The Fourth Hunger Games Chapter 10: Moon

“The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.” - Carl Sandburg

“I think we should split up,” Tiara announced bright and early that morning.

Tifanee appeared unsurprised, but the two male careers stared at her in shock.

“You can't be serious,” Troy growled. “And end the careers for good?”

Tiara shrugged. “I think it's for the best. Either way, I'm out of here as soon as I finish my breakfast.”

“And what exactly are you going to do?” Huntur questioned with a glare. “We're stronger together.”

“We're strong apart too, or at least we are.” She spoke to Troy and Huntur while throwing a pointed look at Tifanee.

“Fine. I'll leave the alliance,” Troy said. “It'd be fun to get some killing done on my own.”

“Whatever,” Tifanee shrugged. “I can survive either way.”

She ignored the others' amused looks of disbelief.

XX

Troy didn't like being alone. He had no trouble admitting that he enjoyed having people around to show off in front of, and an audience that he couldn't see wasn't cutting it. For that reason alone he wanted to form a new alliance. Having pathetic people to intimidate was almost as fun as the killing.

For that reason, Troy didn't kill Alissah, Demetrius, and Ezra when he discovered them. Sure, he could have easily enough, but why do that when he could have fun with them in a different way? The killing could always come later.

“You three seem to be doing well,” Troy smirked as he swaggered up to them.

All three of them had taken defensive positions.

“What do you want?” Demetrius growled.

“Don't get too defensive,” Troy chuckled. “I'm not going to hurt you guys. I just want to join your alliance.”

The three other tributes shot each other skeptical looks.

“Why should we trust you?” Ezra questioned. "You're a career.”

“I am,” Troy acknowledged. “But that alliance is broken, and I was getting lonely. I thought you guys might be up for one more. I have some pretty valuable skills after all.”

Demetrius looked back at Alissah and Ezra before turning back to Troy. “Fine. You can join, but you're not standing guard at night. One of us will do it.”

Troy shrugged. “More sleep for me then.”

XX

With the addition of Jocelin and Fayth, their alliance was getting crowded. Coale and Etin had seemed hesitant about them at first, but had finally fully embraced them into the group. Mina, however, wasn't feeling so accepting. She didn't appreciate being with the crazy girl, and she wasn't going to stick around with her much longer.

Knowing there was no need to change something that worked, she decided to slip off in the night just as she had with the careers. She'd be long gone before they awoke, and Mina would be free of the burden of caring for Fayth the Crazy. They could all get themselves killed if they wanted, but she wasn't going to suffer that fate because of someone else's weakness.

XX

Jocelin stirred as she heard a rustling in the dark. Her senses having been fine tuned in the past several days, her hand immediately went for the knife resting near her head before she bolted up into a sitting position. Scanning the area quickly, Jocelin sensed no harm, but she quickly noticed Mina's absence. No one was up keeping watch, and Jocelin wondered if Mina had wandered off because she sensed something or if she had decided she'd had enough of this alliance. Probably the former. Mina hadn't taken too kindly to Fayth, and Jocelin couldn't blame her.

Even though she understood, Jocelin also felt a surge of anger at the other girl. It wasn't Fayth's fault that she had the attacks. She didn't deserve this more than any of the others, except perhaps the careers who deserved it all.

Jocelin listened closely to the fading footsteps and rustling of leaves that she could just barely hear in the distance. It was a chance. Mina had freely left the alliance, which made her a free target, and Jocelin was feeling a bit bitter at the moment. She spared a quick glance at the three peacefully sleeping forms. They would be safe while she was gone. She was sure of it. They'd hidden their location well. Jocelin would get Mina. Her first kill. She had faith that Coale and Etin would protect Fayth or at least have the decency to formally break off the alliance. If they didn't, they'd have an angry Jocelin to deal with too.

XX

Chloe cowered in fear as the three tributes loomed over her.

“Please don't hurt me!” she gasped. “Please!”

Coale looked back at Etin as he held the knife above the young girl.

“I'll make you a deal,” Coale spoke in a low voice. “We just lost two members of our alliance. I'll let you live if you'll join us. We could use help handling her.” He pointed at the crazy girl Fayth over his shoulder.

“Why haven't you killed her?” Chloe's confusion briefly made her forget her fear.

“It's a bit hard when she's so innocent,” he muttered as he stood and stored his knife away. All hatred seemed forgotten as he extended a hand to Chloe to help her to her feet. She took it lightly, while keeping a close eye on the girl that now fascinated her.

XX

“What are you doing with them?” Mina questioned Troy sharply.

Mina had come across Alissah, who had been hunting, just moments ago. Alissah had asked Mina to join their alliance as she believed Mina's smarts would be valuable. It all seemed incredibly similar to when she had joined the careers, but it was better than being with Crazy, so Mina went with it. Then, she discovered Troy.

“So, let me get this straight,” Mina said. “The careers break up for good, but then two of you wind up in the same alliance again?”

“That would be correct,” Alissah smirked. “She's joining by the way.” It was thrown out casually, as if she didn't expect any protests from the other tributes.

Demetrius watched her closely before shrugging. “Okay. She has valuable skills that none of the rest of us do. This could be a good thing.”

Mina sure hoped it was.

XX

Mina had only been with them for an hour or so when they happened upon Kahner's hideout.

“Don't come any closer,” Kahner called out towards them with knife in hand. “The place is rigged.”

“Rigged?” Demetrius questioned as he scanned the area.

“I took the mines from the cornucopia and set them up around this place. Step on one and it'll blow.”

Demetrius nodded. “Nice one. I doubt anyone else would have thought of that.”

Mina cocked her head to the side. “How did you even know how to work them? Not much use for mines in District Six, and even I would have had to inspect one to figure out how to work it.”

“I have my ways,” he smirked.

“He should join us,” Alissah whispered to the others. “We can't get to him like this anyway. He's surrounded himself, and he suspects us. The best we can hope for his to have him on our side. We can use this place as a base.”

“How do we know he won't misdirect us and make us all step on mines?” Ezra asked.

Alissah shrugged, “We don't.”

Demetrius considered for a moment before calling out. “Will you form an alliance with us, Kahner?”

Kahner smirked. “I guess so. I'm running a bit low on supplies, and you seem fixed in that regard.” He nodded towards the bags they all carried.

XX

Tiara watched the group closely with a smirk playing across her lips. Somehow, they'd picked up the crazy girl. Tiara found it amusing, and she couldn't help but watch the show from afar. She'd perched herself up in a tree, a new trick she'd taken from Tifanee. She quite liked it up high where she could watch the other tributes without being detected.

Knowing she was out of reach from the spear they possessed, Tiara called down. “Hey, what are you guys up to down there?”

The four tributes looked up in shock.

“Tiara,” Coale growled.

Tiara smirked wider. “Coale. How would you guys feel about me joining you?”

“I don't think that's such a great idea,” Etin spoke up.

“Aw,” Tiara pretended offense. “Why not? As a career, I could provide you valuable skills.”

“You don't mind being in an alliance with me?” Skepticism filled Fayth's voice.

Tiara shrugged. “You're part of the appeal, honestly. You intrigue me.”

Fayth frowned. “I don't like this,” she muttered quietly to Etin.

“Neither do it, but she could be helpful,” he answered.

Coale sighed. “How do we know we can trust you?”

Tiara shrugged. “Trusting me is your own problem.”

Etin looked at the others before speaking. “She doesn't keep watch, and we keep a close eye on her.”

“Definitely,” Chloe agreed. “She could be helpful, but we can't afford to fully trust a career.”

“You can come down now,” Coale called.

Tiara smirked once more as she swung herself down through the branches.

XX

Kendrick watched the four closely. He found it interesting that Tiara, a career, had paired up with three other tributes. To be honest, he was tired of being in this arena alone with only his thoughts. It was haunting. And being with Tiara would help him get farther in the games. If she would pair up with the other three, he should be able to convince them that he should join. He hadn't had a decent training score, and he looked weak. But Kendrick knew how to use use his smarts, and he could convince them that was an advantage.

Tiara smirked as he appeared, but it didn't seem particularly threatening... yet. “Well, well, well,” she chuckled. “Kendrick Jobs. Are you here to fight?”

“Nope,” Kendrick replied as confident as possible. “I don't fancy dying today. I was wondering if I could join your little alliance. You could use someone with my brain.”

Tiara considered him. She didn't seem to pay the other three much mind, although Kendrick noticed a look of thinly disguised contempt being thrown at her from Coale. “I think we could find some use for you.”

XX

Gerald watched the group of tributes closely. He recognized Ezra immediately, as he'd had an alliance with the boy at the beginning of the games. He was surprised that Ezra had joined forces with not one but two tributes. Gerald also saw the District 3 tribute, who he knew to be Mina. Gerald hadn't been that fond of her. It would be fun to kill either her or the careers for his first kill of the games. Ezra he would let off the hook. He'd liked him well enough.

The problem would be killing one of the their own without being killed himself. He noticed that Kahner, another tribute Gerald hadn't been fond of, was slightly disconnected from the others. Kahner had been a moody boy during training, and that seemed to have stuck in the games, with him distancing himself from the others in his alliance.

Gerald knew he wouldn't have time to retrieve his arrow once he shot it. The others would react too quickly, and Gerald would be forced to run no matter what the outcome of his shot. He aimed with great concentration, determined to kill with just one arrow. He watched just long enough to see the arrow connect with Khaner's skull before running. A shout rang out just seconds before the cannon boomed, but no one followed Gerald as he fled.

XX

Ahnette had remained hidden in the woods the entirety of the games. She didn't trust enough to approach anyone about alliances, and she was surviving just fine on her own. No one had managed to catch her yet. Still, she figured the Capitol would be getting tired of her reclusive ways, and something bad could happen if she didn't act soon. She'd heard the commotion of Kahner's death and come running. It was a chance to witness, if not experience, a scuffle.

When she'd come upon the scene, she'd watched the hovercraft pull Kahner's body up through the sky and away from the bloody scene still covering the ground. The others in Kahner's alliance seemed slightly shaken, although whether it was from sadness or fear that it would happen to them too Ahnette wasn't sure. The only one who seemed calm was Alissah, who remained lounging in her previous position, apparently having not moved at all. She watched her companions with slight interest as they sorted through Kahner's supplies and talked about leaving soon to get away from the blood now covering the ground.

Ahnette had no weapons, as she had fled the cornucopia as soon as the cannon sounded, but she noticed a knife tucked away safely in a holster on Alissah's belt. Ahnette knew that getting to it would be tricky, especially with Alissah's companions just feet away, but the risk seemed worth it. Ahnette hated the careers and everything they stood for, which only made her more determined as she sneaked quietly forward.

The knife was in her grasp in what seemed like an instant and suddenly it was plunging into Alissah's back. It happened too quickly for Ahnette to really process it, but soon Alissah was writhing around in pain and Ahnette was fleeing just as Gerald had before her. No one pursued her as they ran to the aid of the second of their alliance to be attacked in just moments. The knife was gone, having been wrenched out by Ahnette as she fled, and it was abundantly clear that Alissah wouldn't survive. Another career was gone, and Troy did little to hide his satisfaction as he watched Alissah die.

XX

Tifanee was doing just fine on her own as she ambled along the forest floor. At the slightest hint of danger she would perch up in the trees. She'd attempted to travel through them instead, but that had proved more difficult than it had seemed. Unless she suddenly developed monkey-like skills, Tifanee was just fine walking on the ground.

Still, Tifanee would be lying if she didn't admit that she would rather be with people right now, even ones that might kill her. She was terrified being out here alone, and the slightest sounds made her scramble for the trees. Mockingjays, whose wonderful singing had thrilled her at home, now caused her to scramble under logs.

It was for that reason only that Tifanee was brave enough to approach the human-like sounds that she heard instead of running in fear. She kept to the trees. It was a longer journey but the safer option to the ground. The young girl groaned in frustration when she saw Tiara amongst the group. Of all the careers, Tiara's obnoxiousness frustrated Tifanee the most.

Tifanee did a scan of the area, and after seeing no visible long range weapons, was brave enough to call out, “Hey! Tiara!”

Tiara looked up before growling angrily. She calmed herself and smirked up at Tifanee before replying, “Still by yourself, I see.”

“Yeah,” Tifanee sounded much calmer than she felt. “That's what I wanted to ask about actually. How would you feel if I joined your alliance. We were in one together once before after all.”

Tiara's lips puckered. “I suppose.” She looked around at her companions, who all shrugged. Coale had long given up on leadership with Tiara's continued presence, and his shrug was accompanied with a scowl.

“Don't make me regret this, Munchkin,” Tiara shouted as Tifanee descended.

“Munchkin,” Tifanee chuckled. “That's a new one.”

XX

The alliance was getting crowded now. What had previously just been her, Coale, and Etin was now four extra tributes. None of them appreciated Fayth's presence, she was sure of it. Even the small and young Tifanee was of more value to the group. Fayth yearned for Jocelin's presence. Jocelin who had seemed to genuinely care and then had disappeared without a trace one night. Others would have thought it was a sign of disloyalty, not uncommon in these games, but Fayth thought differently. Jocelin probably didn't want to be the one to kill Fayth, so she got out as soon as possible. It was a smart move on her part, and Fayth meant to replicate it.

Not that Fayth was leaving anyone behind. They would all be happy to wake up tomorrow and find her gone. No one would morn the crazy girl who disappeared in the middle of the night. She'd be free to live the rest of her short live without the judgmental eyes of others.

With that bittersweet thought, Fayth set out into the darkened woods. Her only comfort came from the occasional glimpses of the bright, possibly artificially lit moon that hung high in the sky.

The Fourth Hunger Games Chapter 9: Wrath

Chapter 9: Wrath

“There is little for the great part of the history of the world except the bitter tears of pity and the hot tears of wrath.” - Woodrow Wilson

“But the child's sob curses deeper in the silence than the strong man in his wrath!” - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Mina watched the sleeping forms closely as she stuffed a backpack with as many supplies as she could. She wasn't stupid enough to stay with the careers any longer, and she was using her chance as watch to escape. The group had added one more the previous day when they stumbled upon Tifanee and discovered, after a fair bit of torturing and preparing for her death, that she was responsible for the only death since the cornucopia bloodbath. Apparently, that won over the careers, and into the group the girl came. She didn't want to know what cruel death they had for Tifanee up their sleeves, and she most certainly didn't want to know her own.

The careers wouldn't be happy to discover they were missing precious food and water bottles, but with the disadvantage of not having any companions, Mina was forced to leave more than enough behind for them anyway. She was tempted to send the rest down the river, but angering the careers farther wasn't a smart move if she wished to make it out of these games alive.

One death would wake the others. Mina was convinced they could smell blood. She wasn't prepared for the wrath of a well-trained career. That was something she would face later. For now, she was off on her own.

XX

Demetrius would be lying if he said Cassidee's death hadn't shaken him a bit. Their large group had been as close to enjoying themselves as they could be in the arena when her body came washing down the river. It would take a long night of tossing and turning for Demetrius to realize that the Capitol had purposefully let the body wash past them before picking it up, but that didn't matter anymore. Nothing the Capitol could do now could increase Demetrius' hate for them.

The next morning, the group had agreed to split up, and Demetrius was now alone and wandering through the arena with no clue where to go. He froze as he heard rustling in a bush. It stopped abruptly, as if the culprit knew they had been heard. Demetrius approached quietly, one hand on his knife, before Ezra's face popped out and startled him.

“Ezra!” he screeched. Ezra and Demetrius had formed a somewhat unfortunate friendship during training as Demetrius was the only one who didn't demean Ezra for his fierce love for animals.

“Sorry, sorry!” Ezra apologized.

Demetrius sighed. “Are you alone?”

“Yeah,” Ezra spoke as he climbed out of the bush. “Of course I am. No one wants to be with the boy who won't even kill an animal.”

Demetrius knew his decision wouldn't make things easy for himself, but he went for it anyway. “Do you want to form an alliance?”

“Are you serious?” Ezra said in disbelief. “Yes.”

“Just promise me you'll at least try to defend me if someone attacks.”

“Dem,” Ezra spoke softly. “I may not like hurting innocent animals, but even I can't see the people we're stuck in here with as innocent.”

“They're most certainly animals though,” Demetrius muttered.

XX

Mina watched the three boys from afar. She knew that Boston and Etin were stereotypical “nice-guys” from training, and Coale couldn't be that bad if he was sticking with them. Could she kill any of them when two of them didn't seem capable of hurting a fly?

She knew Boston and Etin were both “book smart” though. Maybe they wouldn't mock her intelligence like the careers had. Maybe an alliance would be beneficial because, if truth be told, Mina didn't have a clue what she was doing.

Mina quickly made her presence known so that she wouldn't be mistaken as an enemy. The other three drew their weapons regardless, but that was to be expected.

“I want to form an alliance,” she spoke quickly, before they could strike. “I think I could be beneficial to your group.”

The other three boys looked at each other closely, and Etin's slight nod seemed to seal the deal.

“Okay,” Coale spoke. “You can join us.”

XX

The others had been furious to wake up and find Mina gone. Alissah figured they should have known she would outsmart them, but none of them had thought the smart move would be to abandon them. Staying with the careers was your best bet at getting to the final tributes. Maybe Mina had been stupider than they thought. At least, that's what Alissah's first reaction had been, but the more she thought about it, the better Mina's decision seemed.

How was Alissah supposed to win surrounded by people just as strong as she was? Shouldn't she be surrounded by people that were weaker than her? Ones she could kill right away with less threat to herself? Yes, she finally decided. That was a better plan. She reasoned with herself that she wasn't betraying the other careers, even if it felt like she was. The games, after all, didn't necessarily have to be played fairly.

Alissah scurried away in the dark, taking a page out of Mina's book, but this time she took only a water bottle and one small container of food. The others could have the rest. She could survive without it.

XX

Jocelin hadn't been expecting to form an alliance so soon after leaving her last one, but she'd felt sorry for Fayth when she found her wandering alone. The girl's panic attacks had made her react violently to Jocelin's presence, and they had only weakened Jocelin's resolve to kill the poor girl.

The girls were the same age at thirteen, but Jocelin couldn't help but see Fayth as much younger. The panic attacks had been lessening slightly as Fayth adjusted to being in the arena, but neither knew when something would happen to set them off.

Jocelin knew she needed a plan. Traveling with Fayth had the potential to get her killed. The other girl couldn't control her panic attacks and wasn't much help during them. If they didn't figure something out soon, they'd be cornered, and it would be up to Jocelin to defend them both.

XX

“I hear something,” Troy whispered sharply to bring the other careers to a halt. He turned towards the other three with a finger to his lips. The loss of Alissah had lowered their numbers yet again, which left him grateful for Tifanee's unexpected appearance the day before.

The others followed behind him as he crawled quietly through the undergrowth that was thick enough to hide them. He could see the young tribute from Seven picking some berries. He believed his name was Bryan, one of the youngest tributes at just twelve. The boy wasn't incredibly small, but his age was definitely a hindrance, even if Troy only beat him in that regard by two years. The four of them could no doubt take him easily.

“This'll be my kill,” Troy whispered. He made sure to look them all straight in the eye to stress his point. “Only interfere if you think I won't make it.”

It was a useless concession. If Troy was to die, none of them would stop it, but he said it all the same. They could at least pretend to be loyal to each other.

The young boy was oblivious as Troy approached him from behind. One quick stab and it was over. Troy grimaced. Two kills, and neither had been incredibly impressive. Couldn't someone put up a fight? Unwilling to let it pass so uneventfully, Troy continued to stab Bryan until the cannon signaled his death.

The other three careers watched carefully as Troy sauntered back over to them, and Troy smirked at the barely concealed horror on Tifanee's face. She wouldn't be causing him any problems.

XX

Ezra and Demetrius. Both people that Alissah knew as kind from training, or at least as kind as could be while training to kill each other. There was no guarantee of their character anymore, and she would have to remain cautious.

Alissah knew she probably had very different ideals than these two, and Ezra was useless at most things in the arena. Still, she had never planned to be completely alone this early in the games, and disliking the two would just make it easier on her when the alliance ended later.

She should have been expecting the fear when she made herself known to them. She was, after all, a career. What would a career want with tributes from Ten and Eleven other than to kill them? She spoke quickly before they could mistake her intentions further, “I want to join your alliance.”

“What?” Demetrius questioned in disbelief. “You? A career?”

“Yes,” she muttered. She felt more out of her element now than she had at any other point in the arena. “Being a career isn't all it's cut out to be.”

“What trick are you playing?”

“I think she's telling the truth.” Ezra answered for her.

“You can't possibly know that.” Demetrius turned towards Ezra in disbelief.

Ezra shrugged. “Not for sure, but I think we can trust her.”

Demetrius sighed and thought for a few moments. “Fine, but if you get us killed, Ezra, I'll never forget it.”

“Luckily, you won't have a working brain to remember it with,” Ezra muttered, and Alissah found a small smile working its way onto her face at the joke.

“You two aren't so bad,” she told them.

Demetrius made a face before muttering, “This is weird.” But he offered her a drink of water anyway as the three began their planning.

XX

“It's that Jocelin girl from Nine,” Coale growled from his hiding spot. “And she's got that crazy girl from Twelve. We could take them easily.”

“Do you really want to kill a crazy girl?” Etin questioned.

“She has to die eventually,” Coale reminded him. “There's no way she could win. It'd be easier for us to kill her now than let one of the careers do it and torture her.”

“I know,” Etin groaned. “But I just can't. I couldn't live with myself if I killed someone so helpless.”

“Maybe she's not helpless,” Coale pondered. “She could be faking.”

“I doubt it,” Boston spoke for the first time. “She had a panic attack right after being reaped. That was too fast of a reaction. I think it's real. Besides, you're from her district. What was she like before.”

Coale shrugged in defeat. "As far as I can remember she's always been like that, although I never paid much attention. What I said about it being better for her if we kill her still stands.”

Etin watched the two girls sadly. “Do you really think we'd be doing the right thing?”

“Etin,” Coale muttered quietly. “There's not many right things we have the luxury to do anymore, but this might just be one of them.”

XX

Demetrius had left Ezra and Alissah behind temporarily in an attempt to find food, but what he had stumbled upon instead left him far more interested. The three tributes in front of him were far too engrossed in the insane girl and her companion to notice what was happening behind them.

Demetrius loathed his place in the games, but this was far too good an opportunity to pass up, as he was going to have to kill eventually. Although he'd managed to get a spear, Demetrius wasn't very good at throwing it, and he didn't want to lose it to the two tributes he wasn't able to hit. This left Demetrius scrambling for another way to kill one of them when the solution came to him. Coale scrambled away, no doubt going after the two girls, and Etin followed closely behind. Boston, however, lingered and Demetrius was almost tempted to feel joy at his luck.

Once the two boys were far enough away, Demetrius took off at a run. He didn't want to have time to back out, and even with the noise of his approach, Boston didn't have time to react as the spear plunged through his chest. Not stopping to see the damage, Demetrius pulled the spear out and took off into the forest. Not even the sound of the cannon and Boston's companions' screams could stop him.

XX

Jocelin froze as she heard the tortured scream of a tribute not far away. She scrambled for Fayth, who had begun to tremble. Jocelin had learned that Fayth could occasionally avoid a full-blown attack if she comforted her.

Jocelin scanned the area as she held Fayth close, and it wasn't hard to spot the two boys scrambling towards the body of another. In the distance, Jocelin could make out the form of a fourth boy running away.

“Come on,” Jocelin urged Fayth to her feet. “We need to get out of here before they come towards us.”

The two girls hadn't made it very far when a loud voice called out, “Wait!”

Jocelin hesitated for a moment before halting.

“I can't believe I'm saying this,” Coale said. “But Boston was a valuable asset, and now he's gone. I know you're smart, Fayth, so I'm willing to forget about the anxiety stuff if you'll join us.”

Jocelin watched Fayth closely as the girl analyzed her district partner. “Okay,” Fayth spoke quietly.

“Are you serious?” Jocelin whispered harshly.

“Yes.” And it was the surest of something Jocelin had heard Fayth sound since they formed their alliance. “I know Coale. He won't betray us. He'll keep things fair, and it'll be good for us.”

Jocelin sighed. “If you're sure.”

Fayth smiled softly after. “I am.”

The Fourth Hunger Games Chapter 8: Want

Chapter 8: Want

“Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” - Thomas Jefferson

“I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.” - Muhammad Ali

Tifanee watched the other three tributes closely from her high perch. It had taken her quite a while to finally settle in comfortably. (A fact which left her wishing she'd worked in the orchards of District 11 prior to the games.)

The fear that had almost crippled Tifanee before had now settled into a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. It left her desperate to stay hidden. A part of her wished to get back down to the ground and ask to join the alliance she had just watched being formed, but forming alliances meant breaking alliances, something Tifanee wasn't sure she could do.

Time passed with Tifanne only slightly aware of it. The small alliance of three grew to one of eight, and Tifanee longed even more to go down and join the large group. Large alliances were frowned upon though, so Tifanee knew to expect interference from the gamemakers soon, which meant she should get out of the area as soon as possible. Tifanne felt even more unsettled as she searched for a discreet way to get out of the area. Eight pairs of eyes were hard to hide from, and thirteen-year-old Tifanee wasn't skilled enough to take on all of them at once.

XX

Tiara and Troy finally stumbled across the other two careers, Alissah and Huntur, just as it was reaching nightfall. Sure enough there was a supply of food at their disposal. Even more surprising though was the addition of Mina to the group.

Tiara watched the slightly younger girl closely as she followed Troy to the tent the others had set up by a creek. “What is she doing here?” Tiara questioned harshly.

Mina threw a sharp glare at Tiara. “They've found me useful enough to let me join your alliance.”

Tiara scoffed, “And what are you good at exactly?”

“In case you haven't noticed,” Mina replied as if speaking to a five-year-old. “I'm decently intelligent. Probably more intelligent than you.”

Tiara growled and lunged forward, only to be held back by Huntur. She didn't let that stop her from voicing her opinion. “What does intelligence have to do with this? The games are about strength and survival. There's no place for your precious computers here.”

“There's always a place for knowledge, Tiara,” Mina spoke softly as she examined something small that Tiara couldn't really make out in the dark. “Don't underestimate what someone can do with a strong mind.”

“Not as much as I could do to you if I got the chance,” Tiara grumbled as she on the other side of the group from Mina. She leaned over to whisper to Alissah, “Please tell me we're getting rid of her soon.”

Alissah shrugged, “She's right. Her brain could be extremely useful to us, but don't worry. She won't be able to defend herself when we decide her time has come.”

XX

Eight tributes. Who thought it was a good idea to gather eight tributes together? That's all that runs through Tifanee's mind as she watches the group below. Sure, it adds to their skills and protection, but it also attracts others, like the careers. Plus, it's only more people to turn against each other and who you have to kill in the end. Tifanee's still planning how to get to at least one of them as she remains perched up in her tree. If she can get one kill and escape, it'll be a small victory for her and a possible boost in sponsors. But how do you lure one away without the others noticing?

XX

Etin came across the two older boys at the river. Unfortunately, they noticed him first.

“Hey,” Coale called out in something close to amusement. “You're the rich District 9 boy, aren't you?”

“If you can call it rich,” Etin gulped. All of the tributes were aware of the deep loyalty to the Capitol that Etin's family held, but the other two would never dare openly mock him for it when they were relying on the Capitol for help in the games.

“Compared to the rest of us non-careers,” Boston jeered. “I'd say you're rich.”

Etin just shrugged, “I suppose.” The two other boys didn't seem threatening at the moment, but Etin wasn't letting his guard down as he backed slowly away.

“You don't happen to be good with any weapons, do you?” Coale questioned.

“No,” Etin answered honestly. “I've always been more fascinated with book learning than so-called practical learning.”

“What a coincidence,” Coale drawled. “You and Boston here have something in common. Seems like I'm the only one here who never found much use in books.”

Boston seemed to be inspecting Etin carefully. “Do you want to join us?” he finally asked.

“What?” Etin spoke in disbelief. He halted himself from continuing his slow journey backwards. “Why would you want me?”

Coale shrugged. “We're not cruel or anything. If we wanted to kill you, we'd have done it by now. Boston actually wanted to ask you to join our alliance before the games. Something about 'kindred spirits' or something. I don't know, but your book smarts may be of use to us.”

“Look,” Boston sighed. “If you don't want to join us, then we'll let you go for now, but don't you think you'd be much better off with us for at least a little while?”

“Yeah,” Etin rolled his eyes. “Until you get sick of me and kill me in my sleep.”

“Neither one of us is that back-handed.” Etin was surprised at how offended Coale seemed to be by his suggestion. “When we break the alliance, it will be fair, and everyone will have an equal chance to escape.”

Somehow Etin could tell that Coale's words were sincere. “Okay. I'll join.”

He just hoped he didn't regret that decision.

XX

Tifanee watched closely as Cassidee wandered away from the large group and tried to suppress her smile. Cassidee stripped down to her underwear before stepping into the river and submerging herself. She was clearly bathing, and Tifanee couldn't think of a better time to sneak up on her. The smart thing to do would have been to bathe with someone else at least in sight, but Cassidee apparently seemed secure enough in her large group to believe she was safe. Tifanee was going to prove her wrong.

Tifanee pulled the bow and one of the arrows she'd managed to grab from her back. She wasn't the best archer, but she'd practiced her aim well during training. She'd wanted a long distance weapon, and a bow had seemed the right choice. Now, she just had to wait for Cassidee's back to turn towards her and she could incapacitate her quickly.

With one quick motion, Tifanee released the arrow and watched it slice through Cassidee. The older girl sunk under the water with only the slightest of splashes. If the arrow didn't kill her, the river sure would. Tifanee sunk back onto the branch supporting her as images of the moment flashed vividly through her mind.