I can't sleep. I almost don't want to, but I know I need to. Tomorrow morning, we'll eat our last meal that we don't have to hunt. Tomorrow morning we will hear that knock on the door once again.
Delphi's already fast asleep. I don't know how she does it. I'm filled with apprehension, and I can't stop imagining everything that could go wrong.
It takes me hours of fighting with myself, but I finally drift off.

The enormous monster towers over me as I run. It is faster than me, much faster. It's gaining on me. The muscular, powerful strides of this -thing- scrapes at my heels but  It's mouth froths foam and drips scarlet blood. I climb a tall tree as fast as I can, but I only have time to leapt to the next branch before they snap and disintegrate under my shaking limbs. When I reach the top, I begin to cry. My branch turns to dust and I fall. My heart thuds against my ribs, a frantic two beat pattern. I squeeze my eyes shut. My life is surely over. The wind rushes at me and my stomach
drops. I don't feel butterflies, I feel a peach pit being swallowed, and it rips at my throat as I scream, then travels down to my gut.
  The viscous jaws are getting closer, but with the longing of it all just wanting it to be over it seems to take forever to land. Finally it ends with a sickening thump and the world is bright and full of the vision of the sky above me before complete darkness.
   But I realize I haven't fallen into the creature's mouth, but onto my bed. It was just a dream.
  Before I can catch my breath, I hear voices in the other room.
  "Ma'am, based on specific footage, we have learned that you have been teaching your  daughters about survival tactics before The Fifth." booms a man.
  "Show me the proof. If you can't show me evidence, I can't be convicted." says my mother in a dangerous, protective tone.
The man's deep voice becomes quiet, which is ironically even scarier.
  "Oh, but Chrysanthemum, do remember, we can do anything to Delphinium and Willow. Confess now, or there might just be a horrible 'accident.'"
  Delphi peers into the room. She has a look on her face that I see often. Pure anger with longing for justice. No one ever messes with her.
  "Sir, my mother would never-!"
  The man grabs Delphi, and though she has remarkably quick instinct, he pulls her in to his chest in attempt to hold her steady. She is strong and bites and claws at him, and even gives him a punch to the stomach and a kick to the crotch, but he overpowers her quickly. This evil man pulls a long curved knife out of his pocket. I try to leap at him. I feel an awful sensation I have never felt before. I want to destroy this man.
  Again I try to jump on him and punch him until he's dead but a strange force is pulling me back. I can't scream. I can't move.
  This invisible wall is forcing me to watch the violent scene that is about to unfold. Delphi spots me. She scowls in defiance and hate. This hurts me. I feel betrayed, but I also feel guilty for betraying. I try to scream to her that there is nothing I can do, and I once again try to defy the horrible force.
The man holds the thin blade to her throat. Delphi's scowl grows fiercer than ever and it clearly says, "You betrayed me. You didn't even try to help me. I would have helped you. And where were you defending mom? You disgust me."
  The man slits Delphi's throat. She crumples to the ground, dead. My mind is screaming, and my mouth is trying to. I am suddenly blinded by stinging, salty tears. Delphi is gone. But she can't be! She can't be!
   The man lets out a horrible cackle and yells:
  "Too bad Willow wasn't there to protect her, seeing as you didn't Chrysanthemum! Willow will be next... After you, of course." I feel a rush of hot, scalding fury. I want to tear him apart. He backs my mother into the wall with the knife. In the window beside them, I can see my father running away, betraying my family. But then the red-lined soldiers come out of nowhere and shoot at him. He instantly drops.
No, no, no!

And with that, I wake up, thrashing around madly and drenched in cold sweat. For the millionth time in the past month.

Delphi sighs sympathetically.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I stammer. I gasp a little and try to catch my breath.
Then I remember that I don't have much time this morning, and I need to get dressed.
I glance at Delphi, taking in what she's put on.
I dress very similarly. Tan cargo pants. Grey top. Black fleece. Four pairs of wool socks so that we can take them off and keep them in our packs when we get in there. Hiking boots.
She has virtually the same thing, only she has a light green top.
Every so often I'm not able to keep my thoughts away from what's coming. It hits me out of nowhere.
A month. An entire month. Can we survive that long? What if we do and someone else doesn't? My best friend Winter? Ash? Or.....Galyn?

No. I'm being ridiculous. Only two people haven't survived in the entire history of the Fifth: one fell off a cliff and the helicopters saved them, and one was accidentally speared by their partner, who was unsuccessfully trying to hunt. They also died before the helicopters came.
Our parents are both home this morning. My mother's hands shake as she prepares our breakfast. I can hear my father pacing in another room.
Delphi can't seem to decide whether she wants to sit or stand.
As we eat, my mother and father watch, unsure of what to say or do.
Eventually, my dad, being my dad, tries to break the silence by telling us a joke. His dark eyes are so obviously sad, though, and he runs his hands through his dark hair uneasily. Delphi laughs weakly. I just smile. My mother tries to give us advice: We love you, we're so proud of you no matter what, etc...
People say Delphi is more like my dad, I'm more like my mom. Apparently, they don't understand genetics. But in some ways, I see where they are coming from.
No one can argue that Delphi and I look a lot like both of them.
My dad is of Lebanese descent, and we inherited his olive skin and face shape. And of course, the same thick black hair. My mother is very pale with blonde hair and extremely green eyes. That's what we got from her. We also have her smile and what my dad calls, "The Skeptic Look," which is when we focus on things by turning our face so only our left eye is being used to take in information.
Oh god. I'm already missing them like crazy.
I can't believe I ever would take breakfast for granted. But that's what I've done. I even like this morning's breakfast, oatmeal, which I usually hate.
The official will be here soon. I have to be alone. I excuse myself and go into the bathroom.
I stare into the mirror. I've tied my hair up into a high ponytail.
I hate this. I hate the waiting. I hate the apprehension and anxiety. With the fourth portion, the waiting was worse than the Exam itself. I try to tell myself this as encouragement, settling into a chair.
Once this is over, it's all over. No more Trials, no more waiting.
I hear the distant beating of helicopter blades.
I hear the knock.
I fling myself out of the chair and down the hallway.
Delphi looks like she's been waiting for me. The door's already open, and a burly man speaks to my parents. The most noticeable thing about his face is a long, jagged scar across his left cheekbone. His eyes are hard, dark and glaring.
He says something final to my parents, and then looks to us. As we hug our parents, my mother slips something into my hand. I slide it into my pocket, deciding to look at it later.
My father whispers, "I love you both so much." and I can barely choke out my response. My eyes sting, but I know can't cry now. My mother holds back tears too, and we say our goodbyes all too fast.
The man leads us to a sleek black helicopter. He stops us before we can climb in.
"The doors of the helicopter will detect if you are carrying any metal. If you are, give it to me, and you may get it back before you leave. That depends on what it is, I guess."
Delphi takes a silver locket out of her pocket and places it in his outstretched hand. She looks pointedly at me, and I suddenly realize what my mother gave me. I take mine out and hand it over.
He pulls out a stick and simply holds it in front of us. It turns green and he seems satisfied.
"Turn out your pockets," he says.
We turn them all out, and he nods as though he were expecting this.
Then he opens the back door of the helicopter and walks over to the driver's side.
We climb in the back, sliding the door closed.
The same cameras are watching us, but Delphi doesn't make faces this time. We both watch our house get smaller and smaller until it's gone. Soon after, the forest appears below us, dark and thick.
Much later, we begin to lower down into a clearing. Foliage whips around us. We land, and my stomach lurches horribly out of sudden fear.
He reaches back to give us our lockets. My hands are shaking as I accept mine, as they always do when I'm stressed.
He nods at Delphi, and she opens the door. He wishes us good luck.
I wonder if he likes his job.
As we step out, I grab Delphi's hand, and we reach the ground together. The helicopter rises into the air, the sound of it's whirring blades pulsing in my ears, and disappears over the trees.