𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍, coriolanus snow ¹

v. the zoo - part i

"CORAL! MIZZEN!" Madelina shouted out towards the two children lingering around the back of the lakeside. They each had a rock that they were chucking back and forth between both of their hands. Killing time was difficult in the district's when you had no one around. You either worked or got bored enough of sitting around that you want to work.

That was probably one of the goals of the Capitol, though. Without the work of the districts, they would have nothing. Madelina sometimes thought that a temporary strike would help them to be treated more fairly, but when she brought her idea up to her mother, she was hushed and told to never speak of it again.

It probably had something to do with the rebellion and those Hunger Games that her mother refused to talk about. It was always a sensitive topic for her.

"Mads?" Coral turned to look over her shoulder when she heard the call out of her name. Once she saw the girl, she dropped the rock from her hand and stood up from her seat. "Finally!"

Mizzen followed his cousin's actions as he caught up to the girl who had started walking towards the ivy-covered house. Madelina grabbed a hold of her sister's hand as she pulled her along after the two into the house.

"You're late." Coral said as she led the group up the stairs of the house. "By the way." She smiled back at Madelina as she reached the top of the stairs, heading across to a door on the other end of the corridor. 

The two girls barely had any time to admire the interior of the large home, but they caught glimpses of white polished cabinets and pastel blue furniture. It made the youngest girl wonder how they could afford all of this while living as a district family.

"I know, but I had to bring my sister too." Madelina called out to the girl in front, and she followed behind in Mizzen's slow footsteps. "My mother wouldn't let me out of the house without her."

The young girl glanced at her older sister in confusion as they reached the room Coral was waiting for them in. She didn't think that she was annoying her sister by being here. In fact, Madelina seemed to actually want her there for once.

"Same with me and Mizzen." Coral scoffed as she started searching through the wardrobe in the corner of the room. "Aunt Tarma made me go get him last night. She hasn't said a word since." As she turned around with four swimsuits on her arm, she sent an evil smile towards her cousin. "I bet she's not coming back for you. Ever."

"Don't say that!" Mizzen's little face scrunched up in anger. "She's coming back for me!"

"Yeah, sure she is." Coral laughed as she chucked the swimsuit over to her cousin. "And I'm going to win the Hunger Games one day."

Mizzen scrambled to pull the swimsuit off of his head as he went to defend himself and his mother again. But by that time, Coral had handed Madelina and her sister their swimsuits too and exited the room.

The three stood in silence for a while before Madelina decided it was best to break the silence and get out to the lake as fast as possible. Especially since Mizzen seemed just about ready to cry.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't think she's left you for good." She looked down at the boy now sat on the bed, a permanent scowl on his face too. "She would be stupid to leave a son as great as you."

Mizzen's lifted his head up to look at the two girls in sadness, though his expression seemed to have lifted a bit.

"Thanks, Maddie." Mizzen tried to put on a smile so as not to kill the mood.

"Are you guys coming or not?" Coral shouted at them as she ran down the stairs, but neither of them moved.

He looked down to the swimsuit in his hands uncertainly. "I don't think I want to go swimming anymore."