The Writer Games | Once In A Lifetime & World Edition

Home Is Where The Screen Is: Males

Conner Stansfield – United States Of America

Wren was dead. I  couldn't quite believe it. Our protector, the leader of our alliance,  the glue that stuck us together, was dead. I still didn't quite grasp  the deaths in the arena. Jace and Aleksandr should have been dead. I saw  them die. The wound in Megan's shoulder was testament to that. Mine was  just proof that I had a jumpy ally. Jace and Aleksandr weren't dead  though. The two of them were as alive as Megan, Perdu and I.

    I thought of who was  left. There were a total of ten of us. Perdu, Megan, Jace, Alek and I  made up half of the remaining tributes. Perdu and Megan's Country  Partners, as well as my own, were alive too. I was happy that Emily was  still alive. If I were to die, there were still three people that I  wanted to win. The girl from Greece, the bitchy one, was still alive.  Finally, the artist from Italy was alive.

    Then the globe spun  again. I was thrown off my feet. The world spun beneath me. I thought if  the dull irony that I had never traveled out of the country, until I  came into the Games. Then the arena was based on a globe and took us all  around it.

    I landed in a new  and foreign place. I hadn't seen this continent before here in the  arena. It was far too warm to be Africa, and this wasn't how I imagined  Asia so that meant that this was...

    "Home." Megan said  under her breath. I had almost forgotten that she was from New Zealand. I  felt bad for the tributes from Europe. They were now the only living  tributes that hadn't been taken to their home. They made up almost half  of the remaining tributes too.

     "Welcome tributes  to Oceania." The Gamemaker said warmly. It was different from the  'welcome' that Frigus gave us. "I know that the past few days haven't  been nice to you: you've fought, been dehydrated and barely slept a  wink! Which is why I hope what I devised for you today is much more  pleasant."

    What was pleasant  for a Gamemaker wasn't exactly pleasant for a tribute. "We have begun  interviewing your family and friends back home. And as a reward, I have  decided to broadcast them in the sky for you, in order to give you a  break." Then he disappeared.

    As quickly as he  disappeared, Emily's family and friends showed up in the sky. I didn't  want to humanize the enemies I had but Emily wasn't an enemy. Right?  Emily was my Country Partner. I say patiently until Emily's interview  finished.

    Then my family  appeared in the sky. Tigger was nowhere in sight, and Zoe was standing  in front of my family, trying to protect them somehow. I didn't see  Harley, until I saw a tongue go across the screen. There was some  slobber left on the screen, until the cameraman wiped it off. Then it  refocused to reveal Harley being held, like a baby, in my dad's arms. I  stifled a laugh. It would suck to be killed during my family's  interview.

    "We are here with  the Stanfield family, whose child, Conner Stanfield, has just made it  into the top ten of the First Annual Hunger Games." The reporter  announced. It was obvious that Alec was trying not to punch him in the  face. Evan was standing right next to him, ready to hold him back if  necessary. My mom was smiling for the camera, but I could tell that she  had been crying. Her makeup wasn't done, revealing bags under her eyes.  Her eyes were red too.

    "So Mr. Stanfield, how far did you expect Conner to make it when he was reaped?" The interviewer asked my dad.

     "Conner has always  been a strong boy." My dad replied. "I wasn't sure how far I expected  him to make it but I hope that he gets home." His voice was shaky too.  But it was obvious that it was total BS. I wasn't even expecting that I  could survive the Bloodbath.