Snow On Top || Coriolanus Snow

Part 6: The Zoo

Coriolanus

We are interrupted by setlights and the apparent voice of Lucretius Lucky Flickerman.

Great, I think to myself.

My politeness has gotten me broadcasted to all of Panem. What will the Capitol see of this? Before filming, he flips a silver coin into the air. He soon points out the obvious–an academy student is here in the zoo–and is quick to recognize me by my tall stature and blond hair. He calls me over, still broadcasting, to ask me why i'm caged in with the tributes. I try to explain that I was trying to welcome the mentees but then stumbled into the back of the truck, ending up here. He begins to ask me something else, but I place my hand on y/n's shoulder and introduce her, cutting him off.

"Have you met my tribute, y/n?" I look at the crowd behind Lucretius rather than at the camera. It's the citizens we're trying to win over, after all. She picks up the act instantly, crouching down so she's at eye level with the children and flashing them a smile.

"Hey there," she singles out a wide-eyed little girl. "I'm y/n. What's your name?"

"Venus," She whispers, stepping forward. She looks in awe, like y/n is some otherworldly force instead of just a girl. "Your dress is really pretty. Can I touch it?" Before waiting for an answer, the girl sticks her hand through the bars, eliciting some gasps from the watching parents.

Y/n only laughs and holds the rainbow ruffles of her long skirt out for the girl to touch. She runs a hand along the fabric and then steps back and hides behind her mother, seemingly remembering she has an audience. Bolstered by the girl's confidence, other children begin approaching y/n and talking about her. The cameras are catching it all–the publicity will surely boost her ratings, meaning I'll be ranked the best mentor.

I look back at y/n, greeting each new child who approaches her. I have to admit, there's something about her that makes you incapable of looking away.
...

I am in the Academy's dining hall. I picked up a couple of sandwiches and fruits. Sejanus sits down in the seat across from mine.

"You're going to eat all that yourself? I know you're hungry, but I didn't know you were that hungry," he jokes.

I didn't find that funny, and my face must've revealed as much because the smile quickly disappeared from his face. He then recognizes that I folded a few slices into a napkin, stuffing it in my coat pocket for later.

"Your girl," he smiles.

"It is for my mentee, that is. She might have a shot at winning if she's fed," I say.

Sejanus gives me a reassuring smile before leaving my table. I head over to the zoo to try and hand off this food. I see a few other academy students with their mentees when I approach the cage. It is refreshing to see these people have some humanity in them.

I spot y/n quickly and hand her a sandwich through the bars. Her eyes light up before she eagerly takes the food from my hands. It almost disgusted me how greedy she acted, taking the sandwich. I gesture for her to come closer before telling her to not share. She needs every bit of strength she can get from eating, and the weaker her opponents the better.

Suddenly, there is the sound of glass smashing and screaming. I look over to see one of the academy students, Arachne, bleeding and half a bottle wedged into her neck. Spectators and the other students flee from the scene, yet I instinctually approach her. Frantically I try to stop the bleeding, but it's gushing out too fast. She stills, and finally, I pull my shaking, crimson hands away. Her eyes are still open, staring into mine in terror.

How could all of this happen so quickly? Surely the games will be postponed, perhaps even canceled. Will this horrid display lose us viewers, or will this spark their interest in the games once more?

Before I can ponder the idea further, a gun fires off from behind me and I drop to the ground. Arachne's tribute falls dead, a bullet wound clear through her forehead. The bloody bottle still rests in her hand, her face frozen in a wicked grin.

...

Later that night, I returned to the zoo. The news covered the death as much as possible, but word got out.

a.n - Thank you for 1K!! My writing partner and I are excited to see this book's positive feedback. We hope that you guys will continue to enjoy this story! Please comment or message me with any questions, comments, or concerns. Again, thank you so much!