The 200th Annual Hunger Games - The Ultimate Games

Reflections

Iris Bush POV

I sat on the couch next to Ali, leaning on the arm rest as we waited for the capital update to air. Cedric sat on the one seater chair, leaning back with a smug grin on his face. Hope sat on the other single seater chair, her eyes shut as she leaned back. Sitting on the large couch, in order from my end to the other, there was myself, Ali, Fred and then Trevor. Fred sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Ali’s fists were clenched as she stared at the screen. Suddenly, the familiar anthem rung throughout the air, and the Capitol symbol appeared on the screen. Then the face of Jakub Jollyman, the games’ host, appeared on the screen, smiling brightly.

“Hello, citizens of Panem!” he practically shouted into the camera. “The second installment of the Ultimate Games are underway, and our new batch of tributes have been training for the past few days. This broadcast is your chance to have a look at the tributes, find out what they are all about, discover their rank, and to decide who you will be placing your bets on! Are you excited?”

I felt sick as he mentioned the bets. People often placed bets on their favourite tribute. They were basically betting on our lives. It was sickening.

“Let’s start with the ranks, shall we? We’ll begin with District 5.” Jakub looked down at the paper on his desk, then looked back up at the camera. A display appeared on the screen behind him, which would show the faces and the ranks of the tributes as he spoke them.

“In first place is… Gabriella Donnelly!” Jakub announced. “In second place is Dianna Barrett, and in third place is Marc Duncan!”

I stared in shock at the screen. How the hell had Gabriella come first? I mean, sure, she could shoot a bow decently, but was the rest of the District really that incompetent?

“Then 4th goes to Adele Green, 5th to Toby Haynes, and 6th place goes to Travis Bates.” Jakub finished up District 5. Instead of the last three tributes appearing individually on the screen like with 1st to 3rd place, the last 3 places all appeared on the screen at the same time.

“Now to District 6!” Jakub spoke once more. “In first place is… Cedric Ramos!”

Cedric laughed and gave the television a huge demonic grin as his name was spoken. I looked over to the small bowl of almonds Ali was eating, and contemplated tossing them at Cedric’s face.

“In second place is… Ali Richardson!”

Ali smiled slightly as her name was called. I sighed. Of course she would get in the top 3. She was an experienced thief, after all.

“And third place goes to… Hope Surrey!”