Chapter Text
The loud beating of her heart can almost drown Lacey’s panting. From fear, from exhaustion but most of all from anticipation and hope. Nobody knows where exactly the story originated, but someone overheard from a drunken peacekeeper that was previously stationed in District 12, a ghost tale.
A ghost tale she wanted to believe in, thinking back when she first heard it and how she ended up here, miles away from the factories.
“The lady of the woods” spoken in a hushed tone. A small group of older teens huddled together, eating their rationed meal. Hands stained with chemicals and dye. In District 8, workers of textile factories are given a small proportion of meal a day. Not enough to be a hearty one, but enough to keep a worker going in a day.
“They say in district 12, there is a ghost lady that appears in the woods. When the air is thick of fog” the storyteller, Tinker, added.
“ She appears with a creepy song, but sometimes when you leave her an offering and a wish for healin’, she will grant you that wish if she’s satisfied.”
“That ain’t scary!” Someone exclaimed.
“Oh hush! Those brutes might come here” Lacey chastised, eyeing the peacekeepers roaming around the canteen. She wanted to hear the rest of the story.
Tinker smiled conspiratorially “Well she can be kind but…they say, if she ain’t happy with your offering, instead of a song, you’ll hear snakes hissing.” He paused for the effect of thrilling everyone before ending the story.
“And before you know it, she will trap you within her fog forever”
“And then what happens within the fog?” Lacey dared to ask.
Tinker shrugged, taking a bite of his meal.
“Nobody knows, maybe you’d be the snakes next meal, maybe you will be forever trap inside the fog or maybe you too will be a ghost like her”
Lacey thought of her mama, coughing for months now. They can’t afford to buy medicine, and it’s impossible to procure herbal ones when the majority of the land in District 8 is almost devoid of plants due to the chemicals from the factory.
Lacey was deep in thought for the rest of the day.
‘An offering and a wish for mama’s cough..or be a ghost girl. I don’t even know if this is true and the only thing resembling a forest here is the border near District 12…how would I even avoid those pesky peacekeepers roaming around?’
But as she came home, spending the night hearing her mama’s cough got rougher and in increasing frequency. She thought of finding a way. If she lost her mama, then there will be nothing and no ones left for Lacey.
After a month of asking around for a direction to the nearest border between District 8 and 12. Observing the rotation schedule of the peacekeepers guarding the area and securing a small bundle of multiple dyed fabrics, that was said to be the craze within the Capitol right now, she embarked her journey.Getting caught would be an instant death sentence.
Presently, Lacey was starting to doubt if trees would start appearing soon. Chemicals from the multiple sets of factories were dumped within the parameters of District 8. Making the land sick for vegetation to grow, and for its inhabitants.Its residents riddled with illness related to the lungs and skins permanently dyed with colors.
Looking at the sky. Lacey thought it would be getting dark soon. She suddenly had an urge to turn back until she spotted multiple dark green figures.
‘Are those trees?’ She only saw those in the telly at the square, when the Capitol would broadcast the different terrains from different Districts before the main highlights of children killing each other.
Lacey hurried, running with her tired legs until she was at the edge of the woods. The dying soil from District 8 were littered with patches of shrubs and grass. A sign of life, a sign of hope .
Night was closing by now. Tentatively, she placed her fabrics neatly on the ground, within the nook of the nearest tree.
Lacey looked at her offering, thinking of what she will say.
“Lady of the woods? Uhm…here is an offering” Lacey started with a soft voice.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s all I can get that can cost a fortune. My mama, she’s been sick for months now coughing pretty badly. Ain’t no medicine we can get with my measly wage”. She continues, the light of the day has started to fade. Thick air was starting to come up the ground, within the woods.
Lacey waited for a reply. She heard nothing but the sounds of insects within the nearby bushes. She repeated her words again, this time with more desperation.
After straining her voice and ears waiting for any response, tears were starting to fall from her eyes. Lacey felt crushed and embarrassed. She fell to her knees and wept.
‘Dumb and stupid me. There’s no hope for mama. Ghosts ain’t real. It was foolish to come here.’
For a moment, Lacey was lost within her anguished thoughts that she didn’t notice that fog was starting to envelop her figure. The night was here.
Lacey suddenly felt the hair of skin rising, goosebumps appearing too. She felt a change in the air. A soft and beautiful voice filled the air.
“Home is behind the world ahead..
And there are many paths to tread…
Through shadows to the edge of night…
A soft gasp escaped from Lacey’s lips when she saw a feminine figure emerging from the woods. The fog mostly served as a smoke screen from clearly seeing the lady ghost, but she knew, oh she knew it was the lady of the woods.
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadows, cloud and shade
All shall fade, all shall fade”
The song ended and the figure went still. Lacey felt paralyzed. A mixture of emotions filled her. The ghost spoke.
“A mighty fine gift you’ have for me love, in exchange won’t ya’ be a sweetie and dry this under the sun for your mama. Turn it into a fine powder and mix it for tea.”
Lacey mused that for a ghost, her speaking voice sounds so alive.
“Let her drink the tea for two cycles of the moon. Now, be careful on your way back won’t ya love?”
Before she could speak, her head felt lightheaded. Exhaustion overcame her senses and Lacey's vision blacked out. Before passing out, she can hear a faint hissing at the distance.
When Lacey woke up, the fog had already lifted up. Removing the mud caking her skin and clothes, she hurriedly walked towards where her offering was.
Instead of a bundle of the clothes she had illegally smuggled. It was a woven basket, filled to the brim with herbal medicine.
‘Oh mama! You’d be saved!’ Lacey abruptly stood up. Safely tucking the basket in her arms, covering it with a linen.
After hours of walking back to the populated area of District 8. Lacey safely sneaked back to the rows of small housing.
Months later, Lacey felt that the whole incident of the ghost lady of the woods was a vivid dream. If it wasn’t for her mama’s cough getting better and better each passing day when she drank the herbal tea she prepared.
When their thirty minutes noon break started, Lacey went to sit with the crew she's in to eat their meal.
Feeling a bit fidgety, she knew it was dangerous to share this story. Especially if the peacekeepers get wind that it came from her but- but It might help someone, if they are desperate enough.
‘Just like me’
“ Hey I have a story…” Lacey started in a hushed volume. Some of the crew who were talking
“ Do you guys remember when Tinker shared his ghost story last time?”
All people within their small table have stopped talking now, their attention was on her. Some nodded with acknowledgement. Lacey continued her tale.
“Well I heard, someone was crazy enough to really do it. To meet the lady of the woods.”