Gabrielle O'Dale ♢ District 6 ♢ FIN

The wind blows easterly as Gabrielle O'dale stands on the platform, waiting. Her heart is beating fast and she begins to feel nervous, the peacekeepers standing guard don't help. She twists her pale hands together into a knot before turning them out again, letting them drop to her sides. The tracks in front of her begin to rattle, the train is coming.

How long has it been? her mind asks as she looks down the tracks for the train. She knows the answer, she has counted the days since her sister- Brienne- left in handcuffs with a burlap sack over her head. It had been seven hundred and eighty eight days since her step father, Rick's, blood had seeped into the floor magnolia carpet as her sister beat him repeatedly over and over again with the fire poker. If she closed her eyes, she could still hear the thawk thawk thawk as the metal pole cap in contact with his skull; she could still feel the warm droplets hitting her face.

The memory of that night made Gabrielle nauseated. After their mother went 'missing' according to the PK, Brienne became quieter than usual and so Gabrielle shrugged it off but as time went on- Brienne did not seem to want to socialize with her. For so long she had thought that her big sister- who had at one time been her best friend- hated her for being far prettier, and so therefore distanced herself.

Communication in those last few months between them had become practically non existent- Brienne would not even hold eye contact with her. Gabrielle had been infuriated at first- she had begun to hate her sister back but then when she found Rick touching her big sis in the kitchen; the look on Brienne's face at that moment spoke a thousand words. Brienne had just been looking after her, like she had done when they were both small and Gabi had grazed her knees on the pavement playing hopscotch or when she was sick with the flu.

For that, Gabrielle felt grateful and had promptly forgiven her sister for the silence they had shared because that's what Brienne had bought her up to be like. Kind and Gentle. At times, Gabrielle was more gentle than Brienne- who was jealous of this- because all in all, Gabi was graceful and had delicate hands which were so soft that she had became very good at needle work- cross stiching in particular- as well as making clothes.

As the train pulled up to the station, a distant wiring of electricity hovering over her head, Gabrielle began to straighten her blonde hair. Her waves had begun to frizz, like biscuits that caught at the edges, but over all they held their lose shape. She was grateful that her hair was easy to manage; unlike Brienne's which was often a mane of curls and knots which, as Gabrielle understands, was from inherited from her father. 

That was one thing that Gabrielle hated about her life. The majority of her close knit group of friends all had fathers their biological father in their lives. Gabrielle, on the other hand, knew nothing about her father other than he had been her mothers client 15 years and 9 months ago- exactly 39 weeks prior to Gabi's birth.

Her mothers activities had not exactly been legal, so there was no record as to who the man was. He was a mystery she was unlikely to ever find out. 
The train came to a halt, revealing a reflection of Gabrielle. Her round face, blonde wavy hair and porcelin skin with round face were so similar to that of her mothers.

A fond memory, her mothers beautiful yet crooked smile; her mother had been missing, possibly dead, for years now and the last good memories she had of her mother were of her smile. Her mother had never been a very happy woman; she had been solemn. However, there were those rare moments, seconds in her life, when there'd be sunshine, where her mother would smile and even laugh. Those were the only memories Gabrielle wanted to keep of her mother; but Gabrielle was so much like her mother that every time she caught a glimpse of her own reflection, the only person she saw was her mother.

Her mother with a strangers green eyes...

The train door opened and her sister stepped out onto the platform. Gabrielle felt her heart rush in her chest, she had to control herself not to run forward and throw her hands around her Brienne. A little smile grace Gabrielle's lips as she waved to her sister; she had not changed. It took a few moments before Brienne recognized who was waiting for her on the platform; Gabrielle had last been 13 when her sister last saw her. At 13, she had been a twig of a girl, with no shape or fat on her body to show she was in fact a girl however, she was no longer so scrawny and little. Gabrielle had shot up at least a foot in those two years, her body was now as delicate and strong as an hourglass and her chest was pronounced. She looked more like a woman that a 15 year old. 

Brienne took a couple of steps towards her sister before they both embraced tightly. Gabrielle clung to her sister, closing her eyes tightly as she kept the tears at bay. She was happy, a ray of sunshine, that her sister had returned. She was excited that finally they'd be sleeping in the same room together; though she did not think Brienne would approve of her posters of Topaz Ross and Mace Emberstatt, as well as other victors, on her side of the room. Though the blonde hoped her sister would like the small selection of books she had picked out. Gabrielle was not one for reading but that was a difference the girls had between one another they embraced. 

However a knot began to tie in Gabrielle's stomach. As she pulled out of the hug to look at her sister, she remembered the lies she had told in court; all so she could get her sister home sooner rather than later. It had been a selfish act, there was no doubt about it but how would Brienne react? She would tell her that she had lied but would not divulge on what about; she would not tell her sister that she'd told the jury that Brienne's attack had been out of self defense rather than trying to protect her little sister. 

Taking hold of her sisters hand, Gabrielle smiled and walked off the platform, onto the streets of District 6. Gabrielle hoped that they would now live happily, under the care of Miss Angie, but she knew too well from her own sisters teachings that there are no such things as fairy tales and happy ever afters.