User blog comment:Annamisasa/The 102nd Annual Hunger Games/@comment-5824375-20140123063254

Wolf,

It's astonishing how much death and loss can occur in the short period of a meager week. If you do succeed in victory, the Games will always leave a permanent memory in your mind, etched so deeply and fiercely it is destined not to go away. And even if you do manage to subdue it, it will come back without fail and in your dreams, your nightmares, and your comparisons. Yes, a victor's life can be worse than even death itself, and it would be ludicrous of me to say "Don't let this get you down." It's saddening really. . . but it's the price a tribute must pay. Innocence, however pure it may be, faces a tortuous demise.

Now that you have gotten this far, you're possibly wondering what's being a victor is worth. Unlike Lucy, Helena, and Dyna, you're different from them in multiple aspects. They all have families, friends, people who wish and pray for their return. You, on the other hand, have no one eagerly waiting your arrival back home. District 12 will surely be joyous for having obtained a victor, but for how long will this last? And what of the Peacekeepers that ruined your life and forced you into these horrid Games? They will not be able to harm you physically, but the damage has already been done.

But that's the negative side of victory. Positives? Well, let's just say that if you are not the one to survive, the true victor will have to face the brunt of the remorse and grief. The guilt of being and acknowleding their status as a murderer. Lying to audiences and veiling their actual psyche with false personae, serving the Capitol's wishes as a prostitute, a liar, a broken sociopath or psychopath, a drunkard, or something even worse than all of those qualities combined. And then there comes the career of being a mentor. All of these people have shown compassion and kindness to other tributes. They will be forced to guide another tribute, likely leading them to their demise as well. Will they be able to cope with this? Being a murderer with blood on their hands and a failure that couldn't save a juvenile's life? Well, you already have some crap on your plate, so why not add some more negative features to your already shattered self? Whether or not you agree with me. . . here is what I have decided overall.

Your relationship with Lucy is something you haven't experienced for a long time. Companionship. She's your friend, and that would be all "nice and dandy," was it not for the horrid timing. The final day is approaching swiftly, and only one will be able to return. Honestly, if you are not to become a victor, I would definitely hope Lucy is instead. But I'm not planning for you to commit suicide, no. Those types of endings piss me off after all. Instead, we're going for a different approach that's equally cliche but more favorable and likely to occur. Leave her. It was bound to happen soon regardless. Don't do it in a malicious way by destroying or taking her supplies, but rather, in a "suddenly-disappear-without-warning" kind of manner. As if you were never there, but a simple shadow or breeze that came and just went. I recommend you do it before dawn, and set out as silently and quietly as possible. We do not need to alarm her as much as she will be when she finds that you have gone.

You could possibly disregard my words. . . and definitely regret it in the end, but it is your decision. Possibly, you could write in the dirt or carve in a tree, "I'm sorry, but I can't stay with you without having to kill you. I want to thank you for helping me. For changing me. For making me feel like I'm not a freak. I don't expect you to forgive me, but you have made me forgive myself in a way. So thank you . . . and farewell, Lucy."

Pray you don't cross paths with her again.

Other than Lucy, we still have Dyna and Helena to worry about. Ah, I will be sending you an instant relief by the way. Just in case, although I have a slight feeling you might not use it for yourself. Nevertheless, these two tributes will be difficult to deal with.

Dyna was one of the anti-Careers who didn't particularly stand out, but somehow made it through the end. Although he suffered great wounds from the sharpened steel claws of Lynx, he survived the cuts he experienced and is now pretty healthy, if not at full health. I recommend you don't face him off like a Career; head-on without any hesitation, but rather, send him off with a surprise attack. I will be sending you throwing knives and poison. You will have to dip each and every individual knife in the poisonous liquid, so be careful while handling them.

Now, although I wish I could tell you, I do not know exactly where he will be headed tomorrow. I do, however, know his current location. The Earth zone. Wherever he is planning to go, it will take some time to get out of the sector, so you will have to take this opportunity to your advantage. This is where leaving before dawn becomes an advantage. If you're fortunate enough, you will be able to find him before he finds you. Chuck a knife at him. It doesn't have to be a definite kill shot, but enough to weaken him. In a daze by the poison, he will be easier to combat. Always go for the legs. Slice at him with your chained sickle and once he is one the ground, defenseless, give him the final blow. Keep in mind there are multiple possible scenarios, so you might encounter him or Helena, but keep this strategy in mind. Our next target, although I really don't mind if you go after her or Dyna first, is Helena. She's an oddball, being a softie yet at the same time, a vicious Career. She has been proven herself, that's for certain. You cannot afford to underestimate her. There is a reason why this girl had been accepted into the Career pack. There is a reason why she has survived this long. And there is a reason why she must be dealt with.

Essentially, finding her at all will be difficult, considering she is currently based in the Air zone. The fog will make it difficult to see anything at all, but there's one thing that makes her stand out compared to the rest of the section. Her hair. Her infamous blood-dyed hair might guide you to her location, but really, I wouldn't count on it too much. If anything, you should wait silently for her to pass by the borders of the Air zone, and once she comes close enough, send a knife flying towards her. You might expect a tousle between you and her, but insure somehow you will come out victorious.

I have no advice for countering Lucy. I have no clue how you will deal with someone who has saved your life; literally and figuratively. You will have to follow what your own heart desires.

Good luck.