Real or Not Real? ~Coriolanus Snow AU

4-Halen

Halen's POV:

It was hard to sleep last night, I had a good amount of nightmares. All of the ways that I was going to die in that arena, there was nowhere to hide, I've seen it on TV before. I understand that Kanan, Reaper, Dill, and I are in an alliance but that only lasts so long before we turn on each other. I would not harm my allies, and I certainly wouldn't harm my brother. With those variables, there was no possible way for me to make it out of this arena alive.

I was the first of the tributes that was awake, it was chilly out here this morning. I gazed at the stars before I watched the sunrise. The sky was a lovely shade of orange just for a split second and it felt as though everything might just be okay. But that feeling passed like a fleeting shadow when the memories of my nightmare resurfaced. 

I tried to clear my head by attempting to finish a song that I was in the process of writing before the reaping. "Deep down, way down, lord I try. Try to follow your light, but it's nighttime. Please don't leave me in the end," I sang quietly to myself. I sat with my head against the metal bars, as I tried to piece the lyrics together. This song wasn't like my others, it didn't have the same country twang to it. It was darker than what I'm used to but it came to me in a dream, so I acted on what I was given.

About an hour after the sun rose, peacekeepers came into the fenced area and began grabbing us out one by one and cuffing our hands together, I was literally taken by surprise from where I sat earning a quick scream from me. That alone woke up the rest of the tributes who were roughly pulled to their feet and taken from the enclosure. We walked about two miles before we were brought into a building where we had one of our cuffs taken off but the chain was run under an indent in the table before it was recuffed to our wrist. This was so that we couldn't harm anyone, I was well aware that this was a security measure for the mentors. I tried to look for Kanan, Reaper, or Dill but I couldn't see any of them. I put my head in my hands and shook my head, this is how I'm going to spend some of my last moments.

A few moments passed and I heard a quiet, "Hey," I looked up, and standing across from where I was sat was my mentor.

"Coryo?"

He faintly smiled at me before standing up straight, the rest of the mentors filed in along with Dean Highbottom. He's the founder of the Hunger Games. "Despite yesterday's tragic events," He began, his voice echoing around the room. "Our president has decided that the games must go on. To show everyone that the capital is unafraid of such acts of terror, to which end Doctor Gaul wishes for you to preview the arena this afternoon with your tributes. Later this evening there will be a special televised presentation of each tribute to our audience to, you know, get to know them. You'll have an hour to discuss strategy." He paused for a few moments, "You may begin."

Coryo sat down across from me and there was a silence that filled the room until chains rattled loudly. "I'm sorry about your classmate,"

"Thank you. Are you okay?"

I let out a breath of air and shook my head, "Kanan and my music are the only things truly holding me together, I'm just trying to focus on my unfinished song, without the idea that Kanan and I won't be together in the next few days," I said with a forced laugh, "I wish my brother wasn't here so I could look forward to going home to him, or to my parents, but I won't have either if I survive this,"

Coriolanus sighed and held a sentimental look in his eyes, "My mother used to smell like roses, she died in childbirth. I was going to have a little sister,"

"Just like my mom," I sadly smiled at him and went to reach for his hand but was unable to because of the cuffs. "Both your parents gone?" Coriolanus didn't have to respond to answer my question. "So you're an orphan, like me," 

He gently set his hand over mine, "Look, I need you to sing in these interviews later. It's the night before the games and your last chance to win people over. I can't send you gifts in the arena without their money,"

"Maybe, a guitar could persuade me, that's a big maybe." He started to write something down, "You really want to take care of me in that arena Coriolanus?" He looked up at me, "Start by thinking I can actually win,"

"I know you can,"

"Snow. Dovecote." Highbottom called. Coriolanus looked at me before getting up.

He saw the look on my face, abandonment, "I'll be back, I promise,"

I nodded and watched him walk away from me. There were still at least 45 minutes left in this room and I no longer had anyone here to help me. I sat there the entire time with my head in my hands trying my hardest not to think about tomorrow. I had to finish my song, if I die without finishing it, I'll lose my mind in the afterlife. "There's darkness in the distance, I'm begging for forgiveness. But I know I might resist it," 

I looked at the table and noticed that Coriolanus left his pen and notepad. I grabbed it and began writing the lyrics on a blank page because then at least he could carry them with him when I die in that arena tomorrow. 

I was 100% projecting onto him earlier, he thinks I can win, but I don't think I can win. I would have to apologize to him later for how I was acting. I didn't want to come across as insecure, there really wasn't anything to look forward to with winning because my only remaining family would be deceased. But if I do win, I know it really helps out Coriolanus which would mean a lot to me. Just knowing that I could help him since he has helped me and wants to continue to help me.

That would be enough for me. Helping out Coriolanus, someone who was a complete stranger to me just days ago, and now he's what I would call, a friend.