"Duckling" by: tangerinemochimaiden
Summary:
'It might be raining now, but it can't rain forever.'
Disclaimer:
No. Never. Suzanne Collins is the genius behind The Hunger Games.
Author's Note: This story is The Hunger Games in Primrose Everdeen's point of view. Okay, so on to other matters. This is based on the Hunger Games movie. In the book, it was actually Madge (the Mayor of Twelve's daughter) who gave Katniss the Mockingjay pin. But in the movie itself, it was Primrose who gave her the pin. Oh! And this story goes out to my loaf, Mags. :3
Everything went by so quickly. From the peculiar exclamation of my name, to a strong and determined bellow of six sweet yet compelling words.
'I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!'
I tried to hold on to my sister, but the Peacekeepers were struggling to keep us away. And that's when I was gripped by two warm and muscular arms that slung me over its shoulder. I squirmed in his grip to wriggle my way out. But what could a scrawny little twelve-year-old girl do to resist such barricades?
The next thing I knew was that I was at the Justice Building among with a few others, awaiting their turn to say their potential last goodbyes to Twelve's tributes. I quickly removed the pin she gave me, and wiped it with my blouse. And that's when Mother and I were escorted inside her room.
I could not hide my tears as soon as I saw her in her Reaping clothes, with her long russet plait and her cinereous pair of eyes. She welcomed me into her arms and when we pull apart, I gave her the Mockingjay pin.
'You need all the luck.'
Yes, my sister needed luck. I told her to win the Games and come back to me and Mother, to which she replied that she will try. 'Trying' wasn't reassuring, but it was the closest thing I had to comfort regarding my sister.
Ceasar Flickerman was an odd man. With his pulled back midnight blue hair, matching suit and orange-y tan skin, one might say he looked like what I have hears of from town as a fictional 'Oompa Loompa'. He was quite nice. He was good at doing interviews in the most comfortable ways possible.
Not so long ago, the Tributes were introduced to the Capitol in chariots. My sister looked stunning…different. There was something off about her.
When Katniss was interviewed, I was really touched and amazed. Touched because she was dedicating everything to me, and awestruck because of her flaming dress.
I decided that after her interview, I would shut down the television. But when the son of the baker surfaced, I decided I had nothing to lose if I watched more than expected. Peeta Mellark seemed like a jolly fellow.
'You must be missing home?'
'Of course.'
'What about a girlfriend back home? Waiting for the return of her baker?'
Peeta shook his head lamely in response.
'Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?'
'Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the Reaping.'
'She has another fellow?'
'I don't know, but a lot of boys like her.'
'So here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?'
'I don't think it's going to work out. Winning… won't help in my case.'
'Why ever not?'
'Because… Because… she came here with me.'
He spoke those seven words like his lips yearned to speak them aloud. I studied him, and he showed no evident signs of lying. He was truthful and kind, someone who my sister needs to take care of her in ways I fail to.
She entered the arena and waited for the sixty seconds signal on her own circular platform. I saw her gaze fixed on a knapsack. It had bows and arrows, but I figured, like any year that I've watched the Games, those who went for excellent-looking packs were usually those who died right away in messy bloodbaths. I crossed my fingers and wished that Katniss would avoid doing rash things. The gong rang and she ran to a different knapsack. Whew. But it wasn't far from over. Someone wanted it too. I decided to close my eyes to avoid getting to see my sister in some bloody fight. Cannons were booming, and I started to tear up from the thought that my sister has become one of those who died in the first day. I snuck a peek at the scree, and I caught a glimpse of her swiftly running away. I felt relieved to see her up and going.
She ran off alone, refusing to make an alliance, even with Peeta. But I couldn't blame her, for he was in an alliance with the Careers. And seeing her being hunted down and terrorized by them was torture. And here I thought Peeta loved her, but there must be a good reason for this sudden turn.
She wandered off alone while the others were in packs and pairs. She probably entered some special area, because suddenly, fireballs were shooting down from nowhere. They were hitting trees and the ground while attempting to lick her porcelain-like skin. The place was blazed and she seemed trapped, but she got out in one piece. I bit at my lip when she winced in pain. I looked closely at her thigh; it received a very nasty burn that left her limping a bit. If I was there, I could have done something to help her.
Katniss was on a tree. Careers were under the tree, waiting for her to fall off or surrender. At this rate, she could fall into their evil clutches or die of starvation from being holed up into the tree with no hunting freedom.
Nightfall was uneventful and futile for the Careers because she refused to descend from her branch. A little silver sphere on a white parachute dramatically flew by her and rested on another branch. She took it and opened it. Some note was inside and she took out the silver canister that came with the note. She opened it and revealed a pale cream. She sloshed her fingers inside and rubbed it on her burn.
Daylight soon came and when she looked at her thigh, it wasn't that nasty anymore. The wounds have closed and the skin was pink. The Careers still waited on her. But then things took on a sudden turn. The black little girl from Eleven was at a neighboring tree. She pointed at an odd-looking hive and jerked her index finger from the hive to the Careers. The little girl was helping my sister stay alive. She was the same age as me, but I was nothing compared to her. My sister brought out her knife and sawed off the branch where the hive was perched. True enough, the little girl, I think her name is Rue, helped Katniss live. But my sister received several strings from the vicious tracker-jackers. Rue nursed her back into good health.
She formed an alliance between her and Rue, and I remember hearing her say that she reminded her of me. I was nothing like Rue. She's brave and strong, whilst I'm frail and useless. Together, they took on the Careers' supplies. Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek was heard. It was Rue, calling out to Katniss, asking for help. She ran towards the voice and saw her in a net. She helped free her, but the boy from the Careers' team caught them and aimed his spear at them. Katniss lodged an arrow in her bow and aimed at him to end his life before he could do the same to them. She managed to kill him, but when she looked back, Rue was holding the spear that was thrust into her stomach. Her eyes widened as she fell on her knees. Tears stung my eyes when I saw Rue in pain. She was too young and undeserving to die. Katniss knelt before her and rested Rue's head on her lap.
'Sing to me, Katniss.'
'Deep in the meadow, under the willows. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow.'
Like magic, everything fell silent, but her singing voice cracked because she started tearing up. I sang along, even though I know they couldn't hear me, as this was what she sang to me whenever I had nightmares. This was the least I could do to thank her for trying to keep my sister alive. When Rue died peacefully in her company, Katniss laid her down and surrounded her with flowers. She stood up and looked at her lifeless body.
'Goodbye, Rue.'
She did something we were used to in District Twelve. She looked at a camera, brought three fingers to her lips and raised to what I think was District Eleven.
After Rue's death, Claudius Templesmith announced that the rules have been changed, that the last two standing Tributes from the same District will be crowned the Victors of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. Katniss was probably thinking where Peeta was. She set off to look for him and just by the river, she found Peeta. He was caked with mud from camouflaging, and he had a big gash on his leg that he says was inflicted by Cato. She cleaned him up in the river and sought out shelter. Luckily for them, there was a hidden cave that they could use. They went in and rested. His wound was deep and Katniss did a fair job of tending it. Everyone could see Peeta was so frail at the moment, and his sweaty and panting self indicated that he was running a high fever. It was evident on her expression that she was really worrying about him. Could he be the boy she was talking about in her dreams? The boy who gave her the burnt bread on that rainy day? Goodness! How could I have not thought that Peeta was him?
In the cave, things got really intimate. My sister and the baker's son were kissing…a lot. I've never thought of her as someone who was keen on doing these kinds of things.
Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed throughout the arena. He was announcing something about a 'feast' at the Cornucopia, wherein a special bag contained something of value for each Tribute form each District. Peeta made it clear that he didn't want Katniss to risk he rlife for that bag, but she was persistent. She used what seemed like a sleeping potion, similar to what Mother uses for her patients, on him. He slept tlike a log while she ran off to the Cornucopia to get the treat. When she grabbed the bag, she was tackled down by that fox-like girl from District Four. She had a knife to Katniss' face. She was taunting her while my sister feared for her life. How I wish I was there to push Four away from her. But then something unexpected happened. A tall and bulky black man pulled Four away from her and killed her on the spot. I think his name was Thresh? He told Katniss he did it because Four's partner killed Rue and that if he encountered her again after saving her life, he wouldn't think twice about killing her. Katniss grabbed the bag and ran off to Peeta. The bag contained his required medicine.
When Peeta was already feeling better, they risked going out of the cave. They were walking and walking, when a pack of eerie looking dogs appeared and ran towards their direction. They ran and climbed up the Cornucopia. The mutts charged on the platform and tried to reach them, but couldn't. While waiting out for the mutts, Cato was up the Cornucopia as well. He was a scary sight, bleeding but still had that crooked smirk on his face. He talked about killing Thresh, the big guy from Eleven. He was so furious at the pair for killing his lady Tribute, Clove. But they didn't have any idea why they were blamed for killing her, for they don't remember slaying anyone besides the one they had to for survival. Cato narrated everything; that Clove died because she ate the same berries they ate. Then did they figure out that she mistook them for eating Nightlock. A bloody fight broke out between them, two against one. Peeta lunged himself at him and tried to inch closer to the edge, ready to fall on the bloodthirsty mutts. They overpowered Cato and he fell off, in favor to the mutts' excitement. It took him so long to die, and the cannons wouldn't boom like they do when someone dies. He was suffering and he begged for Katniss to put him out of his misery. She shot an arrow his was and the cannons finally exploded.
There were only two of them left, and that indicated that they were already the Victors, but a sudden change again in the rules were made. Only one person can win once again, which meant that one had to die for the other to win. Peeta wanted to sacrifice himself since he was already worse off. But Katniss didn't let him. She gave him some Nightlock and arranged for them to eat it together. The berried were so close to their mouth when Claudius Templesmith's voice rang out.
'Stop! The Victors of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!'
I was so relieved! My sister did live up to her promise of trying to come back home!
The Victors are interviewed again once they come out of the arena. Ceasar Flickerman called them out to the stage. They hugged and kissed in front of the Capitol audience and those who watch the live telecast. Ceasar gestured them to stop, but Peeta didn't, something I wasn't really surprised of, judging by their lovey-dovey behavior in the arena. When they decided to pull apart, they sat on the loveseat, hand in hand. When he asked the two of them what went on in their minds when they attempted to commit suicide together, they answered that they couldn't imagine a world without each other, to which the Capitol audience responded with 'Aw's.
Something that surprised me though, had something to do with Peeta. Not because he was sweet and all, because he really is. Turns out, the capitol doctors amputated his bad leg and replaced it with something silvery gold.
When I saw my sister again, I knew that I wouldn't want to be separated from her again. All I want is to be with her. I may be frail now, but now I know more. I will be better, and I will do anything to protect her.
I know now that the Capitol feeds us lies, but I will be strong now because things will get better. It might be raining now, but it can't rain forever.
The End :)
Author's Note: The 'Oompa Loompa' thing about Ceasar Flickerman, it was actually not invented for entertainment. I was watching the Hunger Games with friends, and this friend beside me was the one I was close two compared to the others (she's the one I dedicated this story to :3). Apparently, I watched it first before reading the book, so I was unprepared to see how he looked like. And when his face appeared on the screen, I really told her that he looked like an Oompa Loompa. :))
tangerinemochimaiden. April 25. Wednesday. 12:59 am. GMT + 8:00