Berries of Revenge - A Hunger Games FanFiction (Wattys2014)

4. President Snow

Primrose Everdeen is going to be the most valuable member of this mission, thought Snow, She proved her worth in the training today. It seems that she has her sisters’ skill of archery and that will be very useful.

He was sitting in his office, after watching each individual in the training room. Some of them would serve him well. Others would not. But the only person that he truly believed would be a help to him would be Primrose, although she would also be the most difficult to persuade.

Of course Finnick, Cinna and most of the careers had shown they had very good skills too. Finnick had shown his skill in fishing, Cinna had shown his skills in being able to make anything out of nothing, and of course the careers had shown they were good at hurting people.

Most of the others weren’t going to be very helpful, especially Mags and Wiress, even though, they to, had eaten the berries. Mags was old and she couldn’t move as well as the others and Wiress, well she was still slightly crazy. Snow could never predict what she was going to do next.

Maybe I should dispose of them, he thought, but how could I make it not so suspicious? I know! I’ll make it look like Wiress had a craze attack and she killed Mags. Then pretend that she was so unstable, that we had to kill her for her own, and our, safety.

———

The first thing that Mags noticed when she walked in, was the two guards holding guns on either side of President Snow as she and Wiress made their way towards Snow. She immediately became on edge.

“How good it is to see you.” Snow leered at them.

They stopped just in front of his table and waited for him to explain. “Ah, I see you want to me explain why I brought you here again without everyone else. Well there is a simple explanation for that. I have brought you here to ask you some questions.”

Mags had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn’t right about this. There was a glint in Snows’ eyes that she didn’t like. He could be planning something really bad.

“I want to talk to you about your training results.” I wasn’t aware that there were results thought Mags. “I’m sorry to say this, but they weren’t very good. I want to know why they were that way.”

Well for one thing, thought Mags, I’m an old woman. I am not very good in the agility department. And another, Wiress is slightly crazy so she can’t really think straight let alone fight.

Silence. Mags couldn’t talk, and Wiress was in a daze. So no one answered although Snow continued like someone had answered.

“I see. Well, then I have no choice then. Guards,” Mags tensed. She knew what was coming, yet she didn’t try to fight it, “Shoot.” At the word shoot, Wiress jumped out of her daze but it was too late, the bullet had already lodged itself in her forehead.

Snow watched with delight as the two crumpled to the floor until he noticed the door slightly ajar, sea green eyes only just disappearing from view. “Guards, after him!” the guards looked confused. “Just look for anyone outside. GO!” Snow knew who had been standing there. Finnick.

———

Finnick raced down the corridor towards the cells they were being held in. He had convinced the guards that he needed to go to the toilet, and they were stupid enough to let him go, by himself. Idiots.

He could hear the thuds of the guards chasing him. If they were trying to chase after him stealthily, they were failing. What he had just seen… well, he’d rather not think about it.

The first time he saw Mags die was hard enough, but now, at the hands of Snow,who had actually executed her, it was even harder. Well it hurt and angered him. It’s not like he ever trusted Snow, but he had never expected him to do something like that. Actually, he had thought he might do something like that, but he had brought them back to life for Gods’ sake.

He turned a corner and found two guards standing in front of him, guarding his route. Crap, now what? He turned and found that the guards chasing him had caught up. All he could really do was go quietly, otherwise they probably would just kill him then and there.

He stood and raised his hands signalling that he would go quietly. The guards advanced towards him and grabbed his arms. They lead him down the hallway back to Snow, one guard in front of him, one behind him and one on each side of him.

The guard swung the door open and revealed Snow sitting at his desk looking rattled. Good, he should be rattled! thought Finnick spitefully.

He leered. “I thought it was you Finnick.” The guards pushed him forwards so that he was about a metre away from the desk. He stood straight and tall trying to look intimidating even though he felt about as big as an ant.

“Now, are you going to be a good boy or am I going to have to do something about you too. It would be a shame, you are so talented with a trident,” sarcasm oozed from his voice. Finnick struggled against the guards. Snow indicated for them to let go of him. They let go, but still stood near enough to him.

“I will not do what you say, especially after what I just saw you do.” Finnick sneered at him. Snow chuckled.

“Well then, I’ll just have to hurt your family, Annie and your son.” Finnick froze. Son? What son, I didn’t know I had…  it occurred to him that it could be true. 

“You died before even Annie knew she was pregnant. And before you ask, I am not lying about this. You have a son.” He looked him in the eyes. Somehow, for some reason, Finnick believed him. There was the possibility that it was true, and he so wanted it to be true, so he believed him.

“N-no, don’t hurt them,” spluttered Finnick. 

“Well then, I have to get the message across somehow, and if I don’t hurt your family, what am I going to do?” You know exactly what you are going to do, you ba- Snow cut off his thought, “I know, I’ll just have to torture you to make sure that you never, and I repeat, never tell anyone about this. Ever.” He looked at Finnick his eyes gleaming in the soft moonlight coming in from the window, mixed with the light from two candles placed on his desk.

“Fine. Torture me; just don’t hurt Annie or our son.” His voice cracked on the word ‘son’. Snow nodded.

Snows’ eyes glinted as he got up from his desk and made his way towards Finnick. He stood in front for a moment, then leant into his ear and whispered “If you evertell anyone about what you saw, I will not only kill you, I will kill them as well.”  His voice sounded threatening but underneath Finnick heard a worried tone in his voice.

He turned to the guards, still standing in front of Finnick. “Take him away. You know where I want him.” The guards nodded and dragged Finnick away. Snow made his way back to his desk and sat down.

Even after Finnick and the guards had turned many corners away from Snow, Finnick could still detect the distinct sent of blood.