The family ties of Lily Juniper Abernathy (book 3)

Chapter 4

Me and Finnick walked hand-in-hand in complete silence. He broke away and headed into the fishmonger's. He was going to go tell Charlie and I was going to go and tell my dad. We looked back at each other for a second, locked in each other's eyes until he sharply turned and shut the door behind him. I walked back through the Seam. If the mental home became a more permenant thing, which seemed very likely, Finn was going to be a single parent. I needed to get some money together. I went to a stall holder, removed my beloved Butterfly pendant and mumbled "How much?"

The stall holder stared at it "You- you want me to buy that from you?"

I nodded.

"But, you're Lily- you're the butterfly- you can't sell that!"

"I can if I need the money- just the chain though."

"Well," The stall holder's brow furrowed "I don't have enough to buy it from you anyway- I have enough for the chain, but, the butterfly's got gems in so..."

I sighed and nodded- 12's people have always been poor and probably always will be.

He slipped the butterfly off the chain and put it in a small pouch with some money in "There you go?"

"Thanks." I mumbled

I carried on through the Seam and got stopped by what might be fate. Jodie was sat on the floor curled up in a ball.

I gently shook her "Jodie, come on, Sae's probably going..." I was going to say out of her mind but it seemed ironic. I paused "Your grandma will be wondering where you've gone- she'll be worried sick."

She stopped rocking and looked at me, blinking. I tied a knot in the pouch and showed her that it jingled. Her eyes widened and she got up following me. I led her into the main hub of the market and down an alley to the black market- the hob.

"OH THANK GOD FOR THAT!" Sae said dropping the soup ladle and throwing her arms around Jodie. She was pointing at the bag.

"What's in there?" Sae said slowly

"I'm putting some money aside for Charlie- just because, you never know?"

She nodded "That's sensible of you girl-" She nodded at Jodie as she wandered round "Got left with nothing when my son and her mother died."

I took a coin out and sighed hard- I gave one to Jodie: she seemed pretty excited about how shiny it was- I took my butterfly out- and handed the bag to Sae "Here."

She stared at it "Are- Lily I can't take this?"

"You can and you will." I said firmly "Anyway, I gotta go."

"Wait, at least take some soup or something then I don't feel like I'm robbing you?"

"Okay."

I went over to her stall. I looked over some of the things and found a small pocket knife. That'll do.

"Thanks so much Lily- I- I don't know what to say?"

I held up the knife "I've bought something off you so, doesn't matter...I'll see you and Jodie around sometime?"

She nodded "See you later Lily."

I headed across out the market and further down the road. I got past a few of the old houses and I don't know what made me but I ran as fast as I could and slip under the fence into the forest. I ran and ran until I stumbled over a tree root and crashed to the earth. I led there, breathing heavily and tearing grass out of the ground watching birds fly over head. I heard a growl to oneside of me. I sat up and gasped. A wolf was snarling at me. I jokingly told Finn there were wolves in 12. But, I never expected to actually find one here. I turned and started running as hard as I could, tripping and stumbling in the thickets as the animal pursued snapping through the branches.

"HELP!" I screamed. I turned and dived into a bush. It growled and slowly padded towards me. I never actually would even make it home to tell my dad how much I loved him and never explain how I'd be okay. And Charlie. My little boy. I'd never get to hold him again. So I got the knife. I'd slit it's throat and run home as fast as I could. I sprang from the bush and as I slashed through it's skin, blood running down my arm and splattering on my face. At that exact same moment an arrow stuck in it's snout. I clambered out and saw Katniss stood further up in the clearing on a small ledge, bow in hand.

"You okay?!" She called running over to me and examining my arm, wiping the wolf blood away

I nodded slowly. She looked over the body "Who knew? And-" She paused giggling "Nice knife work."

"Thanks, the fact that I've just killed what probably was the only wolf in 12 really sits well with me?" I looked into the sky "I better be getting home."

"They'll be more- somewhere." She said slowly "The forest is huge."

"What do I do with that?" I nodded at the wolf's body

"You could leave and let nature take it's course, or, sell it, trade it?"

I frowned "You wanna trade it?"

Katniss

I didn't have anything to trade for something as rare as a wolf. I wished the kill was mine- Gale would be so jealous...Gale. I had to admit I missed him. He, just like the forests, were part of me. Not even time could change that. I turned to Lily "There's a lot of meat and fur there- I have nothing good enough to trade?"

She paused and mumbled "I'm going away for a while: look after my dad, make sure he's okay, and you can have it."

I knew that still wasn't enough.

"I don't want to rip you off?"

She smiled "That's not ripping me off?"

"What if we meet here every so often?" I said- hunting wasn't as good alone and judging by that slash in the wolf's throat she'd be good as long as she didn't fall- "And I'll show you how to hunt?"

She nodded and frowned "That's if...I come back."

"Why?" I said slowly "You going to your mom's?"

If she was I knew Rosie would be crushed. Haymitch would be crushed: Lily and Charlie are the only family he's got.

"No...I've been assigned to have three days in a mental rehab." She sighed hard "That's why I think I came in here: blow off some steam."

I couldn't say anything for a few minutes "Why are they sending you there?"

She shrugged "They can't seem to cure me from my nightmares so, they're sending me there: something about emotional trauma being a factor...Anyway, I'll see you around."

I paused and mumbled "See you?"