Icy Death

A file of Michelle Onasis

The first of the winners from District 10, she won unconventionally due to her unusual upbringing. As a young child, she was brought up as a goddess named Maria based on a priest's vision. She solved many issues in the remote corner of 10 she grew up in. Her skills in an unforgiving arena saw her become a fan favourite among the Capitol but brought ire from the powerful. Worshipped as "Santa Muerte" for her skills in the game and brought peace to Ten. She disappeared presumably with her friends and family during the final days. This is her story.

"The tributes from District 10 did not survive the first day for fifteen years after Onasis won. They wouldn't be allowed such easy access to their religion and tools for decades after. The district was put under quarantine and locked down until the starving, beaten, broken people were thoroughly reminded of the strong arm of their benevolent Capitol. Yet they still celebrated their living goddess Santa Muerte and she would bring resolutions and victories to their home. Only then would they understand the meaning of death in the final days of the Capitol."

Life before the Games

Born to a tribe of people considered the original inhabitants of the area of District 10 once known as Arteaga, the tribe was notoriously known as isolated and the only time anybody had ever seen them were during the days of Reaping and they lost many members that way. One day, they had encountered a dying member of the group called the Settlers whose name was Herder Onasis. They nurtured him in the dead of winter; this was the only place in 10 that had snow and left them even more isolated. In time, Herder grew to understand the people and fell in love with a woman named Jacinda. As was the custom, they went to the local priest and he saw that they would have a child of great importance who would save not just the tribe but the entirety of the district. Excitement rippled through the tribe and then the district. Unfortunately, the governor's ears and he interpreted it as an act of rebellion and sent peacekeepers to the village the tribe lived in and burnt it down and killed Herder. Unbeknownst to everyone, even Jacinda herself, she was pregnant.

Soon, she gave birth to a girl named Michelle Maria. She was locally known as "Goddess Maria" as she grew older and was taught the ways of the tribe and diplomacy and she helped solve petty, local, and even regional disputes. By the time she was 11, she had brokered peace with the neighboring tribe who had disputed a half century cattle herding area and she brought peace. In her freetime during winter, she learned to skate on the ponds of the area and was praised for her skills. Though her name was placed in the reaping bowl at 12, she was presumably protected by the prayers of her tribe and looked after by the lady of luck but she was finally reaped at 17.

Reaping

Michelle was dressed in a traditional floral dress that her mother used to own. She stood near the back of the tribute group and she overheard many boys commenting how she had grown quite attractive over the last year. Soon, the escort recited the history of Panem and why the games were needed. The escort soon walked to the girl's bowl and picked a slip of paper but it let loose accidentally in the gust on this windy day. The paper disappeared and the escort giggled and said she would have to grip the paper harder next time. She picked up another slip and read out loud the name: "Michelle Maria Onasis!". Michelle gasped and wails and prayers could be heard from the tribe as they asked for protection for their "Goddess Maria". When no one volunteered, due to shock at this act of fervent worship of the girl. When Michelle didn't move, peacekeepers jabbed their barrels in her back and reality hit her and Michelle finally moved to the stage. The escort then moved on to the glass bowl that housed the names for the boys. She picked up one and said "Peter K-"

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" A boy's voice said and everybody was in shock, even Michelle but it was obvious she knew him. District 10 never had a volunteer before until this year. A large boy who towered over everyone at 6'8, walked up to the stage and the escort was intimidated. She asked him his name and he replied "Jorge Proteccion." He was known as an ardent worshipper of Goddess Maria and unknown to everyone, he was told by the priest he would be the guardian of the goddess one day and die in her defense. Michelle, shocked, extended a handshake and he shook it and the escort said "Please welcome Michelle Maria Onasis and Jorge Proteccion as the tributes of 10 this year!"

They would be given a ceremonial token in the justice building (a ring for Jorge, a hair clip for Michelle) and soon were on the way to the Capitol. Unfortunately, they were expecting a mentor in the form of a volunteer or a training center staff but their escort pointed out that because 10 never had a winner, they were going to have to learn things themselves. This was a hard fact met by many tributes from 10 now dead. The escort pointed out she can give advice and that they needed to look good for the Capitol if they wanted a chance to survive. That was her best advice and the tributes thanked her. The whole ride, the tributes discussed their lives and when they arrived; the crowd that awaited them gawked at their primitive ways as they were led to the parade.

Parade

Their stylist was new, and Michelle and Jorge were nervous upon hearing this; as everybody knew first-time stylists were the worst. And yet it seemed lady luck was looking out for them as the Stylist was particularly inspired by their culture. He dressed them up in the traditional clothes that they would be used to back home but with an added twist: the outfits were transformed into mythological figures at the press of a button and so they were ready to enter the parade. The attention, as always, was focused on the Career Districts. Yet when the chariot carrying 10 entered, the audience swung their attention towards what they viewed as savage tributes in their traditional clothes and gawked at them. At the midway point, the tributes pressed the buttons and lifted each others' hands up high and their dress changed into the ancient god and goddess of death. The audience went ecstatic and they were voted best designs in multiple fashion magazines that year.

Training

Training day arrived and Michelle went to the survival station while Jorge visited the weapons area. The Careers, joined by the 4s this year, were intimidated by Jorge's height, which many tributes found hilarious as the Careers were scared for once. Michelle made small talks amongst the other tributes and picked up a few tips. Jorge learned how to use swords in the same way that he would use a scythe back home.

The second day saw both tributes switch up their stations. Jorge was now in survival and learned how to tell plants apart. Meanwhile, Michelle was struggling to master even a basic combat instrument and many of the careers laughed at her awkwardness and it can be assumed they felt no danger from her compared to Jorge. This concluded the second day.

The final day saw the pair go up for training assessment. They went third to last and both shared their concerns that the judges would not even be interested after watching the careers show their skills off. Jorge went up first and after 10 minutes, he came out, hands raw and smiling. "I think I did good!" Michelle smiled and hugged him. She went up next When she came out, uncertainty painted her face. That night, the announcer, Antonious Godspell, read out loud the scores. The careers, of course, had 9s and 10s. When they got to Jorge, he read out a 8. The room erupted in cheerfulness as the score for Jorge was released. When Michelle's name was called, she waited anxiously and collapsed in relief when Antonius said she had a 7. They had the highest scores out of any of the non-career districts that year and the escort cried tears of happiness as the tributes talked about what it meant for them to go with their lives back home.

Interview

Antonius Godspell this year wore a dress to symbolize the extravagant divorce with his wife in which he got custody of all her clothes and the audience enjoyed this spectacle as the first of the careers said it was nice to have excellent people in the pack with Four's tribute and that with the pack, they could win the other members of the career promised the same things differently. With the other tributes being lackluster, 10 impressed the audience.

Michelle wore something very traditional and Antonius was gushing over the beauty of the patterns. Michelle thanked him and they discussed what it was like home. She notoriously said that "I would try to be the role-model that the tribe needs in our times" and had the audience tearing up. When she left and swapped with Jorge, wearing a cowboy dress; he bumped his head on one of the lights and jokingly said "Ouch, this is the first time something taller than me got my head" and had the audience smiling. Antonius talked with him about his home and Jorge promised that he would "protect her at all cost as the tribe would want". The audience loved it. Even though they gave excellent interviews, the Fours were the favorite of the audience due to their charisma. Lastly, the lead gamemaker was interviewed and when asked about the arena, she said it would be the polar opposite of last year, which was a marsh. Their odds were a respectable 15-1 and 17-1 for Jorge and Michelle.

That night saw them engaged in talks about how Michelle sometimes hated being the goddess and Jorge felt great shame. He apologized for contributing to that feeling and Michelle forgave him. They went to talk until 2 in the morning. When they went to the arena, they were dressed in trousers, a jacket and boots as the escort wished them the best of luck. As they entered the tubes and were lifted up, the last thing they felt was their dread in the warm air. Then their skin was hit by the cold air. Hell was now on them.

Arena

The tributes immediately recognized it was cold and when they absorbed the details, they saw frost-ridden plants occupying several islands in the arena and that ice occupied the arena, locking the chilly water that spelled doom if anybody fell through the ice; which was particularly thin in some spots. Many of the tributes cursed the gamemakers for giving them short trousers as they were chilly. A 12 year old girl from 11 named Leaf was shivering so hard the tributes could hear her teeth chattering.

Michelle saw Jorge three platforms down from her and they locked eyes and shook their heads. The plan was to rush in and get whatever was needed and get out. Michelle scanned the cornucopia, locked in ice and saw two pairs of ice skates and made that her target. If she gets them, Michelle and Jorge could travel much easier. When the countdown clocked down to zero, Michelle and Jorge ran. One of the tributes slipped and fell to her knees; she attempted to get up but found her knees and hands were stuck to the ice and screamed. Michelle ran, her lungs hurting from the cold air, and grabbed the ice skates. Turning around, she saw the girl from 7 raising a knife at her but blood splashed across Michelle's body and the ice and Michelle saw Jorge standing over the girl's body; having cut her down with his scythe he recovered from a cache of supplies. Michelle was picked up by Jorge and they ran away from the cornucopia. In fact, they were not the only ones. 12 others had run away, not willing to risk slipping and being stuck; easy prey for the careers.

The careers had killed only five tributes in the bloodbath; including the girl stuck to the ice. As a result, five cannons bursted out. A sixth one would join with the death of Leaf; who had apparently killed herself rather than risk the impending hypothermia. 18 left to go. Jorge and Michelle rested on an island and as Michelle showed Jorge the ice skates, he grinned. Soon, they put the skates on and skated the frozen ice but not after a crash course on ice skating for Jorge. Michelle was having a field day. She was able to utilize a skill she learned back home: ice skating and she would be damned if she didn't take advantage of it. Now they needed clothing and they needed it now. But nightfall came and they huddled on an island for warmth, resting up.

Day Two

When they woke up, they woke up to animalistic roaring and a cannon. Unbeknownst to them, Polar Bears roamed the ice and had caught a sleeping tribute and tore them apart. They would soon observe one and Michelle realized that if they could kill it, they can use the pelt as camouflage and warmth. Michelle, after convincing Jorge, got to a good distance and clicked her tongue. The bear heard it but was taken down within seconds by the scythe of Jorge and Michelle told him he did a good job. They tore the pelt off and fashioned it into their makeshift clothes. They said a prayer to Mother Nature thanking her for her gifts and many viewers were intrigued.

The rest of the day went by with nothing of interest noted. The tributes were able to scavenge the berries found on the islands while the careers huddled around a portable heater they found in the cornucopia and were now using it on an island to not risk the ice cracking from the careers were too comfortable to leave their heater during the night.

Day Three

The early morning saw the boy from three named Insta sneak into the career camp and attempt to turn their heater into a death trap but the girl from 4 woke up and saw what he attempted to do. As a result, she took a sword and cleaved his head , his district partner Twit was torn apart by a celebration of polar bears. These rapid cannons woke Jorge and Michelle up and they realized they needed to move. They skated around the arena, hunting for food. At one point, they ran across a tribute and Jorge sped up and sliced him in half with his scythe and the upper half fell backwards, causing the cannon to go off.

For this act, the pair were given a sponsor gift of soup and cocoa by their escort. They wolfed down the cocoa and soup and moved on. Meanwhile, the career pack ditched their heater and slaughtered two tributes while travelling counterclockwise around the arena. As the dead were shown for the night, Michelle mentioned that they were in the Top Eight, the first time a 10 had been in at least 10 years, if not more. Michelle knew if they made it further; she would have to kill Jorge but he would probably off himself before she would have the chance. All this occurred as they went off to sleep.

Day Four

Jorge and Michelle woke up, not realizing they were the only non-career tributes left in the Game and the careers were hunting them; yet they could not remember who the remaining members were. Yet near twilight, the careers finally found them skating on their boots between the islands. Their position saw them intercept the path of Michelle and Jorge from one of the islands and they glided out; catching them by surprise. Michelle and Jorge were shocked and attempted to skate away but the boy from Two was close enough that his sword struck the air beside Michelle. Jorge saw this and screamed for Michelle to run away. Michelle showed uncertainty before Jorge yelled "Our people need you, Maria!" Michelle jumped to action at this sentence and skated away fast enough that the careers, once having their eyes on her, now switched to Jorge. When Michelle looked back; Jorge looked at her and smiled. He grabbed the Boy from 2's wrist and twisted it. He struck the ice with his scythe and the ice cracked and after a minute, broke and the icy water swallowed Jorge and the boy. The underwater cameras activated and Jorge held the boy's throat until his cannon rang. Jorge then closed his eyes and after a minute; the cannon rang. Michelle, upon hearing the final cannon boomed out, shed a tear and glided away. She skated to the far side of the Arena and collapsed in exhaustion. As the dead were shown; Michelle cried at Jorge's picture.

Day Five

Michelle did not sleep the previous night and the conditions in the area did not improve as a blizzard was whipped up and visibility was reduced to zero. Michelle was rapidly becoming snow blind as were the careers when a sponsor gift was paid for by the escort herself; who spent every last penny to get night-vision goggles. Michelle understood the meaning of the gift: don't let Jorge and her home down. For the first time, a fire was ignited in her and she wanted to win. As she put the goggles on, the sky darkened as if it was night and she moved forward into the arena. As she scoured, she found the careers hunkering down on an island and she bided her time. She moved in closer and overheard the careers discussing how they can outwait the girl. One the the boys, from One, said he needed to take a whizz and moved to the ice as the island was too small for his privacy. As the boy travelled out some more towards the ice, Michelle circled him; confident she wouldn't be seen due to the blizzard and her white polar bear pelt. As the boy took his whizz, she skated towards him and raised her right leg. Within moments, the boy's head was rolling on the ground as the ice skate's blade was extraordinarily sharp. She glided away as the cannon rang and disappeared into the blizzard. The careers, worried, assumed he fell through the ice or was mauled by the bears. They would just take weapons on future excursions.

Day Six

Michelle followed the career group in the morning, having taken a couple hours the previous night sleeping. Waiting for her chance, she spotted it when the district 4 girl said she was going check the nearest island for berries. As she walked into the blizzard out of sight of the pack, Michelle skated faster and utilizing the same technique, sliced the girl's neck wide open and she bled to death on the ice. Her cannon rang out and the remaining members of the pack were spooked but said that the ice was either thinner by the gamemakers' choice or the polar bears were getting braver.

Day Seven

Michelle stalked the pack, further aided by water sent from the sponsors. At one point, the blizzard got so severe that the tributes couldn't see their hand in front of their face. Michelle overheard the commotion and smiled. She slid up and went behind the girl from Two and twirled one leg and it struck her neck so hard his head almost fell off, held only by the spine. She skated away as the blizzard letted up slightly and the cannon rang and both members of the pack screamed. They knew now they were the hunted but believed it was still a mutation using the blizzard as the cover.

Day Eight

Michelle overheard the tributes arguing over what was killing them. She wanted to show them it was her but it was risky. She decided it was possible as she had speed and agility. Michelle glided around the tributes, looking for an opening and after ten minutes saw one. She glided, aiming between the members and within seconds sliced the girl from One's throat open, giving the boy from 4 a chance to see her. His jaws were wide open before the blood from his ally sprayed his face. He raced after Michelle but she had out-sped him and left him in the fog. Michelle decided to travel to a nearby island and rest.

Day Nine

Midnight had passed and Michelle knew she needed to do something before the Gamemakers could trigger a showdown so she went back on the ice and after several minutes of gliding around, saw the boy and swung in and out of visibility, taunting him. She got close several times and inflicted damage on him when her skates' blades sliced the skin on his arms and legs. Finally, she sped up and shouted at the boy. He faced her and was decapitated by her skates. As his body fell down, Michelle Onasis was declared the winner of the 32nd Games and the first winner from 10.

Aftermath

Michelle was taken to the hospital over concerns she had effects of hypothermia and within days, was cleared for the interview. The Capitol nicknamed her Icy Death for her unique way of killing in a cold arena. When meeting with Antonius, he was wearing a polar bear pelt styled clothing as were many of the audience as apparently it was a trend now. Michelle seemed uncomfortable with the fashion choices she saw and answered with short answers to Antonius but when he showed the moment Jorge died, Michelle had cried silently but when Antonius returned to her, she had appeared solid as if nothing happened. She was desperate to get home.

Returning home, she was greeted by her tribe and the populace of 10 who now called her Santa Muerte, an ancient goddess/patron of death and fortunes. She went on the Victory Tour and was almost assassinated in District Two as they were angry that an outlier district had won a game the careers could have won. She survived the stabbing and when she went back home, was even more revered as the victory reapings reserved for the winning district each year was saving their population as a drought was killing their beef cattles, the main source of revenue. At this point, almost everyone had started worshipping the former Goddess Maria, now the lady of death Santa Muerte. Yet all was not safe for the District.

Luster and the other powerful members of 1 and 2 wanted her punished for winning such a game unconventionally and eliminating perhaps one of the best career packs in a long time. Though they could not target Michelle, they could target the district indirectly and so faked evidence of disobedience by the Governor and the district and presented it to President Snow. Though he knew it was fake, he gave the orders to have the governor executed and the District under lockdown due to his displeasure of the popularity Michelle was gaining and saw it dangerous.

The Governor was executed and the citizens beaten up for every little thing they did. The citizens lost access to the tools they had access to for their jobs and curfew was enforced in order to prevent the District from having an "unfair" advantage like Michelle did with the ice skates. Though they were broken mentally and physically, they retained their faith in Santa Muerte and she directed 10 to ration the winnings and figure out ways to do their jobs effectively. She, at this point, effectively stopped every rivalry and issue any tribes had as she had united them in their quest to survive the wrath of the Capitol. Though, it would affect the tributes' chances of winning; when Michelle was assured of the safety, she single handedly taught the winners of Ten over the next several decades.

A side effect was the building of a religion around Santa Muerte as a unifying force of Ten. This undercurrent was never noticed by Panem and many people prayed to Michelle for advice and such. This poses no threat to the Capitol.

Editor's Notes: *End of File*

When the Second Rebellion occurred, the population evacuated Santa Muerte and her family to the ruins of a city called Chihuahua to keep her safe. She directed the rebellion in Ten (with no support from 13) and they threw off the chains of the Capitol and massacred the Governor and the peacekeepers, exacting their revenge four decades later. Ten became the only rebellion without the support of 13 to succeed thanks to Michelle.

Michelle Onasis was offered the choice to meet in the Capitol with the other surviving Victors but declined the offer. The next decade saw Michelle govern Ten even more effectively and practically ended poverty. When the Capitol's Reclamation came in '89, the resurgent Capitol offered Michelle the choice to participate in their Hunger Games or live in the Capitol under their eyes. Michelle refused to accept either choice and the Capitol executed her on live TV. Her last words were "May Santa Muerte's spirit give pain!" before a bullet passed through her head. Within hours, a full revolution encapsulated the Southern Portion of District 10 under the tribe that gave birth to the legendary figure and beat back Capitol forces and due to their remoteness, the Capitol could not easily defeat them and at the end of the year, the land was said to had seceded from Panem and Panem's generals declared it a lost cause; not worthy of the nuclear missiles of the Capitol. Santa Muerte is said to guide them and rumors are abound that this land south of Panem is a paradise for the surviving victors that escaped the reclamation and are under Michelle's blessing….