5th Annual Hunger Games

The 5th Annual Hunger Games (Youtube/Tiktok) was held one year after the 4th Annual Hunger Games. A boy and one girl from each District, between the ages of 12 to 18, were reaped to be taken to the Capitol and fight to the death in an arena. As all the Old Games, the event was held in the Capitol Arena. Dallas Carson from District 10 was this year's victor.

This year's games were marked for having a number of tributes under the age of 15 higher than usual, with Dallas Carson being the oldest at 17 years old. To the law implemented in the 3rd Hunger Games regarding the prohibition to engage in a physical fight with another tribute before the arena stage, the events of the 5th Hunger Games forced the law to be rewritten to specify that any kind of harm (physical or not) was strictly prohibited.

## Background

Unlike the previous years, this year's edition featured a large number of tributes under the age of 15. Because of the actions of the 5th victor, most of the tributes suffered from poisoning or even succumbed to its effects before arriving at the arena. Until today, Dallas' true intentions are still heavily debated.

## Trip to the Capitol

During the trip to the Capitol, all tributes in the second wagon were showing some degree of fear, even the older ones. Dallas, the male tribute from District 10, with his friendly and welcoming personality, had been trying to distract the younger tributes with stories throughout the trip inside the cattle car that took them to the Capitol. Dallas told the others how that environment was not that different from his home, making jokes about how the strong smell was even worse in his District.

Being the oldest in the group, the other tributes listened attentively to what Dallas had to say, as the comparisons the boy made between them being sent in a cattle car to the arena and a herd of cattle being transported to the slaughterhouse made others believe that Dallas already knew the process of how things would go, bringing them a sense of false security by staying close to the boy.

## Capitol

Inside the animal pen, Dallas kept giving the remaining tributes some comfort, telling them how back in his District, sleeping in an animal pen was something little kids would sneak out of their homes to do, especially in colder nights if you did not have the privilege of owning a good blanket. He would tell them how it was seen back in 10 as something fun to do and that they could try to look at it the same way now.

However, in the early hours of the night, Latio - the boy from District 9 - fell down from hunger. A result of the living conditions he had in his district, along with all the stress he had experienced so far. With the other tributes watching closely and with knowing that it was already common in previous years for tributes to die before even entering the arena, everyone grew agitated with the possibility of the same happening to them.

Noticing how their surroundings was infested with rats, raccoons, and other opportunistic animals, Dallas was unable to remain indifferent about the whole situation had an idea. Managing to catch a rat by its tail and quickly making it unconscious with a strong hit of the animal's head against the floor, Dallas was determined to feed the younger and weaker tributes, some who seemed to not even remember the last time they had a decent meal.

However, as the older Tributes observed the scene, they accuse Dallas of being unfair for not distributing the food to everyone, forcing him to catch more rats so they could also eat. Larcus, the boy from District 4, who was apparently very angry, was the one starting all the accusations, followed by his district partner, Hyria. Dallas' district partner, Nadja, and the girl from District 1, Ragusa, stood up to defend the boy, starting a clash between the two groups.

Not wanting people to fight and much less to grab the attention of the Peacekeepers standing guard outside, Dallas does not refuse the request, even if it meant there would be no food left for himself - quickly ending the clash by announcing that he would do as Larcus requested. Dallas spent most of the following hours catching rats and mice, putting them unconscious and using his own hands to separate the meat as best as he could without tools.

A few more hours into the night, some of the tributes began to feel sick - at the time, they thought it were the effect of dehydration - after all, they did not have access to water and the temperatures were kept high even throughout the night - but something didn't add up, as it was clear that those feeling the worst were exactly the weaker children Dallas had fed first.

When the boy from District 4 complains of Dallas taking some rest and demands that he continues catching more animals for him to eat instead and he refuses, Larcus begins to be suspicious of the boy, as he connects one thing with another - accusing Dallas of poisoning the others. Luckily for him, most other tributes were too weak to retaliate, and the other half didn't believe Larcus' words, accusing him of being unfair to someone who had only helped them feel less hungry. Larcus only did not start a fight with Dallas right there because the couple from District 7, Athor and Trista, joined in the argument, alerting them of the Peacekeepers nearby and saying that everyone there was already a lost cause anyway - that poisoned or not, nothing would change their fate in the Hunger Games and that for some, it could even be considered an act of mercy compared to whatever horrors could come to happen in the arena.

Seeing himself outnumbered, Larcus retreats, as Dallas remained silent. That same night, the youngest Tributes who received the most food from Dallas, ended up passing away right there at the animal pen.

## Arena

In the arena, most of the tributes showed obvious signs of poisoning, some even unable to stand up. The strongest, however, were clearly prepared to fight for their lives. When the signal announced the start of the Games, some ran towards the pile of weapons. Larcus and Dallas were the first to each grab a weapon - even while still far away, their eyes met and fury took over Larcus' expression. It was at that moment that Dallas' District partner enters Larcus' field of vision, and, with a few leaping steps and a accurate spear throw, he eliminates the girl from the competition.

Dallas felt a mix of anger and fear as he observed the scene - until he noticed that Granitta, the girl from District 2, was running towards him with a weapon in hand. Dallas did not want to get involved in any fight and so he quickly moved away towards the arena stands, being followed by the girl. As he ran, he runs into one of the younger boys that hadn't moved from his started position. The boy falls from the impact, visibly weakened by the poison, not taking much longer until he succumbs to its effects.

Ragusa, the girl from District 1, tried to get close to the weapons so that no one would dare to focus her, but Larcus, despite now starting to show signs of weakness due to the poison, advanced furiously towards the her - quickly turning the girl from District 1 into the next fallen tribute. At almost the same time, Nimbus, the boy from District 6, also fell as he severely convulsed due to the poison effect. Taking advantage of Larcus' distraction as he focused on Ragusa, the boy from District 7 had just grabbed a machete, quickly advancing towards his opponent. But what he did not expect was how Larcus' district partner was standing close by, also already armed with a spear. Her perfect aim took down the opponent from District 7 before he could even approach Larcus. A few moments later, both Tributes from District 3 also died from the poison, leaving besides the older tributes, only 3 of the youngest and weaker Tributes left - all of which were sitting motionless on the arena's floor.

Larcus and Hyria were once again armed, as they analysed their surroundings. Further away, sometimes vomiting, sometimes crawling around to try to get away from all the bloodbath, was the girl from District 7. The couple from District 4 quickly ran towards the girl, with Larcus delivering the final blow without hesitation. As he finished the job, he uttered insults loud and clear for everyone to hear, making it transparent that he was only attacking the girl from 7 in such defenceless state because she had dared to defend Dallas back in the animal pen the night before.

Together with insults, Larcus kept talking loud and clear for the broadcasts to pick up, accusing Dallas of poisoning everyone in there on purpose. The boy from 10 began to panic, as all attention was focused on him. Taking advantage of it, the girl from District 2 caught up to Dallas after finally managing to climb up the stands where the boy was isolated. She attempted her first swing with her sword against Dallas, but instinctively, the boy quickly raised his cleaver, clashing it against his opponent's blade as he prevented it from hitting his stomach, using his superior strength to hold the girl's sword in place with his own blade. He quickly returns the attack to her as soon as he feels her hold getting weaker. The cleaver ends up hitting her in the neck, and with the impact, she loses balance and rolls down the stands. Larcus and Hyria watch the scene from afar, shouting even more insults at Dallas.

Copper, the boy from District 1, who had previously run away from all the mess, returned to the center of the Arena while the couple from District 4 were still distracted. The boy managed to grab an axe, and uses it to quickly hit Hyria in the back. Larcus, stunned by the effects of the poison and not understanding what had just happened, exchanged a look with the boy from District 1 as if wondering whether what just happened was real or just his imagination playing tricks on him. In the meantime, Encelia , the girl from District 11, also couldn't resist the poison effects and passes away.

The boy from District 1 tried in vain to retrieve his weapon from the body of the girl, which gave Larcus time to return to reality and start throwing punches and kicks at his opponent. The fight took a while, as both showed intense fatigue, until Larcus finally emerged victorious. However, as he was weak and already with clear signs that he would not would survive the poison much longer, Larcus began to chase his primary target: Dallas. Larcus would walk around tripping over his own feet, as he called for Dallas and uttered even bigger insults.

Time passed and with it, two more tributes succumbed to the poison - Daucus, the boy from District 11, and Murphy, the boy from District 2 - leaving only Larcus and Dallas left in the competition. Now, unable to move as much, Larcus stood just before the stands looking up and cursing about Dallas, while the boy from 10 tried his best to not let Larcus' words and accusations get to his head. A while passed and surprisingly, Larcus seemed to still resist to the poisoning symptoms, even though he looked absolutely miserable. On Dallas' side, his anger kept growing and growing, unable to stand hearing any more bullshit coming from Larcus' mouth - finally taking the decision to face him personally instead of waiting for the poison to do its work.

As the distance between both Tributes started to close, Larcus laughed and spat towards Dallas' direction, as he was aware that in his current condition, he wouldn't be able to beat the boy from 10 in a fight anymore - but he also did not want to give him any satisfaction. Enraged at his action and at all the accusations about him poisoning the kids on purpose, Dallas quickly grabbed the boy's collar and did not hesitate one more second in cutting Larcus' neck open with his cleaver. With all the tributes now fallen, Dallas was then announced the victor of the 5th Annual Hunger Games.

## Placing

* 1st - Dallas Carson (District 10) - victor.
* 2nd - Larcus Vonstorm (District 4) - throat slit with a cleaver by Dallas Carson (District 10).
* 3rd - Murphy Blackspear (District 2) - succumbed to poisoning.
* 4th - Daucus Poe (District 11) - succumbed to poisoning.
* 5th - Copper Pyreon (District 1) - speared by Larcus Vonstorm (District 4).
* 6th - Encelia Almond (District 11) - succumbed to poisoning.
* 7th - Hyria Lacrimosa (District 4) - hit in the back with a axe by Copper Pyreon (District 1).
* 8th - Granitta Houseshire (District 2) - hit in the neck with a cleaver by Dallas Carson (District 10).
* 9th - Trista Basswood (District 7) - speared by Larcus Vonstorm (District 4).
* 10th - Zorg Ballap (District 3) - succumbed to poisoning.
* 11th - Paddy Record (District 3) - succumbed to poisoning.
* 12th - Athor Cedarius (District 7) - speared by Hyria Lacrimosa (District 4).
* 13th - Nimbus Delvane (District 6) - succumbed to poisoning.
* 14th - Ragusa Fuschite (District 1) - speared by Larcus Vonstorm (District 4).
* 15th - Sunbay Corone (District 5) - succumbed to poisoning.
* 16th - Nadja Bullock (District 10) - speared by Larcus Vonstorm (District 4).
* 17th - 23rd - Beta Milldrop (District 6); Gordon Curtis (District 8); Bristia Dent (District 9); Lince Bircoch (District 5), Fibrone Collard (District 8); Ilex Labrone and Lana Marigold (District 12) - succumbed to the effects of the poison while in the animal pen.
* 24th - Latio Camberra (District 9) - succumbed to starvation.