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

1,087

Chapter VII

Chapter 7
The hanging was to be next Thursday.

I hadn't seen Odium since we were caught. I had sat on my cell bed. The Peacekeepers told me to eat, the matrons told me to wash, but I did neither. Instead, I sat and stared blankly at the plain white wall, probably designed to make me go crazy.

All the while, I was drifting between consciousness and an odd, almost dream-like world. This world was completely white and nearly bare, just like the cell I was in; but the only difference was Odium. He walked in and out of this world, never saying a word, just displaying his face, full of pure guilt and sorrow.

But one day, this Odium changed.

He strode into the room, and I was shocked to see a noose around his neck. But then my heart surged with joy. (Once in the conscious world, I had no idea why I was so happy at this second.) He inched towards my grinning face and started to mouth words at me. Then I realised he was making a sound, but I couldn't hear it because of the pieces of rope I suddenly found trailing from my ears.

I yanked them out, but the horrible noise that came from his mouth made me want to put them back in again. Odium was making such a weird sound, somewhere between a little girl's scream and the shooting of bullets. I hated it, I wanted it to stop, I had tears coming from my eyes, and just when I though I would attack him to make him stop it, he shut his mouth. I blinked slowly and so did he. He seemed to be mirroring my moves. I raised a hand. So did he. Then we grasped each other in the most wretched, amazing embrace both of us had ever experienced. Then he stepped backwards off his own accord and said one short word.

"Run."

Then he sprinted away. I tried to follow him but lost him in the now pitch-black room. I called his name. I felt through the darkness. But then something lit up, and it was Odium. I wanted to feel him, to hug him, to kiss his lips-

Then I saw the noose, tight as wet clothes, around his neck. I saw his limp, hanging body- and fell to the ground. I sobbed, sobbed until I had no more tears, sobbed until a person walked right in front of me…

"Your lunch, Miss O'Stone?"

I was snapped back into the real world. Kirkby, the obese Peacekeeper, stood in front of me, holding a tray on which balanced one tiny sandwich.

"Carrion and beef," he said, almost kindly. "All the rage in the Capitol."

He put it next to me on my cell bed, then took a doughnut from his pocket.

"Have one from my secret stash. I swear, miss, they're starving you."

I felt a twinge of affection and gratitude. But then Kirkby turned to walk away. I cried out.

"ODIUM!" I yelled. "I need to see Odium, please, Kirkby!"

He turned around and gave a smile.

"Sorry, miss, but I'm only allowed to give you lunch. It was breaching the rules enough giving you that doughnut."

I looked up at him, eyes sparkling with tears.

"Please. It's the last time I'll ever see him."

He turned back to me.

"The hanging's in an hour," I pleaded.

He slowly nodded.

As the cell door opened, I felt a wave of sorrow crash over me. This really would be the last time I would see Odium – alive. He looked up at me, once-handsome face now ugly with sadness. He had grey bags under his dulled eyes, his skin looked dry and dehydrated, and his eyes filled with tears the second I entered the room.

"Odium, I'm sorry I was so mean, rude, ignorant…" I tried to speak but saw the tear crawling down his greyed skin and let out a sob. He didn't move.

"Odium, please don't be mad," I wept. "I've sat there for a whole week, thinking all sorts of hateful thoughts at you, being a wretched villain, but what have you done?"

I was going to carry on, but then I realised- he had done something. Something terrible. He'd stolen a huge amount of money, for Panem's sake! I should hate him!

But I loved him, and it's pretty hard to hate your true love.
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