Task Description:

Fire trolls invade the arena, killing everyone.

Long sleepless nights are the nights that your darkest demons come to haunt you, the nights when the darkness of the night and the darkness of your heart combine making the ultimate weapon against one's sanity. That's what my mother once told me, however being a rather literal fellow I had begun to explain to my mother that demons were merely fictional creatures and could pose no real threat to someone who was not fictional such as herself. My mother hadn't had her cup of coffee yet and had promptly thrown a copy of War and Peace at my head. She went on to explain that 'demons' were metaphorical, representing one's problems. She had to explain it several times before I understood. So in conclusion, my point being, is that I have a lot of sleepless nights, though it probably wouldn't take Einstein to figure that out.

This, was one of the multitude of nights like that. I lay still as the sun came up trying not to move my leg too much or it sent rivetting pain coursing upwards through my body, making sleep impossible. I don't suppose it helped I was still upset with Carolina-Ax for pushing me out of the tree after I had lamely attempted to comfort her. I racked my brain trying to come up with any idea that might explain what her issue was. I wished she was a machine. Then I could simply pry her open and determine what was making her not function correctly. I could grab a wrench and perhaps a few spare parts if needed and fix her. That would end my problems, and hers for that matter. Sadly, she was not a machine, but flesh and blood so I was utterly lost. And on top of the Carolina-Ax issues there was always the norms, the mother issues, the fact the majority of humans hate my guts and of course the rather annoying P versus NP problem along with the other 'unsolvable' mathematical equations of the world. I mean seriously! How can something be unsolvable?- with the exception of humans of course.

By approximately seven o'clock I had already ripped two clumps of hair from my scalp and was on the verge of a third when Carolina- Ax finally stirred, she rolled over groaning from her resting spot in the tree. She opened her eye sleepily and it settled on me. "Oh. So it wasn't a nightmare." I rather hoped she was referring to the situation instead of me, however based off of previous behavior I figured it was safe to assume she was referring to me.

As I looked up at the half awake Carolina-Ax I noted that sleepy Carolina-Ax didn't look nearly as threatening as awake Carolina -Ax, and on that detection I decided to take a risk. I grabbed a large stick that lay beside me for self defensive purposes on the highly likely chance she'd try to kill me for daring to ask this. "Carolina-Ax, you know, I've only known you for about 20 hours or so, but it feels like I've known you a lot longer. I guess being thrust into a life threatening situation with someone else is very... bonding." I tried very hard to sound convincing. It was a lie of course, I knew nothing about her and she has done nothing but display hostile behavior towards me, but I thought I should flatter her before I asked my question.

Carolina-Ax said nothing. I took this as a good sign and continued. "So I want to get to know you more... there is something that just doesn't add up in my brain though." I said, ready to swing my stick at the first sign of hostility.

Carolina-Ax frowned, not disapprovingly, but almost... sadly, if it were possible. "It doesn't matter. Trust me when I say you don't want to get to know me." She said curtly, though she didn't turn away, even though she appeared to want to. I wondered if she was actually attempting to be kind to me. I severely doubted it. There must be some other reason for this.

Now would come the moment of truth, "I rather do though, you seem like you... have potential to be nice...." That came out awful. "I just want to ask you a question. Is that ok?" I asked hesitantly, knowing I was treading on dangerous ground.

There was a long pause as Carolina-Ax looked away, for a minute I thought she wasn't going to reply at all, however I was wrong." "Go ahead. One question.Her voice was gravelly and she displayed obvious signs of being uncomfortable, lack of eye contact and perfuse rubbing of her neck.

I was completely thrilled, finally one step closer to solving the puzzle that was Carolina-Ax. "Ok, so in your interview you displayed the obvious signs of you loathing The Capital and The Games, however in your Reaping we see you volunteer for a girl you clearly didn't know.... Why would you volunteer for a Games run by a society you hate?" It was one of the many questions that had bounced around relentlessly in my head the previous night.

There was another very, very long pause. "I volunteered because I wanted a chance at life." She didn't look at me as she turned away.

I looked at the back of her golden head beyond confused. "What on earth does that mean?! You volunteered for a death match only two come out of because you wanted to live? Was someone trying to kill you? You do seem like the type of person people would try to kill.-No offence! Lots of people want to kill me too... Haha. Apparently I am 'annoying' and 'obsessive', but you and I now thats not true?" I asked getting side tracked. Carolina-Ax didn't move, so I continued. "Ok so someone wants to kill you? Why couldn't you just report them to the peacekeepers- unless..." Suddenly it all made sense. "You committed a crime you were going to be executed for, didn't you?! You saw that there was no way out, they would track you down and kill you, unless you could become untouchable. And the most untouchable people in the country are the Victors of The Hunger Games!"

My eyes locked with her wide green eye. Her face had lost it's coppery tinge, and was one of horror, as if I was holding a gun to her head and preparing to shoot. I am aware I should have stopped there, but I just couldn't let go. I was on the verge of understanding the very depths of my partner's soul. I could sense it. "So who was it? Who did you kill?"

Carolina-Ax's face grew cold as she leaped gracefully from the tree and landed in a crouch position. She stood. "I think it's time we amputate that leg of your's. It's only getting in the way, and its also clearly infected. The infection is clearly doing something to your head- well more to your head anyways."

"Excuse me?" I asked grabbing my leg protectively, I instantly let go as waves of pain shocked my body. My guts heaved and burning vomit spilled from my mouth. It was rather disgusting in retrospect.

Carolina-Ax looked on unflinching. "Yeah, you're just proving my point. Lay down." She demanded pulling out a ax, the sunlight bounced off of the tip, making this seem like an even worse idea.

"Umm," I raised a finger while wiping a bit of vomit from my lip, "Might I ask how you are planning to go about this...?" It wasn't a comforting thought knowing I was about to be operated on by a one eyed girl who clearly had no medical background whatsoever, in fact the only thing I knew for sure about her background was the fact that she had killed someone.

She shrugged as if this was only an unimportant detail. "I figure I'll do it quick and just chop it off."

I raised my eyebrows, "And how do you propose you stop the bleeding?" I demanded well aware of how disastrous this could prove to be.

"I'll figure it out as I go along." She said with that ever present, 'yes-I-have-about-zero-clue-as-to-how-to-do-this-but-I-am-convinced-that-I-can-figure-it-out-as-I-go' demeanor that patents look for when choosing their doctors. Incase you didn't catch that, I was being sarcastic. It was very concerning. "Unless of course you have a better idea."She added at the last minute upon fully processing my distressed expression.

I just looked at her for half a second. "Of course I have a better idea! Get a fire going and your duel blade roasting over it. When you are finished weld the wound shut. It should work." I said furrowing my brow, trying to think up any other details I should mention. "Its just the lower section of my leg thats mutilated, you should just amputate that part. And please don't chop it, cut gently around the kneecap."

"Are you stupid? We can't light a fire. We will have careers on us in a second!" Carolina-Ax snapped, letting her ax fall to her side as she looked up at the clouds as if to say "Why me?"

"Carolina-Ax, ether I die from bleeding to death or we take a chance of careers finding us, simply do it. Please." I asked suddenly just wanting to get this over with. It had to happen, nothing could save my leg now, and the longer I put it off the more I endangered both myself and my partner.

She sigh and nodded kneeling down beside me, I watched as she slowly constructed a fire on my left, "One last thing, would you mind knocking me out?" I asked handing her the stick that I had dropped at my side.

She nodded, "I don't blame you. Now?" She asked.

I took a deep gulp of air, "Now." I said.

The stick came crashing downwards rapidly into my head, lights exploded before my eyes. They were gone as soon as they had appeared, and so was I.

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The first thing I was aware I was aware of was voices slicing through my throbbing head. I could hear a great deal of screaming, I attempted to form the words, "Would you mind shutting your mouth?" However I don't think it worked. I think it sounded like the deranged moo of a cow.

My let rather hurt as well, I couldn't feel my leg for some strange reason. Odd. I also felt like I was floating, floating like an atom suspended among millions of my brethren. I quite liked that feeling.

"Don't you dare feed him to that shark or I swear I will slit your partners throat!"

"Mmmm. Cute. It won't save little 6 over here."

"Yeah but at least I'll bring you down with me!"

I forced my eyes open, only to have a series of small revelations. 1. I was in The Hunger Games. 2. I was not floating, I was suspended off a cliff of a purple mountain covered in lava and demon lava creatures. 3. Number 4 was riding a shark was below me. The shark snapped its jaws excitedly at me. 4. Number 1 grasped my leg holding me off of the cliff. 5. The surgery had been successful, I wasn't bleeding. 6. Carolina-Ax had the female career's partner from 12 in a headlock with an ax to his throat. 7. The careers that remain unmentioned were battling the demon lava creatures. 8. There must be a reasonable explanation to all of this.

I felt my heart began to thud heavily in my chest. I didn't even bother requesting that it stop so I could rationally think this out, I respected the fact it had an auditory deficit disorder. Perhaps I would get it medicated if I got out alive.

"Would you two ladies hurry it up? Junior down here has to eat." Number 4 yelled as he struggled to keep his pet shark from leaping out of the water and snapping my poor head off. I couldn't let that happen. I was quite attached to my head.

I looked at the uneven mountain wall before my eyes, if I could somehow grab it and pull myself free from Number 1's grasp.... I'd have the element of surprise at my side which would be a great asset. My eyes focused on a ledge and without warning I swung my body at it, my hands digging into the rock and I jerked my leg downward. I heard a yelp as Number 1 was caught off balance and fell. It would of been just spectacular if she had let go of my ankle, however this girl's viselike grip jerked me from the wall and tugged me down with her.

I splashed into the water next to the shark, I swiped my limbs through the water frantically, trying to swim. I forced my eyes open and blurrily I saw Number 1 on her saw to resurface. The shark lunged and the water exploded with red. My lungs tightened, shark or not I had to get up there before I drowned. My kicking became even more furious as I attempted to surface, the water only seemed to suck me downwards.

A huge splash rippled the water above me, a familiar silhouette shot toward me. Arms wrapped around me tugging me to the surface. Our heads broke the surface and I greedily gulped in air.

"You seriously need to learn to swim." Carolina-Ax snapped, swimming us frantically toward shore. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the shark gnawing on the dead body of Ashler. Carolina-Ax must have thrown it down there to distract him while we got to shore. My foot hit the shore and I started walking or rather 'hoping frantically' was the better word for it. I wasn't used to having only one leg. Suddenly one of the little demon creatures I had seen on the mountain jumped in front of me. I fell backwards splashing into the water behind me. Carolina-Ax sent an ax barreling into it's chest and with a strangled cry the demon thing collapsed.

She picked me up and she began running. "I hate those things!" She growled giving me the feeling that I had missed quite a lot when I was out.

We crashed into the woods and Carolina-Ax paused handed me one of her axes. "I only have two hands and I'm using them to cart your skinny butt out of here, so heres an ax send any lava troll that threatens us to hell. Don't make me regret this."

I grasped the ax with both hands, my palms began sweating. I saw three trolls ahead. Carolina-Ax made no move to go around them. "Carolina-Ax I don't think-"

"Do it! Do it or I'll kill you!" She yelled panting, if anything speeding up.

One of the trolls pointed at me. "Look! We no let them get 'way this time!" It's voice was low and crackly, they charged looking about as furious as lava trolls possibly could. Ok now it was official that I had missed something huge.

I raised the ax above my head and cracked it over the nearest trolls head. I realized only after it was too late that I had used the wrong side, the troll was still alive but it toppled around looking rather dazed for a few moments. A few moments was enough for us to get by. Another troll on the other side got kicked by my foot accidently, hot lava burned my skin. I would have to remember not to do that again. The final troll Carolina-Ax dodged with the agility of a dancer at the very last second. The main issue with my defensive tactics, (if they could even be called that) was that the trolls were still alive and angrier than before and they were in hot pursuit.

"Revere." Carolina-Ax panted, "See the big oak tree up there?"

I nodded, it was quite large and prominent. I didn't see how I could miss it. "Yes I see the oak of the genus Quercus." I said already knowing where she was with this.

Behind us I saw more lava trolls join the formation that was chasing us. "You're going to climb it as fast as you frikin can. Ready go!" She growled tossing me to the ground. I scrambled to my knees grabbing the lowest hanging branch and pulling myself upwards. I glanced downward at Carolina-Ax who was kicking a fire troll and grasping the branch I was on now. I grabbed the next branch and began moving as as swiftly as I could up the large tree.

Finally I stopped and looked down, Carolina-Ax was just behind me. She grabbed each branch below her and sliced it off with her ax so the lava trolla could not follow. I decided not to mention that it would also prevent us from getting down. She sat on the branch next to me breathing heavily.

"So... what exactly did I miss?" I asked hesitantly, studying her for some sort of sign as to what happened. I was rather curious.

Her eye widened as a series of memories flooded her brain, (this is merely speculation however I feel it is safe to assume) she let out a strangled laugh. "A lot. All you need to know is that Winter and William are dead." She looked away distractedly toward the furious lava trolls that were screaming profanities below us.

I decided not to press the subject, as a more important idea popped into my head. "Carolina-Ax, can I borrow your ax?"

She looked over at me unamused, "Why?"

I grinned, I was quite excited. "I need to to cut the branch above us so I can build myself a prosthetic leg!"