Antigone Ravenshaw, District Two {FINISHED}

Antigone Juliet Ravenshaw

Appearance

I feel beautiful and free.

Standing at 5' 10", Antigone thinks herself rather tall. She knows there are many others even taller than her, but she still considers herself to be tall. At 120 pounds, she is barely at a healthy weight for her age. Taking this into account, it would make perfect sense that she is rather skinny. Her hair is a very dark brown, mistaken at times for black. Her hair naturally is very wavy, but she often straightens it. Underneath arched eyebrows sit her eyes, which are a pretty dark blue hue. They are framed by thick lashes that are often amplified my mascara.

Antigone was born with a Ventricular Septal Defect, meaning she had a hole in her heart. Usually, such holes are small and easily corrected. For Antigone, the hole was larger than normal. As an infant, the problem was detected, but her parents could not afford the surgery to correct it. They could, however, afford medicine that would lessen her symptoms and help her blood pump better through her chest. As she grew up, the hole closed a little on its own, but not so much that it was no longer a problem. Growing up, Antigone was not allowed to run around or exercise very much. When she exercised, she began to feel very tired or weak. She also had a poor appetite much of the time, and had trouble gaining weight. That she is at a normal weight now is a small miracle in itself. She's always had to take medication for her VSD, and continues to do so.

Personality

I've gone and let my impulse be my guide.

The first thing to be said about Antigone is that she is exceptional at acting. Every day, her whole exsistence is an act. She pretends to be one person when, on the inside, she is someone else entirely. Her parents believe she is very nearly perfect. She is nice to everyone, and quick to help people out. She gets good grades in school and often stays after to help out other students. She will do what her parents say without complaining, dropping everything to do her chores. Of course, she only does simple chores like washing the dishes and doing the laundry, so she doesn't push herself too far.

To her sister Ezrana, Antigone is just as perfect. She always helps Ezrana out when she needs it and patiently watches as Ezrana shows her what she learned in Career training that day. Antigone is ever patient, always watching her little sister show off with a smile. In Ezrana's eyes, Antigone is the best sister one could ask for. She's helpful, always offering opinions on how she can improve as a Career. She always has time for Ezrana, and she sets a perfect example.

But underneath, Antigone is completely different. She has her whole family wrapped around her little finger. She knows how to make them do something to benefit her, and make them think it was their idea. No one could tell by looking, but it's Antigone that runs the family. The act is just so no one can suspect her of what she's doing.

Though she acts like the perfect older sister, Antigone really despises Ezrana. She can run around with her friends and be whoever she wants to be. She doesn't have to worry about keeling over and dying if she gets too much exercise. Antigone thinks her parents are fools. They think they control the family. They didn't even notice when Antigone started to undermine them. While she's happy that she's managed to gain so much control over her family, she's also disapointed in them. Glad she has control, because it means everything is going according to plan. But she's disappointed because some part of her always hoped they'd realize what she was doing. But it turns out they're just as stupid as she always thought.

She was born Antigone Juliet Mayst, and a mere fourteen minutes after she entered this world, her sister Ezrana joined her. A few days after her birth, the doctor discovered she had VSD. Ezrana, however, was perfectly fine. Three days later, the twin girls and their mother departed from the hospital. There was no money for Antigone's surgery, but they could just barely afford some medicine for her. Her parents both worked in the mines of District Two, and as such, they could barely afford to feed and clothe their two daughters. While their parents worked, Antigone and Ezrana stayed with a friend of their mother's, who took care of numerous children while thier parents worked.

When the twins were five, they began school. Afterwards, they returned to the daycare until their parents came to pick them up. The girls were not so close at this age as they would be in the future. Antigone was extemely jealous of Ezrana. Her younger sister had more friends because she could play tag and other running games. No one wanted to play with the girl who had to sit around all day. In the coming years, Antigone formed a plan. Everyone loved her sister more. She was more fun and she had more friends, while Antigone faded into the background. She cam up with a complex plan that would get her attention and get rid of her sister permanently.

At seven years old, Antigone's plan was set in motion. She started trying harder in school, studying late into the night so she would have the best grades in her class. Soon enough, she did. The teacher asked her to help the pther students with things they didn't understand. Antigone started being nicer to Ezrana. The became very good friends. At least, that was how it appeared to everyone. But secretly, Antigone still hated her sister. Ezrana started to come to her with all her problems. Antigone gave her advice, knowing all this would help her gain Ezrana's trust.

One day, Ezrana came to her saying she didn't think their parents liked her very much. "Oh, they like you just as much as me," Antigone said. "They're just busy with work. It takes a lot of money to support two girls, you know." Ezrana thought about this for a while. Antigone waited patiently for her to connect the dots. She'd been waiting for this conversation to come up. It was one of the crucial steps in her sister's downfall. "What if I became a Career?" Ezrana asked. "If I was in the Hunger Games and I won, Mom and Dad wouldn't have to work anymore. And you could get surgery to fix your heart!" Antigone just smiled with her sister and agreed. The plan was truly set in motion now. Ezrana became a Career, thinking it was her duty to her family, that she could make everything perfect by doing so. Their parents were proud of Ezrana for being a Career, and proud of Antigone for doing so well in school.

It was the perfect plan, really. Ezrana would go into the Hunger Games thinking she was doing her family a great honor. She would, of course, die there. Antigone would grieve for her dear little sister publicly, while on the inside, she would rejoice. And after Ezrana was gone, people would still love Antigone, because she'd still be perfect. And if, by some incredible odds, Ezrana won? Well then, her family would finally have money, and Antigone could have her sugery. And Antigone would give a poison that would kill her slowly. No one would suspect a thing. And if she never went in the Games at all? Well, there was still the poison.

For years, things went perfectly. Antigone and Ezrana appeared to be the best of friends. Whenever Ezrana was off training, Antigone would bring her a lunch she had made herself. Antigone started cooking for the family so her parents could eat as soon as they got home. Everyone praised her cooking skills. One day, her parents told her they were saving up any extra money they had for Antigone's surgery. And then, when Antigone was fourteen, everything changed.

Antigone was delivering lunch to her sister when it happened. She'd just dropped the meal off on that fateful Saturday. As she turned the corner on her way home, she ran into someone, she fell to the ground, her schoolbag spilling open and scattering its contents across the street. She'd been planning on going to the park to work on her homework. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, looking up at the person she'd knocked into. It was a young man dressed in an expensive looking felted coat. He had black hair and deep blue eyes. Her heart lurched, and for a moment, seh wondered if she was having a heart attack. "It's completely my fault," the man said, stooping down to help her gather up her things. As he passed a textbook to her their fingers touched, and a thrill raced up Antigone's arm.

His name turned out to be Fenix Ravenshaw. He was a wealthy buisinessman. He insisted on taking Antigone out to lunch as an apology. She agreed. They spent nearly three hours talking and getting to know each other. By the time they parted, Antigone knew she was in love. But wasn't it wrong to love someone so much older than she was? Wouldn't her parents disapprove? She knew seeing him again would risk all her plans, and she resolved never to speak with him again. But that changed quickly when they met again on the street a week later. Once again, he took Anitgone out to lunch. She told him about her sister, going on about how close she and Ezrana were, and how she hoped Ezrana would never be Reaped. In hindsight, it was a terrible idea, but all her plans seemed to go out the window when Fenix was near. 'I know a lie when I hear one," he said with an amused smile. "Now tell me the truth." So the truth came spilling out. She told him how much she hated Ezrana, how jealous of her she was, and that she was planning her own sister's death. With a single sentence, Fenix had unraveled all of her lies.

Instead of being horrified as she had imagined he would be, Fenix seemed impressed with her plans. Telling someone the truth felt to Antigone like a weight being lifted off her chest. She felt free, knowing that here was a person she could be herself around. He was the first and only person to break down her walls. They met often in the next few months. Antigone complained to him about Ezrana, and he complained to her about his co-workers and his horrible job. Antigone had never been happier than the times she was with him. One day, Fenix asked about her age. He was astonished to learn that Antigone was only fourteen. He had thought she was seventeen, at least. He told her he wasn't sure if they should keep meeting, but by then it was too late. Without saying a thing, they both knew they were in love.

For a year and a half, Fenix and Antigone met. Never did Antigone's parents suspect she was meeting someone, nor did her sister. They believed she was simply working in the park or helping a classmate with homework. Antigone was nearly sixteen when Fenix began to talk of paying for Antigone to have surgery. He was worried about her, afraid ssomething would happen to her heart and she would die. Antigone knew her parents would begin to wonder if a stranger offered to pay for their daughter to have an expensive surgery. So together, Antigone and Fenix came up with a plan. Fenix would approach her parents, saying he had met her on the street and had been captivated by her beauty. He would go on to explain who he was, then ask for Antigone's hand in marriage. Her parents would, of course, ask her opinion on this. Antigone would pretend she didn't want to marry him, but tell her parents that she no longer wished to be a burden on them. Her parents would then have to explain to Fenix about their daughter's condition, and Fenix would tell them he would pay for the surgery if he could marry Antigone.

The plan would be beneficial in more ways than one. Antigone would get her surgery, Fenix wouldn't have to worry about her, and they wouldn't have to keep their relationship a secret any longer. After the plan had been executed perfectly, Ezrana approached Antigone. She said she didn't like Fenix, didn't trust him, and she was angry at him. She wanted to be the one to pay for Antigone's surgery. Antigone told her she was proud of her anyways, and that their parents would be disappointed if Ezrana quit being a Career. So Ezrana continued as a Career and watched as her family prepareed for her sister's wedding, though she didn't like it at all. This was an added bonus. Ezrana's jealousy meant she would try even harder to be a good Career. She would want to be in the Games even more, so Antigone could be proud of her when she won.

A few days after her sixteenth birthday, Antigone was married to Fenix. It was hard for her to act as if she didn't want this marriage when she was overflowing with happiness. She moved into Fenix's large home, located on the opposite side of the District from the home she'd grown up in. Though Fenix was gone much of the day for work, Antigone wasn't lonely. She still had school, at least for two more years. There were a few hours between the time she arrived home and the time Fenix did, and she spent that time cooking for him, which quickly became one of her favorite things to do. Fenix had a maid and chef that worked for him before he'd married Antigone, and once he learned how much she liked to cook, he dismissed his chef. But the maid he kept on, for he didn't want Antigone hurting her heart from that work.

While things had ended up far different than she'd planned, Antigone was thus far pleased with the outcome. Her marriage would not affect Ezrana's death in any way. If anything it would help. If Antigone told Ezrana she was pregnant (even if it wasn't true), wouldn't Ezrana take her place in heartbeat if she was Reaped? Even without a child, Antigone was sure Ezrana would volunteer in her place. No, Ezrana would still die in the Hunger Games. And even if she didn't, well, there was always the poison.