The Hanging Tree
written by Katniss Potter
Have you ever wondered about the true origins of the song 'The Hanging Tree'? A Hunger Games fanfiction. Rated T (teen) for death, threat and kissing.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
9
Reads
1,076
Chapter III
Chapter 3
The Peacekeeper with the gun grabbed Heather by the hand. She cried out. "Odium!" she yelled. His scarred face looked more scared then she'd ever seen.
"Peacekeepers, there's been a mistake!" Heather yelped.
The first Peacekeeper, a big beefy man with a bristly beard, chuckled. "Tell that to the Head," he chortled.
The second Peacekeeper, a skinny, weedy guy, gave a horrible little snicker that sounded like the braying of a mad goat. "Promise you, he won't be happy!"
The third, a tall muscly man with beautiful locks of golden hair, rolled his eyes. "Stop laughing and you might actually be able to do something- for once," he sneered.
The others clicked their tongues and rolled their eyes at their fun being cut short and strode towards Heather. "Lady, I'm sorry to say you're under arrest," he said, flashing Heather a winning smile with perfect teeth. Heather didn't take the bait, she simply stared as the two other Peacekeepers grabbed her by the arms.
As she was frog-marched out of her room, she gave Odium a scared glance. "What are we gonna do?" she mouthed behind the Peacekeepers' heads.
"I don't know," he mouthed back. His face looked unhappy, almost guilty. "I'm really sorry I got you into this mess. You don't deserve this."
Heather was touched by these words. "It's not your fault," she mouthed slowly. "Please don't apologise."
But then they were crammed into the mirrored lift, and Heather was squished between the oily skin of the thin man and the hairy body of the fat man. Heather attempted again to plead innocent.
"Men, please, we didn't take anything that wasn't ours!" she protested. "I swear…"
But then she caught Odium's eye. The guilt she fancied had been there before was ten times more obvious now. Something was wrong.
"Heather, I'm sorry…" he mumbled, his ears reddening. "Heather, that night my dad returned the cash? I forced him to just take a little more."
Heather's heart sank a little, knowing the news would be bad. "How much is a little more?" she dared to ask.
"Twenty thousand more," he said gravely.
Heather's stomach plunged from its position. "No," she whispered. "No, please, say you didn't."
Odium nodded. A single tear rolled down Heather's cheek. Now she realised they were in real trouble.
"Peacekeepers, there's been a mistake!" Heather yelped.
The first Peacekeeper, a big beefy man with a bristly beard, chuckled. "Tell that to the Head," he chortled.
The second Peacekeeper, a skinny, weedy guy, gave a horrible little snicker that sounded like the braying of a mad goat. "Promise you, he won't be happy!"
The third, a tall muscly man with beautiful locks of golden hair, rolled his eyes. "Stop laughing and you might actually be able to do something- for once," he sneered.
The others clicked their tongues and rolled their eyes at their fun being cut short and strode towards Heather. "Lady, I'm sorry to say you're under arrest," he said, flashing Heather a winning smile with perfect teeth. Heather didn't take the bait, she simply stared as the two other Peacekeepers grabbed her by the arms.
As she was frog-marched out of her room, she gave Odium a scared glance. "What are we gonna do?" she mouthed behind the Peacekeepers' heads.
"I don't know," he mouthed back. His face looked unhappy, almost guilty. "I'm really sorry I got you into this mess. You don't deserve this."
Heather was touched by these words. "It's not your fault," she mouthed slowly. "Please don't apologise."
But then they were crammed into the mirrored lift, and Heather was squished between the oily skin of the thin man and the hairy body of the fat man. Heather attempted again to plead innocent.
"Men, please, we didn't take anything that wasn't ours!" she protested. "I swear…"
But then she caught Odium's eye. The guilt she fancied had been there before was ten times more obvious now. Something was wrong.
"Heather, I'm sorry…" he mumbled, his ears reddening. "Heather, that night my dad returned the cash? I forced him to just take a little more."
Heather's heart sank a little, knowing the news would be bad. "How much is a little more?" she dared to ask.
"Twenty thousand more," he said gravely.
Heather's stomach plunged from its position. "No," she whispered. "No, please, say you didn't."
Odium nodded. A single tear rolled down Heather's cheek. Now she realised they were in real trouble.
