Power to the People: The Thirty-ninth Hunger Games

Chapter 13

Kazuo Braun POV

Every year it got a little easier. My own time in the Arena- my own times in the Arena- seemed farther away and less real. I could focus more on the children in front of me and my duties toward them. If I could bring one of them home, it would make up for the people I killed. I could even things out.

The only thing was... when I looked at Jynx and Victory, I didn't see the person the second Games had made me. I saw me back when I was an eager Career who couldn't wait to kill people. If I prepared my mentees for the Games, I prepared them to do the same thing I'd done. It wouldn't give me any redemption to help two Tributes kill even more children. Maybe it wasn't right to help them at all...

Pray Jager POV

I wasn't sure about this year's crop. Mary Ellen was competent, but not much more. She didn't have that extra something that made a Career a Victor, whether it was my skill or Meg's style. Ash had the enthusiasm, but I wasn't sure his skills matched his bravado. Both of them seemed to distracted. When I played my Game, I had one thing on my mind. There wasn't room for anything else. They needed to realize that.

Acee Hal POV

I got my first Victor with Beetee a few years back. It was wonderful to have someone else who knew what I'd been through, even if I cursed myself for being glad for his pain. It also meant I both had one life on my conscience and would only be responsible for one death this year. On the negative side, as I looked at my Tribute, I knew it would be one death.

Jonah Breaker POV

Something was weird about my Tribute this year. He looked capable- he was stout and strong and definitely competent. There was just something weird about him.

"All right, what's your plan for the Games?" I asked. And where's the weird part?

"Kill the enemies, bring glory to my ancestors, and feast in Valhalla," he said.

There it is.

Erwin Jackson POV

Usually my mentees were alone when I first met them. Gabriel was sitting next to a man in a ridiculously colorful outfit covered in a horrid mishmash of shapes and fabrics. I disliked him straight away, but Gabriel's silence seemed twice as sweet in comparison.

"Who's he?" I asked Gabriel. Unfortunately, the man answered.

"I'm Gabriel's interpreter. He understands you, but it's diffcult for him to speak," he said. Gabriel tapped his fist to his mouth, swept his open palm away from his face, touched his pinky to his ear, flicked his wrist down, extended his thumb along with his pinky, and wiggled his hand.

"He says, 'silence is golden'," the interpreter said. You got that right, kid.

Lena POV

Pale peach the color of singing birds. Girl is hiding beautiful hiding ever disappearing. Glowing like the universe, moving like light. I can draw her make her permanent never changing on paper colors bursting from page. Hide girl, girl, hide. Too beautiful to be seen hide away they'll try to take you away. Fade away losing colors so much loss. Golden hair twisted like stars. Marble form like none other. Hiding hiding good to hide.

Paul Olson POV

"Fancy seeing you here. I thought for sure someone would volunteer for you," I said. It seemed cartoonishly evil to taunt a child on his deathbed, but Panem had a way of changing your perspective. I'd seen Zetan around giving people trouble, and I'd seen too many good kids die to cry over a rotten twig.

"Laugh it up. You're about to see me die, aren't you?" Zetan said. He scowled and his eyes misted over. The change made him seem even younger than he was, and I realized he was a victim too. Bully or not, he didn't deserve this.

"All right. You think you're pretty tough, right? Let's make sure you really are."

Tillo Peters POV

"So how'd you get into this mess?" I asked Silver. If she didn't get it together soon, she was headed straight for the Bloodbath. She was fiddling with her skirt and could barely meet my eyes.

"I volunteered," she said quietly. I didn't know whether to be disgusted or repulsed, so I waited for more information.

"Why?" I asked. She looked out the window and her voice grew a shade harder.

"It's not right," she said. I was entirely wrong about her. She wasn't a murderer or a egomaniac. Like the rest of us, she saw what was wrong with Panem. Unlike the rest of us, she had the courage to oppose it with her life. For the first time in years, I'd found someone worth respect.

Chimera Ilium POV

Buckwheat assured me he had everything taken care of, so I focused on Harmony. She seemed far more nervous than he was, and she started to quietly sing as she looked out the window. I'd never heard a Capitol singer sound so wonderful. Every year, the Tributes were so different. I'd seen so many come and go, and before, it was always just a game. I wanted them to win, of course, but there was always next year. Not this time. Harmony was one in a million. It would be a tragedy if Panem lost her. Maybe it was more than just a game.

Bambi Kirkland POV

There was one good thing in my victory, and I reminded myself of it constantly. Because of me, Cornflower could stay away and didn't have to be scared anymore. That made it worthwhile, even though it meant I was scared in her place. Labyrinth had sensed me mood as soon as the day began, and he was pressed against my leg protectively.

"A doggie!" Callista said as soon as she came in. She knelt by him and petted his head. Labyrinth's harness was on, so he stood at attention and ignored her.

"Oh you're so pretty!" Callista said. It made me uneasy having a Tribute so close to me, even if she wasn't in my Games and we weren't competition. Labyrinth nosed her hand away and stepped away from me to create distance.

"I was scared before, but it's better now," Callista said. Uneasy as I was, I could tell she really loved Labyrinth, and anyone who loved dogs couldn't be entirely bad. I could get through this.

Peppermint Wilson POV

Looking at Austin was like seeing a ghost. He looked just like his brother. Tough break for the family. There was also something about his bearing that made him seem older than his years. My skin prickled. It just gave me the creeps.

Whatever. Maybe it'll be easier this time. You've practically already seen him die once, I told myself. No matter how ghostly he was, he was still entirely mortal.

Demi Bottle POV

As soon as I saw I'd Reaped a twelve-year-old, I knew it was going to be a rough year. But Alinta surprised me. Children were so elastic, and she already seemed over it. Maybe she was too young to understand or maybe the confidence of youth told her she had nothing to worry about. I didn't hold out much hope for her, but I prayed she proved me wrong. Nubu actually had a chance, and it made a horrible paradox. I couldn't root for one of them to live without wishing the other would die. It was all I could do to save one of them, and even that was a faraway dream.

Now you see why Six has always been Toby before. He at least is still tenuously connected to reality. If you read Lena's chapter in 75 Victors it makes a little more sense, but not much.

Even though I skip years, I write Victor's POVs like time hasn't passed because I want you to be able to see their changes. Bambi would have been mentoring for a few years, but I treated it like his first so we can witness him grow and get over his fear.