CHIONOPHILE - Coriolanus Snow

MARCID

Marcid (adj.) withered; incredibly exhausted

"At the trial of God, we will ask: why did you allow all that? / And the answer will be an echo: why did you allow all this?" -IIya Kaminsky

(I have listed trigger warnings in the introduction to the story, but I will give a reminder. Dead dove do not eat.)

---------------------------------------------------------

Calida appeared more exhausted than usual, her restlessness evident through constant fidgeting and an air of palpable unease.

Despite Brit's and Darius's attempts to converse with her, they were met with a decisive shutdown.

Brit and Darius weren't taken aback; this was the new normal with Calida.

She had become a closed book, her pages sealed from prying eyes.

The mentors were ushered into a clinical, sterile room, its stark whiteness providing an unsettling backdrop.

Each tribute's hands were bound to a table, chains restraining them.

Among the restrained figures, Calida saw Isaac, tucked away towards the back.

Her impulse to embrace him in a comforting hug was thwarted by a guard who forcibly pushed her back.

Incredibly annoyed and offended, Calida slapped the guard's hands away before sitting opposite Isaac, sending him a remorseful smile.

Sequestered for an hour to strategize with their tributes, Calida wasted no time reminding Isaac of their strategy that they had discussed many times.

Leaning in, she conveyed her intentions to Isaac with a sense of urgency, "Isaac, I'm going to discreetly place a box in your pocket, all right?"

Isaac, uncertain but trusting, nodded in agreement.

Calida deftly concealed the mysterious box in his pocket, surreptitiously scanning the surroundings to ensure her actions remained unseen.

Curiosity etched on Isaac's face, he nervously inquired, "What's in the box, Callie?"

"It's eggs, spider eggs, about 200 of them," she whispered, her hand gently resting on Isaac's to soothe his growing apprehension.

«I want you to open the box discreetly when you get to the area. The eggs will hatch immediately when light hits them," she urgently explained.

Isaac, visibly frightened, stammered, "W-What do they do?"

"They are extremely venomous; one will die in a matter of seconds when bitten, but it does not cause any pain to the person that gets bit," Calida responded.

Isaac's terror was palpable, and Calida, realizing his distress, apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't started with that. They won't bite you."

"Are you sure?" Isaac sought reassurance.

"Yes, I swear, I would never have given it to you otherwise."

"But how did..." Isaac began stammering. "Won't you be in trouble, Callie? Isn't this breaking the rules?"

Calida, on the brink of tears, replied, "Don't worry about that, sweetheart."

Isaac's eyes welled up, and he asked, "Where I am from, it's believed that if the body of the dead does not get a ritual ceremony, their soul will never rest."

Calida nodded slowly, understanding the weight of Isaac's impending request.

"Could you bring my body back to my mother?" Isaac's voice quivered. "I don't want my mom to be alone. I want her to be able to say goodbye to me. I-I want my mom to be able to lay me next to my father and sister so my soul isn't forever doomed."