The Hunger Games- Prim's Story

Chapter 2

When my father died, we went to the Justice Building to collect a medal of valor. We stood in front of the building and Katniss walked over to the mayor to collect the medal. My legs were shaking as I tried not to cry in front of the cameras and I clutched my mother's hand while her eyes looked far away, into the distance. 

I'm reliving that feeling now. My legs are shaking and I finally see a clear view of the stage. The brown-haired boy that was in front of me in line is now looking at me with an expression of pity. All of them are. I still haven't fully processed what happened. Katniss said. She said. My name was one piece of paper. One in thousands. The odds were absolutely in my favor. 

The crowd whispers unhappily. Another kid to die. Another non-winner. The twelve-year-olds never win, even if they're from the career districts. It isn't fair. But they don't care, no one does. No one sees how wrong it is. But I don't have time to dwell on it. I'm sure that my face is ghostly pale and my fists are clutched, desperate to hold onto something that isn't there. I walk slowly, my legs shaking, still shocked by the name on the paper.

As I walk up, I pass the older children. The thirteen-year-olds, the fourteen-year-olds, the fifteen-year-olds. I come up to the sixteen-year-olds and I hear a strangled cry come from the side and I quicken my pace. She's walking out to the center of the crowds and she calls my name. I don't pay any attention to her. I have to get to the stage. Maybe if I seem eager, the sponsors will be more likely to bet on me. To give me gifts, like food, medicine, and weapons. But probably not. Sponsors don't choose twelve-year-olds. We're too weak. We don't survive. 

I'm practically running now. I have to get to the stage and once I get there, I'll be safe. Katniss can't compete for me. She has too many people to lose. Too many people care for her. They can't lose her and I can't either. It will be easier on everyone if I go in. If I lose. They'll rebuild. They'll forget. But they wouldn't forget her. 

I'm walking up the stairs and I see Effie's grinning face beckoning me towards her. She grabs my shoulders and leads me next to her. I'm stiff and I see Katniss with tears in her eyes. She can't do anything now. The Peacekeepers grab her and she tries to fight back. To get up to the stage. Peeta runs out to her and gently leads her back to the line. He's whispering in her ear, but it seems to be having a worse effect on her. Finally, she's back to her place in the crowd and Peeta walks back to his. 

"So you're Primrose Everdeen?" Effie asks me, her face cheerful, but she has a slight disproving tone as if she expected more from District Twelve's female tribute.

"Yes," I say, my voice is barely a whisper and she has to lean closer to even hear me, which unnerves me even more. I keep my eyes on the ground so the cameras can't see my tears. This is the time most tributes break down but I'm determined not to. Or at least, to make sure the cameras don't see me. 

"That name suits you, dear." She says, still smiling. "Well!" She addresses the crowd, "Let's give a big round of applause for one of our District Twelve tributes, Primrose Everdeen!" Every time she says my name, it becomes more and more real and I'm screaming inside for Katniss to wake me up. To pull me out of reality, to tell me everything's going to be okay. That nothing bad will happen to me. No one is clapping for me. They know it isn't fair. It's their silent defiance to the Capitol. We'll let you kill our children. We'll let you make us watch. But we aren't happy about it, and we won't pretend to be. Even the people betting on us have stopped their exchange of money and whispers. They don't know me, not personally. But they know my sister. The one who feeds them, the one who protects me. 

Katniss tells me that no one can resist me. That they all have a soft spot for me, they can't help but love me. 

Haymitch is sitting on the chair, but out of the corner of my eye, I see him rising and coming towards me. I brace myself and move closer to Effie. As scary as she may be, Haymitch is drunk, who knows what he would do to me? I soon find out as he grabs my arm and yells at the crowd. Shaming them for throwing a twelve-year-old into the Games. Peacekeepers come onto the stage to drag Haymitch down before he makes more of a scene and Effie tries to save the situation. 

"Well! That was..." She falters for a minute until she finds the right word. "Interesting. Now let's pick our boy tribute!" For a minute I find myself admiring Effie. She's like a switch, she can change her emotion just like that. From uncertain and uncomfortable to bubbly and happy. She holds her wig onto her head as she wobbles over to the glass ball in those impossibly high heels. 

Before she can even reach her hand into the bowl, I hear a familiar voice yell "I volunteer!". And the owner of the voice walks himself up the stairs to Effie Trinket before anyone can object. I scan the crowd for my sister's face again and she's shaking. Before her eyes, she is losing her two most favorite people in the world. A blond girl in a small white dress is holding onto her shoulder to steady her. 

Peeta's jaw is set and he's trying not to show any emotion, but I can tell that he's shocked. Once you're actually on the stage, it's final, there's no going back. The mayor calls attention to him while he reads out the Treaty of Treason. I couldn't pay attention if I tried. All I can think about is that if I want to come home, twenty-three teenagers will have to die, one of them being my sister's boyfriend, the closest thing I have to a brother.

Maybe someone else will kill him. Maybe someone else will kill me. Maybe we'll both die. 

The mayor has finally finished the Treaty of Treason and Effie motions for us to shake hands. He walks towards me, giving me a reassuring smile. I try to smile back, but I'm scared that if I move my face out of any other expression than the numb one I am wearing right now, I'll burst into tears. And I can't afford to look weak. I don't have much going for me right now, I'm only twelve, I don't have any survival skills, and I cried when Katniss tried to teach me to hunt. I couldn't stand to see the animal look so vulnerable in that one moment and then have its life taken away in the second. Imagine what killing a human would do to me.

But there'll be twenty-four of us. We won't have to kill each other. I hope.

A/N: Remember to drink water, take care of yourself, and enjoy the weekend! xxx