Sunday 2 February 2014

Remember, Remember


The Victor of the 125th Hunger Games
Carnelian Ritter

District One
Kills: 3



Second Place: Onatah Fletcher
District Eleven
Kills: 2

When Onatah's name was called, everyone reacted differently. Dyani, Arika and Illie, her fellow workers, were distraught in losing their main hope. Mr Drake, her pimp, violently forced the girls to make up her lost hours. And her family, the ones that had previously sold her, relived the pain of losing their child over again. One night though, when Illie returned with cuts and bruises, a revolt happened. Taking a knife, Arika proceeded to stab Mr Drake almost 30 times, each for every man that had assaulted her over the years. With him dead, they fled the scene, returning to the streets where they would be a little more safer. Onatah would never know how she changed their lives for the better, or how her parents, through bitter tears and guilt, buried her on the hill, one of her favourite spots.

Third Place: Jem Calvert
District Three
Kills: 0

Jem's death had one of the more intense backlashes. The large household he lived in - ran by an elderly man named Gray and shared with other wayward youths, Amaran, Jas, Jax, Nico, Romaine and her toddler, Tabitha - erupted in violent screams and the shattering of objects. Moments later, in the open light, the angry teens poured out onto the street, paintcans and bricks loaded in their hands. Peacekeepers intervened after seeing the painted words and shattered windows. Nico was beat. Amaran was whipped. Jas and Jax were arrested, trialled, and then beat themselves. In the end, for the misfit family, there were no winners. Lives were forever changed. Jem's coffin returned to the house, and a funeral was held in the backyard, none of his friends able to attend. In the blink of an eye, everything changed for the worst.

Fourth Place: Sian Amser
District Nine
Kills: 1

It was raining in District Nine when the two separate coffins returned. A collection of people stood in District Nine's graveyard for Sian's funeral - friends and relatives and even randomers - coming to cherish the girl who tried to make an impression wherever she went. Afterwards, a small party was held, and people celebrated the times that Sian did good for those around her, those selfless acts that made her popular. Her death wasn't a shock, but the fact remained that, if Sian hadn't had chosen suicide, then she might very well be here with them all at the very moment. Sian, however, was more than content with knowing that everyone was able to move on happily without her.

Fifth Place: Corin Roscoe
District Nine
Kills: 2

Unlike Sian, Corin's funeral only had his Father, Carlos Roscoe, who was barely sober with his blurry eyes fixed on the hole in the ground that was home to his son's corpse. All the money in the world would never bring him back. Sometimes, when Carlos was either extremely drunk or emotional, he wished he could bring him back. But then the sobriety brought about sense, and Carlos Roscoe moved on with his life swiftly, playing the grieving Dad in order to look better for the countless of people he proceeded to launder money from. Then the night would come, and Carlos would stand in his son's dusty room, nothing moved at all, and cry himself to sleep on the floor.

Sixth Place: Jute Phillips
District Eight
Kills: 0

When Jute survived the bloodbath, his family breathed a sigh of relief. When he made it to the final ten, they were ecstatic, and briefly, they all believed that he had a fighting chance. Then the final five was approaching, and Jute's siblings, Calico, Aramid, Ramie, Nettle and Coir, grew antsy with nerves. And then, in the matter of a heartbeat, Jute died, and all of their hope died with him. Everyone reacted differently - but compared to most, the family banded together to cope. They cremated his body, sorted out the ashes, and each member carried a piece of item with his life contained within. No matter what, Jute would be with each and every one of them.

Seventh Place: Kiara Vaud
District Four
Kills: 0

Everyone expected Kiara to die early when she so recklessly volunteered. They all saw her as the friendly but naive girl she was, but neglected to notice the fighter deep inside of her. Years of rejection from her own Mother selling her to Tripe Theatre, to losing her Puppeteer three times, to never get that spot she had always wanted. She was tougher than anyone imagined. Wethen Tripe, however, finally caved in when he saw her die. He finally realised that Kiara had done it all to prove that she was worthy of being accepted for once. When her body returned, she was cast to sea, a choir singing a haunting tune as her coffin burned above the waves. Moments later, Giller Vaud, her forgotten Father, said a tearful goodbye to the girl he had lost many years prior.

Eighth Place: Temperance Clarion
District One
Kills: 4

The moment Temperance died was the moment that Aileen Clarion broke apart. All of her life, she pushed Temperance into training, to make her volunteer. Temperance did it on her own accord - Temperance did what she wanted - but Aileen, delusional, thought it was because of her. It broke her. She swallowed herself in masses of pills, and as much as it pained the rest of the family, they didn't have the time to fix her like they didn't have the time for Temperance either. Temperance's coffin was buried, and for many years later, Ennis Clarion would clean graffiti off of it, the most popular being - "Temperance Clarion will come and get you if you're naughty!"

Ninth Place: Calder Lachlan
District Four
Kills: 1

When Calder was stabbed and fell to the ground, District Four wept, but no-one more than Analisa Lachlan. After losing her daughter, and then her son, the Mother's spirit was shattered. All those years, she was forced to ignore Calder as their own at the request of her husband, or pretend like Mera never existed because she had "failed" by dying. Yet, Calder's death stirred unbelievable courage in her that she never knew her alcoholic brain possessed. Analisa got sober and left her abusive husband, moving down to the port that Calder had resided in. She took his ashes with her, threw them in the air, and sung a fisherman's lullaby in his honor as the ashes flew in the wind.

Tenth Place: Venice Woitel
District Six
Kills: 0

Venice's death was a hard pill to swallow for District Six, particularly those who knew her. Venice hadn't had the easiest of lives - losing her parents to a house fire, and her sister, Lirya, begrudgingly taking her in - but they assumed that she would cope better than most, having experienced distress as high as that. But Venice couldn't cope, and that was her main problem. She had no fight left in her after losing Ash. Her coffin returned to a drunken Lirya, who with a liquor bottle in one hand and the matches in the other, cremated her sister in their small backyard, bitter tears reminding her that Venice was still a child in her eyes, and now she was gone forever.

Eleventh Place: Ash Terrick
District Seven
Kills: 0

Ash's death shocked the entire district, but most of all, it shocked Clara Grey, his best friend. He was all she had. Without him, she fell into a state of loneliness, spending her days in her room, isolated from a world that judged her. She had dreams of marrying him one day, dreams that would never be fulfilled. His funeral was quaint and simple, a gentle mist in the air as he was lowered in the ground. Clara watched from the trees nearby, clutching onto a beaded bracelet that Ash had made on the day they met. It was a symbol of how kind he was. When everyone was gone, the bracelet was left on the spot, and a tulip was planted in his honour. Ash would never realise the impact he had on people.

Twelfth Place: Nelida Callous
District Two
Kills: 1

With or without alcohol and drugs pumping through her system, Eos Callous outright rejected Nelida's coffin when it arrived on the doorstep. The Peacekeepers, confused, took it back. But later on down the street, when everything was clear, her best friend Baron stole the coffin back with some friends. In the end, Nelida was buried on a rocky hill nearby, a simple wooden cross on her grave. Baron never got to tell her that he loved her, or that she was the only girl he would ever love. As her coffin was lowered in the grave, Nelida's cold hands were clamped over the shiny engagement ring that Baron had left her.

Thirteenth Place: Tierna Rowe
District Twelve
Kills: 1

Eva Rowe was the only person at home when the coffin arrived on the doorstep. With help from some neighbours, they carried it through the streets and straight to Twelve's graveyard, where the tombstones lined every inch. Eva refused to allow Haiden, Tierna's Father, to attend. Their life was perfect until Haiden drove their business, marriage and life in the ground, only to walk away and leave it to their hands. His actions caused Tierna's shift in personality. Some nights, under the moonlight, Haiden sneaked to the tombstone and told lullabies and stories to the grave, something he did for her as a child. He always regretted his decisions, but it was too late - Tierna paid the price.

Fourteenth Place: Caine Pravda
District Two
Kills: 4

No-one expected Caine to die. In fact, the entire district was ready to welcome him home with open arms. His younger siblings, Melody and Aerrow, had already painted the banner that would hang over the door of their home. And then his death was announced, and the Pravda family only ever received apologetic smiles and sympathetic notes. No-one knew the real damage. How Melody fell into depression and cut her wrists, or how nine years later, Aerrow volunteered and died, or how Marcella Kay, one of his closest friends, died of a drug overdose because Caine wasn't their to stop her. His death brought more pain than anyone could've imagined.

Fifteenth Place: Sienna Mayfleet
District Three
Kills: 0

Kenji Mayfleet had lost the daughter that was never really his. When her death was announced, Arianna burst into tears and everyone rushed to comfort the grieving Mother. But no-one thought about the Step-Father, the one who had taken her on as a baby and taught her the things her own Father never could. He just stared, open-mouthed, as she died without warning. He thought he had taught her better, but at the time, his heart raced when he realised that he could never help her perfect the skills she dreamed to know. And then he cried, and cried, and even when Arianna mended herself together to move on, Kenji would forever hurt on the inside, unable to bore a child, and unable to see Sienna once more.

Sixteenth Place: Angora Knight
District Eight
Kills: 0

Angora's death wasn't a surprise. It was as simple as that. Angora's siblings - Jersey, Drill, Baize and Chenelle - each mourned in their own way. But it was her twin, Drill, that took it the hardest. He lived by his sister's side since birth. They did everything together. People thought it was weird, but no-one understood the connection that they had. And when Angora's death was soon, Drill broke down. It took Jersey and Baize to calm him down, pinning the screaming boy to the floor. A month later, Angora would watch on, screaming silently, as Drill jumped from the factory's roof, ending the pain he had felt since he was torn apart from her.

Seventeenth Place: Haven Hemlock
District Ten
Kills: 1

Haven's parents, Kane and Stride, didn't shed a tear for their fallen son. His death meant nothing to them, like his life had too. They had many problems, but even the most coldest of people would've reacted. Stride's heart leapt to her throat, but she quickly dismissed it as the explosion charred her boy alive. She simply turned the T.V set off, and went to bed with her husband. His things were gone the next day. The door was unanswered when the coffin arrived. Instead, Haven was stored at the Capitol, forever abandoned. But up above, he had his Grandfather, Kanis, and that's all he truly cared for.

Eighteenth Place: Lyle Flinch
District Five
Kills: 0

A lot of people attended Lyle's cremation. It was one of the biggest ceremonies that District Five had ever seen, where teenagers around the same age, from different social groups and classes of wealth, lined the streets to see it burn. Everyone remembered Lyle as the sweetest boy around. His parents, Jason and Val, mourned their child for years to come, unable to cope. Cara, his oldest sister, struggled even more. Death would forever hang over her as not a year later, the pregnant belly became a child, who eventually died in his sleep. For Cara, there was no peace. And it broke Lyle more to see her in pain than it did to die.

Nineteenth Place: Audra Kincaid
District Five
Kills: 0

After Audra's kleptomania was announced, the family was altered forever. People at work judged both Harris and Kree, believing that they brought up their child to steal and lie. Later that day, Harris angrily tossed her bedroom upside down. Silver cutlery poured from under the threaded mattress. A bracelet, brooch and watch, all family heirlooms in the closet. He was so angry that he couldn't even watch the bloodbath, opting to avoid it. So when Audra died moments later, he never got to personally resolve it. It tore him apart. Their life slowly crumbled, and when her coffin returned home, it only made things worse. Kree buried her daughter on the outskirts of the district alone, fearful of any possible backlash, whilst her husband was halfway down his third bottle of rum.

Twentieth Place: Aubrey Turner
District Ten
Kills: 0

Unlike many residents in District Ten, Ada Turner believed that her daughter would be coming home. She made herself believe that her daughter - the perfect, beautiful girl that would be snapped up by a man - wouldn't ever die. But she did. And slowly, Ada Turner fell into depression over losing her only child. When Aubrey's coffin arrived at the door, it was her Father, Buck, that accepted her. Ada didn't even attend the funeral - in her eyes, her daughter was not in that coffin, and would be back any moment. Aubrey watched on with watery eyes as the years went by, and Ada was shipped away in a white jacket.

Twenty First Place: Rhett Emery
District Six
Kills: 0

Rhett's death was expected, and as much as it made her uncomfortable, Rayna Emery had accepted that the moment he boarded the train. The two parents gathered together as the clock counted down, but quickly looked away as Rhett was killed almost instantly, a knife in his stomach. Their whole world was turned upside down. In that moment, they regretted everything they had done - but most of all, they regretted treating Rhett like he was a problem. His entire life was filled with the pair of them telling him to stop doing those weird noises, or why can't you be more normal? That was all Rhett truly wanted, and he never did get it, even in death.

Twenty Second Place: Cypress Flint
District Twelve
Kills: 0

People knew that Cypress didn't fear death. The caretaker of his orphanage, Gravel, would always remember his words, about how Cypress knew he would die and was ready for when it would happen. So when Cypress recklessly charged the Careers at their own game, Gravel simply winced, void of emotions as the boy was killed. He was prepared. There was no fear or nerves in his eyes. If anything, he looked content. Deep down, he was. His body was returned to The Home, where a simple funeral was held in the backyard. Only those who knew and treasured Cypress attended, sending their precious items down into the grave with him.

Twenty Third Place: Quinn Tarly
District Seven
Kills: 0

Everyone thought Quinn was mild-mannered and timid. But when she was Reaped, the mysterious "Robin Hood" of their district had vanished too. Children starved without the hooded-figure's help. Quinn's death was not only a sad thing for her close relatives, but also the people that knew her as their saviour. Her coffin returned home to Kitana, her surrogate Mother, who buried Quinn on her plot of land, as if one of her own. Her best friend, Grange, would visit every other day, making sure that Kitana would cope without her. Quinn was missed by everyone, even if they didn't know it.

Twenty Fourth Place: Reed Wolfe
District Eleven
Kills: 0

When Reed fell so swiftly, it stunned his anticipating family. No-one cried. No-one even moved. They were quiet, focused, and most of all, tearing apart on the inside. It happened before anyone could come to terms with the thought of truly losing him forever. But for his best friends, Sylvester and Marisol, it hit them the hardest. With a liquor bottle each, they sat down at his shoddy grave, and marked toast after toast for him. Reed's death did something good - it brought two lonely people together. Years later, when the pair married and birthed their first child together - a boy, nonetheless - he was nicknamed Reed, in their fallen friend's honour.