Little Bird - Finnick Odair

Prologue

"Juniper keep up!" My teacher shouts as the class files out of the old elevator. My friends trudge along with heavy steps, but I find myself lost in wonder.

The anual trip to the mines has always been my favorite school trip. Well, the only school trip, but fascinating none the less.

But this year is different, special. At age 10 we got to travel down to the depths of the mines, where my father works. Where my brothers will work when they turn 18. Mannon in 5 years and Arlo in 2.

The rusty elevator creaks as the weight of 15 students step off into a wide tunnel filled with workers. The tunnels are well lit now, with sunlight creeping from the opening ways away.

The 2 hour long field trip is coming to an end. I start towards the class when something catches my eye.

He's covered in black soot, but I recognize the face.

"Dad?" I call out, yelling as loud as my high voice will take me. Despite the drone of axes and voices, he turns, finding my voice.

"Junie!" A warm pair of arms wrap around me and take me into the air. His smile is vibrant, with eyes tightly scrunched together. Despite his young age, years of mining had taken a toll on the face.

I feel a warm laugh erupt out of me as dad swings me around. I had lived 10 years without seeing him at work. Sundays became the best day of the week, when he was off.

My dad shows me around for a few minutes, introducing me to a few of his friends. He shows me a spot of jet black coal. It reminds me of the capital, and what I've heard. A smooth and beautiful patch of earth, jagged and cruel.

A piece of the stone crumbles, tumbling onto my black dress shoes. Eerie quiet falls over the cavern, before a low rumble surfaces. Ever so slightly at first, but the hum swells.

A blur of coal bitten blue suddenly start to weave around me, and I feel my fathers strong arms lift me into the air. But not like before, where I was soaring through the air.

"What's happening?" He's now running. We're moving towards the tunnel entrance. The rumbling grows louder, and louder, and louder, until I have to cover my ears.

We're almost at the entrance, and dad stops pushing through the crowd. He places me on the ground. I don't know what's happening. I can feel my breathing getting faster.

"Juniper, lay down. In a ball, like when we play hide and seek." He's shouting in my ear. "I love you Junie, it'll be ok." He lays on top of me. I'm going to die.

Boom

I feel a cold hand on my arm, and a man in dark blue is mouthing something. A sea of fear consumes me. It's funny, how you can hear a siren in your ears yet no words. I had never realized how silent the world was. My ears are still covered by my hands, and I glance to the side, where dad lays motionless.

My ears are covered again as I rock back and forth. When I was younger, my dad had taught me a trick for when I was scared.

"It'll make you feel calmer in no time Junie. Breathe in, think of something that makes you happy, breathe out." He would put his hand on my shoulder as I did it. "Good Junie, keep doing it, you're ok."

The ringing is unbearable.

In. Arlo and Mannon. Out.
In. The old oak outside the fence. Out.
In. Mom and dad. Out.

•·.·''·.·•

A/N
So this was hard writing a prologue, but I hope you guys will find juniper to be as cool as I think she is!! So excited.