The hunger games, the collection of any hope of freedom in Panem, the hunger games end up with nothing but a pile of bodies and one now blood covered, black willed winner who can spend the rest of their pathetic lives regretting what they have done.
Its almost time for the 44th hunger games...44...have we really been doing so much killing for so long and for what, so the capitol can show their strength against the starving, poor herd that rabble around the streets, I think by now president snow has seen to that, no now its just an excuse for that bastard snow to look at young people getting brutally slaughtered, I think he gets off on it, the blood pouring out the weak lifeless bodies, all the memories and hopes of the new corpse that was once a human spilling into a lake of red black liquid.
I'm the grandson of micallus hayfitt a former rebel who fought against the capital in the rebellion, when the rebellion failed he fought bravely but for nothing, the rebellion was now dead, his men killed and his hopes crushed, by the time the capitol forces had disarmed him and stuck a Sharpe spear through his shoulder down past his organs and out the knee everything my grandfather wanted to achieve was now as dead as he was, after he died my family was rounded up and my young 16 year old father was allowed to stay in his home in district 1, but he was forced into the selection for the new hunger games, he wasn't chosen for the first hunger games and so tried to make a living in district one, through the constant hate and humiliation he suffered from capitol loyalists he lived on until the third hunger games were he was selected as the male tribute from district 1, he went into the hunger games and actually won, after he won he was given money and peace for once in his life, he met my mother, they had three children the oldest my older sister cystella, then there was me Balthar and finally my younger sister Hannelore.
we thought life would be normal, for once a normal life, we forgot of what came before, we forgot of all the war and rebellion and even the hunger games, we lived happy and peaceful lives, until the 32nd. we gathered in district 1 centre like usual, everyone had to when the hunger games came round, we watched as children went of to be killed, we just tried to ignore the tributes and the whole games all together but this year it was different as the female tribute was being called out my sister and mom were talking about her getting a job and boyfriend and moving out but then the voice of the announcer erupted "cystella hayfitt!" my mum and sister stopped talking and stood stone still until her name was erupted again and she walked up to the stage gripping on to my mothers hand until the last second and all I remember was her distraught face, I was only 6 but I still remember it clearly, I don't know why but at that point I chose to begin a massive and belching cry that was then drowned out by the announcer.
Everyday that the hunger games went on we gathered around the TV holding each other, while the memory of my sisters choosing was clear in my head despite how small I was the next days all seemed to blur together, once the hunger games started we saw her survive and fight and run and cry and bleed, she managed to survive 3 days, by this point she had already killed three other tributes, the first if I remember was a nice clear spear to the knee and then to the head while on the weapons stand, the second was a youngish man who tried to rape her, he was noticeably strong and overpowered my sister, when he pushed her to the ground we thought she was dead but then he started to undress her forcefully, we closed our eyes not wanting to see what was happening, I was young so at the I didn't know what was happening it was years later I found out, as he pushed his way on her, the smug look on his face was unbearable but then cystella pulled out a knife and stabbed in right in the manhood, she pushed him off before cutting his neck, she managed to dodge all other contact for the next couple of days until a surprise arrow hit her in the shoulder, she reacted quick enough to dodge the second before throwing her spear into the bush, a squirm of bloody guts fell out the bush and the body of a man close behind, it was going so well, we started to fool ourselves into believing she might win, but then while she was drinking water from a stream, the white water of the beautiful, majestic stream was tainted by her ruby blood mixing so roughly with the water, an arrow, this time a direct hit, as her body fell the room went silent and after the moment lingered far too long the announcer called this man the winner, he was such a pathetic man, even disregarding how he killed my sister he was short and pale, skinny and sly, his massive brown toothed smile grew larger than his face like a ugly snake wrapping around the head and it was all over, silence still fell in our house until my mother whimpered and walked into the next room.
That memory was still very clear to me, every time the hunger games came around I was more and more nervous, each year hoping others to do to die instead of me, that's what these "games" do to you, you wish for others to die and you live on.
I was 18 now by the time of the 44th hunger games, I thought this year was going to be ironic, 44 is my favourite number for some reason, I don't know why, but I had my life together now and I was not going to let the hunger games get in my way, I had already graduated school with great grades and was being fast tracked up the ranks, even with my families past it didn't seem to matter, I had a brilliant job I loved, I was still living at home but our house was so big since its from my dad winning the 3rd hunger games, I could live in the same house and never see my parents it was so big, by now I was a average height man, blue eyes and poufy ear length black hair, and if I do say so very good looking, in fact so good looking all the girls had decided that I was so out their league they wouldn't even try asking me out, at least that's what I always told myself.
My father now 60 was a big man serious half the time and jolly the other half, he had a short white beard and hints o black still clinging to his white hair, my mother was younger and still had all her black hair, she was smaller than my dad and not jolly at all, she faked a smile with my younger sister but was black inside. my sister now 7 was half my height, blond and puffy, still innocent and unaware of the hunger games she might one day be a part of.
The day before the selection I left for work like a normal Friday, I passed on pleasantries with my co-workers and worked ruthlessly at my office, I was only 18 but a hard worker, I didn't have my fathers tough features he got from years of manual labour, instead I had soft hands of pampered boy, my father said I had the hands of a baby and would be better at massages then digging or building or chopping that my dad was good at, he was right, I worked typing numbers into computers and then managing the diamond line, I felt the smooth diamond for quality, the diamonds was like my hand, untainted, sparkling and protected. when the work day was over I walked home, like normal, and entered home like normal and went to bed like normal, and like normal my mum woke me up at 8 for some supper.
For supper I was having some lovely curry, my favourite, this was not normal, I only get curry on very special days, was today a special day, I didn't think it was but then my mum spoke.
"so how was work"
"fine I guess, why? I know something's up
"nothing just getting you ready" she avoided my eyes
"for what" I was confused
"the hunger games, I don't trust the government and neither should you" she crooned
"I wont be selected, we've had 2 tributes from our family, we aren't unlucky enough to have any more" I sceptically repondered
"the government hate us, we were one if not the only family that rebelled from district 1, they will not let it go, not until you and Hanne are dead" my mums anger rose
"ill be fine I wont get chosen, ill live and so will Hanne" I was even more sceptical, I finished my curry and went to bed, my mums concerns tried to sneak into my mind but I fought them back and carried on my slumber.