The Little Crow

Chapter Twenty Six - [Hopeful]

Hi everyone!

As promised, here is the second chapter for today! Enjoy! As always, would love to hear your thoughts of the story so far in the comments! 

Don't forget to vote!

Love,
Luckycharms <3

P.S. things are finally beginning to pick up between Thea and Niall ;) hehe

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The General drove Thea back down to the hostel, and though it was nearly three in the morning by the time they were driving, sleep was the last thing on Thea's mind. "Rue... doesn't seem like a man who would write poetry," she said as she continued to flip through his book. She pictured him in her head, looming and angry and large, his beard long and his hair longer.

She always pictured poets to be more... approachable.

"Neither did I," Niall said, as he drove.

"Listen to this one," Thea held to book up in front of her.

The moon is hidden behind the shadows
Of the trees. The canopy a shelter,
I am lost when I stare into the flames.
The heat of the fire throbbing against
My skin. The smoke stings me with every breath
but it is pleasant, reminding me of
Mother and the logs she burned to keep us
Warm.

Then I hear the droning of the air crafts
Coming from above me. It is followed
By the squealing sound of shells falling from
The sky. Once again, I am reminded
of my mother as I close my eyes and
Hear the explosions and the screams. I see
Mother in my mind, blood on the floor still
Warm.

Thea saw the General wince, and even Thea felt a shudder run through her as she thought of this mother... maybe his mother.

Rue had told her that the book would show her what he was fighting for, and pushing aside all the poems she had skimmed through, the first poem seemed explanation enough.

Rue had a brother.

Maybe that was why he opened up to her. Maybe for once, Rue felt he could relate to her. He had, after all, told her about this notebook after she had told him that she was fighting for her own brother.

Rue was fighting for his brother too. A brother who had died.

A brother who had died... protecting him, it seemed.

When Niall pulled up in front of the hostel, she looked at him with a smile. "Thank you–"

"I know you're going to want to stay up all night reading this, but you need to sleep, Thea," he said. "You'll be able to work much more effectively if you're not exhausted."

She nodded, knowing he was right, but just as she was going to promise him that she would go right to sleep, she realized something. Turning to look at the entrance of the hostel, she let out a soft, worried gasp, trying not to curse.

"What?" Niall asked.

She put a hand over her face. "I was so worried about finding Rue's book that I forgot about the curfew."

Niall raised a brow. "Curfew?"

"Wait," Thea opened the door. "Maybe Bailey is awake." She was awake last time... but to be fair, last time Thea didn't come home well past two in the morning. She got out of the car, ran towards the door and tried opening it.