Chapter Text
Coral was terrified.
She had been running through the streets of District 4 with her older brother to try and escape the bombs that were currently being dropped by the Capitol. However in the chaos they had been separated and now she couldn’t find him.
Coral had never been so scared before in the entire five years that she had been alive. She should be used to this though. Coral was only two years old when the war started so war was all that she really knew.
“Zander.” she screamed.
Where could he have gone?
“Zander” she tried yelling louder now. Still no response.
There was another boom. Coral threw herself to the ground and covered her head with her hands. This was it. She was going to die. Coral didn’t want to die. She had barely had a chance to live.
All of a sudden she felt hands grab her and lift her off the ground. Coral began to panic and kick her legs out against the person who grabbed her before the person started talking to her and she immediately calmed down because she recognized the voice immediately.
“It’s ok Coral. You’re safe now. I got you.” Zander had found her.
He put her back down on the ground and she immediately threw herself back into his arms wrapping her small arms around his neck.
“I was so scared Zander. I couldn’t find you. I thought I was going to die.” Coral cried into her brother’s neck.
“You aren’t going to die today Coral. I promise. You won’t die for a long time. Ok?” her brother said trying to calm her down.
“We need to get out of here though and get back home. You will be safer at home.”
Home didn’t even feel like home anymore but Coral trusted her brother. He was five years older than her and he was all that she had left. Both of their parents and their two brothers had already been killed a few days before by Peacekeepers for being caught aiding the rebellion. All that they had left now was each other.
Zander reached his hand out to grab hers and they started running back towards what was left of their home.
However, while they were running there was another loud boom and Coral felt her hand being ripped out of her brother’s hand once again. This time as she fell she felt her head hit the ground and then there was only darkness.
When Coral was able to open her eyes again she didn’t know where she was. She tried sitting up but then there were small hands pushing against her to force her to lie back down.
“Ma” she heard a voice call out. “Ma. She’s awake.”
Coral still wasn’t able to sit up but she was able to lift her head up enough to see a woman run into the room carrying a small boy with her that looked to Coral like he could be no older than three years old.
Coral finally felt the hands that were holding her down lift off of her body. The woman immediately rushed to Coral’s side and passed the younger boy off to the hands that had been holding Coral down. The hands belonged to another little girl who looked like she was about Coral’s age. The girl immediately sat down with the little boy in her lap. He was probably too heavy for her small body to hold if she had remained standing so as to not hurt him by dropping him she had sat down on the ground. That was smart of her Coral thought to herself.
Coral’s attention was then ripped away from the other children in the room once the woman started reaching towards her head.
Coral lashed out. Hitting the woman’s hand away. “Don’t touch me. Who are you? Where am I? Where’s my brother?” she yelled at the woman in front of her.
The woman hesitated and tears had started to run down her face. Coral had seen this before. She had seen the same look on the face of the person who first told Zander and Coral that the rest of their family had died earlier that week.
“No” Coral said. “No. Where’s my brother? Take me to my brother. Please!”
“I’m so sorry sweetheart” the woman responded. “I did everything I could but he’s gone.”
Coral had started crying now. Her whole family was gone.
Zander had promised her that they would be safe. No, she thought back to earlier that day. He had promised her that she would be safe. He never said anything about himself. She thought back to the last thing she could remember and she remembered now as she was falling feeling Zander’s weight landing on top of her as he shielded her body with his own.
Coral knew the woman was telling the truth now. Coral was safe because her brother protected her and he had died in the process.
The woman reached out to Coral and Coral was too tired to fight her this time. She allowed the woman to hug her and she could feel the woman’s hand rubbing small circles on her back to try and help calm Coral down.
Coral collapsed into her arms and cried for what felt like forever. Finally the woman pulled back from her.
My name is Isla. I am going to take care of you now ok? In order to do that I need to check your head. I need to change the bandages. Is that ok with you?”
Coral just looked back at her and nodded. She couldn’t get her mouth to move.
Isla unwrapped the bandage that was currently wrapped around Coral’s head taking a look at the injury.
“You’re going to be ok sweetheart” Isla said.
Coral looked down at her hands. Her family was gone. She didn’t think that she would ever be ok again.
Then Isla took both of Coral’s tiny hands in both of hers and turned back towards the other children in the room.
Coral turned to look at the children as well. Isla then let go of her hands and bent down to pick up the small boy again lifting him out of the girl’s arms with ease.
The girl then stood up smiled at Coral and stuck out her hand.
“My name is Mags. That’s my little brother Mizzen. She pointed at the little boy in Isla’s arms. We can be your family now. If that’s ok with you?” she said as she looked over at Coral with a hopeful look in her eyes.
Coral just nodded back at her. She then closed her eyes again wishing that the events of the day had all just been a really bad dream.