- 𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐬 -
"Of course, I got stuck with you," said Bell with a scoff. From the corner of her eyes, she could see a smirk grow on Festus's face.
"Alls fair in love and war, Bellona."
-
Bellona Plith always hated Festus Creed. So when it's annou...
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"You've got this Bell. That's it, aim right above the front leg," Bellona's dad urged as a young Bellona lined up her hunting rifle with the deer's chest. Bellona let out a shaky breath as she switched off the safety.
"That's right, take a deep death for me, Bell," he instructed. Bellona complied, taking a deep breath as she made sure her shot was lined up perfectly. You've got this, she thought. Make him proud.
"And shoot."
Bellona, of course, listened, pulling the trigger and letting the bullet go flying into the deer's chest. Bellona's dad chuckled at her win as the girl stared in awe.
"You did it Bell!" her dad laughed out, "You got your first deer."
Bellona continued to stare forward. After years of practice, she finally managed to get something as big as a deer.
"I told you I could do it," Bellona replied with a cheer as her dad took the gun out of her hands.
"I knew you could," her dad answered, making his way toward the deer.
"Why are we doing this anyway? Aren't I a little young to be a soldier?" Bellona asked as she stood back in the distance while her dad made sure the dear was dead.
"It's not about you becoming a soldier, Bell. There's a war on the horizon. And we need to make sure you're safe."
"A war?" Bellona asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"The Districts aren't happy with the Capitol, Bell. It's only a matter of time before a war begins. And your mom and I need to make sure you're safe. You'll never know when you'll need to protect yourself," her dad replied, nodding toward the gun.
"I'll be safe, I promise. Everything will be just fine, you'll see. I'll be able to protect the family," Bellona joked, imitating her shot of the deer again.
-
Bellona was wrong. Nothing was going to be fine. Because soon, the war approached and even District 2 wasn't safe.
After a while, loud sirens became a part of their daily routines. And then came the lockdowns. Bellona found herself huddled in the basement with her parents more times than she could count. Eventually, that too became a routine.
And every now and then, a bomb would drop, sending the district into chaos.
"Mom? Do you think we're going to die here?" Bellona muttered as she curled up into her mother's arms, hiding away from another bomb threat.
