𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐉𝐀𝐘 ☘︎ 7

We end up going to the woods before we go. Cressida wanted to see it. Then I mention the lake that I once met Bonnie and Twill at. Where I learned to swim. I later cursed myself. Why did I mention that? Of course they wanted a look.

So we hike the hour's walk to get there, then, finally, sit down and eat our lunch on the rocks beside the water, reflecting off the sunny blue sky.

I drink basically all my flask water as everyone else eats. My appetite never recovered from the last games. Then I feel Pollux nudging me. He gestures up to he birds in the sky. I instantly recognise them.

"Yeah," I nod and smile. "That's a mockingjay."

He smiles widely and lets out a low whistle. They copy it, one bird to the other, until the whole sky is singing.

"Now they'll never shut up," Gale rolls his eyes.

"How about you shut up?" I snap at him, turning to Pollux.

And suddenly, he's gesturing to me again. Words... coming out of a mouth...?

"You want me to sing?" I finally make sense of the mixed messages. He nods.

I try to think of a song. There's a few that are circulating my brain, all tributes to my father, but I know that the one I choose will drive the Capitol crazy.

"Are you, are you, coming to the tree?

Where they strung up a man, they say who murdered three

Strange things did happen there, no stranger would it be

If we met, at midnight, in the hanging tree

Are you, are you, coming to the tree?

Where a dead man called out, for his love to flee

Strange things did happen there, no stranger would it be

If we met, at midnight, in the hanging tree

Are you, are you, coming to the tree?

Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free

Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be

If we met, at midnight, in the hanging tree

Are you, are you, coming to the tree?

Wear a necklace of hope, side by side with me

Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be

If we met, as midnight, in the hanging tree."

I stop, slowly panting as the mockingjays start to copy the song. Well at least-

Oh. Oh no. About three metres away from me, Cressida and Castor stand. Cressida's in glee and Castor's got his helmet with cameras on either side on. I curse internally.

"That was brilliant!" Cressida grinned. "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"I wasn't doing it for the cameras," I say, lowering my head. But I remember how I learned it clear as day in my head.

My father had been singing to Gale, newborn Rory and me when Gale asked him to sing something that wasn't some 'stupid soppy love song'. I had laughed as my father shook his head.

So he sung us that song. A song that defied the Capitol. It was still a love song, but Gale didn't care. Neither of us did.

That was when my mother got home. She had yelled at my father and scared the three of us to death. She had scared us to death, then spoke more softly, telling us to forget every word.