Coriolanus Snow, President of Panem
It was 2 weeks left until the reaping of the 76th Hunger Games and that was all anyone cared about in the Capitol. People were desperately trying to get the last seats to the tribute parade and the pregames interviews so that they could brag to everyone they met that they had seen the tributes first hand. The only thing being broadcast was all about the Hunger Games. Reruns, the top 10 Hunger Games kills, star moments of every victor, old interviews, new interviews, experts trying to predict this year's games, gamemakers teasing this year's arena, you name it.
Even Snow was watching it, not because he was caught up in the mass hysteria, but because he liked to remember his own success. Right now the interviews of last year's victor, Areen Thomas was being shown. She did a remarkable job keeping herself together even as replay after replay of her brother's death in the bloodbath was shown. But he had seen this interview plenty of times so he switched channels. Some new Capitol reporter was making house calls to all the former victors. Snow laughed along with the recorded audience as a drunken Haymicth Abernathy slammed the door in her face. Other victors were politer, Finnick was charming as ever, Cashmere and Gloss were delightful, Cecelia showed off her kids who made the entire audience aww in unison and Beetee showed off his newest invention.
He switched channels again and found his granddaughters favorite show, a reality show where capitolites went to an old arena and competed in a mock Hunger Games. Obviously there was no deaths but there was plenty of drama between the contestants and apparently all the guys were considered very attractive, a combination that seemed to be a success among most teenage girls. He shook his head, this was nothing for him.
He turned it off, and told an avox to send for the head gamemaker. It was after all the president's responsibility to give the people what they wanted and that begun with making sure the preparations for the games went as planned. He had approved the arena a long time ago, but it was time to see the finished result. Minutes passed but Snow waited patiently, and eventually the door was pushed open and Seneca Crane stepped in with stride in his steps as he offered Snow a polite nod.
"President Snow. You called for me."
"Is the arena in order?"
"We're putting in the final touches, but we should be done before the end of the week."
"Let me see it."
Seneca pulls out a holo and places it on the desk. With three quick touches it opens up and reveals this year's arena, consisting of 4 parts. In the middle was the Cornucopia with all its supplies, positioned in a small circle of slippery mud. The pedestals where the tributes would enter however lay in a field of high grass, to make it harder for the tributes to see each other as they run towards the bloodbath.
After the bloodbath, the tributes had three choices. In one direction there was a pine forest. Snow knew from experience that tributes usually favored the forest and a lot of tributes would go there. But this forest was incredibly thick and dense, and just a few yards in it would be almost complete darkness making it incredibly hard to have any sense of direction. And there was no food and no water, only mutts in the trees.
Next was the mountain part, with sharp rocks, steep sides, treacherous falls and the occasional rock fall. It included several caves for cover, but they would have to watch out. Some of these caves were already inhabited by mutts. On top of the mountains was a glacier, which would help supply the tributes with fresh running water if they managed to find one of the streams running down the mountain. One of these streams grows bigger, until it becomes a river ending in a waterfall that splashes down in the final part of the arena.
This was the ocean bit, a mass of salt water with a number of small islands on it. There was 2 rowing boats on the beach behind the Cornucopia to help the tributes get out. In this part the tributes should have no problem keeping well fed and hydrated, there was fish to catch and coconuts to drink from. But although the islands may have seemed like an unexpected paradise the place was crawling with mutts, both on the island and in the water, essentially making it a deathtrap for any tribute who made it out there.
"All the parts are finished, and the cameras has all been installed. We're only positioning the last mutts and then it will be ready." Seneca explains as Snow carefully observes every inch of the arena.
"I like it, you've done a good job Seneca."
"Thank you sir."
"And there will be no disappointments?" Snow says, looking up and raising his eyebrows at the gamemaker who remains unfazed.
"No disappointments. It will be perfect." Seneca answers confidently and Snow nods slowly in approval.
"Well let us hope so. I do not tolerate failures, you know that."
"I know."
"Good, because I like you Seneca. Now leave, enough time has been wasted. We have got a game to prepare."
So that's the first look on the arena, I hope you like it. Thanks to everyone who has submitted a tribute, I love them all. If you're new to this story and want to submit there are still spots open so just visit my profile and send me a form through my PM :) Next chapter will hopefully be the district 1 reaping, so see you then!