𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 ༄ 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗂𝗋

chapter three

     "Do you know that woman?" Paisley interrupted, never having seen the old lady before and was confused as to why Nadia seemed so upset about it.

     Nadia sighed, looking down to her feet. "It's a long story, I just... I can't."

     "Okay." Paisley agreed, scanning over the table of medicine once more. "I just need one bottle."

     "Thank you, Paise." Nadia spoke relieved before the girl was walking towards the table in the corner. She lost focus on the task Paisley asked of her quite briefly as she watched the girl approach the table and start an interaction with the woman.

     Her name was Scout, and once upon a time Nadia considered her a friend. She still would, but the status wouldn't be mutual. After all, Nadia had her grandson's blood on her hands and would presumably never receive a word from the woman again. Not a kind one anyway.

     She watched as Paisley and Scout chatted over vegetables she presumed, the old woman having a small smile spread from ear to ear. An expression Nadia would never be on the receiving end of again, she was sure of that.

     Paisley had acquired the produce and started back towards Nadia just as another customer took her place in front of Scout's table.

     Nadia let out a long breath, smiling at the girl in gratitude. "Thanks."

     Paisley handed her the vegetables, but noticed her hands void of the medicine she asked for. "Where's the morphling?"

     Nadia only stared at her as her lips pulled into a straight line, gesturing to the table behind her where the bottle still sat. "...Right."

༄༄༄

     The weather had gotten increasingly more windy and cold with the blizzard that was sure to sweep through the district. Nadia and Paisley barely made it back to the Victors Village before they couldn't see more than a foot in front of them.

     They went their separate ways, Paisley to her house where her and her father lived, and Nadia to hers where her parents and her brother were busy making dinner.

     She swiftly ran into the house as the snow blew around rapidly outside, her nose bright red and the tips of her ears and fingers just about frozen.

     "Nadia Adeline!" Nadia looked up with a sniffle caused by the cold air and took off the scarf she'd wrapped around her head to find her mother stood in front of her. She must be in trouble if her middle name was brought into this.

     "Close the door quickly! It's negative ten degrees out there!" Mina frantically rushed across the foyer and slammed the door shut as Nadia only chuckled.

She hung her coat and scarf on the hook beside the door and stepped out of her soaked to the sole boots as she rubbed her hands together in an attempt to gather warmth.

Her mother disappeared down the hallway and towards the kitchen with the basket of vegetables in her arm, the sound of three voices not including her mother would cause her brows to turn down.

Rounding the corner, Nadia found that not only were her parents and her brother all surrounding the island, but they were joined by their neighbor and her fellow victor, Apollo.

He didn't come over much unless it was because he couldn't sleep and needed some company, for which Nadia was always willing to lend her arms for a hug and offer words to provide some comfort.

Apollo lived alone, his parents past away when he was young and his aunt who took care of him before he won had died just two years after his games.