Chapter 11
Lucy Gray wakes up with the worst noise of her life, the last time she drank so strongly was when she returned from Twelve after her games.
It took a while to react, but when she felt a male arm over her waist, her blood froze.
Lucy Gray looked at the man next to her. Wide back, pale skin and blonde hair.
Coriolanus Snow.
She got up from the bed, her legs trembled and her forehead hurt, she could feel the dry sperm around her intimacy.
Her breath became deeper, she found her heels and her dress on the floor, she lay as tears sprang out of her eyes.
How could she have done this to Erik?
Snow had a very heavy sleep because he was still asleep, Lucy Gray took her heels and went out of the room. She saw an Avox cleaning the room, the maid picked up a ring from the floor, Lucy Gray realized it was her wedding ring.
Without saying anything, she took it from the maid.
She thought about leaving, but realized she didn't have money, so she used the room phone and marked the only number she knew.
"Hello?" she heard Tigris' voice.
"Tigris, I am Lucy Gray," replied Lucy, whispering, "please come and pick me up at Coriolanus's department... and bring a post-day. I'll tell you everything later, but please help me. Please."
"I'll be right away."
Lucy Gray sat in the room, her hands tightly grabbing her hair.
How did this happen?
Why did she let it happen?
She didn't know how long she was in her thoughts until she was brought back to reality by Avox, who gently touched her shoulder and offered her a cup of tea.
"Thank you," Lucy Gray accepted the cup of tea.
She drank long drinks and caught the flavor of lavender. She closed her eyes trying to figure out what to do next.
"Lucy Gray?"
She opened her eyes at Snow's voice, he was standing in front of her, wearing pajama pants and a robe.
Lucy Gray's first instinct was to throw the empty cup into his head.
'You're a damn bastard!' cried Lucy Gray, jumping over him.
He wanted to strangle it with her own hands.
The two fell to the floor with her on him, but the unfortunate smiled with satisfaction, but Lucy Gray quickly wiped out his smile by giving him a whistle, he remained silent for a few seconds before changing things, in a clean move she was the one who ended up under Snow.
'How could you do this to me?' she asked furiously.
'I did nothing to you that you didn't want to do,' Snow answered with clear satisfaction, holding her from the shoulders. 'You offered yourself with good will."
"I was drunk!' cried Lucy Gray. "In a few days it would have been my daughter's birthday and I overdoed with drinks."
She began to twist under him, he began to ask him to stay quiet.
"Coriolanus Snow!" a female scream was heard.
Tigris entered the room with her face reflecting surprise, Snow let go of his grip and Lucy Gray took it to get up and hide behind Tigris.
'Take it,' said Tigris, handing her the post-day.
"What is that?" asked Snow, standing still in the presence of his cousin.
'A post-day pill,' replied Lucy Gray, opening the box of the medicine. She quickly put the pill in her mouth and swallowed it without drinking water, she felt a squeeze in his throat. "I will not risk getting pregnant by you."
She was 39 years old, so much that her chances of conceiving were almost null, not tempting to luck bringing the world a son of Snow
'Come on, Lucy Gray,' said Tigris, taking her by the arm and taking her out of Snow's apartment.
• •
Mags was called to the twelfth floor and asked to bring the herbs she always used when meeting her passing lovers, other victors or her lover in the Four.
On arrival, they were Tigris, Woof, Lucy Gray and her locked in Lucy Gray's room away from the eyes of the children and the escort from the Capitol.
When she entered, she saw Lucy Gray kneeling in front of the bathroom vomiting while Tigris held her hair and rubbed her back.
"Holy Merling. What happened?" asked Mags with the cup of contraceptive tea in her hands.
'Snow,' said Woof, "He took advantage of the fact that Lucy Gray was drunk and took her to his apartment. We don't need to be geniuses to know what happened.'
Mags felt indignant and furious for equal parts, still hearing Lucy Gray vomit. Mags made a fuck when he recalled how he had been drunk once with Alcy Odair a couple of weeks ago.
After a few minutes, Lucy Gray came out of the bathroom with her face wet.
'This tea helps me, it has never failed me,' said Mags, spreading the cup to Lucy Gray.
She gulped it down in one gulp and grimaced.
"I never said it tasted good," she added with a slight smile.
Everyone remained silent, not knowing what to say.
"Will you tell your husband?" asked Woof.
"Yes," replied Lucy Gray, "and I am afraid this will cost me my marriage."
• •
After almost two weeks, between the boys' training, interviews and the start of the 33 Games, Lucy Gray could return home.
The two tributaries of the Twelve died in the blood bath in Cornucopia, so as she lost both on the first day, they told her that she could bring them home.
It was just in the morning before boarding the train that she had her period, a slight bleeding, but it was her period.
Before she approached, Snow was waiting for her at the station.
'I know you hate me for what happened,' said Snow, as if he had not done anything wrong.
'I hate you, and at this moment I am grateful to any god,' replied Lucy Gray, 'I am in my period; I will not have a child of yours growing up within me.'
With those words, Lucy Gray returned to the Twelve.
• •
After two days of travel and an uncomfortable night, Lucy Gray sat her husband in the room.
'I love you, Erik,' said Lucy Gray calmly, but her husband's tender look made her cry.
"What happened?" My love, what happened? Erik got up from the chair and hugged her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to," Lucy Gray hid her face in her husband's chest. She cried for a few minutes, Erik sat down beside her and kissed her back.
When he asked again, Lucy Gray spoke with all honesty, saw her husband's face twisted in anger, for a moment Lucy feared that her husband would beat her.
But Erik didn't cheat on her, he never did.
"That bastard!"
"I'm sorry, Erik," cried Lucy Gray.
Her husband took her by the cheeks, gently.
"None of this is your fault," he said very seriously, "he raped you, he took advantage of you. A coward would do that."
Erik hugged her and Lucy Gray broke in tears again.
• •
The next two months went well.
Lucy Gray continued embroidering, weaving, caring for her garden and preparing jam with Maude Ivory.
She visited Azalea from time to time, who just got pregnant and CC could not be happier with the news.
It was a Tuesday, when she was sewing the buttons of her husband's shirt on the porch of her house, sitting in her chair while her Rabbit Bombon was eating lettuce at her feet, who heard the alarms of the mines.
Lucy Gray quickly stood up disoriented by the sound of the alarms.
She entered her house with Bombon in her arms, left it in the room to pick up her keys and coat. She ran out of the Victor's Village in light sandals to where the mines were.
On the way he saw more people and peacekeepers. The women of the Seam ran out with their faces full of panic.
Peacekeepers sealed the mine area, leaving women and children watching the mines. Maude Ivory came running with Jhonny Fern in her arms.
'What happened?' asked Maude, hugging her son.
'It seems to be an accident at mine three,' said Nora Abernathy, holding her belly slightly overwhelmed.
Lucy Gray knew her because they usually buy her goat milk every week.
"Woody!" cried Nora to her husband.
Woody Abernathy had a face filled with coal dust and seemed crushed. He crossed the safety line to embrace his wife.
"Did you say mine three?" said Lucy Gray to Nora, "Nora!" Lucy Gray stabbed the woman "Did you say mine three?! Erik is the captain of mine three! Tam Amber also works in mine three!"
Lucy Gray let Nora go to try to cross the security line.
'Mrs. Everdeen, stay behind the safety line!' said Commander Miller.
'My husband and brother are in mine three!' cried Lucy Gray to Miller.
'Mrs. Everdeen, I will have to arrest you if you shout again!' threatened Miller.
Lucy Gray was quickly surrounded by a pair of male arms, turning her head to see that it was CC who separated her from the peacekeepers .
She grumbled and kicked in the air demanding to be released, but CC refused to obey her.
The hours began to transcribe, miners gradually coming out of the mine. But none of them were Erik or Tam Amber. After two and a half hours, they pulled out Tam Amber, his right leg was broken.
CC and Frank took him to the apothecary to be treated by Mr. Sebastian while Flora and Azalea stayed healing the less seriously wounded.
Azalea had to go to a tree to vomit before continuing to work.
Four hours after the alarms sounded, they pulled out more bodies. The peacekeepers covered the bodies they left on one side with gray sweaters, one asked the people to identify the corpses.
Commander Miller called her and led her to a covered body.
The tears began to flow and she trembled when Miller lifted up the saucer.
From Lucy Gray's lips came a loud shout when she realized it was her husband's body.
• •
Coriolanus smiled with satisfaction when the list of victims of the mine accident in District Twelve arrived and among them was the name of Erik Everdeen.