The Hunger Games

One of the events for Tryst was a version of the Hunger Games.  It was far too fabulous (the pageantry!) to describe completely, and I'm not sure how far I can go anyway without getting into the  "non disclosure" areas.  I can tell what happened to ME, but not what everyone else was doing.  We had chosen sides before camp.  On one were the tributes, or hunted, and on the other were the peacekeepers, or hunters.   Each tribute had a list of limits, likes and fears that they had filled out on paper.  When caught by a peacekeeper, they handed over the paper, and then the peacekeeper could use anything that wasn't a limit to try to force the tribute to hand over their token (name badge).   Essentially, handing over the badge was like using the safeword, you were all done. 

I hadn't brought tennis shoes or hiking boots, not realizing that we'd be doing this in the woods, so I was in a skirt and sandals (I also didn't pack pants).  I knew that I couldn't run through the woods that way, so my survival strategy would have to be based on hiding. 

 They gave us a minute or so of head start and we all jogged down the path, then split in different directions into the woods.  I found a "golden parachute" which turned out to be a 30 second head start card.  The first time I was caught I was walking down a deer trail, not having reached a hiding place.  I used the card to escape, and it actually worked. 

I went over a few hills and settled just beyond the crest of a ridge in a little thicket.  There I waited.  I watched Master (a peacekeeper) walk all around me, and another tribute run past, and another peacekeeper went around me too.  None of them spotted me.  At times I lay flat in the leaves to blend in.  The mosquitoes would find me and I'd have to move on a little bit, then wait some more.  

I heard a lot of shouting and some screaming, but couldn't really tell what they were saying. 

Eventually the sun was getting low in the sky and I thought I'd better head back before dark and before the mosquitoes got serious.   I didn't know who was left, but there was still shouting and screaming so I knew it was still on.  There was some whistling too, but I didn't know if that meant "Help, I'm lost" or "Everyone come in now".  

Walking over one hill toward camp was when I ran into Master.  I didn't attempt to run. I figured my game was over.  If he ordered me to give up my badge I would have to.  But he didn't.  Instead he yelled for more peacekeepers to come help him and then he told me to get on my knees and suck him, which I did.  He then turned me over to someone else and ran off!   The other guy looked over my list, had me do a bunch of stuff, did a bunch more stuff to me, then as I had complied with everything, he also let me go!  Yay me!

I walked into a lovely raspberry patch, which took me ages to get through without getting all scratched up and on the other side I was waylaid by two more peacekeepers.  One of them held my things while the other went straight for the most painful things I could imagine.  I kicked him, but then I was thrown to the ground and gave up my badge rather than be hurt that way anymore.   

When I got back to the group it turned out only 3 tributes were still uncaptured.   Some of them had taken extreme beatings by multiple people while refusing to surrender.  Stun guns were involved.   Hell, I would have thrown my badge at anyone who even showed me a stun gun.  

A girl has to know her limitations.  

This was one of the highlights of camp for me (and many others from what they have said) and I can't wait to do it again next year.