Oh dear; so much suspense! What will happen now that Nessa and her team's true intentions have been revealed to the public? And what happened to Wish-Trish? Is she really…gone? Once again, it's time to see for ourselves.

Grief And Emotions

"I really hurt her that much?" Golias squeaked.

Objectiva, who'd just explained what had happened in the hospital (well, more or less; she'd slightly changed a certain detail, and only Effie knew the truth behind it), nodded with a sniffle. "Yes. The medics told me so. That they tried everything in their power, but it was no use. The booboo she received from when you accidentally squashed her earlier was so serious…she's…trapped in a deep sleep…that nobody…not even us…can wake her from…a sleep that will last…forever…"

Effie could feel herself getting emotional too. Objectiva was just using more peaceful words to describe the fact that her cousin had apparently died—it was as clear as the crystals in the Training Centre's penthouse chandeliers. The escort had only known Wish-Trish for about 24 hours, and yet she still couldn't help but feel awful that they'd lost her. Not simply because they'd needed her to undo the body swap either; she had been incredibly nice to all of them, had the wisdom to have Matt, Yuri, and Lili stay behind while they went to Panem, helped rescue her, Golias, and Bongo from that plane, and helped Objectiva bring over the disguises they needed. Even if they'd turned out to be inadvertently stolen from Tigris, the action was still greatly appreciated. Wish-Trish…she didn't deserve this. She really didn't deserve this!

"I'm so sorry, Objectiva," wailed Golias, who was now shedding as much tears as the golden-haired fairy. "I never meant to hurt her! I didn't know she was even there when I…you know, when I…"

"Enough already," begged Bongo. He was getting teary-eyed himself because all three of his companions were crying, which was creating a chain reaction aimed directly at him. That, plus he was sad about the loss of their friend too.

The citizens of District 1 were out and about again by now, but none of the four were aware of their presence. They were too wrapped up in their sadness, whether or not they knew Wish-Trish had undergone more than just a deep booboo-induced sleep. Which was still quite a sight—especially for a particular blonde man a few paces behind them, who had a sharp business suit and facial features that bore a striking resemblance to Glimmer's. Once he saw what was happening before him and heard Golias say he never meant to hurt her, he found himself saying to himself out loud, "Maybe encouraging my daughter to volunteer was a mistake."

"You're telling me," said a black-haired woman standing next to him. "My son volunteered last year as a birthday present for me, since my birthday happens to be on the same day as the annual reaping. And you know what happened? He was the first one killed off in the Cornucopia. Not that he wasn't strong, he was actually quite a fan favourite, but still...was volunteering really worth it?"

"It is if you stand a strong chance of winning, which everyone here dreams of doing until they're too old to be reaped," replied Glimmer's father. He sighed. "But at the same time, you have to keep your fingers crossed that the small possibility that your tribute will get killed won't come true. And there are times when it does…"

"Makes you wonder if you really loved your stepsister enough," chimed a teenage boy with dark scarlet hair. "Mine got reaped a few years ago, and I didn't show any fear that she wouldn't come back home, or anything like that. Me and the rest of her family just really thought she'd win…but in the end, total humiliation. I'll bet she regrets leaving that fake weakling from 7 alone earlier in the Games when she could have slain her, wherever her spirit is now. Talk about turning tables."

It wasn't until she heard the indirect mention of 71st Hunger Games victor Johanna Mason that Effie realized she and her team were being watched. Thankfully it wasn't by any Peacekeepers, and the District 1 civilians were surprisingly quiet. They had all the time they needed to let the realization sink in, but it still clicked as if it was urgently needed: they had to continue their quest. Nessa could be attacked by any of the present tributes at any second, and Wish-Trish would have wanted them to keep going so she could be rescued. There was just one problem: how were they ever going to get her out of the arena without raising any suspicions that they were trying to get the original tributes out as well? Especially if the Capitol was bound to hear about them in a negative fashion from the Peacekeepers of District 1…

Bongo must have somehow sensed what she was thinking, because as these thoughts were travelling through her mind, he sniffled and murmured, "I really hope the same thing doesn't happen to Nessa in the arena…"

"Yeah, me too," whimpered Golias. "Starpoint…Wish-Trish…we can't let anything else that's bad happen!"

Objectiva clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, not seeming to notice the fresh stream of tears leaving them. "Wish-Trish…my dearest, darling, truly beloved cousin…I am ever so sorry for what happened to you. It was thankfully an accident, and mark my words, you will forever be treasured within our hearts. You were such a sweet, caring, joyful, soul. You did not deserve this…nor did you deserve to watch what happened to Starpoint…and…and I will miss you forever, for always, and for all of eternity. Now…this is very very difficult to say…but…I want to spend many more hours…days, to be precise…mourning for you…yet I cannot. I would…and I could…but Nessa still needs us. I mustn't let her join you, wherever you have gone…and I know you would agree with me. So…I am afraid I have to bid you a temporary farewell. I will reclasp my hands in prayer as soon as I can…I promise…so…for now, well…best wishes."

"Best wishes," Golias chorused, before letting himself droop to the ground and assume a sad, depressed energy. The kind that, until now, he'd only ever adopted when Yuri unintentionally and unknowingly excluded him from a fun game. Or when Yuri did his best not to show much negative emotions around his friends, which, despite the fact that he had other friends as well, made the elephant feel like he couldn't be his goofy and comforting self anymore. A sentiment that made him get as tearful as he was now that he'd heard Objectiva's heartbreaking news.

Effie nodded soundlessly, and Bongo pulled a handkerchief out of his pouch, using it to (quite loudly, Effie couldn't help noticing despite the situation) blow his nose). Objectiva then let her fingers slip out of each other's grasp, and for two full minutes, the four of them stood (or levitated) there in silence. The presence of the District 1 civilians nearby was once again completely forgotten, as were any fears that something would go wrong if they stayed in public, visible as everyone who lived in the district. All they could think about was Wish-Trish, how sorry they were about losing her, and the fact that they'd have to persevere without her for Nessa's sake. It was a hard moment for them—especially Objectiva and Golias, who had known the purple-haired fairy much longer than Bongo and Effie and therefore were impacted by her perishing more than they were.

It felt as though an hour had passed before Objectiva finally said, "Alright…since we have two tasks to complete…both preferably as soon as possible…we will have to split into two groups. Golias, Effie, you go to the Capitol and see what you can do to help Nessa. Bongo, you and I will travel to the island and locate the two green amulets there. We will meet up at the closest location in Panem to the island: the beaches of District 4."

"Do we need our invisible disguises?" Bongo asked.

Effie shook her head. "Now that we've been exposed to the public, along with most of our abilities, it'll only be a matter of time before the Capitol learns about our presence. President Snow will likely have all the authorities in Panem involved in thinking up a strategy to capture us…which means camouflaging ourselves is now pointless."

"Just promise you won't go anywhere without me," advised Golias.

"Oh, I promise. After all that, why would I ever do the opposite?"

Golias and Bongo each managed a small chuckle, before the latter turned and bounced back toward the District 1 train station, Objectiva flying after him. Before the duo disappeared from view, the fairy said, "Be careful, my friends."

"We will," Golias and Effie replied in unison. They then stared at each other in surprise, and while he laughed a little, she quickly continued, "I, I mean…we'll do our best."

"Yeah, we'll do our best," said Golias. He and Effie then walked forward together, with the District 1 citizens unable to take their eyes off of them, or their thoughts off of the guilt they had made them feel.

But five minutes after Effie and her team had left, something happened that they wouldn't have wanted to miss. And that something was a male black-haired doctor from the district's hospital poking his head out through the front doors, glancing here and there. He then smiled in satisfaction, turned around, and called, "Okay Nurse Emeralda! The fairy and her magic animal friends are gone! Let's get to the emergency coach."

"Righty-o, Spritz!"

There was a white and red carriage pulled by a brown horse parked behind the hospital. The doctor named Spritz left the building and went there after Nurse Emeralda gave her reply, and as he stroked the horse's mane, he heard the hospital's back doors open. Emeralda, a young woman nurse with bright green eyes and flowing saffron hair, stepped out through them, carrying something behind her back.

Spritz smiled upon seeing her. "Nice work with the fake tears. Where did you learn to do that? It was as brilliant as my mother's precious moonstone!"

"I used to take acting lessons back when I was eligible to be reaped," said Emeralda. "But I was only reaped once, and someone volunteered to take my place that year. So I saved my lessons for another time I'd desperately need them…and lo and behold, the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go to the Capitol and get famous for reasons that have nothing to do with the Hunger Games comes along!"

"Indeed," chuckled Spritz. "I know doctors are never supposed to lie to their patients' loved ones about their wellbeing, but who would skip out on an opportunity to get rich…just for supposedly capturing something you don't see every day?"

Emeralda laughed in agreement, and then gave the item she'd been holding behind her back to Spritz. As she did, the item came into sight, revealing it to be a transparent pill jar with its lid taped onto it. However, it didn't contain pills. It contained Wish-Trish, who had a piece of tape over her mouth, a rope tied around her wings, and hadn't died at all. The medics had been able to heal her, and the only thing wrong with her now was that she'd have to take it easy on herself for a while so her health would be guaranteed to stay strong.

Nobody dared speak after Nessa, due to making the one mistake nobody had imagined she would make, ran off in guilt and sadness. What could they do after what just happened, now that the entire country knew about their formerly-secret plan?

There was a tense energy amongst the tributes allied with her. Nobody said or did anything for half a minute, nervous about how each other and the Game Makers would react if they acted. That is, until Peeta finally broke the silence by saying, "Let's…let's just get back to the ditch. We already made it so far—"

"No," Foxface interrupted. "We cannot. The Game Makers are probably creating a trap for us as we speak. They are always too prepared. We should have known better!"

"Well, Nessa didn't," stated Sonia, "and even with us by her side, there's no way she could have. She's too new to all this. But you know something? Peeta's got a point. We already made it this far, so why should we stop now?"

"Because our loved ones might get killed if we do it."

Everyone stiffened. That comment, which had come from Katniss in a murmur so quiet that they almost didn't hear it, was one thing most of them hadn't considered, and now wished they had. It didn't mean all that much to Foxface because she didn't have any loved ones, but she could tell by everyone's reactions to Katniss's reasoning that none of her companions had that in common with her. Everyone suddenly looked nervous and sorrowful at the same time. Peeta, Sonia, Geolo, Rue…even Thresh's serious expression seemed to have softened a bit. They all had families they wanted to protect—including Katniss, who was in here to begin with because she'd wanted to protect her little sister after her name was drawn from District 12's reaping basket. It wasn't a surprise that the comment about their loved ones had come from her. Her bold, fiery side was ignited by love for her family, and it had made her into a fan favourite. Until now, since everyone in Panem was now aware she was involved in an escape plan…

"You know what?" Sonia whispered, so the cameras wouldn't hear her. "Maybe we should make some pit stops on the way. Escape this place, get our loved ones onboard, and then go to Nessa's hometown. Then we won't have to worry about anything bad happening to them."

"What?" Geolo asked, startled. "But…but…I mean, I appreciate you saying that, out of respect for my mother. But what if we can't—"

Sonia gasped. "Your mother's all you've got?!"

"Well," Geolo hesitated, "um…sadly, yes. Dad got electrocuted during the construction of a computer prototype long before I was born, so…but don't worry. Mom's always been there for me, and…and…" He sighed and fell to his knees. "She knew I was going to die right from the start!" he wailed. "After I was reaped, she told me it was all going to be okay and that she had faith in me, but I saw her tears! Anyone could see them! She knew she was going to lose me and she didn't want me to know too, but it was obvious! It was always obvious…"

"At least you know your mother loves you," Peeta mumbled, his voice carrying sadness of its own. Though it wasn't nearly as overwhelming as Geolo's, since his sadness was now bringing him to tears.

Rue bent down and put her arm around Geolo's shoulder. "She won't have to lose you, okay?" she gently said. "And you won't have to lose her. You can still survive together…but for that to work, we'll need the hovercraft. Which means we need you."

"I can't go through with this, Rue. I was never meant to survive here. We could die trying to escape, and if we don't die, all of our mothers could pay the price instead."

"Not mine," Thresh put in. "Already gone."

"You know what I mean," Geolo insisted. "Something'll go wrong no matter what."

"Not if you calm down and just believe in yourself," said Sonia.

Geolo stopped crying, but his fear remained present. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, swallowed again, and then turned to Katniss, asking, "What…what do you think?"

"Do you want the truth?"

Geolo winced. "Maybe not…but just say it."

After a moment's hesitation, Katniss whispered, "Honestly…I think everyone needs to see how much talent you really have. And if it'll benefit Prim, which it could, then I agree with these two girls. If you keep up this lack of self confidence, the Game Makers will use that to their advantage and remove you from the Games first."

"Or second," said Foxface, gesturing to her bandaged leg.

Sonia knelt to the ground and looked Geolo in the eyes. "Not to put pressure on you Geo, but in a lot of ways, this is your time to shine. By the way, here's another piece of the truth: I had faith in you right from the start."

This surprised him. "Y…you…you did?"

"Yeah. Avoiding as much bloodbath seconds as you can is a pretty good strategy, and it isn't something Tally did. I saw the whole thing after I ran and hid behind a tree for a few seconds! You fled, and she stayed! And then she got killed! No offence to her though. She did put up one persistent fight before that happened…but the point is, avoiding the conflict was a smart move, and you used it. And you still don't think you can make it out of here alive?"

Before Geolo could say anything to point out his confidence crisis, Rue said, "Sonia's right. Everyone from District 3 has intelligence, but not all of them have the wisdom it takes to choose fleeing over fighting. They're both smart choices in their own ways, but fighting has too many risks. If I had to count someone out, it wouldn't be you."

Peeta agreed. "You're not really the weakest link to me either."

"No one has ever thought to reuse the land mines before," added Foxface. Katniss simply nodded, but Geolo detected a sincerity in her agreement despite her reserved side. As for Thresh, he also didn't say anything, but when he stole a secret glance at Rue, his thoughts were made clear: he was trusting him with all of their lives, and their families', and at this point, he would literally smack him out of his lack of self-esteem if he had to.

Taking another deep breath, Geolo got to his feet. "If…if you really…think so. And it is true that we won't know what'll happen for sure unless we try…so let's do it. Uh…to the ditch?"

"To the ditch," affirmed Rue, smiling.

Since Nessa wasn't with them (they assumed she had gone to the ditch already to calm herself), Thresh reluctantly went over to scoop up Foxface in her place. Yet once he came near her, she startled him and everyone else by holding up a hand and shaking her head.

"Wait, what?" Geolo asked.

"You all go," said Foxface. "I want to stay behind."

Thresh stared at her for a moment, but soon stepped away from her to signal he would obey her request. He was about to lead everyone back to the ditch, when Sonia turned and asked, "Wait, stay behind in case Nessa comes back to look for us here, or…?"

Foxface stared at the ground in dejection. "If Nessa does return, I will tell her where you are. But if you really want to persevere with the escape plan, it'll have a better chance at succeeding if I do not go with you."

"Really?" Katniss questioned, everyone else obviously just as surprised as she was.

"You guys go ahead," Sonia quickly said. "I'll catch up…that I know for sure."

Although none of them seemed too reassured, Geolo, Rue, Thresh, Katniss, and Peeta went with the girl's instructions and headed for the ditch without their remaining two teammates. As they walked away, Sonia bent down and whispered, "Foxface, you don't have to sacrifice yourself just because of your leg. We can help you too—"

"No," insisted Foxface. "I have no loved ones back home anyway. Not like you all do."

Sonia jumped upon hearing that information. No loved ones? Not even a not-exactly-close-but-still-friendly-enough kind of friend? Not even a single relative, at least not a caring one? And the tribute sitting in front of her was what, fifteen years old? This was news to her…and all at once, she began to find herself regretting seeing Foxface as a superficial person. Maybe she had gone through some horrible things before being reaped—things that involved people who actually were superficial.

The surprise about the revelation was visible in Sonia's expression, and she could feel it. She was suddenly at a loss for words, not sure whether to apologize for not considering what she'd just found out sooner or something, or whether to just keep persuading her not to exclude herself from the escape plan. Then she saw her companion's expression, which showed that she regretted revealing such a personal detail. Ooh boy; clearly this wasn't going to end well.

Sonia stammered a little, trying to think of the right thing to say, but Foxface spoke first. "Just leave."

"But—"

"I mean it, Sonia. Please, leave me alone…"

Foxface quickly turned away from her, but Sonia already knew it because of the way her voice had begun to tremble. The most distrustful tribute in the 74th Hunger Games was about to cry, exactly like Geolo had only seconds ago. But this wasn't the kind of emotional moment that could be consoled by someone else; she could tell. So, with no other choice, Sonia stood up and set out to find the rest of her allies. As she did, the sad energy within the moment increased, and she found herself thinking the last thought she ever imagined she'd think, especially after a conversation with Foxface: I really am such an idiot…

Sonia hadn't even disappeared from earshot before Foxface's tears began trickling down her cheeks. She could never get away from mental pain—no matter how hard she tried to avoid it, whether it was by staying hopeful or staying the opposite—it simply always found its way back to her! And this time it just had to happen in a Hunger Games arena, with physical pain to endure as well…why had she let herself feel hopeful again?!

Because you are jinxed, Foxface told herself, not daring to hide her tears from any cameras and make herself look more vulnerable. No matter what you do, you are always destined to suffer again. Usually by betrayal. This time Nessa betrayed you, and it wasn't even intentional! At least it hadn't looked intentional…well, maybe it was. Maybe the sole reason why she was here was just to make her suffer one more time. Anyone could manage a fake whimper. Then again, why was a feeling deep down telling her that Nessa hadn't meant to hurt her in any way?

It didn't matter. Either way, Foxface knew she was never going to live the life Nessa was apparently used to. Whether she won the Games or not, whether she'd even been reaped or not, it would be hopeless. Perhaps she should have gone straight for a nightlock bush once the bloodbath died down—that was the one way to die and escape it all that didn't provide any pain, which was what had made her fear death so much. Like she'd said out loud right after her team's leader's departure; she should have known better.

Foxface gazed down at her leg bandage, and her tears seemed to increase as she considered what her injury looked like now. Her crying was just about to evolve into audible sobs, when the sound of someone else crying interrupted her. Then she heard that someone sitting down next to her, and a familiar voice whispering, "I'm sorry, Foxface…"

It was Nessa. She was also crying, which to Foxface's knowledge, was something nobody in Panem besides the 8-and/or-below-year-old version of herself had ever done before. It was impossible to cry as much as her first reluctant ally currently was on command, so that could only mean her apology was genuine. Wait, that couldn't be right…could it? Foxface had only ever received the opposite of genuine care; she had to be dreaming. Or hallucinating.

She mustered the courage to look at the woman, and immediately felt a tinge within her chest. It wasn't one bit fake—Nessa looked truly sorrowful, not even noticing that her tears were washing away her makeup, which she had obviously worked really hard in applying. And when one of her lipstick-blotched tears randomly landed on Foxface's hand, that confirmed what she was seeing and hearing was no dream or hallucination.

Foxface's heart melted. Nessa truly cared about her wellbeing, which was the one thing she'd always wanted from someone but never received. And now that she—the unloved Finch McLight—was here, finally receiving what she'd always longed for…well, it was enough to make her sobs louder, stronger, and more uncontrollable than ever before. It would have happened either way, even if Sonia hadn't provoked them first, but it was happening. She was weeping a lot more than Nessa, and for the first time in her life, she wondered if her tears were stimulated from happiness rather than sadness and pain.

It was finally happening. It was truly, really, honestly finally happening. Genuinely sincere unconditional love. It was unbelievable! Though it was real, and the knowledge of it was enough to, once she was finished shedding tears three minutes later, make her say with genuine honesty of her own, "It is alright, Nessa…I forgive you."

"Really?" Nessa asked, surprised. "But I ruined our plan! And look at you! You're crying! And you didn't want to be my friend right from the start…you must be so mad."

Foxface nodded. "You are correct. And I would have been mad…but you didn't mean to expose our true intentions. And honestly…this is the first time I have ever been betrayed by accident, rather than on purpose."

"The…first time you've…" Nessa's eyes widened. "Oh, no wonder you didn't want any of us to be your friends. You were scared we would hurt your feelings on purpose…"

"That…yes, that…that is true," admitted Foxface, still trying to process the fact that there really was someone who genuinely cared about her. She'd lived her life in distrust for years, and this wasn't a feeling she was used to.

Sniffling, Nessa said, "Listen…I don't know if you believe me or not, but I would never try to hurt anyone's feelings on purpose. Not even if they hurt mine, by accident or on purpose. That's not what a friend does…and I wanna be your friend, even if you don't want to be mine. I wanna help you get out of the arena so you can be happy. So all the tributes who don't want to be here can be happy. To me, you're all more than just allies."

"But that is just the thing," Foxface said, more tears leaving her eyes. "The truth is, I do want to leave the arena. I do want a better life…but the Game Makers, the people in charge of controlling the arena, also have the power to prevent sponsors from dropping off tribute gifts. Now that my pain is the only thing keeping the Games dramatic, and especially now that they know of the escape plan, there is nothing you or anyone can do for me. Whether you bring me along or not, you will still lose me. And even so, the Game Makers are probably discussing plans to eliminate us all, now that they know the truth. They will start with me, because I am most vulnerable. You, Geolo, and Sonia will be next, then Rue and Peeta, then Katniss, and if they are lucky, Thresh. Then Glimmer and Marvel will be the only tributes left, which will force them to fight each other until one of them gets eliminated next."

Nessa gasped in horror. "No, I'm not letting that happen! All of us can—"

"Not all of us. With your help, I might be able to stay in the Games long enough for our allies to stay safe altogether…but we must face it. My booboo has me hopelessly trapped. But do not apologize for making me receive it, because if I hadn't, I never would've found out that…that you are the most honest, passionate, caring, and kind person I have ever met in my entire life…" Foxface broke down again after finishing that sentence, and in embarrassment but mostly sadness, she turned away and covered her face with her hands.

She felt Nessa gently place her own hand on her shoulder, but she batted it away. Only for her ally to ask, "Maybe just one teensy-eensy-weensy hug?"

Foxface sighed and, grimacing in physical pain, scooted closer to Nessa and allowed her to hug her. She did, and despite the awkwardness she felt in the embrace, the tribute from 5 still allowed herself to feel the warmth and love provided to her, which did little to decrease her grief. But she barely had time to wallow in her thoughts before Nessa said, "Foxface, I know you're still hurt, and I know the Game Makers probably don't want you to get better…but no matter what happens, I promise…I will get you out of here too. You deserve to leave the arena more than anyone. I know that now, and I will find a way to save you. You might not think it'll work, but it will. It just has to…"

There was no point in disagreeing with Nessa. She was far too optimistic—a quality that the Game Makers undoubtedly would have a hard time forgetting. Maybe they would lure her into a trap and then Foxface…who knew?

They stayed huddled together under that tree for at least twenty minutes, not saying a word since Nessa's promise. Thinking of nothing but the future, and their hopes that everything really would be okay. But Foxface didn't think it would get any better for them. She was done for no matter what, and if something happened to Nessa too, that would only make things harder for her. Maybe the Game Makers really were planning to target her first…

Both of them had finished crying 60 seconds ago when they heard a strange noise from nearby. It was too far for them to see what or where it was, but one thing was for sure: the source of the sound was coming closer and closer to them. That, and the noise sounded like an animal of some kind growling…

Fear shot up Foxface's spine, and she whispered, "Um, Nessa…do not get too scared, but…I think the Game Makers' plan is about to place itself into action."

"What do you mean? How?" Nessa inquired, already sounding worried.

The growling sounds were now just a few feet away. Foxface only had time to say one thing: "RUN!"

Without another word, Nessa picked up her ally and obeyed her command. They had only taken nine swift steps forward before the source of the sound came into Foxface's vision—a sight that made her scream. Fourteen wolves, or dogs, or ogres…whatever those animals were…were dashing forward in a large, angry herd. A herd that looked downright merciless, and that was heading straight for them.

Nessa glanced behind them and screamed. "What are those?!"

"Mutts," answered Foxface. "Animals created or edited by the people of the Capitol. There is only ever one thing on their minds: eat up their opponents and not even stop there. We cannot let them catch us!"

"We have to hide!" Nessa yelled.

"Not hide. Climb. Those things have the legs of the most dangerous and strong dogs, which means we will only be safe at the very top of a tall area. Dogs can't climb, but they can leap. So we must find a place that is really really tall. Which, in this arena, can only be the Cornucopia."

"Why can't we just climb a tree?"

"The branches can support Rue and maybe Sonia and Geolo, but not us. They can only tolerate a certain amount of weight before breaking, and sending whoever is in it tumbling toward the mutts. Mark my words, we are too heavy for the trees."

"Okay. I-I'll see if I can find the Cornucopia then. Until I do…just hold…on…!"

As Nessa kept running, searching feverishly for the Cornucopia, Foxface suddenly realized that she hadn't heard any cannons. Glimmer had been lying there, more vulnerable than herself and her ally, and the mutts had completely ignored her! Yes—there was certainly no doubt about it now. The Game Makers wanted to put a stop to the uprising in the arena, and Nessa and Foxface were first on their kill list. These mutts had been specifically placed here for them and would not leave until they were both finished off. Maybe it would mean losing a few viewers because the mutts clearly weren't attacking aimlessly, but that didn't matter anymore.

What mattered was that the arena rebellion's two strongest instigators were removed from the picture, and quickly.

OH MAN! Will the team of tributes—particularly Foxface and Nessa—be able to survive the Game Makers' wrath? Find out in the next chapter, once it comes out. Until then, I wish you all well, and I'll see you soon.