Aggra Hangton
When I woke up, my first thought was "Dude."
That was all that was on my mind for a bit, and then pain in my body seared reality back into my brain. The fire was gnarly. I didn't remember much besides being so close to getting home. So close to the water. Wait. If water was nearby, then I should find it.

I had to find water, like, right now. It was my only chance to cool down and shake off this brutal heat. I grabbed my stuff and hauled myself up, pushing through the pain, determined to find that precious liquid.

As I stumbled through the scorched remains of the arena, I kept thinking about the other tribute left. I mean, sure, it's the Hunger Games, and only one can make it out alive. But part of me couldn't help but hope that they were okay. It was a bummer, but I knew I had to push those thoughts aside. Survival was the name of the game, and I wasn't gonna let anything stand in my way.

I remembered the training I went through, the skills I had honed, and I used every bit of it to navigate the chaos. The fire and smoke were relentless, but I pushed forward, looking for any sign of water, any source of relief from the blistering heat.

After a couple minutes, I remembered that I was close to the water metaphorically or something, not actually.

I saw a figure shrouded in smog towards the end of the tunnel. They must've noticed me too, because they waved at me. I was about to wave back when blood started gushing from where my finger used to be. Oh yeah, why would they wave. I lifted my trident with my other hand, and hurled it at the target. It whizzed through the smoke that was oddly shaped like a person, and I wondered where my opponent actually was.

Mara Spelt
Why did that smoke look like a person? I was glad for it, but still. I could see Aggra in a clearing where the smoke hadn't yet permeated and cursed. Her lungs wouldn't be as charred as mine from wheezing in the acrid smog. I could barely breathe, and I could see the flames dancing ever closer, forcing me on the offensive. I raised another card and threw, hoping for another lucky shot. To my disappointment, it was a wide throw, and Aggra didn't seem to even notice. I had no clue if she had more weapons than that trident she threw, but I knew she could kill me with her bare hands anyway.

A whoosh of air confirmed she had some object, and I barely made out a golf club whiz by my head. I realized there was not going to be any taunting, any final words, just a nearly blind, nearly breathless struggle for life. My eye burned but any tears to moisten them had long ago dried. I scrabbled for a dropped card and felt a shattering pain in my ankle, and a hoarse shriek ripped from my smoke-filled lungs, depleting me of precious breath. I spun and slashed the card across what I hoped was something vital, and dragged myself aside as another blow just missed my head. I needed a plan, but I had no ball, no tricks, no magic. Just my own ideas. And they all sucked. But one sucked a slight bit less. It would have to do.

Aggra Hangton
A terrible pain. Like being smashed in the head with a flaming rock by a bodybuilder, only my head was my ankle. But worse. I felt the weird string thing sever as the worst feeling I had ever felt wracked my entire body, and I fell to the ground, wildly swinging. I lost hold of my club and realized I couldn't breathe. The smoke was thick and hot, filling my lungs. It got worse when something wrapped around my neck.

Mara Spelt
This was my only chance. I had to pick between dignity and death. So I tore off my shirt, pulled off my bra, and I put it around Aggra's neck.

And I pulled.

I pulled as she beat at me with her fists.

I pulled as she scrabbled at her neck.

I pulled as she didn't.

I pulled as her cannon fired.

I only let go when the smoke got too heavy, and I lost all my strength.

2nd Place | Aggra Hangton: Achilles slashed, strangled by Mara
Well Aggra, I don't know what to say. I almost chose you. I put this off for months because I didn't know what to do. It was never going to be a double win, but I wished at one point. I told myself when I started that I would only pick one winner. And it wasn't Aggra. She was fun to write, and took a surprising amount of research for the lingo. Thanks so much LCS for sending me 4 tributes. Sorry none of them won.

VICTOR | MARA SPELT OF DISTRICT 11

CONGRATULATIONS SILVER! IT HAS BEEN A LONG JOURNEY (HOLY HECK ALMOST THREE YEARS) BUT THE VICTOR HAS BEEN DECIDED. AS I WROTE THE LAST POV.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER, PROBABLY BECAUSE IT ISN'T! I HAVE TO WRITE POST GAMES AND A WRAP UP CHAPTER. THEN I'LL TRY TO GET ON ORGANIZED CHAOS.

THANKS SO SO MUCH FOR READING EVERYBODY!