"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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When Athena woke up the next morning she was quick to put on her red school uniform and go to the kitchen. Her father, as expected, was already gone.
The house was big but always empty. Sometimes she would put on music just to drown out the pain deafening ringing of silence. The floors and ceiling were made up of black stone, so black it doesnt reflect any light. The walls were made up of a dark oak with medieval torches hanging off it. Thankfully, the kitchen didn't match the rest of the house aesthetic because Athena was granted control over it three years ago where she loved cooking. But she refused to cook in a kitchen so depressing. So the kitchen was themed with sage green, dark oak cabinets, and island. Plants were hanging from the ceiling and there were hanging lights to give the kitchen a nice glow.
Athena grabbed loaves of bread, crackers, strawberries, and a few water bottles. The tributes would arrive at the zoo in the next hour, and she knew they were hungry.
She had her hair braided down her back, and her makeup was light. With her snow-white skin, she found it hard to find makeup that complimented such a complexion.
Once Athena got in the car, the TV was on, and she saw him. Coriolanus Snow is holding the hand of his tribute in the Hunger Games Zoo. She wasn't sure if she should be jealous or amused. His blonde hair was a mess, his skin was sweaty, and even his smile couldn't hide the fact that he was probably terrified of the tributes.
When Athena got to the inhumane Zoo, she was lucky there weren't many people around crowding them. Lucy Gray Baird was the first to notice her. She watched her with weary eyes, not making any attempt to approach her.
Seeing her up close made Athena realize how beautiful her and her dress was.
When Athena was in the family home and was forced to wear the grey uniform provided to all kids. During the war, it seemed like all colour was muted beside the vibrant red of blood. But when Casca Highbottom adopted her she found a new love for colours and hated to wear anything but.
Athena kneeled to the ground, her knees ached with the complex, wet rock pushing up against her skin, but it didn't bother her as much as it would others. She looked at the Tributes in pity, even though she knew they didn't want her sympathy and couldn't help but give it.
"Here," she softly spoke, laying the bread past the barrier. The tributes often wouldn't eat the food she gave until she was gone. He placed all the food, water and fruit on the ground before taking a few steps back.
"You don't have to eat it, but if you want to survive, I recommend it," Athena said. Lucy Gray Baird was the first to walk up to the food. She intensely stared at her before bending down and grabbing a loaf of bread and water.
"Thank you," she wearily spoke. She had a very country accent.
"We shouldn't be thanking her," Reaper spoke from behind the Songbird. He was more handsome in person. He wore a blue blouse with orange floral pattern strips almost mimicking overalls. He was highly muscular, which was expected as he came from a more laboured District.
"I didn't put you in there," Athena could feel herself getting defensive.
"You might as well have," he said. With that, he walked back to the tree he was sitting at and gave the little girl who was sitting on the log with him a comforting smile. She was young, too young. She wore clothes with holes that were stitched up, her short hair was braided, and her shoes seemed worn, as did the rest of the tributes.
"If we are all assigned Mentors, who are you assigned to?" Wovey asked; she reached out carefully and grabbed a strawberry. Her eyes widened at the taste. Athena smiled sadly, already knowing the poor girl's fate.
"Treech," she smiled at the girl.
"Who is mine?" her words were muffled from the amount of strawberries in her mouth.
"Heavensbee is what I call him. Don't worry, he's nice." Athena reassured. Wovey smiled.
"How are you supposed to help me win the games," Treech was standing near the bars; he was still wearing his hat from the reaping, and his face was coated in dirt; it reminded Athena of what she had looked like during the war. Matted hair, bloody clothes and pain so unbearable she felt paralyzed at times.
"I may seem small and young, but I remember the war. Do you?" Athena asked. He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.
"Well, I do; I know something about surviving," she assured him. Athena looked at her watch and silently cursed.
"My father is going to kill me," she muttered.
"Share the food among everyone. I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" Treech gathered some of the bread in hand and silently nodded.
"Okay," she nodded; she gave the tributes one last look before leaving.
Once Athena got to the academy, the class was over, and the students started pilling out of the classroom.
"Where were you?" she expected her father to ask her, but instead it was Coriolanus. He towered over her with a curious look. Her knees were still wet from kneeling on them, and her braid had slightly come undone.
"I was feeding the tributes," she told him. An unfamiliar look flashed across his eyes before he walked away without another word. Athena shrugged off the odd encounter and walked into the now empty classroom.
"Feeding the tributes?" her father was sitting at his desk in the middle of the room.
"Yes," Athena's voice echoed throughout the empty room. The lecture hall was undoubtedly beautiful; it reminded her of the arena. Where her father's desk stood was the arena, and where the students sat was the audience; maybe a gladiator arena is where the architects got the idea for the design.
"Athena, we spoke about this," Athena rolled her eyes.
"I know, but-"
"You're making them human," he waved her off, not letting her finish her sentence.
"But they are human," Athena argues, raising her voice slightly.
"EXACTLY," her father's loud voice trembled as he scrambled for the vial of morphing. He didn't need to say anything; she knew he wanted her to leave, so that's exactly what she did.
Athena stared at the food on her plate; her appetite was gone. Ten years later, 230 children's lives were gone. She couldn't even imagine how Sejanus felt knowing that the people in the arena were his people. He has known some of these people since birth and has little to no control over their fates; even if he did, it was already sealed.
"What's wrong?" Sejanus asked as he sat beside her while Coriolanus sat across from her. She found it odd he willingly did so.
"Nothing," her voice was short and stern. She played with her food before putting her fork down in frustration.
"That is not nothing," Sejanus sipped his drink.
"Just my father; he gets furious this time of year." Athena sighed. She was playing with the end of her braid and slowly undoing it until it was utterly undone.
"The creator being upset about his own creation, how poetic," Sejanus sarcastically joked. Athena didn't find it so funny. She saw the restless nights her father got, the constant nightmares of the games; she swears she's heard him crying some nights. His sobs echo throughout the empty home, travelling through the walls and into her room.
"Here, you guys can eat this; I'm going to check on Treech," before the boys could protest she was already gone.
Coriolanus felt grateful that she left her food, more for him to eat.
