❝𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨 𝐈 𝐠𝐨
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞
hunger games │the ballad of songbirds and snakes
In which a girl from the heart of the Capitol and a boy from deep within the trees, cross paths. She shouldn't care about him, he...
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[ sixteen. a fall ending a tribute's game ]
TREECH TRIED. He tried a lot to keep himself composed. He couldn't allow Coral 𑁋or anyone for that matter𑁋thinking he was weak. But it was getting tougher by the hour. When he heard Coral mention his 'friend from back home' he wanted to say something, to object, to tell her to go for someone else, anyone. But he didn't.
Surely, she can defend herself, right?
He never saw her work with an ax𑁋he never really saw her around in Seven, she was usually in her family's workshop. His mother had brought a little wood decoration in the shape of a little deer before she passed. It was delicately made.
He ran around gathering the bottles and tried not to look back at the District Four tributes who were running to the beam. But eventually, he had to go, he couldn't seem soft. Softness here meant death.
Reluctantly he stood next to Tanner, who was watching with a level of excitement that felt concerning. Treech stared at his District partner as she struggled to keep up with Coral and Mizzen. The little boy waved his pocket knife around hoping to do some harm but Lamina stood her ground and tried to fight back by swinging her ax. Neither did any damage.
Treech took a relieved sigh when he noticed Coral not moving much. She must be afraid of heights. The relief quickly vanished when the girl stumbled back right into the redhead's pitchfork.
Lamina let out a choked gasp and swung her ax before falling on her injured back. Cold sweat ran down his back when he caught her eyes. She was always so timid, so nervous and scared he never saw her eyes like that𑁋full of hatred...
A staggered breath fled his lips when he took a step back. Everything began to blur, even her rough screams𑁋Mizzen's too.
He turned when he heard a loud thud against the hard soil. His stomach turned at the sight of the limp body lying on the dirty ground. He couldn't see her face but the image of her bitter gaze would be imprinted into his memory forever.
Coral shouted another command but Treech couldn't look away. As if he was waiting for her to get up, or even move. Just a little. To show that she was alive. He desperately wanted to say something to comfort her but the only thing that came to mind was 'I'm sorry'.
She apologized to him a lot. On the train when she cried. In the zoo when cried, again. On the first night on the train, she couldn't stop no matter how much he tried to console her and Treech had to admit it was getting bothersome but not in the sense she thought. It reminded him of the severity of the situation. Acting tough was easier, it helped to mask the misery and that's what everyone did𑁋even the little girl from Eleven𑁋but not her. She cried and cried and made it so hard to pretend.
But there was another reason. During that first night, when they were lying on the cold metal floor of the train and the girl's soft sobs wouldn't stop, he remembered lying on his bed and hearing sobs even months after his mother died. Sometimes it was his dad other times it was his sisters. But every time he cried too.
He took a step closer and noticed one of her arms was broken. The same hands she so gently made the wooden deer his mother liked so much. He couldn't help the tear that ran down his cheek as he kneeled in front of her, right now avoiding looking weak was a distant thought. Back in Seven, the deceased are gifted a branch with flowers at its end𑁋 Something to remember home in the afterlife they say.
He didn't have any, so he settled for a button on his jacket. It wasn't enough but at least it was something. He carefully took her uninjured arm, placed the button in her palm, and closed it.
Coral's scream shook him back to reality. He quickly stood up and ran back to the pack. They must've chased Lucy Gray but to no use. She hid again. It was starting to get annoying.
The pack walked back to the bottles shamefully but when Tanner actually reached for one𑁋the only one?𑁋 Coral spoke condescendingly "You think you deserve that water now, Tanner?"
Tanner's patience finally ran out and he walked to Coral, gripping his sickle tightly, ready to swing it at any moment. The air became even more tense when Mizzen took his knife out of his pocket.
"Look, you just said 'watch the beam'" Tanner said, dragging each word.
Treech couldn't help but laugh. Coral was bossy, very bossy. Watching someone finally put her in her place was entertaining𑁋especially after what she did to Lamina.
The amusement was short-lived. Without hesitation, Coral quickly grabbed the boy by his shoulder and pierced her pitchfork right through his stomach.
Treech was sure he stopped breathing for a moment as he looked at Tanner lying on the ground, shaking uncontrollably.
What the fuck?! This is what we're doing? Are we killing even each other?
Coral wasn't going to kill Mizzen. Treech saw how different she was around him. She never shouted or ordered him around like she did with Tanner and him. Was Treech next? He wasn't stupid. He knew Coral wouldn't play fair but he hoped to at least get to the final four until the pack started killing each other. But he was wrong...
Shivers covered his body when Tanner looked at him. He never looked so small. Even in the bloodbath, he looked exhilarated. But now, as he grabbed the pitchfork with his weak hands and tried to pull it off, he looked pathetic.
"Coral! It's Wovey. The little one from eight." Mizzen informed when the little girl appeared behind some rocks.
Treech grabbed the weapon that was deep inside Tanner's stomach and pulled it out forcefully. He tried to ignore the chilling sound of the blood gushing out of his body. Coral grabbed it and said "This should be easy"
He looked back one last time at the boy's shivering body and the need to rub his hands became almost ineluctable𑁋but how can so much blood be washed off?
He forced that thought at the back of his head and ran with the other two.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I can't believe I never said it here but IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY A COUPLE DAYS AGO!!! Yeyyy
ANYWAYS. It's finally the weekend so I can read some more. I'm currently on ch4 of Tbosas and so far Lucy Gray is such an unbothered queen. Also, Dill is so feisty. And I love Snow's inner thoughts cuz he is lowkey such a self-centered nerd.
