"Who ever thought a Capitol girl would fall for a District girl, huh?"
"Not me"
When Reef Murphy was reaped to represent her District in the 10th annual Hunger Games she expected to die protecting her young district partner.
She didn't expect to...
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The Tribute's from Four are immediately taken from the Justice building and straight to a car parked outside of the building, a Peacekeeper opens the back door and Reef lets Mizzen climb in first before Reef climbs in, the door is then slammed behind them.
The car begins to move and Reef catches Mizzen looking up at her.
"You're Dylan's big sister aren't you?"Mizzen questions.
Reef smiles at him. "yes, I am. You're in some of his classes at school right? I remember hearing your name before"Reef explains to the young boy.
"Yeah I am, Dylan talks about you a lot at school, he says you're brave and kind" Mizzen tells her.
A smile appears on Reef's face at the mention of her brother. "He said that?"Reef asks.
Mizzen looks up at Reef with a small smile "He says you are the bravest person he ever knows"Mizzen clarifies.
Reef nudges Mizzen gently. "I guess that makes you lucky then because you've got my brave ass to look after you in there"Reef tells the boy with a smile.
Mizzen looks up at her with wide eyes. "You're going to protect me?"Mizzen questions.
Reef looks down at Mizzen with confusion and concern on her. "Of course I am, why would you think I wouldn't?"Reef questions.
Mizzen doesn't respond he dives straight into Reef chest and clings to her with a vice like grip, Reef gently rubs his back just like she does when her siblings are in need of comfort.
After about half an hour, the District Four tributes arrive at the train station, A Peacekeeper opens the door on Reef's side and she carefully climbs out, she then turns around and helps Mizzen to exit the car.
The pair are escorted inside the station by two Peacekeepers who have their guns aimed at their backs, The pair from Four walk hand in hand as they enter and are taken into a room. It looks like an old office but It's incredibly run down, there's dust all over the unused bookshelves and the paint on the wall has become chipped and falling off.
Reef and Mizzen are taken over to a table and shoved roughly into chairs, they are then handcuffed to the table. Reef begins to examine the room even closer, she now notices a clock on a wall that reads 1:00 pm.
"What would you be doing right now, if it was a normal day?"Mizzen asks suddenly with curiosity.
Reef turns and looks at the boy giving him a kind smile. "I'd either be at school or helping out the fishing crew, or helping my mama on her market stall"Reef explains to the young boy.
"Your mom sells fish and homemade fish hooks, right?"Mizzen asks.
"Yeah, me and Dylan help make the hooks"Reef continues to explain.
"Is making hooks hard?"Mizzen asks genuinely curious.
As Reef is about to explain how to make hooks, the door to the room swings open, and two peacekeepers walk in. One of them walks over and uncuffs the two tributes.
"This way, quickly,"The Peacekeeper tells them.
The two Tibutes look at each other confused before following the Peacekeepers out of the room, they are escorted onto the train station platform where a train is waiting for them but it doesn't have a grand carriages waiting for them, it has old, dirty cattle carts.
The pair are taken a few feet down the track, and a Peacekeeper opens a door to one of the carts and another one aims his gun towards the pair. "Inside now"He demands.
Mizzen looks up at Reef and she can tell he's scared, so Reef takes the first steps and climbs into the cart before turning around and extending her hand for Mizzen to take, The young boy takes her hand and she gently pulls him into the cart and then helps him to stand.
The door is quickly shut behind them engulfing the pair in darkness, the two carefully make their way across the cart and sit down together. Mizzen placed his head on Reef's shoulder.
Reef looks around the cart and sees they are all alone, the train then begins to move and this completely seals their fate. There is no going back now.
Reef reaches into her pocket and pulls out the hand-woven bracelet that Coral gave her, she inspects it closer and sees there are multiple charms on the bracelet, a trident, a starfish, a sea shell, and a wave. She squeezes the bracelet tightly in the palm of her hand and a single tear falls down her face, unbeknownst to her Mizzen noticed.
"Reef, are you okay?"Mizzen asks quietly.
"I'm fine, Little Fish,"Reef says rapidly blinking away the tears and placing a brave smile on her face. "Just thinking of my friend"Reef opens her enclosed hand to show Mizzen the bracelet Coral had given her.
The Thirteen-year-old inspected the bracelet carefully, his eyes filling with awe as he looked at the metal charms hanging from it. "It's so beautiful, did your friend make it?"Mizzen asks curiously unable to take his eyes away from the charms.
A smile appears on Reef's face as she thinks about the memory of Coral helping her mother to make the charms, Reef being unaware at the time that the bracelet was for her. "My friend made the actual bracelet, her mom made the charms,"Reef tells him and she watches as his smile somehow gets even bigger. "I'm sure they'll make you a special victor one when you go home"
Mizzen's face immediately falters at Reef's words, like the joy was sucked out of him. "I'm not gonna get one, but make your victor one extra special for me,"Mizzen tells her sadly looking down at his feet. "I want to make sure you remember me"
Reef quickly pulls him into a tight hug, refusing to let go of him, she rubs his back and just listens as his loud sobs wrack from the tiny boy's chest, his tears staining Reef's jacket but in that moment it was the last thing that mattered. "Are you listening?"Reef asks a semi strict tone dripping from her words, Mizzen hums in response. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that you get to go home, do you understand?"
Reef felt Mizzen's head nod against her chest and a non-verbal sign he understood, Reef began to rock the young boy gently and hum to him in a way she would use to calm her siblings. That's what Mizzen was now her brother and she was going to keep her promise and get him home.
