The 8th Hunger Games


INTRODUCTION

The country was spun into a ten day-long period of national mourning when President Cornelius Wayne was assassinated by a District 9 man who was infuriated at his decision to enact the Hunger Games upon the citizens of Panem. Why it took him eight years to actually carry out the deed we may never know, but he was tried and hanged for his crime nonetheless. Many district citizens saw this as an opportunity for a rebellion, a spark that could be nurtured into a roaring flame. Riots sprung up around the country in uncontrollably large numbers. Thousands were killed. But, after almost six months, the attempted rebellion was defeated by the Capitol. The man who took Cornelius' place was a very curious and clever man, with keen and intelligent eyes. His name was Syrio Chandler, and he appointed a new Head Gamemaker: a forty year-old woman named Rhea Szasz. Rhea in turn appointed a team of about thirty gamemakers, and they all met up to create a new grand arena. The arena was a mountain range. Huge mountains stretched to the sky, their tops capped with snow. At the feet of the massive mountains was a lush green field bursting with lovely flowers of every color imaginable that covered the entire arena. An assortment of cool streams scissored through the arena that would provide the tributes with a sufficient source of water. The entire arena was surrounded by a roaring river so loud it left a thumping sound in the tribute's ears if they went near it. The sky was spotlessly blue. During the daytime the arena was a very comfortable temperature: a warm and constant stream of sunlight curtained the arena, interrupted by the very frequent, cool breezes. At night, the temperature of the arena was unimaginably cold; in some parts of the arena it was twenty degrees below zero at night. In order to avoid mass hypothermia deaths in the nighttime, the gamemakers filled the field in front of the cornucopia with heating packs, coats, water heaters, and hot water bottles. In previous years all of the supplies were inside of the cornucopia, but now it was the first year that the supplies were in the field. However, the items increased in value the further away they were from the tribute's pedestals. The District 1 male instantly captured the audience's attention as the strongest tribute; he was attractive, confident, and had the highest odds of winning. The District 1 female was very tall for her age, and equally valued the physical aspects of battle as the mental aspects of battle. The District 2 male received the highest training score, which is actually quite ironic because he did not seem as strong or confident as the District 1 male who had received a lower score. The District 2 female received the lowest score of all the careers, something that she was a bit ashamed of. However, she revealed in her interview with the master of ceremonies that she was determined to show the audience what she was made of in the arena. Here are the tributes:

District 1: Osmond Cyders, 18, (9) 6-1 and Brandi Coyne, 17, (8) 9-1

District 2: Cyrus Purcell, 18, (10) 5-1 and Vesta Weldon, 16, (7) 11-1

District 3: Diget Waldor, 16, (4) 30-1 and Omicron Kaufman, 18, (5) 25-1

District 4: Blue Giron, 15, (6) 16-1 and Kathline Ayera, 15, (7) 14-1

District 5: Randolph Phizesquirol, 17, (5) 19-1 and Darci Ganong, 18, (4) 16-1

District 6: Rodney Marchan, 16, (2) 31-1 and Calara McKlure, 13, (1) 51-1

District 7: Theodore Vasqa, 17, (6) 18-1 and Camille Stroud, 14, (2) 38-1

District 8: Chriss Stager, 12, (2) 68-1 and Leah Velichansky, 18, (3) 15-1

District 9: Quinn Bracker, 16, (6) 19-1 and Kiera Rifkin, 14, (2) 38-1

District 10: Aiden Tiejo, 12, (1) 283-1 and Trino Bileau, 18, (3) 21-1

District 11: Cane Ashley, 17, (5) 20-1 and Elppaenip Ram, 13, (3) 49-1

District 12: Koltin Lynx, 15, (2) 38-1 and Laurel Thurms, 18, (4) 30-1


THE GAMES

The tributes emerged into the mountainous landscape shocked and confused as to why the field in front of the cornucopia was filled with supplies. It soon sank in that it was on purpose and that the gamemakers wanted the tributes to have ready access to much-needed supplies.

The gong played its familiar note in the distance, and the tributes were off. Not a single tribute fled away from the horn. Perhaps they realized that whatever was provided must be important or the gamemakers wouldn't have placed it right in front of their pedestals. They could not be more right.

While most of the outer district tributes were distracted collecting backpacks and cases and the like, the careers were darting towards the very mouth of the horn to gather weapons that were essential for killing. When Blue reached the cornucopia, he received a curved blade about a foot long with a menacingly jagged edge. Silently prancing over to a girl who was leaning over to pick up a backpack, Blue lifted the blade into the air and then brought it down, sinking it into the girl's back before she had enough time to scream.

Trino Bileau, District 10 Female: 24th, Killed by Blue, Bloodbath

Osmond, the tribute who had made an impression to the audience as the strongest tribute, though back to how they had snubbed Kathline from the career pack because of her weakness. Knowing that she would keep pestering them repeatedly, Osmond picked up a bow and arrow off of a nearby table and aimed for Kathline, who was in the cornucopia riffling through a blue crate of water bottles. Osmond nocked an arrow in his bow and released it. His aim was perfect, and the tip of the projectile sank into the poor girl's back as she fell forward and died.

Kathline Ayera, District 4 Female: 23rd, Killed by Osmond, Bloodbath

Now at the cornucopia and grabbing up as many weapons as possible was Brandi. Brandi was in the process of shoving weapons into an empty backpack when he saw a tribute dart across the mouth of the cornucopia. The opportunity was too sweet to resist. Brandi picked up a set of shurikens off of a nearby table and darted out of the cornucopia, hurling them at the back of the tribute's neck as a spray of blood exploded from the puncture site.

Theodore Vasqa, District 7 Male: 22nd, Killed by Brandi, Bloodbath

In the field in front of the cornucopia, a girl sat hurriedly riffling through a backpack and taking inventory of its contents. Vesta, wielding a spear, pounced up upon the girl and planted the weapon into her back as she howled in pain, desperately attempting to remove the weapon from her skin. She bled out and passed away soon after.

Laurel Thurms, District 12 Female: 21st, Killed by Vesta, Bloodbath

In a very prone position in the mouth of the cornucopia sat a boy tearing open backpacks and looking for something. Cyrus, seeing an easy opportunity to make his first kill, snuck up upon the boy wielding a menacing, jagged edged dagger. However, the boy's keen sense of hearing heard Cyrus sneaking up upon him, so he grabbed a dagger of his own off of a nearby table and plunged it into Cyrus' chest in self-defense. Cyrus' bloody corpse collapsed on top of him before he had time to scramble away. However, after a few seconds he was free.

Cyrus Purcell, District 2 Male: 20th, Killed by Diget, Bloodbath

After receiving all of the supplies he needed, Cane turned sharply on his heel and began storming away from the cornucopia into the mountainous landscape beyond. However, it was a mistake for him to run in a prone position: a completely straight line with his back to the cornucopia. Osmond saw Cane as an easy target and so shot an arrow, which sunk into the tender flesh between his shoulder blades as he fell forwards onto the rocky ground.

Cane Ashley, District 11 Male: 19th, Killed by Osmond, Bloodbath

Leah, weaponless, crouched behind a crate in the cornucopia with hopes to wait out the bloodbath and come out once it was all over. Unlucky for her, however, Darci saw Leah walk into the cornucopia. Knowing that his odds of winning would increase the more killing he did, Darci picked up a long metal baton and smashed it across Leah's face, effectively shattering her skull and killing her.

Leah Velichansky, District 8 Female: 18th, Killed by Darci, Bloodbath

It was when the career alliance all met together in one pack to hunt down their next unlucky victims when the next few kills were made. Blue's curved blade easily tore apart a boy's tiny frame.

Criss Stager, District 8 Male: 17th, Killed by Blue, Bloodbath

Brandi's shurikens sent a girl soundlessly to the ground when they entered her chest.

Elppaenip Ram, District 11 Female: 16th, Killed by Brandi, Bloodbath

Vesta then split off from the career pack for the time being in favor of going solo for a bit and ratting out the few remaining tributes. Vesta ran into the cornucopia and picked up a crossbow complete with a quiver of arrows and a stand. She ran into the horn and crouched down behind a black suitcase, planning to fire arrows at any weary tribute that either wandered into the cornucopia or walked in front of the entrance. Within the next few minutes she had made a satisfying two kills and left her hiding place, rejoining her allies.

Calara McKlure, District 6 Female: 15th, Killed by Vesta, Bloodbath

Quinn Bracker, District 9 Male: 14th, Killed by Vesta, Bloodbath

The careers were able to score one more kill during the bloodbath; Osmond's arrow found its target in the back of a girl who was scrambling away from the cornucopia in a panic.

Omicron Kaufman, District 3 Female: 13th, Killed by Osmond, Bloodbath

The careers counted twelve dead bodies surrounding the cornucopia, equating to twelve deaths in the bloodbath. The vast majority of the tributes were well equipped with supplies that would help them to survive the frigid nights to come. Those that didn't were in for an unpleasant surprise.

The night of Day 1 was brutal. The wind was so strong that some of the tributes had to bury their feet in rocks to keep from being blown away. The snow shot through the air like bullets, stabbing into the tribute's eyes. The temperature was highest at about ten o'clock, at about ten degrees. At two in the morning, it was about five degrees below zero. The next morning, the tributes that did not have adequate protection from the bitter cold began to show symptoms of hypothermia. However, there were actually no deaths the rest of Day 1. The morning of Day 2 was very warm; a cozy seventy degrees. It warmed the tributes to the bone.

The second day saw two deaths. The first was from a weary tribute that tried to sneak a sleeping bag out of the cornucopia behind the career's backs, but was spotted and had his chest torn apart by Brandi's shurikens.

Randolph Phizesquiral, District 5 Male: 12th, Killed by Brandi, Day 2

The second death occurred when a girl tumbled into a twenty yard-deep crevice and had no way to escape. The bottom of the crevice was filled with freezing water, and she screamed in pain until she died of hypothermia a few minutes before midnight.

Darci Ganong, District 5 Female: 11th, Hypothermia, Day 2

Day 3 saw no deaths until the nighttime. The gamemakers realized that they needed to really crank things up a notch if they wanted the games to be interesting. However, they went a little too far. Five tributes died of hypothermia in the thirty degrees below zero temperatures that night, including one of the careers. The gamemakers resolved to never crank things up too far ever again. They had wasted five deaths that could have been entertaining on measly hypothermia.

Blue Giron, District 4 Male: 10th, Hypothermia, Day 3

Aiden Tiejo, District 10 Male: 9th, Hypothermia, Day 3

Camille Stroud, District 7 Female: 8th, Hypothermia, Day 3

Koltin Lynx, District 12 Male: 7th, Hypothermia, Day 3

Kiera Rifkin, District 9 Female: 6th, Hypothermia, Day 3

Only five tributes remained, and the gamemakers decided that it was time to force the tributes inwards for the bloody showdown that would hopefully end in a victor being crowned. Using recently invented technology, the gamemakers caused the rushing river surrounding the arena to expand into a huge wall of water that would crash inwards and barrel through the arena, forcing the tributes on top of the cornucopia where they knew they would be safe. Only three tributes actually made it to safety, and that was only because they were close to the cornucopia and had a head start. Two tributes were killed by the freezing tsunami.

Vesta Weldon, District 2 Female: 5th, Killed by the Tsunami, Day 4

Osmond Cyders, District 1 Male: 4th, Killed by the Tsunami, Day 4

Three tributes stood atop the cornucopia, a swirling vortex of frigid water rushing under them and causing the horn to sway and creak. Brandi wielded his shurikens that he had used to make three kills. Diget held his dagger readily in hand. Rodney was weaponless and had made no kills as of yet.

Diget lunged forward and stabbed the helpless boy through the heart with his dagger, sending his body falling backwards off of the cornucopia and being washed away by the swirling water.

Rodney Marchan, District 6 Male: 3rd, Killed by Diget, Day 4

The final battle of the eighth annual Hunger Games was between Brandi Coyne of District 1 and Diget Weldor of District 3. However, Diget was very distracted after killing Rodney and so was in a very prone position to be attacked. Diget whipped his head around just in time to see the shurikens enter his chest, one squarely impaling his heart. Blood sprouted from the puncture sites of the shurikens, but he was already dead and so it didn't matter in the slightest. The familiar melody of trumpets rang through the arena the instant the boy's cannon faded away fully.

Diget Weldor, District 3 Male: 2nd, Killed by Brandi, Day 4

"Brandi Coyne of District 1, you are the victor of the eighth annual Hunger Games!" Rhea shouted enthusiastically into the arena as a hovercraft appeared to collect District 1's second victor.


AFTERMATH

District 1's thirst for a new victor had been quenched the instant Brandi chucked the shurikens into Diget's chest. For the past few games the tribute to score second place had been from District 1, and each year District 1 had rang with fury when their victor was 'stolen' each year. Brandi was worshipped by her home district before settling into the victor's village.

Brandi's victory tour was very average, and nothing of note happened during it.

Brandi moved into the victor's village of District 1, in the house across the street from Sapphire's.

She would happily marry a man at age thirty-two, and the two would remain married until Brandi's death. She would never reproduce herself, but she would adopt twin sons at the age of fifty.

Brandi would live to the age of seventy-one, losing a battle with skin cancer around the time of the sixty-second annual Hunger Games.


NEWS

Brandi moves into the Victor's Village of District 1, the second victor to do so.


LIST OF VICTORS

1HG: Cordin Frey (#1, District 3)
2HG: Sapphire Waber (#1, District 1)
3HG: Molly Toliday (#1, District 4)
4HG: Amelia Spangler (#1, District 2)
5HG: Misty Sablone (#1, District 12)
6HG: Olivia Seager (#2, District 2)
7HG: Flux Stafford (#2, District 3)
8HG: Brandi Coyne (#2, District 1)