May 27th 2014 archive

The Gamemakers Enter the Games

Much mislead by its deceivingly playful name, the Hunger Games is not simply a game, but a way to weaken what holds the twelve districts together. By destroying the bond between the districts, rebellion won’t spark like a fire; beginning small and growing larger and larger until it ensconces its surroundings. The games are meant to turn the once unified districts into ruthless enemies so that the power they hold cannot overthrow the capitol. Gamemakers, like me, are determined to make the games as interesting as possible for viewers at home, while still pushing away the idea of uprising and insurgency. I get to control the events that occur during the games this year and I am very thrilled. So far, only a minority of the tributes have died, by either natural causes or in the bloodbath. Our job as Gamemakers is to make the games captivating and action-packed by putting the tributes through terrifying and deadly obstacles which they have to escape from in order to survive. The Costa Rican scene we chose for the location of this year’s Hunger Games is perfect for my great plan of creating a tsunami.

Looking down at the huge computer and holograms, it is like I will be playing a realistic video game. I plan out the buttons and controls to press on in order to successfully create a tsunami. My fingers slide over the blue and red buttons and eagerly tap each one. With the last tap, a monstrous wave rises up from the ocean and stays there for a few seconds as if stalking out its prey. I wave my hand over the holographic screen and, with that, the wave comes rushing forward like a wild animal that can’t be caged. I zoom in on the screen where I see a young, frantic tribute running for her life. She comes toward a thicket of trees which she will not be able to go through; trapped. She is bewildered by the great amount of water above her and knows that she cannot escape now. My favorite part about the games is that there is no rewind button, every move you make affects you drastically and you can’t undo it.

The wave comes crashing down on the girl, reaching every inch of land as far as the eye can see. It pushes her back and covers her body. She flails around in the water and tumbles across the rough sand. I watch her as dies and accomplishment overwhelms me. I can imagine the water start to seep through her nose and mouth until she can’t breathe, can’t move. I imagine the salty water immersing her weak little body and slowly filling her lungs. What a thrill it is to know that you caused the death of a tribute in the Hunger Games. Wow, it sure is great to be a gamemaker.