Bryndon Jacobson

Name: Bryndon Jacobson

Gender: Male

District: 12

Age: 15

Weapon: Spear which he can use as a staff, or a dagger

Strengths/skills: High pain tolerence, wilderness knowlage, and quick reflexes

Weakness(es): Very fearful of dying, slightly paranoid and has trust issues. Feels guilty over killing people unless they have REALLY pissed him off.

Personality: Bryndon is a nice guy to be around. He is quiet, but can speak up when he needs to. Has brains, but tends to overlook things. Despite being rich growing up, he respects people and does not like to bully. However, there are occasional slips. He enjoys the feeling of power and control over others. He can be slightly sadistic during these bursts, but feels guilty afterwards.

Interview Angle: He will apologise for his actions and accept his crime. But he will also promise to fight for all those who Elizabeth tortured. He will then answer all questions as honest as he can, with maybe a joke here or there.

Bloodbath Strategy: He will join the careers, but won't kill unless he is expected to or has to protect himself.

Games Strategy: He will fight with the careers until tention builds. He will then run off with some supplies when he gets the chance. He will try and survive the wilderness until he is forced to leave. Then he will simply defend himself as much as he has to.

Token: If allowed, a wolf pelt.

Height: 5'8

Fears: Death

Alliance: Careers until tention builds. Then loner.

Trivia: 

<p style="font-weight:normal;font-size:14px;">
 * Bryndon is named after two of my cousins. So is Kyle.
 * This is my longest tribute yet with 7.9k words. Probably some of my best writing.
 * My inspiration for this tribute was from a song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJkj3DgW8Y0
 * Bryndon is my first career tribute.

 TRIGGER WARNING:  This story will contain graphic violence, sexual themes and death of animals. Read at your own risk.

Backstory: Have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever felt the pain as the blade enters your back? It's an odd question, but It is an important one. It can determine your entire life. If you have, then you must have also felt the fire. The fire and rage inside and the urge to fight back and take everything they have away and leave them as a smoldering wreck. Society frowns on this and you want to be a good person, and fight it, holding it back and smothering it with a pillow. But there are a few. A few people who cave in to these urges. Some get away with this, but most do not and are punished by their fellow-man. Karma is a funny thing. It is very precise however. Those who are imprisoned or executed have been struck already and are left alone, other than the odd straggler here and there. Those who get away however, they may be free for time, but getting away with things doesn't make you safe. You simply are given borrowed time. And when it runs out, Karma comes to collect its debt.

Bryndon Jacobson was born on the 14th of January. An insignificant day on a thus far insignificant year. But he would be a very significant person and the ripples of what he would do in his life would have a large impact on the district. His Mother and Father were very wealthy, seeing as how the father owned many of the coal mines that bring wealth in to the capital. Thus, Bryndon had a very luxurious life. As a baby, rumor had it his mobile was made of diamond with sparkles of gold embedded within. These were just rumors of course. He had a very standard mobile and crib, but the house and room he lived in were not. He lived in the 2nd tallest house in the district and his room had more room that anyone in the poor section of the district could only see and dream of for their own homes. Bryndon enjoyed the finer things in life, eating off of silver platter using the finest cutlery, once able to that is.

But however much money he and his family had, he nor his parents could buy away loneliness. Once Bryndon could walk and talk, he grew tired of just seeing colorful playthings and his nanny every day. His parents could see this and knew it was far too dangerous to leave his child in a daycare, for fear of kidnapping. However, they could not just turn a blind eye to his need for another his age. At the age of 4 Bryndon's parents made a deal with family friends who happened to own the largest housing in town. They had a small girl, 5 years of age. She too had wanted to make a friend. The families decided to introduce the children to each other in hopes they would become friends. Bryndon was brought over soon after the deal was made and the children met. Her name was Elizabeth. Elizabeth Hope. The two met and within the minute they were happily discussing Elizabeth's toys and how many Bryndon didn't have, as it was easier to count.

As the children grew in age, so did their bond. Not only this but they ended up making a pact. That one would never leave the other, no matter where life took them or what walls came down between them. They were soon enrolled into school. At ages 6 and 7, they walked into their class together. Elizabeth, being raised in the way she was, was used to getting whatever she wanted whenever she asked. As a result she was extremely confused when the child next to her would not giver her the red crayon she asked for. In a spurt of frustration at his non-compliance she shoved him to the ground. The child began to cry and quickly hushed. Elizabeth was told her actions were inappropriate and could not happen again. Elizabeth did not agree. This person cannot tell me what to do. That was reserved for her parents. Bryndon saw the error in her ways, as he was taught that money did not matter, but people did. He was told that touching someone in a way that could hurt them was bad, and so were bad words that could hurt feelings. The kid seemed OK and so he pushed away his feelings of distaste and asked Elizabeth for the black crayon.

Years passed by and soon the 6th schooling year came up. Elizabeth who now went by Lillie, did not change at all. She now knew money could be used to her advantage, and was wise with it. She still constantly threw fits when she did not get her way. Many kids were subject to her bullying. One of them was brave or foolish enough to stand up to her and called her “A leech who hurts everything she touches” and many other things of the sort, many containing profanity. She kept her cool, even though she was probably burning inside, and went back to work. Less than a day passed and the boy who was knows as Kyle was sent to prison for a break in that occurred 3 nights prior. People knew to avoid her when she walked down hallways or saw her in class. But they also knew to avoid Bryndon.

Bryndon for the most part did not like or approve of Lillies actions. She had power and abused it as much as she could. She did not have many friends. The few she did she simply used to gain power or leverage over others. One girl named Sarah tried her hardest. She saw fault in nobody, and Lillie used this as a chance to ruin someone she was upset with. Lillie was kinder than she had ever been to Sarah and fooled her into friendship. Once she was too far in to run, Lillie gathered enough gossip and dirt on Sarah to destroy her reputation if she did not assault another kid, Uriel, with a small but firm stick. Sarah refused, not being a bad person. Sarah committed suicide once the info was released. The bullying became too much. Lillie was pure evil.

Bryndon saw these things constantly happening and tried as hard as he could to ignore it. But he had no other friends. He may not have done anything himself but being seen with Lillie and not harmed gave him a bad reputation. As a result Bryndon lost all friends he had in the past and destroyed the chance of new ones. One day Lillie was harassing a boy named Tyler. It was something minor and useless, but Bryndon thought a little too much that day. He reasoned that if he had no friends already, he did not want to lose the one he had. He joined in on the teasing. Tyler ran away in tears and Lillie seemed content. She thanked Bryndon for his help and went back to her own business. Bryndon did not know what to feel. He had hurt someone and he felt bad for doing so, but there was something else. Something he had never felt before. Despite being the 2nd most wealthy family in the district, he never felt power before. He always sat aside and watched Lillie. Now he joined in and felt control. Power over others. He relished in this feeling, never wanting it to go away.

Bryndon was changed from then on. He helped Lillie in all her lies and pain she caused others. He liked the power. He liked watching others react. And as time went on, he liked Lillie. It was the last few days of the 9th year when Bryndon asked Lillie on a date. He had never felt this nervous and felt a total lack of power and control. He hated it. He brought Lillie some flowers: Violets, her favorite. He asked her if she had plans for that Friday night and asked if she would go out to eat with him. She paused. He began to sweat and fear pumped through his veins. If she said no, would that mess up their relationship? Would she cast him aside like all others? Leave him alone with no friends and target him? He reassured himself with the pact they made as small children. “One would never leave the other, no matter where life took them or what walls came down between them.” He swallowed all fear and with a new burst of confidence, handed her the flowers and asked once more. She seemed to have stopped deciding and answered with a strong “Yes”. No hesitation. Bryndon damn near leaped for joy and rushed off to plan his date.

Bryndon got home smiling wider than he had in a long time. The date went well, with imported champagne and caviar, complete with someone trying to yell at us for being underage and drinking, then watching Lillie destroy the very ground he stood on. We left the restaurant after making payment that my father would pay off soon enough. We went back to her place for a few more drinks. One thing led to another and he woke up from his drunken haze, nude, in Lillie's bed. He took a moment to take it all in before waking the love of his life from her slumber. They ate breakfast and Bryndon went home.

The summer went fast for Bryndon. He and Lillie were impossible to separate and could always be found at one or another's house or the local recreation center. The end of the summer came and their 10th year started. It was during this time that Lillie's family hit a halt in their financial status. They were spending money too fast and their assets fried up. Lillie came to Bryndon in desperation, looking for help. Bryndon had a small plan. He would steal some ownership titles for the mines from his father, and give them to Lillie's parents until they get back on their feet. He went home and did just that. He hoped his father did not notice. Within a week Lillies parents were earning money again from the mines. But that was the only good side. Lillies parents tried to steal the rest of the papers. They took all but 3 and changed them into their names. They then lowered coal prices and drove Bryndon's family to sell the final three mines and almost go bankrupt themselves.

Bryndon confronted Lillie about this and ask her what she and her family were doing. Lillie told Bryndon that he and his family were both an alliance and a threat. They needed to be taken care of. Bryndon could not believe what she was saying. He prayed it was a joke. She then told him not to contact her ever again or worse things would happen. Bryndon was heart broken. He thought back to all he had done for her. All the people he had hurt and manipulated. How many lives he had ruined. All for this bitch to just come back and ruin him. It all hit him at once and screamed to her, tears in his eyes. “You, you lied to me. You tricked me. You are nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. You pretended to be my friend and instead tore my throat out. You have done this to me and to countless others. Karma will come for you. She will collect your debt for all the pain and suffering you have caused and it will not be pretty.”

He said this and ran from the school. He ran back to his broken home. Not the one he was raised in. They were forced to sell that one to afford food. He was forced to reside in the poverty district in a home with leaks in the roof. A home where his parents fought constantly and his father was becoming an alcoholic. He lies down that night, with the loud arguments and sound of glass breaking from the next room keeping him awake and keeping the tears flowing. He began to think. He thought of his part in things. That he caused this. He ruined not only his life, but his parent's lives as well. His thought turned to Lillie. He began to feel bad. He begins to think about fixing things. He thinks of the pact. He thinks Maybe she will change. Abandon all her wicked ways. We will both have to admit our wrongs, But we can make amends. Make it work. While his parents continued to fight, he snuck out his broken window and started towards his old neighborhood.

He had no trouble finding her house. It was a hours walk but for a good reason. He arrived at Lillie's home late in the night, but he knew she was awake. He climbed onto her second story window like he used to and tapped on the glass. Surprisingly she opened and let him in. He wasted no time telling her about his thoughts and feelings for her and how the relationship could still work. She let him finish before nodding, waiting a moment, then throwing a punch that connected with Bryndon's nose, shooting a spurt of blood to the ground. “I told you not to contact me. I gave you fair warning.” She stated calmly. She had no emotion in her voice, as if she was reciting words to a class of sleeping 7th year students. Bryndon was in shock. He stuttered out the pact they made as children. She remembered. He could see it on her face. But he could also see a smirk. “You still believe that? I knew you weren't the smartest but Jesus. Living in the past. That pact was just something until we both had other people. Had our own lives.”

Bryndon could not hear much more after that. He went into his mind. The real world was blocked out by the blood rushing through his veins as he had flashbacks. He saw them playing as children. He saw the pact, but from a new point of view. He was making a deal with the devil. His mind turned to Tyler, Sarah, all the children and lives he had ruined. SHE did this. This little slut who slept with me to ensnare me farther into her web of lies. She did this. Bryndon snapped back to the real world. All he could hear was Lillie laughing.

Lillie looked truly shocked. His fist seemed to catch her off guard. She was stunned. Bryndon smiled. He felt the power. The Control. It was for a good reason this time. He threw another punch, confidence backing it up. He missed. Lillie had regained her composure and stepped to the side. She elbowed the back of his head causing him to fall to the ground. He got up quickly and threw another. This one connected, but not enough force to stun. She threw another, but this time it was Bryndon to dodge. She dove for her bed and Bryndon lunged on top. He threw another punch, not noticing her hand reaching under her pillow. He threw another not noticing the knife headed for his chest. He threw another before noticing the pain. He looked down at the knife in his chest and saw the crimson leak out. He fell over and the world went black.

Bryndon faded in and out of darkness for the next half an hour. In his time in the dark he only saw the faces of those he hurt. The power. The control. And the sweet feeling of it. His moments in the light were that of pain and nothing else before fading to black once more. When he finally woke for good he was lying in a ditch a few miles from Lillies home. She was gone. Bryndon tried to sit up but immediately regret the decision as pain rippled through his body. The knife was removed from his chest and there was a small patch soaked in blood. He lay there for time, resting and bracing himself to stand. He eventually did so, pain almost causing him to fall again. He saw a nearby branch from the small wooded area to use as a cane.

He looked around at his surroundings and saw a note pinned to a tree with the knife that once was sheathed in his chest. It read: “Although you have been a huge pain in my ass and gave me a pretty bad black eye, I won't let you die. That would let you win. You ruined your life, your parents lives, and countless others. You lost everything. Why let you escape? It is your choice now. If you are smart you will end it now. But If you decide against it, don't ever think of showing up around here again. This time I WILL kill you. Nice and slow. Would not be my first time, and not my last.”

He crumpled the note up and took the knife. He put it up to even with his heart. Her stab had missed and probably just punctured a small artery, seeing as he had not died or bled out. He ignored the pain for a few moments to decide his next moves. He wanted to die. He deserved it. He wanted it more than anything. He prepaired to plunge the knife into his heart when a small thought appeared. Three small figures appeared. He saw them as Tyler, Kyle, and Sarah. They told him not to do it. That they needed to be avenged. That Lillie needed to pay. Bryndon tried to tell them he tried. They insisted and encouraged him and told him how he should do it.

He knew he could not go home. His parents had too much to worry about. He could not even return to the town, seeing as how Lillie would see him alive and try to finish the job. The only choice was to leave. Or... He looked to the surrounding woods. He knew they held animals and a stream of freshwater from his school lessons on geography. He thought it was best to hide there and wait. He put as much weight on the stick as he could without breaking it and started into the woods.

He had to take several breaks as the pain from his wound was too much. He used this time to try to think about how to kill Lillie. He needed a way to make her suffer. Just like he and everyone else had. He walked further and when he saw the first signs of daylight he began to recognize his surroundings. He was near the edge of the woods and looked through the small clearing and saw it. Across a small roadway was Lillies house. Bryndon smiled. Her time was soon. But not now. He needed to train. To prepare. She was clearly skilled in fighing and killing. Bryndon had only hurt people with words. That didn't mean he didn't enjoy it. The punches he threw at Lillie felt as though he was lifting a huge weight off his shoulders. Something he carried for a long time. To release the luggage was similar to feeling lighter than air. This was nothing compared to hurting with words. He didn't know if it was just Lillie alone of if he just liked inflicting pain in general, but that didn't matter right now. Bryndon snapped back to reality. He needed to rest. Once his wound was stable, he planned on training. Attacking. And winning.

When Bryndon awoke his bandages were dripping. He needed to change them. Unfortunate he had no nearby spare rolls. Shit. He stood up, using the branch as support. He began to hobble north, deciding to look for the stream. After a short 20 minute pain-filled waddle, he eventually found the stream. Cold. Had a bit of soot from to coal banks inside, but Bryndon didn't care. If he survived the attack, he could get treated for poisoning and infection. He sat on a nearby hill and chose to look at his wound. He didn't pay attention in his First-Aid class so he had no idea what he was doing. He just hoped for the best. Removing pin holding the bandages on, he began to unroll his injury.

He dropped the bandages onto the grass and looked down. He could not quite see the extent of his wound, as the blood was spread along his chest and camouflaged the wound flawlessly. He cupped some water in his hand and splashed it up onto his chest. The water stung a little, but as Bryndon washed the blood away with his hand he hit the wound and sent shock waves through his body. He let out a curse and pulled his hand back. He could see the wound well enough now. It was roughly 2cm long and about as wide as a 10 Piece coin. Not too bad of a wound, but bloody. Very bloody. He watched as a very small amount of crimson began to rise from the wound and hit the surface. It mixed with the water and quickly became a much lighter red as it trailed down his chest. He noted this as he picked up his bandages once more. He dipped them into the running water. It was strong, but not enough to carry someone down it. He decided he could bathe in the water if he needed to. He used his hand to scrub the bloodied bandages clean, or at least as clean as he could. A red stain had developed and showed no signs of leaving. Bryndon picked up the bandages and wrapped them around the wound once more, tighter than before, in hopes of stopping the bleeding. He pinned them back in place and left the stream.

He managed to make it a little further than he had previously before resting. As he sat to catch his breath, a small squirrel caught his attention. It made its little squeaks as it quickly rushed from tree branch to tree branch, having a set destination in mind. Bryndon's stomach growled angrily at him, having not eaten much but the cold stew from the evening prior. He had no experience hunting and doubted it would walk over to him with a sign saying “eat me” on it. But he did have a knife. And a branch, roughly the size of himself. He decided his best chance for catching food was to make a spear. He used the knife and whittled the staff's head into a fine point over the course of around an hour. While he did this, he kept an eye on the squirrel. He noticed it was gathering a small collection of seeds from the surrounding tree. Bryndon watched as he went great lengths to get these seeds and store them in the tree itself. Bryndon cut his finger a few times, distracted by the thought of food.

He soon finished the sharp tip and quickly grabbed two seeds. He kept one by his side and placed the other around 2 feet away. Not far enough that the spear could not hit, but enough that it would not appear suspicious to the squirrel. The one he kept by his side was eaten very quickly after, hoping it was edible. It had no real taste to it, but had a crunchy texture when he chewed. He looked over and quickly saw the squirrel take the seed he planted. It began to run. Bryndon panicked, and threw his knife at it, hoping he would get lucky. It didn't quite happen like it did on TV, but the knife's wide end hit the squirrel and seemed to stun it for a moment. That moment was all Bryndon needed. He brought the spear down, blunt end first, onto the squirrel. It died swiftly. He grabbed the squirrel and placed it in his pocket for later. He hoped to build a small fire, but didn't count on it. He then climbed the tree. It pained him to do so, but the hunger hurt worse. He managed to climb just high enough to fit his hand in the hole in the tree where the seeds were stored by the squirrel. He grabbed a few handfuls and placed them with the squirrel.

The days went by quickly after that. The seeds were small, but filling and had no toxic effects (luckily). He used the knife to Whittle down some coal into small enough parts that when combined with dead leaves made and effective kindling. He started the fire by smashing the blunt end of the knife against the rock, creating dull, but valuable sparks. The fire was small, but he needed it that way. Didn't want anyone finds him. Not yet. He used his spear to catch small fish in the river. Again, nothing big, but enough to get by. They probably had some ill effect from the soot, but he didn't care. The fire cooked the fish and the squirrel to eat them. Over time, his wound healed. Not completely, and he knew it would leave a scar, but it hurt less and less each day. Once it healed enough. He began to run. Small bursts at a time, but he needed to keep his stamina up. He began throwing the spear on land too. He missed a lot at first, but soon he could hit squirrels off of branches at around 10 feet away. Not all of them died, but he could hit them.

He used the spear for more than just a tool for food however. He was cleaning his bandages and wound in the stream one day, things seemed to be good. The wound was scabbed over, and seemed to be healing a lot better than he expected. The river was higher than normal, due to a small storm that hit. As a result, the current was louder and more powerful too. The noise was just enough to cover the light footprints from behind him. A small growl however, caught his attention. He turned just in time to see a wolf lunge for his throat. Not having a weapon nearby, he tried to jump out of the way. He managed to avoid his throat, but the wolf quickly recovered. It made a second lunge once Bryndon was on the ground. He grabbed the nearest thing to him to try to defend himself: his spear. He swung it with all his might, and managed to do something right. The staff made a strong hit to the wolf's side, knocking it to the side. Bryndon stood up, quickly noticing the pain in his chest. Stamina was one thing, but defending an attack was something else entirely. He tried to ignore this and defend himself. The wolf seemed persistent. He prepared again for one last lunge. Bryndon narrowed his eyes. The wolf jumped up, its hind paws pushing upwards, giving more power. Bryndon inhaled sharply as he swung the staff and connected with the wolf's head. It hit the ground, stunned. Bryndon took no chances and impaled the dog directly through the heart. The familiar pleasure of control and power flooded his body. He ate well that night.

He realized his weapon's new potential and began training, utilizing his spear as a staff as well. Several nights he spent gazing up towards Lillies house, not forgetting his true goal. He began to leave the woods sometimes. He snuck around lillies house. He learned her schedule. Her parents schedule. He learned when to strike. His wound was almost completely healed by the time he was ready to launch his attack. He needed to be sure though. He knew the location of a wolves' den nearby. He decided he would use that to test his ability. He waited until the first break of daylight, when the wolves would either be returning from a hunt, tired and ready for sleep. Or they would just be waking up, not ready for an attack. He moved in. The wolves were doing the latter, as he saw many of them still sleeping from the day prior. One was awake however, and quickly noticed his scent. He let out a warning growl, which seemed to rouse the others. A fight was coming. He hoped he was ready.

The fight went a lot better than expected. The first wolf that noticed tried to take him down quickly. A sideways slash quickly knocked the threat away. He didn't have time to lunge for the kill however, as two other wolves, presumably the males, went for a double team. Bryndon quickly switched to the defensive and blocked one wolf from hitting, but the other landed. It bit at his arm, and managed to make a scratch. Bryndon quickly pulled back and the wolf clung to his shirt sleeve. The clawed paw hit his chest and made a wound. Nothing as bad as what he had received before, but blood leaked from it. He kicked the wolf off of his sleeve and threw his spear at the one he defended against. It nailed its target and the animal let out a dying howl. He quickly pulled out his knife. It was much more dull than it was when he first found it. He felt a large weight slam his back and hit him to the ground. He forgot about the first wolf. The weight was relived however, as momentum seemed to help the wolf fly farther than expected. It turned back, but before it could attack again its friend made a move. It lunged on top, its jowls reaching for the throat. Bryndons knife was quicker. A quick thrust into the head finished it off. There was only one left. He quickly pushed the dead wolf off of him and ran for his spear. He pulled it out and turned just in time to see the final wolf, rage in its eyes, claws forwards lunging at his chest. Bryndon was pretty sure his life was gonna end right there. In a final act of desperation, he closed his eyes and thrust his spear forwards. He felt the weight of the wolf, but no pain. He opened his eyes to see the spear tip, bloodied, sticking out the back of the wolf. He dropped his weapon, and the wolf with it. He took a moment to realize what he had done. He took on a wolf den of three. And won. Yeah he had some bloodied marks but he won. He sat down, and rested up for the night to come.

He woke just as the sun began to set. Perfect. He rose up, and removed his tattered shirt. He examined his wounds. Claw marks across his torso, not too bad. Not offsetting. Just a little pain and blood is all. His forearm was scratched by the teeth, but if it would affect his battle to come was yet to be seen. He wrapped his shirt around the claw marks as he had done with the bandages before. He looked at the wolves. He wouldn't be using them for food tonight, but there was another use he saw. He took his dull, bloodied knife and set to work, skinning the wolves hides. They would make for a good coat. Provide some cover from attacks. He postponed his attack on Lillie, just so he could be fully prepared. He didn't want to take chances. He returned to his makeshift camp and set the skins out to tan for a day or so.

After bathing in the river to wash away the blood and clean the wounds, he walked past his camp. He went to the opening and stalked out Lillies home. He waited there, seeds to cure his hunger. He left the woods when daybreak began to hit. He was going to get closer. He wanted to ensure he could have the right timing on this. He crept up the rooftop as he had done before and looked in her window. She was there, sleeping. He wanted to kill her right then and there. But he needed to wait. He heard faint footsteps and almost fell of the roof when her parents walked in to wake her up for the day. He quickly recovered and hid. He heard them wake her with delight and her getting up out of bed. He peaked his head in after he heard the door close. She had her back turned to him, walking to the bathroom to get ready for school, he assumed. He watched her parents leave the house, and her following shortly after to go to school. He took this chance. He entered her window and began to snoop.

He dug through her room and soon found her journal, between her pillow and the mattress. He wasted no time and flipped back to the date he snuck into her window. The day he was stabbed. The entry seemed normal. She had probably written it before the attack. He flipped the page. It was filled. He read her expressing her relief that I was gone. Expressing her anger towards me. Expressing the slight pity she had. When the entry finished, Bryndon had a new hate building. He flipped the page to read the next entry. It detailed how she tortured the pint of the class we shared, Michael. It detailed her psychological torment of him through the day, and ending with a big confrontation. She ended up pitting him against another friend of ours, who had no real issues with Michael. Bryndon flipped the page. Another similar entry. Page after page of detail of the torture, the pain and the abuse she put children through. She seemed to have gotten more aggressive and evil towards others after my attack. Based on the date of the entries he found that he had been in the wild for about a year, give or take. He placed the journal back and moved on.

He raided their pantry for some food as he grew hungry. It felt amazing to eat real food. A nice cooked casserole with some lemonade. He stole some salt too, for the wolf hides he had tanning. He eventually snuck into the office of the house, where they controlled the mines. He went in and began searching through the drawers. He didn't find much. Some tax papers, some bills, nothing major. He eventually found a small brown envelope labeled “Private”. He had to look inside. Inside, he found the papers to the mines. Not all of them, but he found some sales records showing that they were sold once more. He took what papers he could that could help his parents and was ready to discard the envelope, when he noticed there was one more thing in the folder. A small brown, leather bound journal. He was curious. He opened it up, and read. He was shocked at what it held. It started a few years prior, when Lillie and I had entered schooling. It detailed how she “Wasn't playing well with others”. It held a small record of what she had done to the other children. This continued until the final entry, only halfway through the journal. It made Bryndon smile. It detailed how Lillie had blackmailed them. She had given them the ownership of the mines, illegally and could turn them in at any moment if they did not do as she said. They said they regret betraying their friends and family, but it was a “them or us” scenario It detailed how they were fearful of their daughter and how she was quoted “The devil himself”. It detailed how they helped dispose of my body. How they helped her get away with the crime she committed. They showed their regret. They said they were hiding the journal, as so she would never have reason to condemn them.

He took the papers and the journal from the office, and left the house from the window. He had one thing to do before returning to the woods. He snuck to the backstreets of the city and made his way down to the poverty district. He found his old broken home. He snuck inside, and looked around the house. He saw pictures of the family, and many of the old things that once belonged to him. His parents financial situation had not improved. He crept to their room and placed the journal, and the mine ownership papers into their bedside table. He left before they could get home.

He made it back to the small opening in the woods just in time to see Lillie get home. She went straight to her room while her parents went their own ways. Bryndon smirked and left the opening. He went back to the tanning rack he had set up, and salted the hides. He decided to take the time to plan out the attack. He would go into her home while she was at school and wait for her to go to her room. When she did, he would attack. He would kill her. But not before letting her know what she had done. All her wrongs and how she had ruined lives everywhere she went. He smiled, imagining her dying figure and face. The feeling of control hit. Only for a moment, but enough to make him smile wider. He was happy.

Three days passed. The hides tanned up nicely, and he made a small leather coat. Not a lot of coverage, but enough to lessen some blows if she fought back. He equipped the coat, grabbed the small, dented, dull blade he called a knife, and his spear, freshly sharpened. He snuck his way back to the mansion. Something seemed off however. Lillies parents were home. No matter, if she was quiet, they weren't an issue. He climbed up to the roof, not without difficulty, and snuck his way to the window. It was closed, but luckily not locked. He pushed it open. He crept inside, his nerves all on edge. His hands were trembling. He was going to end it. Save who knows how many people, and avenge those she tortured. He began to walk towards the closet, getting ready to hide. He had enough seeds and a small amount of squirrel to keep him fed while he waited. His hand reached out to the handle, when he heard a door open. He heard a small chuckle, feminine. Lillie's laugh.

“You didn't think you could really get away with this, did you? I mean, disobeying my orders is one thing, but stalking me, breaking into my home, reading my journal, and stealing from my parents? That's just low.” Her words had no effect on Bryndon, as he was simply stunned by her sudden presence. His plan was broken, he had no stealth, and was unsure if he could take her on one. “No answer hm? What can I expect. I mean I was sure you were going to die out there, but imagine my shock that after a month of you being missing, I see a figure creeping around in the woods. I did a little snooping of my own you know. You are really cute when you sleep, you know that?” She giggled. “A small amount of nightlock juice on your bandages should have killed you within the day. Seems I was a little late on that. No matter. Killing you up close will be worth it.” She smiled, unsheathing a small dagger from her hips.

She took a quick downward strike towards Bryndon, but he was quick, even in his stunned state. Seeing the danger, He moved to the side, barely avoiding another stab wound. He realized the spear would not be very effective in this battle, so he cast it aside. He pulled out the dull, dented dagger from his pocket. “Oh, I see you kept my little gift. Won't help you here.” With this she lunged once more, Bryndon not able to dodge in time. Her slash towards his chest landed, but the leather armor did its job. It absorbed the hit, no marks being left on Bryndon. Her smile faded as she noticed the mark on the leather, not going through it. This moment of stun was what he needed. He made a move for her wrist. If left in her hands, that dagger would kill him. The blade wasn't sharp enough to cut her wrist, but impact made her drop it. He smiled as fear flooded her eyes. She was realising she wasn't immortal, or that she wasn't a goddess.

His dagger wasn't going to do much, but having a blunt object helps this fight. Bryndon took his moment, and rushed to the spear. She was stunned, and a long range weapon would help. As she reached down for her dagger once more, Bryndon dove back and grabbed his spear. He picked it up, and stood his ground. He had no intent to lose this fight. Lillie's fear was replaced with rage. “I built an empire. This whole town is under my control. I won't let scum like you take it from me.” She spat these words out, then rushed me with the dagger. This scenario was familiar to Bryndon. The wolf, lunging for his throat. Intent to kill. He panicked then, and got lucky. He couldn't just risk his revenge and life on luck. He narrowed his eyes, the feeling of control and power hitting him in waves as the fear rose in Lillies eyes. She tried to stop herself, but a quick forwards thrust solved any other threats she gave. The dagger fell first, then Lillie. The spear did not go completely through her, but it went deep. It was going to be fatal. Bryndon knew before he removed the spear from her body. He had won.

Lillie hit the ground. She was still struggling to fight back, but she soon realized it was in vain. Bryndon kicked the knife away from her reach. She looked up at him, pleading eyes begging for mercy. He wasn't planning on giving any. He spoke to her, not having used his voice in a while, it sounded rough, almost like sandpaper to the ear. “How does it feel Lillie. To be stabbed. Painful, right? Now imagine. How many daggers you stabbed others with. How many gave you their trust, only for you to betray them. Not just me. This is for everyone else who was hurt by you. And by me.”

He went quiet for a moment. Lillie took this opportunity to speak, blood dripping from her mouth. “You k-know, you are not the o-only member of your f-family I hurt.” She let out a small laugh, which must have pained her. Bryndon ignored this comment. “I am curious about something Li- no, Elizabeth. How is it that you managed to sleep at night knowing what you have done? How you only thought of yourself while letting everyone else suffer. It takes a real sick person to rest easy after that.” He paused, taking in this moment. “Lying must have had to become second nature to you after stabbing me, if it wasn't already. Remember what I told you a year ago? Karma will come for you. You have quite a debt to repay. Only a life could fill the void, maybe more.” Bryndon taunted, all the while Lillie laughed.

“Y-you don't even know, d-do you? You put the m-mine ownership in your old h-house. No one l-lives there a-anymore.” She sputtered out. Bryndon was confused. He had seen all his families stuff, all HIS stuff. What was she talking about? The next words she said connected all the gears. "T-they screamed for their l-lives. Your m-mother was the f-funnest one to k-kill. Bryndon felt all the color drain from his face. He looked down at the dying girl, a pool of blood around the wound and coming out of her mouth. Bryndon felt rage. Nothing but rage and anger. She couldn't die yet. She had to pay. He knelt down to one knee. He grabbed the dull knife from his pocket once more, and moved it to her chest. He made one last look towards this girl, if she could even be called that. He took the dull blade, and with all his force drove it into her chest. He saw her nerves kick in as she shook. Bryndon did not react. He let her die. He watched the color drain from her eyes. It was over.

Bryndon knew what he had to do next. He had nothing to go back to. No family, no home, and he had killed someone. He knew he was going to be caught. He snuck out the window again, covered in blood, spear in hand. He first walked back to his old home, and placed the bloody spear on his parents old bed. He said his goodbyes to them, and set off for the local justice house. He confessed to the murder of Lillie and the gruesome details. He provided his reasoning, but the fact remained. He had killed. He must be punished.

Details soon came out to Bryndon. He had been gone for just under a year, and after being unable to find him, they decided he was dead. His parents were soon found, almost two months to the day of his disappearance. Throats slashed and multiple stab wounds. Bryndon told the peacekeepers what Lillie had said, but no evidence backed this up. He also learned that Lillies parents held a great grudge against Bryndon for what he had done. When he told that he found their journal, they expressed confusion. When the journal from the office was found, Lillies parents denied writing it. A handwriting sample was taken, and it matched Lillies writing. She scored another point against him from beyond the grave. The mine ownership papers were given back to her family, and Bryndon was sentenced to death.

Karma is a funny thing. It is very precise however. Bryndon had killed. He killed Lillie, killed four wolves illegally, and only used one for food. Bryndon had created a debt. He needed to repay this debt, and he was prepared to. The death sentence was coming, and he accepted this. He was going to meet his end with pride. Or, he was. Some people from the Capitol had noticed this case, and proposed an idea. Instead of killing Bryndon, they offered a way to punish him, while helping entertain the good people of Panem. He would be the district 12 male Volunteer in The Hunger Games. This is the first case of this punishment being executed in Panem, and provided an alternate to the death penalty. They had a chance for redemption. If they won, their names would be cleared and they would be free men. If they lost, at least it was for entertainment. Karma always catches up with you. There is no point in running. If you have caught its attention, you cannot escape. Karma is coming to collect its debt.