"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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AS THE EXPLOSIONS go off Reef immediately throws herself and Persephone to the floor, using her body to protect her mentor's life just like she had done for Mizzen a few days ago to protect him from stray bullets.
As the pair hits the ground Reef feels an explosion go off not too far away from her, the heat from the explosion hitting her back, she bites her tongue hard to stop a cry of pain escaping her lips, she looks down at Persephone and sees a wound across her forehead.
After a few minutes, the explosions seemed to have stopped, and the arena looked completely ruined, she pulled herself off Persephone and slowly pulled both herself and Persephone up, they looked around at the chaos going on around them.
The arena has been destroyed, smoke and fire fill the room and coughs begin to escape the mouths of Mentors and tributes. "I have to find Mizzen"Reef calls out desperation filling her voice.
"Let me help you"Persephone responds.
"No"Reef tells her, Reef's tone having been a lot harsher than she intended it to be but the pain in her head was making things hard for her. "You're injured, your head is wounded. Find a doctor or something"
Before Persephone can respond Reef takes off, and the same look of determination she had when her name was called at the Reaping filled her face. She had to find Mizzen.
Reef walks over to the area where she'd last seen Mizzen, the area being covered in smoke and some of the area being covered in debris from the bomb. "Mizzen! Mizzen!"Reef shouted desperation filling the voice of the sixteen-year-old.
"Mizzen!"she screamed again.
The sea gods seemed to answer her prayers, a tiny voice called out. "Reef?"The voice questioned nervously and when Reef looked around she saw Mizzen was hiding behind some rubble, his face was full of fear and dirt was smudged across his face. "Reef!"
The pair ran at each other, faster than any of them had run before, they collided into one another in the middle of the arena. Reef pulled Mizzen into a tight embrace and refused to let go until she was sure he was real, she whispered words of comfort and reassurance into the young boy's ears in an attempt to calm his racing heart and mind.
Reef pulled away first, her hands moving up to his dirt-ridden cheeks, she rubbed them gently."Are you okay? Are you hurt?"Reef questions with a worried smile.
"I think I'm okay, Tanner he protected me"Mizzen says his voice full of nerves.
Reef sighs and rests her forehead against his own. "We'll have to tell him thank you"Reef tells him and the two embrace again.
This is how they pair from Four remain until the Peacekeepers pull them apart.
THE TRIBUTES WERE just dumped right back into the monkey cage, multiple pairs seemed to be missing. Marcus and Sabyn, Facet and Velvereen, Ginnee and Otto, and Sheaf and Plano. It was told to her by Sol from Five that Marcus and the pair from one tried to escape with Marcus succeeding but Facet and Velvereen being shot down by Peacekeeper. It was currently unknown what had happened to the others.
Reef had been told by the vet that was brought to check on the living tributes that she had a mild concussion from the explosion, they said it wasn't life-threatening and to just be careful until the games started.
Reef sat quietly against the bars of the cage, Mizzen was resting gently on her shoulder whilst Reef's arm was wrapped around him in a comforting manner. Whilst Mizzen may have escaped the bombing with no physical scars, the mental toll of the event was clearly plaguing his mind, he was much quieter than normal his happy chatter about even the most basic things had been few and far between and every so often he stare off into nothing.
"Do you think the games will still go ahead?"Mizzen asks his barley above a whisper.
Reef has to think for a moment before she responds, if she said what she was thinking then it surely would hurt Mizzen more, she needed to be calm and safe and words had to match.
Reef sighs. "Most likely Little Fish, I don't think they'll let us off that easily"Reef explains her voice calm and quiet.
Mizzen seemed to understand he snuggled himself in closer to Reef, gaining more much-needed comfort from the older girl which Reef was very happy to give. She wanted to help Mizzen as much as possible the sweet boy of just thirteen deserved a happy life.
Footsteps crunched on the dirt and leaves that lay on the ground of the Monkey cage, Tanner the cause of the noises sits down with the pair from Four. "You guys okay?"Tanner asks.
"We're as okay as we can be"Reef responds, her words betraying the comforting smile on her face, the older pair of Tributes fall into peaceful silence, the only sound that could be heard is the quiet snores from a sleeping Mizzen.
"Mizzen told me you saved him"Reef speaks up suddenly breaking the silence. "I wanted to thank you for that, you didn't have to help him but you did"
A small smile appears on Tanner's face. "Well, it wouldn't be much of an alliance with just the two of us would it"Tanner tells her.
"Oh the gods, I could not be stuck with just you"Reef says playfully.
A fake look of hurt falls on Tanner's face as he dramatically clutches his heart. "You wound me Reef"Tanner says before dramatically falling to the floor.
If Reef had learned anything about Tanner since he joined her and Mizzen it would be that under his rough and harsh exterior, Tanner was a very funny and kind person his persona of the tough unapproachable guy was just there to keep him safe but once he knew he could trust you he was a lot more open.
Reef looked down at the boy from Ten still lying on the ground. "Are you done?"She questions a smile etched on her face.
"Yes"Tanner says before sitting up, his hat having fallen off whilst he was being overdramatic. His light brown hair is on show for the first time to Reef.
"You look weird without your hat on"Reef says teasingly.
Tanner's smile only grows bigger. "Aww, that's so sweet Reef"Tanner responds sarcastically.
The pair fall into a nice quiet chatter and the painful events of the day are momentarily forgotten.
