The 25th Hunger Games (fanfic)

Chapter 8: President Snow

I look into Snow's pitch black eyes of cold-hearted hatred, boring through my body and sending a shiver running through me. It's hard to tell that he's only four yearsolder than me, because with his black hair slicked black and w rose on his tuxedo, and a slight beard, he looks at least thirty. My heart pounds as I take in the scene. The room turned upside down, but the worse part is is that President Snow stands before me. That cannot be good in any way. As he speaks, a chill runs through me, because his voice is so deep, melancholy, and grim.

"Hello, Zac. Please, take a seat." He gestures over to the middle of the room, in the middle of the mess. I wonder what he was doing to it. Thre are two chairs, pulled together, facing each other. I slowly sit down and watch him do the same. After a minute of moving around, he finally gets comfy and relaxes. My heart pounds as I look at him, him looking at me. I suddenly realize with great horror that Rhett and Grace didn't take my contacts out, the ones that make me look like a defiant murderer child. Now the President will think I'm going to kill him at any moment. Oh great, this can't help me the slightest bit, the president of Panem thinks I hate his guts.  I realize that even though it's pitch black outside, all the lights are on, making it feel like daylight, therefore I'm not glowing. I can't take this silence anymore, the President just staring at me.

"Why are you here?" I ask him, my heart pounding. But luckily my eyes don't show how terrified I am.

"I'm here because of you and your stylist's little stunt. What his name, Rhett? Well, do you have any idea what you caused tonight?" I think of the alley, littered with chariots, half the horses dead, the tributes crying into the pavement, the chariots tipped over or upside down, the District 12 chariot almost killing me, the kids running away....

"Yes." I reply, still thinking of the chaos tonight.

"No, not just the chaos in the alley, Zac. Do you know what happened after you went back into the Training Center?" I think about it. All I remember was the crowd roaring and cheering for Crystal and I, but they droned out as the Peacekeepers closed the metal grate that locked us inside. After that, I had no contact with the world outside of the Training Center. I shake my head.

"OK, let me start from when you got shut inside. After minutes more of cheering and excitement, everybody filed out. But nobody knew what they were doing at home. At home, they made posters of you and your sister, glowing in the dark. An hour later, they filled the streets of the Capitol, every single one of them, with a poster of you two. They cried out chants such as 'Let them live'. Nobody  could stop them, because there were so many. Nobody wants you two to die. They overpowered the Peacekepers and started burning down buildings, until finally the Peacekeepers brought out their guns and scared everybody home. But Zac, this is the first uprising since the Dark Days. We cannot have another rebellion, do you know how the country will end up? And also, your little act of defiance, trotting to the center and glaring into my eyes, it worked, but in a negative way. People will rebel again if you don't stop." Suddenly, I realize why he's here. He's scared. Scared of me. Scared that I would lead a rebellion, because he knows that the Capitol would fall. Isn't that what he said? We cannot have another rebellion, do you know how the country will end up? And yes, I do know. The Capitol would fall, but with consequences though. Starvation, droughts, people, lots of people, dead. There would indeed be a war, and a bloody one at that, but he knows the Districts would win. I smirk a little, suddenly knowing that just two hours ago, it wasn't only my eyes and costume that made me powerful. It's Crystal. Together, a brother and sister going to the 25th Hunger Games, where at least one will be slaughtered, we can move people, touch people's lives. And it's all up to me, if the country rebels or not. I remain silent for a minute, smirking, thinking. Then, the perfect line comes to mind, one that'll anger Snow, frustrate him.