Seneca Crane, 36

Head Gamemaker

Seneca straightened his velvet jacket and tried to keep his breathing even. He wasn't usually a nervous man, but a private meeting with President Snow would make any rational person wary. Rumors that Snow had caused the accident that put Phaedra Fox in a coma were circulating through the Gamemaker building and when he received the letter notifying him of his new position, he began to get pitying glances.

All the curtains in the hallway were drawn, trapping the heat and making Seneca sweat. He subtly tried to dab at his forehead, but velvet was not an absorbent material. He silently berated his mother for convincing him to wear it.

The large double doors opened without a sound and Artemisia appeared. Seneca jumped in surprise. Snow's aide moved completely silently, like a predator stalking its prey.

"Mr. Crane," she said formally. "He is ready to see you."

"Thank you." Seneca stood up, straightened his jacket one last time, and stepped into the President's dark office.

Here, the curtains were also closed. Seneca's shoes squeaked on the polished oak floors. Bookshelves lined the walls, standing taller than any person. A dim chandelier and a lamp on Snow's desk were the only sources of light.

President Snow was sitting at his large desk with his hands folded in front of him. As usual, he wore all black with a white rose in the lapel pocket of his suit jacket. His white hair and beard were combed to perfection.

"Seneca Crane," Snow said, gesturing for him to sit. The dark-haired man did, greeting the President with a polite nod.

"I am glad you were able to make time for me," Snow said, sounding anything but pleased.

"I'm always happy to make time for you, sir," Seneca replied. "And I wanted to thank you personally for this incredible opportunity. I'm honored."

"You were the right choice," Snow said. "Ms. Fox excelled in her role and it is a disappointment that she cannot continue. But I have high hopes for you."

"Thank you."

"Have you decided on an arena?" President Snow asked.

"I have two concepts," Seneca replied. "They are related though, and I hope to bring both to life during my time as Head Gamemaker."

"Good," the white-haired man said. "I will leave the choice to you, but I am excited to see what you create."

"Thank you. Sir… may I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Why—why did you choose me as Ms. Fox's successor?"

"Ms. Fox spoke highly of you," Snow began. "And I saw some of myself in you. Luck brought you to the Gamemaking Internship Program. Your name was one of thousands in the lottery. You were given a very special opportunity and you worked hard to prove that you deserved it."

"When I was a young man, I was also blessed by Lady Luck. I never once took that blessing for granted and I worked every day to show the country that I earned my miracle. And now I am here."

Seneca smiled.

"My mother always says that 'when opportunity presents itself, you run toward it'."

"A wise notion," the President said. "Remember Mr. Crane… opportunities like this are once in a lifetime. Do not waste it."

"I won't," Seneca promised.

Welcome to Passage, my next SYOT in a fairly long line of stories. I know lots of SYOTs start with a scene where the Head Gamemaker meets with President Snow, but I don't have a subplot planned and in my opinion, a simple prologue is sufficient for that situation.

Currently, Passage is full. But if at least two more people show interest, I will accept 14 tributes. If you want to submit and don't have a slot reserved, you will have until the end of today to ask for a slot. If you've already reserved a tribute slot, you'll have until March 10th to get your tribute in. The tribute form and all the rules are on my profile.

To everyone who's shown interest; thank you so much! I'm very excited to write a partial SYOT because I can give more focus to each individual tribute. And I have some plans for this story that I think you will all enjoy!

Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter, and what you're looking forward to in this story!

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona