That night, two faces appeared in the sky–Madison Pierce and Piper Schafer, both of District Two. Upon seeing their images, the rest of the Careers were horrified–Hazel wept, and Penelope didn't speak for the rest of the night. Monica's eyes clouded with sadness, and Leonardo felt sick to his stomach.

It's my fault they're dead, he thought. I shouldn't have let them go off on their own. If only I hadn't been such an idiot! They'd still be alive!

Nevertheless, the next day the Careers continued on, each of their steps slow and weighed down with sorrow.

***

Sofie's black-and-white fur stuck up in an attempt to stay warm. The cold nipped at her skin, making her shiver. She screwed up her blue eyes against the snowflakes that poured down on her, gathering in her hair and chilling her to the bone. In her hand, she gripped her whip with a shaking hand. Her stomach ached with hunger.

I haven't eaten since the day before the Games started, she thought. Gosh, it's been so long...

Her mouth began to water at the thought of all the fancy meals she'd eaten back on the train to the Capitol. Little squares of cheese, steaming hot rolls, sweet juices and salads with all sorts of things in them. And bamboo. Lots and lots of bamboo.

Would it kill them to put some bamboo in here? Maybe they did. Maybe the cold killed it all.

She once again thought of the food on the train, of messing around with Elsie. Grief struck her heart at the thought of her deceased friend, her sweet smile and the cheerful glint in her uniquely-colored eyes.

I miss her so much.

Something bright suddenly glinted in the corner of her eye. Sofie turned to see a cluster of bright red berries growing on a nearby shrub. The panda mutant's stomach rumbled harder at the size of the berries–they were round and surprisingly plump. What made her even more excited was the huge amount of then growing just a few feet away. She rushed forward, joy overtaking her.

There are enough berries here to last me over a week! At last, something to eat!

Sofie skidded to a halt before the berry bush, unable to stop a smile from growing on her furry face. She plucked up a fat red berry and popped it into her mouth. Her mouth was immediately flooded with a delightfully sweet taste, and she chewed and swallowed contently.

That's delicious! I think I''ll take another...

She picked another berry and ate it. Then another, and another, and another. A wave of drowsiness washed over her with each little fruit she swallowed, making her eyelids flutter and her world seem to spin and slow down.

Oh, I'm so very tired. I think I'll take a rest.

The panda girl collapsed into the snow, a weary grin on her face. Her bright blue eyes slowly glazed over as they closed gently, her body slowly ceasing movement.

And then the cannon sounded, proclaiming the least painful death of the Games.

***

Chris stumbled through the snowy forest, putting all of his energy into each little step. He screwed up his face against the strong winds that whipped around him, blowing his hair into his eyes and chilling him to the bone. Flurries of snow were tossed around in the air, blurring his vision, and the winds howled violently like wolves, seeming to blow in every direction possible as strongly as they could.

Yikes, it's storming so badly...

A massive shiver shook Chris's entire body. The fur on his tail and ears fluffed up in a desperate attempt to keep them warm. For days he'd wandered the woods alone, fighting his way through the cold weather. It felt as if he was slowly being frozen from the inside-out. Bits of snow glittered in his hair, and his skin felt like ice. His teeth chattered violently, making his head shake and spin. He hadn't eaten since before the Games. He hasn't been able to snag a single thing from the Cornucopia during the Bloodbath.

With a weak groan, the dingo mutant collapsed into the snow. The cold white substance chilled him further, but he could barely feel the cold. He could feel the life slipping from his body as his breathing came less and less, becoming more and more shallow. His eyes fluttered closed, and his final breath came out as a small puff of air near his lips before his body went limp.

The sound of a cannon rang through the Are a a split second after.