Different Perspectives Chapter 13
Author's Note: I do not own The Hunger Games
Volumnia Gaul, 65. Head Gamemaker. The Capitol.
Turning to the screen in the Control Centre, I looked at the map of the Arena. It had been two years since I introduced the different terrain Arenas, and so far, these Games had been successes in terms of action. As the gong rang, I watched, delighted, as Fabrege from District 1 speared Mustang from 10 through. I grinned when Squire from 2 hacked the arm off Vinyl from 8 and the legs off Brett, also from 8. I cheered when Molly from 1 axed Zap from 3 in the back. I clapped when Venus from 2 picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows and shot down Jennifer from 4 in a hail of arrows. It was a brutal, but enjoyable festival of slaughter and as the fighting ended, I counted on how many Tributes were dead. Five Tributes dead, including the pair from District 8. Not as violent as the 11th Hunger Games, and no shocks as the 12th, but it was exciting to watch at least. Not so exciting for the Tributes killed, of course. Turning back to Coriolanus Snow, who I had appointed as my successor when I retire in two years' time, suggested to me that this evening, we should project the images of the fallen Tributes into the sky, to show the viewers and the remaining Tributes who has lost their lives in the Games. As it reached twilight in the Arena, and in Panem as a whole, to the tune of "Horn of Plenty," the national anthem of Panem, the portraits of the dead appeared in the sky: Zap, Jennifer, Vinyl, Brett and Mustang, fated to be forgotten. As Mustang's image faded, I gave a laugh before going for a nap. Whenever the Games are on, I tend to have a nap for an hour or two. At 4am I heard Coriolanus wake me up and as I opened my eyes, I saw that Fabrege from One had speared Mare from Ten. As Mare's Cannon sounded, and the Hovercraft picked Mare's corpse up, still with the spear through her body, I grinned. Making myself a mug of coffee, I drank it as I waited for 10am to arrive, as that is the time most Capitolites would be having their breakfast.
As the clock struck ten, I opened communications with Lucky Flickerman, and he announced to the viewers at home that Mare from District 10 was killed overnight, with the promise of some more action for the rest of the day. Sure enough, half an hour before noon, there was some action. Fabrege and Squire had teamed up and have encountered a pair of Tributes from District 12. The boy, Devon, yelled at his District Partner to flee as the boys hacked and slashed him to pieces, blood and guts flying everywhere. It was bloody, and the Capitol loves it. They love seeing the Tributes get stabbed, impaled, sliced, hacked, gutted, decapitated, you name it, and as Head Gamemaker, my job is to put on a show. On screen, I saw the girl, Eden, lay dead in the wheat field, an arrow in her neck. Looking at the farm camera, I saw the boy from 6, Tingle, knife in hand, slashing the boy from 5's throat. As Tingle left to gather flowers, I saw that the pair from District 11 had also died, killed in the wheat field. "Are you going to let the Cattle Mutts out?" Coriolanus asked me, and I decided to set the Cattle Mutts out the next day before having some dinner and going to bed.
"Good morning Volumnia" I heard Coriolanus say as I drank my morning coffee. Coriolanus whispered to me, and I nodded. Pressing a button, we watched as the Bull Mutt impaled a girl from District 9, the girl screaming and thrashing as her life bled out of her. Squire from 2 had decapitated District 3's Thora, all while the Cattle Mutts escaped their field. The Mutts trampled Laura from 6 to death, while Fabrege stabbed Kellie of District 5. The Mutts were chasing Tingle of 6, and in the process, had trampled the District 7 Tributes. Venus had her arrows, and she shot the boy from District 9. Maurice, the boy from District 4, joined up with the boy from District 6, and in the chaos, Maurice stabbed Fabrege in the back. The five Tributes ran to the Cornucopia, and I watched as Squire pushed Tingle off the horn into the Cattle Mutts. Tear him! I watched, in glee, as the Mutts began pulling at the boy. I saw Venus shoot arrows into the boy, killing him and prompting the Mutts to back off; Molly lashed out, and started to hack and slice at the other Tributes; a brutal fight, and one that will be remembered for its savagery. By the end of the fight. I saw Molly was covered in blood as the music rang out.
"You have done well, Coriolanus. Now, in two years, I will be stepping down as Head Gamemaker and you are going to be my successor. Next year I will be hands-off so you can put what you have learnt into practice. In a few weeks, the alligators in my laboratory will hatch, and that is when we will transport them to the Arena for next year's Games. I admit, I wasn't sure about the Space Centre Arena but it looks unique." I praised Coriolanus as we left the Control Room.
Well, that is a nice change of perspective, writing from the POV of a socialpath. Thankfully we won't get another Gaul focused chapter, though we will get a Snow chapter. It is a bit of a struggle to get this chapter done, so sorry if it's short.