STILL ALIVE LIST:

Calamity Astrea(D3 Female)

Azurine Bahari(D4 Female)

Cameron Bordeaux(D6 Male)

Cornell Wheaton(D9 Male)

Jackson Winters(D12 Male)

YOU CAN BID! :)

Calamity Astrea(D3 Female)

So, my plan. It was quite simple, if I were to be honest. Basically, I would stay in hiding for as long as I could, until it was down to the last two or three. I would move every day to a different place, to ensure that nobody would find me.

Too simple for me, I thought with a little rustle of annoyance. I wished I had some of those super complicated extraordinary ideas but my little brain was kind of hopeless in these situations. And, especially that I was in all this danger- it was difficult for me to keep my temper.

I resulted in doing something simple, something efficient, which came to present time. Though, it was pretty lonely, I had to admit. I was used to having people around, people to talk to so boredom didn't stretch far. I tried not to think about it...however hard it was, the rush of homesickness that came over me whenever I even mentally concentrated on the number Three.

My days were pretty much automatic now. Wake up, eat, drink, do my daily scouting around for good places to move to, which took about an hour, gather food, eat lunch if I was successful(however my appetite never seemed to come up), and practice fighting. Fighting...basically stunk. There was just something about using a weapon that didn't latch in my mind, becoming all confusing whenever these spare times happened- especially the sword or the bow. For one, the sword was something that required tremendous strength(I wasn't strong), and for another...it was just the plain notion of killing people that struck me greater than any other living force could. I just hadn't the heart to really kill someone, despite all my confidence on the outside. It was the deepest thing I dreaded, that I would be put in a situation between defending myself and having to kill, or dying from this annoying weakness. The same reasons applied to the bow; I had always thought maybe I would be a natural at it, and I had even crafted a few simple ones of sticks in the arena. But, the moment my hands lay on a real one, I knew it was just too heavy for me to lift, to pull back, release without a doubt. Surely I would be thinking thoughts of death, souls, and departing, and I wouldn't be able to get the arrow out in time before reason number two showed its full power.

I kicked a stone, watching it roll, roll, roll across the ground before it tumbled to a stop, landing in a ditch somewhere in the snow. I plucked it off the ground, letting each shadow be illuminated by some of the faint sunlight that bounced off the glowering snow and released a blinding glow. It was a simple rock, plain gray, no other remarkable features but feeling slightly damp to the touch and... Damp!

I stood up, straight, right away, my eyes growing wide with the realization that clicked in my brain. This rock definitely carried some kind of water, whether it had been hours ago and dried or just a tiny bit from a minute ago. And it wasn't the kind of water that came from melting snow- because here, in the arena, snow never melted! Water was extremely scarce because most froze up, and to find one in a slightly warmer area was worth a fortune.

I ran out at once, feeling the first breath of springtime and happiness come to me, a rebirth of determination which sent my heart skipping. I let my thoughts float like clouds amongst the air, let them gather into dreams; why, I hadn't dreamed in so long! And it was so good to finally let my head scatter, to let the worries be replaced by just a quiet, happy buzzing. I dared to think what might happen if I won, and all because this lucky encounter! I pressed the rock into my pocket, next to the tiny, jabbing silver hairpin from Mother.

I let in a slow, soft breath, the crisply cold air burning my throat. But now, it tasted of freedom, of good fortune, and I let in several breaths of that happiness before my eyes began to stream uncontrollably. It was natural of course- not really something I could control- but my hands went up to my face at the same time, scraping away the few droplets of water that dared to get past my eyes.

It was almost like I had lost that snippy, sassy part of me, the part that was fun, loving, and, I had to admit, also immature. I hadn't talked to the world in so long, lost communication to anyone but myself, and now it was difficult to come up with a sarcastic phrase. I let my tongue roll over all the tiny insults which had gathered in their shadows and spoke to myself in a rigid voice, "Yes, self, this really is happening, and you can get it together before you cause more trouble- which, would be your own fault of course when trouble comes from happiness."

But I couldn't afford to be pessimistic, and soon my testings of my voice turned to bold, happy declarations, starting from, "With a source of water, which I bet no one else has, I can win! Easily!" My bottle of the liquid was almost drained, my tongue felt parched, dry from talking. But with the prospect of water, I didn't need to contain my words. I could let them all spill out without a concern.

My words ended approximately when I said, "Yet, you never know, maybe this is all a dream and I'm just being silly."

Not exactly the best turn of thoughts.

I ran the rest of the way, smelling water on the constantly blowing wind that made me cold on the outside. Sweat ran through my hair in waves, and soon I was panting, in need, yet again, of water. But exhilaration took over the thirst and all I could feel was faintly happy, a happiness that could not be quenched by anything anymore.

"Water!" I cried out, feeling that something was coming, another presence on the breeze. It was definitely the smell of water, and a great deal of it, too. But what else? My mind ran through every possible retrospect yet I couldn't come up with something I had done wrong in the past few hours. Sure, I had sort of spoken aloud, but that was because I needed to refresh my voice, tell myself I was still on this planet and not just a face, a name, and a drifting mind.

It was blue, a curving, beautiful blue color which should've made my heart stop but didn't. I was practically faint but I forced myself to keep going, saliva gathering in my mouth from the thought of sweet, refreshing water. It glistened, waves turning over and over again in a beauty unable to describe, streaking across a long, narrow strip of land, contained within a little valley of sorts. It ended abruptly on one side, the side I came from, but on the other, it winded down the hill, through the forest and ending in a metallic sparkle in the distance.

I unscrewed the cap to my water bottle, my hands dry and raw- a red color that reminded me of a certain wire..I couldn't place it anymore but...oh, whatever! It was water! I filled up my bottle until it couldn't possibly hold anymore and then downed the whole thing, panting for breath. I dunked it into the stream again another time, saving this one so I could just taste that amazing, fresh feeling on my tongue, the sweetness which is indescribable as it is not artificial sugar but something that has come from Nature itself...

And then yet again, just as my happiness was starting to bloom, he came, someone who I couldn't recognize at first, then regretted thinking of who he was because the name I knew was not one I wanted to see. Wendigo. A fierce, scary name, one that came from mythological, a creature which was to be feared by all. I had read about this character in books, and seen the actual person in countless drawings. He had been featured in Top 10 Present-Day Criminals, Wendigo: A Human Beast, and What To Do When You See A Villain(Examples Inside).

Number One was already out of the question from the list in the third book. It was, plainly: Fight.

Well obviously I could not fight! I had mentioned it before and I would mention it again; fighting as not something to do with me. I respectfully leaned out of its angry rules, and it avoided me. Besides, if I was given the choice between fighting and running, I would, completely and utterly and, if I had to be honest with myself, cowardly, run.

I did so right now, even as my feet felt frozen to the basis of the ground. I was above average in running, to judge myself. I had a lot of stamina and my speed was fast when I wanted it to be. This all was completely for running and against fighting- as I ran, I felt a sense of despair that I wasn't following the author's instructions.

He caught up with me immediately, anyway, like he had all the power in the world. He was average, though he had looked tall at first, and was definitely strong, though it wasn't entirely noticeable by any means. He flipped me to the ground and I grunted, rolling to my feet in one motion, my hands clenching, breath coming in heaves.

"Now look who we have here... A thief. I'm not too fond of those, how about you? This is my water and my supply is not to be drained by anyone else. I do admit, I might have scattered a couple loose stones by the river when I was walking- they do get stuck in my feet, you know, but it doesn't matter, because you have fallen right into my beautifully laid out trap." He folded his arms and attempted at a smug grin.

"Yes," I said, gritting my teeth and flashing back sarcastically, "I'm rather fond of thieves and I thought you would too; they're the most excellent things in the world." My eyes narrowed infinitesimally with anger.

"Well I would predict," he said with a startling laugh, and it wasn't sharp, or cruel...it was just, normal. Perhaps this was his actual personality; maybe he didn't have to pretend around me, for some reason, when, in books, he had been depicted as a total liar, someone who had no pity and no optimism. "You are a thief yourself and you ought to be sorry."

"Well I'm not sorry, and no one can force me to be," I hissed, quite boldly, if I do say so myself. His eyebrows shot up and he chuckled once more, a slow, rumbling one.

"I'm not usually happy inside, Calamity, you should know that. You're looking back at your books, aren't you? Well, you should suspect me to be the most pessimistic soul in the world." He said this all with a grave pride which set my nerves on end.

"I do suspect you to be the most pessimistic soul in the world," I said, an icy bite to my words that might've came from prejudice about villains- and the like.

"Your suspicions are to be confirmed by yours truly," he said solemnly, a little nod and a tiny, important glint in his eye. He clapped his hands together and said, altogether in a rush, "I must tell you something, Calamity. You are a very understanding girl and I trust that you will accept this with little protest, hmm? You read quite a lot, I hear."

"Stalker," I muttered under my breath, inaudible I hoped. But Wendigo let out a sharp, cuttingly forced laugh, though his eyes remained as emotionless as ever. "I won't accept a thing because I don't know what you're poking at. Just say it already and spare me the impatience."

A cruel smile cut across his face. "I must say, I am quite sorry you must be my next victim." He leaned in closer, his hot, rank breath fanning out across my face. I resisted the urge to cover my nose.

"I can tell you much, much more, if only you'll give up, without a struggle," he said persuasively. "I can satisfy every single of your curiosities if you just give up, promise that you will not fight. If you don't make this deal, however, and end your life easily, I'm afraid, catching you, I'll drag it out, slowly but surely..."

I shuddered, my eyes trapped within the illusion-like depths of his, my anger ready to burst. I was so, so in need of answers, but..maybe I could get it, while cheating. It would be risky, but I could act it out, pretend to go limp and let him go in for the kill. If I chose option one, to fight, he would be ready, but maybe if I acted very well, so realistic I almost convinced myself it was true...

Maybe I could escape.

I nodded, trying to make fear come into my face, a weak, helpless, giving up kind of fear. "Yes," I whispered, my heart cracking as I did this, because my words were a traitor to my own body. "It's a deal."

Cameron Bordeaux(D6 Male)

We received protective armor the next day. It was surprising, really, because how come we were getting so much sponsors? Either way, I was glad of all these gifts, because they would definitely help me or Cornell win.

A/N: I procrastinate too much XD time to go play piano even tho it's like 7:39 pm.

1/27/17