My name is Katniss Everdeen, I live in District twelve, I am 20 years old, my family was murdered, the nurses tell me that I'm safe. That no one can hurt me here. They think that I'm imagining the threat to my life. I know there wrong. No one believes me.

"Hey, Katniss. How are you feeling?" I don't look up from the rope in my hands, just keep tying, untying and re-tying.

"Well that's a stupid question," I hear Johanna snort.

Over, under, around.

"She's crazy. Store bought muffins and books don't help the clinically insane." With perpetually shaking hands I jerk a few segments of the rope and the knot loosens and falls to the cold, white hospital floor. I squeeze my fists tight, close my eyes.

"Prim!" I push open the door of my home. When I step inside I immediately know something is wrong. I raise my bow. The house looks normal. The picture frames holding images of my mother and father with Prim on her fifth birthday are completely straight; everything in its proper place.

Until I reach Prim's room. I push the door open and there's Prim lying on the floor eyes open but the life that used to shine so brightly in them is gone.

"Katniss?" Someone rests there hand on mine and I jump. It's a male hand. I look up. Bronze hair , green eyes, handsome features. Finnick. I feel the tears rise and throw my arms around his neck, sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Katniss." I don't know exactly what he's apologizing for, but I appreciate it anyway.

"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart." I remember the words he spoke to me at the police station and I try to pull myself together, but the tears come faster and my sobs grow louder. I vaguely notice that someone is talking to him and I calm down enough to hear what they're saying.

"…need to.

"You're not sedating her!" One of his hands moves from around me and I cling tighter to him afraid he is going to leave. "No!" I feel something like a mosquito sting and everything goes black.

…

"Katniss!" I hear my sister yell. "Katniss, help!"

"Prim!" I search wildly for her among the trees until I reach the fence. "Prim!" I shout again. Suddenly I'm in front of my house a foul smell emanating from within.

"Mom! Dad! Prim!" Prim calls again this time accompanied by my parents. Run to the door but I seem to go agonizingly slow. When I finally reach the door I thrust it open and the smell worsens. My stomach machine rolls with nausea. I walk through the house frantically searching every room until I reach Prim's. The door opens by itself and I see my family all lying in a heap their blood mingling in a solitary pool at my feet. Their mouths are still moving speaking my name.

"Katniss, Katniss, Katniss."

Two weeks earlier.

"Has she woken up yet?" In the thickness of sleep the voice is faint, as if coming from far away.

"No. Not yet." I am about to open my eyes when the first voice starts again and I recognize it now.

"Why's she been out so long?"

There was no response. I open my mouth to ask why on earth they are watching me sleep. But don't have the energy.

"Wait… I think she's waking up." I open my eyes instead, still not quite fully awake. I try to speak again.

"Gale?" My voice is rough from sleep.

"I'm here, Catnip." He takes my hand in his.

"What happened?" My memories are fuzzy. All I remember is an emotion that can only be described as sorrow. A soul-deep pain that radiates through my body as a nearly paralyzing weakness. I still feel it now but I can't remember why.

Gale looks stricken as he asks, "You don't remember?" I see him look behind him, and I use nearly all my strength to follow his gaze. Finnick. Yes, his was the other voice I heard. They're both silent. They just look at me both with the same expression: agony.

"Katniss…" Finnick trailed off. And I start panicking. What was so terrible that they were so inept to explain. My breathing becomes shallow and comes faster.

"What- happ-" And then I remember something. Just the slight tingle of a memory not quite recalled but also not quite forgotten. I sift through my memories trying to extract the right one; the one that is freezing these two grown men in there tracks.

"You- you tried…" and I remember what had been prickling at the back of my mind and my eyes fill with tears.

"My mom, Dad, Prim. They-" I look frantically between two of my best friends in the world, into their sober faces and ask the question that I already know the answer to. "Are they… are they dead?" I stutter.

Gale just nods. I try to cover my face with my hands but when I lift them I am pulled up short by restraints attached to a bed that I now realize is a hospital bed. And then I notice the fluorescent lights and large windows that rather than just opening to the outdoors open to a reception desk where a group of nurses laugh together. Don't they know that my world is falling apart? Don't they know that the people I care about most are gone? And then I remember the worst part.

I struggle against the restraints now in full blown panic. I look into Gales eyes, pleading. "Gale. Why…" No, I know why. "You have to let me out of here! They're coming, Gale. They're coming!"

"Katniss, calm down." Gale holds my arms against the bed effectively stopping my struggling. " What are you talking about? Who's coming?"

"Whoever killed them!"

"What?" He was perplexed.

"They're coming for me next, Gale! They put me in these restraints!" I struggle against the restraints losing all hope that they will provide any help in this situation. Why won't he let me up?

"Katniss, do you remember what happened after you found… Out?" He doesn't directly mention my family again and I briefly wonder if he thinks that talking about it would make it worse. As if I could feel worse than I already do. Or be in any more danger than I am. Really, as if life can get any worse than it is now. But I humor him. Thinking that maybe I can get out of here faster if I play along, I focus on his question and try to remember. Again that tingling…

"You tried to…" Gale releases my arms and collapses into the chair he had just vacated. He rubs his hand over his face.

"You tried to kill yourself." I had forgotten Finnick was there. It takes a moment to grasp what he's saying. I… there's a flash of a memory… Pills? I can feel my eyes widen as understanding hits. Did I? Did I try to kill myself. It's too much. I can't… why would I try to kill myself when whomever killed my family is still out there? Why would I try to kill myself before I made them pay for what they did? I couldn't have.

Gale's POV

"Gale don't be stupid! Why would I do that? That would be giving them what they want."

I'd looked to Finnick helplessly but he'd looked just as lost as I. That was three days ago. My best friend is going through the worst pain of her life and it had driven her to the unthinkable and now she seemed to be walking the edge of sanity. What her doctor is saying now confirms it.

"I don't like what I'm seeing." Says Dr. Shepherd thoughtfully. His brow is furrowed and he writes agitatedly in her chart.

"So what's wrong with her? Is she…" As crazy as she sounds? I couldn't bring myself to finish the thought.

"Well this girl has suffered quite a trauma. Finding anyone you love, let alone your whole immediate family, deceased would take quitter the toll on anyone. Right now I think my diagnoses would have to be paranoid delusional due to excessive trauma. And I definitely think she is a danger to herself and others. I would recommend finding a care center for her." My heart dropped.

"You mean the Nut House?" I wish that I'd left Johanna at home. Usually I found her tendency to say whatever was on her mind endearing but now was not the time for it.

The doctor cleared his throat. "A psychological care facility. "

"You think that this may be permanent?" Finnick chimed in.

"Possibly," the doctor said sympathetically. "It's also entirely possible that she be back to normal tomorrow morning. But at this time I must insist that you find a care facility for her."

I drop my head into my hands. I know I can fight this. I'm her closest relative; I can choose to take her home with Johanna and I, but I have to discern what would be best for Katniss and Johanna and I. I can't bear to think of her in some cold asylum where all they would do is shove pills down her throat and restrain her if she gets upset. But if what the doctor said is true and she is a danger to herself and others- which at this point I believe he is- than I can't bring that kind of danger into my household.

I feel Johanna slip her arms around my waist from behind and rest her cheek on my back. "So what are you going to do?"

I turn to face her and slide my arms around my wife. "Well…"