Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Cora was glad she was a morning person, it had many advantages. ‘An early bird catches the worms’ is what her nan used to say, and Cora liked to think that she indeed caught those worms, metaphorically speaking as worms were disgusting, far quicker than most in this household.

She was already dressed and down the stairs when the first signs of proper life began to echo throughout. Susie no doubt was waking up by now. She, like her dear auntie, woke the moment there was even a sliver of light to be seen on the horizon.
Cora shook her head, smiling to herself once she heard the bedroom door creak open and saw it as her cue to make her escape before she could be brought into any sort of conversation.

She may wake early but she certainly didn’t like to chit-chat that early.

Cora hummed to herself as she began the trek towards work, it’s never truly quiet in District 8, the on-going sounds of machinery never ceased but was always noticeably more relaxed in the mornings, and Cora liked it that way, quiet enough to hear her own humming, but loud enough where it felt personal and special to herself.

There were others like her, older and more worn down through the years unlike her, already up and ready to go and work wherever for the day. Whether the factories, or even on the outskirts of the District itself, it was never a dull nor slow day in District 8.

Cora sometimes liked to use her imagination and plan out their days for them, if only to bring some light to the otherwise dull and dangerous spaces these people would be forced to work, and possibly die in.

She banished the thoughts from her head and trudged onwards, her mother always said she’d be bound to have a bad day if she started it off with nothing but negative talk like that.
And she couldn’t afford to have any more thoughts like this swirling around her head.

Eventually, she got to her destination, opening the shop's front door, cringing at the annoying ringing sound that signified her arrival.
As she wandered over past the counter, taking her time to savour the smell of fresh goods already being baked despite the time, and if she had paid more attention, she would’ve heard the sound of footsteps making their way to the door just behind where she was standing.

“You're here earlier than usual, kid.”

Cora glanced over to the door leading to the back of the shop and smiled, greeting the man with a nod of her head. “Good morning, Mr. Calico.”

He waved off her greeting with a grunt, moving past her to grab at something under the counter. Cora took this as an invitation to take a peak at what it was, sighing when she saw it was just some bread.

“Mr. Calico, I’ve said before-“ “And I’ve said,” Mr. Calico interrupted, turning to give his usual unimpressed stare, “to just call me Norman. You make me sound old with all that polite talk.”

Maybe it’s cause you are old, Cora felt inclined to say out loud when the thought made itself present in her mind, but she wisely chose against it.

Instead, she simply raised her eyebrows and made a noncommittal sound back and accepted the bread being thrust into her hand, being deliberately slow in her eating of it, before shoving the rest of it into her pocket.

It’ll probably be her only proper meal for the next few hours while here, excluding whatever small grub she could get away with nabbing, best to thin it out until then.

“Bit early to already have stuff being prepped and baked, no?” Cora can’t help but ask, knowing she'd get no response back as she was already being given a tray filled with all sorts of goods to put on display.

Cora found that honestly just cruel, half of these goods most couldn’t even buy, what was the point of displaying them? For fun?
To laugh at the many in the District who could and probably would never be able to afford these delicious treats?

Cora could only suck at her teeth as she did her job, keeping her less than nice thoughts to herself, as she always did.

Once the final tray has been put on display, Cora sighed, rubbing her hands together and wiping them down her dress, she goes to look over her work but the ringing of the bell interrupts that.

She looks over and up, wondering who would come to get something far too sweet this early in the morning.
It’s an older man, older than Mr. Calico she’d even say, and he has that look that seems to tell you everything and nothing about him at the same time.

Something about this older fellow screams that she should recognise him, but her brain is simply not awake enough yet to make the connection.

Their eyes meet for a little more than a moment, and in that moment Cora could see something like unease overcome his before more gentle expression. Perhaps even sadness if she wished to analyse further.

Mr. Calico appears from wherever he had been for the last who knows how long it took for her to do the displays, and promptly shoos Cora away and to the back, citing there were some bags of flour needing picking up or whatever, and that he’ll deal with their early riser of a customer.

She didn't make a fuss at the demand nor at being shooed away, used to the man’s antics by now, and simply trudged to the back to… do whatever it was he had just told her to do.

The bags of flour were just as heavy as last time, and yet Cora still finds herself huffing and puffing at the weight as she grabbed one after the other, waddling over to the food grate containers specific for the flour, and after opening the bags up, carefully dumping the contents in there.

When she first got the job here at the bakery, she thought it stupid to move the flour from a sealed bag into some grate container, and she had made her thoughts known at first, until Mrs. Calico took her aside one day, bringing her down to the orphanage in their District, and there she learned most of those flour bags were repurposed into things such as clothing, rags and curtains, sometimes even toys for the younger ones.

The Calico family had been doing this for years by then, it was a well known kindness in their District, but clearly Cora just lived under a rock, or truthfully hadn’t paid attention back then. Far too busy trying to not get too hurt in the factories she once worked in, simply doing her hours and then rushing back home or to school or to catch up with friends.

She did this for a good twenty minutes, before the ringing of the bell signalled that she could come out of her forced hiding.

She walked back into the front of the bakery just as the man had left. And she tilted her head as she watched him walk off, moving to peek out the window and watch him, curious to see where he’d go.

He kept walking until he hit the bridge that led to the other side of the District, but also what connected it to their Victors Village.
That place was the only area of this smog covered home of hers that had any real semblance of life to it, it even had grass, she'd never forget the sight. As childish as it sounded, plant life of any kind in District 8 was a rarity, for the first few years of her life she had only seen them in the picture books they had at school or in some of her grandparents' old photos they kept tucked away for the most part.

Coming out of her thoughts, Cora blinked and realised the man had turned his head to stare back at her, as if having felt her eyes on him.

Cora couldn’t help the startled yip that overcame her as she hastily ducked behind the wall, face flushed at having been caught so blatantly staring.

Her hands covered her mouth as she then breathed deep and dared to look back out the window.
The man was gone now. Cora breathed a sigh of relief and turned back around.

And was met with Mr. Calico staring back with a rather unimpressed expression on his wrinkled face.
Cora could only offer a sheepish grin in return as he swatted gently at her head.

“Get back to work.” “I wasn’t doing any-“ “Persephone.”

It went quiet for a moment at her full first name being said, and then Cora huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yes, Mr. Calico. Sorry, Mr. Calico.”

He simply rolled his eyes in return and patted her on the back.

“… So who was that?” “Cora I just said-“ “I’m only asking!”

Mr. Calico groaned, rubbing his hands down his face with the look that meant he was seriously questioning how dumb someone could be.

“How can you not recognise who one of our own Victors are? Honestly girl, it’s not like we have any other-“ It clicked in her now more awake and aware brain who that man was.

“O-oohhh! That was-“ Cora clicked her tongue, “That was Mr. Madden! I forgot how old he-“ “Persephone Attercop, don't you dare finish that sentence!”

She let out a snicker, hands behind her back as she swayed from side to side, looking down at the floor before looking back up, batting her lashes innocently. “Sorry, Mr. Calico…”

Hours passed and Cora was finally rounding up to her last few minutes at the bakery. She had finished her tasks and was now sitting atop the counter, watching idly as more and more, the streets before the bakery stuttered to life with adults and children alike making their way to wherever.

She watched as slowly, the somewhat clear street in front of her became more and more grey and more and more covered in the usual smoke.

She was brought out of her thoughts by light tapping at the window, and a grin formed on her face before she even looked up to see who it was.

A boy, with wild blonde hair and a face littered already with dirt and grime from the shifts at the factory. He grinned back at her, tapping the window once more as Cora got off the counter to greet him proper.
She opened the shops door quietly as to not alert Mr. Calico to her leaving.

“Well aren’t you looking mighty fine this morning, my lady?” Cora giggled as the boy went into a bow, looking up at her with sparkling blue eyes.

“As do you, my good sir!” She crooned out in that high pitchy tone they’ve come to associate with their Districts escort.

They stared at one another before bursting into a fit of giggles, Cora leaning back against the door, crossing her arms. “What are you doing here then? Your shift doesn’t end in another hour!”

“Ah well, Miss. Sadler had personally asked them to let me leave so to help her with the kids back at the orphanage. They’re rattled.”

Cora sighed, she couldn’t blame them, no one could really. Cora and the boy, Tanner his name was, had somewhat tempered their own fear and nervousness when it came to the reaping, but for the younger ones??

The ones who have only been of age to die for no more than a year or two? Never knowing if it could be you, or someone you love being snatched away from you just to die in some horrible way for everyone to see and then later simply forget and move on from?

Yeah, Cora couldn’t blame them at all.

“Yeah..? How’s that going, seeing as there are no kids with you.” Cora looms over Tanner for a moment, a curious look in her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings for any children.

Tanner scoffed, rubbing his hands down his face as a light blush came to his face. “Y-yeah well, they’re around! I just- y’know, thought I’d come and see you! Didn’t want them getting any ideas.”

“I think leaving them to meet up with some girl definitely has given them more ideas than not.” Tanner could only groan in response to her words.

“Okay I get-“ “Cora! Your shift isn’t over yet! Get your sorry behind back in here and stop flirting!” Cora spun around to be yet again greeted with a not very happy Mr. Calico, who was currently glaring daggers at her.

“But it’s only ten minutes-“ “I don’t care if it’s five, get back in here.” Cora scrunched her face, deflating. “Okay…”

Tanner laughed from behind her, patting her back in sympathy before rushing off back to where the children most likely were.

Corey sighed as she slunked back into the bakery. “Oh woe is me.”

She’d just have to get through these next ten minutes, and then she’d be free.

Free to run back home and get ready for the reaping that is.

Chapter Text

The Justice Building was just as ugly as the many other buildings that were littered about next to it. One would think, seeing as it was the Districts most important building, they’d make it look nicer, but no, it was just plain old ugly. 

Ivy crept around the windows of the building, all crumpled and brown in its colour, and beyond that, many of the windows themselves were dusty and stained, Cora was sure that the same could most likely be said for the inside too, for she doubted that all the rooms were kept to the same standards.

The way it loomed over everyone in the District made her feel uneasy too, and for good reason. That building had seen plenty of children be reaped and sent off to the arena, only to come back in pretty, half-heartedly made coffins for their parents to sort out and make presentable for their children before their final departure into the ground below.

She had to go past the building to get back home, and Cora wanted to kick herself for not being more prepared and just dumping her clothes off at her sisters the day before.         The thought of simply just turning up to the reaping in her work clothes passed her mind for a moment before she shook it away. Cora couldn’t just do that, no one knew if it would be their name picked from the bowl afterall.

Cora would hate to be reaped and go on stage looking like some fluffed up, flour caked dog. It would be embarrassing and would give more reason for the Capitol to make fun of her District.

So, whether she liked it or not, she had to race back home and get herself cleaned up before the reaping. She had the time, the reaping wasn’t for another hour, but it’s best to be dressed early and ready.

So that’s what she was doing, weaving in and out through whoever got in her way, trying not to trip when the smoke grew heavier around the paths nearest the factory. Cora had grown to know these paths like the back of her hand, but that didn’t mean she should get too cocky, falling over in a place like this? Cora would rather not.

Cora finally got to the bridge that separated her District in two and felt she could finally breathe again, if only before she got to the other side. While the merchant area of District 8 definitely had better air, it didn’t mean it was fresher or cleaner by any means, just more comfortable to deal with.
That’s the only good thing about reaping day, Cora supposed, the factories worked way slower, which meant less smog, which meant less sickly air for them all to be forced to breathe in and endure.

Once she was done with her ten minute rest, off she went back to racing home.

The Warp was a noisy place at all times, Cora knew this but almost always forgot just how loud it was because of how quiet The Weft is compared to its neighbouring town.  
Cora had always found it amusing how the neighbourhoods of her District were named after components used in weaving, it fit due to their role as the textile District yes, but it was painfully on the nose and not at all creative.  
 

While yes, The Warp was a rather dreary place to be, the people living there however, were surprisingly not. Fabrics of all kinds and of all shades and colours were hung up on the walls of the many apartment complexes that made this part of the District what it was. It was somber and dull yes, but it was also bright and pleasant whenever it could afford to be.

It didn’t take long for Cora to get to her destination, the apartment complex that her parents resided in.

The exterior of the complex was crumbling slightly, and once Cora walked in, the same was pretty much said for the interior too, bar the now coloured fabrics that lay or were otherwise hung around wherever.
She had to walk up a few stairs to get to where her parents lived, and she was quiet upon her entering, wanting to try and make this change of clothes quick and simple.

Cora tiptoed her way to her room, and began finding her clothes for the reaping. It was nothing special, all hand-me-downs that had been fitted to her size once they were too big for her sister, and had many different patches of other clothes sewed in here and there. The shirt itself was clean of any of what had been described, it was just the vest she’d have over it and the skirt she would wear that had the unique look of a patchwork doll.

As Cora finished getting ready by tying up the laces to her boots, a weak cough was heard behind, and Cora silently groaned and closed her eyes as if to will whoever was behind her away.

“Your hair's still a mess, did you know that?” Came the soft voice of her dad, and Cora turned and smiled sheepishly, “I know, Da. I was gonna sort that out after.”

Her dad just shook his head and walked over, pointing to her bed, which Cora took as a sign and sat down, crossing her legs. He came up and sat behind her, undoing the messy braid her hair had been in for her entire work shift and grabbing the hairbrush on her bedside table.

“Is Ma still at work?” Cora asked, keeping her voice to a minimum now, she could feel her dad nod despite not turning to look. “She said to tell you she’ll be there for the reaping.” Cora in return, simply hummed.

“How were you gonna tell me-“ “She saw your clothes were still here before leaving this morning.” “Ah.” Her dad chuckled at that, and Cora felt her cheeks go a little red at the thought of her parents having known and anticipated her arrival.

It went into a comfortable silence after that, and Cora allowed herself to unwind her body for just a few minutes. She needed to be calm, it was never a good idea to look tense at the reapings.

“Do you want me to do anything with your hair, pumpkin?” Cora thought for a moment before turning around with a smile, almost hitting her dad in the face with her hair. “Oh! Mrs. Calico does this thing with her daughter, where she braids a section of her front hair into a braid! Could you do that dad? Pleasseee??”

Her dad stared at her for a moment, taking his time to take in what she had just spewed out in under a few seconds before he matched her smile with his own. “Sure, turn around fully then.”

Cora turned, watching as the now finished braid flew in the air with it. “You're really good at braids, Da.” Her dad just chuckled in return. “I’ve had years of practice between your sister and you to be good at it.”

This time, the silence became something tense. Cora looked down, fisting her hands into her skirt. “We… We should probably get going now, right? To the reaping, I mean.”

Her dad made a sound back in agreement, and soon she and him both left their home to start their walk toward the Justice Building and its public square. Cora had taken to holding her dads hand during these few minutes.

It was deathly quiet when they arrived, and her dad squeezed her hand before letting go and turning to give her a swift kiss on the forehead. “I’ll come get you after this okay?” Cora nodded and went to walk towards where the kids her age were herding up, but her dad pulled her into a crushing hug.
Cora hugged him back just as fiercely, hiding her face in his shoulder for a moment before pulling back.

“What’s that for da?” He wasn’t normally like this on reaping day, so jittery and nervous, well, he was but never to this extent.
Her dad just gave a smile that didn’t even bother to reach his eyes. “Just… Just a bad feeling is all, pumpkin. I will see you after this, okay?”

Cora suddenly felt dread wash over her, but she nodded either way. “Okay da, I love you.” “I love you too, Cora.”

Cora soon made her way over to where the rest her age were, bumping into a girl on the way. They met one another’s gaze. She was shorter than Cora, and only a year younger.  

“You doing good, Thimble?” Cora found herself whispering as they walked together. Thimble Calico, the daughter of the parents Cora worked for, was a soft spoken girl, and kept to herself mostly, never leaving her mother’s side at the factory if she could help it.
“I’ll be better once this is over.” Cora just nodded in turn and then went off to where she’d be standing for this year's reaping.

As she looked forward to the entrance of the Justice Building, there stood their Districts very own Mayor Heddle, a middle aged woman with a sour look on her face and beside was their Capitol Escort, Narcissus Robyn. A very annoying man if there had ever been one, from what Cora had heard from the adults, his parents had named him well, for he was always checking himself in his little mirror he kept on his person at all times.

What he wore this year, well, Cora didn’t know how to begin describing it, all frills and not a bit of his own skin could be seen, bar on his face but even that was caked in so much makeup that Cora supposed you could think he really was that pasty white colour. But what she could say was that the colours were noticeably less in their faces this year, maybe the start of a new trend back at the Capitol?  

Whatever it was, Cora found it a little nicer on her eyes, much easier to scowl at this ugly colour abomination that stood above her and many other poor children, two of whom he’d be taking off to die, like their Districts own personal reaper.

Narcissus approached the microphone, tapping it lightly, causing that annoying, loud, booming sound to erupt from all sides out of the speakers, Cora found herself wincing at the suddenness of it before glaring back up at the grinning man as he cleared his throat and clapped his hands delightfully.

“Welcome one and all and happy Hunger Games!” He crowed out, hands gesturing to all in the crowd as if expecting smiles and cheers that have never happened during all his years as their escort, nor will they ever happen once he’s gone and replaced by another.

“May the odds be ever in your favour! Before we begin this special day, we have an even more special film brought all the way from the Capitol!” He gestured to the giant screens next to him, and Cora turned her head only slightly to stare.

Truth be told, Cora had stopped paying attention to that stupid short film at fourteen, and she was now sixteen, so it had been two years since this film had just become background noise to her. It was the most scripted thing one could listen to Cora would’ve say, President Snow could’ve at least put some oomph into his voice no? Make it somewhat believable?

The loud clapping coming from Narcissus brings her out of her own mind and right back into the horrible reality that is the reaping. She watched as he grinned way too happily for what he was about to sentence two children to, as he yet again tapped that stupid microphone.

“Wasn’t that just delightful? Now! We begin our selection of one heroic man and woman to represent District 8 in this year's 69th Hunger Games!” Narcissus said, clapping once more as many heads, including Cora’s, then turned to the bowl of names now next to the man.

“As usual, ladies first! Though it’s hard to tell who's what here now isn’t it?” A subtle dig, or perhaps not really, that had many either rolling their eyes, or, looking down with flushed cheeks. It wasn’t no secret that District 8 was much more matriarchal than most of the other Districts, and that their fashion, as the Capitol always put it, reflected that.

Skirts were a socially neutral thing for both girls and boys to wear here in District 8 and even past the reaping age, it was more than normal for older men to be wearing something a little bit more flared or layered than what other men in different Districts would wear.

Every year, the same old jokes would be made about this, and every year it was still just as unfunny and hypocritical, because Narcissus himself was wearing the frilliest type of skirt thing that put anything else actually consider a skirt to shame.

Cora hated it, hated they had to suck it up and pretend that them making fun of their way of living, the very thing they also took and copied and made a spectacle out of so now no-one, even those in the Districts, would ever take them seriously-

In the time Cora took to angrily thinking all this, Narcissus had dove his hand straight into the reaping bowl, digging through with the bowl with an air of childish excitement that if Cora had been aware, probably would’ve angered her more.
He twisted and turned, making a show of picking before finally yanking one out, flicking at it before finally unfolding it and smiling as he cleared his throat out.

“Persephone Attercop!”

The name reveal for this year is what jumped Cora out of her thoughts, blinking as she looked around, before it hit her. She realised then whose name had just been called.

The silence after was near deafening. The escort repeated himself but Cora could hear nothing but static.

“Persephone Attercop?”  
The name shook her very being. That name.
HER name.

The girls around her shuffled awkwardly and Thimble, who had moved to stand next to her in the silence, gently, shoved Cora out of the crowd and into the line of sight for everyone to see.
People turned, they whispered and sighed in relief that it was not them who had been reaped.

Reaped.
She had been reaped.

“Well! There she is! Come now! Come dear!” Exclaimed Narcissus, beckoning her forward, and for once, Cora found herself thankful for his annoyingly loud voice, for it shook straight out of her silent panic and back into the present. She found herself taking a deep breath, fisting her hands into her skirt.

Cora could do nothing now. She couldn’t run, she knew she couldn’t, even before the thought had crossed her mind.  

So she did what any lamb being led to slaughter would do.
And looked death straight in the eyes and walked forwards. She ignored how her hands shook and her breathing got funny each step taken.
She had to appear calm, steady.

The peacekeepers were quick to appear at both sides of her, but Cora refused to pay them any mind, just deep breaths in and out, the walk felt like it took forever but by the time she remembered to blink, she was up there, standing there, in front of Narcissus.
The man in turn grinned too wide and grabbed at her shoulders almost gently, almost. “Well look at you dear! Taking it like a champ!”

Cora simply blinked slowly, looking everywhere but at his ugly, stained and pasty white face, she needed something normal, something familiar to stare at. Anything would do.

Narcissus, with one final pat on the back, guided to her designated spot, where her eyes darted to find the only comfort she’d get from this horrible nightmare.

Her eyes locked on quickly to where her parents stood. Her mum's stare was probably as blank as Cora’s right now, but she could see the faint swelling of tears. And her dad, oh, her dad was already in tears and Cora had to look away or else she’d cry too and she refused to let everyone and then the entire of Panem see that. She’d cry later, away from prying eyes.

Narcissus had already pulled out the next piece of paper when Cora came out of her thoughts once more.

“Arlo Bennet!”

It was even more silent than when her names got called, and she could see a few kids wincing and looking down. And she knew why a second later.
Out in the crowd, a mop of fluffy, blonde hair poked out of the side before stepping into view. And Coras heart couldn’t help but sink.

This boy, Arlo Bennet, could be no more than twelve, his first year in the reaping and this has happened. He hasn’t even got to live. He’s been plucked out and sent for certain death before it could begin.

It was rare that twelve years old got reaped, not that it doesn’t happen, but usually, someone older would volunteer in their place, if they could anyway, and depending on the District, it was more than or less than likely.

But no-one did such a thing as this boy, this little, nervous boy that was so small and so innocent looking, kept walking, sniffling as he did so.
It reminded Cora so painfully of her niece, Susie. The blonde hair, that wobble of the lip, the nervous hand gestured to himself.

The moment he got up on the stage, Narcissus was up in his face, “Well look at you! So young!” Arlo had yelped and nearly tripped backwards down the steps he just climbed up from the sudden loudness in his face. But Cora was faster.

She had pushed forward and grabbed his arm just in time, pulling him towards and into her hold. Narcissus made a noise, whether in confusion or frustration at having this been turned into something not about him Cora didn’t know and didn’t care.

Arlo was shaking, and Cora could only hold him as she looked over at Narcissus, willing him to just get this over with already.

Narcissus seemed to have got the message, “Well, how touching! Our tributes from District 8!” He gestured to the two, and Cora got the message, pulling Arlo away from her so they could shake hands.

After that, and one final clap from Narcissus, her and Arlo were taken inside the Justice Building and into some waiting room, the same for Arlo, though it took a second as he couldn’t get himself to let go of Cora, which she couldn’t find herself getting irritated at.  

That poor boy. She could only hope that whoever came to visit him gave him the comfort he needed and deserved before they were shipped off to the Capitol.

The room she had been placed in was somewhat well kept, there were a few chairs and a sofa that Cora quickly sat down on.  

For a few seconds, all she did was stare at the floor, and then she felt tears, and then Cora was crying silently into her knees, having tucked them close to her only a second before.

She really had just been reaped for the Hunger Games.
And there’s nothing she could do but cry.

Chapter Text

Cora didn’t know when she stopped crying, but she did know when she started to up again once the doors opened and her parents walked into the room.

“Da!” She had all but sobbed out, pushing herself up and into his open arms, she held on tightly, as did he. “I- I can’t do this! Da!” Her dad just held her, and she could faintly feel him shaking too, and that made Cora feel even worse.

“Shhh… I… I know pumpkin, it’s going to be okay, alright? You’re going to be okay.” Cora shook her head, burying her face deeper into his chest. “No! No I wont be fine! Da how- Me?? How am I going-“ She couldn’t finish the sentence before a new set of tears fell from her eyes.

“You’ll find a way! I know you can.” Her mum finally chimed in, voice stern but even Cora could hear the faint shakiness to it. “Cora. Cora look at me.” She ignored her mums words, shaking her head, but her mum scoffed.  

“Cora, young lady. Don’t ignore me. Look at me.”
Cora looked this time, eyes filled with tears and snot running down her face.

Her mum removed her from her dads hold, taking her shoulders into her grasp. “You can do this. I know you can, you’re strong, stronger than most of the kids most likely to be in these games.”

Cora was listening, and she knew, to an extent, that her mum was right, she was most likely going to be on the stronger side if she was lucky enough that there was nothing out of the ordinary about this year's other tributes.

But then came the real question, the one Cora didn’t even want to put out into existence. “How… How am I supposed to.. kill anyone ma? I can’t-“ Her mum shook her head, and the grip on her shoulders tightened.

“Just… just come home, that’s all I ask. Please, promise me…” Her mum stopped for a second, a shaky breath leaving her. “Just come home. Please.”

All Cora could get herself to do was nod. Her mum mimicked the gesture and finally pulled her into a hug.
“Oh my baby… my baby, I’m… I love you, don’t forget that. Okay?”

“I love you too, ma.” Cora could feel herself start to sniffle again before she looked behind her mum and at the door. She stared at it, would she come?
Her mum sees this and sighs, and Cora gets her answer.  

She isn’t. Her own sister will not see her off to her death, not even for a hug goodbye. This could, and probably would be, the last time she would see her alive, and her sister hadn’t even bothered to come.

“They didn’t want to scare Susie with… with having to say goodbye to you.” A scoff leaves Cora and suddenly, her sadness was twisting to become anger. “Oh, so she couldn’t just leave Susie with her dad? Can’t just do that and come see her sister one last time? Yeah. Whatever.

Her mothers face becomes pinched. “Cora…” Cora just shook her head, she didn’t want to hear whatever excuses her mum was about to make to justify this, to justify her own sister not saying goodbye to her.

“No. Stop it. I don’t want to hear it. I’m the one going into some- some death game! Not her! Me! She….” Cora bit her lip, hands curled into fists.
She knew now wasn’t the time to argue, she was literally going to be leaving for the Capitol any minute now, and then she’ll be thrown into a killing game where the likelihood was she’d die.

Just then, a peacekeeper walked in, her parents' time was up. Cora suddenly felt scared again, felt the tears and she moved and hugged her dad desperately.
“Da I don’t wanna go… I don’t… Da…” He held her close and gave a gentle kiss to her forehead, before letting go, Cora however didn’t.
She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to go into these games. She didn’t want to die. She just wanted to go home.

“Cora… you have to let go now, pumpkin.” Cora shook her head, “Da I don’t-“ “You have to. Let. Go.”

The peacekeeper drew closer and, not wanting to see her dad be potentially hurt, she finally let go.

She watched as they were walked out by the peacekeeper, and Cora could do nothing. Once the door closed, she found her breathing going funny but not in the way it had when she had been reaped, in that way when your mind can’t decide whether to be angry or sad.

She made a noise more akin to an animal and turned, kicking at the table more than once before the door opened again and she spun around, not caring who would see her in this state.
It’s not like it would matter.

It wasn’t a peacekeeper.
It was Tanner.

For a few seconds, they just looked at eachother, and Cora suddenly did feel embarrassed, she didn’t actually want anyone to see her like this. Not Tanner of all people.

“I… I didn’t think you’d have come.” Tanner looked slightly offended by that, “Course I would. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

It went quiet again, and then Tanner sighed. “I should’ve volunteered, then I could-“ “No. No Tanner I don’t know what I’d do if you… if you had done that.”

It would’ve been a mess, Cora knew and so did Tanner. If they had both been reaped. “Besides, those kids still need you. I… I don’t, not in the way they certainly do. You're like a big brother to them.”

Tanner made a sound between a laugh and something pained before moving to embrace Cora, which she happily accepted. “Make it back home for me, please?” Cora could hear the desperation underneath it all, so she nodded like she did for her mum.

There was a knock on the door and a rough cough, and Cora stilled in Tanner's arms before the two let go.

“Well, I guess this is it?” Cora said, shrugging, trying so hard to keep her composure once they leave this room, once she goes on that train to the Capitol. Away from Tanner, her family, away from home.

The door opened this time, and a clearly disgruntled peacekeeper came in. It was over now. This was goodbye. Cora felt her insides twist.

“We don’t have all day. And the hour is up.” They shared one more glance before Tanner left, and Cora followed the peacekeeper to the train waggon.

This really was it.

Happy Hunger Games, Cora thought to herself, Let the odds be in my favour.