Julio Sinclair

Day 7

Julio Sinclair is 18 years old and is still alive in the 74th Hunger Games.

The Capitol doesn't really understand how and is bemused.

Seneca Crane doesn't really understand how and is irate.

President Snow doesn't really understand how and is ambivalent.

Back home in District 10 they dont really understand how but are happy.

Julio doesn't really understand how most of all as he wonders what has happened.

Julio might be strong but with a club foot, that significantly hobbles his speed, Julio can't move all that quickly and in the Hunger Games that's usually a death sentence.

Julio think perhaps his family might understand how. Or at least have reasons.

His Abuelita would be saying it was her God that was helping Julio.

His Uncle Norman would be remarking how he had taught Julio everything he knew and that his knowledge was saving his nephew. He's never much liked and definitely doesn't follow Abuelita's religion. Uncle Norman has different beliefs.

His little sister Maria would be saying it's because her Julio will always come home to her.

Maria is five years old and doesn't understand The Hunger Games all that well yet.

Whatever the reasons Julio should have been dead.

But now it's the morning of the seventh day of the Hunger Games and the arena has been winnowed down to a quarter of the starting tributes.

Interviews will be happening at home now and Julio starts chuckling to himself about how the Capitol will attempt to spin his progress.

Julio doesn't plan on leaving his spot any time in the near future. The death of the Career Pack, and whoever the other cannon was after the faces in the sky last night, have ensured that there must be a surplus of sponsors left without their usual horses in the race given the gift of breakfast he received this morning.

Patience has served Julio well so far.

He doesn't feel the need to move just yet.

Another cannon goes.

Day 8

It was The Pair from 12.

The Girl on Fire and her Lover Boy.

Both dead now of course.

Julio doesn't know which of the two died first. If he was to put some money on it however he would definitely think it was Mellark first.

Given how close a death the first cannon was to the faces of The Pack in the sky perhaps Mellark was killed by Everdeen with the rest of the Pack and this morning Everdeen's guilt became too much for her.

District partner kills District partner.

It's happened before.

Julio realises it's just a guess on his part but Julio thinks this makes the most sense.

He has always been smart.

Perhaps he is too smart in some ways as The Capitol seems to be getting temperamental with him for staying put and safe. Had he not been wilier the angry bear muttation might well have done more than just give him a fright.

Julio managed to kill the bear with a sharlpy whittled stick through the roof of the beast's mouth.

He thanks god this isn't the 30th games, the bear muttation could at least be fought. Julio never could have lasted against the horrible mutts they used in the 30th games.

It's poetic in a way. His kill of the bear mutt. Julio thinks it's very reminiscent of Woof's Victory in the 14th Games against that monster of a dog muttation the first Victor of 8 killed. Julio thinks to himself that hopefully he might eventually get an actual weapon rather than relying on his wits and what useful knowledge his uncle imparted to his lame nephew.

Julio chuckles to himself as a light dinner comes down in a parachute.

For the first time in his life Julio quietly prays in thanks to a God.

Day 9

Julio gets lucky on day 9 without a doubt.

A snapped twig wakes him and allows him to hide from the powerhouse of a tribute that is Thresh.

Thresh is certainly the most dangerous opponent to face unarmed and Julio doubts his pointed stick will make a difference.

Thresh doesn't find him, but as the boy from 11 moves around searching, Julio has an idea on how to take the boy down.

Find where Thresh is hiding and finish him with subtlety rather than force.

Julio tracks Thresh then, like Uncle Norman taught him with the wolf mutts that hunt the livestock, back to where the big 11 boy is hiding.

Once again someone underestimated the cripple.

The arena has turned into a field of corn when Julio stops tracking Thresh as the big 11 boy quickly disappears inside.

What Julio does next is something only a truly loving God can forgive.

Julio begins gathering dried leaves and branches throughout the latter half of the day and quietly begins placing them at various spots along the cornfields edge.

He hopes this will build suspense in the Capitol.

Julio doesn't even need to mime anything before the silver parachute comes down with what he really needs now.

Matches.

A strong gust of wind blowing past him and deeper into the cornfield is all the encouragement he needs.

Julio begins setting the fires.

Within half an hour the cornfield is ablaze and Julio only hears a couple of anguished screams from within before sudden silence.

The silence is broken by a cannon.

Julio prays for the soul of Thresh.

Day 10

Julio is in the final four and is waiting for something. A sign that the final confrontation is beginning.

He hears nothing for an entire day.

Julio has supplies, his actions on day 9 ensured that he would after all, but Julio realises that this quiet state of affairs will not last with 4 people.

He waits for the inevitability of the final showdown.

Day 11

Julio does not expect to be woken up by an explosion. When he hears two Cannons erupt in quick succession afterwards Julio begins praying that maybe, just maybe, he will be one of the absurdly lucky Victors. With only a single kill he will be among the very lowest in addition to being one of the Victors who doesn't have to kill in close personal circumstances. Thresh's death is already enough guilt for Julio.

But Julio is not as lucky as he hopes.

Another Cannon doesn't go and Julio decides he might as well make the most of breakfast before seeking his opponent.

He doesn't need to find her. She finds him.

He's barely even started eating before she comes.

Somehow Julio isn't surprised that it's her.

It could have been the clever boy from 3 who Julio now suspects might have killed the Careers.

(It would be a very 3 thing to do)

It isn't the girl from 11 who clearly lasted way longer than even the most optimistic of betters could have imagined.

(In his darker thoughts Julio thinks the little girl might have killed someone herself. He hopes that he's wrong. He hopes her soul is untainted.)

His final opponent could only have ever been the one that was like him.

The perpetually underestimated fox faced girl from District 5.

The past few day have treated the girl well. She doesn't look particularly starved but this does not surprise Julio.

It has been an outlier district free for all since the death of The Career Pack and the Lovers from 12 and although it's likely the 3 boy and Thresh would get a lot of sponsorship no one would be suffering in a games like this with no clear favourite.

There's too much money to be made in this scenario.

Julio isn't surprised when the girl calls his name.

They did talk in training after all.

"Julio" The fox faced girl says politely.

"Finch" Julio returns in similar tones. "Some breakfast?"

Finch smiles at this. Julio does as well. It is an old reference to a games long since passed but with a Victor that is still well regarded by most other outliers and even The Capitol.

Courtesy never hurt anyone in Julio's opinion.

Finch takes him up on the offer of breakfast and the two sit, ten feet apart, locking eyes as they eat.

"What happened to the 11 girl and 3?" Julio asks.

Finch isn't weakened physically and Julio can't see any obvious weapons on her so what he hears next only surprises him a little.

"Mutual kill. Bird girl was surprisingly vicious and would have got away scot free if Mine-Boy hadn't decided on some last gasp revenge. It was an explosive ending to their little scrap." Finch replied. "Quite literally" Finch pauses before asking a question "Thresh?"

"There was a fire in the cornfield he hid in." Julio replies curtly.

It is left unsaid that Julio started the fire. Julio knowns in his heart though that Finch has put the pieces together.

"I didn't kill Mellark. Just so we're clear." Finch states.

"Who did? I thought Everdeen killed him after The Pack?" Julio asks with surprise.

Finch snorts with derision.

"You've been alone out here for too long Julio. It was the 11 girl who got both of the 12s."

"Bird girl had a sharp beak and sharper talons. I watched her and Everdeen as the faces for The Pack appeared. Everdeen was out of her mind with Tracker Jacker Venom. 11 used the cloth back of her bag pack." Finch explains with the air of an amused storyteller as she mimes an act of suffocation. "Abracadabra no more Girl on Fire. Mellark got killed with one of his little girlfriend's arrows." Finch mimes the act of stabbing downwards. "Abracadabra no more Lover Boy. She was a vicious little thing in the end. Was bursting with emotion when it came to killing Everdeen. Barely even flinched at killing lover boy. By the time she'd dealt Mine-Boy the mortal blow she barely even blinked at the act of killing."

Julio says a prayer, in his mind, for the little girl from 11.

"So here we are." Julio states with finality.

"And here we are" Finch agrees.

Julio sees the movement in Finch's shoulder as she throws something at him and dodges to the side just in time.

He curses as he recognises the sharp pointed star for what it is.

Julio refuses to end up skewered by a District 5 girl. He isn't going to die like the multitude of idiots from the 10th games.

Finch is smiling though and has retreated to a distance.

She's armed and Julio has barely anything. Only his sharpened stick. Julio says one last prayer and then does possibly the most stupid thing he can think of. But it's his only way to end this quickly. If at all.

He aims his pointed stick at the girl from 5. It is the only weapon he has, has had, all games.

He throws with all his strength at her.

Somehow it strikes true.

A fact Julio is almost as shocked about as Finch is.

Her lips attempt to move, to say something, but quickly the movement stops and she falls to the ground.

Her cannon goes shortly after. The point of the makeshift spear is lodged in the girl from 5s neck.

Julio almost can't believe it as the trumpets blare.

Somehow, against all the odds and like four others from 10 before him, Julio Sinclair has won the Hunger Games.


Hello Vesine here

The Boy from District 10 wins the Hunger Games with only 2 kills to his name. Everyone underestimates The Cripple after all. Given how little we know about the District 10 boy he was a lot of fun to write and add some character to. Next up will likely be Thresh who is a bit better served character wise by the book as opposed to the blank slate offered by Julio.

Best Vesine

(Any Reviews,Faves and follows would be much appreciated.)