daylight

chapter five. . . homecoming

THE HUNGER GAMES HAD GONE ON LONGER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED DUE TO THE ARENA'S BOMBING. Instead lasting a record of five days rather than the usual five hours. Of course, no one in the districts knew what was happening besides the three or four families with TVs tuned in. The Covey had begged and pleaded with Thalia to let them watch the games unfold, but her parents had become overwhelming strict; it's like they knew she'd brought Maude Ivory in. Thalia was secretly relieved, as she couldn't dare look at the screen, scared that at any minute an image of her best friend's mutilated corpse would appear on the screen. Couple that with the information her sister was a peacekeeper target for her supposed rebel tendencies—Thalia was having a rough couple of days.

She flocked to the meadow, hoping to lose herself in songwriting like Lucy Gray always seemed to do. Nature and the surrounding environment calmed her down, once she lay in the grass and breathed in the fresh air. She pulled out her notebook, scanning over the lyrics she'd written yesterday. It was going to be a simple song—but she hardly cared. She didn't have Lucy Gray's talent for poetry and lyricism, she just had the love in her heart she wished to convey.

As she reflected on the conversation she had with her sister last night, she put her pen down, realising that this song had to be about more than just Lucy Gray. More than just a stupid little crush. Thalia took in the words again, reading it from a different perspective. Sure, from one angle someone could argue it's a poem to a lost lover, but they could as argue that it's a lullaby between siblings. She smiled, crossing a few lines out to craft a more nuanced version of her original song.

The song was still written—and maybe even meant to be performed—for Lucy Gray, but it made Thalia's heart swell that she could try and find a way to comfort her older sister.

Dorcas had done everything for Thalia, ever since she was young. She was a third parent, an attentive and loving sister and a silent confidant. Thalia would never be able to undo what that peacekeeper put her through—and there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to prevent it from happening again—but as she wrote her song, her insides warmed at the idea she was doing something for her sister.

She felt guilty for taking what was supposed to be a love ballad to Lucy Gray and turning it into a heartfelt lullaby for her sister. However, it's not like if she showed it to the brunette, her best friend wouldn't be able to take some meaning from it. After all, it was still blatantly obvious who it was originally intended for.

Thalia beamed with pride when the song finally felt complete. She sang it all the way through, cringing at her voice and how it felt too fast in places—then too soft in others. However, it was a first draft. By the time Lucy Gray was back she'd have it perfect; with the way the games are going, Thalia would have a lot of time to practice.

New lyrics, that didn't fit the song she was currently crafting popped into her mind, and she wrote them down on a different page, hoping to finish that later. Something about hoping the message would get to Lucy Gray in the Capitol. . .

She sighed, getting up and heading home before the sun even reached its peak. She got home in record time, to see her sister's watching the screen eagerly; they gestured for Thalia to quickly join them. "Your timing's astoundin'. Lucy Gray's just made her appearance," Dorcas called out, pulling Thalia down. "She's in the top five. . . she might actually win this," Thalia wanted to scowl at her sister for even implying Lucy Gray couldn't win, but she knew it was what everyone else was thinking.

"What's that doin'?" Dawn asked, crawling forward to get a better look at the screen. Her sister also tried to get a better look at the hovercraft placing the middle of the arena.

The camera focused on Lucky Flickerman as he made a joke about it being candy. Dorcas rolled her eyes, " 'Course he'd think it was somethin' innocent as that. Not with the president's son dead—"