𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐊 | 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡

seventeen

Treech made a conscious decision to keep his distance from Lucy Gray after his initial pursuit. Despite her remarkable evasion skills, she hadn't posed any threat to him. He chose to ignore her when she was disposing of their water bottles and even went as far as aiding her escape by diverting attention away from her with a well-aimed drone aimed at Coral. It had been a simple task.

Now, with their search for Wovey yielding no results, they redirected their focus back to Lucy Gray, who had taken refuge in the duct.

"Hey, go grab a spear and try to force her back as much as you can. Trust me." Coral instructed Mizzen. Mizzen nodded, swiftly making his way through the turnstiles and towards a nearby pile of rubble.

Mizzen climbed up to where the duct that Lucy Gray was hiding in, "Here, birdy, birdy, birdy," Mizzen called out teasingly before thrusting the spear into the vent, causing Lucy Gray to retreat further. "Don't be scared."

"Don't run away." Mizzen's taunts cut through the air as his spear thrust once more, driving Lucy Gray to keep moving. Above, Lucy Gray's movements danced across the vent, a precarious ballet to evade her pursuer.

"Shhh. Quiet," Coral's hushed command reached Treech's ears amidst the chaos. "Listen..."

Treech obeyed, his gaze fixated on the vent above as he felt dust particles cascade down around him. Blinking rapidly, he shifted to the side, gesturing for Coral to take his place. "Coral," he whispered urgently, pointing upwards to where he had been moments before.

Coral swiftly stepped into Treech's spot just as Coriolanus burst into the room, his concern palpable. "Lucy Gray, is she alright?" he inquired, his voice edged with worry.

"She won't be for long," Festus answered, his attention riveted to the screen before him, the events unfolding with an intensity that held them all in thrall.

Cordelia's intuition pricked at her, sensing something amiss with Treech. Rising from her seat, she approached the screen just as he brought a hand up to his nose, eyes widening at the sight of blood on his fingertips. "I've got you now, songbird," Coral's triumphant declaration pierced the tension, echoing with a chilling finality.

"Wait, what's wrong with Treech?" Cordelia's heart raced as she leaned closer to the screen, her eyes fixed on Treech's distress. He kept bringing his hand up to his nose, his movements erratic and concerning.

Meanwhile, Coral's sudden thrusts with her trident into the vent startled the audience, eliciting gasps and exclamations.

As Treech fell to his knees, coughing and struggling to breathe, Cordelia's concern deepened. "Did Coral do something to Treech?" she turned to Festus, seeking answers, but received only silence in response. Panic welled up inside her, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Treech, still coughing and visibly distressed, removed his jacket as he tried to steady himself on his hands. Coral, relentless in her assault on the vent, paid no heed to Treech's suffering until, with a final shove, the vent broke, sending Lucy Gray and Coral tumbling to the ground.

"What did she do to him?" Cordelia's voice trembled with worry as she spoke to herself, her gaze darting to Coriolanus, who muttered to himself. Confusion and fear gnawed at her mind. What had Lucy Gray done to Treech? Cordelia couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that Lucy Gray might have something on her that led to his death. The eerie coincidence of Dill's mysterious demise after consuming water left by Lucy Gray lingered in her mind, casting a shadow of doubt over the current situation. Now, faced with yet another tragedy, Cordelia couldn't ignore the unsettling feeling that there might be more to Lucy Gray's actions than met the eye.