The bus slowly came to a halt in front of the crowded entrance to the arena, everyone trying to get in on one of the nicest summer days the Capitol had had yet. The teacher disembarked and soon all the students were following her off the bus and into the midst of the crowd.
"Pretty nice end of year field trip, huh?" Coriolanus Snow said, elbowing his friend.
"Yeah," responded Reynold. "I've wanted to see this all year, but my dad wouldn't take me."
Slowly they followed the crowd of kids as their teacher waved them over to the special entrance for students. Today they were going to get a guided tour of the most recent Hunger Games arena and they might even get to participate in the re-enactments! The two friends hurried forwards to take their special passes from their teacher and get into the group with the rest of the students.
"Hello students!" said a perky young woman dressed in safari wear. "My name is Yolanda Durnwitch and today I'm going to take you on a special trip through the mystical world of the Hunger Games." She said the last part in a mysterious tone, wiggling her fingers for effect. Some of the kids couldn't help but ooh as the anticipation mounted. "Right then, follow me!" she called, leading them off into the forest. Coriolanus and Reynold couldn't help but gape in awe as they passed the sickly, gnarled trees and prickly bushes. It creeped Coriolanus out, but of course, he would never admit that to his friend.
Suddenly the group stopped as a low growl was heard. It seemed to be coming from somewhere nearby.
"What do you think that is?" Coriolanus asked, trying to keep a stammer out of his voice.
Reynold grinned. "What, you're not scared are you Corry?" He nudged him in the shoulder and Coriolanus shoved back, trying to prove he wasn't afraid. But Reynold just laughed and shook him away.
Another low growl was heard and a few people in the group shivered. Corry turned to see to gleaming red eyes staring out from the shadows of the forest. "Um, Rey?" he said, tugging intently on his friends sleeve.
"You'll have to watch out," the tour guide called. "This forest is rumoured to be populated by MUTTS!" She shouted the last word and at that moment the creature Corry had spotted let out a roar and leapt at the group. Several people shrieked, and a few fell backwards as it came at them, foam dripping from it's mouth.
It slowed and froze, mouth still open, and the tour guide hopped up nearby it and began speaking. "Yes, a large danger in these past Hunger Games was the dreaded snarlwatcher, a vicious panther mutt intent on hunting down and killing its prey." The robotic representation of mutt closed its jaws with a snap. "Whoa, careful tiger, you almost took my arm off!" The kids laughed and the tour guide moved back to the front and began leading them off again. Corry looked backwards just in time to watch as the robot retreated back into the shadows to scare other visitors, the metal from the screeching slightly as it moved down the track.
"Corry, I think you're cutting off the circulation in my arm."
Corry looked over to see that one hand was still tightly grasping the sleeve of Reynold's shirt. "Sorry," he said, removing it quickly.
Reynold grinned. "You were totally scared!"
"Was not!"
"Yeah you so were! You were like a little… Ew, look, some of its mouth foam got on me!"
And so they continued walking, discussing whether the drool was actually whipped cream (though neither of them dared taste it) and chasing a few girls who squealed and ran when they saw the drool.
Soon everyone stopped and oohed again as the giant golden Cornucopia came into view. Some of the students ran ahead and had to be reined in by the teacher and a few supervisors. Everyone was gazing upon the scene in front of the horn as a few Capitol actors re-enacted the Bloodbath of the Games. They watched as someone stabbed another man (who was presumably playing the part of the District 8 male who'd died that way in the Games). He fell to the ground, oozing bright red liquid, and slowly crawled towards the group of students. A few screamed as the blood splattered their way, and the man looked up towards Reynold and said "Help me."
Reynold looked back at him and put on a fake expression of sorrow. "Sorry mister, but I think you've lost too much fake blood to live."
The class laughed and the man gave a very dramatic death in front of them, with lots of spasms and odd noises. Then they turned to what lay behind the Cornucopia, the giant mountain that had caused an avalanche and killed three tributes. Another show was going on there as a crazy man with blood spewing from his mouth ran around and around screaming before getting pummelled by bucket loads of fake snow.
"I didn't like that guy," Corry said, watching his arm twitch from underneath the pile of whiteness. "He was psycho."
"Of course he was. That's why they killed him."
"But wasn't it an avalanche that killed him?"
"Yeah, but it was made by the Gamemakers."
"They can do that?"
"Duh. My dad's the Head Gamemaker, I should know," Reynold said, puffing up his chest proudly. His friend gazed in awe at the amount of inside information he had, before they were set off with the tour guide again.
Soon they reached a cozy little part of the woods with a circle of rough, carved benches and a merry little fire dancing in the middle. "Alright everyone, snack break!" the teacher called, and everyone sat down and took out the lunches that had been packed for them. They offered food here too, like the stuff the tributes ate in the Games, but no one wanted their whole meal to consist of roasted bird and a few berries. That was gross. Besides, the thought that some of these tributes caught and killed animals for food was just horrible!
Corry and Reynold sat down on the edge of the bench to start eating when they heard a rustle in the leaves behind them. Suddenly a woman appeared behind them, with long dark hair and big brown eyes. "Would you like a rose?" she asked, holding out a nice white one to Corry and batting her eyes. He blushed and took it nervously, staring after her as she walked off.
"Dude, do you know who that was? The District 11 tribute! The one who killed that other guy just by using a rose bush!"
"But she was nice. She was just trying to protect those younger tributes," Corry said, watching the actress closely as they began re-enacting the famous battle between her and the District 7 male. "I wish she'd won."
"Yeah, but the guy who did win had an earring. And cool hair," Reynold said, like that settled the matter.
"Well maybe they both could have won."
Reynold looked at his friend incredulously. "They can't both win! That's crazy! You can't have two victors of the Hunger Games!"
"Well maybe if I become president I'll make a rule that two victors can win."
Reynold sighed exasperatedly. Corry often dreamed of what he would do if he was president, just because his father was Senior Minister of Security. "They wouldn't let you do that."
"But I'd be president. They'd have to let me."
"Yeah, but you can't change the rules of the Hunger Games. That's unthinkable."
"Well if I was president I would."
"But you're not. So you won't."
The discussion ended in huffy silence as both friends returned to their lunches. I will be president, Corry thought. Someday. Reynold will see. He could see it in his mind, the wonderful reign of Coriolanus Snow. And I will let two victors win.
Even if it kills me.