as good as dead - coriolanus x lucygray

chapter 3 - lucy gray

"It's Lucy, not Lucille Mr. Mayor." I say through my teeth.

His tall stature was a little shorter than the door, he looked different since I last saw him. Could've it been the grief over his daughter? He looks exhausted as the dark and husky lighting in the hallway didn't help but make his eyebags more noticeable. There were two peacekeepers behind him, giving no emotion in their blankness expressions. I wonder if they knew Coriolanus..

That's when I saw the last peacekeeper. He was behind Maude Ivory who was behind the previous two peacekeepers. My mind became nothing but filled with rage. They were after me not her, not anyone else in the Covey just me. I could see the fear in her eyes, oh how I just wanted to run to her and give her the biggest hug I could. To be able to comfort her.

"I fear as though that will no longer be your name, Lucille Gray." The Mayor said as he toned his voice as he said that name, like he was proud of it. His chapped lips curl up in a smirk. "I believe as though your presence is wanted in the Capitol."

I was still on what he said about my name before it hit me what he said about the Capitol, they already knew I was back? 

"I-I.. How did.." My words break as I try to speak, I couldn't help hide the nervousness in my voice. "Ahem.. Why are they requesting my presence?" I clear my voice.

I look towards the guards eyes, in hopes of trying to get a glimmer of emotion from them. When I don't get anything, I glance towards Maude Ivory. Her eyes were trying to be hopeful, I could see that, but we both knew what the Capitol requesting me meant.

"I'm afraid Lucille that I'm not at liberty to discuss what will transpire. My job was to simply find you and get you back on a train as fast as I could." He said, "I was also told that if you tried to attempt anything that it'd be acceptable for any.. how do I put this, any punishments that your 'Covey' would be the first to know about your actions." He said with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, was he really getting off to the idea that they would be hurt?

The peacekeeper that was standing behind Maude Ivory had then grabbed a hold of her arm, just based off of her reaction it hurt.

"Well then lets get on that train right away why don't we?" I say with a forced smile at the end. Please let this be enough to let that man lighten up his grip around her arm.

"I'm so glad you're so eager to see the Capitol again," The Mayor stepped back in the hallway, in order for me to walk in front of them essentially leading the way. "I just know that you'll have a luxury experience there Miss Gray."

I give him a half-assed side smirk. I lead the way through the hall of the pub and up the stairs. It wasn't until we hit the surface where the guard that once was forcibly holding Maude Ivory had let her go and shooed her away. Like she wasn't gonna follow us to the train.. 

As I walked through town for the second time today there we're more eyes than last time on me. I guess by that time word had surely gotten around that I was being taken back to the Capitol. Maude Ivory had been trying to keep up with us the best as she could but the Mayor was practically making us run to the train station. As we got closer to the train, memories started to wipe my mind.. of the last time I had gotten on a train. It was so I could be sent to my death..

That stench of that train cart could be smelled from outside of it. The hard and dirty floor that Jessup and I were forced to sleep on. The bats weren't there originally, the train cart itself wasn't the best made as the weld job on it easily started to come undone by the time we had gotten to District 11. That's when the bats were able to sneak their way in and didn't leave us until we got to the Capitol.

This time though, this train car was the polar opposite. It was sterling silver looking, like they had put actual care into making it presentable. There was windows too and not just a big door that you had to put all your bodyweight into to open. This must've been another thing that Coriolanus put into plan for the tributes..

I stood outside the door of the car, hesitant to open the door. I didn't trust anything Capitol, didn't matter if we we're the furthest possible distance away from it. Capitol is Capitol, that's the one thing he taught me. I had just grabbed the handle of the door by the time that Maude Ivory had caught up to us.

"Lucy Gray!" she shouted, she was kept away by the peacekeepers that held her back. "Lucy Gray! Please misters let me say goodbye!" she yelled at them. By now there was a crowd surrounding  the train tracks, the same set of eyes were following us as we walked through town. 

"Let me say goodbye her to please Mr. Mayor." I whip my head around to face him, with pleading eyes.

His eyes were distasteful, unhappy at my request. I have no doubt about it that he was going to say no until the crowd started to get rowdy, starting shouting their goodbyes at me, starting screaming at the Mayor to let me say goodbye. I could see the anger in his eyes. "Make it quick." He said under his breathe.

I ran off the steps of the train and into Maude Ivory's arms. Her quick embrace meant that we we're both thinking the same thing, this might be our last hug. I can feel the tears hit my shirt and she begins to cry.

"Maude Ivory I love you so god damn much okay?" I being as the tears start to form in my eyes "You're such a beautiful young lady and I know that one day I'll get to see you again." My voice began to break.

"Lucy Gray please.." She says muffled into my chest.

I pull her away and bend down to look into her eyes, "Sweetheart you will be the strongest you have ever been okay? You will make sure the Covey survives and continues to play music no matter what okay??" I look at her for reassurance. She nods her head as her weeps begin to make it out.

I pull her into me one last time, "I love you so much." I say before I kiss her forehead. I just sit there for a moment, trying to embrace her for as long as I can, try to smell her enough to last a lifetime as I know that I'll miss the way her curly blond hair always somehow smells like flowers.

"Goodbye Maude Ivory."

"Goodbye Lucy Gray." Her voice cracks as she speaks.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

tysm for all the upvotes!! i love seeing y'all support me, i also made a playlist for songs i listen to while writing, ill leave it in the comments if any of you are interested!