A/N: Thanks to richards25, Vykktor and Violagirl23 for reviewing!
Here's another victor that is briefly mentioned in my other story, 'Mentor'. I hope you enjoy the chapter :)
"Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?"
- Tom Chaplin, 2006.
The 49th Annual Hunger Games
Julian Sampson (16), District 4 Male
Keane - Is It Any Wonder? (2006)
I close my eyes as the pod rises and try to calm myself. It's been seven days since the reaping, and I can't say that it's really hit me that I'm a tribute yet.
I never expected to be involved in the Games. Most years our Careers, who have trained for the Games for their whole lives in District 4's Training Centre, volunteer for the children who are reaped by the Capitol.
When my name was drawn from the reaping bowl, this was not the case. Being a sixteen-year-old with reasonable physical presence, nobody volunteered for me. I don't blame the Careers; I wouldn't have volunteered if I was in their situation. Then again, I would never have devoted my teenage years to training to compete in the Capitol's Games.
I guess that I should have some faith in my own abilities. After all, the Careers must have thought that I stand a chance; why else wouldn't they volunteer for me? I'm not the tallest tribute that District 4 has ever seen, standing at a touch under six feet tall, but I'm far from the shortest, too. I might not be the strongest, either, but my slender build aids me in other ways. Endurance, not strength, is my forte.
Still, my lack of sufficient training has left me disadvantaged compared to a stereotypical tribute from District 4, such as my mentor, Harrow, who won last year's Games. My relative inability with weapons has led to me spending all my time during training exclusively at the weapons stations. After three days, I reckon I can handle axes, daggers and swords reasonably well. I know that I can survive, too. Apart from a small bit of skill with daggers, everything that I showed the Gamemakers three days ago was survival skills. I managed to score a seven because of it, so I assume that the Gamemakers are pleased with my ability to survive in natural environments.
However, a training score of seven was too weak to let me become admitted into the Career Alliance, which this year only has four tributes due to the fact that my non-trained, fifteen-year-old district partner Leona wasn't admitted into their group, either. This year, we are just a normal non-Career district. I'll be honest in saying that I don't expect either of us to return home to District 4. We may have scored highly for non-Careers, with a seven and a six, but comparing that to the four nines of the Careers shows that we are a long way behind.
My pod reaches the top of the cylinder and I'm exposed to the bright light of the arena for the first time. I take a few seconds to come to my senses as my eyes adjust before looking around the arena, surprised at what I see.
After several consecutive years of innovative arena designs from the Gamemakers, I was expecting more than the plain green woodland that surrounds the cornucopia. Birches, oaks and beech trees. It all seems incredibly normal.
My concentration doesn't remain on the arena for long, but as I look round at my fellow tributes, suddenly my daze breaks and I begin to realise how much danger I am in.
The boy from District 2 is on the pedestal to my left, grinning with joy at the pleasant surroundings and gesturing towards the boy from One, who is four pedestals to his left. On my right is the timid girl from District 5. She must be twelve or thirteen, and certainly stands no chance of winning the Games.
Searching further afield, I try to find Leona, as we have agreed to stick together for mutual protection during the early stages of the Games.
Eventually I find her, and our eyes meet just as the gong sounds, signalling the start of the Games.
A minute has passed already!
I stand still on my pedestal for a few moment, completely shocked, watching the boy from Two sprint towards the cornucopia. The sight of him bending over to pick up a dagger reminds me of the danger that I am in, and I turn to run into the undergrowth twenty yards behind me.
Thankfully, no other tributes run in my general direction as the lucky few flee the bloodbath which has now started at the cornucopia as hear cries of pain reverberate around the arena. I can tell that Leona as been watching me, as I see her run through the chaos at the cornucopia straight towards me. As I wait quietly and patiently in the undergrowth, I watch her bend down to pick up a large orange rucksack, which will surely contain crucial supplies.
She bends down again as the passes the entrance to the golden horn that is the cornucopia, picking up a weapon of some sort. I can't tell exactly what it is, only that the metal glints in the sun.
Leona only manages to get five paces before she is approached by the boy from District 1, who is armed with a sword, and he effortlessly cleaves her in half.
I stare unbelievingly at Leona's body as it collapses to the ground, the boy from One having already moved away to deal with different foes. It takes a moment to realise that she is already dead, and that I am now on my own. Another second, and I understand that the cornucopia is the worst place for me to be right now.
Then I turn and run from the clearing without looking back, desperate to put as much distance between myself and the cornucopia as possible.
The 49th Annual hunger Games were relatively short, only lasting ten days. The Career Pack, who were diminished to three due to the death of the girl from Two at the cornucopia bloodbath, only lasted to the third day, when tributes were alive, when they split, resulting in the death of the boy from District 1.
Julian survived the first three days due to his survival skills, from knowing how to construct temporary shelters and knowing which plants were safe for him to eat. On the fourth day, he ambushed the unsuspecting boy from District 7. The small was taken by surprise and Julian managed to steal the boy's weapon before he had the chance to react. He then proceeded to kill the boy, using his own weapon - an axe - against him.
Due to dwindling numbers, the Gamemakers called a feast when the numbers decreased to six. Two tributes - the boy from District 2 and the girl from District 10 - were killed, and the four remaining tributes all received some of the spoils from the feast. Julian managed to upgrade from an axe to a longsword.
Of the four remaining tributes, one was killed by the girl from District 1, who was the sole surviving career at this stage, on the ninth day of the Games.
Finally, a forest fire was used to draw the final three tributes back to the cornucopia for the showdown, but the girl from One was killed by the flames and the heat.
This led to a final showdown between Julian and the girl from District 3, who was well-supplied but poorly armed. The final victory was quick and decisive for Julian, making him the victor of the 49th Annual Hunger Games.
A/N: If you enjoyed the chapter, please review! As ever, constructive criticism is welcomed :)
I should now mention that the final deadline for the oneshot competition will be 10 pm (BST), Thursday 6th June. I know that a couple of people will be trying to send in last-minute entries, so there's the deadline. Good luck, and may the best writer win :)
P.S. If you don't know who's the victor in the next chapter, I'd recommend reading the original Hunger Games Trilogy before reading on any further ;)
