Jared Strahan
Jared Strahan was the District 8 Male tribute of the 54th Annual Hunger Games.
| File:HG54th8m.jpg | |
| D8M of the 54th Hunger Games | |
|---|---|
| District | 8 |
| Age | 17 |
| Bloodbath Weapon | Pickaxe |
| Training Score | 10 |
| Token | N/A |
| Alliance | x |
| Killer | Arbor Halt |
|
played by Lulu | |
Contents |
Life
Early Life
Jared was the second child born to the Strahan family, in the year of the 37th Hunger Games, when his older brother, Ian, was ten. This age gap meant that, as Jared was growing up, it was much easier for him to bond with the brother four years his junior than the older one. Despite this, the family cooperated, and Jared lived the first ten years of his life without much to dispute or complain about. However, when he was ten, Ian moved out after a fight with the Strahan parents, leaving Jared as acting oldest brother. He took on this responsibility wholeheartedly, and even managed to transfer the duty to put his family before himself into social situations, as well. At sixteen, he met and fell in love with a girl named Heidi Cross, and loved and cared for her up until he was Reaped - devastating her along with his family.
54th Hunger Games
The Reaping
Jared's first though when he was Reaped alongside Senia Alexanderson was simply "No." He had so much to lose in the District and he wasn't ready to leave it behind. Standing on the stage, surveying the audience, Jared heard his parents and Heidi begging for a volunteer, softly despairing at Jared's odds of winning. The boy knew that he was as good as dead already, and that he could do nothing to change his fate. No one but his closest companions tried to help him, and his last thoughts before heading off to the Justice Building and the Capitol were only of them.
Training Centre
Coming from a lower District, Jared realised that it was probably better to remain under the radar in the training centre as much as possible. As Careers and confident tributes paraded themselves around, the District Eight male stayed quiet and secretive, not sustaining a conversation further than a brisk greeting. Jared knew that he wouldn't be able to keep this low profile forever, though - particularly when he scored a 10 in his Private Training Session, truly impressing the Gamemakers. He was fortunate that this was only a few nights before the Bloodbath, rather than at the beginning of the week, allowing him to finish training without being harassed, by friend or foe, too much. In his interview, Jared told Caesar that he was as confident as his score let on, and that he was determined to overcome his fear of the Games and return home. With this mindset, and the final message "Happy Hunger Games", Jared prepared for the Bloodbath.
Bloodbath & Day 1
Jared entered the Bloodbath knowing exactly what he was looking for. Without hesitation, he was off as soon as the Gong rang out, even as tributes were already falling around him. Grabbing a pack, Jared was out of there to seek safer soil.
Day 2
Overnight, Jared travelled east to the pine forest and rested there to recover from the adrenaline of the Bloodbath the day before. There, he climbed a tree to sleep and keep lookout for advancing enemies. After some practice, Jared managed to spear a squirrel with one of his knives and prepared to it eat straightaway. He was releived to not meet any tributes on Day 2, but listened as the canon fired, marking the dead of the day.
Day 3
Jared stayed in the forest that night, hoping that tributes would be seeking each other elsewhere as they had the previous day. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky. Jared saw the two enemies - Jestina Lelborn and Blue Kilio - approaching before they saw him, and leapt out of his tree to meet them. The fight was fast paced, with Jared and his opposition constantly blocking and attacking almost simultaneously. However, Jared came out on top, even though he was outnumbered, and Jestina's cannon soon fired. Jared fled the scene to allow the hovercraft to do its work and, when he came back, she was gone. The peace after the craft left attracted a flock of Alarm Owl muttations. Jared knew he'd have to run away, or be found by othe tributes without doubt, so he headed for the Mountains.
Day 4
the tribute was extremely grateful for another day undisturbed by tributes, especially in the harsh and bitter climate which stopped Jared's fighting reflexes from working as fast as they could. Jared is aware that cameras are all around him, so he's never truly alone, and uses this to his advantage by sending out a plea to the Gamemakers and sponsors for food and medicine. Then all that was left to do was wait for cannon fire, and for the blizzard to pass.
Day 5
That night, Jared was woken by a huge rumbling beneath his curled up body. He knew it was an avalanche, and that he had to get out of there as quickly as possible. As he ran to cover he was hit hard by the falling rocks, but he managed to get away safely and spent the rest of the day hibernating and probably thinking about Heidi.
Day 6
Jared listened with the rest of the living tributes as Claudius Templesmith's voice filled the arena, inviting them all to a feast where they could collect vital items. He asked himself what the worst that could happen was, and set off to the Cornucopia. He was tripped up by Windy as he ran for the feast table, but picked himself up and retaliated with a much more severe wound to Windy's upper leg. Windy and Jared fought on, drawing ever closer to the precious cache and ignoring all the other fighting tributes. He managed to grab some medicine from the table, but quickly realised that the only way to be able to take anything else would be to be the last tribute standing, and he didn't know if he could survive that long. Therefore, he gave up, retreating back into the forest, and let the rest of the tributes fight it out.
Day 7
Still warm from the relief of getting the medical kit he needed at last, Jared had retreated to the slightly warmer forest and decided to stay there. From two separate sides, and as two separate enemies, Jared watched Windy and Blue approach him. He had fought both before on previous days, so was not surprised that they had come to find him, and met them in combat at full throttle. Despite the fact that they weren't allied, both Blue and Windy turned on Jared to carry out their individual revenges on him, and Jared had a hard time fighting both back. Windy was already badly injured, and Jared, noticing this, planted heavy blow after heavy blow on her, hoping to distract Blue long enough to escape. His distraction worked - as Windy was killed by a cut to the leg and the living parties went their separate to find safer ground. Grievously wounded, Jared couldn't help but think that only six more tributes had to die before he could go home - and how he never thought he'd make it this far.
Day 8
It was Zinnia Yaren who came wandering into the forest on Day 8, and Jared was more ready to meet her than he had to meet a tribute the entire Games. Zinnia's first attack was a crippling blow to the chest which winded Jared, but he quickly recovered - although he suspected the rib was probably broken. Jared drew blood before his opponent did, landing two deep cuts on the leg and pushing Zinnia's weapon away without it doing too much damage. He took a few steps backwards, giving himself room to deliver the final swing of his weapon, a gash right across Zinnia's face. Zinnia begged him to kill her, and he showed her mercy, listening to the sound of her cannon with a heavy heart.
Finale & Death
Jared returned to the cornucopia when he saw the Anthem last night, knowing that with only three tributes left this must be the end. Arbor and Blue were waiting for him, and they circled each other warily before attacking. Blue was shocked to see him again, but Jared had no such reaction, instead attacking her and feeling only relieved when Arbor joined him against her. Blue left Jared alone and returned Arbor's attack instead, seeing that Jared was weaker, so less of a target. Blue's death had no large impact, the fight going on over her corpse. Jared knew that his own end was near, now that there was nothing to keep Arbor from attacking him. True to this fear, Arbor attacked Jared fast and brutally, and Jared couldn't defend himself. A deep gash on the back of his head sent him to his knees, and to his death.
