"May the odds be ever in your favor."
Another year, another reaping.
At least this time, there's no chance of it being me.
It will be my sister, last year's victor. The Quarter Quell's twist is horrid this year. The twist is that both tributes must have gone to and been the winner of a Hunger Games from years past.
Back to reality.
"First, it is time for the female tribute. Who might it be this year?" Effie says with an amused smile into the microphone. She drops her hand into the glass bowl labeled 'female,' which has only one slip of paper in it. After looking down at the paper for reference, she shouts into the crowd, "Katniss Everdeen!"
My beautiful older sister, with her dark hair and solemn expression, was already halfway to the stage, knowing she was the only female victor from district 12, ever. I watch her as she looks out to the crowd, but I can't tell if she is looking at her best friend, Gale Hawthorne, or ex-fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark. Whoever she's looking at, it's obvious that she is silently pleading with them for something. While I'm watching her face distort as she becomes more and more upset, Effie continues addressing the crowd.
"The male tribute for the 75th annual Hunger Games is," a slight pause ensues as she stares at the paper and out unto the crowd. "Haymitch Abernathy."
As Haymitch walks up to the platform, my sister crumbles.
"I volunteer!"
A shout from the crowd.
I whip and see Peeta running up to the stage, beating Haymitch. All of a sudden I am swept away in a flood of tears and memories as a look back to my sister and see her crying.
A year ago today, was my first time being a part of the reaping as I had just turned twelve.
"Don't worry Prim; your name is only in the ball once," Katniss assured me. "I'm not letting you risk your life in exchange for the tessera, so there's almost no chance of your name being pulled.
On the outside, I know I looked plain, dressed in a crisp white shirt and my favorite skirt. My sister kept tucking in the tail of my shirt as she pulled my hair out of my face and braided it down my back. "Duck, we don't need to see your tail, she told me.
Even though I looked and seemed plain on the outside, on the inside, I was a mess. I was terrified. All I could think was, 'What if my name is drawn?' and 'What if it is me?' My nervousness came out as an anxious-nervousness warp, which resulted in Katniss repeatedly reminding me to calm down because my 'tail' kept falling out. As I finally calmed down enough to sit for few minutes with my cat, Buttercup, Katniss spoke.
"I'm just about ready to leave, because it is about it start. Are you ready?"
"Yes," I replied as a got up to go. "Let me just say bye to Lady."
"alright."
Our walk to the square was quiet, with only the whisper of the wind and a small ring from the town square.
"I will meet you afterwards, okay?" she promised, giving me a big hug, before being herded to the section for older teenagers. In a daze, I had my finger pricked and blood drawn. All I remember from that is that it hurt a little bit. I slowly made my way to the section labeled '12,' assuming we were grouped by age.
There was a buzz in my ears as the people in the crowd were all talking enthusiastically and without a care in the world. I couldn't make sense of what anyone was saying, because I was trapped in my own mind. All I could see were the bloody images of games past and what would happen to me. I could see myself killing others and thought terrified me. The image of myself being brutally murdered was etvched into my eyes and it was all I could see when I closed my eyes.
"Oh-Kay," Effie Trinket's cheery voice rang through the courtyard. "We are ready to start." I zoned out most of her speech until I heard the words, "male and female tribute," spill from her bright pink lips.
A hush fell over the crowd as an average looking teenage boy stood up and slowly approached the platform. On the boys' side of the courtyard, I could see from their faces that a large burden had just been lifted, succeeded by long exhales and inhales.
"Ahem." Everyone looked back at Effie as she announced, "It is time to announce our female tribute." Time slowed as she pulled out the paper in her small hand. She looked down then her voice seemed to project past the limitations of the microphone.
"Primrose Everdeen."
My mind blurred and time came to a complete stop as everyone around me began to back away from as if I was the plague. Their stares penetrated my body like needles as I began to scream.
"NO! KATNISS, HELP ME! I DON'T WANT TO! PLEASE, NOO!"
The guards grabbed me and began to pull me away from the stage. I was intensely confused until I looked at the stage and saw Katniss on stage, in my spot. Screaming harder, I began to fight against the guards more and more.
"KATNISS, DON'T!"
I felt someone pick me up from behind, and on instinct I began to kick. I hear Gale whisper into my ear.
"Calm down Prim. It will be alright."
I do my hardest to calm down, stop kicking and breathing deeply past my reeling emotions.
I look up to see Effie smiling out into the crowd as she reaches into the glass globe for the second time. "Peeta Mellark," she declares. "Come up to the platform, please."
