AUTHOR'S NOTE: Since not every game is a Quell or is an action-packed story full of memories, some are longer than others and others are more memorable. Whatever the case, here's another sign that this story is still going. On a canon-related note, I know we're approaching Wiress' games, so stay on the lookout for them as well. In the meantime, here's '36. I do always enjoy feedback as well, and so even short remarks saying how good (or bad) I did are always welcome.
Happy Reading!

The 36th Annual Hunger Games

The Hunger Games arenas were designed differently every year, and many of them were envisioned and constructed years in advance. No one outside the Capitol really knew how they were chosen or designed, but as the games got more advanced, it was clear that different environments served different tributes better or worse. Moreover, the victors' pool showed that not all districts were equal in strength, smarts, and survival skills the way they used to.

Foremost proof of this was seen in District 2 and District 1, which trained children for the games. While this was technically illegal, the Capitol turned a blind eye deliberately because these children tended to give a good show and add conflict to the games as they hunted down the other children. Urban districts such as '8, '9, or '6 seemed more at a disadvantage; as opposed to outdoorsy districts such as '11, '4, or '7 where their district's industry helped them learn skills inherently. Then there were exceptions, such as District12, which produced dangerous saboteurs who excelled in multi-man combat, although usually dropped quickly if directly confronted. Also serving as an exception to the urban district trend were Districts 5 and 3, whose cunning and wealth often helped them live better lives back home which translated to skill in the arena.

All in all, however, the 36th Annual Hunger Games weren't much to shake a finger at despite how eerily exciting the previous games had been. While the career tributes performed well, by this point, that was practically expected rather than surprising. Since none of the other districts scored too far outside of their usual trends, there was nothing that kept the Gamemakers excitedly rambling the way the last games had been. However, the previous year had also marked the advent of a new games host and tribute interviewer: a man named Caesar Flickerman, and he helped work up the current Hunger Games, spinning things just enough to make them sound exciting.

In contrast to the dark, barren forest arena of the previous year, this year's arena had food all around them. It was wide and open, but full of tall fields of wheat, corn, beans, flowers, and other grain. Irrigated waterways provided clean water for survival, and thus the farm scene of this year's arena increased the odds of districts such as 10 and 9 that usually did not fare well.

Sure enough, while 8 tributes died in the bloodbath that day, none of them were from '10 or '9. The first evening saw them all survive as well.

Jackson Kjelle from District 5 lost his partner on the 2nd evening, but only after their traps killed over half of the 6-strong career pack. The fields (many of which were taller than most of the tributes) served as excellent places to hide; and excellent places to light ablaze. The irrigation ditches served as natural ways to hamper flame progress so the whole arena didn't go up in smoke, but four tributes were killed by this trap, and the only reason Jackson survived was because he ran faster than his partner.

The next several days were quiet and mostly eventless other than the District 10 pair dying over the following week, which caused the Gamemakers to throw a real wrench in the system on day 9. Under grey skies and high winds, lightning flashed. The lack of trees made it difficult to find a good hiding spot, and so most tributes just tried to find cover or low ground. Being from the district that generated electricity, Jackson knew to be as low as possible, and so he disappeared into some of the shorter grass and hoped he didn't get hit.

However, the fun was only beginning. The high winds turned into a massive tornado that wreaked havoc across the arena, carving a very distinct path through every quadrant of the arena, and killing half a dozen tributes in one evening by the time it had subsided.

While District 9 had kept both of its tributes alive into the final 5, the boy was killed next, while Jackson sniped one of the other tributes. The girl from District 9 took out the other tribute before she and Jackson crossed paths for the first and only time.

In the ruins of the fields under the drizzling rain, the two fought for several minutes before she got the upper hand on him and knocked Jackson to the ground. Right as she raised her sword to strike him down, however, a bolt of lightning used the weapon as a point to strike, killing the girl instantly. In one frantic, intense moment, Jackson Kjelle had just become the 5th victor from District 5, and the 36th victor of the Hunger Games overall.

While the games had been rather boring and eventless apart from his trap, the lightning, and the tornadoes, it had still managed to toss in a few interesting dynamics for the games that the Gamemakers of the future would remember. Furthermore, the way Caesar Flickerman hyped it up would ensure that it remained popular among the Capitol for a long enough time until other more memorable games took its place. The man was a keeper in the Capitol for sure. Jackson, on the other hand, was quite fine with settling back down and living a quiet victor life again. Surprisingly, this was one of a few fronts where he actually succeeded.

VICTORS BY YEAR:
1HG: Fukaya Kerezaki (#1, District 5)
2HG: Lucy Takamatzu (#1, District 11)
3HG: Naseru Litzak (#1, District 3)
4HG: Naisha Szasz (#1, District 2)
5HG: Jade Prima (#1, District 1)
6HG: Cedar Hardin (#1, District 7)
7HG: Susan Jackman (#2, District 5)
8HG: Malcolm Reed (#1, District 6)
9HG: Mags Cohen (#1, District 4)
10HG: Faren Dragmire (#2, District 1)
11HG: Maius Karuha (#2, District 2)
12HG: Iunius Karuha (#3, District 2)
13HG: Hilda White (#1, District 10)
14HG: Minali Otoyome (#2, District 3)
15HG: Willow James (#3, District 1)
16HG: Lark Chandnea (#2, District 11)
17HG: Woof Casino (#1, District 8)
18HG: Leah Holden (#2, District 7)
19HG: Zeruda Mezkiel (#2, District 6)
20HG: Muscida Lee (#2, District 4)
21HG: Kada Lahka (#4, District 2)
22HG: Gleam DiFronzo (#4, District 1)
23HG: Ivette Coronado (#3, District 5)
24HG: Olivia Thurman (#1, District 9)
25HG: Laurel Fox (#1, District 12)
26HG: Daron Armstrong (#5, District 2)
27HG: Cobalt Evans (#5, District 1)
28HG: Lyme Golding (#6, District 2)
29HG: Ash LosDias (#3, District 7)
30HG: Challis Worth (#2, District 8)
31HG: Beetee Latier (#3, District 3)
32HG: Fletch Crossley (#4, District 5)
33HG: Seeder Howell (#3, District 11)
34HG: Price Emerson (#6, District 1)
35HG: Leto Irizari (#7, District 2)
36HG: Jackson Kjelle (#5, District 5)