Okay people…welcome to Day 2 of Nessa's unexpected involvement in the Hunger Games. Will Sonia prove herself to be a useful ally? And can she, Foxface, and Nessa find a way to recruit more allies without any more trouble with the present Careers? Let's see…

Whether It's Planned Or Not

Foxface and Sonia were still asleep by the time Nessa awoke the next morning. As she watched them, their expressions peaceful for the first time since she'd met them, she smiled. She still considered it a miracle that all three of them had managed to return to the bottom of the ditch without the Careers finding them. Sure, Nessa's distraction was the main reason why she and her companions were still safe, but she had other people to thank for it too. First of all, Foxface—once she'd caught up to her and Sonia, she had instructed them to get as close as they could to a narrow corner of the ditch. That way, even if the Careers did look in the ditch, they wouldn't be able to see them. At least not that easily.

Another person Nessa was proud of was the boy she'd spoken to the night before she'd ended up in the arena. She still didn't know his name, but she wished she did; he had now saved her from the Careers twice, without even letting them know those were his true intentions. It suddenly occurred to her that that was probably why he'd allied with them in the first place—to pretend he was helping them look for the tribute named Katniss but actually make it harder for them to find or hurt her. It was so tempting to return the favour by rescuing him from the Careers too, but the former giraffe knew she couldn't do that; not yet. His pretend alliance with the mean tributes was the reason why she, Foxface, and Sonia were still in the Games. If he continued his act, maybe it would cause more tributes to end up on the trio's team. Like Katniss, the tribute everyone in the Capitol was hoping would win the Games.

Nessa sighed, her gaze wandering downward—and then she almost screamed. It had been dark last night, so she hadn't exactly gotten a good view of Foxface's legs; not even when the furtive tribute had turned on her flashlight. Now that it was daytime though, she could see the girl's booboo all too well, and it was not a pretty sight. A huge part of her left pant leg had been torn off altogether, and there was a large, painful-looking scrape that went from an inch above her knee to a decimetre above her foot. It didn't look as fresh now, but staring at the booboo, Nessa knew it was only going to feel and look a lot worse if it wasn't bandaged right away. It would probably be a good idea to bandage up Foxface's other leg too; it didn't necessarily have any booboos of its own, but bits of its pant leg had been torn as well, and the leg itself looked as though someone had deliberately tried to pick off pieces of its skin.

Slowly, Nessa shifted so that she could open Foxface's backpack and see if it contained any band-aids. But since they along with Sonia had had to sleep huddled close together so they could all fit in the ditch's narrow corner, her movement woke both tributes up.

"Sorry," Nessa whispered, as her companions stirred and slowly opened their eyes.

Foxface clenched her teeth in pain, which Sonia noticed. "How did you even scrape your leg that bad?" she asked. "I mean, I know how, because you told me once we got here. But I saw you in the Training Centre, and you didn't seem like someone who would trip so eas—"

"Do not talk to me, alright? Nessa's the one who wanted you on our team."

Sonia swallowed hard, and then shyly turned to Nessa. "Listen, um…let me get this straight. You…you really don't want to hurt me? Even though this is the Hunger Games, something that can only have one winner?"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Sonia," assured Nessa. "I just want to…oh. Foxface, um…there aren't any cameras in the ditch, are there?"

"If there were, we'd have been overheard discussing the evacuation plan and taken out by now," mumbled Foxface. Although her tone of voice remained furtive and annoyed, her expression made it clear that she was just as nervous about her booboo as Nessa was.

"Evacuation plan?" Sonia asked, looking confused.

Nessa stared at Foxface. "You didn't tell her about it?"

"It was your idea, so you should tell her," the furtive tribute muttered. "I still doubt it will be successful, and I do not feel any better about it with an idiot helping us."

"I'm not an idiot," said Sonia, offended.

"You are! Starting a campfire out in the open at night was the reason why you were almost brought down by the Careers! If this childish lady hadn't rescued you and forced me to escort you here, you would be where the boy from your district is now. Since I cannot convince our team leader to let you go, all I can do is tell you this: from now on, do not do anything without my permission. Okay?"

Sonia sighed. "Okay. But…but what's this evacuation plan you're talking about?"

With a knowing smile, Nessa asked, "Wanna leave the arena?"

"Wait, what?"

"'Cause I'm trying to bring together as many tributes as possible so we can team up, and find a way out without the Peacekeepers stopping us."

"Really?" Sonia asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "And this is coming from a Capitol resident?"

"Actually, she is not from the Capitol," groaned Foxface. "It may sound crazy, but on the inside, she is really a young lady from another continent. Apparently, she's swapped bodies with someone who's supposed be gathering sponsors for two of the tributes. And she wishes to return home and switch back while helping the non-Careers along the way, even though the odds could never be in her favour."

"Wow," Sonia replied, after taking a moment to process the information. She turned to Nessa again and smiled with interest. "So…you're really from another continent?"

"Yeah," said Nessa. "I like America! And I think you'd like it too."

"Well that's good, because nobody from Panem's ever been allowed to leave our nation. Many have tried, but the only person who succeeded was a woman from District 11 named Juniper Berryharvest. She snuck into District 8 about twelve years ago to ask my uncle for help with an escape plan. Then the two of them and some of my family's friends tried to leave Panem, but some Peacekeepers ambushed them. So only Juniper escaped. My uncle and the others though…as far as I know, they all became Avoxes."

"Avoxes?" Nessa asked. "What are—"

"You do not want to know what an Avox is," interrupted Foxface. "Believe me, if either of us told you, even you could never smile genuinely ever again."

Sonia nodded, then stammered, "Th-the point is, if we really can evacuate the arena, let alone Panem, and flee to another continent…I'd be more than happy to do it. My uncle left…or at least tried to…to show the Capitol that if they don't give our district a healthier lifestyle, the country will one day lose all of its residents to other continents. Would be kind of nice to finish what he started…"

"Aww," Nessa smiled.

Foxface stared at the ground, shaking her head in annoyance. That made it official. Whether she was happy about it or not, the apparent survival rookie they'd rescued was on their team. And the fact that her uncle had apparently known the infamous District 11 Runaway personally only made things worse. Being from District 5, Foxface didn't know a lot of information about the runaway attempt Districts 8 and 11 briefly partnered up to host twelve years ago; but the Capitol had told her hometown and the other districts that hadn't been involved a few details about it through a virtual announcement. That seven people, six from District 8 and one from 11, had attempted to leave Panem despite not being allowed to—and that while an army of Peacekeepers had managed to apprehend the six people from 8, the young woman from 11 successfully escaped. She was never seen or heard from again since, but that hadn't meant the Capitol wouldn't issue a reminder that they were the heart and soul of Panem—and most importantly, that a nation's heart and soul deserved respect.

Ever since then (at least to District 5's knowledge), no one had ever tried to run away from Panem again; until now. And there was already one problem with this year's Hunger Games as it was: Clove being replaced by an obvious non-tribute, which would seem like rebellion to anyone who didn't believe that was an accident. An intentional runaway would take the cake, especially if one of the tributes involved in it happened to be the niece of one of Juniper Berryharvest's allies. If Nessa's plan failed (which it likely would), then Sonia's involvement in it could increase the pain of the punishment in store for them. And the punishment was the main reason why Foxface had been reluctant about going along with the plan from the beginning and still felt reluctant about it now—it wasn't just that she doubted it would work and didn't think Sonia would be much help to them. She could endure injuries like the ones she currently had, but death, capture, and the life of an Avox…no. No. She wasn't even going to think about that.

"Okay," Foxface told Sonia, "how do you think you can help us hijack a hovercraft?"

Sonia gasped. "That's how you're planning to escape the arena?!"

"Well, Foxface said there would be a lot of Peacekeepers in the hovercrafts that come in here," admitted Nessa. "But that's where you and hopefully some more tributes come in. If we work together, we can take control of the hovercraft without anyone stopping us. We just need to figure out how."

"Uh…um…" Sonia stammered, "well…I can't really figure out how we're going to hijack the hovercraft…because hovercrafts are so powerful, we'll have to make one crash before we try to hijack it. And being from a district that does nothing but weave clothes every day, I don't know if I have what it takes to make a hovercraft crash." She then saw Foxface was about to use her statement as evidence that she shouldn't be on their team and quickly added, "But if we get Katniss Everdeen on our team, maybe she can crash the hovercraft. I saw her looking at that bundle of arrows while we were on our Cornucopia platforms, so I'm guessing she's a good aimer."

Foxface's eyes widened in fear for a moment, but she quickly realized it and furrowed her brow. "That is not the right option, Sonia. The Girl on Fire may trust Peeta Mellark, but that does not under any circumstances mean she will open up to us. I've seen the way she looks at me. She knows I do not want any alliances and that I have my own ways! If we end up together, a fatal battle of the wits could transpire, maybe even with two losers. Besides, she doesn't even have the bundle of arrows. I saw the Careers walking past one of my hiding places yesterday afternoon, and Glimmer was putting them in her backpack."

Although she was confused by some of the terms Foxface used, Nessa shook it off and asked, "What about Peeta Mellark? Do you think he would help us?"

"Are you out of your mind? He is the boy who was helping the Careers last night!"

"Oh. Sorry…I didn't know that was him." On the inside though, Nessa was relieved. She had been wondering what the boy from two nights ago's name was…

Sonia crossed her arms. "Okay. Now we only have three options. Or maybe I should say two, because you're likely not going to even consider enlisting the boy from 11 since he's an even bigger threat than the girl from 12."

"Now you're on the right trail," said Foxface.

"But," continued Sonia, "there is a little problem with that. The girl from 11 and the boy from 3 may have one-of-a-kind skills that helped them survive Day One by themselves, but I don't know if intelligence and branch-jumping will really help us crash a hovercraft. And since the boy from 11 is even more determined to avoid alliances than you, um…Foxface—no offence—then that leaves us no choice but to recruit Katniss."

"We are not recruiting her," insisted Foxface. She shifted so that she could give Sonia a stern look, but grimaced in pain once she did so.

"Oh, right," Nessa gasped. "Do either of you have any band-aids?"

"Band-aids aren't allowed in the Cornucopia," said Sonia. "And sponsors can send tributes medicine and stuff, but band-aids…no." She then smiled. "But it's District 8's job to make band-aids too, so that's something I can help you with. I can't provide any healing cream though."

"Okay," decided Nessa. "First we'll make a band-aid out of…whatever we can use…and then we'll see if we can find Katniss."

"No," Foxface affirmed. "Let's recruit the boy from 3 instead. Strength is not the most important quality when it comes to anything."

"That doesn't mean it's not important at all," Sonia replied. She glared at Foxface a little, clearly still upset that she'd called her an idiot.

Nessa nodded in agreement. "And we'll have to talk to Katniss and all the tributes except the Careers anyway to see if they want to leave the arena. So even if they don't help us crash the hovercraft, they will get involved after that."

"And we might need help fixing the hovercraft so we can use it. Not to mention fighting off the Peacekeepers, which trust me, I can't do. And then, if none of us know how to do this part, who's going to drive the hovercraft out?"

"Yeah," said Nessa. She and Sonia both looked at Foxface, who was not only surprised by how good her companions were at planning the whole thing out, but also very upset by the thought of having no choice but to form alliances with basically everyone in the arena except the Career tributes. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad recruiting the boy from 3 and the girl from 11, but the other three remaining tributes? No way.

It was simple. They couldn't enlist Peeta's help without having to encounter the Careers again, and they were already angry at Nessa for replacing Clove and, likely, for fooling them with her musical diversion last night. As for Katniss, she'd explained the reasons why she didn't want her on their team. Except for one reason, which was the same reason why she didn't want the boy from 11 on their team: she didn't dare admit it, but she was a little…afraid of them. It was obvious they had more survival potential than her, plus neither of them seemed keen on forming alliances. She'd even overheard the boy from 11 refusing an offer to join the Career pack back in the training centre, which only made him look more invulnerable. Katniss, on the other hand, was downright hated by the Careers because she seemed so promising. They were jealous of her, and Careers didn't usually have to worry about jealousy because they were usually the strongest out of all the tributes.

But of course, telling Nessa and Sonia all that would be useless. Nessa was too convinced that her plan would work, and Sonia was willing to do whatever it took to help make it succeed—driven by not only her desire to abandon the Games, but also the fact that her uncle had attempted to escape Panem twelve years ago and failed. Did she even realize how much of a problem it would be to have District 11's male tribute and both of District 12's tributes working with them? Of course she didn't; if Sonia was idiotic enough to start a campfire out in the open at night, she was undoubtedly naive enough to trust three tributes that the Careers had their eyes on. And Nessa…well, her determination to help the non-Careers was a good quality, but her childish personality was bound to lead them to a downfall sooner or later.

Foxface sighed. This is why I prefer to stay out of the spotlight, she thought, Because when you are not in the spotlight, no one pays attention to you. You are ignored long enough for the chaos to unfold away from you, until you are the last one standing. Which earns you your freedom. But with a leg injury and a twisted ankle that wouldn't be healing anytime soon, all the furtive tribute could do was go along with her allies' plan.

"Alright," said Foxface, "we will see if we can bandage my leg. But future allies…we can discuss that later."

"Not as later as you think," Sonia told her, smirking. "You may act like you know everything about the 74th Hunger Games, but you can't promise everything in your description of District 12's female tribute."

All Foxface could do in response was turn away, her eyes narrowed. Calling Sonia an idiot out loud, right to her face, had definitely been a mistake. She should have known better—which only made Sonia's statement about her not knowing everything true. Why in the world did she have to form an alliance with these two?

"Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!"

Golias and Effie awoke with a start. Bongo was bouncing up and down in front of them nonstop, trying desperately to get their attention. Since an hour had passed and the Freaky Friday Fairies hadn't returned, Effie and the Big Big Friends had had to spend the night on the ground, in front of the currently unused arena. Not that they were happy about it (none of them, especially Effie, was used to not sleeping in a bed), but they'd put up with it nonetheless.

"What is it, Bongo?" Golias asked, yawning.

Bongo didn't settle down. "Big news! Big! The fairies are back, and they've got disguises! Come see!"

As the kangaroo bounced back toward Wish-Trish and Objectiva, who had indeed returned with material to disguise the animals, Golias stood up and turned to Effie. "Do you think you can walk?"

Effie slowly positioned her front hooves on the ground, strained, and this time succeeded in pulling herself up; something that, despite it taking over half an hour, she'd eventually mastered the previous night. "Alright…" she whispered, taking a deep breath and remembering another technique Golias had taught her the night before, "left back foot…left front foot…right back foot…right front foot…"

One by one, she placed each foot forward, slowly but surely. She wobbled a little now and again, but whenever she did, Golias would rush to her side and keep her from losing her balance. They repeated this process a few times, until she was finally able to walk on all fours steadily, albeit still slowly.

Objectiva shrugged. "I suppose that will have to do for now. You still want to save as much time as possible, right?"

"We must," said Effie. "For the sake of my tributes. Now, what kinds of costumes have you brought us?"

Wish-Trish smiled. "We were ever so lucky! In the middle of the city, there was an entire room filled with such colourful clothes and blankets! But it took us until six this morning to carry them all here, there were so many. Yet admiring their beauty prevented us from feeling much energy loss." She gestured toward a big pile of robes and blankets that lay on the ground next to her, which was indeed a spectacular sight. There was clothing of all colours, some with patterns, some just one solid colour, made of thin cloth, thick fabric, fake fur…all kinds of wonderful material!

"Wowie-wow-wow!" Bongo squealed.

"Awesome," smiled Golias. "But uh…is there enough to cover me up? 'Cause I am kind of…big…"

Effie studied the pile, thinking hard. Golias had a point—especially since, even if there was enough clothing for him, it would be harder to camouflage him so efficiently. They would have to be really crafty with how they arranged the disguises…

Later, her team was exploring the streets of the Capitol together, in search of Nessa. Effie and Bongo led the way, each wearing two dresses to hide their appearances (except for their eyes, since they needed to see where they were going), and right behind them were Golias and the fairies. Those three were huddled together under the rest of the collected clothing, with only Golias's trunk sticking out, aimed toward Bongo's tail, which he hadn't been able to hide under any fabric despite his efforts to do so. They were pretending Bongo and Effie were stylists who owned a carriage filled with accessories, with Golias acting as the carriage.

Unfortunately, since everyone was indoors watching the Hunger Games, there was nobody to ask about Nessa's whereabouts. They ended up searching two avenues before Effie realized where everyone had to be, and considered telling her companions that they'd have to start knocking on all the doors they could find if they wanted their search to go anywhere.

"No people," Bongo was now saying aloud to himself as they looked, "no people, no people!"

Golias stuttered a little, his voice sounding uncomfortable. "Uh…um…guys?"

"Shh," Objectiva whispered. "In case there is someone out here, we must stay silent. We don't want to get locked away somewhere!"

"I know, but…I uh…I can't stay quiet much longer 'cause um…I have to um…go."

Wish-Trish smiled comfortingly. "Yuri is fine, Golias. You can go check in with him after we find Nessa and, if we need to, rescue her."

"No, I don't mean go, I mean um…I have to um…GO!"

"What do you mean exactly?" Effie asked. She did her best to remain calm and casual, even though the elephant was being really confusing—which didn't at all help the search.

But before Golias could clarify exactly what he meant, Bongo yelled, "People! People? PEOPLE! I found some!"

The others turned to look at him, and he pointed across the street. Sure enough, there were four adults standing where he was pointing, deep in a conversation. Three of them were Peacekeepers, and the fourth was a woman that Effie immediately recognized as the Hunger Games' very first stylist: Tigris. She'd been fired from her stylist duties long ago, but she was still well-known around the Capitol for her tiger-like tattoos, her beautifying talents, and the clothing shop she owned.

"Come on," declared Bongo, "let's go go go!"

Effie quickly stepped in front of him before he could cross the street. "Hold on…why would such a fortunate and respected woman like Tigris be having such an uncomfortable conversation with a group of Peacekeepers? That seems a little peculiar."

Suddenly Tigris noticed her standing on the other side of the road and gasped. "There they are! Those are the thieves who stole my merchandise!"

Shocked, Effie examined one of the dresses she was wearing, and indeed, there it was. There on one of the sleeves, barely visible, were three words printed in cursive: Manufactured by Tigris.

Wish-Trish briefly poked her head out from underneath the clothes covering herself, Objectiva, and Golias. "I am so sorry," she whispered, "we didn't know the building we found these in was a clothing shop!"

"Well we can't take them back!" hissed Effie. "Or else those Peacekeepers will imprison us in the zoo!"

A car whizzed by, and the Peacekeepers began rushing across the road. Instinctively, Golias scooped up Effie with his trunk and ran down the sidewalk, with Bongo bouncing after them. The fairies remained out of sight, so the trio could only hope they were still underneath their elephant friend's disguise, safe and sound.

"Come back here, you rotten thieves!" one of the Peacekeepers yelled. "Stealing from a celebrity is a grave offence!"

Golias squealed in fright. "Effie, do you know any good places we can hide in? Places that, uh…have a bathroom?"

"That's what you meant when you said you needed to go?!" Effie exclaimed.

"Why didn't you go before we went into the city?" Bongo demanded.

"Do not blame him!" said Objectiva. "I was the one who didn't look more closely at these clothes and see Tigris's name on them!"

"That was my fault too," added Wish-Trish.

They reached an intersection and turned right so they could stay on the sidewalk. The Peacekeepers continued to trail after them, with one of them grabbing a walkie-talkie and saying, "Send in reinforcements! We've found the band of thieves that robbed Tigris's store, but we can't use our weapons as long as they've got her merchandise!"

Bongo sighed in disappointment. "Guess I can't slow them down by throwing the clothes at them."

"We have to try something to slow them down!" Effie cried. "I've got sponsors to gather!" Suddenly an idea came to her. "Wait…can't you use your power to change the appearances of the scenery around us?"

Hearing this, Golias skidded to a stop. "That's right," he gasped. "We can!"

Caught off guard by the sudden stop, Bongo bumped into Golias from behind, face first. "Oh yeah. Hadn't thought of that," he said, his voice muffled.

The Peacekeepers caught up to them and stopped. "Put your hands up," said the one with the walkie-talkie.

Despite still feeling anxious because of his need to go to the bathroom, Golias turned around so that he faced the Peacekeepers. He closed his eyes and focused…and then all of a sudden, the parts of the sidewalk the Peacekeepers were standing on shot up into the air, taking on a form that resembled a giant boat. Next, the parts of the sidewalk behind the ship assumed a form that resembled water, and fastened lifejackets appeared on the Peacekeepers' chests.

"What…what's happening?" a Peacekeeper yelled, as the blasters he and his teammates were carrying suddenly turned into harmless black canoe paddles.

"Uh, sorry," giggled Golias. He tooted his trunk. "But that's a secret."

The water gently but quickly pushed the boat farther and farther away from Effie and her companions. The Peacekeepers desperately tried to direct it back toward them using the paddles, but the current proved too strong. A second later, three dolphins made of cement emerged from the water and snatched away the paddles, taking them into the water with them once they disappeared underneath it.

"Bon voyage!" Bongo sang as the Peacekeepers helplessly drifted out of sight, scowls on each of their faces.

Effie could only stare at the scene in awe. She wasn't usually one to feel satisfied when bad things happened to Peacekeepers, but watching the Big Big Friends' scenery-changing abilities in action for the first time was still a unique experience. Golias and Bongo had such magical talents, and they weren't even using them to hurt the Peacekeepers! They were only using them to ward them off without causing any harm; which she knew the Peacekeepers would never have done with anyone. And after thinking this, she found herself thinking one of those thoughts that no tribute escort was ever supposed to think: why were Peacekeepers so named, if they were anything but peaceful?

Shocked that such a thought had come to her, Effie quickly shoved it aside. It didn't matter what Peacekeepers were called or what methods they used; they still deserved respect from all of Panem's residents. This just had to be an exception because she was in someone else's body, and she needed to be swapped back into her own so she could do her job without risking being placed in a zoo. She would see what she could do to make it up to the Peacekeepers later, when she and Nessa found each other and undid the body swap.

Nessa. Effie gulped. She hoped the former giraffe was nearby, and that Haymitch (or Cinna and Portia; if he wasn't sober enough to do it, they were her only hope) had given her some guidance on collecting sponsors. Most of all, she hoped Nessa would manage to find plenty of sponsors, despite not knowing many things about Panem (if Golias and Bongo didn't know much about it, why should she?). And that, in the process, she would be careful with her dresses and wigs. If any escort tried to do their job without looking elegantly presentable, sponsors likely wouldn't be so interested in donating gifts to their tributes…

Golias suddenly started wiggling around like crazy, stammering anxiously. Since the Peacekeepers were gone, Bongo bounced toward the building they were now standing in front of and knocked on the door. "Okay, Golias, remember to stay still," he instructed. "Everyone here's supposed to think you're just a carriage."

"Oh, but I can't stay still," Golias whispered. "I really need to go!"

"We know," said Effie. At least he was being discreet about it—that is, for the most part.

The door opened, and a woman with bright purple hair and an orange and gold dress stepped forward. Bongo quickly bounced in front of Golias and repositioned his tail in front of his trunk, while the elephant instantly froze, silently straining to keep himself from moving.

"Uh, hi there!" Bongo greeted. "I'm uh, a person selling clothes. Can I come in for a few minutes with my carriage?"

"Why certainly," said the woman. "You can stay as long as you like, since the Hunger Games show is on."

"Thanks," replied Bongo. He bounced inside the house with Golias in tow, and when no one was looking, Objectiva fluttered out from underneath the elephant's disguises and hid behind Effie.

"Wish-Trish is going in with them," the fairy whispered. "She will see if Nessa is in that building while Bongo supervises Golias. Just to make sure his um…moment…does not make things go horribly wrong. In the meantime, you and I will stay outside, in case that is where she is."

"Alright," said Effie. "But what do we do if the Peacekeepers return? I don't have the power to alter scenery!"

Objectiva shrugged. "Maybe…but then again, maybe you do. This is Nessa's body you are in…but then again, maybe her ability to alter scenery was whisked into your body with her. Seeing as it is entirely powered by her mind…"

"Maybe? Shouldn't you know the answer to that mystery? You were responsible for the body swap."

"Actually," Objectiva admitted, "only Wish-Trish was. Our powers have the same result, but mine work differently than hers do. They used to work the same, but five years ago I developed an interest in the magic of talismans. So, with the help of a couple that own a few Chinese business areas and vowed never to reveal the existence of us Freaky Friday Fairies to the world—and who are still keeping their promise to this day—I transferred my powers to quite a few green talismans that were being sold in a relic shop in China, along with the fortune cookies at a special restaurant. Then I transferred them to some hourglasses as well. Ever since then, whenever people who are wearing the talismans or holding the other magical items wish to swap places with someone, the magical objects are what grant their wishes. And me…I simply no longer have the power to do the same in the same way as my cousin. And as Starpoint, before she um…you know."

"Really," Effie said, amazed.

"Indeed," replied Objectiva. "I've had a fondness for several objects all my life. 'Tis why I was named Objectiva. Whenever I see a new object near me, it brings a sense of creativity into me."

Effie smiled. "Are there any other things you do with your creativity?"

"I thought you might ask that. There are many things I love using it for. Sewing brightly coloured clothing somewhat like the ones here, weaving my family's hair and my own into the most unique styles…it was even I who built Aunt Oonette's queen crown!"

"Amazing!"

"Beautifully amazing." Objectiva then sniffled and whispered, "And do not tell Wish-Trish, but…there was another thing I used my creativity for as well. When Starpoint passed away because of…the spell she was placed under…I um…I transferred her powers into the dagger that harmed her. It was still stuck in Starpoint's chest when Wish-Trish flew her to safety, and I didn't want the poor dear to completely fade away."

Effie gasped. "Are you saying that it wasn't a spell she underwent? What really happened was…she was stabbed?"

Objectiva wiped a tear from her eye as she nodded. "We only said it was a spell because Matt, Yuri, and Lili were with us. We didn't want to frighten them, but…yes. The truth is, the girl from the district my cousins went to stabbed her. Wish-Trish wasn't quick enough to save Starpoint's life, but she did manage to fly her home before her assailant could retrieve her weapon. Seconds before she died…while Wish-Trish comforted her…I secretly transferred Starpoint's magic into the dagger so that, in a way, she would still be with us. Then after her funeral, I snuck the dagger into an island near Panem, where it was eventually placed into a museum because it now has the power to make whoever gets injured by it swap places with the dagger's wielder. They do not even have to wish for it to happen…it simply does when they do not expect it."

There was a moment of silence, and after a few minutes, Effie started to genuinely apologize for Objectiva's loss. Yet before she could utter a word, the building door swung open, and Bongo quickly bounced out, with Golias right behind him. Bongo was carrying something in his hands, but because he was holding the object against his chest, they couldn't see what it was.

Golias, who now sounded a lot better than he had a few minutes ago, used his tail to close the door, moaning, "I'm sorry, I still can't believe I did that…"

"Did what?" Effie asked. "What happened in there?"

Bongo shuddered. "While the woman who let us in was busy watching the Hunger Games, Wish-Trish looked around the building for Nessa, and then she found out some really bad news! She flew back to me to tell me the news, and then Golias opened the door kind of hard. It um…slammed against the wall…while she was in front of it…"

Objectiva gasped in horror. "You squashed my last remaining cousin?!"

"It was an accident," Golias whimpered. "And thankfully, she uh…wasn't squished too hard. But she was squished…hard enough to get sick…"

Bongo shakily held out his hands, revealing an unconscious Wish-Trish lying in them. She was thankfully still breathing, and her head hadn't been squished at all, but the rest of her body had been. As a result, her breathing sounded weak and painful, and her stomach looked insanely flat. She needed medical attention—NOW. But could they provide some for her without risking her and Objectiva being captured by the Peacekeepers?

Oh dear. Will Effie, Objectiva, Bongo, and Golias manage to locate Nessa and find a safe way to revive Wish-Trish before it's too late? And what about those who are in the arena? Hopefully we'll find out in the next upcoming chapter.