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callahanspelt · 5 years

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inevitable // self para

Callahan knew he had fucked up when he heard Piper scream.

He should have checked. He should have been more diligent. Because he was so careful in all things considering the girls. He made sure that every television was set to a channel that wasn’t the Games to prevent gruesome scenes from appearing if it were accidentally flipped on. He told the girls not to turn it on, even for cartoons. To let Em or Olena do it.

He didn’t think it would be his fault for forgetting to turn the television in their room back to a safer channel before the girls came back from their playtime in the rooftop garden with Ember. He had turned it off hastily. And as he heard Piper’s scream of horror, he knew that she’d turned it on to see exactly what had been on it earlier.

Elsie, somehow, remained asleep on the sofa, exhausted from her long day, and Cal thanked whatever higher power gave his youngest daughter the ability to sleep through just about anything. Callahan ran into their shared bedroom as quickly as he could, to try and stop the television from playing before Piper saw any more. He lunged across the room to where the television showed Arista delivering the fatal blow to the girl from Three. The television shook as Cal slammed his hand into the power button, turning the screen back to black.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Piper sobbed, tears running down her cheeks.

Cal knelt down, enveloping the small girl in his arms. “Hey, hey, I’m not mad at you, honey,” he soothed, pulling Piper in closely to cuddle her to his chest. His heart ached, almost as if it were physically Piper’s tears soaking into his t-shirt that caused the pain.

“Arista killed that girl,” Piper cried, wiping her tears on the hem of her dress.

“I know she did, honey,” Cal said quietly, taking Piper by the hand and sitting her down next to him on his bed. She buried her face in his lap and sobbed, and all Cal could do was stroke her hair and try not to hate himself for what he’d screwed up.

After a few minutes, Piper sat up again. “Why did she do that?”

Cal took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Because she was hurt from that horse, right?” Piper nodded.

“It was a scary pony.”

“It was. And I told you how we might not get to see Arista again for a long, long time, right?” Piper nodded. “You might have seen them when you were very small, but that’s the Hunger Games. People are going to kill each other. Sometimes it’s like Arista, where she killed that girl so she wouldn’t be hurting anymore. Because she wasn’t going to get any better. But sometimes, it’s... more complicated than that.”

Piper took a moment to process things, staring at the carpet. Cal gently caught a couple tears from her cheeks with his thumb, tucking a little strand of hair behind her ear.

“Did you kill people?” Piper asked quietly, her voice wavering again.

Oh, that was not a question Cal was ready to answer. He really only thought that lying to kids was helpful in one area of parenting, and that was in all aspects related to Santa Claus. Everything else, he felt they deserved the truth for. Even if Cal was going to go to great lengths to avoid them asking these questions, Piper was going to figure it out one way or another.

“I did,” he explained. “The other kids, they wanted to go home and win, too. So I had to... I had to kill them, to protect myself. So I could come home and live a long life, a life that included you. Even if I didn’t know it then.”

Piper was quiet for a few moments, swinging her feet as they dangled over the edge of the bed. “So if you didn’t do it, then you wouldn’t be with us.”

“Exactly.”

Piper was quiet again.

“I still don’t like it.”

“Nobody does,” Callahan sighed, wrapping his arm around her tight once again. “And Piper? I’m very glad you don’t like it. Because it’s not a nice thing to do. But I promise you, you don’t have to worry about it right now, okay? You just worry about being a good big sister to Elsie and helping to keep her away from the television when it’s Games time. And Dad’ll take care of the other stuff.”

Piper nodded slowly. “It’s scary.”

“I know, honey.” Cal kissed the top of her head gently. “But I promise, that was the one and only time I’ll ever do anything mean. It was a long, long time ago. And I wouldn’t hurt a fly now, would I?”

Piper shook her head, agreeing with him. “You take spiders outside. ‘Cause they have families too.”

“Exactly.” Cal scooped Piper up in his arms, laying her down in the top bunk. He leaned against the bed, peeking in at her as he tucked her in. “I’ll bring your sister in soon. Do you want something on the screen?”

“Fields, please,” Piper replied softly. Cal placed a hand over Piper’s eyes, covering them as he picked up the remote and clicked it twice, settling it on a moving image of the grain fields back home.

Piper yawned. “How many days till we go home?”

“I don’t know yet,” Cal replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “Maybe a week or so? I’ll tell you as soon as I know, I promise.”

“Pinky promise.” Piper held out her little finger, and Cal hooked his into hers. Satisfied, Piper settled herself into the covers, and Cal stretched up to kiss her forehead.

“Good night, Piper,” he said softly, retreating toward the door to carry Elsie into bed.

A few beats of silence. And then, the word he’d wanted to hear for a year. Just not the way he wanted to hear it.

“Goodnight, Daddy.”

#// set the night of day four #//i love hurting my characters #76: the games #c: piper spelt

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xdepthsofwinterx · 7 years

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Echoes in the Dark - 15

~ {{Updated Canon: A teenage Dhana has to face the consequences after accidentally hurting a friend with her magic. Years of freedom to do what she wished have taken a toll and now she embarks on a new chapter under the guidance of one dwarven Harper.}} ~

~ Trigger Warning: None - * - Pre!SoU ~

It coiled from her gut, her fist clenching as sweat trickled down her brow. She recalled the sensation, remembered the anger that had boiled like water in her veins. Flashes of frigid thought exploded across her mind and she knew she was ready. Taking the tension between her shoulder blades, the teen sent in cascading down her arms and out through her fingertips.

The pool of water exploded, rearing up the side of the tree and snaking up its branches. Ice crackled and coiled tight, a sheen of purple through its core. By the end, the sapling leaned back from the blast, frozen in shock.

Dhana shook out her arms and let out a blustery sigh. Her veins throbbed, but she felt satisfied. A pleasant emptiness settled where she’d gathered her magic, causing a blissful if somewhat tired smile to form.

By mid morning, the desert sun would easy melt the ice, releasing the poor tree. But for now the blackette hopped up onto the stone dyke to admire her work.

“It seems Cora’s saplings have offended you once again.”

That numbness twinged at the voice, quivering with unease. Gritty sand crunched beneath the dwarf’s boots, and for the umpteenth the Harper came to stand at her side. The mageling tried her best to ignore him.

“I am unsure as to exactly why. After all, they are incapable of answering back.”

A hand rose to the back of her head, Dhana swatting the itchiness from her ear. It wasn’t red at all.

“And so it seems are you.” Her teeth clicked together, face turning away. Master Drogan rose those bushy brows with mild amusement, “But you were so vocal in your defiance before child, why hesitate now?”

Fingers dug into the wall, plucking at loose pieces of sandstone and quartz. Her lips twitched, tongue slapping against them in an attempt to speak. But she was hesitant - because she knew that regardless of what she said, the Harper wasn’t going to go away. Her mother had already agreed upon that. And it as much as it hurt…Dhana knew she meant well.

This was, after all, her fault.

And she didn’t want…didn’t want to admit it.

Something brushed against her turned cheek - something warm, and comforting and static. Dark eyes widened as she recognised the prancing cerulean light - Master Drogan’s magic.

It flowed and twisted with ease, no tension, no pressure - just mellow peace. Weaving through the sands it slid up frozen branches and shone intensely. Moments passed, the ice cracking and water wept freely down bark.

Dhana sat stunned for a moment, awed by the oddly beautiful sight. So when Drogan eased himself down beside her, the girl flinched.

“We all do things we regret, child. And we both know that you didn’t mean to hurt your friend.” The teen recoiled, arms curling about herself. His voice wasn’t helping either. Why wouldn’t he just shout at her, get angry and yell! It would make dealing with this so much easier.

“You got angry and lost control - that is completely natural.” Drogan shifted, hands cupped in his lap. She could smell the faint musty scent of pipeweed on his breath, “But you also have a responsibility to manage your anger, because with it comes the essence of your power.”

A moment of heavy silence passed between them. Drogan sat patiently, allowing Dhana a moment to gather herself.

“My sorcery is emotionally driven.” She uttered at last, her unhappiness seeping into her voice, “I thought by venting it and tiring myself I could manage it. But…”

“It is a part of you, and even at your weakest moment, it will be there to aid you. You do not need to fear nor subdue it, Dhana. But embrace it and live.”

She finally looked at him then, dark eyes tired and sad.

“How?”

His lips curled upwards into a gentle smile, and Dhana knew what that meant.

Drogan could see she was done resisting. Regardless of how much fight she had in her, when Dhana’s mother had said enough…she knew she had already lost.

Olena had given her every freedom she could, the room in which to explore her magic as she pleased…but it had ended up costing them both. The very thought that she had caused her mother such grief created a wall of miserable guilt. It engulfed her. Chest tightening, Dhana lowering her head as she did what she hoped she never would.

She cried.

#Echoes in the Dark: Drabble Series #drabbles #v; xforgottenrealmsx

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