AHHH, guys I'm so sorry for the late update, I have so much coming up, first my orchestra concert next week and then my piano recital next week. :(( ALSO, I had to write this chapter 3 times because the first time my dad clicked out of the screen when I was still writing and it wasn't saved yet, then second my computer glitched out when it was unsaved. I should really start saving this when I right lol.

Also, if you've been paying attention the last few chapters, you'll notice a pattern...

Plus I've decided to reply to each and every one of my reviews! So yay!

REVIEWS(:D)

jul312: Thank you! Tbh, it was writer's block that made me keep each individual POV so short and switch more often, xD.

BloodedInk: Woah, really? For right now, tho, I haven't really picked a victor yet. We'll see later on!

kealimepie: Dahlia I really liked as well but then, I don't know, I didn't think I could portray her as well I guess?

DeadlyHuggles: Wow I admit I didn't think about that part when Dahlia died. Rip tributes of D10.

Jolteon2404: Thanks!

Guest: Thank you!

Muddyboots: He was mentioned briefly a few chapters back. ;-) Also, you can send a sponsor gift through reviews..? Unless you want to keep it a secret until the chapter, then if you have any other ideas let me know!

Author196: Yep :( p.s, people of the world who are reading this part: a Career is going to die in this chapter *coughcough*

Anywho, thanks for the reviews, and on to the chapter! I made sure to make it super long!

STILL ALIVE LIST:

Skyrah Labelle(D1 Female)

Persefone Douglas(D2 Female)

Felix Saunders(D2 Male)

Calamity Astrea(D3 Female)

Azurine Bahari(D4 Female)

Twyla Zahavyin(D5 Female)

Cameron Bordeaux(D6 Male)

Spruce Ashmark(D7 Male)

Rowan Loranger(D8 Male)

Cornell Wheaton(D9 Male)

Elisabeth Bronzebrook(D11 Female)

Jackson Winters(D12 Male)

Alice Kimminger(D12 Female)

Wendigo - Predator

After the Feast, everything died down. It was like the leaves had stopped rustling, like every little sound became a magnified version of itself. My footsteps crunched oddly on the snow, like, like crackers. Weird that I should think about crackers now...but, anyway... Getting back to what I was saying: everything, and I mean everything, was silent. The blood and screams from before seemed like a lifetime ago. I saw the occasional red footprint on the snow, like someone had accidentally stepped in a pool of blood and hadn't cared enough to wipe it off.

Idiots, all of them, I thought suddenly, my teeth baring instinctively. Just then, an image of a girl popped into my head- I knew her by name. Alice. What had happened that day, again? I could hardly remember. Stretching my brain to the limits, I finally produced one single, shining memory:

"I'm warning you, the fight will be gruesome," I hissed, my fingers clenching, eagerly awaiting to spill blood.

"I don't care. At least I'll know I tried," Jax flashed back, eyes darkening with inexplicable anger. His eyes slid toward Alice and she gazed back, determined.

And utterly stupid.

I ran forward, literally salivating. Blood was so close...it was right there...the annoying skin just needed to be ripped...

Jax hit me so I went stumbling, but I was determined too. Determined to get rid of one of these children so he could have a better chance of winning. Soon it became just a blur of attack, counterattack, parry, defend, and dodge. I was on autopilot, not giving much thought into what I was doing, my mind filled with hatred and contempt.

Alice ran, and the crazed smile on my face grew wider. I was so close...so very close...

Jax grabbed my arm, twisted it so it hurt- but the pain barely touched me!- and sent me sprawling onto the ground. I panted, fully aware of what was happening now- that I was losing. I got to my feet, my breath coming heavily, then let out a sharp, bitter cry. A bird's sound.

Jax looked away for a second, and that second was possibly the most important second ever. Using it to my advantage, I kicked him in the shins, wrenched his shoulder so hard a crack split the air, and then landed a solid punch to his face. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I looked on coldly.

"You should never have even thought to fight me," I said while he was at my mercy. "You should've just let me kill you, while I was still happy. Then maybe I would be kinder to you and let you not suffer.

"But now?" I raised an eyebrow. "Now? You've proved yourself to be an enemy of mine, and what do I do with enemies?

"You want to know what I do with enemies, Jackson?"

"I torture them."

I laughed hard, so hard. I hadn't felt this way in a long, long time. I hadn't felt so powerful in so long. He was another stupid citizen who lived under the Capitol's control, with no senses of his own whatsoever. Now, he would pay- with his life. Let this be a firm reminder to those who choose to follow the Capitol.

"You're evil," spat Jax, "pure evil, I tell you! Pure evil never wins."

"Oh, but pure evil will now...," I said softly, in a menacing tone. "And you don't have to tell me- I already know." Of course I wasn't evil. Sure, I thirsted for blood sometimes, but it was all against the Capitol, the terrible Capitol, I hated the Capitol with all my heart...

Jax's face reddened with terrible anger and his eyebrows went down to knit a straight line across his forehead. "It won't happen," he said quietly. "It won't..." It was turning into a weird sort of vow now, kind of disturbing.

He threw me away and dashed off as I was struggling to get to my feet. When I stood up, snow covering my jacket, he was already out of view.

Such a waste, I thought bitterly now. But sooner or later he would be gone...

Persefone Douglas(D2 Female)

We were just settling down, getting used to the cave without Algar, when more disaster struck.

I was devouring a granola bar, my eyes stinging red from the cold. The others were laying around lazily, not really feeling in the mood to do work. I knew we needed to venture outside soon, however. This change of activity was unsettling. "Hey, guys," I said, my voice sounding strange in the silence. It was like everything was on mute until now.

"I'm gonna go just walk around..see if there are any threats we should be looking out for," I ventured. "We haven't been out in a while, so we have to especially keep on the lookout. Just in case." I didn't dare give examples. I think they all knew what could happen, what consequences there could be from one little mistake.

"Uhh...anyone wanna join me?" I asked, seeing as they all simply nodded unenthusiastically.

When no one answered for the second time, I raised my voice, "Any volunteers?"

Felix let out a groan. I guess that worked for an answer. He said, "Sure..I'll come."

"Anyone else?" I swiveled my head around, keeping everyone in my vision.

"I'll pass," Azurine shook her head, her glare meeting my steady gaze.

"Skyrah?" I prompted.

She shook her head as well. "Sorry, Persefone, but just in case anything attacks our cave, Azurine may need a backup."

"Sounds good," I nodded. "Come on then, Felix."

We set off at a quick pace, me eager to get out a little. The wind brushed through my black hair, which was totally in need of a thorough wash. Leaves and other things had been caught inside unruly strands, but it wasn't like we had a comb or anything. Besides, what did it matter? Having good hair didn't make me any more capable to kill one of our potential threats.

Nothing happened for a while, but then, I felt like the air got colder. Goosebumps covered my arms, my breath coming sharper.

"Felix?" I said in a whisper, which made it a million times creepier. "..Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"No, how would I?" he said logically.

I shrugged, but that didn't mean I was any more reassured.

We kept walking and walking. Still I felt like something was there, like an invisible phantom. I considered telling Felix this but then changed my mind: he might think I was weird.

The hairs on my arms rose beneath my once-comfortable jacket. We kept on going, and I couldn't help casting a few glances over my shoulder, just in case. There was nothing behind me, though. Nothing at all...

"AHHH!" I screamed involuntarily, leaping backwards, my heart in my throat.

"WHAT?!" screamed Felix, equally loud, his eyes wild even though he hadn't seen what I had saw.

"What is that?" Now that I had time to recover from the shock, I felt way better but still...scared. I felt like I was in a horror movie; the wind chilled on my back, the sky seeming to darken even as it was blindingly bright, the moon coming out, the stars swarming in... I shivered, biting my lip so hard I felt like it was going to bleed. I had a feeling my face was deathly white.

"Persefone? What are you staring at? You look faint," Felix observed unnecessarily.

Without meaning to, I snapped at him, "Be quiet, okay?"

He quickly shut up.

The next few minutes went on in a blur. What I had seen was impossible, it looked impossible, it couldn't be...

I shook my head, trying to get these thoughts out of my mind.

Suddenly- and it happened so sudden- we were surrounded by these strange creatures. Half bat, half leopard, half caterpillar, with long insect-like bodies, brutal, long claws, and wide wings. They had sinister smiles on their faces, really disturbing smiles that hinted at needing mental help. However, their eyes gleamed stone-cold malice, with not a hint of compassion.

Felix's mouth fell open and his jaw moved for a second. He met my gaze; I met his. Then, both reading each other's minds, we ran toward the creatures. My feet pounded the ground, I felt like I was on autopilot.

I kicked out at anything I could reach, all the while withdrawing a knife from inside my jacket. Using that knife, I dug it into their flesh, blood running down wounds in their sides. I slashed at them with such force I could barely stay on my own feet; I was so focused on getting them out of here.

My brain connected for an instant and I realized: mutts. These grotesque creatures were soldiers of the Capitol.

This hardened my hatred a bit more. Why did the Capitol have to make it so hard for us? We had been loyal to them the whole time and this is how they repay us?! My mind in a frenzy, my temper rising, it wasn't long before we had driven back the mutts entirely. The last made a soft whimpering sound which would've made me a bit sympathetic had it also lifted its creepy smile.

We thought they had been gone but then, much to our surprise, they came rushing back full force, surrounding us completely. This time, though, there was much, much more; we were outnumbered beyond hope. The crowd of mutts were like stone walls, and I wanted to bang my head against it because of how terrible I felt.

"Felix!" I shouted. "Go get help!"

"Go get help?" He stared at me. "How am I supposed to get help in this?"

"Ugh, I don't know! Just do something!" I ordered.

Then- a sudden flash of determination swept over me even through my hopelessness. I lifted my chin- I could do this, no problem. I could do this.

Felix's response likely ruined everything. "I am doing something—I'm doing nothing!" he protested.

I growled impatiently. "Then just fight. We can do it." I clenched my fists, eyes like lasers.

The mutts didn't attack though, which was odd. I kept waiting for them to move, but they seemed to be glued to the ground. A few minutes ticked by and I had the feeling we were wasting our time here, that someone would come, and that we should just take our chance and leave now.

Someone did come, just as I moved my foot.

She was very beautiful, and not in that fake Capitol way, no. She looked like she had been born naturally pretty, like she had been molded into that form to stay in forever. Her eyes were blue like rivers, brilliant sapphire blue, deep, rich, ocean depths. There was no way I could describe it- her eyes just conveyed basically everything.

Once you looked past that, though, you could take in the more natural details: the dimpled cheeks, the shimmering, flawless blonde hair tied neatly into a fishtail braid, the pale, sparkling skin, as if it were ice. She wore a voluminous dress that could definitely not go into battle; in fact, she looked like a queen, not a warrior. She even had a little tiara of olive leaves in her hair carved from metal.

"Hello, tributes," she purred, and her voice, her voice, it spoke of seasons of nature, wind, water, the ocean, the sky, the moist soil beneath one's feet.

Felix's knees were buckling. He looked like he just might collapse.

A knot of anger grew inside me and suddenly she did not look as beautiful as she had. Her skin was now wrinkled, her once-gorgeous hair a mess of gray. Her mesmerizing eyes turned into drab brown holes.

I gaped at her. Was this all a lie...was it all just an illusion?

"Get a grip on yourself, Felix!" I snapped at him.

He trembled, his legs turning into water, like they would not support him any longer. He shook so hard; his face was pale white. I couldn't even imagine the effect she must be having on him now.

"WHAT THE FRICK FELIX," I groaned. "Snap out of it.."

He did not snap out of, which was super irritating. And furthermore, the old hag was looking at me with a tilted head, like she was curious or something. I suddenly felt fear shoot down my spine.

"My dears!" she sang. "Could you please...do me a favor?"

The mutts surrounded me, their sickening smiles the last thing I saw as I fell to the ground in a mess of blood from a dozen bites.

A/N: Yawn..I'm finally finished :D

12/4/17