Song Suggestion: Hollywood Undead—"Another Way Out"
Thank You: slightlytwisted84, ShootingStar96 (For two wonderful reviews), SergeantJohnston, Guest, 3vlee, Guest, Guest, Prettyprincess45, Brendabites, AnonynousRedhead (For two wonderful reviews), erstott2012, californiadancer, Coco, Guest, SweetStarre123, Sandraanataliaa, BlueBlueBird, Madamethebloody, and Karen!
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A/N: Thanks again for being so patient. The wedding and honeymoon were awesome!
The Black Train
Have you ever made an awful choice, seen the wheel start the first revolution, knowing once it started that it would never end? Prim did.
She knew it immediately, before she even pressed the accelerator on the car. It rumbled beneath her.
In intermediate school, all the District 12 children were given a brief driving lesson, because on the coal mine site many of the jobs required driving materials to and from.
Whereas most of the children were terrified, Prim delighted in the act of driving. The crisp, sharp tang of leather. The heady smell of gasoline, zipping straight to brain. The small jolts through the steering wheel while rolling over gravel.
She had grieved at the end of the lesson and always wanted to drive again. Today, though, it was anything but pleasant. Coral whined next to her. The heat of the day seeped into the truck, burning the steering wheel and creating a hot box because she wasn't sure how to start the air conditioning and she was wary of pressing random buttons.
The minutes rolled by in torture, not helped by her tumultuous thoughts.
How could I leave him like that, begging on the floor?
Was he telling the truth?
How could he betray… or was he made to? Did he enjoy it?
That bothered Prim the most, the idea that even though the Capitol gave him orders that he still enjoyed it.
Regardless, she made up her mind.
She would let Persephone see Coral, explain the situation, explain who it all had been a horrible misunderstanding.
And, goddammit, she would return to him. She would run into his arms, tell him she was sorry, and tell him she loved him. It didn't even matter if he said it back.
That put a smile on her face. For a time, her mood turned around with this fantasy, even the heat of the car couldn't burn it.
But the lie molted by the time they reached the destination.
An Hour Later
Prim pulled into the driveway of a small house and her fantasy died with reality.
A wounded Cato was a dangerous Cato. Right or wrong, she now had to run for her life
The entire house: the siding, the roof, the gutters, and the shutters were all painted a violent green. A few years ago there had been a trend for monotone houses. Most of the neighborhood hadn't repainted, even though the new "it" shade was pale blue with black windows.
It was nondescript. The neighborhood used to be a booming location, apparently, but today there was no one out. Prim saw one old man, who upon being seen, quickly ducked back into obscurity.
If there was such as a place for a secret rendezvous in District 2, this was it.
"We're here." Prim said.
Coral wrinkled her nose after looking outside, showing a small spoiled streak. All the little girl had experienced in her life had been delicate china and fluffy blankets. She had no idea how lucky she was, with no capability to think existentially, so Prim let it slide.
"There'll be cookies inside," Prim said. It was lie, but it was necessary to get the little girl moving fast.
"Oh, cookies!"
Coral jumped out of the car before Prim could stop her, and with the innocence of a child, ran to the door tugging it open.
"Wait!" Prim said, swiftly unbuckling, the belt burning the skin on her neck. It snapped back into its socket, and she threw the door open. It popped on its hinges.
By the time Prim unbuckled and got out of the car, Coral had already disappeared into the bowels of the house. The door creaked open, hanging off on hinge. A wind chime hung from the ceiling giving a delicate tinkling as the wind blew, and there were various piles of animal poop around the front door.
She smelled the mothy odor of the house before she entered, the way old people smelled, thick and decaying. The insides were dark, and she couldn't see anything.
Was she at the wrong place? Prim glanced down at the directions again, studying them for a moment, coming to the same conclusion.
Damn, Coral.
Prim entered the house against every scrap of common sense.
The darkness overwhelmed her for a moment, before her eyes adjusted. Prim wondered at the darkness before she saw black curtains covering the windows. The only light came from a few holes chewed through the walls by some varmint. A solid table sat in the center of the room. Per requirement by the Capitol, a heavy, ancient TV hung on the wall in the corner. Other than a few random, mismatched chairs, the house was empty.
Coral was crouched in the corner, making cooing noises.
"What are you doing?"
Coral twisted her head. In the corner was a raccoon, probably the same varmint who chewed through the house. It sat on its haunches with a hiss.
"Look mommy, a funny cat."
Prim scooped her up just in time. The raccoon lunged in terror then skittered outside, running low to the ground, without even looking back. Prim wished she could follow.
She sat Coral back down on the ground.
"That a mean Kitty. Buttercuppy would not let him be so mean, would he mommy?"
"No," Prim agreed, "He wouldn't"
Prim pulled a small device out of her pocket. The face of the object held several circular lines, continually getting smaller. A small dot kept blinking off to the side. Their location, Persephone had said after tucking it into her hand. Use it when you have escaped.
A homing beacon.
Prim stopped thinking, stopped second guessing. The options were limited on what she could do. In her fantasy, she could return, but in reality Prim understood full well that returning would only result in a pair of hands encircling her neck.
At least Persephone's motivation she could understand. And now she was her only hope for a true escape. There was no way she could exit Snow's wrath or District 2 without her.
Prim pressed the button on the side. The blinking dot solidified.
And Prim shivered.
"There's no cookies," Coral pouted and sat down on the seat. A wave of dust lifted, and she gave an adorable sneeze.
"No," Prim agreed, "There isn't."
Hours and Hours
They waited for hours. Miserable, awful hours, not alleviated until Coral fell asleep, her head cocked at an unnatural angle. Prim always marveled at how children fell asleep anywhere, in any position. The inability to sleep was a special hell only made for adults.
The sudden sound of tires on gravel tingled her scalp.
Someone was here.
Thunk, thunk. Feet clunked up the rickety stairs. A creak, a held breath. For a moment, a horrible thought occurred to Prim: What if it wasn't Persephone?
There was a worse person it could be. Far worse. He had found her before hadn't he? Through a tracker, and he could do it again. Prim didn't put it past him to have somehow microchip her.
The sounds of a human made her feel close to execution. Those moments where a person was asked what they wanted their final words to be. I…I… and then the floor comes open and the noose snaps the neck in a cruel jest.
Don't let it be Cato, she whispered to the dark.
The dark granted her wish.
Persephone stepped through, for once wearing subdued clothing: a button-up white shirt with tailored black trousers.
And for once, her expression wasn't screwed up and angry, spitting at the world. The knowing smirk twisted into awe at the sight of Coral sleeping at the table.
"She's beautiful."
Persephone's reaction to Coral melted Prim a little. If she could forgive Cato for all of his sins, couldn't she forgive Persephone as well? After all, what was there to forgive? Persephone wasn't nice, but she hadn't been cruel like the others. Her sparks of madness had an identifiable source.
Prim's hatred grew roots from jealousy, loathe she was to admit it.
In the end, Persephone was a victim of the Capitol just like everyone else, if her story can be believed.
One time her father told her: it takes a village to raise a child. So maybe this was a good thing. Maybe the little girl could gain, not one, but two mothers.
Persephone still hadn't moved. She swayed at the door as if drunk, as if she swallowed a potion that blocked her senses. She reached out a hand and grasped the dirty edges of the doorframe.
"She has your hair," Prim said, reaching out to stroke her wild curls.
"Of course," Persephone whispered, still in that strange state, "I…I… It's been so long that I've wanted to… I just can't believe she's real."
Prim felt the importance of the moment in her bones, as if it was the culmination of years of struggle, of tears, of work. How long do wishes float around before they are tugged into reality?
"Do you want me to wake her?"
"No," Persephone jumped forward a little, "No," she said again, a little softer. "I mean, I don't want to disturb her. She looks so peaceful."
She walked forward and gently gently touched Coral's hair, an angel's breath of a whisper. So light. Her fingers rested a few inches from Prim's.
Prim opened her mouth to speak, but a roaring cut her off, a rumbling. It overtook the whole room, the TV on the wall jittered in its glass enclosure. The creaking and groaning continued, so strong Prim worried the whole dilapidated, rotting structure would collapse in on them.
But her fears were unfounded. After a few moments, the rumble stopped. The glass screen ceased to jitter. Prim glanced up in surprise at Persephone, her mouth open in understanding.
Next to her Coral jerked awake.
"Mommy," she said in a fearful voice.
"I'm here," Prim and Persephone said in unison. They both startled at it. Persephone's contented expression dropped a moment, her mouth pulling down in a brief, terrifying grimace.
"What was all that noise?"
"Your train ride out of here," Persephone answered.
The whistle of the train screamed outside the building. In the distance, a wolf howled back in fury.
Five Minutes Later
The train gleamed in the night sky. The new starlight glinted off the black frame of a train. A capitol train. The ones that ran between the districts were silver.
The air was dry and thin around them, filled with too much oxygen, enough to create a light buzz with each breath. Prim clutched Persephone at her side. Her little legs dangled, little sandals swinging with the movement.
Persephone stared at Prim in an odd way. She hesitated once, something Prim had never seen and then she reached out to touch the back of Coral.
"Would you like me to hold you?" Persephone asked Coral.
Coral pulled away from her, placing her head on Prim's shoulder, a sudden distressed look on her pouty face. It wasn't that Coral was a shy child, but it was odd situation, and even though it was her mother in blood, in reality she was a stranger. Prim wanted to explain, but was cut off by Coral.
"Mommy, who's that lady?"
Persephone twisted sharply, so that she couldn't see her face, and her back stiffened. From the immediate reaction, Prim understood that what Coral said wounded her deeply. Prim had the odd sensation that she should apologize for Coral, but she swallowed it down before it came out. She remembered the last time she tried to apologize to the Persephone, and it didn't go well. Some animals bit the hand regardless if it was meant for comfort.
It wasn't needed. Persephone twisted back around to face them, a charming smile on her face. Prim's felt her face wrinkle in confusion, but she didn't say anything. The mask Persephone put up was her way of coping, and Prim wasn't going to get in the way of it. It was an awkward enough situation.
"I'm a very special friend," Persephone held out her hand to Coral. Coral didn't take it, so Persephone gently touched her back. "So very special. You'll see, little one. I'm a star and you are too, a star so bight you must go far far away to a land where you can shine your brightest."
"I wanna go home, mommy," Coral said, her mouth on Prim's neck, sticky and wet. "Bear Bear need tucked in. And daddy be sad. He will. He be very sad without his own baby. He told me one time."
Her words gutted Prim. Right on the spot. So innocent, so loving. Prim lamented the entire day. She lamented every action she made. She wished she could go back to how things were, but was unsure how. Sometimes things stayed torn.
"Don't you like this adventure?"
Coral nodded, but her blue eyes started to tear up, "But I'm sleepy and afeard."
"Afraid. You're afraid." Prim couldn't help but correct, smoothing her hair down, "But there's no need to be. This train is going to be our next adventure. And you'll have me there, right? Would I let anything happen to you?"
"But what about daddy? Doesn't he want to go on a 'venture?"
"Sure hunny."
Coral measured Prim for a moment, as if trying to decide if she believed her or not. Finally, she nodded and snuggled her head back down.
Over the little girl's head she saw Persephone frowning deeply at her lie. It made Prim feel guilty. What was she supposed to do—tell the truth and break the little girl's heart? No, thank you. She'd break it to her slowly when they reached the destination, wherever that was.
"My family?" Prim asked.
Persephone looked confused for a moment.
"What?" But before Prim could clarify, Persephone caught on, "Oh, that... yeah they're waiting for you at the location. It was an ordeal to get them out of District 12 without being noticed. So you're welcome for that." Persephone crossed her arms on her chest in a defensive manner.
"Now that we can't be overheard, where exactly are you sending me?"
Persephone hesitated. Even in the dark, she could tell that she was biting her lip.
"It's in an offshoot town of the Capitol. You won't be noticed. I have papers there for you and your family if you are ever questions. Papers that prove your Capitol citizenship. I suggest you dye and cut your hair when you get there. The Capitol has many procedures that can obscure your identity. It'll be hiding in plain sight, somewhere my father won't be looking."
Persephone started to shuffle her feet, as if uncomfortable in her shoes. She bit her lip again, nervous about something. Her hands gave visible tremors next to her pants leg. She noticed Prim's stare and clenched her fists.
"Look, in a few seconds the train will start. I might never see you and her again. I'd like to hold her."
Prim's heart started beating hard at the request. The agony in Persephone's voice, the honesty broke her down. Who was she to deny a last touch? Prim understood that this whole elaborate scheme wasn't for her, but for her daughter. To place her out of harm's way.
"Okay."
Prim attempted to hand Coral over, but Coral whimpered and held fast, digging her little claws into her body like a leech.
"No!" Coral screeched. "I don't want the lady. She special, but I don't want her."
"Calm down—"
"Shhh," Persephone said, rubbing a hand down Coral's back, "It's okay. It's okay."
Persephone stopped her attempt to hold Coral. The moonlight struck her porcelain skin, showing tiny trails of tears. Prim felt the sacrifice she was making.
"It's alright," she whispered again. They stood in silence again. The train's whistle blew, giving its signal that it's about to leave. Persephone walked over to the train and slid open a door to one of the train compartments. Two men stood in there as well, dressed entirely in black. Persephone slipped them something. Money. They counted it and pocketed it.
"For the ride and for the discretion."
The two men looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"It's time," Persephone said and turned back to face them.
Prim walked forward, close enough that she could slide Coral in to the compartment if she wasn't clinging to her like a baby possum.
At the last moment before climbing, Prim turned back to Persephone.
"Thank you," she said, "For everything. Come visit us when you get the chance. It might be easier on Coral in a less fearful situation."
Persephone didn't say anything for a moment, just continued to stroke Coral's back, touching her ringlets.
"I didn't do it for you. I love her more than anything." She said. "Anything and everything. I thought I'd hate you, you know. I thought you'd be some vile bitch. Some woman who wanted to steal my positon and lord it over me. Or worse, treat her bad."
"Well, thanks." Prim answered awkwardly.
"You're not so bad. Not like I thought you would be. If I didn't hate you on principle, I think you'd be the first girl I've actually liked." She stopped for a moment, letting it sink in, "I'm actually glad you could be there for her, given her isolation. I'm grateful that you—" She couldn't finish. More tears trailed down her face, though she wasn't making a sound.
A final whistle for the train sounded. The engine rumbled to a start. They only had a few minutes left.
"I almost feel bad," Persephone said again, her voice quick, urgent. One hand dug in her pocket.
"Feel bad?"
"For doing this." Persephone's hand exited her pocket, holding something sharp that glinted. Her hand shot out. Prim jerked away, but the sharp metal struck her hard in the neck.
A syringe, her mind thought in a stupor. Persephone pushed the plunger and whatever was in the shot burned its way down her veins.
The pain was staggering and instant. Persephone withdrew, and Prim stumbled. The world hazy. Coral screamed as one of the dark-dressed men ripped her from her arms.
Coral. No. She thought it, but couldn't say it.
She clutched her neck, trying to stop the blood flow. Prim fell to her knees, unable to move or comprehend what just happened. It was all so quick and planned, and the surprise knocked the senses from her.
"Like I said, I'm sorry I had to do this to you," Persephone jumped into the train compartment. Coral continued to scream and scream. Prim, in a daze, tried to crawl in after her, but was unable to coordinate her movements. "But you were a convenient mark."
"The train...
"Oh, yeah, that. I forgot to mention it was for me."
"But Cato..."
"Will certainly go down as well. I sent an my expose of your relationship this morning to both the Capitol media who may not post it, but also to the underground district media, which will be sure to expose things until the Capitol media has to follow suit.
Prim couldn't say anything. Her throat swelled, and she felt her tongue enlarging. Her neurons couldn't perform their job.
"Remember," Persephone said, starting to slide the door shut. Coral's scream sounded the same time the train engine gave an initial lurch. "It's nothing personal. You were just in the way. But my father will probably still rip your heart out."
No, no, no her brain chanted. Stay. Coral no.
"I thought you said your father wouldn't care?" Prim managed to get out. She wasn't sure that Persephone could hear her over the train and her own clumsy brain and tongue.
Persephone did hear. She tilted her head back and gave a genuine laugh.
"He most definitely will. I said he'd forgive me," She gave a large, beautiful smile, showing all of her teeth. "I never mentioned anything about him forgiving you. After all, you're just a slum rat."
With that she slammed the train compartment shut. The train rolled and then zoomed away faster than a shooting star.
Oh, no. Oh, no. Her brain kept chanting. The fire burned its way down her veins, ripping her from consciousness.