P.S - I am perfectly happy to edit character's histories for character development etc. I've done it before, and with certain characters I'm doing it again.

This chapter features the shortest POV in history. I like it.

Day Eight, Night

Willow Horvat, District 11, 13

I sat in the tiny, meagre concrete slab which we called our back garden, rolling a tattered football around in the dirt. It had been the best eleventh birthday of my life - I mean, I knew kids poorer than me who had only got fruit or meat for their birthday. For mine, I actually got a football. It wasn't in prime condition, but it was still pretty great. I knew some kids in the richer Districts would have considered it a crappy birthday, and I did feel like I should've got more, but I was just happy to have gotten my birthday present. It was mine, and it was perfect, and that's all that mattered.

I walked into the living room, noting that my father's chair was empty - this meant that he was in work again. My mother was probably hanging around, doing whatever she does during the day. Due to school and compulsory work duties, I didn't really know, and I'd learned to not care what my mum did around the house anyway. But I was a little hungry, and my parents did promise that I'd actually get some meat for dinner tonight.

I tried to scamper around the corner to find my mother, but my brother Clay gripped my arm and stopped me.

"Happy birthday, you!" He ruffled my hair. "Aren't you going to let your hair grow long for once?"

"No way," I protested, peering behind his shoulder. My brothers and their friends had congregated in the kitchen. "I got a new ball for my birthday!" My brother smiled - he'd probably known it'd been my present for a while now. "I was just going to ask mum about dinner and then I'm going to play ball in the backyard," I didn't know if everyone could fit there, so I interjected. "Or maybe by the orchards. Want to come with?"

"I have District duties," Clay frowned. Oh. Yeah. Damn duties always getting in the way. "But I promised dad I'll be back before he gets back from work. Then we'll enjoy a nice dinner," he stooped down and kissed my nose, making me giggle. "And maybe, if you're very lucky, enjoy some cake. We know how much you like your birthday cake."

"I'm going to eat it all," I smirked.

My brother mirrored my expression before turning around and rushing out of the front door. I still heard all the boys chattering downstairs and, excited to play with them, I rushed around the corner into a new corridor. It was eerily silent; usually there'd be the sound of children playing in their rooms or down the corridors. Suddenly the air seemed colder and the room more bland and lifeless.

Somewhat dazed, I made my way down the corridor, my hand moving across the wall as I walked. Eventually I made my way to the door and heard noises - wet noises. Knowing that eavesdropping was wrong anyway, I peered into the room. The sight made my heart drop.

My mother was pressed against the wall, her hand cupped around another man's cheek. Another man that wasn't my dad. They were kissing passionately, holding onto each other as if for dear life. They were so entranced in their passionate joining that they didn't even notice me peering in and staring at them with a level of horror. I wanted to rush in and hit them both, to scream and shout for that level of betrayal. But I didn't do that. As the tears began, I turned and silently crept away, turning around the corner.

My sister Maple was heading towards the front door, an assured smile on her face. There was only one suit in the whole house, and Maple, ever the overachiever, was the girl who wore it. She made her way out the door, ignoring me as she usually did. I rushed up to her and tugged on her skirt, though she continued walking. After following after her, I tugged even harsher and she span around, deciding to give me the first bit of attention she'd given me in months.

Sadly, it wasn't positive.

"What do you want, Willow?" She sounded stressed. "I know it's your birthday but I have a thousand things to be worrying about right now."

I tried to talk, but only came across as pathetic. Even though Maple and I had always been distant, she was still my sister. I'd just caught my mother betraying my father and I couldn't tell my brothers that. It was something I felt only Maple could handle responsibly. And yet I couldn't tell her the secret that would just shatter our family. I wiped my tears and only blubbered uselessly.

"Look, when you're my age you'll realise there's much bigger problems than not enjoying your birthday or something," Maple briefly brushed a cheer down my cheek and forced herself to smile. "But I've got work. I'm moving out soon. I'll get you something from the bakery or something," Maple quickly turned around and forced herself out of the door before I could say anything. I stopped crying, just staring after her.

I'd have to keep this secret to myself, like a burden. I'd have to try and heal the deep cut of betrayal with mere plasters and just hope that the bleeding would stop. And despite denying the problem had ever happened, despite repressing it, I felt like I'd been betrayed. I'd felt like the women in my life, the women I was supposed to look up to, had just stabbed me in the back.

I sat on the stone bench opposite the small house which I had to temporarily call home. I wondered what kind of people had once lived there. I mean, throughout the Palace, if you looked carefully, you could see the cracks that revealed a deep class division. A class division that was almost the same in Panem. I thought about it for a second, but all my thoughts halted when I saw the saloon doors push themselves open.

Mirane made her way over to me and I purposely tore my gaze from her. Mirane was the same as every - no, as most - other girls. She was antagonistic, mean and cared about nobody but herself. And the things she'd said about Tear and Luke were just cruel and unfair. As I saw her figure get closer and closer, I considered moving away. I'd even attack her if she wasn't holding my hatchet.

"Fuck off," I mumbled as she sat on the stone bench next to me. I shuffled away.

Mirane was calmer than I expected; she glanced at me, and then glanced back towards the doorway where Darius was.

"Have you ever said something you really regretted?" Mirane said, biting into one of her nails slightly. "Something that you might have felt was true at the time, but when you look back it was kind of stupid and mean?"

"Yes," I admitted, sounding sulky and not looking at her. "Everybody does."

"Everybody who is honest." A pause. "Like us."

"You accused me of being sneaky."

I shot a glare at Mirane, who gave me a compromising smile. "Exhibit A of saying something that you believed at the time but something that was real, real stupid," I ignored her, becoming increasingly interested in my palms. My skin was covered in bruises, mild cuts and dirt. It bothered me the first day, now it just kind of existed. I think after having your fair share of smacks and cuts, the pain was just a sensation that buzzed around you like nothingness. "It's hard to be nice if you're not going to respond," she grew frustrated. "I'm not like Darius. Being nice isn't my superpower."

"You are honest," I said. "I'll give you that, a lot of girls aren't."

"Oh?" Mirane's full lips twisted into a smile and she stood up. "So that's your problem, that I'm a girl?"

"No!" I protested. "Well, yeah, but no. I know girls are okay." I sighed. "And to be fair, you are kind of a bitch," I watched Mirane's lips tighten. "But I dunno. Girls have screwed me over and boys have always been nice to me. And sometimes it's not right to be so general about people but..." I gripped onto the torn folds of my dress, the ones Tear had torn all those days ago. I missed her so much. "I don't even know. It's just been hard in here. Watching people die," I forced myself to not cry. "Knowing you can die any second..."

"Girl, just let me hold you up a second," Mirane laughed, gesturing at me with her hands. "Darius is the one who sleeps in bed while still wearing socks and you think boys are the better sex?"

I glanced up at her, disgusted. "You've got to be kidding me."

"No joke," Mirane said. "And I could give you a list of all the disgusting, boy-ish stuff my dad does. And he's supposed to be Vice Mayor, one of the more sophisticated men. Now, I'm not encouraging a gender war here, but men are gross. They're nice, but trust me, you'll find yourself so much happier on the girl power wagon." I turned around and made my way towards the house. "I mean, to put it into perspective, the boys who stole your supply were boys. The worst thing a girl has done to you in this arena is be a bitch. Weigh your cards right and then when you come back in I'll make you some nice soup. You need some good rest, too. Tomorrow's a big day."

"Mirane?"

"Yeah, hon?"

"You're not all bad," I said, smiling. "And Darius likes you. Maybe you're nicer than you think."

Mirane glanced at me, almost as if she didn't believe me. I think she wanted to contradict me, too. But she just smiled and made her way back into the house as I leaned back and relaxed.

Marx Nystalgia, President

Natalya stormed into the room as I casually wrote down a report. The Capitolian Newspaper (aptly named the Presidential Times) thought it good that I wrote a piece explaining how necessary the Hunger Games was to our culture and my thoughts of this year's Games. I'd actually very much enjoyed this years Games, though I was hoping that one of the remaining Careers won - it was only natural, really, but Careers won less and less nowadays. Since the Hunger Games was so pivotal to our culture and had lasted for such a long time, more and more lower District kids became competent and won. It was such a loss, though it did make things more unpredictable.

"I am not very happy," Natalya slammed the door closed, locking it. Seemed like she had gotten past my new guards, Yin and Yang. Both awfully dreadful women, and necessary in times of rebellion.

"With the Games?" I dipped my quill back into the ink well, glancing up at Natalya's unblemished face. She'd suffered awfully when she volunteered to spice up the Games last year, but plastic surgery was very efficient in covering injuries. "Or with other things?" I stood up, giving her a sympathetic look. "Tell me what daddy can do, Princess."

"I don't even know where to begin," Natalya rushed to the nearest chair, sitting in it. "First thing's first - the Games. Why are the couple still alive? And the kid? And the cowgirl? I thought people like them were supposed to die."

"Natalya, baby," I gave her a stern look. "You need to learn things don't always go as planned. If they did, Rayann would still be alive and daddy wouldn't have to keep trying to send assassins to destroy her."

"Let me enter the Games," Natalya said pleadingly. "You told me the Games were the most symbolic things in Panem! And now they're being tainted!"

"You know why I'm going to say no."

"Then rig them! Kill anybody who we even get a whiff of rebel sympathy from."

"If we did that, it'd be too obvious, you know the audience are more clever than we think," I said, glancing over my speech. I decided it wasn't good enough, and tore it up. "Natalya, I care about my country very much," that wasn't a lie. "We can't just willy nilly destroy tributes out of paranoia. It ceases to be a fun Games, too. Things are fine as they are, too." I worried that rebels would destroy this country - two centuries worth of progress and sacrifice put in only for them to destroy our legacy with their naive, utopian visions.

"We caught a rebel base in District Three!"

"And killed every last one of them."

Natalya stood up. Since her accident last year, I'd learned to say no to my daughter, and I'd certainly suffered the consequences. Our relationship had grown strained. Natalya and I agreed in principle - both of us hated the Districts and the rebels for our own personal reasons. Both of us despised Rayann Grace Carter - for the same reason. But I was prepared to compromise. Being the supreme ruler, I usually got my own way, but I couldn't control people's thoughts completely. I just wanted to create a secure country for my great-grandchildren to live in.

"This is going badly," Natalya picked a biscuit out of the nearest tin. "Don't say I didn't warn you, daddy."

"Okay, Natalya," I said dismissively. "Tell your mother I expect the house neat and tidy," she turned and walked out stormily. "And make sure Fabian doesn't hurt any of the housekeepers - we know his state of mind isn't perfect."

She slammed the door.

Well, I guess Fabian was still a touchy subject.

Jericho Aylin, District 2, 18

My wounds still throbbed as I walked forward, and my broken feet were swollen in my leather shoes and really began to hurt. However, for the first time, I walked with purpose. I was the Career they expected me to be. Tall, strong, a little rugged, but striding around with a bloody sword in hand, preparing to fight if necessary. Every ounce of pain that coursed through my body gave me some kind of purpose. Purpose to make my father proud, or to have enough wealth to let my mother wear the kind of dresses she'd stare at but never be able to wear.

Purpose for Lorelei and Alex, to avenge them and to kill the monster who had gave them a brutal and tragic end. To think that Honora was still out there made me feel sick. And though I wished I could play the nice guy, I now understood Lorelei's craving for revenge. I'd like to think I'd hurt Honora in a way that made Lorelei look timid, but if I had to quickly slit her throat and get on with it to win, so be it.

I was stronger than Honora by far. I was stronger than all of the tributes. But Honora was faster, more skilled, better with weapons and smarter too. She was still the biggest threat, and I wouldn't forget that.

But who else was there? There was Pullox, who I'd also have to kill. I wondered if he stumbled back onto camp after everything that happened and ran away. Whatever happened, the Career alliance had dissolved and I knew he'd have no loyalties whatsoever. He was clever and cunning and god knows what he had up his sleeve. Then there were the others: god knows how the kid, the Eight boy and the Ten girl survived, but they had their way. The Three boy performed mediocrely in the pre-Games, but he gave me bad vibes. The Six boy seemed like Mr. Nice Guy, but had decent scores. The Eight girl seemed kind of threatening in general. Lexie was always a dark horse. The Eleven boy seemed smart and resourceful.

I had a lot of people to beat and outperform. As I glanced briefly outside the window to see the solar eclipse outside, I wondered if I could do it. I could, but I didn't know if that would happen. And then all of a sudden I found myself wanting to cry, which was rare - I had always been a calm, neutral faced guy. In the Career base, they'd purposely desensitised us to not think about the loss we'd face if we died. And it usually worked, but for the first time I realised I could die and the thought was devastating at best and heart breakingly crushing at worst.

And then there were so many who had died... Aurochs, who I'd killed. Lorelei... The ten or so others who had also met their end in the Games. I'd wish I could feel sorry for them, but I couldn't find myself even having the emotional strength of feeling any sympathy for the deceased. I still struggled to feel anything for Lorelei. It was awful, but it was just how things were. I'd yet to shed a tear.

Suddenly I noticed the window I was looking out showed an interesting scene below. There was a crater in the ground which was still releasing smoke and steam. I swung my sword, breaking the glass and ensuring there was nothing jagged to cut my open further, and then I vaulted over. It was a floor drop, which wasn't much. Once landing, I hit solid ground. A step further and I'd drop into the crater.

Judging by the dark smog, this had happened very recently. I hadn't heard anything, but the arena was so big. As I peered down to see multiple embers flicker beneath, I realised that it must have been a pretty big explosion. I think there was a lot of blood surrounding the place, too. And yet there'd been no cannons.

I hopped into the crater, which was much more of a fall. My ankles and feet really throbbed once I hit the ground, but I did what I did best: grinned and bore it. I walked around a little, trying to discern what had been underground before all hell broke loose. I found incinerated scraps of wood or burning hot chunks of metal, but I couldn't tell what had once been here.

In my peripheral vision something darted extremely quickly behind me. I turned around and noticed a shadow climb and jump out of the crater in a split second.

"Hello?" I called, before internally scolding myself. Nope. That was not clever. Either I scared a victim away, called an attacker closer or - if this were a scary movie - given myself a death sentence. At least I hadn't said 'who's there?'

I walked forwards a little bit, wanting to call out to the figure again. I decided against it. I then turned around and saw Honora standing in the remains of what used to be the courtyard, a few metres above me. She looked a lot better than when I last saw her. Her bruised face had dramatically reduced in swelling, she was all bandaged up, she was holding a shit load of weapons and supplies, and she'd appeared as tall and strong as ever. Her hair was carried messily by the wind as she used her bandaged hand to twist the barrel of the gun at me.

"What a coincidence," Honora said to me, smirking. "You know, Jericho... I wouldn't have expected you to get this far." She paused. "Tell a lie, you're competent, so you'll probably get to the final eight. But Lorelei was much more victor worthy, no?"

"You'll regret underestimating me," I snarled.

"When you're going to die now?"

I didn't know what to do about that.

"I'll make sure you suffer," I snarled. "After what you did to Lorelei, and her baby."

Honora rolled her eyes as if I were deluded. "Please. Revenge is so last year. Random homicide is much more therapeutic and fashionable these days," Honora lowered her gun, spitting down at my feet. "Which is why I'm going to spare you. This isn't some kind of bitch-fest, Jericho, I've been bad at holding petty grudges ever since I could walk," judging by her still existing grudge on Lexie, I doubted that. Honora took out a bottle of water, taking a swig of it. "But these are Games. And Games are meant to be fun. It'd be no fun if you just died now." She slung one of many backpacks off her shoulder and threw it down at my feet. "I mean, they tried to kill me not so long ago, but I'm the best antagonist since Maximotus fucking Leprenzo, so I guess I live on."

She threw the water bottle down at my feet, too.

"Maybe you'll show me you're not to be underestimated," she said to me. "I'm sure you'll use your second chance wisely."

I wanted to shout curse words at her, but she turned and ran away quickly, out of sight. That was... weird. Honora hadn't just spared me, she'd dropped some of her supplies down at me. And I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Maybe she really was a sociopath who saw this as a game, but that seemed off to me. Pullox was much more sociopathic. Could it be... sympathy?

No. I don't think Honora was that emotionally mature.

I wanted to walk away from the supplies she'd literally thrown at me, just to make a moral statement, to show the audience that I didn't need my sworn enemy's help to survive, but I was starving and weak and injured. I glanced around wearily one more time and stooped down, hoping that the backpack had something substantial in it. I hadn't eaten in like two days.

Pullox Shimmers, District 1, 18

I smirked and pulled on the last metal wire, watching a shard of light run down it. There. That was the last of the many 'just in case' traps that I'd littered around the room. Now this, along with my little Gamemaker gift, meant that there was little chance that the tributes or Gamemakers would get to me, which was very much needed. I turned around and walked a few metres back to my lovely throne. The throne that was all mine.

For once in my life, I had been wrong. I had said that the use of Gamemaker microphones was my favourite facet of my new gift - I'd recently discovered another mechanism, one which allowed me to re-wind the many cameras and see what had previously happened in the arena. I felt little need to watch much of the Career footage over the past eight days; I'd been with them, and even when they were away from me I'd eavesdropped. I was, however, euphoric to discover other things: the Eights had a wonderful romance which made them weak. The Six boy was developing some kind of addiction, and his ally did not look prepared to pick up the pieces. The Ten and Eleven girls were unexpected fighters, but were also fundamentally flawed, which made them both interesting and weak. And then there was my favourite drama: I'd lied when I called the Eleven boy boring. Her personality was exceptionally boring, but her story not so much. Because she was in disguise.

And Lexie, who I'd invested so much faith in, had proven herself as I had expected. Delilah, as it turned out she was called, may have thought she was the one who was hiding secrets but it looked like Lexie had her own little dark fibs.

All these tributes; all with hopes, fears, flaws, strengths and with promising storylines. I sat down on the throne and watched them all turn in turn: Jericho was piggedly eating whatever he could, Honora walked away from the bombsite she'd helped create (interestingly enough, I was quite glad Honora was alive - I had so much in store for her), Trojan and Sebastian were scheming together, Darius, Mirane and Willow were preparing to face them, Carlie was once again inside the Palace and Lexie and Lia were making their way back into the library now Lia had been fixed up.

I scratched my chin. Who would I break today?

Lia and Lexie were the ones who I were most interested in, but interestingly I felt they were the ones that needed the most intervention. And I think Lexie's development was no longer dependent on Lia. And to be quite honest, I didn't like Lia much. She was definitely going to be the next to get the axe.

I cleared my throat, speaking into the microphone.

"Hello Lexie, hello Nate," Lexie responded a lot quicker than Lia. They were in a corridor, surrounded by suits of armour. She glanced around everywhere, desperate to find me. I grinned. "Miss me, Lexie?"

"Pullox?" She said, opening doors and peering into the rooms. She was right across the Palace, and wouldn't find me soon. "Pullox, where are you?"

"That's for you to find out soon," I said, pressing my finger against multiple suits of armour and smiling. I then pressed Lia, instructing them to kill Lia but spare Lexie for later. "In the mean time, kiss goodbye to your ally. She's not been the nicest, but oh well." Lexie and Lia looked around in horror as the suits of armour came to life. "I'm sure there was something between you there. Too bad it meant nothing, in the end."

I don't think Lia had a chance of surviving. I'd sent the suits of armour after Jericho, but that was different. Jericho was stronger, there were less mutts, and he'd proven himself to more interesting than anticipated.

Lia was just looking in horror as the knights inched closer and closer. Lexie looked scared, but I guess she assumed she was to be attacked to. And they couldn't do very much; I think Lexie had her magic tricks, but I'd never seen her throw suits of armour with them. Lia was the fighter of the two, but even though she was recovering, she hadn't recovered enough to prepare for a physical altercation. She gripped a knife and threw it, piercing the front of one of the mutt's helmet and sending it toppling. She shakily missed her second throw. I smirked because she didn't have much hope.

"W-What do we do?" Lexie shouted as a suit of armour struck at Lia, which the Eleven girl had managed to dodge. Lia responded with a meagre kick, knocking the suit of armour down but losing her balance and falling to the floor.

About five suits of armour were about to swarm around Lia and brutally murder her before Lexie took centre change, thrusting out her fist and shouting something that I couldn't quite make out. All mutts were blasted backwards as I desperately searched corridors adjoining Lexie and Lia's, tapping more and more mutts (suits of armours, statues, large metallic figures) and making them target Lia. Just as Lexie beheaded the beast, more heads sprang up.

I smirked. What an interesting couple Lexie and Lia were; hiding secrets from each other and yet continuing to put the neck on the line for one another.

The first wave of attack was followed by another one, which Lexie had forced away with the wave of a hand and another of her silly magic tricks. But then there were successive waves of monsters and I saw Lexie grow into a different person. Her irises and pupils were masked by white, her hair rose as if it had been kissed by static. She waved her hand over to adjoining candles, focusing on their flame.

"Tourner," Lexie said, determination filling her voice.

I watched, torn between admiration and almost fear as the tiny flames that danced along the candle wicks would quick expand air into a quick inferno through the air. They span around Lexie like small fireballs, slamming into more and more suits of armour before they rapidly grew and expanded into a tornado of flames. Anything that moved close to the two little allies was obliterated as Lexie continuously span her palms around, her ally lying beside her and holding an expression that seemed to mirror my own. It was five magical minutes before everything I had sent at the two had been reduced to rubble.

Once it was over, I desperately searched for anything to attack them with. There was nothing. I could do the cliche thing and taunt them, throw them around a little maybe, but there was nothing that would kill Lia. The flames dissipated in the air, leaving scorched circles around the two girls. Lia struggled to rise, blinking around as if she couldn't believe she had survived, or as if she couldn't believe what she had seen. Just as she had done that, Lexie's pupils reappeared and her posture immediately slumped. She collapsed to the ground, not unconscious, but extremely weakened.

"Congratulations," I said to the two, trying not to sound bitter.

I stood up from the throne, the thousands of screens before me disappearing completely. I wasn't interested in being a pseudo-Gamemaker at the time being. I was still safe and sound, still far away from Lexie and Lia, but I certainly felt humiliated. I wanted to feel the power of knowing I could kill just because I can. Lexie had taken that away from me. A part of me admired her for it, another part resented her deeply.

Just as I glanced up, I almost jumped. I knew Carlie had been close to me because she had entered the Palace's East wing, and last I'd checked Jericho was hot on her heels. I didn't expect her to find me. I didn't expect her to have a crossbow directed right at my face, too.

I rose an eyebrow at her, hoping it said it all.

"Last time I met a Career, she was quite merciless," Carlie stepped forward confidently, not knowing she'd just avoided having her skull melted over her face by approximately half an inch. "I know they train you to be quite desensitised. I know you'll show no mercy too. So I'm not going to give you any last words."

Her finger caressed the button that would launch an arrow at me. I spoke quickly but clearly.

"No mercy? After I saved your life?" She froze. I walked forwards, knowing that she wasn't going to fire anything at me. I had that effect on people. Still, I always had a back up plan, so concealed my gun behind my back. "Perhaps the desensitised one here is you, Carlie," I told her with a smile. "Leaving your District partner in the Bloodbath to die..." She reacted when I continued, a delicious reaction. "Trying to stab Sebastian right in the back. Plotting to enact your revenge on Trojan and Sebastian." She tried to speak but I gently pressed my finger against her lips, using my palm to push her crossbow to the floor. Oddly, she didn't resist. "I know about all of the tributes in the arena and I've learned that we're all fucked up and desensitised here."

"How do you know?"

"You'll learn, you'll learn," I smiled. "But I saved your life, you remember my voice. It's why you haven't resisted. I'm on your side, no?" I leaned in and inhaled her scent. "Honora is still alive, and she's just the prelude. There are more people out there than Seb and Trojan who are willing to see you suffer." I thought of Jericho, who was so close by. I smiled, knowing he'd suffer very soon. "Do you want to go home and see Jared again?"

She tried to speak, but gave up. She nodded just as I withdrew my gun from behind my back.

"Good, good, because I have a very specific plan," I saw Carlie's eyes widen just as I pressed my gun into her point blanc. "Don't worry - it'll hurt for just a second."

She whimpered as the bullet pierced her, blood splattering the carpet behind her. I looked into her shocked eyes and pulled away as she collapsed to the floor. Perfect. That was just what I needed.

Willow Horvat, District 11, 13

I shot out of sleep feeling restless and weary. I didn't even think I'd had any nightmares. I just thought that there was something wrong. Bar a minuscule spectre of moonlight, I was surrounded completely by darkness. After regaining my senses and stabilising my breathing my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. I saw the outline of the door and the corridor outside, the outline of the furniture surrounding me. Maybe I was just hungry. I was definitely hungry. But it seemed like you were always hungry in the Hunger Games; you barely ate and were constantly having to move... run... fight.

Come to think about it, I'd lost a lot of weight. In only eight days I'd gone from a chubby, tiny girl to a skinny, somewhat more muscly tiny girl. It'd be a great workout if there wasn't the whole death deal attached to it. I slipped out of the covers, stumbling towards the kitchen for water or food. Come to think about it, I really needed to pee too.

The kitchen was much more brightly lit; there were more windows which meant that the moonlight was more prominent in there. As I quietly walked down the corridor, I peered into Darius and Mirane's bedroom. Both of them were inside, cuddled up in bed and sleeping deeply. We really needed to develop a schedule, keep someone awake to keep guard. But we were safe for now, so I'd leave my qualms until tomorrow. And considering I didn't feel remotely tired, I guessed I would make a good watch. I tip-toed to the kitchen, the only noise audible were my breaths.

When I get onto the kitchen I glanced at the pot of soup which had been cooking. I think it was done, now. I dipped the ladle in the soup and took a drag of it, enjoying the taste. My stomach got the better of me and begged me to eat more. Somewhat wildly, I ended up continuously dunking the ladle into the soup and taking its contents. Thankfully it had been a big pot of the stuff, so I hadn't taken too much. After that, I twisted one of the brass taps and directly drank a load of water that poured from it. Once done, I felt satisfied.

The kitchen table was still filled with goodies; with the little vials of god knows what that Darius and Mirane made. The weapons that they had made were gone, though. I know that they'd coated all of our weapons with poison. Thinking about poison made me feel kind of guilty. I'd entered the alliance planning to betray both of them. Even Darius, as kind as he was. I'd planned to poison the soup they were making. But it had gone awry for two reasons: firstly I wasn't sponsored a conventional poison, but a poison that would only work against the Three and Six boys. And then there was also the fact I'd liked Darius and Mirane.

It kind of hurt, knowing I'd lose both of them. When Luke died, it had left Tear devastated - and she wasn't close to him like Darius and Mirane were to each other. It'd be so much harder to pick up the pieces. And then not long after that, the other ally would die too. I wanted to win and because of that I had to cope with losing another two people. I remembered finding the bloody, broken cellar. I remembered glancing down at Tear's corpse after she gave her life for me. How many more people did I have to see suffer? I wandered into the courtyard, my worn out shoes allowing me to feel the cold stone floor beneath. I thought I was strong but I didn't know how much I could handle if I had to win.

Iopian's advice could only go so far...

I made my way into the small, outdoor toilet where I had to pee. It was only a small hole on the ground enclosed in stone walls, and it was kind of grotty too. It was unpleasant even by District Eleven's standards. After doing my business I stood up and walked back out into the courtyard, glancing around. I thought I'd heard something, the sound of footsteps that were carried by the wind. The cold outside gave me goosebumps as I made my way towards the base, trying hard to not run and look like a girl.

Just as I gripped the saloon doors there was a crashing noise. I jumped, biting back a scream as I turned around. The courtyard was completely empty, nobody in sight. But there was something that wasn't there before, something that had been left on the ground. I breathed very quietly, eerily calm as I made my way towards the thing that had been left on the ground. As I got down on my knees, feeling the rags of my dress brush across the dirty floor, I gripped onto something I had seen before. A wooden, toy robot. Something that had once been eerily familiar to me.

I smiled and used my thumb to brush some dirt off it. I loved this. It reminded me of Tear, because I'd collected it in the nursery room with her. I'd kept it even after she died as a companion. It was entertaining - it made me feel like a kid again, and it had some kind of sentimental value. And after losing it, after the Six and Three boys had stolen my supplies, I'd gotten it back. I hugged it to my chest and turned to make my way back to base.

Wait...

The Six and Three boys stole it.

I realised that something was eerily wrong and just as I began to sprint back to base steels arms grabbed my wrists and forced them behind my back. I was about to scream, but a hand covered my mouth and no noise was produced. I thrashed around uselessly, but I was like a fly caught in a web. The wooden robot clattered to the floor once again, bouncing across it as I fought and fought to no avail.

Suddenly the Three boy seemed to almost walk out of the shadows and he was right in front of me. He was only half a foot or so taller than me, which was still pretty short for a guy. He looked absolutely overjoyed. He leaned down and touched my nose with faux affection.

"Checkmate," he said, leaning back up again. I'd given up fighting and was focusing on giving him the world evil eyes I could. If he was going to kill me, I wasn't going to go down begging. "You were right, Seb. The Victor's Vial would be useful in catching the little tyke. She has more fight than we anticipated," he glanced back towards the base and smiled. "But she's so much more useful to us alive. But both her and her allies will be gone from the competition. Take her away."

Then I was dragged off into the night.

Darius Cortez, District 8, 16

Mirane almost woke up at the exact time as I did when I sprang myself out of the bed, rolling onto the floor and trying hard to breathe. I'd had the most awful nightmare, one that struck fear into my heart so deeply.

... No.

"Darius?" Mirane covered herself with blankets as she rose. I saw her look down at me as I faced the wall. "Darius, what's wrong?"

It wasn't a dream. It was a vision.

"They've took her," I said, the emptiness turning into fury as dawn began to seep into the room. "They've taken Willow."

The good news? This chapter was kind of tame, even if I think it's one of the more intense ones in the whole story. The bad news? The next chapter is going to be ten times worse. Three cheers.

Also, I'm so sorry the past few chapters haven't been editted :/ If something is super laughable, point it out.

~Toxic