49th Hunger Games

49th Hunger Games
Type	Regular
Victor	Wiress
Victor's home	District 3
Arena	Nest of Mirrors
Mentioned	Sunrise on the Reaping
Preceded by	48th Hunger Games
Followed by	50th Hunger Games

"Most of the tributes went nuts, but not Wiress."

—Haymitch Abernathy describing Wiress's Hunger Games

The 49th Hunger Games took place twenty-five years before the events of The Hunger Games. The victor this year was Wiress, the female tribute from District 3.

Summary

Known tributes

• Wiress - District 3 (victor)
• District 6 male - District 6 (2nd place)

Known Mentors

• Beetee Latier - District 3

Pre-Games

After being transported to the Capitol, the tributes were kept in barracks. During the training period, Gamemakers set up survival skill stations with items hinting at the arena they had built for that year. These included foil blankets, metal bowls, and a little round mirror at the fire station, although the tributes didn't make the connection before entering the arena themselves.

For the interviews, Magno Stift sent the District 12 tributes out in their training outfits, which he was later put on probation for.

Arena

Main article: Nest of Mirrors

"I can't hardly look at this. Makes my eyes cross."

—Sid Abernathy on the arena

The arena was called "The Nest Of Mirrors", and was themed around reflective surfaces, meant to disorient the tributes and mess with them mentally. The lakes reflected the sky, and the boulders, caves and cliffs were overlaid with mirrors. Even the clouds were reflective.

Known muttations

• Shiny silver beetles that swarmed and suffocated the tributes.

The Games

Wearing shimmering tunics, the tributes were immediately overwhelmed by the reflections and couldn't find their bearings. The Cornucopia was difficult to reach and tributes struggled to navigate their way over to it. Many would reach for a weapon and only grasp air, or leap and hit a wall. When they tried to dodge their attacker, they would unwittingly run right into them and their weapon.

Most of the tributes were driven insane by the arena, but Wiress outwitted it and the Gamemakers by following "the light beams", moving away from the Cornucopia and finding a pack of supplies. While exploring, she then discovered a rock over the lake that was a blind spot, where she hid for the rest of the Games. She had access to water, but the Gamemakers failed to deliver her sponsor gifts because they were just as blind to her location.

In the end, Wiress reappeared when there was just herself and the District 6 male left. He leaped for her but misjudged the reflection, instead cracking his head on the surface and drowning in the lake. The hovercraft had to fly around for an hour trying to pick up their victor as they could not locate her. They eventually got her when she walked back to the Cornucopia.

Aftermath

The Gamemakers tried to make a joke out of Wiress' ability to hide from them, but they were visibly embarrassed that they were outsmarted by a tribute. Wiress claimed in her final interview that she just "followed the light beams", but did not say anything beyond that.