Dance To The Sirens [Fable Oneshot]

After the Peacekeeper Ball, Fiona and I were delayed on returning home. Apparently, something had happened in Nine, but they wouldn't tell us what it was until we got there. I was paranoid, completely terrified of what possibly would have had to have happened to delay the train into our District. Fiona was my comfort, though. Whether or not she felt as scared as I did, her being in my presence was enough to calm me down, at least a little bit. She was my rock, and I relied on her for more than I probably should have, but I didn't know what I'd do without her.

As we sat on the train on the ride home to Nine, I was quiet most of the way. I stared down at my left hand, at the ring Fiona had given me. When she'd proposed to me before the reaping, I was afraid I'd never actually get to marry her, especially after my name was called. A brave, or perhaps more-so reckless boy saved my life that day, though, and allowed me to live. I never had to leave home, and I got to live the rest of my life with Fiona.

Now, after the Ball, I'd be returning home, and despite my fears, it made me feel a little better to know that I'd still get to marry Fiona one day soon. That is, as long as our home wasn't completely destroyed. I was truly concerned about what possibly could have happened while we were gone.

When we finally arrived back in District Nine, Fiona and I were informed of what happened as we got off of the train. There had been riots. They were terribly destructive riots, from the look of it, too. Immediately, my mind jumped to the safety of my younger brother Spencer, as well as my sick mother. Had they gotten hurt during these riots? Were they at home when it all happened, or were they out of the house?

I immediately told Fiona that we needed to go to my old home where Mom and Spencer lived.

Fiona was the one who found her. My mother, that is. Fiona, the kind soul she is, tried to soften the blow by telling me not to come in the room, but I didn't listen. I entered the part of my old home where Fiona was, and lying on the floor, lifeless, was my dear mother, a clear bullet hole in her neck.

Everything felt like it was crashing down on me. I collapsed to the floor, sobbing, unable to get any words out when I tried to speak. After a moment or so, I put my face into Fiona's shoulder. I couldn't stand to look anymore. I was broken, and I didn't know if anything would ever fix me.

It wasn't too long after I finally left the room where my mother's body was that I found the note. It was a note clearly written in Spencer's handwriting, and it read "hide and seek, come find me."

Immediately, I knew where he was. He must have escaped from the chaos as it was all happening and gone to hide. I was just glad he'd had the time to leave a little message for me. He clearly knew I'd be worried.

It wasn't too far from my old family home, his hiding spot, which made me worried that he might not be safe when we finally got there. I was afraid that I'd find him in the same sort of condition as my mother, but luckily, that wasn't the case. When I moved the leaves and twigs away, I opened the wooden hatch to the small shelter and called down to him.

"Spencer? It's Fable and Fiona! Are you alright?" I called out. I could hear his nervous voice respond to me, saying that he was okay. He made his way up to us slowly and cautiously.

---

Since that day, we've been taking care of Spencer as if he were our own, even though he's only a few years younger than us. He'll be twelve years old come the Eighty-Fifth Hunger Games.

Things had, luckily, started to look up as time went on. I got a job as a jeweler at a popular jewelry shop in the District Square. Spencer is on his road to recovery from all of the trauma of our mother's death, seeing a counselor to help him get through it all. Fiona seems to be doing pretty well herself, too.

It was all great, and Fiona and I were getting closer to starting to plan our wedding, too.

That was, until the lockdown.

Fiona was in Six, visiting an old friend and fellow survivor from the Eightieth Games, Quest. I was at home, spending time with Spencer and making sure that things were kept in order with our house, which was Fiona's grandfather's old house.

That's when it all went to hell. Fiona was stuck there, I was stuck here, and I didn't even know if she was okay. If she was, she wasn't allowed to come back home yet, I couldn't go to her, and there was no way to communicate with her at the moment, either. I was spiraling into a state of panic.

"Fiona, please, please, please be okay," Spencer heard me muttering under my breath when we got the notice that there was a lockdown. He didn't say a word, and instead wrapped his arms around me in a comforting hug. He cared about me, and that meant the world to me right now- having someone here with me who cared about me. At least I wasn't completely alone.

I still wouldn't be able to ease my mind until I knew Fiona was okay, though.