THE NINETY NINTH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES
"Treading Water"
INTRODUCTION
With Edison Jayasinghe acting as head gamemaker for the first time not competing for the job with Orestilla, he did not relent at all. He was not nearly as flamboyant and excitable as Orestilla, but he was extremely creative and passionate and idealistic. Orestilla retreated to the "bleachers" of the games, watching with hatred as her sworn enemy lead the games team for the first full year. So far, both of Edison's arenas had been highly artificial, the polar opposite of the nature-loving Orestilla. Edison was tempted to craft another manmade arena like the airport or the dance floor-maze combo, but he was scared of falling into too regular a rhythm with his arenas; he couldn't stick to the same style for very long, and he knew that. It was safe to assume that the Capitol could expect a part-human, part-natural arena this time around. With the fourth Quarter Quell just around the corner, the Capitol was wrapped up in their standard-issue bout of games fever. Parties were endless, bottles of wine were downed as far late as midnight, and district rebels were shot like Organdy Karat shot silly photos of herself and her friends. President Stinn Hawke was pleased by the silence of the districts this year; apart from a few minor riots in District 5 and District 8, the ninety-ninth year post Dark Days was pretty tame and relaxed. Everyone had their own speculations about the no doubt devious twist of the upcoming fourth Quarter Quell, but nobody could be sure until the card was read the following May. Parents held their children close, district citizens worked like slaves, and the three career districts trained their teenage children with more fervor than ever before: pretty standard fare for Panem.
The career pack was another group of stellar and talented kids. District 1 provided their stereotypical dazzling pair, and they both came from rich backgrounds. The boy was thin and fast and liked bows, while the girl was more stocky and preferred close-range combat. District 2 came out with another strong duo, and they were both dark-haired and icy cold. The boy, whose first name was a doozy, came from a peacekeeper family, while the girl had built up impressive strength throughout long hours in the stone quarries of District 2. District 4 came out with the strongest pair, however. The male was the real show stopper of the year: the only child of Annie Cresta and Finnick Odair, he had the speed of his father, the charisma of his mother, and looks of both of his parents. His trident skills ensured he would go far. The girl was largely overshadowed by her flashier district partner, but she was still pretty impressive, scoring a ten with her charm and her spear skills. The pack earned two elevens, two tens, a nine, and an eight.
The outlier crop was extremely bland and forgettable. None of them scored above a seven, and the tributes that scored sevens, Tomer from 7 and Pollen from 11, ganged up prior to the games with hopes of beating down the toughest opponents and making it home alive. The boy from 8, Gingham, was another standout. He was extremely religious, bringing a cross necklace as his tribute token, and he spent his week in the Capitol pretty much praying nonstop. Time would tell whether he would put aside his beliefs and kill the other tributes to make it out of the games with his life. There were no volunteers besides the careers. Here are the tributes:
District 1: Pizzazz Thalanson, 18, (9) 8-1 and Glitter Nave, 18, (8) 10-1
District 2: Vercingetorix Spunt, 18, (11) 5-1 and Latita Xi, 18, (10) 6-1
District 3: Mario Urquhart, 16, (4) 30-1 and Ayesha Barton, 13, (3) 36-1
District 4: Poseidon Odair, 16, (11) 3-1 and Helini Shelley, 17, (10) 7-1
District 5: Sooty Shacklebolt, 18, (5) 23-1 and Ujomo Perois, 17, (4) 29-1
District 6: Bichael Warran, 18, (4) 28-1 and Nissan Heim, 16, (3) 32-1
District 7: Tomer Mishina, 18, (7) 15-1 and Wilda Guelph, 15, (5) 26-1
District 8: Gingham Drains, 13, (5) 28-1 and Patternia Lance, 14, (6) 20-1
District 9: Dawson Solow, 14, (3) 35-1 and Crow Kempton, 12, (3) 39-1
District 10: Barb Rochon, 16, (4) 30-1 and Tule Rasmus, 18, (4) 27-1
District 11: Marvin Fleiszig, 12, (3) 33-1 and Pollen Debold, 14, (7) 16-1
District 12: Rhys Tolling, 12, (2) 45-1 and Emlee Regis, 13, (2) 42-1
HGBO Bets: 28% on Poseidon, 22% on Vercingetorix, 15% on Helini, 11% on Latita, 9% on Pizzazz, 6% on Glitter, 1% or less on Mario, Ayesha, Sooty, Ujomo, Bichael, Nissan, Tomer, Wilda, Gingham, Patternia, Dawson, Crow, Barb, Tule, Sow, Pollen, Rhys, and Emlee.
THE GAMES
The newest batch of twenty-four tributes felt the ground lightly swaying back and forth underneath them. They were standing on the crumbling wooden deck of a decrepit ship, and a creepy abandoned shipyard sprawled out for miles in all directions. The water was cloudy with oil and other pollutants, but some of the larger shipwrecks could still be seen under the water like the huge skeletons of fallen beasts. Each tribute had a small flotation device affixed to their chest that would keep only their head above the water, but it would still help enormously to know how to swim: Poseidon and Helini from District 4 would definitely be walking in with the advantage. The cornucopia held spears, bows, and a single trident, placed there specifically for Poseidon. Most of the ships in the arena were half-sunk and mostly flooded with muddy sea water, but they did hold stale food and small stores of clean water. Lots of little docks peppered the arena, but they all came from nowhere, almost like the land they'd once been anchored to had floated off some time long ago. Dangerous piranha mutts lurked in the water, willing to bite into any unsuspecting tributes. Each fish was only the size of a human hand, but they attacked in swarms of hundreds, making escape nearly impossible for anybody who couldn't swim fast. The other mutts of the arena including swarms of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, blue crabs, eels, jellyfish, and more.
BOOM! The seasick girl from District 6 had been struggling to keep from throwing up during the countdown: she'd stuffed an extremely unhealthy amount of food into her stomach that morning in preparation for the games. With eight seconds left on the timer, she vomited, and the explosions went off the second that her bile hit the mines. Shrapnel sizzled and burnt when it hit the miniature force field bubbles surrounding the other pedestals. Nissan's ally, Tule from 10, wasn't going into these games with a friend like she'd thought.
Nissan Heim, District 6 Female; 24th, Killed by land mines, Pre-Bloodbath
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Poseidon Odair sprinted at the head of the onrush, bolstered onward by the sight of the trident that was waiting for him just inside of the cornucopia. With a single heavy thrusting motion, he pushed the prongs of the weapon into the nearest boy's neck. He fell onto his elbows, coughing up blood, and he died swiftly.
Marvin Fleiszig, District 11 Male; 23rd, Killed by Poseidon, Bloodbath
Latita, another fast runner, eyed the ship's deck with a spear in each hand. Wilda from District 7 sprinted into sight, trying to worm her way past the girl from 2 and reach a pack of beef strips that sat behind her. Wilda fell as Latita thrust her right spear into her chest, and the outlier contorted violently as Latita peppered a dozen large holes in her abdomen.
Wilda Guelph, District 7 Female; 22nd, Killed by Latita, Bloodbath
In distress, Wilda's ally, Ayesha from 3, ran for her life. She turned around just as Vercingetorix's spear entered her neck. Ayesha collapsed, gagging as blood poured down her throat. By the time she hit the deck with a loud noise, she was dead.
Ayesha Barton, District 3 Female; 21st, Killed by Vercingetorix, Bloodbath
Having wrenched his trident out of Marvin's neck, Poseidon fluidly attacked his next victim. A few meters to his left, Dawson from 9 was lying on the ground, screaming while he bled out from an arrow wound inflicted by Pizzazz. Poseidon rammed his trident into his chest, and Dawson bled out quickly.
Dawson Solow, District 9 Male; 20th, Killed by Pizzazz and Poseidon, Bloodbath
Poseidon's district partner, Helini, grabbed a spear and tackled the slim boy from 7, who was trying to escape with his ally without being noticed. The boy's knees instantly buckled under Helini's weight, and he kicked his legs in her direction in a desperate attempt to disarm her as she brought down her spear. As he bled out, his ally, Pollen from 11, tackled Helini from behind, eager to avenge her friend's death.
Tomer Mishina, District 7 Male; 19th, Killed by Helini, Bloodbath
Helini gasped as her spear was knocked out of her hand; Pollen was fuming with anger, and she was on a rampage. Pollen brought down the point of her spear, and she was about to thrust it into Helini's neck when she suddenly went limp. Pollen collapsed, and Poseidon tugged his trident out of her back, smiling. Poseidon helped Helini to her feet, and they sprinted opposite directions.
Pollen Debold, District 11 Female; 18th, Killed by Poseidon, Bloodbath
Vercingetorix had flicked the blood off of his spear, and he jumped at Barb from 10, who was trying to escape off the starboard side of the ship with a pack containing medical supplies and a thermos of water. Barb took a tumble off the side of the ship, and he landed in the murky water with a splash. Vercingetorix had popped his flotation device, and Barb quickly sunk below the surface of the water. Vercingetorix and his district partner Latita rushed to the side of the ship to watch him gradually disappear from sight.
Barb Rochon, District 10 Male; 17th, Killed by Vercingetorix, Bloodbath
Poseidon made the final kill. He, Helini, and Glitter had cornered Mario from 3 against the side of the cruise ship. Mario couldn't swim very well, but he had no choice but to jump. He took a deep breath and leapt off the side of the ship. Poseidon jumped after him and had him as good as dead in ten seconds. Mario fell under the surface as Poseidon's trident entered his chest. Glitter and Helini threw him a rope, and Poseidon dragged himself out of the water as Mario thrashed and bled out, his cloud of blood barely visible through the murky water.
Mario Urquhart, District 3 Male; 16th, Killed by Poseidon, Bloodbath
The careers paraded around the cornucopia, going through their usual post-bloodbath rituals before heading on the prowl. This arena was practically designed for the District 4 tributes to go far, and Poseidon and Helini were extremely eager to get out and thin the crowds of outliers. Vercingetorix and Latita from 2 weren't completely thrilled with the water arena, but they could both swim at least somewhat well; they weren't completely doomed now that they knew they would have to get their feet a little wet this year. The four of them went hunting while Glitter and Pizzazz from District 1 stayed at the cornucopia. They wanted to practice swimming with each other before heading out for the real deal, as neither of them were as fast in water as this arena called for.
The outliers didn't do anything groundbreaking as the first day slowly ticked past. Sooty from 5 could swim surprisingly well, and he paddled north carrying a waterproof sleeve of crackers and two knives he'd snatched from the cornucopia. At nightfall, he came to a large ship that was relatively intact, and he dragged himself into the musty area below the deck. Ujomo from 5 was one of the tributes who had chosen to avoid the bloodbath; she had nothing but the clothes on her back and the flotation device she'd been supplied in her launch room. For safety, she tugged herself onto one of the small, decrepit docks and tried to sleep. Nobody knew it at the time, but both of Ujomo's parents were still rebellious. This would lead to problems later on. Bichael from 6 swam quickly at first, and he started to slow down when he realized how quickly his energy was being drained. He fell asleep mid-swim and floated back and forth on the water's murky surface as night fell. Gingham from 8 had an electronic handbook on edible insects. With the handbook tucked into his pocket, he floated away from the cornucopia on his back, quietly praying and hoping that nobody would find him. Patternia from 8 and Tule from 10 spotted each other from about fifty yards off halfway through the first day, and they decided to team up instead of killing each other. They found a small ship that was relatively stable and knocked a few rungs into the side of the vessel so that they could climb it and reach safety. Crow from 9 was surprisingly calm and composed despite being only twelve years old, reminiscent of Robina from the ninety-second Hunger Games. She discovered one of the arena's few pieces of land: a tiny, unstable island that housed a single crumbling bush. Crow curled up under the bush and tried to sleep. Rhys and Emlee from 12 had allied prior to the games, and they floated on their backs, allowing the natural water currents to carry them away from the horn. They were from the weakest district of Panem, and they had both scored twos with the gamemakers; there was no use pretending that they weren't doomed. They just hoped their deaths would be fast.
On Day 2, the cameras mostly focused on the career pack. They would have been utterly lost without Poseidon's lead, but he had a good eyesight and sense of direction and kept them from getting lost. He was charismatic and a natural leader without being bossy or brash, and the others liked him, even if he made them feel a little intimidated. Latita hit her ankle on a hard rock about halfway through the day. Her district partner Vercingetorix stayed back to help her wrap the wound up, but he could do little to prevent infection in the injury.
Pizzazz and Glitter went about their rounds at the cornucopia without much trouble. They found a small, buoy-like object in the back of the horn and threw it away from the ship. They took turns swimming to it and back, and they managed to pick up a few new strokes and greatly increase their speed. When they were done practicing, they pulled the buoy in and curled up inside of the cornucopia for a short nap. The mutts of the arena weren't posing any trouble. However, the waters would grow increasingly more dangerous as the games progressed. They would see in due time.
The intriguing Ujomo from 5 left her small dock early in the morning and started rummaging through the supply stocks on the ships as well as the various flotsam that drifted around the shipyard, almost as though she were searching for something. She was definitely searching for something, a specific item she needed to execute a certain task: a rebel task, the Capitol would soon find out.
Bichael and Gingham were both sleeping in the early morning of Day 3 when they knocked into each other. Bichael was aggressive at first, but Gingham was peaceful and weirdly hospitable, and the two boys spent the rest of the day floating together and talking about their parallel faiths and their lives back home. Bichael felt a little uneasy (Gingham was being a bit too nice for him not to be), but he was still glad for an ally for company and safety.
The career team was getting along surprisingly well; one would have expected their personalities to start grating against each other due to the lack of funny, calming 1s. They hunted efficiently, and they were attracted in the early hours of Day 3 to the soft snores of two outliers. Patternia and Tule had yet to leave the small ship they'd landed in at the tail end of the first day, and their reluctance to keep up to date about the location of the pack spelled their downfall. The wooden blockade they'd fashioned over the sole entrance did little to keep out the pack for long, however. Tule withdrew to the shadows while Patternia grabbed her spear and crept toward the entrance, ready to kill her invaders or die trying.
She did both, in a way. The blockade gave way in a matter of moments, and the pack burst through, their four members rapidly falling into ranks and readying their weapons. Latita from 2 had attempted to kill Patternia during the bloodbath, and she was eager to finish the job she'd started two days prior. Patternia was a surprisingly good fighter, and she'd managed to disarm Latita of one of her spears within a few moments. Panic flickered across her face for a quick moment, and a real scream escaped her lips when Patternia's spear entered her chest. The other careers rushed forward to help her out, but Latita was mortally injured beyond the point of saving. Patternia backed up, trailed closely by three angry careers, and death seemed imminent.
Latita Xi, District 2 Female; 15th, Killed by Patternia, Day 3
Tule was crammed into one of the back corners of the ship, struggling to fit through a small hole in the planks while the careers closed in on her ally Patternia. Latita's district partner Vercingetorix did the honors, penetrating the middle of Patternia's neck with his spear. Her wails of agony quickly faded, and her cannon fired just as Tule slipped out of the ship. She was plunged down into the murky water and swam away quickly.
Patternia Lance, District 8 Female; 14th, Killed by Vercingetorix, Day 3
Little of consequence transpired as Days 4 through 5 passed. The careers returned to the cornucopia and regrouped with the 1s. Their ranks were slightly different with the loss of Latita. Poseidon was the leader, Helini was his right hand man (or woman, rather), Vercingetorix was a co-leader of sorts, and Glitter and Pizzazz were the cabooses of the group. Vercingetorix was mad over the death of Latita, his training partner and sweetheart back home in District 2. Sooty was driven out of his ship by a swarm of hungry piranha mutts; they drove him onward for five minutes, and he found his way to a much larger and sturdier ship. Much of the ship's interior was still intact, including a bed and sink. Sooty turned on the sink, expecting water to come out, but all that came out was green gunk. Disgusted, he lied down on the bed and tried to sleep. Ujomo was raiding her umpteenth ship when she finally found the "thing" she was looking for: a megaphone. She stuffed it into her pack and settled down for the night. The gamemakers were confused as to why Ujomo was happy to find something that served literally no purpose other than to alert the others of her position. Bichael and Gingham floated around, feeding themselves on sponsor foods and water from the thermos that Bichael had taken from the cornucopia. Their sponsors sent them a holy book inside of a waterproof cover, and they read and recited from it to pass the long hours of the day. Crow was reluctant to leave the small island that she'd made her home, but she did so in the latter half of Day 5, relocating about a mile east to an island that provided slightly more room. She spent the rest of the day meditating. Tule swam for her life, having no goal in mind but to place more and more distance between herself and the careers. She wasn't bothering to be quiet; Rhys and Emlee heard her splashing multiple times but left her alone. Speaking of Rhys and Emlee, they faced a minor obstacle near the end of Day 5. Emlee felt the first arm of seaweed wrap around her ankle. In a matter of moments, she and Rhys were tangled tightly. Cutting themselves free was not an easy task. Tule heard their splashing and assumed the noises were created by the career pack, inciting her to swim even faster and farther in the opposite direction.
On the sixth morning, the careers experienced a rude awakening, literally. The night before, they'd crashed inside of the cornucopia; the weather was balmy with only a slight breeze, and nothing warranted sleeping inside of the ship for added safety. However, on Day 6, the waves grew taller and more intense, rocking the ships back and forth and knocking a few of them over. Rain also began falling; it was only a light sprinkle, but was sure to escalate dramatically in due time.
Glitter was an extremely heavy sleeper, and she had literally no warning before she was thrown off her balance and hurled off the left side of the ship. She bolted awake, going from one nightmare right into another. Pizzazz rushed over to help her, and he probably would have fallen off too if Poseidon hadn't tugged him back. Glitter landed with a splash in the water, and all the things Pizzazz had taught her in the last few days left her. A swarm of piranha mutts quickly gathered, and they were nipping at her ankles and wrists before she knew what was happening. She tried to swat them away, contorting and panicking as bubbles streamed from her mouth. Her death was imminent, and Pizzazz jumped slightly, shocked, if not devastated, by the death of his district partner.
Glitter Nave, District 1 Female; 13th, Killed by drowning and piranha mutts, Day 6
Pizzazz, Vercingetorix, Poseidon, and Helini rushed below decks. The only room still intact was a little cabin housing one bed, a desk, and a scattered pile of yellowed paper. There was barely space for the four of them to stand inside, and they all ended up sitting on the edge of the bed, hoping the violent weather would subside as the boat rocked back and forth. It was threatening to snap in half. When Poseidon suggested they abandon ship entirely, the others didn't complain.
The waves subsided surprisingly quickly. The tall waves had knocked over a boat near Bichael and Gingham, and they woke just as an enormous wall of displaced water engulfed them. They were thrown under and rocketed back to the surface holding hands, struggling to keep afloat and together as the water threw them up and down. When the waves died down, they clambered onto the capsized ship, coughing up water. Tule was also displaced, nearly drowned when a ship capsized and created waves almost her height. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm despite her terror. She crawled onto a small piece of floating wood when the rain started to die down, and she let the whims of the gamemaker gods carry her away. Sooty, Ujomo, Crow, Rhys, and Emlee were weirdly unaffected by the storm, and none of them sustained bodily harm except for a few minor cuts and scrapes on Rhys' ankle. Rhys and Emlee had recently found a home on a sturdy ship with only a few areas of the hull missing, and it kept them safe as the ocean waves threw them up and down.
The careers merely swam for most of the day, cold and downtrodden. They were worried the cornucopia ship would capsize completely while they were away, but it did not. They spotted Crow from 9 around three in the evening, but she managed to escape by disappearing under the water for long periods of time and resurfacing where the waves were tall enough to hide her. Flustered after Crow's escape, the pack dragged themselves onto a floating piece of wood for dinner. Poseidon's sponsors sent him a whole basket of sugar cubes that he and his allies were eagerly cramming into their mouths within moments, a callback to his father's games.
Day 7 trickled past with only a singular peak of excitement. The careers were exhausted from an entire day of swimming, even Poseidon, so they floated on their piece of wood and relaxed. They weren't in any rush to return to the cornucopia, but they did want to do so at some point within the next few days to restock on supplies; Poseidon's sugar cubes couldn't last them forever. Fortunately, Helini had thought to snatch a compass from the horn before abandoning ship, so they had at least some sense of direction beyond their own instincts.
The pack was talking quietly amongst themselves when they spotted two objects floating in the water only a few meters away. Gingham and Bichael were both asleep, drifting peacefully over the sea, and they were blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. Pizzazz and Vercingetorix dropped the makeshift anchor off of their wooden vessel. Meanwhile, Poseidon and Helini, the best swimmers, slipped into the water and approached the sleeping boys. They were both dead before they knew what had hit him. Poseidon yanked his trident out of Gingham's chest, and Helini tore the point of her spear out of Bichael's abdomen. Their cannon shots fired in rapid succession; the 4s clambered back onto their makeshift raft and lifted the anchor to return to the cornucopia.
Gingham Drains, District 8 Male; 12th, Killed by Poseidon, Day 7
Bichael Warran, District 6 Male; 11th, Killed by Helini, Day 7
The rain did not subside for very long. By Day 8, the hurricane-like storm was back in full force; ships rocked and toppled, waved crashed, and tributes screamed as they were nearly drowned. The careers had returned to the cornucopia boat and were pretty much trapped there; the waters were too rough for even Poseidon and Helini to risk abandoning ship again. The small room inside of the ship sheltered them from the wind and rain, and the four of them did their best to sleep inside as the rocking ship threw them back and forth. There was hardly standing room for the four of them, so sleeping was not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.
Sooty had built up a reputation in the Capitol as a kind of boat-hopper, travelling between various ships every few hours and raiding them of their supplies before settling down for short rests. His travelling stopped when the storm got intense. There was a spacious area under decks that kept the rain out well enough, but a few drops still splashed in through a hole in the ceiling. Ujomo had a dirty little secret, and everyone knew it. The Capitol had her under constant surveillance, and they were chagrined to see that she wasn't stepping out of line at all; she was just carrying a megaphone with her. She clung to that megaphone like her life depended on it, keeping it in her grasp as the waves rocked her ship up and down and doused her with freezing-cold sea water. Crow was terrified after her narrow escape from the career pack. She was a good quarter mile away from the nearest ship when the rain began, and Crow panicked, swimming so quickly toward the nearest ship that she almost immediately lost her energy. Staying afloat on the foaming demon of the water was nearly exhausting, and she gasped with relief when she dragged herself onto a sopping-wet ship's deck, gasping and shaking. Rhys and Emlee tried their best to relax inside of the ship with the dilapidated hull, all while raindrops pummeled the surface outside like artillery. Tule was bobbing up and down like a cork in the sea, using every ounce of her energy to keep from drowning, and Rhys and Emlee welcomed her into their little group when she came near. They weren't an anti-career pack; "loser pack" would have been a more appropriate name, but they all felt more comfortable and confident in a group of three. The tributes were hard-pressed to relax as the rains pummeled down, but they all managed to survive through Day 8.
Day 9 was a different story. The intense storm was trying the very foundations of the cornucopia ship; it rocked back and forth with extreme ferocity, and its creaking and groaning was like that of a dying beast. It was around one in the morning when the wooden ship gave way and literally split in half. The pack bolted awake to the noise of cracking wood and raced above decks. The ship was both splitting and sinking, and Vercingetorix escaped the sleeping chamber just as water covered the lowest rung of the ladder.
Vercingetorix panicked for a moment, even instinct leaving him as the wood splintered and creaked underfoot. He'd lost Pizzazz and the others through the darkness, fog, and rain, and he was freezing cold and practically blind. He found a wooden pole meant for carrying life jackets and held on for dear life. Pizzazz was nervous about putting his swimming skills to the real test; he knew about the suction effect created when a large object sank, and the fear of drowning was like a knife in his gut as he prepared to swim for his life. Poseidon and Helini stretched and sprinted back and forth, warming up for the difficult swim. The ship was sinking faster and faster; the tip of the stern was already covered with foaming water, and the roaring sea gradually consumed the ship. The cornucopia's supplies rattled and flew, and a stray cart of weapons hit Helini in the gut hard enough to knock the wind out of her for a few moments.
With water rushing into the bowels of the ship and weighing the vessel down, the wood from which it was fashioned was put under extreme force. The ancient, weak wood snapped clean in half, and water roared as it rushed into the depths of the ship. In a deafening roar of flying shrapnel and splashing water, the ship was tugged underneath the water's surface. Vercingetorix's refusal to abandon the ship was what spelled his doom. The moment the ship sank, he lost his grip on the wooden rack. The fierce water currents carried him away. Vercingetorix involuntarily took in a huge gulp of water, and he was beyond saving. He drowned while his three allies swam for their lives.
Vercingetorix Spunt, District 2 Male; 10th, Killed by drowning, Day 9
Pizzazz, Poseidon, and Helini struggled to stay afloat. Poseidon and Helini were amazing swimmers, but keeping from drowning was extremely difficult even for them. Poseidon had an extremely close call when a piece of heavy wood hit him in the head, and Helini grabbed him by the arm, tugging him back to the surface before he could sink. With their combined body power, they could stay on the surface much more easily. Swimming away was out of the question; their only option was to keep floating until the currents created by the sinking ship died down slightly.
They forgot about Pizzazz in their desperate struggle to survive. He made an admirable effort to swim to safety, but he just wasn't strong enough to counteract the sheer force with which he was thrown back and forth. The suction effect was what eventually claimed him, and he was pulled underwater amidst a cloud of debris from the sunken vessel.
Pizzazz Thalanson, District 1 Male; 9th, Killed by drowning, Day 9
That left the final eight: Poseidon Odair and Helini Shelley from District 4, Sooty Shacklebolt and Ujomo Perois from District 5, Crow Kempton from District 9, Tule Rasmus from District 10, and Rhys Tolling and Emlee Regis from District 12.
The rest of Day 9 was deathless. The tributes stayed stationary, utterly shaken and terrified by the sheer force of the storm. The harsh weather showed no signs of stopping, and it was all they could do to hope things would calm down so they could search for food. Poseidon and Helini treaded water until the currents died down and they were able to swim away. They paddled slowly onward for about ten minutes and then dragged themselves onto a floating wooden door, balancing carefully to keep it from sinking as the gale threw drops of cold rain onto their backs. The water currents threw Crow around the water, and she screamed, bobbing down and then resurfacing every few seconds. At one point, she was caught in a tangle of seaweed and came extremely close to drowning, but she miraculously managed to tug herself free. Boats toppled, nearly drowning both Sooty and the Tule-Rhys-Emlee group. The three of them had lasted much longer than they'd thought, and they were starting to believe they weren't quite as doomed as they had thought.
Ujomo was just as mysterious as ever. Megaphone in hand, she stayed still, peering out the damaged porthole window of the dilapidated ship as it was battered with raindrops. She intended to execute her plan as soon as the storm let up. It did so on the tenth morning, and Ujomo smiled as she climbed out into the open. She was doomed and didn't care about survival. She took a few moments to test the megaphone and then started talking, or singing, rather. She started singing something that had not been played publically in ninety-nine years.
Are you, are you,
Coming to the tree?
They strung up a man,
They say who murdered three.
Strange things did happen here,
No stranger would it be,
If we met at midnight,
In the hanging tree.
The gamemakers froze at their controls. As they realized what was going on, they scrambled to do anything they could to end her. But Ujomo did not relent, and she kept singing even as the gamemaker-created waves threw the ship back and forth, gradually sucking it down into the water's depths.
"Fellow citizens," she said after she'd finished the song. She swept her arm around her, gesturing toward the entire arena. "This is what the Capitol does to us. Throws twenty-four innocent children into a death match every year. You can hide in your districts out of fear, or you can rebel out of the sheer sense to do what is right. The Capitol are the most unjust rulers the human race has ever seen, and as a history teacher's daughter, that's really saying something." She probably shouldn't have mentioned her mother. Her students got a new teacher the very next day. "Rebel. We are strong, whether or not you believe it. Together, we can take the Capitol down."
Edison was carried out of the gamemakers center screaming. The news came out the next week that he had "resigned due to sudden illness and a family emergency". Ujomo died, of course, sucked down into the water as the ship sank. She was no Struve; her rebel plan was not an elaborate one. But those who were still rebellious cheered her on until her dying breath. Ujomo Perois was one of those tributes that would just never be forgotten.
Ujomo Perois, District 5 Female; 8th, Killed by drowning, Day 10
Sooty was getting desperate; he was starting to fade into the background despite his constant attempts to stay relevant. He was starting to feel the effects of dehydration on this body, as the salty water that made up the arena was not fit for drinking by any stretch of the imagination. He was desperate enough to start hunting for fellow tributes. He could swim through the water with surprising speed. He planned on scoping out the north end of the arena, but he saw Poseidon and Helini hunting and turned around, wanting to avoid the 4s at any cost.
Poseidon and Helini were indeed still hunting. The "loser" trio was still as elusive ever. The careers were having difficulty finding victims; with such an open arena, they were hoping finding prey would be easy. The blanket of dark clouds drew back, revealing a pretty, spotless blue sky. This weather was more adept for pedestrian purposes, and Crow took the day to explore. She was a little shaken after her narrow escape from the tangling seaweed, and the general violence of the storm had shaken the young girl like a leaf. She was worried about the other tributes, especially Poseidon and Helini, so she stayed low whenever possible, exploring in the areas where the careers were less likely to hunt. Tule, Rhys, and Emlee drifted on their backs. Throughout the sinking of the cornucopia ship and the entire Ujomo ordeal, they'd been completely forgotten by most of the audience and by Titanius. They were drifting near the careers and Sooty, and an eventful clash was expected late Day 11 or early Day 12.
Three cannon shots fired in the early morning of Day 11. Sooty had momentarily stopped hunting around sunset the night prior, and now he was merely drifting on his back, hoping to stay out of the sight of the other tributes until he could regain the energy to hunt again. He woke up slowly and paddled weakly throughout the first few hours of the day; the waters were the calmest they'd been since the beginning of the games. He was treading water around ten in the morning when he spotted the Tule-Rhys-Emlee trio drifting silently a short distance away. He'd grabbed a quiver of arrows from the bloodbath, but no bow. He pulled two arrows out of his pack and duel-wielded them like spears, creeping quietly closer to the obliviously sleeping trio.
Emlee and Tule woke up screaming as Sooty simultaneously drilled his arrows through their abdomens. Emlee lashed out and kicked him in the stomach, and Sooty reeled, bumped into Rhys and waking him up. Emlee continued to put up quite a fight, kicking and screaming as blood came in torrents from her wound. Tule was subdued much more easily; Sooty had pierced one of her critical arteries. She died moments before Emlee. As Emlee and Tule took their last breaths, Rhys swam for his life, Sooty started searching them for supplies, and the nearby careers swam toward them, attracted by the dying screams of the girls.
Tule Rasmus, District 10 Female; 7th, Killed by Sooty, Day 11
Emlee Regis, District 12 Male; 6th, Killed by Sooty, Day 11
Sooty realized that Rhys was escaping far too late to actually catch up to him; he had an enormous head start. Even though he wasn't an experienced swimmer, adrenaline was powering him onward like electricity. Sooty quickly lost him, and the 5 boy took a deep breath, lowering his arrows and staring at the sky.
He looked down just as Poseidon's trident entered his chest. Sooty only had time to let out a single scream before a black box enclosed his shattered form. Poseidon and Helini had approached silently enough to keep from being noticed, and Sooty was so distracted by the torrent of emotions that he hardly noticed the small ripples their paddling limbs created. Poseidon wiped the blood off of his trident as Helini swam forward and tore his arrows out of his hands. Now only four tributes were left.
Sooty Shackebolt, District 5 Male; 5th, Killed by Poseidon, Day 11
The next day was pretty uneventful. Poseidon and Helini moved in the direction of the cornucopia as quickly as they could. While this arena was laden with deadly mutts, they had yet to kill or even injure a single tribute other than Glitter. The 4s were not looking forward to seeing what deadly creatures the gamemakers planned to unleash if they didn't move quickly enough on their own. They soon arrived at the place where the cornucopia boat had once stood; their feet even felt parts of the wreck as they swam. Poseidon hit his foot hard and injured it moderately; cursing, he and Helini paddled to the nearest piece of floating debris and relaxed.
This year featured a rather mismatched final four; the pair from District 4, who had wowed the Capitol in pretty much every regard imaginable, and two twelve-year-olds who had never touched weapons prior to entering the arena. Crow remained hidden in the less desirable areas of the arena, stubbornly staying everywhere the gamemakers didn't want her to. The Capitol was impressed with her for making it so far in the games, so they sent her lots of gifts she really didn't deserve, including a knife and a case of steaming-hot mashed potatoes.
As Crow floated aimlessly on her back, Rhys swam for his life. He didn't bother to keep quiet as he flailed his arms like a madman. He swam a stellar three miles on the twelfth day, and came dangerously close to the edge of the arena. The gamemakers sent a number of powerful wind and water currents to shove him back to the center of the arena, where he was under threat by the careers, and Crow to a lesser extent.
Crow was paddling through the arena on the morning of Day 13 when she saw a small piece of plastic debris floating through the water; her own discarded case of mashed potatoes. However, it was shredded in a very uniform pattern, like it'd been absentmindedly torn apart by a bored tribute. Both curiosity and paranoia plagued Crow as she continued to explore the area, and she spotted a sleeping Rhys less than ten minutes later.
Crow was swimming toward him before her brain had time to catch up. The Capitol zoomed in their cameras as the last two twelve-year-olds in these games grew nearer. Crow lashed out with her knife, but only managed to awkwardly dent his skin by a small amount. Rhys woke up and instinctively threw out his fist. Crow swerved so she was smacked in the neck rather than the mouth, and Rhys rolled upright, holding out his fists in warning as Crow hesitantly went in with her knife.
Their fight was painfully boring and lasted for about forty minutes. The Capitol was almost relieved when Rhys finally fell. Crow had managed to pepper a multitude of small holes into his chest and neck over the course of the fight, while all Rhys had managed to inflict were a few bruises. A cannon fired as Rhys sank to the bottom of the sea. Gagging, Crow swam away so the gamemakers could collect his corpse.
Rhys Tolling, District 12 Male; 4th, Killed by Crow, Day 13
Shaking from the nerves and adrenaline, Crow continued her journey to the cornucopia. After Rhys' death, her popularity had skyrocketed in the Capitol, but she was still up against two extremely well-trained tributes in an arena that was fashioned in their favor. Crow swam faster as dark clouds began to roll in. On the way, she discovered a small patch of edible seaweed, and Crow munched on the bitter vegetation out of nerves.
Poseidon and Helini were now using the floating piece of wood like a raft, and smaller pieces of wood as oars. They took a few minutes to coordinate their movements, but once they'd broken in the raft, they found they could travel extremely quickly. The gamemakers sent intense water currents their way. At first, they tried to fight them, but they were sent a note instructing them to the let the currents carry them toward Crow.
Several hours passed deathlessly, and anticipation built in the Capitol. Finally, Poseidon and Helini spotted Crow from about a hundred meters away. There was no such thing as high and low ground in the all-water arena; aside from the minimal shelter provided by the abandoned ships, there were almost no natural advantages a tribute could have. Crow started to panic as the careers grew closer, and she held out her knives, biting her lip with worry.
At least her end came quickly. She was well-stocked, but Crow was rather scrawny and weak regardless. Poseidon and Helini had her disarmed in a matter of moments. Helini's blow sent the first of Crow's knives flying out of her grasp, and she panicked as her second knife was knocked away by Poseidon. Crow turned around and was grabbed by the back of the neck, pulled inward. Her screams rang over the open ocean for miles as Poseidon squished away her lifeblood with his special trident, and Crow went limp as her cannon sounded. Spinning in circles on the current, her body drifted slowly away, and the 4s faced each other. Now they had no choice but to turn on one another.
Crow Kempton, District 9 Female; 3rd, Killed by Poseidon, Day 13
"It's the finale," Poseidon said, a note of sadness in his voice.
Helini nodded. "Just know that I've been lucky to fight alongside someone who could make this moment so hard."
Spear clashed on trident. In a matter of moments, the finale was in full swing, with the finalists stabbing and splashing. By the time a minute had elapsed, they were both thoroughly exhausted; this fight required not only the energy to fight, but the energy to stay afloat in the constantly rippling, bouncing water of the arena. They both faltered regularly, often loosening their grips on their weapons or nearly dropping them due to the sheer physical exhaustion of staying afloat with only their feet.
It was only one more minute before the victor was crowned. The battle came down to which tribute had sustained the most minor wounds. Helini had nearly two dozen dotted around her body, while Poseidon had a mere two, inflicted weakly by Helini's spear. Helini's energy quickly sapped away, and as Poseidon thrust his trident into her chest, she dropped her spear. It sank into the water and quickly disappeared.
Helini Shelley, District 4 Female; 2nd, Killed by Poseidon, Day 13
"Poseidon Odair of District 4, you are the victor of the ninety-ninth annual Hunger Games!" Titanius shouted.
Poseidon took a sailor's salute. "Farewell, friend. You will not be forgotten."
Poseidon Odair, District 4 Male; Victor of the Ninety-Ninth Hunger Games, Day 13
AFTERMATH
Poseidon was received with wild applause in the fishing district, and most wildly of all by Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta. Poseidon was the second child of a victor to make it home, the last one being Rye from the forty-fourth games. Helini's aunt, the head peacekeeper of District 4, wept with grief during his victory tour: the only recorded moment where she was seen crying. Poseidon donated a large sum of his victory's payouts to her and the other members of Helini's family. For nearly three decades after his victory, he was prostituted up the wazoo, and he was especially popular with older women who had spent nights with Finnick during his youth. Poseidon would go down in history as a somewhat stereotypical career victor, simultaneously ready to party and always able to crack a smooth joke. He was also an avid lover sugar cubes. He always packed a few of them with his children's lunches.
The payouts on his victory were very low, as 28% bet on him.
His victory tour was pretty average, except in District 4, where he showered the crowd with sugar cubes.
Poseidon would live to age eighty-nine, dying from cancer six months before the one-hundred seventy-second annual Hunger Games. He would marry and have two children.
NEWS
Sycamora Bromley marries her fiancé of three years, a man named Jack Wilds.
Chaff Korsmun, the victor of the forty-fifth Hunger Games, dies from an alcohol overdose after Marvin Fleiszig's death.
Freya Digard, the victor of the twenty-first Hunger Games, dies in a car accident.
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)
9HG: Isaac Crandall (#1, District 5)
10HG: Velvet Farrow (#3, District 1)
11HG: Mags Flanagan (#2, District 4)
12HG: Slate Ogston (#3, District 2)
13HG: Woof Dozier (#1, District 8)
14HG: Blaze Skalnik (#4, District 2)
15HG: Dina Wilmarth (#2, District 5)
16HG: Beatrice Toland (#1, District 6)
17HG: Amelia Bankston (#5, District 2)
18HG: Markus Gardd (#2, District 6)
19HG: Odius Ruttler (#6, District 2)
20HG: Seeder Kaiser (#1, District 11)
21HG: Freya Digard (#7, District 2)
22HG: Gold Carson (#4, District 1)
23HG: Ashlyn Breston (#3, District 6)
24HG: Dayta Albrand (#3, District 3)
25HG: Diamond Griego (#5, District 1)
26HG: Thor Rosner (#8, District 2)
27HG: Magnet Lisagor (#4, District 3)
28HG: Maria Dutra (#3, District 4)
29HG: Discordia Komine (#9, District 2)
30HG: Barley Chisolm (#1, District 9)
31HG: Marlin Coppi (#4, District 4)
32HG: Wyatt Kerdler (#5, District 3)
33HG: Molly Soltan (#5, District 4)
34HG: Grover Handa (#1, District 7)
35HG: Troy Stiles (#6, District 4)
36HG: Lana Voltaire (#10, District 2)
37HG: Lucy Said (#7, District 4)
38HG: Porter Tripp (#3, District 5)
39HG: Penelope Turek (#8, District 4)
40HG: Beetee Latier (#6, District 3)
41HG: Radiance Clinton (#6, District 1)
42HG: Technik Hartline (#7, District 3)
43HG: Dylan Levitt (#9, District 4)
44HG: Rye Boyum (#2, District 9)
45HG: Chaff Korsmun (#2, District 11)
46HG: Nolan Wrack (#11, District 2)
47HG: Klink Byrae (#4, District 5)
48HG: Brutus Cordley (#12, District 2)
49HG: Wiress Freid (#8, District 3)
50HG: Haymitch Abernathy (#2, District 12)
51HG: Lyme Mabbett (#13, District 2)
52HG: Ruby Rayfuse (#7, District 1)
53HG: Lily Eckel (#3, District 11)
54HG: Blight Holzer (#2, District 7)
55HG: Emily Pollick (#5, District 5)
56HG: Sally Vasilia (#6, District 5)
57HG: Mason Kittridge (#14, District 2)
58HG: Margaret Cartmill (#1, District 10)
59HG: Tiger Sterne (#8, District 1)
60HG: Cecelia Rieffel (#2, District 8)
61HG: Valerie Easton (#15, District 2)
62HG: Enobaria Rigatti (#16, District 2)
63HG: Gloss Linden (#9, District 1)
64HG: Cashmere Linden (#10, District 1)
65HG: Finnick Odair (#10, District 4)
66HG: Victor Xhang (#17, District 2)
67HG: Augustus Braun (#11, District 1)
68HG: Iuna Mosier (#12, District 1)
69HG: Alexander Westlake (#2, District 10)
70HG: Annie Cresta (#11, District 4)
71HG: Johanna Mason (#3, District 7)
72HG: Remus Daley (#18, District 2)
73HG: Apollo Reinold (#4, District 6)
74HG: Meredith Powell (#4, District 7)
75HG: Struve Lockman (#19, District 2)
76HG: Porcelain Wing (#13, District 1)
77HG: Router Lowell (#9, District 3)
78HG: Surge Upsdell (#7, District 5)
79HG: Kasey Slosser (#5, District 6)
80HG: Tarquinius Orfe (#20, District 2)
81HG: Talisa Plummer (#12, District 4)
82HG: Poplin Amsden (#3, District 8)
83HG: Pixel Watt (#10, District 3)
84HG: Dock Elizabeth (#13, District 4)
85HG: Sycamora Bromley (#5, District 7)
86HG: Bobbin Chern (#4, District 8)
87HG: Organdy Karat (#14, District 1)
88HG: Sickle Salgato (#3, District 9)
89HG: Admired Thompson (#15, District 1)
90HG: Chipson Harris (#11, District 3)
91HG: Mars Talbot (#21, District 2)
92HG: Arnold Scruggs (#3, District 12), Wystella Knapp (#22, District 2), and Robina Caite (#3, District 10)
93HG: Taj King (#16, District 1)
94HG: Steer Drudgers (#4, District 10)
95HG: Diode Cooper (#8, District 5)
96HG: Pluto Talbot (#23, District 2)
97HG: Vine Lilard (#4, District 11)
98HG: Larke Jean (#5, District 10)
99HG: Poseidon Odair (#14, District 4)
A/N: Bichael lol XD
How was the victor, the arena, everything? I know I say this pretty much every chapter, but I had some serious fun with this one. You be the judge, jury, and executioner, cause I wanna hear what you think, so SPILL!
And so we come to the 100th chapter of this *ridiculously long* story. I have a TON of stuff planned for the fourth Quarter Quell, and like I said, it IS going to be the longest chapter of all time. Take a look at my Quarter Quell Cards story if you want to know what the twist will be, but don't mention it in the reviews please, in case some people want to be a surprise. But it's going to be a good one, I promise! Also keep in mind it'll probably take me a lot longer, even on proportion. It's the final chapter; I don't want to do it averagely.
Until then, stay awesome :D
