The Lady of the Lake: Behind The Scenes

Hey everyone,

As it happens this story is based off a true life event. There was once a watermelon that was brutally murdered by a lawn mower.

As Requested by , the tale of Finnick destroying Sky's watermelon.

ENJOY!

Set in Chapter 24 of the Lady of the Lake

The Tale Of The Tragic Watermelon

It started with a harmless conversation over breakfast.

I'd gotten home from the Capitol in the late afternoon, feeling a great weight lifting off my chest as I stepped off the train onto the platform into the warm golden sunshine, and the smell of the sea.

The platform wasn't particularly busy, most of the foot traffic happened in the morning after the fish was fresh caught, but there were still a number of officials and Peacekeepers and overly curious Capitol citizens there on some business or other. And there waiting by the end of the platform was Sky.

She looked better than she had when I left, which is a thought I'd had every time I came home from the Capitol and she met me. The Games had taken a heavy toll on her, and seeing her quiet and sometimes lost in her thoughts never ceased to worry me. These days she seems happier, the shadows slowly disappearing from under and inside her eyes.

Thankfully the Capitol doesn't have the same interest in her as it does in me. She's too kind, too...gentle, for that sort of world. She lets me stay with her, when I come back, lets me stay and sleep in her bed, scrub myself clean and hold her close. She's smart is my Sky, she understands, and I can see the knowledge of it in her eyes sometimes. She never asks, and I'm grateful. I think neither of us want to think of it.

Anyway, I was still feeling grateful to her, the morning after, as I sat in her redone kitchen, morning sun streaming into the room, perched on a stool at the smooth wooden island bench. She was happily puttering around the kitchen, making toast and eggs, when I looked out the window.

"It's a bit overgrown," She placed the food down in front of me and pursed her lips, "I need to mow it…"

Excellent, I thought, a way of paying her back!

"I'll do it."

She eyed me.

"You want to mow my lawn?"

A part of me wanted to make a quip so badly, but I remembered my audience and contained the urge. Her gaze sharpened though, like she knew.

"I'm an excellent mower."

I manfully resisted snickering.

She rolled her eyes.

"You're an infant is what you are."

"Oh come on! You know you thought it!"

"Only because I knew you were thinking it!"

I grinned at her.

"I'm a positive influence on your life. Don't lie Sky."

Another eye roll.

"Anyway," I continued, popping a piece of toast in my mouth, "Mowing, I'll do yours and mine."

"You sure?" she looked like she wanted to argue, just for the sake of it, but practicality won out, "Thanks Finnick."

I felt generous and manly, especially when I went out and found the state of the art mower the Capitol had left her. Carefully I pushed it around my yard, enjoying the soothing rhythmic motion, and soon enough I finished my patch and returned to Sky's.

So absorbed was I, in the simple act of cutting the grass, moving the mower back and forth, that I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going.

A crunching, squishing sound jerked me back to myself and I quickly pulled the machine back, realising I'd come a bit too close to Sky's vegetable patch.

Much too close, I corrected as I saw the mangled remains of Sky's prized, singular watermelon.

"Shit." I whispered and ducked into the house.

Mags laughed herself sick when I rang her.

"It's not funny!" I growled back at her, only succeeding in sending her off into another bout of pealing laughter, "It's not! I killed it!"

"And what exactly do you want me to do about it?" she chortled down the line, before beginning to laugh again.

"Help me!"

"Oh honey," I could tell she was shaking her head, "I'm pretty sure there's no helping that Watermelon."

"I could hide it."

"Good luck with that," and my former Mentor hung up, her laughter cutting off as the line went dead .

I pulled a face at the phone.

"Finnick," Sky's voice was even over the phone, and I winced, already knowing what her question was going to be, "Why did you murder my Watermelon?"

"What?" I blustered, trying to infuse my voice with all the shock I could. Why was it so easy to fool the Capitol and Snow, and yet impossible to fool Sky and Mags, "What's wrong with your watermelon?"

A deep sigh from the other end of the line, "Funny thing. You see when I went out to admire the beautiful mowing job you'd done Finnick," I winced, "I looked at my watermelon, which was, well….disembowelled is probably a good word for it."

"And you think it was me?" I huffed, "How rude…"

"I know it was you Finnick." She growled it, and I couldn't hide the grin, she was hilarious when she got growly, "Because the big bit of remaining rind was carefully positioned facing the kitchen window, so if I looked outside it would look fine."

I winced. Busted.

"Maybe a critter ate it?"

"I can't believe you murdered my watermelon! It was my only one!"

"Look, Sky, I'm sorry, It was a mistake!"

"You are so going to pay for this Finnick."

"Sky…" I whined, and she hung up.

She knew what was coming next. Incessant pleading,

Sometimes it's a shame she knows me so well.

Mags took one look at me and bursts into laughter again.

"You're the worst," I growl at her and walk in, wiping watermelon goo from my face.

I turn to look back at my side of the street, and can't help but smile as I see Sky standing in her front yard, watermelon remnants in her hand and a broad grin on her face.

"I hate you!" I called back, and heard her laugh as she disappeared back inside her house.

Mags didn't stop laughing until I went home, ducking all the way.

So you see...no matter what Sky says. Clearly I was the victim here.

NEXT CHAPTER: Open to Requests! Please let me know what you'd like to read!