When the sun rose again on that seventh day, it was as if it was a new world. The star now glowed bright crimson in the clear heavens above, rather than a distant cold white light in the clouds. As the crimson sun rose on the horizon against a vibrant pink and orange sky, the cold bitter air started to warm up. The snow ceased to fall, the air grew thick and warm and the layers of snow started to melt away into streams of water trickling down towers and hills.

    Park woke up to this new dawn, a cool breeze playing with his ginger hair. He sat up, looking at the sky as he peeled off his winter coat, laying it in the grass next to him. He looked up through the trees into the bright sky as he felt the warm air on his skin. He was near the center of the arena, in a small park filled with clusters of evergreen trees and dead tickets. Park wiggled around in between two thick bushes of grey twigs and thorns, his small body concealed by their mass. He began to stand up, his round head barely peeking out from the bushes. Looking around with beady brown eyes he nodded his head. It was time.

    After crawling through a small space in the bushes, a small gray box tucked under his arm, he set to work. Resting on his knees he set the box in front of him and opened it. In it were several tools rested in small black molds; a bundle of tripwire, a bundle of high strength metal cable, large metal hooks, rope, and other tools held themselves within the box. Park’s eyes lit up as he gazed over his tools for about the hundredth time since he had gotten them in the arena. Taking out several pieces and tools, Park began to doze off as his body went into what felt like autopilot.

    He thought about the tributes left. There were only nine others, somehow seventeen people had already died. Park knew he could make it this far- simply hide out and wait for the violence to happen and blood to be shed. He would let those idiots kill themselves off until only the smartest and strongest were left. Now was the real time to be worried. Park thought that everyone who was still alive was alive for a reason, nobody simply lucked out in the games. The Armie girl had what Park described as a “devious wit” similar to the obviously very intelligent Shea Prescott. Ark and Kota were strong fighters. Pluto Ryder, the only person in the arena who he actually had spoken to before the games, and Merla he assessed were the type who managed to fight and survive the worst of scenarios. And Patricia Kooti, Finnian and Hugh had all aligned with the right people. Park frowned as he thought of Finnian and Hugh- to him, it seemed as if their relationship was all a ploy to get the capitals and districts love and affection. He thought of them bathing in sponsor gifts. They weren’t.

    Continuing to analyze and plan out accordingly to each tribute Park began the true plan. Taking his assortment of tools he began a complex of setting a trap. Tying rope, wrapping cables and lines, fitting pieces of wood and branches into place and sharpening spikes of wood before fashioning them into his trap. When he was done and finished he stood back looking at his creation with the faintest resemblance of a smile. He covered up the various parts with pine needles, branches and dirt with a smile before slithering back into his secret den in the thicket-keeping an eagles eye focused onto the trees in front of him.

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    Merla Nik thought she'd be safer if she moved about. Shortly after the girl had woken up, her body curled into the corner of a dark metal vault- she rolled up a small blanket before placing it in her coat and approached the vault door. With a light push, it swung open with a semi inaudible creak. She walked out into the lobby of the bank, the floors clean white and the walls made of glass. As she stepped into the lobby she looked outside to see the once snow-covered streets completely bare. She slowly stepped towards the glass in awe, her swollen purple lips forming a small “o”.

    She looked out through the glass at the clear blue sky, all memories of a cold blizzard inflicted arena vanishing. But as she stepped outside into the warm sun it began to sink in, that this was no simple gift to the tributes, for as she stared up at the sky into the sun she knew it was not right. The sun, loomed in the sky ever so larger than normal, its flares crimson red, like a giant red eye in the sky.  She watched in fear and wonder at the miracle before her for what felt like a lifetime. Surely this was not the end of what was to occur in the arena.

    But as she stared up at the heavens, something else caught her attention, the sound of a small beep. She curiously looked around with bruised eyes before turning around to see a long silver package descending from the sky, a shadow against the blue backdrop. The parachute floated peacefully in the calm wind before softly setting itself on the pavement in front of Merla. She stepped towards it with the closest thing her beaten face could call a smile. She nudged it softly with the tip of a black snow boot and it popped open with a slight hiss. Inside was a simple silver longbow and a quiver with about a dozen arrows. Merla bent over and wrapped her fingers around the cool bow and took it out of the case, surprisingly heavy in her hand. She only used a bow once- during training- she was okay. Why had this been sent to her?

    She got her answer when she went to grab the quiver- a small piece of paper tucked underneath. She grabbed it and unfolded it, a message written on it. “Don’t let them get near you this time, my mermaid- From Mama and Papa” Merla read aloud with a smile before looking up at the sky, only to be greeted by the sun once again.

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    Finnian woke up, his head buried into Hugh’s chest. He didn’t move, however, instead of going with the rise and descent of Hughs' chest. He subconsciously smiled, no longer bitterly cold for some reason. He simply relaxed into Hugh’s body, savoring a single moment of peace within their time in the arena. He couldn’t wait for it to all be over- to be able to live in peace and be with Hugh. It would be over- eventually- he couldn’t let go of that hope. Not now, not ever.

    They had fallen asleep in each other's arms last night- they had to survive, and yet it seemed so special. Maybe Finn was over-romanticizing it all, he couldn’t seem to help it for some reason. He knew Hugh felt the same way,  and it was absolute pure bliss, however, he couldn’t help but have the aching feeling in the back of his head that maybe they wouldn't-couldn't survive. He had to remind himself once again to not think like that. He had been doing that a lot recently, but who could blame the kid?

    As Finn drowned in his thoughts he felt Hugh’s body stir beneath him. Finn sat up on the shelf the two were hiding on, as they had remained in the warehouse since that night when the cold had begun to worsen. Finnian looked at Hugh as he opened his eyes with a gentle yawn. His dark brown curls were a mess similar to Finn’s messy static shock of hair.

    “Mornin…” High groaned looking up at Finn. Finn quietly laughed before replying to the boy.

    “Good morning to you too” Finn smiled as Hugh also sat up before gently stretching out his arms and legs with another low groan. “How did you sleep?” he asks, his pale freckled cheeks flushed.

    “Haha… Very well, for once. It’s kind of funny” Hugh said as he immediately grabbed for the backpack they shared, reaching an arm into the bag and pulling out a bright red apple. He bit into it before handing it to Finn who also took a bite.

    “Same. I actually feel warm for once. It’s kind funny” Finn stated before taking a second bite of the apple. Hugh nodded, dangling his legs over the side of the shelf.

    “Yeah, same… I wonder why that is?” Hugh wondered, running a hand through his knotted curls.

    “Maybe it just stopped snowing,” Finn guessed shrugging his small shoulders. In the warehouse, they were in there was but one accessible door in the corner of the large space, with very dim lighting and no windows. Besides from the temperature, there was no telling what was happening in the outside world. Hugh nodded as he slowly took the apple from Finn's hand with a smile. “I mean I could go check,” suggested Finn as he scooted closer to Hugh, throwing his feet over the edge of the shelf.

    “I mean sure,” Hugh murmured before resting his head on Finnians shoulder. “Ugh I can’t wait until we aren’t being watched by cameras constantly” he grumbled before letting out a sigh.

    “Why’s that? Besides the obvious bathroom situation?” Finnian chuckled, enjoying the physical attention.

    “Cause that way we could just kiss and do normal stuff,” Hugh mumbled.

    “I wish that too, not that being in the Hunger Games isn’t normal” Finn continued.

    “Wow, stealing my sarcasm, how charming” Hugh smiled as took his head off of Finn's shoulder facing the boy. Finn’s smile made High let out a slight giggle as their eyes met for a split second before Hugh leaned in and lightly kissed Finn’s soft pink lips. Finn smiled, even more, closing his eyes as Hugh kissed him.

    When he pulled away he was already laughing. “I’m gonna check the weather,” Finn giggled, his cheeks once again all flushed with warmth. Hugh nodded smiling back as Finn hopped off the shelf, his boots clicking onto the grey concrete floor. He began to walk through the aisles, daydreaming more and more of Hugh, his boots continuing to clack onto the floor. He couldn’t wait until kissing Hugh wasn’t broadcasted to the all of Panem- Hugh was right. That would definitely be nice.

    Finn’s smile was still there as he finally reached the door to the warehouse, a rather plain iron door, with a just as a plain handle with no lock. Finn thought it very peculiar how warm it was, even without his jacket which he left with Hugh. Finn grabbed the handle before swinging the door open, expecting to see the snow and the cold which he had grown used too, instead of seeing something much worse- Ark Lade, and Armie Stranger five feet from the door, weapons in hand.

And so we delve into the final part of this story. Thank you all for the amazing continual support and please tell me your thoughts in the comments! Sorry for such a slow chapter lmao.