𝑰𝒇 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒍, 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒆'𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅. 𝑰𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆.
IN WHICH Coriolanus and Rose were friends, a long time ago, before life has made them into the heinous, desperate and sinful creatures that they are now.
Now, he's on the track to rule all of Panem and she is an outcast. Locked in district's military bases for most of her life, disallowed an entry into society and unable to create personal collections, if Rose were to die, she's fairly certain no one would lay a flower on her grave.
The issue of her father's heritage made her a nuisance. If not for her mother's Capitol blood, she'd be hanged or imprisoned. Instead, after her father's trial and subsequent execution, she was raised under Capitol's tutelage.
Now, having spend years of "paying her dues" in the districts, she is finally admitted to the University. A chance is put before her: prove her worth as a Panem citizen, or stay a nobody.
But the proposition is more of a trap than an opportunity and when Coriolanus Snow, the one good memory from her childhood, appears in the halls, memories of her past sins start to bother more than ever. Coriolanus, despite his recently gained status and power, cannot seem to forget the events of last spring that haunt his dreams, either.
A murderer and a killer, childhood friends, and two players in a game bigger than themselves - or, perhaps, simply two people who, more than anything, long for someone to tell them they're not alone.
Book One of the Timber Series. In the rugged woodlands of District 7, fate dramatically alters the lives of Hazel Marlowe and her younger brother when they are both selected during the reaping for the 15th Annual Hunger Games. The historic selection of siblings in the same games, quickly captivates the Capitol, drawing a morbid fascination from its citizens.
Senator Coriolanus Snow, ambitious apprentice Gamemaker under the notorious Dr. Gaul, has his eyes set on the presidency. Determined to make this year's Games unforgettable, he sees a unique opportunity in Hazel's tragic story.
As Hazel fights to protect her brother, she must also contend with Snow's mysterious behavior. It isn't long before she realizes that the Hunger Games isn't the only game being played.
~
The intensity of his scrutiny felt like a physical weight, pressing against her with an almost suffocating force. Then his piercing stare softened into a smile, one so well-crafted and timed it seemed nothing less than a rehearsed performance. She was walking a fine line by challenging a man who held her and her brother's fate in his elegantly gloved palms.
With long strides, he closed the distance between them. His gloved hand took hers. The softness of his touch clashed violently with the dread coiling in her stomach.
He leaned closer, the warmth of his breath against her ear contradicted the chill his presence invoked as he whispered, "Be careful, Miss Marlowe."
⚠️ This is a Hunger Games fanfiction after all, so it will definitely have moments of violence, death and possibly self harm.
**This is a fan-created work inspired by Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" series. All original characters and overarching story elements belong to their respective copyright holders. This fanfiction is a homage to the original works.