Snow *Sometimes* Lands on Top | an alternate, fan-made, Hunger Games story

12| Back to the Seam

No POV:

Having slightly recovered from the head injury and the fog that came with it, Coriolanus confirms that he'll be alright to come along on the trip back to the Seam.

The two of them pack up their valuables -anything they wouldn't want stolen if someone were to stumble upon their camp- to bring with them.
Coriolanus happens to catch sight of Lucy Gray packing the white rose he'd given her. This gives reason for him to smile, so he begins the day in a sunny mood.
However, the morning isn't all that sunny- the overcast skies cast just enough darkness to help them stay hidden.

...

Leaving the rest of the camp behind, to make it easier to find on the way back, they set out on their hike.

The walk only ends up taking around thirty minutes to complete, making it all the way from camp to the chain-link fence surrounding the Seam. -and that's with the extra precautions taken.
District 12 is packed full of hidden dangers, as to be expected from a place consisting of mountainous terrain, old trees that tower above your head, and deep roots imbedded in the ground beneath your feet.
Truly beautiful, but yet so... mysterious.
...
Knowing of these hazards doesn't phase them, as their interlocked fingers bring an incomprehensible sense of security. Although, neither of them really know why.

Could it be that they've come to trust each other in the fullest? Or that they've each forgiven the other for any wrongs made in the past? So many unanswered questions... but one thing's for sure, any attempt to separate them at this point would be a feeble one.

As they reach the damaged fence, Lucy Gray has no trouble in finding a large enough hole to fit through. After helping Coriolanus climb through, she suggests that they pull their hoods over their heads to conceal their identities.
-The more covered the better, it's far safer to cover any defining features until they're sure the coast is clear.

They start through town, scoping out their surroundings as they go, hand in hand.

Locals pay them no mind as they walk, being too wrapped up in the tasks or destinations of their own.
However, as the Hanging Tree comes into view, Lucy Gray feels Coriolanus become tense.
Guilt and sorrow are only a few things that begin flooding through his veins, weighing on his conscience. He's caught off-guard as Lucy Gray pulls him by the arm into a deserted alleyway, ducking behind some old garbage cans

"You're okay, I'm here. I know it's hard, but you've gotta push through this." She tries to comfort him

"I can't... I killed Sejanus- and for what?" Tears threaten to fall from his eyes, although they're halted as Lucy Gray wipes them away with her sleeve.
"We all do things we're not proud of. Fear does that to people." She sits down beside him on the filthy cement, taking his trembling hand in her own "Just know that I forgive you. It's only us now, you're what matters to me."

"But-" he tries to continue

"I understand why it hurts. Do you think I meant to kill everyone that I've killed? Not everything works out as intended. Plans don't always work. Sometimes they backfire. You did what you thought was right... it was the others who decided the rest." She helps him back to his feet, brushing the dirt from his backside before leading him back on track.
"You're what keeps me going... a glimmer of hope in a world full of evil. Please stay with me."
...

Putting more distance between Coriolanus and the Hanging Tree proves effective. Lucy Gray occasionally glances to his face to check his expression, with him catching her gaze a few times. He smiles a little.

Despite the streets being barren and lacking the bustle that she remembers, the alleyways are where everyone's at.
"Something must've happened here... now there's finding out exactly what." she whispers to Coriolanus as they walk side by side
"Right." He acknowledges, trying to keep his voice down as well.