Shadows are a mysterious thing. Without them, the monsters wouldn't have a place to hide. They would wander around aimlessly, with no place to hide… or lurk… or wait… The monsters always wait. They wait for the right moment to strike. Lurking in the shadows, they silently watch their prey pass by. Until, at just the right time, they scrape their rancid claws along the ground. The prey, in their odd manner, will always turn around.

That's why they are so successful, the monsters. Slowly, the prey turns around, and their eye's find the shadows, where the monster still waits. Strangely enough, the monsters are patient, only striking when the prey steps into the shadows with them

. When the monster makes its move, the fight has already been lost. The poor prey, with their sluggish movements and slow legs, is soon devoured. Destroyed.

Perhaps that is what Mira is thinking about as she slips on her silvery blouse. She buttons it quickly, leaving it fitting to her chest in a seductive way. Tucking the smooth material into her black pencil skirt, her mind wanders to a darker time. A time when she struggled to come up with a breathtaking game. It was her job after all… to make the games entertaining for her audience. As vapid as they were, sometimes even they were hard to please. With a quiet sigh, Mira shakes the thought from her head.

"This year will be different. I know it will." She says, more to herself than to anybody else.

After a final glance in the mirror, Mira swiftly turns around. Her jet-black hair flows behind her slightly as she walks. The reassuring click-click of her heals echoing around the empty halls. Mira never understood the Capitol citizens. With their foolish fashion choices and addiction to the games, it was miracle any of them worked at all. Of course, it wasn't surprising that they took the day off. It's announcement day, a celebration throughout all of Panem.

Mira reaches the President's door moments later. She has ten minutes to impress the president before they are sent out into the crowds to announce the games. A shaking hand reaches out to the door before it is quickly pulled away. The President will not tolerate the fear that Mira is projecting, and Mira knows it. With a final breath, Mira plasters the most arrogant smirk she can muster, and she boldly swings open the door.

"Mira. Glad that you've finally decided to make yourself known." Marigold Slissae is a brutal woman. She sneers at Mira and gestures to the chair across from her.

President Slissae makes a dramatic gesture with her hands. Swinging them around in a motion meant to intimidate Mira, showing her disdain and disgust for what's to come. She folds them and rests her chin on them, her platinum blond hair flowing to a stop around her beautiful, yet tired looking face.

"So tell me… What monstrosity have you brought with you this year" She says, with a sneer.

Mira falters for a moment, but she regains her composure and answers with a smirk.

"How about you tell me Ms. President. What do you know about shadows?"

The President's interest seems to spark at those words, her eyes showing a hint of delight as Mira continues to smirk maniacally at the woman. It is at this moment that the President realizes something truly amazing. This year's games were going to be the most watched in over a century. They would be truly intriguing.

"Tell me more," says the President, her voice drawing out in a purr…

A/N - Welcome to my story! This IS an SYOT, and you can find the forms and information on my bio page. Thanks for reading, and I hope that you will continue on. I could use as many tributes as possible, but feel free to just be a reader or a sponsor. I will get chapters out as soon as possible without sacrificing their quality. In the meantime, please drop a review and let me know how the start was. All thoughts are welcome.