Live For You- Coriolanus Snow

Chapter 3- The Arena

Towards the evening of yesterday, after Coriolanus was dragged away by the peacekeepers, he came back about two hours later with some of his classmates. One of his classmates had a bottle of juice or soda. I wasn't quite sure. She was teasing one of the tributes with that sweet beverage. I sighed and looked over at Coriolanus, who was generously giving me food. He was eyeing one of the cookies. I laughed a little bit and gave him one and told him that he deserved it. He smiled and graciously took it.

A couple minutes later there was a loud bang. Everyone's heads turned at the sound. We see it was a tribute, stabbing her mentor in the neck with a broken bottle. Coriolanus yelled and ran to assist her wounds to try to help. I felt terrible for the dead mentor and tribute. I also kind of felt like the mentor deserved it though. Not to die but she shouldn't have been teasing her mentally ill woman.

The Peacekeepers came into the zoo decently early in the morning. We weren't sure where we were going or what we were doing. We hope that we are going to be safe, but we also know that things happened around here and we don't know who is here to protect us. Mentors are only hope at surviving these games.

As we traveled to wherever we were going, we all sat there, anxious. We could barely even look out the windows of the crate that we were being transported in. We are being treated like animals, and we didn't know why. Of course we were poor, and from the districts that didn't mean we were animals.

About 10 minutes later, two Peacekeepers came and opened the crate. The light was blinding as we tried to walk out of the crammed crate. We all observed where we were and what we were going to be doing. I saw an arena and I'm definite that that is where the Games will be held , I looked around pretty scared and wasn't sure what to do. I was really hoping at that moment that our mentors would be here with us and it looks like they were just showing up now, so we are in luck.

I looked at every face, but still couldn't see Coriolanus'. I started to get a little worried. I could not go into that arena without him. He was my mentor. He needed to help me create a game plan even if there wasn't anywhere to hide. This arena is going to be a bloodbath. When my parents came back from the Games, they said there was no place to hide and you just had to grab a weapon and start fighting for your life, even if that meant killing people to stay alive.

They put me in the front of the line, while every other tribute had their mentor next to them as well as one Peacekeeper, I had one peacekeeper and no mentor. I couldn't believe that Coriolanus wasn't here yet. Coriolanus wouldn't miss something this big. I tapped my heel on the floor, impatiently waiting for him. What if something happened to him?

About a minute later, I felt a hand on the small of my back. I gasped and looked on my side to see Coriolanus standing there with an extremely exhausted look on his face. He looked down at me and smiled. It was like a form of reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

As we entered the plain arena, the automated voice said "enjoy the show". As if we aren't the show. I thought sourly. I looked down and reached for Coriolanus' hand. We held each other's hands and looked around the arena. He slowly pulled his hand away and pulled me along to a different area of the arena.

"Coriolanus. There isn't a plan. We can't even make one. All I can do is grab a weapon and fight." I said quiet as a mouse. My voice cracked in the middle of my statement.

"Nessa. Look at me." He mumbled grabbing my chin to look into his eyes.

"You are strong. You have enough power to kill someone fast and easily. You are small and can dodge people like they are balls in a dodgeball game. Treat this as a weapon. Treat your skills as a weapon in a game that you can win. Use everything to your advantage." He finished. I nodded with tears falling into my dirty cheeks. He took out his cloth and wiped my tears.

"Don't cry. I've got you. I will not let you die. Okay? Trust me." He said caressing my cheek.

"Okay. I-" I was cut off by a loud noise. We looked around and saw many explosions happening. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to start running. Somehow, our hands become detached and I look back to see him trapped under burning rubble. I looked back at the exit. This could be my chance to escape. I looked back at Coriolanus and his miserable, drafted face. I sprinted to him and lifted the rubble off him. I lifted him up and hugged him really tight.

"You came back." He whispered as the Peacekeepers dragged me away from him. I watch as a tear falls into his cheek and I smile lightly. The games would be postponed one day, but interviews were tomorrow.

Was this really happening to me?