Love from the Control Room: A Gamemaker's Story

by lgkavanagh22

A Gamemaker's job is to produce a good show. But what happens when Panem's first female and youngest Head Gamemaker (at 19 years old) falls for a tribute that won't be able to win without help from the Control Room? She will need to separate her feelings from her job and figure out which is worse: losing the boy she loves or what would happen if she was caught cheating for him.

21. Worry

The rest of the day was a typical day at this point. The heat had forced most everyone to slow down considerably. Many had been forced to venture out of their camps to find water. Few had succeeded. Many of the tributes tried to fall asleep, but the heat made it too uncomfortable for anyone to sleep for too long.

The heat, surprisingly, seemed to re-energize Brian. He had slept for a small while and was now hunting around the spring sector. He had a sword, but his sweaty hands caused him to drop it over and over again.

But still he persisted, venturing farther into the sector, but in the opposite direction of Glenn.

I sighed. Brian had to just keep moving away from Glenn. Just stay away. Glenn was finally getting the hang of the Games- risk and survival. He was eating his earnings from the Feast at the moment.

I watched his on the screen, stripped down to his underclothes, fall jacket tossed aside in a heap. He was more built that I had given him credit for, and his hair was drenched and stuck to his forehead.

He seemed so close- so close- but he wasn't. He was in an arena, miles and miles away. He didn't know he was on a screen right now. He didn't know I was watching him. He didn't know I loved him. But I still did.

I felt a pang. I loved him so much. And no one knew.

For a moment, I wanted to tell someone, but I couldn't. How would that reflect on me as a Head Gamemaker? People would figure out that I had protected him and I would probably be fired, my tongue cut out and I would spend the rest of my life as an Avox. And if he didn't win… it'd all just be for nothing.

I sighed again. I would worry about that if anyone found out. But right now, no one knew. So I couldn't focus on that right now.

What I did need to focus on was Lana. She was mal-nourished and hadn't had a drink since moving caves. Her mentor was almost always drunk, but who could blame him? She was worthless as a tribute.

I decided to let her go until tomorrow night, when the arena would freeze and winter would come.

After running the idea by Wylie and Blaine, I went upstairs, still worried about Glenn.

But as far as I could tell, he'd be alright. He'd made it this far, he could keep going. He could win.

I fell asleep peacefully.

He could definitely win.