I DO NOT OWN THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES.

FACE CLAIMS

JOSHUA HOWELL- TAYLOR KITSCH

RUTH HOWELL- CARA BUONO

SAMUEL HOWELL- LOGAN LERMAN

ESTHER HOWELL- MICHAELA RUSSEL

Logan, West Virginia. February 15, 1996.

The first thing that Coriolanus Snow felt when he regained consciousness was the feeling of his namesake. The ground was covered in cold, wet, snow and there was more of it coming down from the dark sky above. He quickly looked around for Lucy Grey Baird and found her face down a few feet away.

"Lucy Grey!" He exclaimed as he quickly raced over and turned her over. Lucy Grey's eyes quickly opened wide as she grabbed onto his arms.

"Coryo...where are we?" She asked anxiously as Coryo picked her up bridal style.

"I don't know...but it looks like a snow storm's raging. We need to find shelter." Coryo said as he started carrying Lucy Gray up an embankment. The windchill was nasty as Hell as after 5 minutes of trudging through the driven snow, Coryo found himself on a road; or at least what he thought was a road. It was hard to tell because it was covered by clean white snow. He turned to the left and began to walk as he tried to ignore how cold he felt. Lucy Grey, on the other hand, had her own remedy.

"Everyone wants to be like a hero, the cake with the cream or the doer not dreamer..." she sang softly as Coryo kept trudging. "Well, doing's hard work, but it takes some to change things. Like goat's milk to butter, like ice blocks to water..."

"Stay warm Lucy Grey, stay warm." He begged as he pressed his forehead to hers as she kept singing quietly.

"This world goes blind when children are dyin'; I turn into dust, but you nеver stop tryin'..." she sang as she looked into the eyes of the man she loved. "It's why I love you...you're as purе as the driven snow..." Coryo kissed her deeply as the sound of a car horn suddenly alerted them. He turned around to see a worn down truck with the word Ford on the bumper while 2 men got out of it. One was about Coryo's age while the other looked to be in his late 30's or early 40's.

"What in God's name are you kids doing out in this; it's 7 fucking degrees!" The man asked as Coryo quickly made his way over to the truck.

"She needs warmth, please!" Coryo begged as the man turned to the boy.

"Samuel, get them blankets out the back!" He hollered as Samuel opened the door as Coryo put his song bird into the back of the truck while Samuel wrapped some quilted blankets on her. Once she had been attended, the 3 climbed into the truck and sped off into the snowy night.

"Put your hands on the heater, it'll warm ya up." Samuel said as Coryo did as he was told.

"Name's Joshua Howell, this here's my step son, Samuel." Samuel's step father introduced.

"She's Lucy Grey Baird...and my name is Coriolanus Snow." Coryo introduced in return.

"That's an interesting name, where you 2 from?" Joshua asked with a chuckle.

"District 12, Where are we?" Coryo inquired.

"You in Logan County, West Virginia ." Samuel remarked.

"I've never heard of it." Coryo said, earning a confused look from both men.

"We ain't never heard of no district 12." Samuel remarked as Coryo realized that they'd found a place beyond Panem's grasp.


Howell house. Logan, West Virginia. Later that night.

Lucy Grey had regained her senses enough to walk on her own 2 feet when they arrived at the Howell's home. When the door opened, Coriolanus and Lucy Grey saw a simple, but homely dwelling.

"Joshua, where in the Hell have you boys been?" A middle aged woman asked as she walked out of the kitchen only to look surprised when she saw her guests.

"Sorry Ruth, we found some stragglers out in the snow." Mr. Howell said as he presented the couple.

"My name's Lucy Grey Baird and this here is my fella, Coriolanus Snow." She said with a shivering smile.

"Your husband and son were kind enough to offer us shelter." Coryo said as a young girl came out of the bedrooms.

"Hiya, I'm Esther!" The girl said excitedly as Lucy Grey offered her hand for a shake.

"Well, supper's ready, we might as well fill your bellies." Mrs. Howell said as she motioned everyone into the kitchen.

"Classic Mac n' cheese and buttermilk biscuits." Esther said with a grin as everyone sat down.

"Let us pray." Joshua said as everyone held hands. Neither Coryo nor Lucy Grey were religious, but they didn't want to offend these people so they linked hands as well.

"Dear Lord, we thank you for the food to nourish our bodies, we also thank you for Coriolanus and Lucy Grey, may they prove to be useful to this family and to your will; amen." Joshua said as Ruth began to prepare everyone's plates.

"Was you in the army?" Samuel asked as he pointed to Coryo's dog tags.

"You could say that." Coryo lied, earning a nod of respect from the Howell patriarch.

"Well, we all thank you for your service ." Joshua said, raising his glass.

"You're welcome. I just got discharged and Lucy Grey and I needed a fresh start." Coryo replied as Lucy Grey drank her milk softly.

"Where you staying?" Esther asked curiously.

"Nowhere yet, sweetheart." Lucy Grey said honestly.

"They could stay with us, if they got nowhere else to go?" Samuel offered.

"I suppose it would be unchristianly of us to turn you out, seeing as you a veteran and all; but since you ain't family, you 2 must work to earn your keep." Joshua insisted as Coryo and Lucy Grey nodded, accepting their new circumstances until Coryo could find a better plan.

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