43rd Games

This year's games were a classic example of how arrogance within the career pack could lead to their demise.

This year's victor was Zachariah Ministron, age 18, from District 8. The arena was set in poisonous cornfields, featured friendly cows, an oxygen drop, and lasted for 12 days.

At 6'7" (2m). Zachariah towered above the other tributes and was offered an alliance with the careers during training, but he politely rejected it.

When the games began, Zachariah grabbed some water from the cornucopia, but ran after seeing Cicero (2) approaching him. As Zachariah ran away, Cicero laughed and turned around in order to see who else he could kill, but he was subsequently stabbed through the face by Marshall (11).

As Zachariah ran through the cornfields, he could just about see over the crops and this even allowed him to see where tributes were going as they were leaving trails in the corn. It was thought by some viewers that this gave him an unfair advantage, but The Capitol betting affiliates responded by raising his victory odds, which silenced the majority of those who were complaining.

As the first day came to an end, Zachariah came across Miguel and Cindy (both 10) in a clearing of corn near the edge of one of the inner fields. As Zachariah observed them through the crops, he noticed that they were milking the cows and discussing how they could get a fire going, so that they could make steaks from the cows' meat.

Without even thinking, Zachariah walked into the clearing and announced that he could help them with the fire. Miguel immediately grabbed his sword and Cindy looked ready to run, but Zachariah assured them that he meant no harm and that he could also see who was coming from above the crops. After a few tense moments, the pair agreed and Cindy gave Zachariah some milk that she had collected in a corn husk. They also informed him that they believed the corn to be poisonous, after they had spied Arizona (5) try and eat some and then vomit shorty afterwards, before being slain by the remaining careers.

As promised, Zachariah helped start a fire, whilst Miguel killed one of the cows and cut out its flesh, so that it was ready to cook. The group ate the beef as the sun started to set and they took turns to keep watch through the night.

The trio carried on with this routine until the fifth day, when there were still eleven tributes remaining. In order to bring the tributes back together, the game-makers announced that the levels of oxygen the arena would drop considerably over the next hour and that the only way for tributes to be able to breathe properly would be to use the masks from the cornucopia.

The trio were close to the cornucopia and whilst running back, Zachariah occasionally grabbed Cindy and held her as high as possible, so that she could see where other tributes were running, by seeing the trails of corn moving as these other tributes ran through them. As they approached the cornucopia, Cindy reported back that their nearest opponents were still some distance from them and when they entered the cornucopia, they were surprised to see nobody else around. They each put a mask on, but decided to not take more, in case it was a violation of the arena's rules.

However as they ran away from the clearing, they ran straight into another smaller clearing and Miguel fell straight onto some corn that had been cut. Although Zachariah and Cindy at first thought that this was not serious, blood started flying out of his neck where he had hit it on the corn. He tried to get up but more blood started flying out of his leg. Zachariah realizes that Miguel's femoral artery had been slit and that there was now no hope for him.

AS Cindy looked on in horror and Zachariah considered how he should tell Cindy that they needed to leave as quickly as possible, Ross and Challah (both 9) came hurtling out of the surrounding corn. As they ran towards Zachariah, he very quickly realized that he, Cindy, and Miguel had all walked into a trap, created by these two tributes from the district known for its skills with corn, who had managed to cut the corn in a manner that left it so sharp that it was able to pierce human flesh.

Although Ross then managed to stab Zachariah's arm with his knife, Zachariah subsequently picked him up by the neck, before throwing him onto the cut corn, which impaled him in multiple places once he landed upon it. During this commotion, Challah grabbed the mask from Miguel's body and ran out of the clearing and through the nearby corn.

At first, Zachariah and Cindy thought that Challah might manage to escape, but once Zachariah put Cindy on his shoulders, they were easily able to track her and after a brief chase, they hunted her down before Cindy stabbed her through her neck.

Although there were only seven tributes remaining by the sixth day, Felicia (2) and Glint (1) still found it difficult to track down their remaining competitors, whilst Zachariah and Cindy carried on skirting to the perimeter. However on the tenth day, Felicia and Glint found them in a nearby clearing. A fight almost broke out, but Felicia explained that she and Glint wanted Zachariah as an ally, so that he could help them find their remaining competitors, some of whom were still strong competition. Zachariah accepted, but on the condition that they would let Cindy join as well, which they reluctantly accepted.

That night, Salmo (4) and Gladis (12) both died and Zachariah was awoken by the cannon of the latter. However once he woke, he overheard Felicia and Glint arguing. He carefully wakened Cindy and told her to get ready to run, whilst he stealthily approached the pair of careers. As he neared them, he heard Glint trying to convince Felicia that they should kill Zachariah and Cindy that night, whilst Felicia callously spoke about how it would be easier to use Zachariah, but to kill Cindy that night.

Zachariah had heard enough and suddenly appeared behind them in the corn, although they quickly tried to grab their weapons, they were not quick enough and Zachariah bashed their heads together so hard that it killed Felicia, whilst Glint convulsed on the floor. Shortly after, Zachariah stabbed Glint through the head and killed him.

Over the next day, Zachariah and Cindy very carefully headed back to the cornucopia. They knew that their remaining opponent was Sandy (6) and that his district was well known for their painting and camouflage skills, so he could easily be hiding amongst them as they travelled.

As dawn broke on the twelfth day, Zachariah noticed some movement in the nearby corn and realized that a barely-clothed Sandy had camouflaged his body to match the color of the cornfields. Sandy tried to run, but to no avail, with Zachariah stabbing him through the neck very quickly after being spotted. However just as Zachariah was about to turn around, he was attacked from behind and felt his eyes being gouged.

Despite feeling intense pain, Zachariah managed to throw Cindy off his back and onto the ground, with such force that she hardly seemed capable of moving after. As Zachariah approached her with his knife, Cindy stated that he was a good ally and that she had to do what she could to try and win at the end. Zachariah gave a sympathetic smile and apologized before stabbing her through the head, killing her instantly and leaving him as the victor.

After winning the games, Zachariah returned to District 8, where he lived a quiet life with his girlfriend, before marrying her and starting a family. He later went on to open a textiles factory that specialized in corn-themed clothing.