Eila was her name, Eila Pender. Aged 17, she was almost free of the Games. She was an odd girl, with wide eyes and an inquisitive nature. She kept to herself mostly, climbing trees and singing to the birds. When her name was called at the Reaping, no-one volunteered. No-one wept.

Then the male was called—Aykon Ghart—and everyone forgot all about Eila Pender. Aykon was 16, and incredibly popular. The hometown hero, if you will, of District 7. Everyone liked Aykon, with his charming personality and smile. He was not, however, well-liked enough to be saved. No-one volunteered to take his place either.

When it came time to say goodbye to their families and friends, Aykon was overwhelmed with well-wishers, while Eila's only visitors were her parents. Her mother sat like stone while her father warbled on about Aykon.

"District 7 might finally stand a chance after all. He's good with an axe, that one. Can throw them well enough, at least. He will be the one to get sponsors, believe you me."
Eila ignored him.

Eila had been a write-off from the beginning. When she was young, her quiet nature and wide eyes had often been regarded as a sign that she might have been a little slow. Her mother, rather than face the fact that her daughter was just different, kept up the pretence. She would have much rather have been regarded as the hero mother, raising a slow child than as a failure of a mother, raising a strange child who had more interest in birds and water than in trees.
Eila was quite intelligent, however, and she used being "slow" as an excuse to miss school to go looking through the woods that the lumberjacks had not yet reached. She also had never worked a day in her life, meaning that she was even less of an advantage, with no hard muscle to help keep her alive in the Games.

When the two tributes reached the Capitol, they were silent. Aykon had made some attempts to talk to the strange girl, but she had been unresponsive, plaiting and unravelling the same section of hair. Eventually, he had turned to their mentor, Blight, for advice. Blight had also been unresponsive and so Aykon had decided on his own plan for the Games. He was intent on winning, getting home to his family. Even if that meant killing Eila, the girl his parents had warned him away from.
"Don't talk to her Aykon; she's not right in the head. Don't you bother her, you hear? It's not her fault she is the way she is. You respect that, and be polite. But don't go seeking her out."
He was determined to win, but he felt bad for Eila.

That night, when he was unable to sleep, Aykon wandered out to the living room of the place they were staying. He meant to sit in silence, but he heard the most beautiful voice. It was Eila.
He had heard the song once, in school. It was a lullaby, thought to be from the days before Panem.
Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles await you when you rise;
Sleep, pretty baby, do not cry,
And l will sing you a lullaby.
He crept from the room, running to his bed. Her voice was haunting, but strangely calming.

Aykon severely hoped he would not have to kill her.

The opening ceremonies brought matching outfits. She was in a long, flowing green dress and he was in a brown suit with a green shirt and brown tie. Thick green eye makeup and flowers woven into their hair added to the effect, making them look like gods. Nature gods. Aykon wasn't very impressed, Eila didn't indicate either like or dislike but the crowds loved it. They rode in their chariot, Aykon hoping that they were god-like enough to have an effect on potential sponsors. Eila stayed silent, her blood-red hair shining in contrast to the light dress. When Aykon stepped off the chariot, he helped her down so she wouldn't hurt herself. She then startled him with a quiet "thank you", before rushing off, pushing past a confused Blight. The mentor raised his eyebrows at Aykon, but he just shrugged. She had never spoken to him before, but he wouldn't let it bother him.

Training left Eila, yet again, as a write-off. She could not throw a spear or an axe, or shoot a bow. She could not even tie a simple knot. Her score was 3. His was 9.

For the interviews she wore a long white dress, and held herself daintily; almost princess-like in her movements. For the first time, Aykon realised that she was, in fact, very beautiful. The interviewer, a seemingly immortal Caesar Flickerman, was very kind to her. She talked about her score (possibly low on purpose, maybe not), her hair colour (natural and incredibly gorgeous according to a jealous Caesar) and her singing voice (she didn't know how anyone knew about it, she hadn't sung around people since she was 4). The audience were quite taken with her. She was quiet, but when she did speak, it shocked Aykon. She was wonderfully fanciful and obviously intelligent. He wondered why she had let everyone think she was slow for so long. Then it was his turn to walk, up the stairs and out onto the stage. He played it seriously and calmly, and was very calculated in his movements and words. He left the spotlight, hoping at least one person had considered him for sponsoring.

Then the morning came and they were standing on the pedestals, waiting for the countdown. The bloodbath was overwhelming, leaving 9 tributes dead within 3 hours. Somehow, Aykon and Eila both survived.
The arena was a bog, with thick mud that pulled you under if you walked too slowly.

2 tributes didn't walk fast enough.

Sparse bushes dotted the landscape, providing little cover. But if you made it through the bog, you found yourself on solid ground, in a forest. Eila hid in the trees, up in the branches, close to the edge of the forest. All the careers (the boy and girl from 1, the boy from 2, the boy from 4, and Aykon) assumed she'd be further in, hiding out.

Within another two days, the careers had killed 5 other tributes, leaving only themselves, Eila, and two others. That night, while the careers were sleeping, arrogantly assuming no-one would attack them, Aykon struck. He had been on guard duty, with weapons of a small axe and a knife. He covered each careers mouth and nose with his hand and cut their necks, one by one. He walked away only with a few scratch marks to the face and bite marks on his hand. Eila witnessed the whole thing.

Aykon survived on the food from the careers' packs for the next 2 days before he ran out. In the middle of contemplating how soon his death would come, he heard a rustle to his left. He quickly followed the sound, his axe in-hand and ready to throw. He came upon Eila eating berries, the juice running down her chin as she shovelled them into her mouth. She paused and then bolted, running silently through the trees. He threw the axe half-heartedly behind her, knowing it would miss. He then set his sights on the bushes before him.
Those berries kept him well fed and he even stored some in his bag, thinking how lucky it was that he had heard her.

Before long, he found the other tributes. One had lit a fire to keep himself warm, and his smoke was an easy trail.
"I'm sorry," Aykon had said, before plunging the knife into the boy's chest.
The girl had put up a fight, shooting arrows at him and throwing knives. She was obviously not well trained though, and within minutes, she too was dead.
The boom of the cannon rang out, and Eila dropped from a tree behind him silently.

"It's just us now," she said, startling him.
"Just us."
She appeared to be weapon-less and he had only his knife, which was barely 2 inches long. He silently apologised to her parents, to his district and mostly, to her, before pulling it out.
She smiled softly and said, "Goodbye Aykon. Wish everyone well for me."
He barely had time to blink before she pulled a large knife from her belt and plunged it into her stomach.

Aykon was the victor, crowned and glorified. Loved and adored. Completely alone. Adjusting is never easy for a victor, especially after watching through the highlights of the games. Eila watching him as he killed the careers. Eila deliberately making sounds while eating berries, waiting for him to come. Eila, saying her last goodbyes as he killed the other two tributes.
I'm sorry mom and dad, for being so difficult. I'm sorry District 7, for never working or attending school. I'm sorry Aykon, I wish it could play out differently, but it can't. You have to go home, at whatever price. You deserve to live.

Aykon's sanity was slipping, degrading rapidly. Blight helped as much as possible, but even he could not console Aykon when the next year Caesar was sporting blood-red hair. Eila was somewhat of a hero in the Capitol, killing herself so Aykon could live. Caesar was not alone in his choice of hair colour. Watching the tributes he mentored die in the first 2 days didn't help much either.

On one dark winter morning, just before the Reaping for the 73rd Annual Hunger Games was to take place, Blight found Aykon dead. He had hung himself, but Aykon was dead inside long before he ever tied that noose. Guilt, the Capitol, President Snow and that song had eaten away at him.

He had lasted almost 5 years since the games. Blight thought that was possibly a record; most victors died within a year, either by their own hands, or by the Capitol's. Blight had survived so long only through heavy drinking and a false sense of hope.

One month later, Blight joined the rebellion.