Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
As the lullaby is sung, a distorted voice carries the melody.
A baby wails in the distance.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When the nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Barren trees blacker than night form an endless forest. Weaving amongst them, charred vines extend in every direction, across bark, frosted ground, and even curl up towards the sky without stars.
Moving through the forest, the baby's cries grow steadily louder. A blinding light guides the lost to a break in the tree line.
Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your little spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
Trees tower ominously over a clearing blanketed by fresh snow. Their branches are void of any leaves, so their shadows claw their way into the clearing with pointed fingers.
On a bed of snow, a nest of rose petals lays thick. A few stray petals scatter away from the raised pile.
A silver moon hangs overhead, directing its light on the clearing and only the clearing. All else is shrouded in shadows.
The screaming continues.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When the nothing shines upon,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Picked up by the chilly breeze, a fragment of a rose lands too far away from its companions. The moment it touches the ground, it blackens to a charred husk of its former glory.
The voice sings while her voice echoes around the clearing. There's no way of telling where the voice originates from.
By the third time through, the baby begins to calm. He wriggles into a more comfortable position, the rose petals soft against his sensitive skin. Eyes fluttering shut, he drifts off into a peaceful sleep, the voice leading him there.
A warm gust of air gently tucks him in. The roses shield his tiny, naked form from the biting cold around him.
Occasionally, he hiccups in his sleep. These fade into quiet, steady breathing. He has exhausted himself with all his crying.
The moon's rays dry his tears without irritating his rosy cheeks. Then she dims her radiance to help the baby sleep. However, she never takes her enchanting light away from him, lest the shadows reach him.
He surprises her by smiling in his sleep.
Beaming at him, she wraps her silver tendrils around him protectively.
In a forest darker than night…
...under a sky of no stars…
...nestled inside a circle of snow…
...sleeping soundly within roses...
...is the child of the moon, with all her love.
(A/N: This story takes place eight years after my other fic: 92nd Hunger Games. Since it will contain spoilers for the 92nd Hunger Games, it is recommended you read that one first.)