As I sat in the crowded arena, surrounded by the sounds of battle and death, my heart pounded in my chest. The 10th annual Hunger Games were coming to a close, and I was one of the last remaining tributes. My hands trembled as I gripped my weapon tightly, my eyes scanning the arena for any sign of movement.
And then, I saw them. The snakes. Thousands of them slithering towards me, their menacing eyes fixed on me. Fear coursed through my veins as I backed away, my heart racing with terror. I knew I couldn't outrun them, couldn't outfight them. I was completely outnumbered, completely helpless.
But then, I remembered something. A song my mother used to sing to me when I was just a child. "You're headed for heaven... the sweet old hereafter. " My voice trembled as I began to sing, the words flowing from my lips like a prayer.
"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." I continued to sing as I saw my competitors being killed by the reptiles.
"And I'll be along when I've finished my song...when I've shut down the band...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." The snakes then began to coil around me, making me drop my weapon onto the crumbled legde, as I tried to scurry back further.
"When nothing is left anymore...and 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...when nothing is left anymore." The snakes covered me like a protective shield. I closed my eyes, feeling their scales against my skin, their warmth enveloping me.
"And 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."
"When I'm pure like a dove, when I've learned how to love... right here in the old therebefore
When nothing is left anymore." As I finish the song, I look to the camera that's attached to the arena, and then look back down to the snakes.
And then, they were gone. Disappearing into tiny holes around the crumbled arena, leaving me alone in the silence. My heart raced as I looked around, my eyes falling on the lifeless bodies of my fallen competitors. And then, it hit me.
I had won. I had survived the 10th Annual Hunger Games. Tears welled in my eyes as I sank to my knees, the realization washing over me like a tidal wave. I had made it out alive, against all odds.
Guards piled into the arena, dragging bodies out one after the other, until one came up and grabbed my arm, dragging mr to the exit, and throwing me into a truck. I soon realised I was transported back to District 4, the weight of my victory, guilt and fear heavy on my shoulders. But as I looked around, I realized something was missing. Someone was missing. Coriolanus.
Days turned into weeks, and then into months. But still, there was no sign of him. The man who had once been my everything seemed to have vanished into thin air. And as I watched the days go by, a fear began to grow in my heart.
And then, one day, he appeared. Exiled to District 4, his once proud demeanor now replaced by a haunted look in his eyes. I rushed towards him, my heart leaping in my chest as I wrapped my arms around him.
"Corio, I thought I'd lost you," I whispered, my voice shaking with emotion. He held me close, his arms tight around me as if he never wanted to let me go.
"I thought I had lost you too," he murmured, his voice soft and full of emotion. And in that moment, as I looked into his eyes, I knew that no matter what had happened, no matter where life took us, we would always find our way back to each other.
