"You've got this Bell. That's it, aim right above the front leg," Bellona's dad urged as a young Bellona lined up her hunting rifle with the deer's chest. Bellona let out a shaky breath as she switched off the safety.

"That's right, take a deep death for me, Bell," he instructed. Bellona complied, taking a deep breath as she made sure her shot was lined up perfectly. You've got this, she thought. Make him proud.

"And shoot."

Bellona, of course, listened, pulling the trigger and letting the bullet go flying into the deer's chest. Bellona's dad chuckled at her win as the girl stared in awe.

"You did it Bell!" her dad laughed out, "You got your first deer."

Bellona continued to stare forward. After years of practice, she finally managed to get something as big as a deer.

"I told you I could do it," Bellona replied with a cheer as her dad took the gun out of her hands.

"I knew you could," her dad answered, making his way toward the deer.

"Why are we doing this anyway? Aren't I a little young to be a soldier?" Bellona asked as she stood back in the distance while her dad made sure the dear was dead.

"It's not about you becoming a soldier, Bell. There's a war on the horizon. And we need to make sure you're safe."

"A war?" Bellona asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"The Districts aren't happy with the Capitol, Bell. It's only a matter of time before a war begins. And your mom and I need to make sure you're safe. You'll never know when you'll need to protect yourself," her dad replied, nodding toward the gun.

"I'll be safe, I promise. Everything will be just fine, you'll see. I'll be able to protect the family," Bellona joked, imitating her shot of the deer again.

-

Bellona was wrong. Nothing was going to be fine. Because soon, the war approached and even District 2 wasn't safe. 

After a while, loud sirens became a part of their daily routines. And then came the lockdowns. Bellona found herself huddled in the basement with her parents more times than she could count. Eventually, that too became a routine.

And every now and then, a bomb would drop, sending the district into chaos.

"Mom? Do you think we're going to die here?" Bellona muttered as she curled up into her mother's arms, hiding away from another bomb threat.

Bellona's mom let out a loud sigh as she glanced between the door and her daughter, eyes softening.

"Of course not, Bell," her mom reassured her, pulling Bellona in tighter, "You just hold on okay? We'll be okay."

"You promise?" Little Bellona asked, extending her pinky out. Bellona's mom smiled at the girl's little tradition, interlocking their pinkies as she kissed the little girl's hand.

"I promise."

-

Sadly, Bellona's mom was not able to keep her promise. In time, the war grew deadlier. And so did the bombings.

"Mom! Dad!" young Bellona called out as she ran home from school, looking at the mass destruction that was her street.

Bellona heard no reply, only making her more panicked as she began frantically scanning the streets. From what the teachers were saying at school, it sounded like another bomb had been dropped. 

Bellona's house.

"Mom! Dad!" Bellona cried again, getting on her hands and knees as she tried to dig her way through the rubble, not caring that the shards of glass and cement were shredding her hands.

"Bell! Bell!" she heard her name being called, but she ignored it, instead focusing on her search for her parents.

"Please," Bellona cried out, letting tears stream down her face as she looked for anything left of her parents or her home. Her hands bled as she dug further and further into the concrete, but she found nothing but more rubble and some old furniture that once belonged in their house.

"Bell!" Bellona heard again, but still, she ignored it. Instead, she found herself sobbing on the rubble, begging for her parents.

"Oh, honey," she heard again, this time it was a woman and she was much closer. A few seconds later, she felt herself being picked up away from the rubble.

"No!" Bellona yelled as she kicked and screamed her way out of the stranger's arms, but the stranger didn't budge.

"Let's take her to our house. She'll be safe there," said another voice, most likely the woman she heard earlier.

"No! I need my parents! Where are my Parents?"

But Bellona never heard a reply.

-

"Bells," Bellona heard again as she began to wake up. Frantically, the girl sat up as she examined her surroundings. The Plinth's house? What was she doing in Sejanus's house? Where were her parents?

"Sejanus? Why am I here?" Bellona asked as she rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the nightmare. Sejanus tried to speak but found himself speechless as he looked at his best friend with a look of pity.

"Sejanus?" Bellona asked again, "What's going on?"

"Oh, honey, you're awake," greeted Sejanus's Ma, interrupting their conversation.

"Mrs. Plinth, where are my parents?" Bellona asked, causing Sejanus's Ma to look at the ground with a frown.

"Bell, I'm so sorry," Ma apologized as she sat on the bed, grabbing onto Bellona's hands. Bellona furrowed her brows at Ma, pulling her hands away.

"No. No, it can't be," Bellona insisted, forcing herself out of the bed, "I want to go home. Take me home."

"Honey, I'm so sorry, but there is no home anymo-"

"No! I won't hear it," Bellona screamed, backing herself into a corner as Ma tried to get closer, "Take me home now!"

"Bellona. You need to calm down," said another voice, Sejanus's father.

"Please Mr. Plinth. Let me go home, I'll do anything. I'll be good," Bellona begged the man, rushing over to kneel in front of him.

"There's no need to beg Bellona," replied the man, kneeling on the ground with her, "I am sorry, Bellona, but you can't go home."

"Why not?" Bellona begged, letting the tears fall down her face, "I just want to go home."

The man took a deep breath as he watched the young girl cry, clenching his jaw before speaking again.

"Your parents are dead, Bellona. There is no home for you to go back to," he spoke, averting his gaze as the young girl began to sob harder.

"That was harsh, Hun," said Ma, but Mr. Plith shrugged her off.

"Being gentle wasn't helping."

"I'm so sorry, Bells," Sejanus whispered as he made his way over to his friend, wrapping his arms around her. Bellona only cried harder, letting her shoulders shake.

"What am I going to do? Where am I going to go?" Bellona whispered as she continued to sob, causing the two adults to look at one another. Bellona had no other family. No one to take her in.

"Don't worry about that, my sweet girl," said Ma as she joined Sejanus in the hug, "You're safe with us."

-

A/N: hi guys !! welcome to my Festus fic omgg yall,, sorry this is a background chapter,,, I kinda needed to explain a bit about Bellona before we started lol,, I promise the next chapter will have Festus,,, Also I know this chapter is sad :( I'm so sorry

and if you're here!! I really want to thank you for reading and sticking by me if this isn't your first fic!! if it is, then welcome !! thank you for supporting me and having an interest in this fic !!  

love you guys,

Hannah <3