The 53rd Hunger Games

The 53rd Annual Hunger Games was a tournament that took place in an artificially created arena off the coast of Snow Island in the year 53 ATT (After Treaty of Treason). The winner was 18 year old Rendwick "Goldinia" Keene from district 1.

## Tributes

The 53rd Hunger Games became a story of shifting alliances. The core group of fifteen tributes who made it out of the Cornucopia alive, allied in almost every possible configuration, finding commonalities and animosity everywhere. The only alliances that stayed constant were the traditional career alliance, and the sibling alliance of district 7, and even those were plagued with conflict.

## Victor

The 53rd Hunger Games was won by 18 year old Goldinia Keene from district 1. Keene's real name was later discovered to be Rendwick but for the sake of this article, the name Goldinia, which she used during the games will be employed. She went on to become one of the longest serving and most popular mentors the games had seen, mentoring tributes from district 1 until the fall of the games with the 75th Hunger Games. She mentored tributes such as Cashmere and Gloss Nicholo and Augustus Braun who were very popular as victors of their games. As was traditional for tributes from districts 1 and 2 at the time, Keene was not a volunteer. She won her games by allying with several other very strong tributes, and turning on them at the optimal moment. In an unaired interview following her victory, Keene stated that she was "haunted" by the other tributes in her games, especially the ones she killed directly.

## The Reaping

The reaping for the 53rd Hunger Games was rather eventful and stirred up a lot of talk in the Capitol. This was mostly due to the reaping in district 7, where 16 year old Laurel Dubois volunteered so that her family would not starve. This in itself was not uncommon, but the following tribute to be reaped was her twin brother, Axel. The Capitol shed a few tears as the siblings mounted the stage together and ended the footage of the reaping in district 7 with a massive hug. Other notable moments from the reaping included Isaac Xavier (District 3) crying profusely, earning him the nickname "crybaby" before he even got to the Capitol, and Ketra Ennuis's (District 2) unnerving laugh as she was called to the stage.

## The Parade

The tribute parade for the 53rd Hunger Games took place in the row leading up to the President's mansion in the heart of the Capitol. Fans were blown away by how Kallisto Euterpe, the stylist for district 12, managed to take Fletch Xylit's (District 12) characteristic red hair and turn it into a flaming accessory for the parade. Alice Rainey (District 4) was dressed in a see-through gown made to look like water, which was a huge hit with viewers, while the costumes for Roman Vasilios and Goldinia Keene (District 1) fell rather flat, as they were dressed in boxy precious metal.

## The Interviews

As to be expected, Roman Vasilios and Goldinia Keene (District 1) and Archer Marshall and Ketra Ennuis (District 2) were instant hits. Ennuis in particular, presented herself as a cold-blooded killer, riling viewers up for an intense games. Reese Curie (District 5) too played the angle of Machiavellian murderer, which was an interesting take for a tribute from a non-career district and earned her a number of sponsors once she entered the arena. Ivy Virago (District 8) was applauded as being "tough for her age" and the audience began to hope for a new youngest victor. Raylee Brielle (District 10) did not say a single word for her entire interview, despite intense prompting from Julius Flickerman, and Capitol viewers instantly took a dislike to her.

## The Arena

Chandon Tatis is the only recorded head gamemaker to have used a basic forest as an arena and continue being head gamemaker following it. This was likely due to the fact that the 52nd Hunger Games and the 54th Hunger Games were so bold, featuring volcanoes and geysers. That said, the 53rd Hunger Games were notable for how basic they were. There were no significant mutts featured in these games, and the arena was a basic, artificiality generated forest. The one defining feature of these games was a tree fashioned into the shape of a large horn that served as the Cornucopia. This allowed almost all the deaths in the 53rd Hunger Games to be at the hands of other tributes, rather than outside forces.

### Arena Wear

The other unorthodox thing about the arena this year was what the tributes wore. The arena was temperate, so each tribute was clothed in tight fitting black pants and a t-shirt. The interesting component however, was that each tribute's shirt was a different color. These seemed to be picked at random, as tributes from different districts, such as Grayson Tripp (District 5) and Ivy Virago (District 8) were both clothed in the same color, grey, while tributes from the same district were clothed in different colors, such as Reese Curie (District 5), who was in green. Viewers speculated that the colors might be based on the popularity of the tributes, as unpopular tributes like Raylee Brielle (District 10) were in black, while more popular tributes, like Axel and Laurel Debois (District 7) were in blue.

## The Games

The 53rd Hunger Games is notable as one of the shorter Hunger Games, lasting just a week. This was very surprising to gamemakers, who didn't anticipate that leaving the tributes to kill each other instead of letting them die by mutts, environment, or starvation would result in such a quick conclusion. That said, viewers tended to like this Hunger Games, as the victor was popular and there was a lot of action. Below is a summary of each day.

### Day One (Bloodbath)

The Cornucopia for the 53rd Hunger Games was fashioned out of a tree, something that viewers thought to be a nod to the twins from district 7. The first three deaths of the games were by suicide, which was an unusual and rather anticlimactic start. Michael Caspian (District 4), Weaver Capri (District 8), and Sorghum Graham (District 9), all scored on the low end during training, and thinking they had no chance at winning, formed a suicide pact. They ran into the forest and with a bit of rope they snagged from the outskirts of the Cornucopia, they helped each other hang themselves. None of the other tributes took notice, as the bloodbath was in full swing. The first kill of the 53rd Hunger Games is credited to Roman Vasilios (District 1), for killing Asher Silt (District 12), Alice Rainey (District 4) quickly revealed how she got such a high score in training, when her throwing stars took out Demeter Fyan (District 11) and Sierra Oto (District 6). Ivy Virago (District 8) shocked audiences with her bloodlust when she shot Luz Neith (District 3) dead in the eye, killing her instantly. Laurel Dubois (District 7) only managed to get her twin brother Axel out of the bloodbath before heading back in and killing Ram Hoover (District 10) with what became her trademark axe for the rest of the games. The other death in the Cornucopia bloodbath was Odysseus Cyprian (District 6) killed by Ketra Ennuis (District 2). Very quickly following the bloodbath, the remaining career tributes, Roman Vasilios, Goldinia Keene (District 1), Archer Marshall, Ketra Ennuis (District 2) and Alice Rainey (District 4), managed to band together. Their alliance was tense, but constant throughout the games. Audiences rejoiced when Laurel Dubois (District 7) reunited with her brother and district partner, Axel. The other notable alliance that formed was between Ivy Virago (District 8) and Fletch Xylit (District 12). Overall, there were 9 deaths on day 1.

### Day Two

Roman Vasilios (District 1) rapidly took charge of the career pack, advising them to split up and look for tributes in the woods. Vasilios and Goldinia Keene (District 1) quickly found a target and killed Wendla Ciabette (District 9) with little difficulty. Although the kill was a joint effort, the credit went to Keene. Archer Marshall (District 2) ventured to a different part of the woods where he encountered Raylee Brielle (District 10). It looked as though he was going to easily overpower her, until Isaac Xavier (District 3) appeared, driving Marshall off and rescuing Brielle. Meanwhile, Ivy Virago (District 8) and Fletch Xylit (District 12), went back to the Cornucopia to find Xylit a weapon. She found a slingshot, which became her rather unorthodox, but very effective weapon for the rest of her life. It was there where they were ambushed by Grayson Tripp and Reese Curie (District 5). Curie, thinking Virago and Xylit could be of use to them, spared their lives, beginning a tenuous alliance between districts 5, 8, and 12. There was one death on day 2.

### Day Three

The alliance consisting of Grayson Tripp, Reese Curie, (District 5), Ivy Virago (District 8), and Fletch Xylit (District 12) made their way through the woods, bickering all the while. This quickly attracted the attention of Ketra Ennuis (District 2) and Alice Rainey (District 4), who were scouring the woods for tributes. Ennuis is credited with killing Tripp, and the two careers managed to capture Curie, while Virago and Xylit escaped. Rainey and Ennuis took Curie back to their camp, where the five careers proceeded to torture her. Elsewhere in the arena, Raylee Brielle (District 10) awoke to find she had been saved by Isaac Xavier (District 3). Despite Brielle not saying a single word, the two quickly became close allies. There was one death on day 3.

### Day Four

Ivy Virago (District 8) and Fletch Xylit (District 12), shaken from their encounter with the careers, wandered through the woods for a while, finally stumbling upon Axel and Laurel Dubois from district 7. Both pairs were in need of food and water, and despite Virago's apparent coldness during the interviews, she was insistent that they go save Reese Curie (District 5) from the careers. The new alliance quickly devised a plan and went to find the career camp. When the located it, they were surprised to find it empty. They raided it for what they could, while Xylit untied Curie. However, Virago, their lookout, was quietly overtaken by Archer Marshall (District 2) and the careers found Xylit, Curie, and Laurel and Axel Dubois raiding their camp. They sprang into action. Alice Rainey (District 4) was able to take out Xylit, while Ketra Ennuis (District 2) stabbed Axel Dubois an excessive number of times. Laurel Dubois's screams were something that rang through the Capitol that night. The remaining Dubois sibling was able to get away with Curie, and the careers didn't pursue them. Roman Vasilios (District 1) angry with the choice not to follow their escaped prisoners, stormed off alone. Once clear of the career camp, Curie and Dubois stopped running. However, Dubois, in anguish over the death of her brother was distracted and almost missed it when Curie began to attack her. Ungrateful for the rescue, Curie tried to kill Dubois, but failed, ending up with Dubois's axe in her stomach instead. Elsewhere in the woods, Raylee Brielle (District 10) and Isaac Xavier (District 3) were abruptly awakened when Jaden Hatcher (District 11) who had previously been hiding in the woods, came out and attacked them. It looked as though Hatcher was going to overpower Xavier, when Brielle stabbed him in the back. Brielle, unable to fathom what she had done collapsed into Xavier's arms. There were 5 deaths on day 4.

### Day Five

Day 5 was by far the least eventful day of the 53rd Hunger Games. Goldinia Keene (District 1) received a spear from a sponsor. Afraid for what that might mean for the career alliance, Alice Rainey (District 4) cautiously approached Keene, trying to find the human beneath the murderer, but Keene remained cold towards Rainey. There were no deaths on day 5.

### Day Six

Day six really began at dawn, when Roman Vasilios (District 1) stumbled on Raylee Brielle (District 10) and Isaac Xavier (District 3)'s camp. Brielle, woke up, but not fast enough, and Vasilios was able to slit her throat. Xavier was not aware, and only woke up to find Brielle gone. He found her body laying a short distance off, and in a fit of rage, killed Vasilios. Back at the career camp, Goldinia Keene (District 1) and Ketra Ennuis (District 2) fought for leadership of the pack, however their argument never concluded, as Alice Rainey (District 4) arrived with news of Vasilios's death. Keene was upset, and although Rainey tried to comfort her, she brushed her off. Elsewhere in the arena, a grief-stricken Laurel Dubois (District 7) contemplated ending her own life but ultimately decided against it. There were 2 deaths on day 6.

### Day Seven

Now both missing their allies, Laurel Dubois (District 7) and Isaac Xavier (District 3), found new allies in each other. They devised a plan to find the careers and finish the games. Meanwhile at the career camp, Goldinia Keene (District 1), wary of Alice Rainey (District 4)'s attempts at friendship beyond simply being allies, stabbed her in the back with her sponsor-provided spear. Hearing the canon, Archer Marshall and Ketra Ennuis (District 2) both awoke. Fighting broke out among the remaining careers. As that fight raged, Dubois and Xavier stumbled to the edge of the clearing where the careers were holding camp. In one of the only moments of gamemaker intervention in the whole games, an explosion sounded behind them, alerting the careers to their presence. The five remaining tributes engaged in a bloody battle for the crown of victor of the 53rd Hunger Games. Dubois, killed Ennuis, gaining revenge for her brother's death, but her victory was short lived, as she was almost immediately killed by Keene. Keene also managed to kill Marshall, leaving just her and Xavier. Xavier, unwilling to become a killer, urged Keene to kill him, calling her a murderer, and a villain. She did so, but not before Xavier managed to elicit some guilt from the previously unfeeling career. Goldinia Keene was crowned the victor of the 53rd Hunger Games, and promptly collapsed screaming in the middle of the arena.

## Aftermath

Many of the typical victor interviews were never aired due to the fact that Goldinia Keene showed extreme signs of disturbance following her victory. She was frequently seen "talking" to the dead tributes from the arena, and claimed to be "haunted" by them. This behavior was quickly put to rest by the Capitol and by her victory tour, she was functioning as a very popular victor. She went on to mentor some of the most exciting games after that.