The 80th Games - The Last Tribute to Fall

The moment the twenty-third tribute falls, the sun seems to hiccup. Just a blink of pure blackness before the sun rights itself. For a few moments, the arena is quiet, as though observing the final passage. Then, it is cacophony - a swell of birds screaming, mammals bleating and even the sea itself crashing against the rocks. The arena recognizes its victor with a crescendo.

It fades slowly, as the sun spins faster and faster in the sky, compelling the day through vibrant oranges and into twilight.

The anthem music plays, but instead of displaying Shy Aubergine, Denali Lyons and Bette Sublino who fell this day, it begins at the beginning: with Faux Rhodes’ skull splitting.

Carter Laws mangled by muttations.

Yusei Rhee sacrificing himself.

Oliver Wren’s skull collapsing.

Larceny Theft’s neck snapping.

Sable Delamore hemorrhaging.

Parson Cham’s throat cut into a smile.

Auto Grand Theft’s guts on display.

Fiona Zachariah blinded in one eye.

Maxwell Temple burning alive.

Minx Ahlstrom betrayed.

Wander Sibley hacked to pieces.

Hellion Mo with a knife in her eye.

Eve Renner stabbed in the back.

Lorenzo Pevek dying slowly, so slowly.

Quest Hertz defiant and defending.

Angel de Costa blindsided.

Carmen Stirling begging.

Temple Jones with a push and a thousand cuts.

Lexandriy Lionel stabbed repeatedly in the heart.

Shy Aubergine, a knife in his eye, succumbing slowly.

Denali Lyons, aflame.

Bette Sublino’s face mangled.

The anthem plays throughout Panem, even as two hovercraft swoop into the arena. One dangles a mechanical arm, retrieves the body of Bette Sublino and zooms off. The other circles above the victor before lowering a platform. On board, the victor is greeted by a Gamemaker, and handed a tablet.

They fly not to a celebration, but to a reckoning. Far away and not so very far at all, beneath the Training Center, it is waiting.