Cactus' interview: I know it's going to be me. Everyone's mad I didn't do the challenge. I was honestly going to ask to be voted out, but Leo said he'd disown me if I didn't win. I have no idea who to vote for.

Cactus' interview, edited: I know it's going to be me. Everyone's mad I didn't do the challenge. Leo said he'd disown me if I didn't win.

Lana's interview, unedited: I think I'm going home because a lot of the others have friends and don't really.

Val Vella- District Two male (18)

"M'lady's steak."

I placed the choice portion of meat in front of Kallik as the others watched on. Shep had slaved over it, seasoning it and turning it so it came out the exact right shade of medium rare. It was the least we could do for the queen who licked the rotten fish for us. For Kallik, the best portion of steak, and the potatoes and vegetables precisely arranged by Trydan. Today, she ate like a Capitolite.

The party that night was like none Huldra had ever seen. You would think steak was intoxicating with how crazy we got. There was a spirited game of spin-the-bottle with an olive oil bottle and not trying to brag, but I was pretty sure Trydan was happy to get me. Leo insisted he'd landed on Wood Isabella and showed her a good time. Even Yarrow joined in. She said maybe she wasn't interested in an actual romance, but she could see how a kiss felt, you know? She didn't think much of it. Taylor took the unenthusiastic review like a champ. If we all didn't know there were cameras everywhere, there definitely would have been a hookup of some combination. Oh, well. I could wait a few more weeks.

Alara Dory Banks- District Four female (17)

There was something gnawingly guilty-feeling about going to tribal council knowing exactly who was going home and that you were part of the reason why. What was even worse was that we all liked the person we were voting for. Pretty much everyone on the tribe likes each other. Sure, Rowena could be a bit obnoxious or Octavia could be a bit snobby, but there was no one really awful on the tribe. Maybe we wouldn't all have been friends outside of this, but they were a good bunch to be stranded on an island with. No, we'd landed on who we landed on out of cold strategy. Then we spent the rest of the day listening to them say that we'd get our streak back next time, and wouldn't it be fun when the merge came? And we looked at each other and no one said that they wouldn't be there.

If it goes that way, I reminded myself. I wouldn't know until the votes were read whether or not people voted the way they said they would. It could be I was the one blithely walking to my doom.

"Good evening, Ellekoner," Isabella said as we took our seats. It was a bit chilly. The temperature hasn't fluctuated much since we got here. It might have been that our fake Denmark was in a spot that would stay stable for as long as the Games lasted, or maybe we were in a temperature-controlled dome like most arenas. We'd definitely noticed that the tribal council area had no mosquitoes, which led us to guess that the crew's cabins were nearby.

"Can't say we missed you," Enzo said. "Oh, wait. Not like that."

"Why, Enzo, I'm heartbroken." I could see why they'd chosen Isabella to be their host. Not only was she beautiful, but she had endless showmanship.

"So." Isabella spread her arms. "What happened?"

"Gonna take a guess we all agree it was the surstromming," Rowena said.

"Yeah, other than that, we did pretty well," Dorian said.

"Most of us." Rowena pointedly looked at no one.

"I knew I couldn't do it, okay?" It was weird to see Cactus so panicked.

"Pretty sure she meant me," Amberlynn said sheepishly. "Sorry. It was harder than it looked."

I can hardly talk, I thought. I'd taken the easy way out, too- another reason I wouldn't be surprised if it was me after all.

"In my defense, I think Leo can't smell," Persi said.

"If anyone would like to play an immunity idol, now is the time," Isabella said.

We voted one after another, sidling back to our seats. The air changed as the last bits of levity leached out of it. We hadn't thought about how socially intelligent our target was. It was as Cactus slid back into the bench that the truth came out.

"Oh," Amberlynn said.

Some of us glanced guiltily at her. Most of us looked away. We should have known she'd figure it out. Her entire job was reading a room's energy. I wondered if she'd read us earlier, would it have made a difference?

"Once the votes are read, the decision is final," Isabella said. She unfolded the first vote. "Alara."

I jumped in my seat. Oh my gosh, I really was right. I was the target all along.

"Amberlynn," Isabella said. "That's one vote Amberlynn, one vote Alara."

"Amberlynn. Amberlynn. Amberlynn."

She paused on the next vote. "The eighth person eliminated from Survivor is Amberlynn."

Amberlynn walked quietly to her torch, looking down. I felt sick watching her. Probably we all did. We knew someday it would be us walking while the others watched safely from their chairs.

"I'm sorry I didn't eat it," she said quietly, then held her torch up to be snuffed.

Amberlynn's exit interview: I can't be too mad. I did try to eat it but that's that. I'm really sad, though. I was having so much fun. I guess this is goodbye for Sigrid Bonebreaker.

Eighth eliminated: Amberlynn Hyde

I see the strategy here. Amberlynn was a social player and they often go far. Also I suspect she might not have been in any submitter alliances, since her submitter has been quiet (y'all are seriously doing me huge favors repeatedly targeting nearly-absent submitters so I don't have to make excuses). I'm sad to see Amberlynn go since I liked her. She had such a fun energy and I liked how it seemed in character for her to embrace island life and go feral. But such is the Games. Till Valhalla, Sigrid.

Voting note: not every vote came in but there were enough and all Amberlynn's were real. Only two were missing- Amberlynn's and one submitter I know is here and must have just been busy the last few days, so that's great going forward