"Mark my words, one day the Mockingjay will sing and Snow will do what Snow does best. Snow will fall"
Athena was orphaned during the rebel war. Adopted by Casca Highbottom, she was able to go to school in the Capital of Panem. When Athena is assign...
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For two years, Athena stayed in the Family home. The war was officially over, and the kids started getting documented, trying to find relatives to take them in or reconnect them. The Brightsworth family was dead. She knew that.
"Name," the soldier asked, not looking up from his paper. He rubbed his eyes in exhaustion as he checked off a few boxes on the paper. He seemed to be in his 30s, but the war seemed to age him so that she couldn't tell his age.
"Athena Brightsworth," the now 6-year-old girl rocked on her feet like Corio once did, trying to ease her anxiousness. She wore a grey dress given to all the kids during the war. She wore black leggings to protect her legs from the cold and thick black boots.
"Hmmmm," the soldier looked through the tablet on his right, typed in her name and started scrolling.
"It seems like.." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"That everyone's dead?" she finished off for him. The man swallowed harshly before nodding.
"The cost of war," Athena whispered, bowing her head. She had come to terms with her family's death over a year ago. She had witnessed her mother's body drop to the cold, stone ground from a bullet shot by her own people. She just got caught in the crossfire. Her younger brother died from an infection in his leg from the barbed wire that his foot got caught in when trying to climb over a fence. Her father and older brother went MIA on the front lines, never did the army attempt to identify their bodies.
"I'm sorry," the soldiers failed to comfort her amused Athena.
"So what happens now?" she asked, biting her lip.
"Now, you get to stay here until someone adopts you or when you turn eighteen." he stamped her profile and handed it to her. In big red letters were the words "orphan,"
"Next," she moved away from the man and towards the headmistress, who was sternly watching her. She snatched the profile out of Athena's hand and observed it.
"Guess you'll be staying in the broom closet a lot longer than anticipated," she grinned, handing the paper back to the little girl.
"May I go outside for some air?" Athena asked, grabbing the paper from the older lady.
"You may go," Athena quickly grabbed her coat and ran out of the house.
Outside was where kids were reconnecting with their families, and soldiers littered the streets, helping where they could.
Athena took this as her opportunity to run. She didn't know where, but she refused to stay in that broom closet for any longer than she had to. The headmistress was abusive and did everything she could to control the kids in her care.
She managed to get to the large roundabout with the half-destroyed statute in the middle. She was lucky no cars were on the broken road as she bolted across the large circle.
While running, she managed to slip on ice and run into a short soldier, knocking them both to the ground.
"Can you watch when-" the man trailed off when he realized it was a child.
Her knees were now bleeding from her body hitting the concrete. "I'm sorry," she sniffled, getting up.
The soldier dusted off his pants before offering the girl his hand. "Let's get your knees patched up," he gestured for her to sit on the bench.
Athena helped the man lift her pants past her knee, exposing the bleeding skin. The soldier opened his bag and pulled out alcohol wipes.
"This may hurt," he warned.
"Go ahead."
It did hurt—a lot.
"Why were you running?" he asked her, trying to be a distraction.
"I was running away," Athena's voice came out small.
"Why?'' The cut was almost thoroughly cleaned.
"My family is dead; I can't stand to stay in the family home any longer."
"What's your name?"
"Athena Brightsworth,"
"I'm Casca Highbottom," they two said as they shook hands.
"HEY," from afar, a group of soldiers with the terrible headmistress were rushing towards the two.
"Athena," she snapped, her face nearly red from anger.
"I don't wanna go back," Athena pleaded, tears swarming in her eyes. Athena quickly stood up from the bench, backing away with the headmistress's angry approach.
The soldiers were quick to grasp Athena tightly by her arms and carried her away from Casca despite his protests and back to the family home.
When they returned to the house, the headmistress instantly grabbed Athena by the ear, dragging her up to her room. Athena grunted from the impact of her body on the bed when she was pushed.
"I'll let you out when I think you've earned it," she sneered before slamming the door and locking it, leaving Athena in the dark. The only light coming from a small hole in the door leaks the hallway light.
Athena's eyes pricked; she hoped her life would get better after the war ended, not stay the same.
She curled herself into a ball on her hard bed, the air was cold causing her to shiver. Snow was coming.
𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚𓆚
Banging on her door was what woke her up the following day.
"Athena, get up," the door swung open to reveal the hideous headmistress.
"What's going on?" Athena grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Follow me," Athena pulled the blanket off her body and followed the headmistress down the stairs and into her office. In there was the man she ran into the other day.
"What's going on?" Athena repeated, pausing at the door, refusing to sit down.
"Am I in trouble?" She asked, looking between Casca and the headmistress.
"No, you are not," Casca said, gesturing for her to sit down.
"You're being adopted," the Headmistress said, grabbing a folder with Athena's name on it.
"What?" she sat down, "by who?"
"Me," Casca gave her a small smile.
"Why?" Athena whispered.
"Because even with the war over, the world is about to get a lot darker and I don't know if I can do it alone," Athena didn't know what to say. Instead, she hugged him.
Casca stiffened under her touch but hugged her back tightly. They were going to get along just fine.
