Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

treech remembers everything

he remembers everything so well he might’ve been priding himself on it. He remembers all his older brothers birthday’s , where his home is located ; right upon the flat land of district seven, close to the riverbank that only he knows about, hidden with foliage and the tall lumber of the beautiful pine trees.

treech remembers everything..except..
treech wasn’t exactly very school oriented, he’s never been. the years after the war were hard, of course. he was missing at least up to his fourth grade education when they were all rounded up by peacekeepers, sealed into the districts for what felt like entirety. math struck him funny , he read and write just as fine as the next person . yet math seemed to always get him hunched over and frustrated , often at times just avoiding it all together. All the school children bunched up together in one damp smelling ‘classroom’ to talk about god knows what and god who cares ?

treech remembers everything like..
lamina. how could he not remember her ? she’s a year or two younger than him , yet he always joked how she seemed to be ‘fifteen going on fifty’ with her introverted yet ‘stick in the mud’ attitude. he had always seen her as some dork with unkempt red hair. they had met..around the time of young children , treech roughly being around nine and lamina being seven. both their fathers worked around the same mill, handling lumber for days and days to come. something inevitably treech would soon come to do , his three older brothers already had begun. him and lamina didn’t get very close until..

treech remembers..
ma. ‘ma’ was a young woman , or so treech could remember. she had warm..warm hands, hands that would caress treech’s young face, still riddled with soft baby fat. he was attached to his mother, no doubt about it of course. he was the youngest , and it lead to him being a bit coddled, as much as he hated to admit it. ma had the same soft curls he did and the same olive toned skin , she sang..if he could recall that correctly. usually in her rocking chair that his pa made for her probably before treech himself was born. in his faint memories he could recall her singing and her voice , distantly unknown vowels and certain repetitions of the tongue. a language treech never knew. after the war, all of panem had mostly been assimilated into one. almost like one large organism. and lost important things for many, that meant language, language from places far far ago. whenever ma must’ve came from at least.

illnesses. illnesses ran rapid after the war. of course. tuberculosis was one disease , rich or poor it didn’t discriminate. it simply pointed at random people along the paths of life and chose their targets accordingly. treech remembers how faint his ma looked, laying on the bed with some cold wash cloth against her forehead. ma’s mousey curled hair spread across her pillow, finally let down from the bun she had always wore. treech , of course , was at her bedside, sitting in some ragged old chair that was half a peg down. coughs had flooded the dusty air, sounding like she was hacking up a lung. in his mind, his eleven year old mind . he could’ve saved her, but in the end, it didn’t matter how much water he gently poured into her chapped and bloodied mouth..she was ill. ma had succumbed to her illness in the silent night , pa right by her side and he had to break the news. the sweet sacred language ma sang of was gone.

treech remembers..
grieving. oh he hates it..! he actually..couldn’t remember much of the whole ordeal, gripping onto one of his brothers and crying himself to sleep. but he knew ma, ma was now shelled up, into a small lumber ridden box. sealed up into the box like how she had been sealed into this way of living , this way of life , this district. it was always a bit cloudy and wet within the confines of district seven. as treech sat there , sitting on the steps of his worn down porch. the rotting wood underneath his bottom began to get a bit sore from the rough material and how long he had been sitting there. he was more fixated on the worn lumber shoes on his feet than to hear the small..quite pit pattering of footsteps. before he could think, a dash of red came into his vision. accompanied with fair skin , and a small ribbon tied into her hair. it was lamina. her birthday was a day prior , turning just ten. evident by the slightly ragged silk bow in her hair. accessories were scarce.

“hi treech..” she whispered, carefully taking a seat next to him. their knees slightly knocking against eachother. for as long as he knew, lamina was a more introverted girl. at school she had a few little friends, including treech i guess as well. his eyes, feeling puffy and almost swollen shut from crying, carefully floated up to her’s. “hey ‘mina..” he muttered calling her by the nickname he had given her. feeling embarrassment flying into his cheeks as his voice wavered and cracked unexpectedly. silence had passed..then more silence..treech..actually didn’t hate it. just to know there was someone right next to him was enough for the young boy. as lamina tentatively rested her small head onto his shoulder, clumsily wrapping her arm onto his. for a moment , treech wanted to shove her off and yell at her. what if she was just doing this because she felt pity? did he look like a sad sight sitting here? god how gross! why is a girl touching me?!

as his body stiffened, about to put his thoughts into actions, his eyes shot over to look at her, opening his mouth and..tears? why was she crying? little lamina’s face felt hot and red as large tears ran down her face, competing with the rain that tried to drown out the sounds of her weeps. as she flung onto treech’s arm, feeling his worn button up slightly get twinged with tears. as her voice, high pitch and almost shrill, rang out; “i’m..i’m so sorry..! so sorry about your ma..! she..she was so..so nice!!” lamina hiccuped out, sniffling as her cheek smushed against treech’s arm. treech just nodded his head, awkwardly scooting her closer to him. letting out a faint, “it’s ok..” before succumbing to his own tears. of course, they were still children.

empathy was more easier to be felt.

treech remembers
summer and lamina. maybe one, or two of his favorite things. ever since that soggy afternoon on his porch as children, the two immediately gained closer. treech would sharpen her axe and in return she would tutor him on basic math. summers beat down violently on district seven, not as violent as..for example twelve but it was still a pain. treech was sixteen , lamina a simple fourteen. the two were eagerly scampering across the cobblestone roads of the district. school was out and currently the two were drenched in sweat from the lack of A.C in both of their homes. “c’mon lamina you need to keep up!!” treech shouted as his boots thumped across the ground, faintly, lamina let out a whine as she swished her arms around, gaining more speed to catch up with treech before passing him entirely, making the young man become a sore loser.

the riverbank, the one only he knew. or well, not anymore. he had shared his secret with lamina maybe a year or so ago. and ever since then the two had been trampling over each other to get there first. stumbling through the foliage, they had made it to the river. lamina halted to a stop, arms full of some berries and nuts she had plucked a day or two prior for the occasion. setting them down, the two quickly made do with their clothes. clad in their undergarments, lamina was the first, quickly stepping back before bracing into a sprint, odd the makeshift dock they made over the summer. the sun seemed to catch her fiery hair just perfectly as it quickly disappeared underneath the clear water. treech was hot on her heels as he dove in the wood creaking underneath his feet as he ran over the dock, feeling the cold quickly embrace him made him smile. before popping his head up. most of treech’s friends had girlfriends or some sort of admiration for someone , and the same went for lamina’s small knit group. puberty was in action for many and yet..treech didn’t seem to care. or thought he didn’t. denial was a strong drug of course.

as they swam around, lazing around the river and its flowing water. lamina occasionally swishing away some fishes that would swim across her ankles. pulling themselves up to the dock, sitting on the edge, treech subconsciously caught himself stealing small glances at his dear friend-okay not in that way, right? his brown eyes silently gliding around the back of her neck, spotting some secret freckles. “that one looks like little dipper.” he blurted out, the rough pad of his finger brushing against the small section of the back of her neck, a cluster of freckles that were, in fact shaped like the little dipper. to this comment, lumina furrowed her brows, making something of a bothered noise as she wriggled her body around, trying to rid herself of treech’s touch, goosebumps littering her skin. “you don’t just say that to someone!” she rolled her eyes, promptly smacking his finger away before her equally calloused hands came up, self consciously clambering over the small spot he had traced.

treech’s brows furrowed as he quickly pulled away his hand, rolling his eyes before slumping back over into his bad posture. he had never seen lamina react in the way she did..so..self aware? was that the word? but how could he not say something? she was probably the most beautiful girl treech had seen! his eyes scanned over her once more time, as if ingraining it into his mind. she had hair of fire, it sat nicely onto her shoulders, slightly damp. freckles seemed to dot all over her back like small stars. ‘dotted almost like strawberries..’ he had thought. not to mention one of the most impressive things to him was, she knew how to handle an axe, of course every man and woman did..but when she did it, it was just different. alright? even the way she had occasionally fallen asleep under the sun , usually after they swam. lamina would snore rather loudly into treech’s ear as she slept on his side. yet he couldn’t help but remember everything and anything he adored about the redhead.

Chapter Text

treech remembers..
the festival . it was some annual not exactly-promised-because-we-are-poor- event within district seven. after the war the fall festival had only happened twice in treech’s lifetime at least. once when he was ten and another when he was around twelve. this one was rumored to be a bit more bigger, treech was sixteen, and that year was considered to be a ‘goldmine’ year. the capitol seemed to be in a baby boom, so in return, everyone needed the finest bassinets for their babies, only made out of the finest and most expensive wicker or oak or whatever other wood they demanded.

treech was in charge of carving out the delicate and ornate designs into the sides of each bassinet. how funny was it? carving and caring for something for someone who would most likely never know he existed or would most likely be brought up with a burning hatred for people like him. back to the festival, it was accompanied with food , music and performances , some small games for the children. it was held in early fall , never in summer during the reaping season. treech found himself..oddly excited for the event, it would give him a good excuse to see lamina of course! the two never had much time to themselves anymore. as treech the year previous dropped out of school to work in the lumber mill. it wasn’t strange for teenagers to do so, any extra income was needed. and as for lamina, she was still in school, like how treech wanted her to be. she was a smart girl. he had to admit she had some of the most prettiest cursive he had seen..ever! but then again, it was expected of her to stay in school. lamina didn’t come from an affluent family, not in the slightest. yet only having one other sibling, her family could save and gather much more money then other families, like treech.

as his worn boots hit the cobblestone roads, he smelt of pure pine coming from work. his hands lightly stained with some pine sap, it had been an hour or so into the festival. children running around with some folk-ish music playing nearby. it was nice to see the place so lively. treech dug his hands into his pockets as he walked, trying to spot a certain lamina.. until.
he had found her. and she looked..different?
there she was, lamina, his lamina? no no. not like that of course. she was behind a stand, selling some glazed fruit..her usual pin straight hair was in delicate curls and thrown on top of her head. for some reason, treech felt himself suddenly get nervous. swallowing the lump in his throat as he began to walk towards the stand. for a moment..he could imagine her as a capitol woman. maybe daughter of some old money family..with an unlimited wardrobe and her hair was fancy all the time. and she ate fancy food, not selling some foolish sugared fruit..he would and could listen to her chatter on about all the fancy houses she would live in..why was treech including himself in this?

approaching the stand, fishing out some coins as he held it out in his stained hands, eyes running over the fruit as he fought a frown. they only had red apples..treech didn’t like red apples, only green ones. but the money was going to lamina’s family either way. slightly jumping out of his skin as lamina looked up, her eyes slightly widening before softening as a smile met her lips. “treech..! i thought you worked all day?” she asked hurriedly, hands carefully taking his coins, slipping them into her apron before her thin brows furrowed. “you don’t like red ones why are you getting one?”
“‘cus I can”
“because isn’t an excuse”
“i’ll eat whatever you’ll give me ‘mina”

lamina’s eyes, softened, possibly for just a moment as she read over treech’s face. letting out some mutters of words treech himself couldn’t hear right. yanking a stick off of a glass jar as she plunged it through the middle of the apple. handing it over to treech. there was a momentary pause, the young boy raised a brow before lamina hurriedly threw off her apron, crawling underneath the flimsy stand as she popped her head from underneath the table cloth, treech quickly pulling her up from the ground as the ran off before anyone could say anything. floats of laughter erupted between the two, both hand in hand intertwined. as they laughter and gasps for breaths died down, the two looked at each other. the music faint, a frown had pulled at treech’s lips, the updo lamina had was now slightly loose. before instinctively reaching his hand out, going to the back of her head to try and fix the dozens of pins that laid hidden in her hair. funnily enough, lamina leaned into his touch, stifling a small laugh as her fingers reached out to dust off some dirt from his face, her touch gentle as treech melted into her hands. catching each others eyes, suddenly becoming aware, too aware for both of their own sakes. the music seeped in slightly to both ears.

‘i want real love baby..’
‘ don't leave me waiting..’
‘i’ve got real love maybe..’

they were growing up. the two now realizing and acknowledging the fact they were now, a young woman and a young man. lamina with her hair of fire thrown up into a proper hairdo and the hint of treech’s boyish nature threatening to leave and soon return with a more mature nature. “we..we should get back to..” lamina’s words failed her, but she was sure treech knew what she had meant. flickering her eyes just momentarily to his chapped lips before shyly looking the other way. yet the way treech had looked at her as if she hung the stars and held her hand back to the main festival as if she was made out of porcelain was unmistakable, and the way lamina had quietly rubbed her thumb over one of his knuckles..something unspoken had laid comfortably between the two.

treech remembers..
reaping day.

Chapter Text

reaping day was on the forth of july, the whole district were in collective silence. treech gotten up early that morning, carefully not to wake up his older brother , lincoln. ever since his oldest brother had gotten married, marrying some more affluent girl on the better side of the district, leaving his family in the dust, his home got a little more livable. grabbing his heavy duty pants , worn slightly at the knees and some off white button up, taking a brief glance at himself in the cracked mirror. his hazel eyes running over his olive skin. treech was never very muscular yet wasn’t overly lanky. he stood at an average height and he had the smallest amount of muscle on his arms from hacking and chopping at wood. rubbing the pads of his rough fingers against his ribs, glancing down at a small scar on his right palm, the smallest of smiles flickered onto his lips.

reech remembers embarrassing things like..
it was the summer , maybe..two or so summers ago. treech’s fifteenth birthday on the cusp and lamina thirteen at the time. he was by himself in that moment, fishing his axe out of his utility belt. he didn’t know why he was doing what he did. a gushy smile had fluttered onto his lips as the sharp hilt of his axe carved into the oak wood, jaggedly carving out a pointy heart. it was when he was carving the small ‘L’ to his ‘+T’ when lamina approached, her footsteps so silent against the forest floor. “treech? what are you-?” at the mere sound of her voice, treech practically jumped out of his skin, hurriedly pressing his back against the carving. “god lamina could you not be more loud!?” his voice was high in pitch as a beat of anxiety flowed through him. praying to god she didn’t see what he had been doing. it wasn’t until lamina’s eyes blew to the size of saucers, slapping a hand over her mouth as she pointed to his palm- which felt oddly warm. the greenery crunched under her feet as she jumped up and down. “treech you idiot!!” she cried out making him look at the blade of his axe and how it made a clean cut against his palm. the two screamed in union.
lamina quickly unraveled the fabric of her headband as she tried to wrap treech’s palm. obviously extremely frenzied as she tied it too tight, making treech wince in pain. which only made lamina freak out more. scrambling out a rushed apology before grabbing the axe that laid on the ground. in a flash of an eye, lamina had sliced herself clean on the opposite palm. letting out a wince as she waved her hand around, opening her eyes to see an almost frustrated treech. “why did you do that ‘mina?” he groaned, already shoving her to the trail of her home. to which lamina let out a low whine, already seeming like she was fighting off some tears. “i don’t know!!” “how do you NOT know?!”
“i wouldn’t feel too bad about startling you..?! we’re like..equal now..?!”
she had whispered back in her usual faint voice.
equal now.

treech remembers..
as he walked upon the gravel roads, already leaving home as the dreaded ceremony was inching closer and closer. his pa wasn’t exactly affectionate, and that was okay. treech himself wasn’t gifted with words, or actions in that matter. his pa gave him a small pat on the back even if his eyes had told him something different. treech was seventeen, almost out. out of the system, the reaping. and he was more than thankful. his brothers never had a hair on each of their heads touched by the capitol. and it’s something he expected himself as well. usually, him and lamina would’ve been next to each other in the pile of kids. until this year they had decided to separate the district children by gender. as everyone piled into separate groups, he could only lean his head around and steal a glance at lamina. who was already looking at him. he couldn’t help but feel something in his stomach drop as he looked at lamina from a distance, his brows slightly furrowed. her eyes were already puffy, he understood she had possibly the worse anxiety when it came to july forth. often times around lamina, treech just had to refer to reaping day as, ‘july fourth’ to keep his friend from gnawing at her cheek raw.

he wasn’t next to lamina. that was a change. he couldn’t reach for her hand and try to soothe her as they called out some random jane doe and john doe from the crowd.

everyone forgot about their tributes the year after anyways.
he didn’t walk with lamina to the reaping ceremony this year. that was a change. but things were changing all the time, weren’t they? as he became more closer to of age, working out in the forests became more demanding and more longer hours. his stomach slightly growled with hunger, slightly scowling at the fact he left his half eaten toast and small sliver of ham on the breakfast table. whatever. he’d just go eat it when all of this was said and done. adjusting the hat that rested on his curls and beat down on the hot july sun. what felt like some entirety, the mayor had came on stage. saying words that treech didn’t seem to care about, folding his arms as his eyes pointed to the sky. as ladies went first, his mind racked for any annoying girls he had came across over the years. wondering if they had the misfortune of being picked. ‘rebecca..bailey..clemetine..darcy..’ “lamina! female tribute!” wait. what?

treech felt his ears burn up at the sound, the sound of that sickeningly familiar name being bursted out onto the town square. for some reason, he felt all his limbs freeze at the mention of her name. mouth dry and that feeling of hunger had kicked itself out the door. as slow steps came across the pavement. lamina, little lamina, ‘mina, his lamina. his friend. the way she had walked onto the stage, head hanging down as he knew she was fighting tears. walking as if she was some bad dog with her tail tucked between her legs. she couldn’t even muster up the might to look up at the district , the only home she had only ever known and the home that would subsequently, lead her to a premature death. lamina’s whimpers slightly got caught on the mic as the mayor grabbed another envelope, just one. one out of thousands.
‘treech! male tribute!’
word has it, treech didn’t even realize his name was called until the boys in his age pool quickly moved aside. creating a clear path for him. saliva quickly coated his mouth, almost sour, if he didn’t know any better, the half slice of toast and ham was going to make its way back up. for a moment, just for a second, it was like he had reverted back to a child in that moment. his head quickly turning to where his brothers and father would be standing.
they didn’t even look his way.

“pa..” he uttered dryly, as he moved one foot in front the other, just like how his ma taught him so many years ago. he tried to hold his head high, even though the lump in his throat you couldn’t mistake as his adam’s apple grew larger in size. as he stepped onto the stage, lamina’s sobs had somehow, if possible, got more violent. the sobs now physically racking her body. that was it, just treech, lamina.
just the two, six letter names echoed out into the town square. no last names, no, last names only existed for the wealthy. the ones who still had proper documentations of life before the war. to which treech and lamina, mere children of the circumstances that were laid onto them did not have. but then again, farmers don’t name animals they’re gonna slaughter.
and with lamina’s cries of banshee and the way treech’s hands slightly twitched with nerves, they fit the bill just right. fitting the roles they were born to be in, by the capitol.

treech remembers..the train ride. both him and lamina had barely got a lick of sleep, getting thrown into a filthy cattle car. quite literally left in the dark as they sat on the ground. the cargo car jolted them around as the two sat on the hay. lamina’s soft sobs carried out into the filthy area. treech..well he was drained of any words anything that could’ve possibly helped comfort lamina. that familiar feeling sunk into his empty stomach the same feeling he got when ma died, the same feeling he got when realizing he would no longer hear his ma’s secret language. all he could do , all he was able to do was to play some fucked up version of ‘sitting duck’ lamina’s cries were soon muffled by her own hands as he could hear her hands rubbing against her long sleeve. probably trying to self soothe herself. in treech’s eyes, lamina was bordering on inconsolable he was surprised tears were still falling out of her eyes. all he could think of mustering up as gently wrapping an arm around her, running his rough hand over her shoulder. “lamina..don’t cry just..try to get some rest.” he uttered as the girl just nodded her head. letting out a fit of hiccups as the cart kept on trecking.

it had to be an hour or so into the journey to the capitol, lamina laid limp against treech, her body leaned up against his arm. treech was too busy keeping watch around the dark corners of the cart, he could’ve sworn he heard the flapping of wings. the smell of animal was faint yet still so evidently there. his head turned to lamina, a soreness in treech’s neck for upholding the same posture for a while.
twenty four boys and girls.
twelve districts.
one in twenty four chance to go home.
and lamina was one obstacle of the twenty four.
treech didn’t know what came over him in that moment, one of his hands slowly gliding over lamina’s fair skin. blood was still pumping through her throat as treech lightly brushed his fingers over it. her cream colored skin was littered with freckles. just for a second just a moment, his mind gave him the thought to give the vulnerable section of skin a hard squeeze. maybe then he would get sent back home, back to district seven. but just as quickly as that thought traced into his mind, treech quickly tugged away his hand, as if on cue lamina had relaxed into his hold. not stirring one bit. for the first time in his life, treech felt frightened of himself. never in a million years could he think about doing such a thing to lamina. the very same girl who comforted him when his mother died, who hurt herself when he had gotten hurt.

but these weren’t normal circumstances. in normal circumstances, him and lamina would be lazing under the sun, he would still be in school, lamina would climb all the trees she wanted and teach treech all the basic stupid math she wanted.
the shouts of peacekeeprs could be heard as their cattle cart swung open. revealing the harsh light. making treech dig his fingers into the fabric of lamina’s vest. clinging onto her like how a frightened child would cling onto its mother. and surprisingly, despite lamina’s now dying sobs, she quickly held treech close. placing a hand onto his head as she looked out into the brightness.
the one in twenty four chances were starting to hit him.

Chapter Text

treech remembers..comfort

treech had only been given a sliver of the comfort of woman , he only liked the comfort of woman. but just one in particular. ma. as he laid within the confines of the monkey house , laying on the rough hay as it pricked at his olive skin . lamina rested close to him , maybe too close in treech’s mind. after that..disturbing thought had came into his mind , choking lamina out. it frightened him , extremely. to the point he couldn’t look her in the eye for a few hours . as he slowly rested his eyes , the soft..soft singing..a soft voice had rang through the area..

“down in the valley..the valley so low..”

“late in the evening..hear the train blow..”

“the train, love..hear the train blow..”

“late in the evening..hear the train blow..”

for just a moment, a fuzzy feeling had engulfed treech’s chest, part of him questioned if he was already going insane by being in the capitol. as the voice blew through the solemn summer air, the faintest memory of ma came back, slowly floating into his mind.

he had long forgotten what she had looked like, her face warped and tarnished. feeling his lips move on by himself capturing the small bits and pieces of the lullaby, surprised him for a split second. before nodding to himself , why was he acting surprised? he remembered every lull and ballad ma had supplied him with..right?

“roses are red, violets are blue..”

“birds in the heavens know..I love you..”

“know I love you, oh know..I love you..”

birds in the heavens know I love you..”

it wasn’t until he had heard a sob interrupt the singing. at first he thought it was lamina, slightly moving his head to take a look , seeing as she was fast asleep. he furrowed his brows, before averting his attention to lucy gray. she was the source of the sound. and yet, for some reason..treech felt a certain jolt of anger hit his stomach. he didn’t know why. he didn’t know lucy gray , and lucy gray didn’t know him. was it anger for the fact that he was in this situation? was it anger to the fact it was just another reminder all that remained of his ma was just memories?

and his eyes

he had his mothers eyes

lamina told him so.

treech remembers..how much lamina hated him being sneaky. if he hated grieving , lamina absolutely hated how treech was sneaky. he had a knack for being sly , deceptive even if he needed to. but never to lamina, no, never. it had been a year or so before they had gotten reaped, and treech had strolled through the busy district seven market, people were bunched up by the masses. treech was a naturally fast paced individual, so when his nimble fingers ran through pockets, coats, the occasional apron pocket or bag, it wasn’t any hard work for him. he and lamina sat below some willow tree , he had surprised her with some of those fancy looking berry tarts , even if they were slightly smushed from the journey over. “treech..!” lamina’s voice rang out , in its usual airy tone as she grabbed the tart, marveling at it for a moment or two. any other fruit but apples were more than difficult to find, and more than expensive. lamina wasn’t stupid, she never was. sometimes, it felt she was two or more steps ahead of treech. “and where did you get the money? these smell fresh and i know the mill doesn’t-“ as lamina rambled on, her eyes soon settling onto treech’s face, who already had a scrub of annoyance itching onto his expression. “didn’t i tell you to knock that off?” lamina quickly put the tart down onto the small patch of grass. meanwhile treech quickly reached over. “mina’! are you insane! these are fancy..! you can’t just put somethin’ like this down..!” he quickly interrupted her, grabbing the crumbly tart, blowing the bottom of it, ridding of the dirt. one other thing about treech..he couldn’t stand it when lamina would lecture him. it brought..a certain sense of shame to him. something not even his father could instill into him.

he always tried to shy away from any confrontation or any potential argument between him and lamina. sure, she might’ve looked complacent but in treech’s words, “once you got her going..you couldn’t shut her up.” lamina didn’t let the action fade off into obscurity. “i’m serious treech..! how can you just stuff your hands into peoples hard earned pockets..! i’d nev-“

“well yeah lamina you’ve never had to.”

treech’s words, left a simmering silence between the two. making lamina go quiet and bite her tongue, a small lump forming in her throat. oh she didn’t mean it like that. lamina didn’t have a horrible life for the district , in comparison to other district girls her age. who either sold themselves , working in the mill full time or married off. she still was in school, something treech didn’t even have a fighting chance to do. hell, sure she was extremely skilled with an axe yet there was no obligation for her to work at the mill. she came every four weeks, swinging the damn thing around as if it was just some make believe game she could participate in for two hours and then, she could go back home, back to her ma and pa, go ahead and lay in her bed, complain about studies. for crying out loud..she didn’t even sharpen her own axe! he did that for her! he did! treech did!

treech shuddered at that memory, they never talked about it after that day. in a way, it created some rift between the two. and at times,

sometimes,treech didn’t even know if he liked lamina or liked the things she had.

he knew he liked lamina, somewhere in his mind he knew. he liked how nicely her nose sloped to a soft peak, when she read him novels after school and after his work , how she would give all the characters different voices. how she always wanted the best for him but in some messed up way it never came out quite right. yet..

she never knew what it was like to always have to share things

treech never had just something for himself .

even for him and lamina, treech being self sacrificial for the girl he adored, (even if it was from a distance at times) was just a daily occurrence.

even if the two didn’t recognize it.

it was just the way he showed his love.

treech remembers..

as they sat in, first night in the enclosure, in the monkey house. lamina’s sobs had subsided, at least enough to form some conversation with her. hay was their only separation from the cold and dirty enclosure ground. if you told treech they were still using this thing for live animals, he would totally believe you. the stench was near unbearable. lamina was the first. or well, first to speak between the two and the deafening silence. “what..what do you think they’re all doing..? back at home i mean.” her light colored eyes went from the ground and soon to treech’s eyes, as he looked forward. not daring to look her way, knowing he’d most likely start crying. he gave a simple shrug, lips tugging into a frown. “treech..i don’t like seeing you like that..” lamina repeated once more, her voice softening. carefully, she had reached her hand out, fingers brushing up against his knuckles. feeling the light cuts and callouses that ran across them. he could feel lamina’s eyes burning into the back of his head, before her freckled arms carefully came around to his sides from behind.

tackling the rough feeling of his wool coat as the redhead carefully rested her head onto the side of his shoulder. trying to peer at his face. there was no mistake to how treech relaxed into lamina’s touch, feeling his posture go slack once feeling the warmth of her body. the young man licked his lips, trying to settle down the lump that formed into his throat. yet when he tried to open his mouth, just to let a small answer out, a strangled sob had came out instead. instantly making treech squeeze his eyes back shut and hold his breath. ‘real men don’t cry’ his father’s voice rang into his head. and suddenly..

treech remembers being ten.

his ma’s condition was worsening, everyone but him knew that. usually, in the early mornings he would’ve been glued to his ma’s side. maybe even huddled up against her underneath the large woven blankets. yet here he was, in the large, misty forests of district seven. he had followed his pa all the way out, feeling dreariness in his eyes and small bones when they suddenly came to a stop. slightly bumping his head onto the back of his pa’s tough feeling jacket. “treech..sooner or later you..you young man are gonna be helping around the house..you hear?” his pa spoke, his authority ridden voice rumbled through treech’s ears as he looked to his pa, nodding his head. curls slightly going askew. his attention quickly brought back as the older man pointed a thick finger to a small..furry figure hidden in some shrubbery.

“kill it.”

the words rang in treech’s ears. as his head snapped to look back up to his pa, needing double confirmation that he was indeed, serious. it was a beautiful..beautiful fox. or well, a vixen. treech could tell by its coat. “but it hasn’t done done anything to me?” a beat of silence followed, treech slightly lowered his head, feeling his pa’s dark green eyes on him. “not yet. any animal when provoked will jump at the opportunity. now kill it.” not caring to make much haste, treech had carefully grabbed the bow ‘n arrow that was strapped to his belt. yet he stopped short, he was only a mere child. his hands shook as he gripped the thin string and the bows. he didn’t realize his boots were planed into the damp earth for minutes. until the sharp sound of an arrow firing grabbed his attention, watching as the small fuzz of copper red dropped, getting engulfed by the greenery below. “you see that boy? that’s how a real provider does it.” he simply nodded, hot on his father’s heels as the approached the slightly jittering animal. watching the animal at his feet, entirely at both of their sweet surrender and mercy. something had tugged at treech, as large tears began to roll down his face.

his hands felt heavy as a sharp axe got placed into his empty palms. a loom of anxiety rushed through the young boy’s stomach. “are you the one bleedin’ son? i don’t think so. and from what i’m seein..this animal is still alive.” in that moment, just for that sliver of a second, it had installed a fear inside of treech. looking into the vixen’s sorrowful eyes as he lifted his hands above his head, swinging down the axe. the fear lived inside of him all hours of the day. it was either, killed or be the one killing. killed or to be killed. as the axe sunk into an unknown surface, immediately making the fox’s cries slowly stop. as tears blurred treech’s vision, only seeing blurry splotches of red and copper. he couldn’t help but think.

was it mercy or murder?

surely, that fox was going to die eventually right?

he just did that fox a favor..right?

maybe that fox just didn’t even have a chance in the real wilderness either way.

treech remembers..

opening his eyes, there was no forest, no dying vixen, no pa. but there was tears, and instead of the vixen, was the same splotches of copper. lamina. she was crouched in front of him, leaned over as she wiped away the hot tears that seemed to race down his dirted cheeks. “don’t cry..shh..” lamina’s voice softly cut through the stutter of his breath, she cradled his face. using what was presumed some stray fabric from her headband to wipe away any soot or tears that stained his face. as lamina held his face, treech couldn’t help but to gaze his eyes back into her own. he practically melted into her touch, she had almost never seen him this vulnerable. “mina..” he began, feeling his chest swell. with what? he didn’t know. “mina’..mina..’ i..” treech was never one for much physical affection. or even any words of affection. at least to his information he wasn’t. maybe he was just scared. as long as he knew lamina, in her own way, she always wore her heart, not on her sleeve. but maybe..in a safe little pocket, safely tucked away to give away to anyone who might’ve needed it.

treech needed it.

all he could manage in that moment, was a shaky hand, tucking away a few strands that framed her face. maybe too perfectly. seeing the people around them, either sleeping, or weeping. it was just another reminder he and lamina were both on borrowed time. in a blink of an eye, lamina was in his arms. he wasn’t exactly sure how.

after all, he was no more than a coward when it came to these things. he’s always been a coward. he couldn’t kill a fox, he pickpocketed and he couldn’t even speak one coherent sentence to the girl he’s known his whole life. yet, he made an effort, quickly wrapping his arms around lamina. it felt like he needed it more than her, practically clinging onto the girl. his hands finding themselves tangled carefully into her copper hair. not even noticing the watchful glance of district four’s female tribute. coral.

“maybe when you’ll win you’ll end up like one of those fancy capitol ladies”

“a fancy capitol lady?”

“y’know..with those stupid flimsy hats?”

it was always treech who ‘protected’ lamina. who soothed her, or tried to, during the ride to the capitol, the initial reaping ceremony. but when night came, he was just as, or even more, vulnerable. he earned a cheap laugh from her with that comment as she slouched slightly in his hold, her arms slightly holding him upright. as a shake of her head was felt against his shoulder.

“i’m not coming home treech..i know that.”

lamina’s voice, sounded clear, as if it was some mind breaking moment of clarity.  the smallest hint of fear lingered in her words as she said that, slowly retreating her fingers to a few stray curls in treech’s face. there wasn’t any self pity in her words, that’s just how lamina was. softhearted, maybe too softhearted.

“nobody needs me..ma and pa could probably manage a whole lot more better with my absence..” in a slight pause, she gently nudged treech’s knee with her own. “you got lincoln and peter..i’m sure they’re waiting for you to come back.”

“i need you.” is what treech would’ve said. in some perfect scenario, where he wasn’t a coward, where he had courage to gather the words together in his throat. instead, all treech could manage to do was sit. just sit there. that’s all that he seemed best to do either way. he needed lamina more than he led on, of course. she was the one who made the muggy summers more enjoyable, she was the one who almost seemed to never give into anger, opposite of treech. yet the silence that stayed between the two said otherwise.

as the two settled into the hay, waiting for lamina to be fast asleep, treech had removed his jacket, placing it over her before carefully pulling the girl closer. lamina seemed to not mind, even in her slumber. the two became a tangled mess of limbs upon limbs.

treech remembers..

moments before earth crumbled and fell almost like those pastry tarts he stole back home.

he and lamina, just like all the other tributes were cuffed, directed to what would inevitably become their shallow graves. the arena. his mentor was some pretty young thing, treech didn’t think she was pretty. he had overheard the tribute from ten say otherwise. her teeth were large and sparkly, when mentioning this to lamina, she had drew a comparison to her family mule that lazed in the back of her home. they laughed a fair bit about it, bellies aching by the time they were done. the conversation between him and his mentor was minimal, lamina and her own mentor..what was his name? plinth? puny?..pup! yes, pup. were close by. treech knew better than to talk to lamina in the moment, knowing she was probably a few threads away from letting out a whole new chorus of sobs. yet he lingered close, close enough to occasionally jab her in the side, trying to lighten her mood. it wasn’t until..

“hey lumberjack!”

with a hesitant turn, treech slightly whipped his head around. finding what he remembered to be district fours female tribute, coral. he kept to himself the days they were held up in the capitol, but he was aware enough to know she was more than a little hostile. as he looked at her, making small notice of a smaller boy, which he suspected to be her district partner, and the more burly boy from district ten.

“c’mere.”

oh shit. treech’s heart slightly jumped as coral jerked her head lightly in his direction. was this it? this was it! this was victory! right? he and lamina could join this alliance, it would provide more protection. without any other second thought, treech quickly stepped forth, turning his head as he waved over lamina, who was watching the whole scene with a glint of fear in her eyes. “lamina..!” he called out, to which she quickly went to his beckoning. this was good, this was smart. y’know, lamina usually gets chatty when she’s nervous, maybe she could chat up a conversation with coral? or maybe mizzen. actually, treech wasn’t exactly sure because-

“no just you.”

just you.

treech slowly faltered in his steps, boots kicking up some dust as he looked at coral, then to lamina. for a quick moment. enough to see her slightly confused expression. for some reason, he couldn’t even take it in himself to give her another glance. as he caught himself in thought. if he declined, surely, he’d be dead in the first minute. and if he didn’t decline..he would be offered some sort of alliance. some immunity to be killed. and..and if he could gain some immunity, couldn’t he convince them to put mercy on lamina? right? to buy him time right? buy time for what? oh, he didn’t know.

he knew it wasn’t true.

he knew they wouldn’t grant anyone else any type of mercy.

one in twenty-four chances.

not daring to look back, he made his way to the trio. to which they all looked accomplished with their feat. before treech could feel guilt float down to the bottom of his stomach and pollute the rest of the scraps he had in his stomach, the sky had fallen from above them. bombs. just like the ones from the war. pillars began raining down, some seat stands, and banisters left and right. treech’s legs began moving on their own, even with the cracking foundation all around him, which proved futile, stumbling and falling to his knees with another explosion, scrapping his palms and making his ears ring. before cupping his hands around his mouth, yelling out for lamina.

“lamina..! lamina! where are you?!” he had screamed out, vision slowly becoming obscured by the dust and debris. suddenly, a hard shove came to his shoulder, grabbing him to one of the archways of the arena. away from the falling beams.

lamina.

and she seemed..enraged.

obviously.

her face contorted into one of seething and fear as she looked at treech. long and hard between the slightly settling dust. a small cut had settled onto her cheek. he had never seen her with this much anger in her features. it looked almost unnatural. as the ringing in his ears felt incessant until her voice stabbed through.

“you..why..? why..why treech?” lamina’s voice cracked slightly, looking at him through the dust, treech swore he could see her eyes begin to grow wet. maybe it was just because of the debris.

maybe.

“you.. you're a fucking coward..! no hesitation? no second look? i..i would’ve..i would’ve never..never..” lamina’s voice faded off, not able to even spit out another word to the boy. bringing her calloused hands to shove him in the chest, treech slightly hung his head down as she shoved him, the slight shake of the ground further amplifying the action even though the shove showed an amount of strength he wasn’t even aware lamina held. before quickly furrowing his brows, his eyes meeting her own. “coward? i’m a fuckin’ coward? listen..! listen..” he shook his head, adjusting the way his worn hat sat on his head. “i..i have a plan..okay? listen..maybe..maybe because i’ll convince them to just..just grant you some..immunity..? mercy?” even the unsure tone in treech’s voice said enough. sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her. he carefully put a hand on lamina’s dirtied cheek, blood barely oozing out of the area of skin. only for the girl to stumble back. this was possibly the only sliver of privacy the two were ever allowed to have. privacy in a moment of destruction.

the two simply looked at each other. even with the arena single-handedly falling apart behind them, it was so silent between the two that a pin drop could be heard.

footsteps could be heard, lamina stepped close. maybe too close, invading treech’s space as he backed up, slightly against the wall. their noses lightly brushing against each other. the light didn’t exactly reach lamina’s eyes like always, like it did at the festival, the riverbank or even the lumber mill.

“you..you are a fucking coward. you're a fucking coward and i..i would’ve never done this to you.” lamina’s voice was distant, treech couldn’t even manage to look into her eyes. yet he had no choice, watching as her eyes began to water, her voice beginning to waver. “i would’ve never done this to you..i love you so..so much just for you to just..write me off dead for some career freaks?!”

treech could feel his heart drop into his stomach. he didn’t dare to cry. yet his lip began to quiver, just like some little boy.

she loved him.

and treech was never gifted with words.

peacekeepers spotted the two, quickly bounding their hands and walking them to the enclosure with the rest of the slightly mangled tributes.

treech remembers..

just the mere hours before the games. and treech felt so blameless he could choke on it. or so he wished. it had been ever since they all collected the tributes, placing them back into the enclosure had lamina been silent. not peeping a single word to him. these ‘interviews’ were soon. treech didn’t really understand the meaning of the interviews, but he just knew they somehow helped you get more food. treech’s mentor didn’t exactly care much to sign him up for a interview. not that he minded, he could only juggle chestnuts for so long. yet, lamina was going to get interviewed. but in what condition could any one of them go up on stage? anyone with open wounds would cook underneath the large stage lights.

yet..treech saw an opening, an opening he could slither his way back into.

carefully, he had approached lamina, who had her knees pulled up to her chest. maybe lost in some deep thought treech knew she wouldn’t let him hear about it.

he could only hope for absolution.

“mina’..” he slowly began. walking towards what used to be their designated corner, two bales of hay, tucked into the corner. it slightly made treech wonder, was he even allowed to sleep beside her now? taking off his now worn coat, going over to the janky water fountain that had been half dismantled off the wall. with a hard crank, and dirty water to follow, he dipped the edge of his coat sleeve in.

ignoring the jumping feeling in his stomach as he drew closer to lamina, crouching in front of her. wet sleeve in hand. repeating himself once more.

“mina..”

“how do i know you didn’t spit in that sleeve.”

lamina’s voice was muffled, muffled by her knees as she rested her head upon them. her light eyes coming to peek out from underneath the fabric of her sleeve. meanwhile, treech was just happy to get a response from her. a slight smallest smile on his lips.

“interviews are soon..just..” he stopped short, feeling his breath catch into his throat. his emotional constipation was really going to be the end of him.

“just let me help you.”

for some reason, his voice took on a more softer, hushed tone. as if he wasn’t supposed to say it. slightly turning his head, seeing his ‘alliance’ watch him like a pack of hungry dogs, waiting for some meat to drop. maybe he wasn’t exactly supposed to be doing what he was doing.

lamina went unresponsive, dismissive of treech. shooting him a glare when he wouldn’t immediately leave her after she ignored his words. “mina..! just let me see-“ he moved closer, which made lamina begin to swat her hands at him, which then he got upset, and then he got into her personal space then lamina elbowed him in the stomach and then-

you get the point.

treech finally was able to get a good grasp onto her, after minutes of scuffing around on the dirty ground. crushing the hay bales in the process. one of his hands came up, cradling the side of her face. part of his hand against her copper hair and his thumb resting onto her dirtied skin. there were no words to be exchanged, as he began to slowly swipe at her face with the now damp fabric of his coat sleeve. as if it was mandatory routine, lamina melted into his hold, as if nothing ever happened. but the way she looked up at him, it said the exact opposite.

“treech.” her voice cut through the silence, but just at the perfect volume, just so he could only hear her.

lamina didn’t wait for him to respond back as he held her face in his hands, he seemed to be insistent on swiping at a certain patch of dirt that laid just on her chin, barely touching her bottom lip. his eyes seemed transfixed onto her slightly chapped lips, everything felt so sickeningly real within that moment.

“if i get killed..and you see me getting..y’know.” lamina mumbled, her voice slightly wavering. treech knew how much she hated the word killed.

“could you finish the job? i’d rather have my last sight be someone i..” that was enough. tears began to well into treech’s eyes, before they began to fall. small drops of tears subsequently falling onto lamina’s face, that for once didn’t belong to her. he’d really done it now has he? she was his friend, his only friend, his apple seller, book reader, tree climber, swimmer, hand holder, hair braider.

for the past six years all day, every day, his life had been circling around hers.

and here she was? directing treech what to do when she died? most likely done by one of his associates? watching treech cry , lamina couldn’t help but slightly marvel at it. she had never seen treech cry, only once. when his ma had died. and even then she couldn’t remember it fully, she didn’t have good memory like treech. lamina was more forgiving, more kindhearted treech thought. as she slowly wrapped her arms around the shaking boy. lamina no longer had any animosity in her heart for him. but did she ever? lamina was too loyal. like a dog. you could hurt the dog all you wanted yet it would come back, with a wagging tail and a smile. yet, lamina was all dried out of tears. treech’s arms laid limp for a moment, falling to his sides. before they wrapped around lamina’s back, squeezing her hard and tightly to himself. knowing this was probably the last time he was ever able to do so.

there was no reason for them to hate now. it wasn’t like they could have a falling out. you can’t have a falling out when it’s your final night alive. treech slowly began to rock his body, back and forth, making lamina slowly rock with him. the movements surged a little amount of comfort into him, small remnants of how his ma used to rock herself in the old worn rocking chair as she sang.

“lamina..lamina i need to tell you something.”

his heart began to thump, as his hand subconsciously, by habit, began to stroke lamina’s hair in a certain trained motion. he could hear the girl nod her head in conformation she was listening.

“i..i know i can’t just..” there he went again, his throat felt the closing up feeling that was so common in his life. no. he needed to get through this. there wasn’t going to be a second chance.

“lamina i think you are one of the most beau-“ he could feel lamina’s body tense against his own, as she quickly pulled her head away from his shoulder. her eyes frantic as a frown slowly marked her lips. “no. no treech stop it. stop it not now.” she demanded, shaking her head as her lip began to quiver, her voice cracking. her hands still lingering on his forearms.

“lamina please..please mina’ i can’t help it..i can’t help it at all you..you are just..just so..different..not! not in a bad way..! it’s just the way you..you write your name in those funny curly words or when you always throw stones in the lake when you don’t think i’m looking i just..i l..” lamina couldn’t help but slam her face into her palms at treech’s impromptu confession.

“why? why now? treech..by tomorrow morning most likely one of us will be dead.” her voice trailed off at the end as she let out what sounded like a small cry. frustration ran in and out of her body. god and if he told her..maybe just a two weeks prior. maybe things would’ve been different. things wouldn’t go down the way they had to. maybe her and treech could walk hand in hand back home in the long and tall forests. the ones that outstretched their arms and seemed so inviting so long ago. or maybe even some neighbors could point and laugh at them, everyone knew at one point the two were gonna get together.

just didn’t know how.

silence swallowed them in its entirety. the two just looking at each other. nothing much they could lose now. treech had bared his insides to her, and tomorrow maybe one of them would quite literally have their insides bared.

treech remembers..

feeling his cheeks get warm from his confession, he watched as lamina facepalmed herself in frustration. that’s right..time and place. treech seemed to forget. as the two locked eyes, he caught how lamina balled her hands into fists. before she jolted her body closer to his own, pressing a kiss onto his lips. the sudden warmth jolted treech’s body awake, only a split second before he quickly leaned in. trembling fingers slowly combing through her tangled hair. the kiss was clumsy, of course. and part of treech didn’t want to admit it but he wished they had more time together to practice. the kiss tasted slightly of metal, a small cut on his lip still hadn’t healed. it was as well salty, somehow lamina had the smallest remain of tears, rolling down her cheeks. yet at its base it was sweet and pure. teeth slightly clashed from their smiles, lamina slightly puffed her lips out just the smallest bit (mimicking what she saw in the occasional tv programs when the tv would even work.)  and treech’s lips laid slightly limp but he had the general idea of a kiss. as they pulled away, it felt like the two forgot about the circumstances and the surrounding area. as lamina glanced away shyly, letting a girlish giggle come out of her lips as her pale skin flushed with pink. meanwhile treech watched, fondness undeniable in his eyes. looked at her as if she hung the moon, the stars and every little mini galaxy.

needless to say they held each other more tighter that night.

trying to make the best out of the shared time they had together. putting effort into ignoring the lingering issue of the next day. lamina only slightly stirring awake whenever treech had littered small quick kisses around her face. always in the three same places.

the top of her head.

the corner of her mouth.

and her cheek.

yet it wouldn’t last forever, they both very well knew this.

treech remembered.

it was just a turn of events. from the countdown, to the race to the cornucopia of weapons, dull, useless weapons. he had managed to grab one of the two axe’s, immediately swinging at the songbird of the tributes. lucy gray. embarrassingly enough, he missed. when the countdown began, he couldn’t bring himself to look at lamina. eyes only flickering to her when the sound of her stifled sobs could faintly be heard. getting irritated when seeing the peacekeepers handle her so roughly to her starting spot. he ran off with his pack, coral, mizzen and tanner.

days had gone by, maybe three or so. at first, they all had chased after lucy gray. making treech think in his mind; what type of sick fascination did coral have with this damn girl?  yet, the three tributes, minus treech. had their attention diverted to someone completely different. things took a desperate turn. “look at her..sleepin’ like some lamb.” coral muttered, you could hear the smile coming from her voice as she watched lamina from a distance. who rested on the platform of beams. yet, the worse thing you could do was underestimate lamina. she held her prowess very well, maybe too well. her ability to handle a weapon came natural.

she had dealt the first kill, murder or mercy? treech knew it was mercy. lamina wasn’t as impulsive as someone like him. no. far from it actually. treech awkwardly looked over to the platform of beams she laid on, some frayed rope wrapped around her waist and on the narrow pillar she laid on. fastening it so she couldn’t slip off. smart. “c’mon..coral don’t get too trigger happy..i mean, there’s more intimidating tributes..like that big one from-“ “shut up lover boy!” coral spat, her trident far from dull as she lightly poked at treech’s neck. right onto his adam’s apple. making him immediately go silent. “why should someone like you care so much? you’re with us after all.” coral did have a point. for all of this talking and ‘protection’ of lamina, he wasn’t there on that beam with her was he? it all happened fast, too fast. they all scurried to the platform in the center of the arena. where it held lamina. it all felt..practiced. coordinated. too coordinated. the way tanner had two tridents in his hands, waiting right underneath the platform. how coral immediately began to make work with the nearby debris. climbing higher and higher onto the platform. gaining equal ground. how mizzen, so small, yet terrifyingly nimble, had shimmied up the other side of the platform.

they had successfully cornered lamina. both at each end of her beam. at first, lamina had undermined the pack. shrugging them off. it wasn’t until she directly locked eyes with coral. as tanner threw up the weapon, and it was soon pointed right at her. treech watched, of course he did. the way mizzen swung his net at lamina, trying to snag her flesh. how lamina tried to display any amount of self preservation she had left in her. weapons had clicked together, from what treech could make out, she had wounded mizzen around the knee. being too focused onto the young boy, lamina could barely see the trident coming. the way it inserted itself into her back, it could’ve went further if it wasn’t for bone. the scene instantly made treech jump, feeling his mouth go dry as he opened his mouth to shout, scream, yell, anything. yet.

nothing came out.

it was like some advanced state of shock that swaddled him into a tight blanket. his eyes unable to look away, too many sights for treech to behold. the way mizzen clung onto the beam, holding his knee the way a frightened, injured child would. like how he was supposed to. or how tanner watched from below, a grin dancing on his face as his fists tightened with anticipation. watching as lamina landed onto her back, hoisting herself backwards by her elbows. her grunts were barely audible as she slightly turned her head to the side.

she looked at him.

even if her eyes were slightly lidded with pain, starvation and fear.

treech remembered.

the way lamina began to slowly scoot, it was a weak, feeble attempt. as the wound from her back began to smear against the slab of stone that was the beam. weak grunts could be heard from lamina. yet not one shed of tear, she knew this was it for her. yet she didn’t want to come down crying. even if everything in her body was practically screaming at her to  start sobbing. the way her eyes burned holes into treech’s chest, even if it was just for a moment. treech knew exactly what the expression read. he was a coward. he knew it all too well. he could read between the lines, he knew the look of disgust that lamina had. did his love aid and abet her? coral had closed in on lamina, treech could see her body begin to give up, slowly.

“treech..! treech..treech please..!”

lamina’s voice cried out, her voice faint among the jeering of tanner and coral. lamina loathed asking for help, especially from treech. but what could he do? this wasn’t like he could just sharpen her axe like he did all the time. he couldn’t steal some stupid tarts to magically heal her. he had contributed to this very outcome. his feet stayed planted into the dirt. in a blink, he had thought back to that fox. that fox he killed so many years ago. the animal was just at his mercy, just his own. he had killed it, because surely it wouldn’t have a fighting chance against the rest of the wild. the fur of copper that belonged to the animal and the soft copper of lamina’s hair molded and blended together in his mind.

even so when he heard a sharp sound, shooting his head up from the ground. watching as coral impaled lamina. holding her over the ledge of the beam.

he could see lamina’s body writher in pain, no sound came out of her. the one who would usually chatter his ear off. nothing.

without thinking, he ran below the beam, each step feeling like his legs were made out of molasses.

he remembered the way coral shook lamina’s body, looking down at treech as she shook it even harder knowing he was looking. just to taunt him. before quickly loosing interest in what she was doing, throwing her off of the weapon like some common fish. lamina’s body fell quick, making a sickeningly loud snapping noise. treech had scurried to her side, feeling the wind knocked out of him. just by looking at her. “‘mina..mina’..lamina..” he trembled over his words like some idiot. lamina’s eyes looked up at him, blankly. life was fading out of her. carefully, he had settled her head onto his lap, noticing how violently her left collarbone jutted against her skin. definitely from from the fall. breathing was barely bearable, as she just..stared. head tilted up. as treech cradled her face, trying to remember to be gentle. “mina..’ im sorry.. im..this wasn’t supposed to happen..you were right..you were right..in a coward, a liar, a sneak..i’m all of it..i’m all of it..i understand now okay? okay? i learned my lesson..please lamina..just start..start talking, start talking about all those different birds..those stupid..”

treech couldn’t continue, tears overtook him. and either way, you couldn’t continue talking to someone if they now laid limp in your arms. dead people can’t hear, obviously. the last action lamina could even muster up to do was ever so slightly lull her head to the side, to get a better look at treech.

treech held her face, feeling the round shape. eyes sweeping around her face, counting her freckles for what would be the last time. he watched her burn so tenderly .

he watched her love him.

and he was scared until the very last time.

needless to say, his fingers ran through her hair once more, laying her down. folding her arms, adjusting the headband she wore. taking one last look at the girl who he had betrayed and yet, she still welcomed him with open arms.

lamina’s face perpetually fifteen forever.

at the end of it all, treech’s memories couldn’t save him.

as moments later, powder had filled his nose from the ceiling. he panicked, swishing his body around and throwing his jacket off as his nose began to bled.

the two children from district seven never made it back home.