The icy late September winds wrap around me as I take a glimpse around the arena .A snow-covered barren Iceland expands ahead of me .Of all the arenas they could have chosen they chose the desolate wasteland I stand in now, my boots digging into the damp sheet of snow at the bottom of a cave I have found. Due to the extreme climate in the arena this year the tributes have been allowed to look around prior to the battle some call the games. This was supposed to be Eurogamer, two days ago I had no idea that all who arrived were put into the drawing pool. My fandom, my friends went up one by one.
Morale is high for now and nothing much has changed. Rage fiddles with his glasses absentmindedly as Hollow explains something loudly pointing to a huge tree near where the cornucopia is. Fluke laughs as Evanz notices a sheep chewing on some grass. Evanz glares at Fluke and they continue exploring. Dynamo, Epoc and Endless stare at an amazing nest of trees nestled in between the snow coated pines. The others are out of my view from my hidey hole cave in the ground. I lean up in a hope to catch a glimpse of each person's special item, the one scrap of their old lives. A jacket sleeve pokes out of Hollows mandatory Eurogamer backpack, what I can only assume is lenis jacket. After watching Rage pace about I make out a spare pair of glasses tucked in his Rage gaming t-shirt (a new pocket design). Fluke holds his precious clip mic by his chest and Evanz smiles at his suave suit, despite shivering slightly. I press down my fox woolly hat (my special item) and sink back down into my cave and enjoy the slight warmth difference the cave has from outside.
I don't remember falling asleep until Euro gamer officials grab me by the arms and take me back into the main hall tucked away underneath the arena, tomorrow I will head up there again, for real this time and in this moment I regret not exploring it more. Pushing the thought from my head I curl up in bed for what could be the very last time. They assure us they revive the corpses after they've been killed in battle and they receive a fine but I don't believe they would do unsettling is going on. Sleep tugs at my eyelids and before I can continue my thoughts I fall into a deep sleep. Secretly hoping that morning never comes.