Raison D'être - Treech

[ 12 - snow melts ]

PRISCILLA WAS LED to the student's section, sitting down next to Lysistrata. "It's not your fault," Lysistrata stated. "It is. I was assigned to be his mentor. I promised him I'd drag him out alive." Priscilla declared with a shaky voice. Lysistrata shook her head, putting a stroke of Priscilla's curled hair behind her ear.

Priscilla undid Treech's band on her wrist and squeezed it in her hands. The vision hadn't become sharp enough for her to see. She only heard some noises and Wovey's voice,

"Is it over?" She sniffled. "Can we go home now?" Wovey asked. "Wovey," Reaper warned. "Please!" The girl sobbed before thousands of rainbow snakes flew on her, Wovey's scream filling the hall.

"Not candy! Down goes Wovey." Lucky commented, making Priscilla and Lysistrata change their faces in disgusted ones.

Mizzen, Lucy Gray, and Coral started running. One of the snakes spun around Mizzen's ankle, making him fall to the ground and yell for help. Coral hesitated, before running away once again. Persephone scoffed and left to sit down next to Lysistrata and Priscilla.

Reaper just knelt still, letting the snakes have him. "Lucy Gray, wait!" Coral sobbed, falling on her stomach, snakes slowly catching her. "Lucy, I'm begging you!" She cried out, snakes wrapping around her neck.

"It's not fair." She sobbed. "It's not. I can't have killed them all for nothing." Coral cried. She rolled down from the beam and choked out from the snakes.

"And that is goodbye to Festus Creed. Have a nice summer. Now, all colors lead to Gray." Lucky spoke.

"She's won." Coriolanus gasped with a smile. "It's over, she's won." He stated, walking over to Lucky. "She's won, let her out!" "Afraid that's not your call to make, Mr. Snow," Lucky mumbled.

Snakes approached Lucy Gray. "You're headed... for heaven..." She sang. " The sweet old hereafter. And I've got one foot in the door. But before I can fly up, I've loose ends to tie up. Right here in the old therebefore, I'll be along.."

"Dr. Gaul, she won. It's over let her out." Coriolanus asked. But Dr. Gaul just watched the screen with an anxious look on her face. "Why aren't they attacking her?" Festus asked. "The singing. It must calm them down."

The snakes wouldn't bite me if they recognized my scent, The words spoken by Clemensia snapper in Priscilla's mind. Now, she didn't pay attention to anything else.

Where was Coriolanus before Treech died? He wasn't with Lysistrata.

"She can't sing forever," Festus stated. "I'll catch you up when I've emptied my cup. When I've worn out my friends when I've burned out both ends. When I've cried all my tears, when  I've conquered my right here in the old therebefore" Lucy Gray was still singing, snakes wrapping around her body.

"When nothing is left anymore, I'll bring the news, when I've danced off my shoes when my body's closed down..." Priscilla could see people's eyes watering. Her own were too. But not because of Lucy Gray's singing. Because somewhere deep in her mind, a thought that Coriolanus cheated appeared slowly.

"When my folks run aground, when I've tallied the score I'm flat on the floor, right here
in the old therebefore. When nothing is left anymore..." Lucy Gray stopped, looking straight at the camera. "When I'm pure like a dove, when I've learned how to love."

"Right here in the old therebefore. When nothing is left anymore." She sang quietly, preparing for her death. "Dr. Gaul, please. Get her out." Coriolanus asked. "Get her out!" Tigris shouted. Students started yelling the same words, while Priscilla sat still in her place.

The snakes would've been done by now. Lucy Gray would be dead. But she's alive.

"Who will watch the Games if there's no victor?" Coriolanus asked. The only person to notice Priscilla's behavior was Lysistrata. "What's wrong?" She asked, but Priscilla remained silent. "Pria," She hummed.

The chanting stopped. Students tensed for a moment before Lucky laughed. "She's won!  Lucy Gray!" Cheers filled the hall. Everyone except for Priscilla and Lysistrata was happy. "Coriolanus Snow is the winner of the 10th Annual Hunger Games!"

Students ran to Coriolanus, and so did Priscilla. She pushed through the crowd and without any hesitation, her fist flew into Coriolanus' cheek.

The guy almost fell, holding the place where Priscilla hit him. "How could you do this to us?" She asked. "Priscilla come on," Lysistrata whispered, grabbing her classmate's arm, but Pria shoved her off.

"Just say it, Priscilla. You're jealous that I won. Once again." Coriolanus grinned. "You really think you won?" Priscilla scoffed, stepping closer. "You're a cheater, Coriolanus. And I'll make sure Highbottom finds out about this." She whispered. "You're a liar." Through all the tears that were streaming down her cheek, she pushed herself back to the exit and left the hall.

"What was that, Ms. Trinket?" She heard behind her before she could even leave the Academy. Highbottom. "He deserved it." She stated.

"Why?" He asked, walking closer. Priscilla cleared her throat, squeezing Treech's band in her pocket. "Coriolanus, he... he cheated." She declared.

Priscilla wouldn't betray any of her classmates even in another life. But when Treech died, she felt like it was unnecessary. Maybe because it was? Or maybe because she wanted to know what would happen if he won.

"Do you have... something that can prove it?" Highbottom asked, taking her words seriously. "Not long ago, my best friend was bitten by Dr. Gaul's snakes. They wouldn't do that if they knew her scent." Priscilla started. "Later, I asked my father why couldn't Dr. Gaul calm them down to not bite Clemm... Ms. Dovecote. He said that nothing can calm them down, only the familiar scent. I suggest you check the whole arena." She explained, before taking one step out. "Have a good night." She added and left the Academy.

Once Priscilla came back home, she dreamt about diving into her sheets and just let out all the tears. She hated everything and everyone, including herself. How could she possibly let Treech die?

How could she allow something more to happen between them? Something similar to friendship.

While the hot water ran down on her body, Priscilla let out single tears stream down her face. Why couldn't she be like everyone else in the Capitol? It would be easier if she just left Treech behind.

She would forget about the 10th Hunger Games, forget about being a mentor and most of all, forget about Treech.

But did she want to forget him?

₊˚•. ↳  a/n
have a meme bc why not