The Hunger Games

Chapter Eighteen-The End

No. No, this can't be happening. I can't see another explosion like that. I can't know that someone died in the same way my father died in. No. It makes me freak out. I begin to pant and my breathing is choppy. I clutch my chest, feeling like I can't breathe any more, and use my other hand to grip onto the tree branch. Cato's body pieces are one by one picked up by the hovercraft.

I think of my father, and when he said goodbye to me the day he died. I think of being in school and hearing the explosion from the classroom. I remember hearing from the teacher that he was injured but not in any pain. I realized right away what that meant. I remember going to the funeral in the Justice building with all the other families that had relatives killed in the accident. I begin to bawl.

Axel looks up as I cry. He smirks and begins climbing to me. I turn and climb the tree higher. This is when I start to get a fear of heights. I look down, past Axel, and see the ground at least forty feet down. I panic but keep climbing. Axel climbs really fast. He must do more than work on transportation in District 6. He's almost catches me. I try desperately to climb higher, but I'm almost near the top. Axel grabs me by the foot and pulls me down. I scream and drop a couple of feet. I grab a branch and pull myself onto it. Axel climbs down and smirks at me.

"Prim, isn't it?" He asks me. I clear my throat and swallow. "That's right." I say. He laughs a little.

"It was nice to meet you for a couple of seconds. But I've been waiting my whole life to win this, so I won't have to live in my families' shoes all my life. So bye, Prim." He hits me with his fist and I fall back from the branch.

I fall down further and a branch hits me on my back. That stops me from falling. I scream out in pain, and I hear Axel curse. I feel my back and see blood on my hand. I have at least seven cuts and I'm surprised my spine didn't crack. I roll over and grab the end of the branch before I can fall. Axel jumps on the branch and stands above me. He laughs before raising his foot up. "Game over." He says before slamming his foot down. I lift one hand up and Axel's foot slams on the branch. He loses his balance and falls.

"No!" He says angrily and grabs the same branch as mine. I stare at him and just as I'm about to do something, my rib pokes at me, and my back bleeds more. I kick my feet in reflex and hit Axel in the arms and face.

He let's go of the branch and grabs his face, falling to the ground. I shut my eyes as the cannon goes off. The loud speaker comes back on, and I hear Cladius Templesmith voice,

"Congratulations Primrose Everdeen, District twelve tribute, as the winner of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games!"

I feel myself being lifted up into the hovercraft. The only thing I can think of is Buttercup. His raggedy, rough fur somehow comforts me right now and I shut my eyes and smile as I imagine wrapping him in my arms and snuggling him.

Next I remember the fact that Peeta is dead. I'm going back to District 12 by myself. District 12. I'm going home because I won.

Wait, I won.

I won.

I was the winner out of twenty-four tributes in the Hunger Games. It's too much for me to process. So instead I focus on what the workers in the hovercraft are doing to me. They examine my body and look at my cuts, bruises, and my rib. One of the nurses sticks a needle in my arm and I wince. I look at the nurse and she half-smiles at me. My eyes start to droop and I soon black out.

"Prim, Prim. Prim, wake up."

I flutter my eyes open and see my mother hovering over me. I smile and wrap my arms tightly around her. She laughs and I feel water drip out of my eyes. I let go of her and wipe my eyes.

"It's not funny." I say defensively. Mother nods.

"Of course it isn't. I just...I missed you." She says wipes the tear forming in her eye. I sit up and look around. I'm at home in my bed. My mind is puzzling. When did I get home? How long was I asleep? Doesn't matter now. I'm home. That's all I care about. I flip the covers over and get out of bed. Mother moves over to me and stands in front of me. "Where are you going?" She asks. I peer at our door.

"Mom, is Katniss here?" I ask. She shuts her mouth and stays silent. I look down and don't say anything. "Prim, Katniss was-"

"Don't tell me I already know." Mother looks taken back.

"You know they killed her?"

I look up suddenly and look at her confused. She returns my look with a regretted one. I cover my mouth and whimper.

"What?" I barely make out. My mind starts spinning. No. No. Katniss isn't dead. Katniss is still in the building that I stayed in before the games. Or better yet, she's on her way home. She isn't dead.

"Katniss snuck into one of the hovercrafts so when they picked up one of the dead tributes, she could jump off and come see you. They caught her and immedietely killed her. She was dropped off here yesterday.." Her voice trails off. My breath becomes choppy again and I feel as if I can't breathe. Mother bends down and grabs me.

"Prim, are you alright? Prim?" Her voice is a blur. The room becomes dizzy. I kneel to the ground and try to catch my breath. A small box in the corner of the room catches my eye.

I run over to pick it up and see that it's addressed to me. I open the box and see inside Katniss's dress that she wore on the day of the reaping. I grit my teeth and pick up the small note that came attached to the dress. My thoughts are frozen, my body goes numb, and I almost pass out as I read what's written on the note:

Sorry about the loss. I told you the Everdeen sisters had a thing for trouble. If you think this the end of this you're wrong. This is just the beginning.

There is no signature. But I know who it's from. And I know that even though I'm out of the arena, the games aren't over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's the end of the first book! Yeah, first book. So, surprise! I'm writing a sequel!!!!!! Whoo-hoo! I REALLY hope this was a good chapter, I've never really been able to end a story with a "twisted" ending, so I hope this worked. I'm actually really surprised at how many people shipped Peeta and Prim. The thought never occurred to me, because...well, prim is twelve. And plus, Peeta admitted his love for katniss and I thought it'd be a little pedo-ish if he suddenly moved on to Prim, haha. But, I mean, don't let me stop you from shipping! if they're you're otp, so be it! Thanks so much for reading this, guys, and sticking with me through this. I love all of you!!!!!! (As family, not in..that...way...) Thanks!

Update: Okay, so apparently, no one checks my page, which is kind of annoying, because I keep getting messages asking me why isn't the second book out yet. THE SECOND ANNNNNNNNND THIRD BOOK ARE OUT. GO ON MY PAGE AND FIND THEM. Seriously, guys, I'm getting reeeeeaaallly irritated because no one is checking regularly on my page and are getting angry at me for no reason. So, there you go. It's out. It's been out for almost a year.