Prince Middleton, 17

District 1 Male

By now, Prince had decided he wasn't cut out for the Hunger Games. Volunteering had been a mistake. He should have just waited a year, or moved in with Maia. He should have listened to his best friend and boyfriend. He should have been more humble and more thoughtful.

But he hadn't. And he was stuck in this hellish arena until he won or died. And he was starting to think it would be the latter. All night, he was plagued with dreams of Nikolas. In one, he was torturing the poor boy. In another, Nikolas's animated corpse was chasing him across the arena grasslands, seeking revenge.

He was certain he had dark circles under eyes and a tired expression. Cadmus kept giving him pitying glances, but Iago seemed much more hostile. He and Ada were talking quietly as she prepared food, and both of them kept looking at him.

Prince fiddled with the laces on his boots, watching them from the corner of his eye. Were they going to betray him? Surely Cadmus and Tulio wouldn't let that happen. But they were in the Final 8. The Career Pack could only cling together for so long…

"So Prince," Iago said casually, breaking the silence. "How was it, killing the boy from 5?"

"What?" Prince asked, caught off-guard.

"What was it like? You killed both tributes from 5. That's special. How do you feel?"

The image of the young girl's severed head appeared in his mind and Prince paled.

"I don't enjoy killing people," he snapped, not thinking about his words. Ada's eyes widened.

"Well, you better get used to it, because you're in the Hunger Games," she snapped.

"Yes, oh mighty leader," Prince growled. His sleepless nights and stress were boiling over, and he clenched his fists as he stood up.

"Shut it," Ada said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Or else."

"Or else what?" Prince yelled. "Are you going to finally kill me? Because I'm too cowardly or too weak to be a proper Career?"

"No one is-" Cadmus began, reaching for Prince's arm. But as soon as Cadmus touched him, Prince spun around. Without hesitating, he plunged his sword deep into Cadmus's chest. The boy's green eyes widened and he slumped back. For a moment, everyone was frozen. Then Cadmus's cannon fired and Ada started to yell.

"Traitor!" she screamed, grabbing her ax.

"It was an accident," Prince gasped, nearly dropping his bloody sword. Had that really just happened? He just moved on instinct!

"Ada, calm d-" Tulio began to say, stepping between her and Prince. But Ada cut through him mercilessly, not bothering to watch as the boy from 4 collapsed… dead. Prince shouted in surprise, jumping back to avoid Ada's swing. He parried her next swipe with his sword, but she was ruthless.

After a few moments, Prince knew he was done for. He couldn't hold her off any longer. Ada raised her ax above her head with both hands, but then stiffened. Her ax fell. She dropped to her knees.

Iago was standing calmly behind her, a long, bloody knife in his hand.

"Sorry," he said casually. "But I'm going to be the one to kill Prince." Prince backed up quickly, stumbling over Cadmus's body as he moved. But Iago just smirked at him.

"Go ahead," he said. "Run, like the coward you are. It won't save you." So, with fear pulsing through his veins, Prince turned and ran.

Indigo Li, 13

District 8 Female

Indigo spent the night curled up under the tree she collapsed under the day before. Her limbs were stiff and she was freezing from the cold night, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Everything had gone wrong.

She thought back to the morning of the reaping, when she tried to run away. She'd been so angry at her aunt and at the Peacekeepers that she let her emotions control her. She'd volunteered for a death match because she couldn't keep a level head. And now she'd murdered someone because she panicked.

Indigo suddenly remembered her science project; a pressurized box. Was that all she was? A container filled with misery and anger? Aunt Victoria seemed to think so. The Peacekeepers seemed to think so. The whole district probably did. Blythe probably did…

One thing was certain. Indigo would never forgive herself. She was a cold-hearted killer. Her parents would be so ashamed. She squeezed her eyes shut, allowing several tears to spill down her cheeks. Her parents… they'd loved her. They wanted her to be happy. Now she'd betrayed them as well.

Slowly, her tears faded and she sat up. Her limbs ached from holding the same position for so long, but she ignored the pain. Only eight tributes were left in the arena. She had to be on alert.

Did she deserve to win? Absolutely not. Was she going to throw everything she had at winning? Yes. Because deep down, she was afraid to die. She wasn't noble enough to die as punishment for her mistakes. She'd rather desperately cling to a miserable life. The thought brought on more tears.

'Get it together' she hissed to herself in her head. Pitying herself would get her nowhere. But the image of Blythe's terrified face was firmly planted in her mind, and every attempt to think or strategize was replaced by her ally's last moments.

Everything was her fault. Blythe's death, Maia's death, her aunt's dislike for her, her role as a tribute… it was all Indigo. She ruined everything. She'd probably ruin her chance at victory as well. She always thought she would get a better life. She wouldn't, and it was because of her own actions. Who had she become?

Dakota Grangerford, 12

District 9 Female

The sunset was bleeding across the savanna, darkening the sky and setting the stalks of grass on fire. Dakota could feel Mars watching her but determinedly focused on the sun. Mars had been hovering since the incident with the lion yesterday.

Strangely, it wasn't bothering Dakota as much as she thought it would. After she calmed down, she actually had a sense of pride. She thought quickly and stood up to a dangerous beast with no help. As cheesy as it sounded, she found some sort of inner strength she never knew she had. And that was empowering.

"What is it?" Dakota finally snapped, turning to glare at Mars. "I'm fine. I'm not hurt or anything. Why are you being so weird?"

"Sorry," Mars mumbled. "I was just overthinking."

"About what?" she asked. He glared at her, which was probably a sign to drop the subject, but she kept pushing.

"If you tell me, maybe I can help?"

He was silent for a long moment.

"Are you going to be able to kill me?"

"What?" she repeated, blinking at him. Mars sighed.

"The goal is for us to be the Final 2. Are you going to kill me when it comes down to it?"

"Wasn't that the plan?" Dakota said hesitantly. She wasn't sure where he was going with this train of thought, but it was making her anxious.

"It is. But I need to know if you're able to do it."

Dakota looked down at her hands. The only human blood they'd ever drawn was hers, when she scratched too much as a mosquito bite or accidentally nicked herself when cutting her nails. Could she kill Mars? The boy who was literally sacrificing his life for her?

"If you want me to, I can do it," she told him. "It's the least I can do."

"Thanks," Mars said. Then he let out a bitter laugh and she shot him another questioning look.

"Sorry," he repeated. "It's just so strange… I'm thanking my future murderer."

"You don't have to say it like that!" Dakota cried out. Mars shushed her, but he was still laughing.

"The world is a crazy place, huh?" he finally said.

"A sucky place," Dakota grumbled, but Mars shook his head.

"Sometimes, maybe," he agreed. "But there's a lot of beauty and goodness out there. If I can be a part of that, in any small way, I'd die happy."

For the first time since being reaped, Dakota felt tears prickle at her eyelashes.

"You are," she croaked, fighting to keep the tears back. "You are so full of goodness, Mars. So full."

And he reached over and pulled her into a hug.

Hi everybody. Here is the penultimate Games chapter, and a very sad chapter. To be honest, I got a little emotional while writing this (though in my defense, I'm having a sad day). I really hope you all enjoy reading this, since it goes deeper into the characters' minds and emotions. And it was fun to write, despite the sad theme. And now there are only five tributes left! Please leave a review, if you can. I really appreciate them.

Eulogies

8th: Cadmus Banner (2M) - killed by Prince
I'm sorry Cadmus. You were a cool, friendly guy who really had no bad intentions, but your penchant for peace led to your demise. Ada did try to avenge you, and Prince truly didn't mean to kill you. You will be missed, but the story must go on. RIP.

7th: Tulio Waters (4M) - killed by Ada
Tulio... you were one of my favorite Careers and I may submit you somewhere someday in the future. Like Cadmus, you were a chill guy, and Prince really did appreciate your friendship and support. You helped him a lot in the arena, and for that we thank you. RIP.

6th: Ada Stone (2F) - killed by Iago
Ada, Ada, Ada... you were loyal to a fault, and that led to your downfall. You'd do anything for Cadmus, and for District 2, and they will honor your courage. But Iago is not so noble, and so you had to die at his hands. RIP.

Alliances

Kindness:
- Dakota
- Mars

Loners:
- Prince
- Indigo
- Iago

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

- Fiona