Athena Hadley.
Like everyone in 2, force fed with the ideas of grandeur and fame.
Only for her life to collapse into a heap after her victory in the 66th, realizing all was just a dream.
From a proud 2 to a young woman that lost her childhood and li...
She climbed down the little forest road, that's all she could call it, a climb, it was so steep!
She had left her home a long while ago.
(Remember victor village of 2 is near the boarded with 7 in this fic)
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Walking all the way here took a lot of time.
She could have brought others with her but it was something she wanted to do alone, needed to do alone.
She walked through parts of 2 she had never seen in her short yet extremely long life, little to no one moved around that much in districts anyway and in 2 only those going to the academy could be reaped so family's with children lived close to the reaping place and the rest were shipped out to other places in 2.
No.... That's over.... There are no reapings.
Athena couldn't get it out of her mind, she'll finally have a birthday she won't dread, it wouldn't signal the start of the end for more kids, it wouldn't be celebrated with bloodshed.
She barely believed it still, it would be a while before she does and she knew it.
She stumbled over a stone and glared at it before walking away.
She shifted the backpack on her shoulders, after walking for so long it was actually the weight of it on her shoulders that was the most bothersome, not the sole of her feet hurting or eating some random food rations thrown in her pack that tasted like dry rats and dust.
It was her bag, despite not holding much, that held the reason why she took it upon herself to walk through 2 and went on this journey.
The sun was setting, painting the sky orange and red but she heard her goal: Waves.
She came out from between the tree, stumbling through a bush and almost falling because the sand didn't behave like stones and dirt.
She gained her balance before sighing and looking around.
The salt stinging her nose as she took a few more steps on the sandy beach.
It was.... Somehow underwhelming, the sight of the ocean, this mass of tones of water reaching the horizon and further.
The only reason she wanted to see it was because her brother had wanted too, she could almost imagine his amazement while she'd be happy that he is happy, and she was unable to do so here alone.
But she pulled her bag off her back and dropped it on the sand before opening the straps on it and carefully reaching inside, pulling out was looked like a really simple little wooden canoe and a little paper letter.
It was a rough craft but it still was much greater then what Athena could have done, she can use her hands but not that precisely, Johanna having lifted a brow but having helped her with whittling a piece of wood into this shape.
Athena held it tight in hand hands before looking around and walking back into the forest a little.
She squinted, the dropping light levels making it had to see but she finally found it, plucking a stem from the ground and walking back on the beach.
Instead of stopping on the shore, she stepped into the water, it was cold but she didn't care.
Walking a good way out, the shore slowly slopping in and walked until the waves reached her hips, only then did she stop.
She grabbed the letter and folded it, having written her goodbyes one it and whatever she wanted her brother to see, putting it in the little wooden boat.
She reached a hand up to her pendant and yanked, snapping the little old lock and holding it in her hand.
She looked at it one last time, rubbing her finger over the surface.... Cato always talked about traversing the ocean once he came to see it, to discover what is on the otherside.
She lifted the pendant and kissed the wooden surface before putting it in the little wooden boat too.
Next bringing her attention to the little plant she plucked and almost smiled despite the damned mood: a four leaf clover.
It felt wrong to keep Clove away from Cato, they were meant to be together and she wishes that they could had lived that life, gently rubbing the leaves with a little kiss on them before also dropping it in the boat.
With a deep breath, she put it in the water, pushing the little boat away.
Despite the waves, the little boat was slowly but surely pulled away from her, deeper and deeper onto the ocean, bringing Cato and Clove too new horizons.
A bitter smile on her face as she watched the little boat go into the sunset.
Finally.
As much as it hurt.
Letting go of them.
Letting them go forwards.
And as much as it hurt.
Letting go of the past.
She only wished she could have said goodbye with her voice and not a piece of paper.
She watched them go in the sunset, following the dot it now was while she sat in the sand, hugging her knees, that same bitter smile on her face.
Just hoping they'll see what's on the other side, just how Cato wished and how he'd get to show Clove.
Rest well Cato, Clove, and discover a world I'll never see, I'll look forwards too your stories when I join you. I love you two rascals so wait for me.
