Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.
I get up early hearing Prim's screams. I know she is having a nightmare. It is the first year she is eligible for the Reaping. I run in her room to comfort her. She is very nervous after happened last year. "It's alright Prim. They won't pick you," I give her a hug. She hugs me back. I feel like a needed it just as much as she did. I am more nervous this year than past years. This year I have to mentor. I have no idea what I would do if someone I knew got chosen. That would just be terrible. "Gale and I are going hunting. Do you want to come along?" I ask her. We both need to get our minds off of things and I know hunting relaxes me. She nods. "Get dressed then. I'm leaving soon," I give her a hug and hurry back into my room to get dressed. I find in my closet my father's hunting jacket. I put in on with a pair of sweatpants. Prim comes in wearing some long pants and a jacket. "Ready?" we start to head down stairs. I grab her hand. She never usually likes to go hunting with us. We walk outside. They air is nice and cool this morning.
"Are you nervous?" she asks as we pass Peeta's house. "I don't think I've been more nervous," I admit. "Well at least your safe from the games," she tries to relax me I can tell, but she is just as nervous herself. She has a point though. I am being selfish. I should be one of the calmest 17 year olds in the district. I mean, I will not have to go in and Prim has a very little chance she will, but something still frightens me. If the tributes this year die, it would be partially my fault. I don't know if I could live with that. I need to be strong for Prim. If she sees I'm nervous about that now, she will definitely be nervous about getting chosen. "What makes you want to go hunting this morning?" I ask trying to change the subject. "So I could spend time with you before you go to the Capitol," this makes me smile. "I'll call you and mom every night. Okay?" she smiles and nods. I am the only one who uses the phone in our house. The only people I call are Cinna and Effie. Prim likes using the phone though. When we first moved in to our house in the Victor's Village, she called Peeta's house constantly.
We check the fence to make sure it isn't on then go right through it. Gale and I don't do much hunting anymore. We mainly just wander around the forest. It is peaceful and quiet. Prim and I walk to the spot where Gale and I meet every morning. "Hey, Catnip!" he teases. "Gale!" Prim giggles. "Prim wanted to come with us this morning," I explain to him. He nods. I go to retrieve my bow from its hiding spot. Prim follows me, while Gale goes to check his snares. "Can I try shooting the arrow?" Prim ask. This surprises me. She never has shown interest in archery before. "Sure. How about I'll set up a target for you," she gets excited about this. I go about ten yards away and find a large tree. I take some juice from some berries and make a target on it for her. I take Prim through the steps of firing the arrow. She learns fast, just like she does for everything.
"Now try and hit that," I point to the target I made for her. Gale is finished checking his traps and his game bag looks full. "What did you catch?" I ask him. "Just a few squirrels," squirrels are fairly easy to catch. I look back to Prim. She has the arrow positioned and ready to fire. "On the count of three," she nods. "One…Two… Three," she releases the arrow and sends it flying towards the target. It hits the edge of the target. "Nice one," compliments Gale. Prim gets excited when she sees where it lands. "Try a few more," I hand her another arrow. With each try she gets closer to the center each time. "Are you ready to go home and get ready?" I say after she has successfully hit the center twice. "I guess. I see why you like it out here. It is so peaceful," Prim seems calmer out here than she has at all the past month. "While Katniss is in the Capitol, I could take Rory and you out here," Gale mentions to Prim as I put the bow and arrow away. Her face lights up when he says this.
We start to head back the way we came. The fence is still inactive, like always, so we cross through it with no problem. We walk with Gale towards the Seam. "See you later," I wave to Gale as he heads towards his house. "Bye! Good luck today, Prim," He used to wish me luck every year but after last year there is no point. I got pick last year and won the 73rd Hunger Games. "You too!" she shouts back to him as he is almost in his house. Prim and I walk home on the gravel road. "What's the Capitol like?" Prim ask me. I have told her little about it because just speaking of all they have makes me angry. "It's large," I simply say. "I know that! I mean like what are the people like? Are they all like Effie?" Effie is the only person she has met from the Capitol. "Pretty much. Some are even more extravagant than Effie," she giggles. It must be hard to believe everyone looks like Effie. We soon arrive back at our large home.
"Go get ready and find something pretty to wear," I tell her. She hops up the steps. I follow after her and go to my room. I decide to take a bath. My bath tub is large and has hot water. I use the vanilla scented soap that I got a shop in town. It is such a luxury to have a bath tub in our house. After my bath I dry of and find in my closet, the dress Cinna sent me to wear today. It is lavender colored and flows down to my knees. I decide to braid my hair down my back, like I always do. It makes me feel me. I take my time. I want it to look nice. I finish it up and go to check on Prim. My mother is braiding her hair. "Good morning Katniss," she looks up from doing Prim's braids. "Good morning," I reply. "There's some fruit downstairs in the kitchen. Why don't you go eat?" I start to head out the door but change my mind. "I'll wait for you guys," It will be my last time with them for almost a month. I want to enjoy every minute of it. My mom carefully finishes Prim's braids. We all head down stairs together. I take an apple of the table and sit down to eat it. Prim sits right next to me. She grabs an orange from the bowl in the middle and starts to eat it. "I need to go now. Prim everything will be alright. Be strong," she pulls me in for a hug.
"I'll be back soon," I tell my mom and her. I give them each one last hug then leave. I walk down to Peeta's house. Peeta is mentoring with me. He won the 72nd Hunger Games, where he confessed he was madly in love with me. He saved me once when I was younger, so I played along with it to help keep him alive. Then, last year I got chosen to compete in the Hunger Games and he helped me out of them. Now I am in love with him, too.
I knock on his door. He opens it with a large smile across his face. "Katniss," he gives me a hug. "Ready?" I nod. He shuts his wooden door and we start to walk down the street together. "I'm really nervous," I admit to Peeta. I don't know how he did it last year. "It will be fine. You just got to stay calm the whole time," he squeezes my hand. "But, what if I know who gets chosen?" for me that would be the worst. "Last year, I was terrified you would get chosen. And then you did. I didn't think I would be able to do anything, but I remained as calm as I could and focused on getting you out of there," I had never thought of it being hard for Peeta to mentor me last year. He managed to do it and so will I.
We arrive at the Justice Building. Peacekeepers are surrounding it. They let us through when we get to the entrance. As they open the door, I see Effie there waiting for us. "There you two are! I was worried you would be late!" she sequels. She is always worried about being off schedule. Neither Peeta nor I say anything. "Well should we start heading to the stage. It's almost two!" Effie always gets excited about the Reaping. To her and the rest of the Capitol, it is all entertainment. To the districts though, it is cruel.
Peeta and I walk up the stairs of the Justice Building. Effie takes the elevator. We could to but for me it reminds me of the mines, where my father died. We meet Effie, Mayor Undersee, and Haymitch at the top. I greet the mayor. I have talked to him many times, for his daughter is one of my best friends. This year Haymitch is staying in district 12, since there are two other mentors for district 12. Peacekeepers open the large doors and we walk onto the stage. I see the look of all the worried children in the crowd. I spot Prim and Gale out in the crowd as well. I sit down in a chair next to Peeta. Effie steps up to the podium. "Welcome! Welcome, welcome! Happy Hunger Games and May the odds be ever in your favor," she says like she does every year. "It's time to choose on courageous boy and girl, for the honor of representing district 12 in the 74th Hunger Games. As always, ladies first," she steps over to the bowl. In there somewhere is a slip that says Prim's name on it. I just hope she doesn't pick it.
Finally Effie picks a slip out and carries in over to the microphone. She unfolds it and reads," Madge Undersee!" Could she of read that right? It can't be Madge! She only had her name in four times. Out of all the people it is Madge, one of my only friends. I watch as she walks up on to the stage. I want to do something, but I know I can't. I have to remember what Peeta told me today. To stay calm no matter what. I see fear in Madge's eyes. She looks back at her father who is sitting on the other side of me. I know I must bring her home.
Effie congratulates her. "Now shall we pick our boy tribute?" she walks over the other bowl. She digs in it and searches through. I can't help but think of poor Madge. I almost don't hear who she picks, but the name catches my attention. "Gale Hawthorne!"