Real or Not Real? ~Coriolanus Snow AU

9-Halen

Halen's POV:

I peered through the small cracks in the turbine and watched Coral get into an argument with Tanner. She ended up stabbing him and just before she drank the water, those bastards took off running after Wovey. It made me sick to my stomach knowing that they would willingly murder an innocent person, I didn't feel that bad poisoning the water because I knew they were no longer innocent after taking the lives of innocents. 

After a few moments, I saw Dill come out of where she and Reaper were hiding. She was coughing, and she wandering around; I think she was looking for me but instead, she found the water. I shook my head, she fell to her knees and opened the water, "Dill don't!" I called but she couldn't hear me. I tried to unlatch the lock but it was now stuck, "Dill!"

She drank the water and began coughing harder. She laid down, I set my head on the metal ridges of the vent cover and sighed. A few tears fell from my eyes as I watched her stop breathing. My guilt was boiling over and it was only worse when I heard Reaper, "Dill? Dill! Dill wake up," He said and ran over to her. "Dill," He questioned and rolled her onto her back. "Dill? Dill?! No, hey! Wake up! Dill? Dill!" Reaper let out a scream and my heart felt like it was being squeezed. I understood the feeling and I felt horrible for causing the death of Dill even if it was unintentional, it was still my fault. A few more tears fell from my eyes as I watched Reaper lift Dill and he set her lifeless body next to Marcus. He took his hat off and I watched him carefully set Dill's hands on her chest to make her look more peaceful. He then did the same with Marcus and Lamina. He carried Tanner, Bobbin, Kanan, and the other fallen tributes over to the same area and arranged them, he then yanked the capital flag off the wall and covered their bodies so they could be at peace, finally. "Are you going to punish me now?" He asked looking at the camera. My heart shattered, he didn't have to do that, and knowing he did it so they could be at peace was such a kind thought. He turned back to the fallen tributes and looked to where I dumped out the water, "Halen?" He ran over to that area, "Halen where are you?!" He called almost hopeful. I stayed silent though, I wasn't scared of Reaper, I just didn't want it to come down to him and me and there was still time for that to happen. I hated knowing that he was looking for me though just because we were technically still allies but it was better for him to think that my body was lying elsewhere. "Halen!" His last call sounded desperate, I watched him walk with his head hung back over to the fallen tributes where he dropped to his knees and watched over them.

~~~

I continued to stay in the vent and I was just hoping Coral or her followers had turned on one another by now but that unfortunately didn't seem to be the case. I heard clambering outside of the vent and turned just in time to see Mizzen, the boy from 4, heading towards me with a spear. I moved away from the vent entrance and started to make my way quietly into the depths of the vent. The spear came through and I gasped, "What's the matter? Are you scared?" I crawled deeper into the vents where I could no longer hear him but it worried me, I wasn't sure where I was at as far as in the arena.

I was moving as quietly as possible and I stopped when I saw a small opening in the vent, I took out the poison and dropped some of it through the hole since Treech was standing right below me. The white flakes fell like snow and I watched him inhale the substance. "I've got you now songbird," I heard Coral mutter and I moved quickly but it didn't matter, I avoided her pitchfork but all of the holes she made in the vent caused its structure to fail. I fell directly on top of Coral, I took off running and I saw Treech on the floor out of the corner of my eye. I ran back into the arena and through the turnstile. Coral and Mizzen were now both behind me when the three of us stopped, there was a giant craft that flew into the arena and dropped a large tank in the center of the arena rubble. I looked over at Coral and took a few steps back as the tank touched the ground.

Wovey came out from hiding and walked towards the tank, "Is it over? Can we go home now?"

"Wovey, Wovey!" Reaper called.

"Please," She cried out.

My heart was racing in my chest, whatever was in there couldn't be good. I took a couple more steps back as Reaper continued to call for Wovey. The glass was cracking and out poured hundreds of snakes, Wovey screamed as she collapsed and I took off running for the stands. Coral was right behind me and for a moment, so was Mizzen but I heard him scream as the snakes got a hold of him. I got onto the stones and stumbled, I saw Reaper go down and my heart hurt for him. "Halen, please!" Coral called out as the snakes bit at her flesh. She reached her hand out to me but I stayed away from her. "Please, I'm begging you. It's not fair, it's not. I can't have killed them all for nothing," She whimpered before succumbing to her wounds.

I continued to try and crawl up the stone but the snakes were everywhere, there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. All of the tributes had died, so why haven't I been taken out yet? Am I truly going to die in here after all of that?

I gasped as the snakes got closer, I let out a shaky breath, before remembering what I had told that little girl, Venus when I first got to the capital. The snake 'calmed down' after hearing me sing. "You're headed for heaven," I paused and continued to try and get further up the stone, "The sweet old hereafter, And I've got one foot in the door. But before I can fly up, I've loose ends to tie up right here in the old therebefore." My voice was shaking but I didn't care. I was going to die. "I'll be along, when I've finished my song, when I've shut down the band." The snakes caught up to me and began wrapping around my arms and legs. "When I've played out my hand. When I've paid all my debts. When I have no regrets, right here, in the old therebefore." I continued to try and move away but I didn't touch the snakes, I didn't want to anger them, so I just lifted my hands and gazed at them as they began wrapping around my waist as well. "I'll catch you up when I've emptied my cup, when I've worn out my friends, when I've burned out both ends, when I've cried all my tears, when I've conquered my fears right here, in the old therebefore." The snakes now completely covered my legs and my waist, they were going to bury me alive. "When nothing is left anymore. I'll bring the news when I've danced off my shoes, when my body's closed down, when my boat's run aground, when I've tallied the score and I'm flat on the floor right here, in the old therebefore when nothing is left anymore." I looked directly up at the camera and my anger took over, I felt cheated. No one came to get me out when I clearly was the last one alive. "When I'm pure like a dove, when I've learned how to love." I allowed my voice to get quieter, "Right here, in the old therebefore. When nothing is left anymore," 

I looked away and accepted my fate, these things were going to kill me no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that they wouldn't. I looked back up at the camera and noticed the red dot was no longer on. They weren't going to even watch me die, I sat there for a few more moments before I noticed the snakes were... leaving? Why would they be leaving? My body was clear of them so I pushed myself up, I got down from the stone and saw peacekeepers walk into the arena. "Halen Storm, come with us,"

I did as they asked and looked back just once to see Kanan's body still on the ground, I let out a shaky breath before getting into the transport, alone.

A/N:

Winner! Not that she feels much like a winner, but she is the winner of the 10th Annual Hunger Games. Things start to change slightly from the movie from here on out and then they really change, just a heads up!