down the corridor. My heart froze as I recognised a particular voice.

"I'm feeling it," Honora said, her voice as commandeering as ever. "It's right here. There's a tribute here. We've hit the jackpot."

I wanted to sob. She was right, of course. But I couldn't let her catch me. Nate must've heard her before I did. It was a stupid plan, but I knew I had to escape somehow, so I vaulted over the window. I shuffled to the edge of it, holding onto it, and before Honora could see me I suspended myself from the window, gripping onto the windowsill desperately and praying that I was kept out of sight. I had to survive... I had to survive...

I heard a door get kicked open, which made an extra dosage of adrenaline burst through my bloodstream. That wasn't the scariest thing though; the wound of the silk draped being pulled aside made me close my eyes tightly, forcing a single tear out in the process. It felt so warm on my cold cheeks. Loud footsteps that belonged to a large, bulky tribute, quickly rushed around the room. I heard draw and doors be torn apart.

"Anyone in there Honora?" Pullox asked. Wow. I knew he was alive, but hearing his voice felt so surreal.

"No, I don't think so," I heard her reply - she was mere metres away from me, her voice reaching my ears clearly. I hope she didn't hear my suppressed, ragged breaths. "Hey, Pullox, have you ever seen an open window in this place before?"

"No, they're all closed, or have been thus far," his voice drew ever so closer. I heard Honora edge her way towards the window and physical illness struck me as I considered letting go and falling to my death. I knew that such a death would be much more dignified than what would happen if Honora got her hands on me. She'd literally brutalise me until I was unrecognisable. Maybe the other Careers would assist her in doing so, but chances were Pullox and Lorelei would just observe her slaughtering we with forced indifference.

"Hey, Honora?" Lorelei's voice was also a pleasant surprise. I hadn't heard it in days - it had lost the strength and sass I remembered, though. Honora's footsteps ceased and I heard her turn, probably to face Lorelei. "I found something interesting in here."

Honora walked away from the window and I everybody's footsteps suddenly seemed different. I wanted to weep with relief - I also wanted to hug Lorelei, too. She said she couldn't protect me, and that may be true, but it seemed as if she was inadvertently saving my life. I was about to mumble a desperate plea to any supernatural being out there, but instead I kept repeating it in my head over and over again, desperate to not give myself away. My fingers began to ache, straining and not able to support me any longer.

I almost jumped and fell when I heard an angry cry.

"Something interesting - for fuck's sake, Lorelei, a piece of silver paper where an old sponsor gift was torn apart doesn't constitute something interesting!" I heard the rustling of paper as it was thrown. That must've been what I saw. Disappointment stabbed my gut. "For fuck's sake, I thought that you were better than this. I thought we were better than this! If we don't kill anyone by tomorrow, trust me, I'll kill one of you oafs!" Her next word had made the disappointment melt into amazing relief. "Come on, we're out of here."

Their footsteps quickly faded, but I was too scared to move. I heard Nate call my name from the roof, his voice shaking, but I was way too scared to respond. After a good five minutes - maybe even ten - I finally mustered the strength to use my arms to pull myself up. I didn't even clamber through the open window. Like a useless slug, I slid onto the floor, finding myself trembling. I was too scared and relieved to cry, and I didn't know if I had the strength to stand.

Nate suddenly slid through the window in the next split second, looking down at me sympathetically. He was so fast when he climbed, it was almost like he could teleport.

"They're gone?" He asked calmly.

"I-I think so..." I said, using the wall as support. I stood up, my knees shaking violently. "The silver thing over there was only a disposed sponsor gift, though."

"Maybe worth checking out?" Nate said. I didn't dare protest; I could barely speak. We walked across the room, the silk drape caressing our face as we exited out into the regal purple corridor. We were only in it for a second before we entered the next room, which seemed surprisingly bare, especially considering it was in the mansion.

A bed, which only had a wooden frame and a mattress, was situated beneath a pathetic excuse of a window - it looked more like a slit of glass. The walls were bare, as was the creaky wooden floor. Strewn across it was the corpse of a sponsor gift, a small chunk of silver paper. I leaned down and collecting it, noticing that it had a tag on it. Tags which contained messages were incredibly rare, as they cost mentors a lot of money. But Career Districts usually had the funds to buy them. I looked at the neatly handwritten message.

"Lexie,

This should make sure that there's distance between you and the Careers. And no matter what happens, get to the library.

Luster x"

"It's for me," I said to Nate, shocked.

"From Luster?"

"Yeah..." I paused. We can't stay on the roof any longer."

"Huh? Why?" He responded, affronted.

"Luster told me to go to some kind of library," I said, reading over the paper and trying to piece it altogether. Why would he want me to go there? Was there something there? Was it safe? "He doesn't say why... The notes mentors can send can only be brief. But he won't lie to me. He's sending me there for a reason. I know it's a good one..." I paused. "But I don't get it," I looked at the wrapping paper. This sponsor gift had been emptied - maybe before the Careers had even gotten here. Someone stole it. "He told me that whatever was in here would've put distance between the Careers and I."

"That would've been good," Nate said, turning around and glancing at something.

I paused, deep in thought. "But what could that be?"

There was the sound of chirping. It seemed so sudden and I assumed a bird like mutt was here in my constant state of paranoia. Nate jumped and gripped the handle of his knife and I turned around too. And then my eyes glanced at it, perched on top of the wardrobe and looking down at us curiously. I couldm't feel anything but confusion. Nate, however, turned to face me very slowly.

"Do you think that was what Luster sent?" He said, very confused.

Magnus Carmine, District 5, 17

The sun had set so suddenly. One second it was light, the sky showing dashes of orange and red, but there didn't seem the be a sunset. As if the lights of the sky had been turned off, the night quickly descended and the room went dark. Leda and I paused, glancing around the corridor we in. Bar a bunch of wide French doors that led onto balconies and billowing curtains, there wasn't much of note. The dark was quickly extinguished when torches on the wall suddenly burst to life, their flames licking the air.

"You're not insane, if that's what you're thinking," Leda said, shuffling towards me and standing behind me. "I saw that happen. The arena never went dark like that yesterday."

"Doesn't necessarily mean anything," I said, watching Leda ready her blade.

"I hope so," she said, timidly. We stood there in silence, listening to our own nervous breaths and watching the condensed air we exhaled dance upwards into the golden painted ceiling, where it faded into nothingness. Suddenly it had also become cold. Leda followed me, a little worried as I tore off one of the torches and launched it into the fireplace. Wood was suddenly converted to flame, its embers creating both light and warmth. We both sat on a red rug which spread around the fireplace.

Leda placed her shaking hands above the fire, probably hoping for some kind of warmth. The fire was like trying to use a plaster to heal an amputation; it might have stemmed the cold a little, but beyond that it was kind of useless. And yet something was unnerving me - I'd been unnerved the whole day. I'd almost succumbed to insanity only hours ago and I acted like everything had become okay, but it wasn't okay. Every moment there seemed to be something moving towards me tauntingly from my peripheral vision, and if I dared let my guard down maddening laughs would echo around ne and make me question whether or not they were real.

Even now, outside the French doors, I thought that I saw something moving with the howling wind. It danced across the balcony with whispy hair, like the thing that I saw last night. I kept watching it with fascination, hearing the wind outside scream at the top of its voice, blocking out the noise of Leda's teeth chattering.

"Do you see that, out there?" I said.

Leda craned her neck slightly. "No..." She paused. "Must be a moving tree or branch or something," there was something dismissive in her tone, but I heard a hint of fear in it. She was beginning to doubt my sanity. Leda was more observant than she made out; she'd always known I was taking some kind of medication and that I needed it. As time dragged on, it became evident that she had already worked out what it was I was taking. She knew I was a convict... if the monsters of the Games weren't keeping her awake at night, I was. Or the thought of me.

Maybe I should have cleared my past up before she took off in the middle of the night while I was asleep. Or worse yet, while she put her sickle to good use.

"Leda..." I piped up.

"Yeah?" She said, giving me a fake smile. She was horrible at feigning emotions; she looked constipated.

"Maybe in this alliance, we need to be honest to each other," I said, trying to be reproachful. She looked confused for a second. "Lets be honest, I'm keeping you alive. But you're keeping me sane. And I just need to-"

The wind suddenly screeched louder than ever and before I knew it Leda ducked down, shielding her eyes into the ivy green of her dress. I turned around and noted that the wind had grown so powerful it forced the many French doors open, some of them being forced apart so hard they smashed in to each other and spat grass at us. The wind was so powerful I felt it ruffle everything in the room. The torches on the walls were extinguished with one blow of wind and Leda and I were left in silence still, by the fireplace, which was miraculously still alight.

"What-" Leda paused, and she saw it too. It had been out there all the time. It had been following us.

Or, to be more accurate, she had been following us. Fear swallowed me whole as I recognised every detail of her again - the dirty gown that went down to her knees, covered in floral patterns. The long, dark hair that draped down her face. The paleness of her that made her resemble how Leda looked after seeing the spectre and being struck by fear.

"Run out of here," I said, standing up. The wind had ceased.

"Bu-"

"Just run as fast as you can."

Leda didn't need telling twice - her little legs made her dart across the room. The way she ran appeared like an awkward waddle, but she was quicker than I expected her to be. The screaming wind followed her, making her hair blow and almost launching her frail figure across the room while the girl in the dark balcony stepped through one of the French doors and looked around, almost curious. Before she could reach Leda, I heard a door slam. I should've followed Leda, but there had to be a way to kill this mutt. It would follow us and try to hunt us every night unless something was done.

Tightening my muscles together, I didn't expect the woman to be so quick after she had let Leda go. Like a blur, she darted towards me. And then it all clicked. The wind gave a shrill screech and she paused right before reaching me, as if she was scared to enter the flickering light the suffocating fire was emitting. It finally disappeared into strangled smoke as it all clicked - she faded away into the moonlight last night, she only appeared when darkness struck and she was accompanied with violent wind that extinguished flame.

My revelation was destroyed when she gripped the ruffles of my shirt, pressing her face into mine. The wind screamed in my ears as if she was shrieking at me, and she seemed much stronger. Fear paralysed me and my lungs were too frozen to cry out. The most terrifying thing was what was under the flowing mane of ebony hair - it covered her face... but I could now see that there was no face. There was only cold, pale skin.

I felt myself get launched with inhumane strength. I barely had the time to cry out, I felt myself hit glass and my throbbing back hit the cold marble of the balcony floor. The cold suddenly hit me, but it didn't nothing to numb the cuts that spread around my back. I lay in the shattered glass, groaning and leaning up as the ghost - or whatever the hell it was - hovered towards me, her hair blowing and revealing the non-existent features of her face. The moon seemed totally eclipsed and my eyes struggled to adjust in the darkness.

But then I saw it slip to the floor, attached to a parachute.

I immediately knew what Rayann had sent me, and so did the mutt. It rushed towards me at windspeed as I gripped the flashlight. I felt its cold metal press into my palm as her hands wrapped themselves around my neck, cold and strong as metal as she tried to choke the life out of me. I struggled underneath her weight, desperately trying to find the switch of the light.

And then I found it.

Only a small beam of light spread out of the torch, brushing her. But it was still enough. The wind howled indignantly and she leapt away, fading into the dark room for a brief second. It went quiet, and then she reappeared again to make a dash for me. For once, I was quicker than her and I aimed the beam of light right at her chest - at first the light illuminated her, made her almost look beautiful as she seemed almost human. And then it ate into her. The window howled around me, making the tail of my waistcoast flap behind me as I kept the light directly on her, locking her in a prison before she faded into ashes.

Suddenly the wind stopped. It was totally silent.

I gripped the torch, tentatively stepping through the doors that I had been launched through, back into the unsettling room. A trail of blood followed me as I walked, my whole body throbbed. As I heard glass shatter and doors creak, I still felt unsettled. But I had the victory now. Wondering where Leda was, feeling blood contrinued to trickle down my back and drench me, I staggered towards the door with a triumphant grin.

Day two. Nobody died. And this chapter is unedited, I regret nothing.

That said, the plot is really beginning to throw itself forward. If you couldn't tell, every single POV (maybe Magnus' is the exception, that was just the ending of a very small story arc I had planned)was lending itself to part of a greater plot, so, for a next while there'll be no filler!

And considering we're about to catapult our way towards the final twelve, I'm going to ask who you want to make it there via poll.

~Toxic

Capitol Commentator Question: What relationships are you excited to see develop?

Interview Question: Early bird or Night Owl?

P.S - Yeah, this chapter was kind of late. The next one will be too. I have an exam next Tuesday as well as a lab report to do. It's crappy, but when I have time I do make sure there's a chapter for you guys ASAP.