The Hunger Games : The Songbird's Legacy

Prologue

     I peered through the brush, watching as Coriolanus picked up the scarf. My heart was pounding in my chest as his cry reverberated through the woods. The snake had bitten him. Maybe that would make him leave and never come back, leave me to myself. Sejanus had trusted him, and he was dead. Who was to say I wouldn't end up the same way? I sat in silence as I watched his next moves carefully. He rolled down his sleeve, as if to ignore the snake bite. My eyes flicked to his rifle. If he figured out I was still there, in the branches, I would surely be dead. All I had was a knife. His face lit up in realization, and I knew Coriolanus knew my plan. I didn't care if he heard me anymore as my survival instincts kicked in. I have to get back to the cabin. I had never fired a gun before, but that didn't matter. I could figure it out. I knew how loud I was, crashing through the leaves and sticks and mud. Certainly Coriolanus would hear me. I didn't even bother to look back in his direction, terrified that he was chasing after me. It was the Hunger Games all over again. It wouldn't end until one of us was dead. I heard the rifle fire and screamed, throwing myself to the ground. Maybe, it could end with both of us alive. I wouldn't have to kill Coriolanus if he thought I was dead and returned to the Peacekeepers. I laid still in the mud, willing myself not to move. "Lucy Gray," His voice echoed through the trees. My lungs tightened. Don't. Move. I told myself. Even the slightest movement, the quietest noise could alert him to my location. He knew I was there, and he was looking for me. "Lucy Gray. It's not too late to work something out." I resisted the urge to scoff. Of course it was. He was trying to kill me, like he did Sejanus. "Lucy Gray, won't you talk to me?" Coriolanus continued. No. I won't talk. But I'll sing. To let you know why I'm doing this. To tell you that I know you killed Sejanus, just like you killed Mayfair and Bobbin without a second thought. I knew I was safe, that the mockingjays would pick up my song. He had always hated those pretty birds.

"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

There.  I thought. I couldn't have been any clearer that I knew. I knew he had ratted out Sejanus. And he would kill me for fear that I would betray him. He was the one betraying me. I was wrong to ever trust him. I heard a single footstep crunch through the leaves as he came toward me. Then a mockingjay began mimicking the song. More heard it and copied it. More and more echoed through the trees until forest sung back the hanging tree. I heard him furiously yell my name, but I wasn't going to respond and give away my location. My beautiful birds were still repeating back the song when I heard the bullets start to fire. I instinctively pressed myself deeper in the mud, my hands over my head. At any moment, I expected the bullets to fly through the forest, hitting trees and tearing through my flesh. But it didn't come. Instead I heard the mockingjays echo of my song be cut off into pained or terrified squawks. I opened my eyes to see countless mockingjays falling to the ground. He's shooting the mockingjays! He had always hated those clever, pretty birds. The storm of bullets stopped and apart from a moment of mockingjays flying away frightfully, the woods was silent. Despite being in a very uncomfortable position on the forest floor, I didn't move. I couldn't. With no more mockingjays or wildlife in the area, even the slightest movement would alert Coriolanus to my location. Fortunately, after a few moments I heard his heavy footfalls moving away from me. Even then, I waited at least ten minutes before I dared to move again. He probably thought I was dead, or at least injured. But I wasn't. I was a survivor, a victor, and I wasn't going to let such a despicable person kill me. Not after I trusted him.