Marino Cortez, 18

District 4 Male

I was feeling more and more on edge. Something had to happen to our alliance, and soon. It was strange that we'd done nothing. If the Careers had the Cornucopia, they'd be hunting. We were sitting around eating cupcakes.

The boy from 9 died yesterday morning. His cannon fired early, and his face hovered in the sky last night. He looked confident in his picture. Almost smug. And now he was dead.

I knew the only way I was going to win the Games was to stay confident. I had to believe in myself, or nobody else would. And my allies were definitely helping with that. Ebony was filled with energy, and Evelyne was just genuinely sweet. Jackson was encouraging and kind. Victor was quiet, but he was young. This was a lot for anyone, especially a 12-year-old.

Victor didn't talk a lot about his home life. I only knew he was adopted because of his interview. But then again, Victor didn't talk much at all. Something about him threw me off, but I figured it was because I wasn't used to being around younger people, and he was more serious than I expected.

I hardly remembered being 12. I was never the best at school and sometimes got bullied for my loud and energetic personality. I ended up blocking out most of the memories. But I knew I wouldn't have handled the Hunger Games well. Hell, I was in the Hunger Games now and I wasn't handling it well.

Jackson broke me from my thoughts by calling everyone to breakfast. It was porridge, as usual, but he'd found some jam to stir in, sweetening up the otherwise dull-tasting food.

We sat around our small campfire and chatted and laughed. But as usual, Victor wasn't joining in.

"Are you okay?" I asked him quietly, leaning over so he could whisper a response.

"Just tired," he replied. "I didn't sleep well." I nodded, accepting his answer. He did have dark circles beginning to form under his eyes. We all probably looked a little worse for wear though.

"I hope something happens soon," Ebony said with a sigh, scraping her spoon against her bowl to get the last bite.

"Be careful what you wish for," Evelyne lectured. "I'd rather be bored than dead."

"Fair enough," Ebony said with a shrug. "I just don't do well with boredom."

She looked agitated and I frowned. Ebony talked a lot about home, and how much fun her job and life were. I was certain she was missing District 7 as much as I was missing District 4. I felt for her, but I also knew that for me to win, she'd have to die.

Zeppelina Skansen, 14

District 5 Female

Hugo was afraid of me, and I loved it. The power I held was intoxicating. I knew I couldn't get carried away or overestimate my strength, but I had Hugo in the palm of my hand and we both knew it.

Late last night, shortly after the anthem played, we received four boxes as sponsor gifts. I wanted to open them right away, but it was getting late, and dark, so I instructed Hugo to get some sleep and to unpack the boxes in the morning.

I was a light sleeper and Hugo couldn't walk, so I wasn't worried about him fleeing in the night. And when I woke up the next morning, he was still there, examining the bandages on the back of his ankles.

"Leave those alone," I snapped, my voice sharp. "Now, let's see what surprises we got." I reached over and opened the largest box, revealing a tangle of cords and wires. The next had metal scraps inside, and the third held carefully-packaged balls of metal. Hugo gasped when he saw them, his eyes wide.

"What are they?" I demanded.

"Grenades, basically," he said. "They aren't quite as strong though, and they're activated by force. They aren't finished, but they're still dangerous."

"So if one of them impacted against something, it would explode?"

"Yeah."

He reached into the box, a mesmerized look on his face. I grabbed his wrist and pulled it away.

"Here's what we're going to do," I told him. "You are going to finish off these explosives. Then we're going to the Cornucopia. We'll take out the whole alliance in one go. And if you try to trick me, or take too long, I start cutting."

With a gulp, Hugo nodded. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and picked up some of the metal scraps.

"I can turn these into a protective shell…" he mused. "And maybe I could…"

I left him to his mumbling and opened the fourth and smallest box. Inside was a rope, some matches, four cans of soup, a bag of trail mix, and four protein bars. We were set for another week, at least. We had rich sponsors, and I was confident it was thanks to me and my skills. The Capitol knew I could win these Games.

Rain Barton, 13

District 5 Male

I wasn't surprised that Beria left the pyramid, but I was hoping she would stay. Her supplies were running low, especially with my theft, but she had a good supply of food. With her gone, I was living off the rest of the oranges I collected, and the sleeve of crackers I took from her.

Luckily, the orange trees spread along the entire creek; not just where Beria's new camp was. I was able to pick fresh ones every morning, and always made sure to give two of them to the little people.

The two women who originally accepted my gifts visited me regularly. All they knew was a life inside the temple, so stories about District 5 and even the rest of the arena were fascinating to them. It took me a bit of time to earn their trust, but they'd finally shared their names with me; Patli and Itzel. Patli was the more outgoing of the two, with a loud laugh and a bright smile. Itzel was quieter, and definitely greedier. She always took the biggest orange and demanded stories quite often. But I didn't mind telling them.

Back at home, I was alone most of the time. I would trade my stolen goods at The Node, our local black market, and occasionally get some food there. Sometimes I'd chat with some people as well, but I didn't really have a social life. And I was definitely an outgoing person. So it was nice to have company in the arena. I felt like I had friends, even though those "friends" were mutts concocted by the people rooting for my death.

I had no idea if I was popular with the Capitol. I didn't get the most impressive training score. My interview was average too. And District 5 didn't usually perform well. Zeppelina was definitely the favorite with the mentors, though Elinor had been supportive. And I was young. Though younger tributes with worse odds had won before. Dakota Grangerford of District 9 was living proof of that.

In order to win, I had to stay interesting. Beria's presence gave me some time to shine, but now she was gone. I could still try stealing from her, but without the little people distracting her, it would be a lot harder. But I couldn't remember any tributes befriending mutts in the past Games, so maybe I had an edge there. Was that interesting? I wasn't sure. All I knew was I had to do something to spice things up.

It was approaching dusk when Patli and Itzel came to visit me. They both seemed more serious than usual.

"Hey guys!" I greeted them with a friendly tone. "What's up?"

"Our chief has grown tired of your meager offerings," Itzel said. "He demands more valuable gifts."

"That's not really how gifts work," I said with a frown. Patli stifled a laugh with her hand, but Itzel shook her head disapprovingly.

"We are not to be trifled with," she reminded me. "Bad luck may befall you if you cannot meet our demands."

I thought for a moment. I really couldn't risk angering my protectors. Patting myself down, I pondered what I could give them. Then an idea popped into my head. I usually kept it tucked away, but I did have a treasure. A sapphire ring hung on a chain around my neck. It was the first item I ever stole on my own, and I'd kept it as a memento for years. I didn't want to part with it, but if I won, I could have all the jewelry I wanted.

I detached the chain and slipped the ring off. Tucking the silver cord away, I offered the piece of jewelry to Itzel. Her dark eyes widened with excitement and she took it reverently.

"This pleases us greatly," she announced. "Where did a boy like you acquire a treasure like this?"

"It's a family heirloom," I lied. "It's quite sentimental, so I'm sad to part with it, but I want to honor you and thank you for your loyalty and protection. I am indebted to you." Then I bowed my head, hoping my theatrics would appease them.

"We will bring this to our chief," Patli said. "And our blessings will continue to shower upon you."

"Thank you for your kindness," I said as the two women began to haul the ring away. I watched them until they vanished into the temple, then sighed and leaned back against the stone wall.

My interactions with the little people were always odd, but I knew it was smart to keep them on my side. Though I wondered what would happen if they left the temple?

Victor Fry, 12

District 10 Male

Usually the others didn't ask me to be on guard duty. I figured they felt bad for me, and were willing to sacrifice some of their sleep to give me my rest. But tonight, I offered to stay up. Because tonight I was putting my plan into action.

As the others rolled out their sleeping bags, I settled down by the fire and stared out at the dark jungle. Like all the previous nights, nothing would be coming for us. The danger was already here.

The anthem played loudly above us, but no faces appeared alongside it. That would soon change. My hands were nearly shaking with excitement at the thought of getting a kill. I hadn't drawn blood since Elaine, my bully at the orphanage. Now I was getting back into my element.

I wondered what my moms would think. I was sure they'd want me to come home, even if it meant killing others. That was just how the Hunger Games went. And I was more than ready to be a killer again.

The moon rose over the trees, providing just enough light for me to see my sleeping allies. I waited until I was certain they were all asleep before quietly selecting two large knives from the rack of weapons inside the Cornucopia.

I tiptoed forward, positioning myself between Marino and Jackson. I'd stab them, then lunge over to Evelyne and gut her. Ebony would be too sleepy to retaliate and I'd slit her throat just as she woke up.

My heart was pounding with anticipation as I crouched down. I hovered a hand over each of their chests and then plunged the blade downward. Marino's body jerked and they let out a choking gasp. Jackson's body convulsed, his hand knocking against Ebony's sleeping form.

Suddenly, Ebony was sitting up and switching on a flashlight. The bright light blinded me momentarily and I threw a hand up to cover my eyes. Then a sharp pain blossomed in my stomach. I looked down, horrified to see Ebony gripping a knife. A knife that was in my gut and up under my ribs.

I moaned in pain as Ebony ripped the blade out. Unable to hold myself up, I flopped down over Jackson's body. Two cannons fired, one after the other. Everything was growing fuzzy and dark. A tear trickled down my cheek as I clutched my stomach. Ebony's feet scrambled in the dirt and my head fell limp. This was all wrong! But I knew this was the end. I lost.

Ebony Chaste, 18

District 7 Female

Something slapped against the back of my head and a choking, gasping sound filled the air. Immediately, my brain jumped to high alert. Something was wrong. Grabbing the flashlight beside me, I switched it on and turned toward Jackson, who was sleeping next to me. When I saw him, a short scream was wrenched from my throat.

Victor was crouched between Jackson and Marino, a knife in each hand. The blades were buried in the chests of my allies. Flinching at the light, Victor let go of the weapon in Jackson's torso. Without thinking, I ripped it out of his body and shoved it into Victor's gut, pushing up under his ribs.

With a choked scream, Victor collapsed on top of Jackson. I barely managed to pull the knife out. A cannon fired. Then another. Evelyne was staring at the scene in horror. My breath was coming too fast and I scrambled to my feet. Blood dripped from the knife onto my sleeping bag. Mouth wide open, Evelyne looked up at me. I turned and ran just as a third cannon fired.

Crashing through the jungle, barely breathing, I sprinted as fast as I could. My head was whirling with thoughts but they were moving so quickly I couldn't focus on one. My legs and lungs were burning, but I didn't stop running.

Finally, my legs gave out and I crashed onto my stomach, barely avoiding impaling myself with the knife in my hand. I laid there for a few minutes, gasping for air before rolling onto my back. Three cannons. Three deaths. And one was at my hand.

Victor was 12! He was just a kid! But he'd murdered two of our allies in cold blood. I'd been telling myself I was ready to kill to win these Games. And now I'd done it, and I didn't know how to feel. Victor had a family back home; a family who was praying he'd return. Now he would go back to them in a coffin.

But I told myself I did what I had to do. He betrayed us. He killed my friends. But now Evelyne was alone. In the back of my mind, I knew Evelyne would probably welcome me back. She was a kind girl; too kind for the Games. But I killed someone. I was on my own now.

Hi everyone! Another fast update from me. I'm excited to be getting close to the end of this story and to revealing the victor (which I have decided on)! I love all of these tributes and killing them has been SO tough, but this chapter was especially hard. Marino is gone! And yes, I am biased. My sincerest apologies. More chapters will probably be coming out quickly, unless I lose my flow, which I'm hoping won't happen. And now we're halfway through the Games!

Questions

1) Do you think Hugo will successfully be able to make the small bombs?

2) Will Rain's alliance last?

3) How were you expecting Victor's plan to go?

4) What do you think of Ebony's mindset?

5) Who do you think will die next?

6) Any victor predictions? Any victor wishes?

Eulogies

13th: Jackson Forester (killed by Victor Fry)
RIP Jackson. You were a great guy who stuck to your beliefs and provided joy and morale to your allies. You weren't willing to kill, but you wanted to survive, and that was a fun dynamic to explore. Your promise to Victor kind of backfired though. You made it the farthest out of the J Boys and were a pleasure to write. Thank you AmericanPi.

12th: Marino Cortez (killed by Victor Fry)
RIP Marino. Killing you was so hard! I absolutely adored you and you were on my list of potential victors for a long time. I'm so sad to see you go but Victor had to take out at least two people and you were a good candidate. You were strong, so he targeted you. I promise your death will inspire and propel Evelyne and Ebony to fight even harder. It won't be in vain. Thank you so much Willuna.

11th: Victor Fry (killed by Ebony Chaste)
RIP Victor. I've never written a tribute like you before and I enjoyed it so much. You were both a killer and a feeler, and you did have the capacity for love as well as hate. You were so fun to explore and I know your moms and Baxter will miss you. Thank you wiifan2002.

Alliances

Save Me:
- Lumine
- Mira

Captor & Inventor:
- Hugo
- Zeppelina

Loners:
- Evelyne
- Rain
- Ronald
- Ebony
- Ada
- Beria

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona