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methethgfan · 3 years

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The 45th Hunger Games

“Give up, Chaff!” he shouted behind him, “If we don’t kill you, your hand will!” He was absolutely right. There was now a glaring hole where once his hand used to be. Chaff took off his shirt and wrapped it around the wound to stop the gush of blood - he probably had a few minutes left before he would eventually die of blood loss. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at their sweaty faces and tousled blond hair. But he also saw the sparkle in their emerald green eyes and a triumphant smile playing on their lips. Not yet. He still had one last move left.

The arena: This year the tributes were transported to a rural arena with broad fields, large hills and sparse forests. The weather was pleasantly warm, now and then the cool wind sent a shiver down their sun-warmed backs. The idyllic landscape was inhabited, among others, by cows, sheep and goats, which roamed some fields and were apparently disinterested in the tributes. The Cornucopia enthroned on a green pasture in the middle of the arena and housed a lavish number of supplies as well as an impressive arsenal of weapons. The selection of weapons turned out to be very diverse: in addition to the usual weapons, the tributes also had pickaxes, hand saws, pitchforks, shovels, sickles and scythes at their disposal, typical agricultural tools that attracted the interest of tributes who came from predominantly rural districts. Most of the tributes rejoiced in their good fortune, but for a few there seemed to be a catch. Never before had there been such a perfect arena that also looked so innocent. It soon became apparent that their concerns were justified, for the arena was extraordinarily deadly. Aside from the grazing animals that attacked anyone who approached them, the arena had something phenomenal. Once in a while, the tributes would encounter silver spheres, about the size of golf balls, floating in the air. If they got too close to them, red letters would light up on the display - "detonation - touch for deactivation". They then had five seconds to move out of the bomb's range. If they didn't, the bomb would attach itself to them until it was deactivated again. If one deactivated the bomb, the red letters were replaced by green ones - "disarming - touch for activation". There had never been anything like this ever before in the Games.

The tributes: The tributes were pleasantly surprised when they saw the arena for the first time. The camera showed the two boys from Districts 10 and 11 whispering "Home." at the same time. Everything seemed calm and peaceful. But the fact that there were bombs in the arena that could activate at any time scared most of the tributes, especially the Careers. At least they had a realistic chance against an armed opponent. Against bombs, however, they could do nothing; they were just as helpless against them as other tributes. How unfortunate that they hadn’t understood one thing - it was not the bombs that they should be frightened of, but the tributes whose eyes lit up at this exciting news...

The names of the tributes were…

Day 1 – The Bloodbath: Somewhat unusual this time was that several tributes ran away right after the Games started, without even being tempted to collect some supplies first. Still, there were enough tributes for the Careers to try out their favourite weapons...

24. Wright Maybridge (age: 14 | skill: x | training score: 3 | mentor: Wyatt Ellio | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 5. While many of his competitors either ran straight at the Cornucopia or moved away from it, Wright ran in circles around it and collected all the supplies he could get his hands on as he ran. Thus, he was able to collect the supplies without being in the line of fire. However, this didn’t escape the attention of the girl from District 1 who sent a knife into his left temple.

23. Shay Carter-Milding (age: 18 | skill: quickness | training score: 7 | mentor: Lennox Byrd | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 9. Shay had very fast reflexes. He demonstrated the Gamemakers how he dodged small balls thrown at him by several trainers at the same time. In doing so, he could bend and curve his body in such a way that it appeared as if he had no bones at all. In addition to his relatively high score, he also scored additional points in the interview with his self-confident and self-deprecating manner (”So Shay, how was your first impression of the Capitol?“ – “I thought it was slightly better than home, Caesar.“ – “‘Slighty better?‘ Why so?“ – “You’re not living in shacks like we do in District 9. I guess that’s the only bonus. But aside from that, I don’t really understand what all that fuss is about, no offense. But how on earth are you able to endure all of the … colourfulness? Yesterday I looked at a bright yellow building for a few seconds and already got a migraine!” - “I guess you get used to it all the time, Shay. Or is anyone here who’s got a migraine? No? See? I told you!”). The viewers were amused and hoped to see more of this boy in the arena. The Gamemakers, on the other hand, were curious to see how Shay would do during the bloodbath since he had such fast reflexes. But would he even participate in the bloodbath? Indeed, immediately after the opening signal, he ran towards the Cornucopia. He trusted his reflexes (even if he was a little worried about being hit by a knife after all). He dodged the knife of the girl from District 1. He also dodged the knife of the girl from District 2. But then the spear of the boy from District 2 pierced his back - Shay hadn’t assumed that the boy could throw his spear that far. The viewers were a little disappointed that Shay was out of the picture so early. But there were still other tributes left...

22. Modesty Merdow (age: 16 | skill: x | training score: 3 | mentor: Capitol trainer | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 12. Modesty had neither attracted much attention during the training nor during the interview. But the scrawny girl with tired eyes and mouse-brown hair became memorable during the bloodbath: instead of moving away as quickly as possible from the girl from District 2 who targeted Modesty and threw one knife after another in her direction, Modesty ran straight at the girl in a zigzag. The girl from District 2 became increasingly panicked and took several steps back but continued throwing at Modesty. Just as Modesty was about to throw herself on the girl, a knife hit her in the chest.

21. Yvette Densford (age: 14 | skill: x | training score: 4 | mentor: Aspen Burrows | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 7. Yvette was the cousin of Aspen Burrows, who had won the Games six years earlier and was her mentor. But as much as he tried to encourage her, Yvette knew from the beginning that she wouldn’t survive the Games. In an interview with Caesar Flickerman, she spoke very candidly with him about her imminent death (”I hope it's quick and painless. I had a beautiful life, but unfortunately far too short.” - “Maybe you will be able to continue this life?” - “I don't want to lie to myself, Caesar. I know what I'm capable of and what not. The Hunger Games are out of my league. But what have I done to deserve this?”). In fact, Yvette died in the first few minutes of the Hunger Games. The girl from District 1 hurled a knife into her neck. Yvette pulled the knife out, staggered forward, and then collapsed to the ground.

20. Kestrel Pernen (age: 15 | skill: x | training score: 3 | mentor: Volt Lansee | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 3. Kestrel had originally turned away from the Cornucopia because she had wanted to run straight into the adjacent forest. But then she had decided otherwise because at that very moment a small backpack had caught her eye nearby. She ran towards it - almost at the same time as the boy from District 12. They squabbled with each other over the backpack for a moment, which did not escape the attention of the boy from District 4. He ran up to them and pointed his crossbow at Kestrel. The boy from District 12 let go of the backpack, rolled off to the side, and then ran away. Kestrel, however, was oblivious to the District 4 boy standing behind her, and grinned, lifting the backpack as the arrow struck her in the neck.

19. Dimelza Corlin (age: 15 | skill: bodily strength | training score: 8 | mentor: Belle Surie | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 10. Dimelza was one of the few tributes who had received an offer from the Careers to join them. They had watched her throw herself on a trainer in the wrestling station, which they had been very impressed with. Aware of her better chances of surviving, Dimelza agreed. But she wouldn’t survive the initial bloodbath. After the Games were opened, she ran for the weapons as previously agreed upon. Only five meters away from the Cornucopia, a knife pierced her neck. The knife was actually meant for the boy from District 10, but Dimelza had run straight between him and the girl from District 2, who stared guiltily at Dimelza's death body.

18. Stans Mayersbee (age: 16 | skill: flexibility | training score: 6 | mentor: Woof Luxor | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 8. Stans impressed the Gamemakers with his talent for doing splits both when sitting and standing. He could also do several backflips in a row or prance while doing a handstand. However, his impressive talent could not help him during the bloodbath. He ran toward the Cornucopia but was immediately targeted by the boy from District 2 who fatally wounded him with a spear. Stans fell to the ground while the carnage around him continued. The viewers had already written him off, since he had been lying motionlessly on the ground for several minutes. But then he moved - very slowly - and laboriously pulled out the spear that had pierced his stomach. While the Careers were busy with the supplies, Stans crawled across the pasture toward an adjacent grain field. Just as he had almost reached the platforms, he was noticed by the boy from District 2, who ran up to him. He then threw himself on the ground next to Stans and mimicked him as he crawled around on the ground, panting (“My bad, I thought I had killed you. I really need to work on myself, don’t I?”). Meanwhile, the Careers cheered them on. Then the District 2 boy got up and plunged a knife into Stans' neck (”Pathetic!”).

17. Linola Habborn (age: 17 | skill: juggling | training score: 6 | mentor: Suede Deer | days survived: 0): Female tribute from District 8. Linola survived the Cornucopia bloodbath, even though she had come the closest of all tributes (except for the Careers) to the Cornucopia. Luckily for her, the Careers had been busy elsewhere, so she had been able to grab a backpack and make it to the wide cornfield unharmed. But since the grain blocked her view and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was moving nearby, she decided to hide in the adjacent forest instead. However, she ran straight into the arms of the Careers who had just gone in search of more victims. She turned around and ran back into the cornfield, hoping that the Careers would not follow her. Sure enough, the Careers stopped again and eyed the cornfield suspiciously - but not the girl from District 1, who used her sword to clear her way through the cornfield (”Darling, I think you’ve mixed up the games. We're not playing hide and seek here. Come out, so I can explain you the rules.”). Then she stepped on something soft: Linola had simply laid flat on the ground. The girl from District 1 grinned broadly (”You know, at least you tried.”) and stabbed Linola with her sword.

16. Toomer Mintle (age: 12 | skill: x | training score: 2 | mentor: Volt Lansee | days survived: 0): Male tribute from District 3. Toomer had run into the woods right after the start signal without even glancing at the supplies once. The gruesome death of the boy from his district last year, who had ventured into the Cornucopia at the beginning of the Games, had been permanently burned into his memory, preventing him from doing the same. Two hours after the bloodbath, however, he was tracked down by the Careers who had been combing the forest for more victims. The boy from District 2 impaled him with his spear. However, wanting to keep his weapon (for the hovercraft would retrieve the boy's dead body and with it the spear that was still stuck inside him), he stepped on the little boy's back while pulling out the spear with ease. His cold-bloodedness impressed some viewers of the Capitol but confirmed the prejudices of the other districts regarding District 2, a district they truly despised.

15. Cayley Mills (age: 13 | skill: x | training score: 2 | mentor: Jetta Nell | days survived: 2): Female tribute from District 6. Cayley had been one of the first tributes to run into the forest after the opening signal. She had simply been too afraid to join the bloodbath, and not even the tempting supplies had been able to change her decision. Since then, she had stayed mainly in her hiding place (a bush). There was a stream very close to her hiding place, so she was able to appease her thirst at any time. But since the beginning of the Games she had not eaten anything. Previously, she had nibbled on a plant, which she had regretted very quickly because it turned out to be a stinging nettle. As a result of that, she hadn’t touched anything again. During the second night, right after the hymn had been played, she roamed through the forest because she had discovered a strange animal (an opossum) near her hiding place. Suddenly, she caught a whiff of the appetising smell of grilled meat, and noticed a flickering light among the trees a little later. Driven by her curiosity and the thought of warming herself at the campfire, she tiptoed towards it. The Careers were sitting around the fire talking to each other as if they were at a summer camp rather than the Hunger Games. Cayley had just positioned herself behind a tree when a branch snapped behind her. She turned around and looked into the face of the boy from District 1, who had gone for a pee and was now looking down at her with a sinister grin. His greedy eyes reflected the light of the campfire. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the other Careers. (”Guys, look who is our guest tonight.“). Cayley was rooted to the spot with fear, she didn't even try to run away (”Oh, no need to be scared. We are nice to our guests, aren’t we, guys?“). Then he pulled out his sword and plunged it into Cayley's back (”Well, usually.“). After the cannon shot, he disposed of her body like garbage and then returned to their campfire where they continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.

14. Rheese Hayfleak (age: 16 | skill: stamina | training score: 7 | mentor: Farina Arden | days survived: 2): Female tribute from District 9. Rheese was a very fast runner with above-average fitness. This was also what she showed to the Gamemakers: for a full fifteen minutes she ran on a treadmill at highest speed. The Gamemakers were anxious to see if any of her opponents would be able to catch Rheese in the arena. But little did they know that Rheese would be running from something else instead. None of them were surprised that Rheese was the first to reach the Cornucopia, where she shouldered two backpacks and ran away before the other tributes had even come near the Cornucopia. Afterwards, she hid until her supplies were used up. On the third day, she was marching to a nearby stream when she first came across a bomb. She didn't know exactly what it was but trusted her gut instinct that told her to get away as quickly as possible. So she turned around and ran. To her horror, the bomb followed her. Rheese pushed the bomb away several times, lurched to the ground, climbed on trees - but nothing stopped the bomb from floating after her. Then she turned around and took a swing at the bomb. At that moment, the bomb detonated right in front of her face, ripping her body to pieces. The boy from District 10, who had hidden behind a tree, watched in horror as a hovercraft collected Rheese’s body parts.

Day 3: On the third day, the Careers roamed the arena in search of more victims. They were all in good spirits, talking loudly and joking around - until they suddenly stopped. Just inches away from the District 4 boy’s face hovered a silver sphere. The Careers instinctively took a few steps backward. None of them had encountered a sphere before, so they didn't know that it was a bomb. But their gut instincts told them nothing good. And when the bomb followed them soon, it was clear that they had to get away from it as fast as possible. “To the lake!” one of them shouted. It was the boy from District 4. Of course, who else would have come up with this idea? The Careers turned around and stampeded. There was a lake only about a kilometer away from the Cornucopia. The boy from District 4 ran ahead and was the first to jump into the lake. His allies, however, stopped at the shore and stared at the water as if it were lava. After a moment's hesitation, they jumped in and dove under the surface, as the boy from District 4 had done, and who still hadn't come up to surface. The girl from District 2 stared curiously at the bomb floating just above her head, until the boy from District 4 pulled her under the water as well. At that very moment, the bomb finally exploded, and the Careers gradually surfaced. The boy from District 4 swam gracefully to shore but suddenly remembered that his allies couldn't swim. Although he could have simply left them to their fate, he decided to go to their aid. In the meantime, the Careers tried with all their strength to stay above the surface. One by one, they were pulled out of the water by the boy from District 4. He had saved their lives – and even they, as Careers, were rational enough to realise that.

13. Ashton Ellmere (age: 16 | skill: adventurousness | training score: 4 | mentor: Capitol trainer | days survived: 4): Male tribute from District 12. It was destined from the beginning for Ashton and the girl from District 5 to meet one another in the arena. Both were highly adventurous and unafraid of any risk, no matter how big it was. If they were going to have fun, they were both in. They shared the same interests and had also visited the same stations during their training in the Capitol, following each other around inconspicuously. On the second day, when Ashton had gone in search of edibles, he came across the girl from 5 who had laid down on a huge rock, soaking wet, apparently sunbathing. He stepped out into the sunlight and clapped his hands once. Alarmed, the girl straightened up and stared at him from the opposite bank of the stream (”It would be more fun with the two of us working together, don't you think?”). The girl stared at him indecisively, seemingly weighing her words. Ashton knew that he just had to keep talking to her (”If I had wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have alerted you beforehand. I don't have a weapon with me either. But if you don't want to join forces with me, I'll walk away and strike out on my own.” - “Why should I ally myself with you? What is there that you could offer me?" - “I'm from District 12, I’m experienced with explosive devices as we use it in coal mining. Surely you've seen the bombs by now.”). The girl stood up unexpectedly and calmly walked towards him (”Yes, and I've already thought on something.”). And so their alliance was formed. Their goal was to bring down the Careers with the help of the bombs. They spent the following days exchanging ideas about explosive devices and working out a plan. They would blow up the supplies at the Cornucopia that would force the Careers to go foraging just like the rest of them ("You know we could get killed, right?" – "Sure. But isn’t it exciting?” – "Yes, and how! I can't wait.” – “Let’s turn up the heat on them – quite literally!”) But before they disposed of the supplies, they wanted to help themselves for a while. They regularly spied on the Careers and waited until they were gone. Then they took everything they could carry with them. The Careers didn’t notice that someone else was regularly stealing their supplies. Instead, they secretly suspected that one of them was the thief. But on the fifth day, they wouldn’t have to worry about their supplies anymore - because Ashton and his district partner planned to finally put their plan into action...

12. Bina Remington (age: 14 | skill: risk-taking | training score: 3 | mentor: Ronan Magnoly | days survived: 4): Female tribute from District 5. Bina was very inquisitive and experimental by nature. This was something she was born with, as her entire family consisted of scientists. Even before she participated in the Games, she had always thought about how she could use her brains to beat her opponents. The boy from District 12 came in handy because he could add to her knowledge while watching her back ("Bombs are basically pent-up energy. We have to find a way to let that energy out at a later time."). Then, at dawn on the fifth day, they went looking for bombs and found them a short time later - two bombs floating side by side in a clearing. Bina and her district partner could hardly believe their eyes when they realized the bombs could be defused. Tentatively, she reached her hand toward one of the bombs and the camera showed her index finger pressing a button above the display and then her hand closing around the bomb. Her district partner did the same with the other bomb ("What are we waiting for? On to the Cornucopia!"). They had thought it all out. The Careers wouldn't be back at the Cornucopia until sunrise because they were going hunting in the meantime. They would place the bombs on each side of the pile of supplies so that all the supplies would explode. Then they would hurl stones they had collected onto the pile to cause a chain reaction, if possible. Sure enough, the Cornucopia was empty. While her district partner placed his bomb, Bina kept an eye out for other tributes. Suddenly the Careers appeared! They hadn’t gone hunting, but had hidden at the edge of the forest, because they had finally understood that a thief regularly tampered with their supplies. Impressed by their cleverness, they ran excitedly toward the two tributes, who had not expected their appearance. Bina turned to her district partner and saw him standing motionless, waiting for the Careers. Determination showed on his face. She understood what he was up to. She stepped back immediately and was already turning when the first Career reached the pile and the whole world blew up. Bina and the Careers were knocked off their feet and flung through the air. Despite the severe burns on her back, Bina picked herself up and ran into the forest. But as the adrenaline rush faded, pain hit her at full force, and she slumped. The cannon went off half an hour later.

11. Shore Shylock (age: 18 | skills: athleticism, crossbow | training score: 10 | mentor: Rivo Blakeley | days survived: 4): Male tribute from District 4. Shore had been the only Career to show the Gamemakers not only his skills with a weapon, but something entirely different as well. He had balanced on a beam and had done a handstand and a somersault on it without losing his balance. He was able to keep a cool head in risky situations and, unlike his fellow competitors, didn't rush into anything. Nevertheless, he knew that his chance of survival was much higher with them. The waters in the arena contained very few fish, but all the more various forms of seafood. But when Shore had filled an entire basket with seafood and offered it to his allies, they had declined and watched in disgust as Shore had prepared the seafood and eaten it with relish. The explosion at the Cornucopia caused him severe burns while his allies escaped with only minor burns. They all showed great distress at the sight of their dying ally, who had protected them all from the bombs and saved their lives but had fallen victim to these bombs himself. Shortly after the cannon had gone off, the girl from District 2 remembered something Shore had told them a few days ago: she opened her water bottle and dripped some water on Shore's face. The other Careers did the same as the hovercraft circled above their heads. This was a funeral ritual in District 4. This was how they paid their last respects to the boy who they owed their lives to.

10. Maeve Somerley (age: 16 | skills: athleticism, herbology | training score: 8 | mentor: Adair Moss | days survived: 8): Female tribute from District 11. Maeve and her district partner were childhood friends. They didn't see each other as friends, but family, since neither had siblings. Although they couldn't have been more different from each other, they completed each other. Perhaps that was the reason why their friendship had lasted so long. Not even their participation in the Hunger Games could break this close friendship. The audience understood by their shocked faces and firm handshake at the Reaping that they were probably no strangers to each other. Caesar Flickerman's question confirmed their assumption ("I believe in fate. And if fate has planned for me to go into the arena with my best friend, then it must have a valid reason. Both of our goals will be to make sure the other makes it back home."). In the arena, Maeve and her district partner showed how serious they were about their promise to each other. Both were selfless and always concerned about the wellbeing of the other. They were also very practical. As an apothecary's daughter, Maeve knew a lot about herbs and was able to throw a delicious herbal soup together in no time. She taught her district partner everything she knew about herbs, a knowledge that was of inestimable value. Since she was lighter than her district partner, she climbed trees to collect fruits or look for other food resources. On the fourth day, they were attacked by a hungry wolf pack because they had unknowingly entered their territory. Maeve jumped in front of her district partner to protect him from a charging wolf, and together they put the wolves to flight. On the sixth day, their friendship was put to test again. Maeve had a high fever and shivering attacks. Her district partner did his best and cared for her, among other things, preparing herbal teas, putting wet rags on her forehead, and trying to bring her fever down with a sweating cure. But both knew that only a proper medication would help her. Her district partner didn't have to think long about how to obtain it ("I'm going to search through the Careers’ supplies." - "You're not going to do that. I don't want you to die because of me. It wouldn't be worth it." - "Who says I'm going to die?" - "I'm serious, Chaff. Please. Don't. I would never forgive you."). Her district partner assured her that he wouldn't do anything, but Maeve still didn't believe him. She was so tired that she kept drifting off to sleep. And her district partner took advantage of that. He gathered firewood and lit it to set the Careers on the wrong track. Then he made his way to the Cornucopia and positioned himself at a safe distance. Time was running, he had to find a cure immediately and return to his hiding place. The Careers noticed the rising smoke and ran into the forest. That was his chance. He ran toward the Cornucopia and rummaged through the supplies. Meanwhile, the Careers had turned back - they had smelled a rat. But he wouldn’t run away. When the Careers were only a few minutes away from the pasture, he finally found what he had been looking for. He jammed the first aid box under his arm and ran back into the woods. Once at his hiding place, he shook his ally by the shoulder ("Maeve, I've got the medicine! Quick, wake up!"). But Maeve didn’t move. He was still shaking her, even though deep down he knew that any help came too late ("Maeve, what's wrong with you?"). When she still didn't move, Chaff panicked ("No! No! Wake up! You can't do this to me! You promised!"). Then he hugged her lifeless body and cried for her.

09. Axle Welmourth (age: 16 | skill: camouflage | training score: 8 | mentor: Yaw Balfour | days survived: 9): Male tribute from District 6. Axle had a great talent for camouflage, but compared to his mentor, a true camouflage artist, he was only an apprentice - Yaw Balfour had owed his victory largely to his camouflage skills. He even taught Axle a few tricks. Axle demonstrated his talent to the Gamemakers by moving from one area to another in the training station for natural habitats, camouflaging himself like a tree, a sandhill or a rock. In the arena, he also camouflaged himself in compliance with his environment. For this purpose, he used solid or moist earth; fruits its juice he squeezed; plants that he rubbed against his body so that their green colour rubbed off on him and things like that. But he was never fully satisfied with himself. He knew that what he actually needed was awaiting him inside the Cornucopia - industrial paints, brushes, adhesives. And to be honest, he also wanted to impress the viewers a little with his talent. After much hesitation, he finally decided to visit the Cornucopia on the fourth day. He spied on the Careers for a while, and when the coast was clear, he ran to the supplies and quickly rummaged through them. Just as he was about to reach for a pack of coal, grinning, he heard footsteps. It was too late; he couldn't run away anymore. Panicking, he looked around for a place to hide and then did something no one had expected: he hid in the pile of supplies! He pulled a crate a little toward him and squeezed himself through the open gap. Inside was a hollow space. The Careers didn't notice anything at all. And so they spent the whole night only a few meters away from another tribute of whose presence they were completely unaware. Fortunately, Axle had camouflaged his clothes with soil, so the bright green colour of his jacket didn't send him to the knife. Afraid the pile would collapse if he pulled out some food, he didn't touch the supplies, but just sat quietly amidst them until the Careers left for the forest again in the early morning hours. But before Axle ran back into the woods, he grabbed as much as he could hold - including the pack of coal. The viewers were blown away! Although Axle was invisible for his opponents even if they went pass him, he was still sensible for the animals roaming the arena. They couldn’t see him either but smell him. Very intensely, with all the industrial colouring on his body. Some decided to stay away from him because either the smell was too much for them or they didn’t trust this unfamiliar smell. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for other, more fearless creatures like wolves. Axle had to change his hiding place several times because the animals wouldn’t leave him alone and follow him around. He was especially cautious at night when the wolves would come out of hiding. It took him a few days to understand why the animals were attracted by him, but it was already too late. Axle ran away from the wolf pack that was chasing him. He intended to jump into a nearby lake but didn’t make it there. Another wolf pack joined the chase, and soon, Axle was encircled by them. When the cannon went off and the hovercraft appeared to collect his ripped body, most viewers preferred to look away.

Day 10: When the boy from District 11 was wandering alone through the woods on the tenth day, he was attacked by vultures outside the entrance to a cave. He ran but didn’t know how to get to safety. Then he suddenly lost the ground under his feet and fell down five meters. He hit the ground hard and stared up: he had fallen down a slope. The boy tried to pick himself up, but then stopped because he felt too dizzy. A few hours later - he had tried to climb up the slope in the meantime - he heard footsteps from above. Someone was standing at the top and staring down at him. He recognized the flaming red hair: it was the girl from District 4. That’s it. It's over. But nothing happened. Then, very slowly, something moved down toward him. Ropes, knotted together. He watched in disbelief as the girl from District 4 lowered the rope to him. The boy from District 11 pulled himself up, and realized that the girl from District 4 had disappeared…

08. Cimber Grove (age: 18 | skills: bodily strength, javelin | training score: 10 | mentor: Brutus Ornathy | days survived: 11): Male tribute from District 2. Cimber was a quarrelsome person by nature. He craved every opportunity that gave him a reason to argue. Not even his district partner was spared from him ("Of course you had to get the girl from District 10 of all people! She was the one we desperately needed in the arena." - "I didn't mean to do it! She got in my way!" - "Don't make me laugh! You can tell those fairy tales to someone else."). Cimber didn't let others boss him around. And when the District 1 boy did just that, he tried to scowl him into silence ("I don't remember any of us appointing you our leader. So you have absolutely nothing to say to me. Besides, I also scored a 10, just like you, if that’s the reason you think of yourself so highly."). But Cimber didn’t stop there. He kept taunting his allies ("Shore, shut up and go catch fish or whatever it is you do in your spare time in District 4." or "I could have sworn I saved another sandwich. I'm sure you ate it, right, Sparkle? You eat so much, as we all know."). His allies just ignored him, which infuriated Cimber even more. But when their nerves were raw after two tributes had blown up their supplies, they couldn't take his malicious comments anymore. The District 1 boy grabbed a knife, pushed Cimber to the ground and stabbed him repeatedly ("Just - shut - your - goddamn - mouth!"). When he was done, he wiped his bloody hands on Cimber's face and then spat in his face. Capitol’s favorite (8th-place).

07. Lysandra Rodd (age: 17 | skills: archery, knife-throwing | training score: 9 | mentor: Severin Quinn | days survived: 11): Female tribute from District 2. Lysandra was the only child of miners whom she wanted to support financially by winning the Hunger Games. That's why she volunteered - much to the dismay of her parents. Lysandra found her district partner as repulsive as the others, but he was from her home district after all, which meant that his victory would be beneficial for her family, if she herself did not survive the Games. Therefore, she tried to mollify the rest of the Careers whenever Cimber criticised them again. Even Lysandra was not spared from his tirades ("So much food. I bet that's all new to you, isn't it, Lysandra? Since you and your family are on the brink of eating each other out of hunger."). When the District 1 boy lunged at her district partner, Lysandra tried to intervene yet again. In response, the District 1 girl rammed a sword into her back from behind, sealing her hopes of victory. Capitol’s favorite (7th-place).

Day 12: The tributes were startled out of their sleep by the sound of fanfares. Xander Holliehopp, the Hunger Games announcer, spoke to them: “Greetings, final contestants. I’m very sorry for breaking your sleep. I just wanted to let you know about a Feast that’s going to take place today at the Cornucopia. We have provided food bags for you that contain everything that you’re longing for! But there’s a twist. Once you’ve reached the Cornucopia, you’ll see only three food bags. That’s three less than the number of tributes who are still in the running. It’s because each food bag is meant for two tributes. I’ll now read out who shares a food bag with whom: first foodbag – Districts 1 and 11; second foodbag – Districts 1 and 10; third foodbag – Districts 4 and 7. So first come, first served! … Oh, I forgot to mention. The Feast starts now. Good luck!” It took a few seconds for the sleepy tributes to realize. Immediately they jumped to their feet and then made their way to the Cornucopia. When they reached the edge of the forest and looked at the Cornucopia, six pairs of eyes could be seen on the screens, looking determinedly at the food bags only forty meters away from them…

06. Leeper Garrison (age: 17 | skills: axe, fire-making | training score: 9 | mentor: Tilia Hemlock | days survived: 12): Male tribute from District 7. Unlike most of his opponents, Leeper operated more cautiously in the arena. Although a thoroughly dangerous opponent, he had been advised by his mentor to take his time and hold back until only a handful of players were left (of course, this suggestion came from none other than Tilia Hemlock herself). But Leeper defied her advice by charging straight into the Cornucopia at the start of the Games, grabbing an axe, and making a run for it. Later, however, because of his guilty conscience, he decided to follow the advice and stayed in his hiding place most of the time. Finding food was difficult for him, but fortunately he had come across peppermint in the forest, which he often used to make tea in order to suppress his hunger. During his time in the arena, Leeper lost weight drastically. He longed for a decent meal that would help him regain his strength - and indeed, on the twelfth day, a glimmer of hope sprouted in him after Xander Holliehopp announced a Feast. Leeper hesitated at first - by now he had become used to spending most of his time in hiding. So he felt a little uncomfortable at the idea of running into the rest of the tributes again. But his empty stomach finally persuaded him to run to the Cornucopia. When he reached the edge of the forest, he was relieved to find that no one had yet touched the food bags on the feast table. Again Leeper defied the advice of his mentor, who had explicitly advised him not to rush, because he was already running towards the plain. Meanwhile, the other tributes had been thinking about the safest way to get their food bags. Only a few more meters, then he would have reached the table. He stretched out his hand and - woosh! An arrow pierced the collar of his jacket and nailed him to the Cornucopia. Leeper, at first completely perplexed, assumed that the Gamemakers had somehow shifted the ground beneath his feet. But then he saw the girl from District 4 running towards him with a bow in her hand and it dawned on him. The girl grabbed the food bag and ran away. The boys from Districts 10 and 11 also appeared but neither deigned to look at Leeper as he helplessly hung over the ground. Then, when the girl from District 1 showed up, Leeper tried even more desperately to free himself from the arrow. In his panic, it didn't even occur to him to simply take off his jacket. When the girl stood in front of him, Leeper kicked at her and swung his axe threateningly, but it was in vain. The girl pierced him with a sword. If Leeper had followed his mentor's advice, he might have even survived the Games - but perhaps he was doomed to fail from the start. Capitol’s favorite (4th-place).

Day 13: The girl from District 4 had set out to drink water from a nearby stream when she was attacked by a brown bear. She ran away and shot an arrow into the bear's chest while still running, but the bear was just too gigantic to go down. Then she ran against a rock wall. The bear continued to head towards her and the girl shot another arrow at it but missed. Paralyzed with fear, she leaned against the rock wall and closed her eyes. But nothing happened. She opened her eyes a little and saw that the bear was lying on the ground. The boy from District 11 stood over it with a bloody knife in his hand. Their eyes met for a second, and then, without saying a word, the boy turned around and ran away.

05. Rowden Cye Thomsy (age: 16 | skills: archery, climbing, herbology | training score: 9 | mentor: Auburn Elsher | days survived: 14): Female tribute from District 4. Rowden Cye (pronounced "rowan sigh") caused a stir from the very beginning. But not because of her talents and not because of her looks, but because of her unusual name ("So... Rowden Cye. Before we start - what's the meaning of your name? I think we're all very curious about it!" - "Well, Rowden derives from the word "rowing". That's what us people from District 4 do as often as breathing. And Cye is my mother's maiden name. She didn't want it to be forgotten. Yes, that's pretty much the story behind my name, Caesar."). The audience was very impressed with her clever answers, and found her very likeable. When asked how she would do in the Games, Rowden Cye replied, "I think I have good chances. After all, I won't be going into the Games alone, I'll be going with my allies. We get along quite well and each of us can contribute something different to the alliance."). This surprised many viewers because they felt Rowden Cye didn't fit in at all with the Career pack. There was something lovely about her - the short, flaming red hair; the freckles; the teal eyes and the warm smile. The other Careers gave the impression of being unpleasant contemporaries. At the start of the Games, Rowden Cye ran straight at the Cornucopia, grabbing everything she could get her hands on, including the only bow in the arena. The District 2 boy ran past her and shouted to Rowden Cye to defend the other side of the Cornucopia ("Yes, I will, let me find a weapon real quick!"). But she didn't seem to care about the rest of the tributes at all. No, she didn’t even notice them. That wasn’t unusual because not every Career set out to kill their opponents immediately. But then Rowden Cye did something that surprised the spectators yet again: she simply ran away. Quite inconspicuously, while the other tributes were still fighting. Later, after the bloodbath was over and the Careers were standing amidst the corpses strewn across the meadow, they finally noticed her absence. It would have been an understatement to say that they had been merely angry. No, they were raging with anger. The boy from District 1 hit the Cornucopia ("That sneaky rat. I'll set her hair on fire once I find her. You can bet your life on it!"). But not all Careers had been surprised by Rowden Cye's betrayal: the District 4 boy had known that Rowden Cye wouldn’t ally with them because she had confided in him just before the Games. Out of loyalty to her and his district, however, he had kept this from the rest of the Career pack ("We don't need them. We could survive on our own." - "Yeah, we could." - "Shore, you know you're a better fighter than all of us." - "So what? There's still no guarantee. Countless Careers have lost their lives because they had decided to fight on their own." - "Well, that's your decision. I just hope that you won't regret it someday."). Rowden Cye had taken several weapons, backpacks and food supplies with her - including the one bow the girl from District 2 had been desperately searching for. In her hiding place - a shelter directly behind a bush that she had camouflaged with leaves and snares - she laughed to herself while examining the contents of the backpacks ("Four idiots at one go!"). The longer the Games went on, the more often she risked things like taking a bath in the lake or frying seafood under the glaring sun. Among other things, she prepared seaweed soup, which caused a mad dash for restaurants in the Capitol that had seaweed soup on the menu. When she spotted the boy from District 11 on the tenth day, she surprised the viewers again by reaching for her backpacks rather than her bow. She took out several ropes and knotted them together. Then she tied the rope around a tree trunk, tied a tight knot, and lowered the other end of the rope to the boy. He was, after all, just a helpless boy who had fallen down a slope. Killing him wouldn't be right. It would be a cowardly thing to do. He deserved a fair fight at which he could defend himself properly. Rowden Cye did so without having ulterior motives, but her mercy and helpfulness towards this boy would pay off later. At the Feast, she nailed the District 7 boy to the Cornucopia. She hadn’t intended to kill him, but merely wanted to stop him from taking her bag of food without hurting him. The fact that she had managed to do this from a considerable distance deeply impressed the Gamemakers. Rowden Cye deserved at least 11 points! The next few days she spent mainly in her hiding place where she rested. She already had enough to eat. But soon she got bored, and although she didn't need it, she went in search of edible plants. Suddenly she heard heavy footsteps - the pair from District 1 appeared among the trees! Rowden Cye turned around and ran toward the Cornucopia. Arriving on the plain, she turned and shot an arrow at the girl from District 1, hitting her in the right shoulder. Then she aimed at her district partner, but he had gotten too close, so Rowden Cye drew her sword and engaged in a fight with the boy, as a result of which she slashed the boy's chest. The girl from District 1, in the meantime, continued examining her wound. But a little later, she, too, joined in. Rowden Cye did her best and wounded both tributes without taking any damage herself. But she knew that couldn't last forever. She tried to knock their weapons out of their hands, and managed to do that with the boy from District 1, when the girl from District 1 stabbed her with her sword. The viewers were endlessly saddened by her death, but also impressed by the two tributes from District 1 who had managed to eliminate such a dangerous opponent. Capitol’s favorite (1st-place).

04. Sair Barnard (age: 15 | skills: food procurement, practicality, trapping | training score: 8 | mentor: Falcon Seafield | days survived: 16): Male tribute from District 10. Sair had a very interesting face: almost every inch of his face was covered with brown freckles, his eyebrows were uneven and bushy, and his large, dark brown eyes were speckled with green and yellow. That Sair had survived the bloodbath at all was a miracle, because he had been very close to being killed by the girl from District 2. When he saw his district partner slide to the ground a few meters away, he stopped in horror. He hadn’t had much to do with her, but that she of all people had died instead of him made him sad. For a moment, Sair and the girl from District 2 looked at each other, and when the girl lashed out with another knife, Sair turned around abruptly and zigzagged away. A few hours later, he came across livestock in a pasture, and, smiling from ear to ear, he ran at them. He had helped out on a farm in District 10. But suddenly the cows, sheep and goats roared out and chased him all over the pasture. Sair jumped over the electrified fence at the last moment, saving himself from certain death. Shocked, he stared at the mutts that were staring at him hostilely from the other side of the fence. This wasn’t his lovely home. This was the cruel reality he was faced with. He had seen the true colours of the arena. From then on, he moved more deliberately in this new environment that always had a surprise in store, and approached everything with the utmost scepticism. Although he had initially assumed that the arena wouldn’t be very different from his home, Sair realized that the opposite was the case: the arena offered very few food resources, and he didn’t know much about edible plants. After he couldn’t catch any prey with his traps, he, too, was drawn to the Feast at the Cornucopia, where he almost died. Sair had run onto the plain and snatched the food bag. But at that moment, the knife of the girl from District 1, who shared a food bag with him, had pierced his ankle. Sair fell to the ground lengthwise. The boy from District 11, who had already grabbed his food bag and turned around, stopped and looked down at Sair. Then he shouldered him and ran back into the forest. There he put Sair back down and was already turning to leave when Sair held him back ("No, don't leave me. Please, don’t."). Please. Don't. The same words his district partner had said just before she died. The District 11 boy stopped without turning to Sair ("I can't." - "Maybe you'll think differently after I have shown you what I'm capable of." - "That's not… That’s not the reason." - "Then let me thank you." - "You don’t have to. I won't be able to protect you, anyway."). The boy from District 11 walked a few steps before stopping again ("Since I've been in this arena, I've been alone. I just can't get used to this loneliness. I promise you that I won't be a burden to you. And to be honest, you remind me of my brother. Please, Chaff." - "Fine. But you’ll keep your promise, all right?"). A new alliance had been formed from which both sides benefited. Sair told the boy about his discoveries, for example, the mutated livestock. The boy showed Sair edible plants. But one thing in particular had piqued the interest of the boy from District 11 ("Bombs, you say? Where are those bombs?" - "In the deep forest. They float. Why? … You're not planning on searching for them, are you?" - "Why not?" - "The girl from District 9 was torn to pieces." - "Too bad for the girl from District 9."). The boy was obviously serious. A day later, they found a bomb. Sair stood behind a tree, but his ally kept walking toward the bomb. After deactivating the bomb, he simply put it in his pocket! He did the same with another bomb a little further away. Sair stared at the boy in dismay ("Are you out of your mind?" - "If you can manually deactivate the bombs, you can manually reactivate them." - "And what if you accidentally activate them?" - "Then I'll be blown to pieces. But that‘s my problem, isn't it?"). The boy from District 11 stowed the bombs in a tree trunk, into which he had previously carved a cavity with a knife. They spent the following days walking around, collecting fruits and plants, and further examining the arena. Sair was curious about how the boy’s district partner had died, and after hesitating for a while, he finally dared to ask the boy. But the latter ignored his question and lay down to sleep. On the last day in the arena, Sair and his ally were wandering in the woods again when they were surprised by the tribute pair from District 1... Capitol’s favorite (5th-place).

03. Sparkle Rednam (age: 18 | skills: sword fighting, knives | training score: 10 | mentor: Lovejoy Fair | days survived: 16): Female tribute from District 1. When Sparkle stepped onto the stage at the Reaping and the cameras pointed at her, she made an unkempt appearance. Her hair looked like it hadn't been combed in days, her clothes were worn out, and the colour of her shoes was almost faded. While hardly any tributes mounted the stage in brand-new and spick-and-span clothing, at least they paid attention to a neat appearance; after all, the whole country would be watching them. Additionally, Sparkle lived in District 1, where people were a lot better off and meticulously paid attention to their appearance. Caesar Flickerman, who was an expert in human nature, brought this up during the interview as well, but in a very discreet way ("How do you like the clothes people wear here in the Capitol?" - "Mundane things like fashion aren’t really my cup of tea. What do I get from being a pretty fighter? Nothing. What really matters is your brains."). Her serious and reserved attitude intimidated some of her fellow competitors. In the arena, she also demonstrated how fearless she was. She had no trouble combing the vast cornfields for tributes or searching for food in the caves, whereas her allies shied away from it. Sparkle also joined the Feast, intending to collect the two food bags that were meant for her and her district partner. Her district partner was secretly glad that he only had to stand guard and not run toward the Cornucopia himself. But Sparkle was too late: the boys from Districts 10 and 11 had already run back into the forest with their food bags. She ran after them for a while, but lost sight of them. Angrily, she returned and told her district partner about it. Then both looked at the sky and held out their hands expectantly. But the sponsors didn’t want to reward their tardiness. Soon, they would have their revenge on the two boys… Capitol’s favorite (6th-place).

02. Emerald Shadis (age: 17 | skills: close combat, herbology, sword fighting | training score: 10 | mentor: Tulip Marylle | days survived: 16): Male tribute from District 1. Emerald golden hair fell wavelike on his shoulders. His emerald eyes were stunningly beautiful. He had broken his nose several times during training in District 1. The viewers knew from the start that this boy would make it very far. Surprisingly, he wasn’t only good with weapons, but also with plants. In District 1, he had helped out in his parents' flower store and often collected plants of all kinds for them. This made him an even more dangerous opponent because he knew about medicinal plants, and thus, didn’t have to rely on medicine from the Cornucopia or sponsors, as was usually the case with most of the Careers. During his interview with Caesar Flickerman, however, he didn’t reveal his secret talent ("Most people probably think I only have a knack for weapons. But that's not true, so get ready for a surprise in the arena!"). That way, he kept the audience on tenterhooks who were eager to find out what his secret talent was. It was also the perfect way to attract the attention of potential sponsors. Whenever one of his allies had a stomach aches, was exhausted, or felt unwell for some other reason, he would prepare an herbal mixture in no time. He did this not because he cared so much about the wellbeing of his allies, but because he wanted to impress the viewers, and he did - he collected the most sponsoring gifts of all tributes. However, he knew he couldn’t feed on plants all the time. His craving for a real meal lured him to the Feast, at which both he and his district partner went empty-handed. Once again, a tribute had scored them off - the boy from District 11 of all people! That was enough. He would make sure they would receive their punishment... Capitol’s favorite (3rd-place).

01. Chaff Morten (age: 17 | skills: bodily strength, food procurement, practicality, resourcefulness, stamina | training score: 10 | mentor: Seeder Augury | days survived: 16): Victor of the 45th Hunger Games from District 11. Chaff’s family belonged to the upper middle class, thanks to his father’s job as the gardener of District 11’s mayor. However, Chaff regularly helped out in the orchards for extra money. His life was marked by tragic losses. His mother and infant sister had both died in childbirth and his grandfather had died of the flu. Chaff had been a little boy back then. In the years that followed, he quickly got used to it, and death became a part of his life. He was very talkative and sociable. Although hardly anyone laughed at his jokes, it still made him special. Despite delivering one joke after another during his interview with Caesar Flickerman (and even raising a laugh), he was perceived as a serious opponent by his opponents. And rightly so, for he was tall and well-built. Added to this was his extensive knowledge of plants, his extraordinary stamina, and many years of practice with scythes, which he had used regularly during his work in the orchards. The Careers had watched him out of the corner of their eyes until on the third day of training, they had brought themselves to propose an alliance to him. Since Chaff was always found in the company of his district partner, they made the offer to her as well. Chaff replied that he would reconsider the offer, but neither he nor his district partner were interested in an alliance with the Careers. In truth, they deliberately kept the Careers in the dark, and made fun of them. That didn’t escape the Careers’ notice: the tribute pair from District 1 was particularly furious over the fact that tributes coming from District 11, a slum, were making fun of them. During the bloodbath, he ran straight into the Cornucopia, shouldering a backpack and picking up a knife before running into the woods where his district partner was already waiting for him. They explored the arena together, and never left each other’s side. After her death, Chaff was in shock. He stopped eating and wandered around the arena disorientated until a fall from a slope brought him to his senses. After being rescued by the girl from District 4, he vowed to repay that debt. He hated owing anyone anything. The boy from District 10 reminded him of his district partner whom he hadn’t been able to help. His presence reassured him, and sometimes he imagined that his district partner was sitting in his place instead. Chaff had initially rejected this alliance because he was afraid of losing an ally again. But part of him just couldn't help it. The death of the girl from District 4 saddened him, but he didn't let it show. The viewers would understand that he was crying for his childhood friend, but they would certainly not show him the same understanding again for someone else. On the last day, Chaff and his district partner went in search of edibles. While his district partner searched for edible plants below, Chaff climbed a tree to collect its fruit. But they were not alone there. "Thieves must be punished!" said the girl from District 1 with a sardonic grin before she cut off Chaff's left hand with her sword. She had been waiting for him in the tree. Chaff fell to the ground and saw his ally slide to the ground with a knife stuck in his stomach, right in front of the boy from District 1. Chaff turned around and ran away. The tributes from District 1 took up the chase. But Chaff was fast, even though he was missing a hand and lost a lot of blood. “Give up, Chaff!” the boy from District 1 shouted behind him, “If we don’t kill you, your hand will!” He was absolutely right. There was now a glaring hole where once his hand used to be. Chaff took off his shirt and wrapped it around the wound to stop the gush of blood - he probably had a few minutes left before he would eventually die of blood loss. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at their sweaty faces and tousled blond hair. But he also saw the sparkle in their emerald green eyes and a triumphant smile playing on their lips. Not yet. He still had one last move left. Chaff ran to his previous hiding place and hid behind a tree. "Seriously?" the girl from District 1 said, laughing. "All this way we ran for nothing? So you could just hide behind a tree?" Suddenly, something flew through the air and landed right at the feet of the tributes from District 1. They stared at the silver spheres lying on the ground, but by the time they had realized what it was, it was too late. With a deafening BOOM!, the two bombs detonated, tearing the District 1 tributes to pieces. Chaff fell to the ground. His face was pale, and he was no longer moving. The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere, collected him and the doctors scrambled to save Chaff's life. If the victor died, they too would pay with their lives....

After his victory, Chaff changed. He was no longer the joyful boy he once was. Only when he was drunk again did that boy show up again, the boy he had locked away years ago. He didn't talk about his Games to anyone, for he lived through them enough in his nightmares. Maeve - Sair - Rowden Cye. He never forgot those names, their faces. How could he? They followed him wherever he went. Five years later, a boy won the Games who had been through a similar experience. This boy was one of the few he could confide in because he could relate to his pain. His name was Haymitch Abernathy. Capitol’s favorite (2nd-place).

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*Capitol favorites attracted Capitol citizens’ (and therefore whole Panem’s) attention the most. Various reasons for this included their unique skills, impressive deeds or exciting storylines. More screen time made it easier for them to survive in the arena compared to less noticed tributes (e.g. in terms of sponsor gifts). Also, there was a lower risk for them to be exposed to the Gamemaker’s arbitrariness (e.g. mutts, different dangers) due to contributing to the viewer’s excitement. The higher their placement (1st, 2nd, 3rd…), the better. Nevertheless, the possibility of encountering dangers in the arena was never completely ruled out.

Sorry for any language mistakes. English is not my native language. Please let me know about any mistakes I have made.

I’d be grateful for your feedback! I spend A LOT of time writing all of this, so I’d really like to know what you think.

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Finished recaps: The 1st, 6th, 16th, 25th, 36th, 45th, 49th, 50th, 65th, 66th, 68th, 69th, 70th, and 71st Hunger Games

Upcoming recaps: The 22nd, 62nd, 72nd, 73rd, and 74th Hunger Games

#hunger games #catching fire #mockingjay #thg #panem #suzanne collins #fanfiction #survival

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