i. glowing
(the hunger games)
When Primrose Everdeen's name is called, all of District 12 falls deadly silent. So quiet you could hear a pin drop. Or, more precisely, a heart break.
Katniss watches her little sister slowly make her way up to the stage, with her braided pigtails and her loose duck tail and the softly trembling lip she's trying to hide, and Katniss feels her world shatter. She runs after her—even after the Peacekeepers restrain her, she's still running—and she's screaming, yelling, fighting, crying, Prim come back, please don't take her, I volunteer as tribute, take me instead, just let her come back.
Prim is so young; her name is only in there once. First-year reapings are always the cruelest.
Then, Effie Trinkett's sharp, saccharine voice:
"Volunteering is not allowed, dear."
Then, Gale comes up behind Katniss, wraps his arms around her waist, lifts her swiftly off her running feet, and carries her away.
Then, Prim doesn't come back.
-::-
When Peeta Mellark's name is called, all of District 12 falls deadly silent. No one tries to volunteer in his place. No one makes a sound.
-::-
They let family visit the tributes for a last goodbye. Katniss holds Prim's face into her hands.
"You're going to win this thing, okay? You're going to win the Hunger Games and you're going to come home. I don't care if the other tributes are bigger, older, stronger. You're small and you're quick, Prim, and that's an advantage. If anyone tries to kill you, you just run as fast as you can. Do that for me, okay Prim? You're going to live. Oh Prim, you're going to live."
Prim smiles a teary, beautiful smile.
"I'm going to live."
-::-
Peeta is quite surprised when Katniss Everdeen barges into his room. The Peacekeepers are calling for her to leave, visiting is over, but she doesn't listen. She walks straight up to him, grabs a fistful of his shirt, and pulls him close until their faces are practically touching.
"Protect my sister."
And then she's gone, leaving him standing there, heart pounding fast and the front of his shirt still wrinkled.
-::-
During the entire train ride to the Capitol, Effie goes over the schedule at least seventeen times, Haymitch remains drunk into oblivion, and Peeta and Prim feel very awkward not knowing where to sit, what to touch, what to eat. It's strange, being treated to such luxuries after being selected for the worst fate. Peeta can't help thinking all the delicacies are like a prisoner's last meal.
One morning, as Effie and Haymitch bicker over his perpetual drunkenness, Peeta senses that Prim is staring at him but whenever he turns his head, she's always looking away. Finally, on the fifth try, he catches her staring.
Her beautiful blue eyes widen and she blushes, but she doesn't look away this time.
Peeta makes a face, imitating Effie, and Prim laughs.
That's the exact moment when Peeta Mellark and Primrose Everdeen become friends.
-::-
Cinna and Portia had something brilliant planned for the parade, but after realizing District 12's female tribute is much smaller than anticipated, Cinna flew into a frenzy working on a new, even more brilliant plan.
After hours of prepping, Peeta and Prim arrive at their designated chariot wearing what appear to be black unitards. Cinna simply looks at his work with pride.
"I can't believe I didn't realize this before. The tributes always wear matching outfits. But we want to stand out. We want to capture everyone's attention right on District 12. No, your outfits will complement each other. You'll see."
Suddenly, Prim's black suit is turning red, then brighter and brighter until she's glowing. Next to her, Peeta's suit ignites in dazzling flames.
"Originally, you were both going to be on fire. But Primrose is too sweet to be adorned in flames. Primrose, you are ember, coal glowing hot. Peeta, you are fire, coal burning bright. District 12, you are so much more than coal miners, you are bringers of light."
With Cinna's magnificent costumes, Peeta and Prim ride into the finale of the parade. He grabs a hold of her small hand.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
And then there they are, the bringers of light, the tributes from District 12, lighting up the big screen as all eyes turn to them. Peeta gives one small wave to the audience and they cheer loudly in response. He gives Prim an encouraging nod for her to do the same. Prim is so shocked, nervous, and overwhelmed, she can only manage to smile. But all Prim needs to do is give one small adorable smile to the audience and their hearts melt.
That night, the only thing anyone in the Capitol can talk about is the boy on fire and the precious little girl who glowed.
-::-
They train and it becomes very evident that Prim cannot hold any weapons. Mostly because she's not strong enough to use a knife or dagger or bow, but also because seeing cute little Primrose Everdeen in possession of a weapon makes you want to cry. Even the specialized trainers at the weapon stations take pity and often watch her struggle with sad eyes.
After Prim nearly injures herself trying to shoot an arrow ("Like my sister Katniss does, yeah?") Peeta ends her martial training and ushers her to the other stations. Trap-making, knot-tying, camouflage-painting, poisonous-plant-identifying.
"It's okay, Prim. There are different ways to go about the games. You don't need the knives. If you master these stuff, you could hide out eating berries something and just outlive everyone else to win."
She laughs and looks up at him with her young, innocent eyes. "Thanks, Peeta. You're really nice to me."
Peeta smiles back and walks away, remembering a certain promise back home. Protect my sister.
He trains twice as hard, to make up for Prim.
-::-
Usually, all the tributes keep to themselves, because ultimately, it's everyone versus everyone and who would want to make friends with the person that will eventually cut their throat? It makes the eventual killing more difficult.
But here's the thing.
It's impossible to hate Primrose Everdeen.
Somehow, she squeezes her way into everyone's hearts. Glimmer kisses Prim's cheek whenever she walks by and the two wear matching braids in their blonde hair. Cato lets Prim sit on his shoulders and the two stomp around like one gigantic monster, making everyone else laugh. Rue and Prim become best friends, walking with linked arms like two twelve-year-old girls who have so much more to live for.
-::-
The girl who glowed steals even more hearts at her interview.
"I've had so much fun the past few days training with the other tributes. I know that's weird for me to say, but it's true."
Before her compassion could get mistaken for weakness, Caesar Flickerman quickly steps in.
"But you're still going to try to win the games, right?"
"Of course. I'm going to win. I'm going to live."
-::-
The boy on fire doesn't do too shabby either at the interview; he and Haymitch have one last trick up their sleeves.
Caesar, helpful as always, steers the conversation in the right direction. He suggest Peeta win the games, go back to District 12, and win the heart of that special girl he's in love with.
"I can't. She will never forgive me if I was the one who went back home, instead of her little sister."
-::-
(Back in District 12, Katniss's jaw drops when she watches the live broadcast of Peeta's interview. She thinks back to that fateful night when Peeta gave her the bread, she thinks back to the day of the Reaping when she basically demanded Peeta to give up his own life to save Prim's, and she thinks that maybe she owes Peeta Mellark too much.)
-::-
Run for the forest. Run straight for the forest, don't grab anything, don't look back.
Peeta makes it all the way to the trees when he goes against Haymitch's instructions. He looks back. There's bloodshed at the Cornucopia where the Careers have annihilated the unlucky tributes who didn't run fast enough. Peeta quickly scans the forest for blonde pigtails.
Then, a loud shriek that pierces right through Peeta's heart.
It's Prim.
Oh God, it's Prim.
He sprints back towards the Cornucopia. They had everything planned—run straight for the forest and then Peeta and Prim will meet up and he can protect her until the bitter end. All she had to do was get from her starting platform to the trees, that's all she had to do. But someone got to her, maybe she tripped, and now she's killed and it's all Peeta's fault. It was only a minute into the games. He couldn't even protect her for a minute.
But when Peeta runs back to the clearing, his heart leaps because he sees that Prim is alive. She had indeed fallen and the boy from District 9 had tried to attack in her moment of weakness. By some miracle, she had dodged his knife just in time, rolling over on the grass. But now the boy is back up and raising his arm to stab Prim again. She screams a second time. Peeta is completely helpless as he watches, wishing furiously that he had never listened to Haymitch and grabbed a weapon when he had the chance.
Just as the boy from District 9 is about to kill Prim, he falls over, headfirst into the grass. A dagger is sticking up from his back.
A few yards away, Clove grins at having hit her shot. She rushes over and kicks the dead body aside, retrieving her dagger. Cato arrives and helps lift Prim back to her feet. Prim looks between the two of them, confused. The bloodbath is over. The Careers have conquered the Cornucopia, just like always. Volunteering isn't allowed, but some districts are favored by the Capitol and Careers often rig the reapings. Glimmer and Marvel from District 1, Clove and Cato from District 2, the boy from District 3, the girl from District 4, and now Prim are the only ones still alive.
Everyone else is either dead or fled.
Peeta slowly inches back towards the trees, hoping not to attract the Careers' attention. He does, however, catch Prim's attention. Her eyes widen when she sees him in the shadows. She quickly glances at the others in the Career pack to make sure they aren't watching, and then mouths a single word to Peeta.
Run.
-::-
The faces flash by on the night sky and Prim exhales in relief when Peeta is not shown. Later, the Careers discuss strategy and the order in which they'll kill the remaining tributes. When they rank "that lover boy from 12" third on the list, Prim bites her tongue and says nothing. That night, the Careers force the boy from District 3 to watch guard and they fall asleep in their makeshift tent beside the tall pile of supplies they'd stacked earlier in the afternoon.
Prim couldn't fall asleep though, so she ventures over and sits on a crate, watching the boy from District 3 dig out the bombs, rewire them, and bury them around the supply pile. She doesn't even think he notices her until he suddenly starts talking to her. The silence of the night is so quiet that even though the boy is only whispering, it's deafening:
"You should run away."
"…what?"
"Look, you and I, we don't belong here. We're not really part of the Careers alliance. When have the Careers ever included anyone from District 3 or 12?"
"Um, I don't know. So why are we here then?"
"They only need me to plant the mines. I'm good with explosives. That's the only thing keeping me alive right now."
"But what about me? I'm not good at anything."
She's been wondering that ever since morning, when twelve tributes were murdered and yet she was spared.
"Sure you are. You make them happy. You make everyone happy. And that's really powerful because the Hunger Games is not a happy place. That's the only thing keeping you alive right now. You're Cato's favorite."
"Then why should I run away? If Cato likes me, he'll keep me safe."
"No one is safe here, Prim. The Careers will keep you around for now, but in the end, there will only be one victor. If you stay here, you're just an easy kill."
"They'll kill you, too."
But then Glimmer stirs in her sleep and Prim and the boy promptly stop talking.
-::-
The first night is horrible for Peeta. No supplies, no weapons, no water. No Prim.
He's about to fall asleep, hungry, cold, and exhausted, when suddenly there is an orange light in the darkness. He looks to his right and sees a small fire. The girl from District 8 is holding her hands against the small flame. He tries really hard to resist the urge to walk over and join her, but his hands are frozen and numb from the cold, so he reluctantly approaches the girl.
"You know, you're going to get yourself killed. That fire's a dead giveaway."
The girl looks up at him with a blank expression.
"I didn't ask for your opinion."
He walks away, grabs as many fallen branches and twigs as he can find, and returns, feeding some kindling into the fire and putting the rest aside in a pile. The girl smiles, just a little.
They both drift in and out of sleep the whole night. Neither trusts the other, but they're both not strong enough to kill each other without any weapons, and at least two is better than one, so they form the weakest alliance of last-resort measures.
Early next morning, Peeta awakes and wanders into the forest to gather more firewood.
A loud scream, followed by a cannon.
He drops all the branches and races back to their campsite. The girl from District 8 is sprawled on the ground, a sword in her stomach and the wound still pouring out blood. He can still hear the retreating footsteps of the merciless Careers. Peeta falls to his knees and feels all kinds of remorse. That's twice he's failed already. He couldn't save Prim and now he couldn't save…oh god, he doesn't even know her name.
Before the hovercraft can take away her corpse, Peeta gently shuts her eyes and pulls the sword from her body. The Careers probably left the weapon thinking the girl was alone, and they probably have swords to spare. But that would be their first mistake, because the girl's death will not be in vain.
With the end of the short-lived, weakest alliance of last-resort measures, Peeta journeys on, further into the forest, bloodstained sword in tow.
-::-
Prim and the boy from District 3 get left behind to guard the camp when the Careers head out before sunrise to track the fool who lit a fire. The cannon sounds not too long after and Prim keeps all her fingers crossed that the fool is not Peeta.
The boy comes up and puts a hand on Prim's shoulder.
"You should go now. Before they come back."
"Will you come with me?"
"No, I can't. I haven't finished with the bombs yet."
"But if I go and you stay, they'll kill you the second they come back."
So, Prim doesn't go.
-::-
Two more days pass and Peeta only manages to find a small pond of water. He drinks it thirstily, washes his sword, and then spends the rest of the time being a complete bore by just sitting against a tree. He knows back home, Katniss is probably cursing his name to eternity for leaving Prim and he knows he needs to rescue her from the Careers, but for the life of him he cannot come up with a feasible plan. Plus, he's starving.
Just when he's about to pass out from hunger, a small grey parachute arrives. Looks like he scored some sponsors after all. Pulling apart the container, he finds a single loaf of bread. Bread for the Bread Boy. Somewhere, Haymitch Abernathy is laughing hysterically.
But underneath the bread is a small piece of paper. Peeta holds it up to the light to read the two words.
Watch out.
And that's when the first of the fireballs comes flying in Peeta's direction.
-::-
Prim and the boy from District 3 spend their days sitting around the Cornucopia waiting for the Careers. The Careers never take them along because they're weak and bad fighters and would only slow the process. Thus, Prim and the boy have lots of time to talk. She learns that his name is Kenton, he's fourteen years old, his dying mother didn't want him to apply for tesserae but he did for her sake, and then he got reaped the very next year. And Prim concludes that every tribute is a tragedy and it's impossible to justify who deserves to live more.
Suddenly, there's movement in the branches of a nearby tree, the disturbance causing a flock of birds to scatter into the sky. Kenton is immediately on his feet, loads an arrow into a bow, and aims at the tree.
"Who's there?"
Prim and Kenton slowly inch forwards. Luckily, Prim is the first to spot the big brown doe eyes hiding among the leaves.
"Wait, don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
She holds up a hand, motioning for Kenton to stop. Then Prim walks towards the tree and looks up to where Rue is standing on a high branch. Prim beams and beckons her friend to come down. She tells Rue to avoid the mines and treats Rue to some fruits in their supply stash. Kenton reluctantly puts down his bow.
"Prim, you can't be an ally to everyone."
-::-
The three of them devise a plan. If the bombs are already planted, why not use them against the Careers?
Rue will go find Peeta and bring him to the Cornucopia. When they're near, she will sing the four-note tune and the mockingjays will carry it over to Prim and Kenton. Meanwhile, Prim and Kenton wait for the Careers to return to camp. Once they've fallen asleep, Prim and Kenton will get far enough away before Kenton activates the bombs, which will explode the supply pile and the Careers.
It's a flawless plan. Until Cato insists on staying up and keeping watch that night.
-::-
Peeta sprints through the forest while the flames chase after him, burning his leg. He is curious where the wall of fire is herding him, when he practically runs into Thresh. Thresh's back is turned, so Peeta quickly scrambles to hide behind a tree, ignoring the horrible pain in his leg.
Thresh may not have seen Peeta, but he does hear Peeta. He slowly turns about the forest, like a patient beast stalking his prey. Peeta wills himself to hold his breath, even though his lungs are screaming for air. He can sense Thresh getting closer, so he tightens his grip on his sword, ready to put up one last fight.
Out of nowhere, Rue appears before Peeta. She holds a finger up to her lips to shush him. Then, she pretends to trip and fall.
At the sound of Rue's fall, Thresh pounces but relaxes once he sees it's only Rue. He sighs and ruffles her hair.
"You be careful now, kid. Next time, it won't be me, it'll be one of those Careers. And they'll kill you in a heartbeat."
Rue nods. She waits until Thresh has walked out of sight before she goes back to Peeta. It's only then that Peeta realizes Rue just saved his life. She smiles at Peeta, grabs his hand, and starts leading him the opposite direction Thresh had gone.
"Come with me. We're going to Prim."
-::-
The others are all asleep but Cato stands vigilant, no sign that he'll fall asleep anytime soon. Prim and Kenton share a worried look as they lie next to each other, feigning sleep. The quiet night air fills with the soft singing of mockingjays in the distinct four-note tune. Rue and Peeta are here. What are they going to do?
Prim suddenly sits up, stricken with an idea. She nudges Kenton once and then walks over to Cato.
"Primrose? What are you doing up?"
"The mockingjays woke me and I'm hungry."
She grabs two apples and throws one to Cato. They eat it together under the moonlight. She stands at just the right angle so that she's facing the supply stack and the sleeping Careers, and Cato has his back towards them. Kenton finally gets the gist of Prim's improvised plan and he sneaks away. Cato, oblivious to Kenton's actions, keeps talking to Prim:
"You know, we were talking today, and the others wanted to kill you now rather than later, before we got too attached to you. But don't worry, Primrose. I didn't let them. I told them if anyone wanted to kill you, they'll have to go through me."
"Really? Thanks, Cato. That's…you don't have to do that."
"Yes I do. Listen, you want to know a secret? I had a little sister who looked just like you. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a precious smile. Sometimes, when you laugh, it sounds just like her."
"Is she back in District 2?"
The mockingjays sing the four-note tune again, as if urging them to hurry it up already. Prim takes a subtle step backwards away from the bombs. She has to keep distracting Cato in order for Kenton to activate the bombs. Cato is standing pretty far away so he'll probably survive, but at least the bombs should kill the other four Careers. She just hopes Kenton will set off the bombs already.
"No. My sister…she's dead."
"Oh. I'm so sorry. What happened?"
"She got sick, really, really sick and the doctors couldn't cure her. I swore I would protect her always, but the sickness was the one thing I couldn't protect her against."
Cato actually tears up a bit and Prim feels great sympathy for him. Underneath this tough Career exterior is a broken soul who only wants to protect Prim like he never could protect his own sister.
And then the bombs detonate, abruptly cutting short all sentimentality. The pile of supplies explodes, the sleeping Careers are tossed into the air, and Cato dives forward to shelter Prim with his body. Prim is so moved by Cato's act that she feels immensely guilty since she is partially responsible for the explosion. But before she can say anything, Cato is storming after Kenton, who is running away into the forest but not running fast enough.
"You fucking bastard, what did you do?!"
Cato catches Kenton. Cato was never supposed to catch Kenton. But now Kenton's fate is inevitable and right before Cato snaps Kenton's neck, Kenton manages to shout:
"Prim, GO!"
She didn't need to be told twice. She dashes into the forest. Cato is preoccupied killing Kenton, so by the time he turns around, Prim has already disappeared into the trees. He tosses Kenton's limp body onto the ground and shouts in rage. Clove is wailing, smoke still permeates the air, and there's blood, blood everywhere.
Prim keeps running until she runs into Peeta's arms. He takes both Prim and Rue by the hand and the three escape into the night. Only when they reach a safe distance away do they stop. Prim collapses, buries her head in Peeta's lap and sobs. She cries because Kenton is dead, the poor boy from District 3 with the sick mother. She cries because Cato trusted her and she betrayed him, the poor boy from District 2 who only wanted to protect innocent little sisters. She cries because three cannons sound and that's three tragedies without a happy ending. She cries because you can't be an ally to everyone.
That night, Prim, Peeta, and Rue sleep huddled together in a small cave. The anthem plays and three faces project onto the sky—Kenton, Glimmer, and the girl from District 4.
-::-
Peeta's burn wounds worsen overnight and he's got a fever and a cough, so Prim and Rue play doctor for the next two days. All Prim has to do is glance up at the sky and parachutes come floating down with medicine, ointment, gauze strips, even a thermos of soup. It's like all the sponsors Prim wooed over were just waiting for something like this to happen so they could shower the little girl who glowed with stuff.
Now that the stockpile of food has been blasted into smithereens, the Careers no longer have the advantage. All the remaining tributes must fend for themselves and make do with only what is in the forest. Which puts Primrose Everdeen in the advantage since she is the only one who spent the majority of her training studying traps and edible berries. Peeta, Prim, and Rue spend their days sitting in the shelter of the cave and sharing stories as if this was some sunshine summer camp. Prim and Rue would poke fun of Peeta's crush on Katniss and Peeta would blush and the girls would giggle and all of Panem would sigh at the heartwarming sight.
The sunshine summer camp illusion quickly fades when a cannon goes off and the boy from District 10 is gone.
-::-
"Rule change: If the two last remaining tributes are from the same district, both shall be crowned victors."
-::-
In the end, Rue has to go.
It breaks Prim's heart and Peeta has to literally hold her back with all his strength, but in the end, Rue has to go.
In the end, Rue is not from District 12. Rue is not Katniss Everdeen's little sister. Rue is not Peeta's responsibility.
In the end, you can't be an ally to everyone.
-::-
The day after the announcement and Rue's departure, Peeta and Prim are out setting traps for squirrels when a flock of mockingjays fly by, carrying Rue's four-note melody. Prim smiles, because she thinks that's Rue's way of saying she's still okay, but Peeta is worried because the mockingjays were flying so frantically, like they were fleeing something.
Two seconds later, there's the sharp, shrill cry of a little girl hurt. Since it doesn't come from Prim, it has to be Rue.
Peeta and Prim drop everything and run in the direction of the scream. They find Rue, entangled in a giant net. Thresh is nowhere in sight, so either Rue never found her partner or they split up temporarily but Peeta and Prim don't really want to think about that right now. Rue is struggling against the heavy net, so Peeta and Prim quickly bend down to try to help her. Just as Peeta finds the opening of the net and is about to lift it over Rue's head, Rue's large brown eyes open wide as she stares at something behind Peeta and Prim.
"Look out—!"
The spear is thrown from behind, grazes Peeta's right shoulder, and pierces right through Rue's stomach.
Prim lets out a bloodcurdling scream, Rue is bleeding profusely, and Peeta spins around to find Marvel standing with a malicious grin. The grin would be his first mistake. Only carrying one weapon—which is currently in Rue's dying body—would be his second mistake.
Outraged, Peeta immediately draws his sword and walks up to Marvel. The Career just laughs and holds his arms out wide, as if to say what's the worse this petty, injured District 12 kid could do?
Underestimating Peeta Mellark would be his last mistake.
Ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder, Peeta stabs Marvel right in the stomach to avenge Rue and the girl from District 8. He hears Marvel gasp, pulls the sword out, and turns away before Marvel could even fall onto the ground.
Peeta helps Prim pull the net off of Rue. The wound from Marvel's spear is fatal; Prim keeps trying to stem the bleeding and help Rue up but Peeta just shakes his head because he knows there is nothing more they can do. With a shaky hand, Rue grasps onto Prim.
"You have to win now."
Rue's eyes flutter shut and her breathing slows. Unable to think of any other way to comfort her dying friend, Prim sings the lullaby Katniss used to sing to her, the song that made her feel safe and sound. Peeta gathers nearby flowers and weaves them through Rue's hair so that by the time the hovercraft arrives to retrieve her body, Rue appears like a sleeping princess, not a victim of these cruel games.
Two cannons go off. Peeta and Prim stand and walk away, hand in hand. A parachute lands in Prim's hands—a loaf of District 11 bread and a small note.
Thank you.
Together, the two look up and hold up three fingers to the sky.
-::-
(Across the districts, the rebellious underbelly of Panem rises and holds up three fingers back.)
-::-
After Peeta and Prim make it back to the cave, she tends his shoulder wound and neither want to say it but it looks really bad. Prim makes do with the rest of the medical supplies, applies every last drop of nursing knowledge she'd picked up from her mother throughout the years, and tries to help Peeta the best she can. But when morning rolls around, the bandage is soaked red. It's blood poisoning.
Suddenly, the games take a turn for the worse. Peeta and Prim were planning on winning by simply outlasting the other tributes, but that could take days. And Peeta doesn't have days.
-::-
"Special announcement: there will be a Feast at the Cornucopia tomorrow morning and tributes will find the thing they most desperately need."
-::-
They're yelling at each other.
"You're not going, Prim!"
"But obviously you can't go. You're too sick. Right now, I'm faster and stronger than you. I have to go."
"No!"
"You heard them, Peeta! They will give us the thing we most desperately need. They'll have medicine for your arm. If we don't get that medicine soon, you'll…"
"And if you go out there, by yourself, you'll be killed before you even make it to the Cornucopia. You're not going! That's final."
"So what, we just sit here and wait?! If you…if you die from blood poisoning, then I'll be alone. Shouldn't I go now, when you're still alive and there's still a chance to cure you, than later when you're gone and there's no use for the medicine anymore? Why are you so stubborn? I'm trying to help!"
"Because I PROMISED! I promised Katniss I would protect you and I've already lost you to the Careers once. As long as I'm still breathing, I will not let you walk into any danger!"
They stare at each other until the anger evaporates. She sits back down beside him and hugs his chest, silent tears falling onto his shirt. He sighs and holds her tight. It's just not fair.
He decides to tell her the story of how he first fell in love with Katniss, how his father had pointed Katniss out on the first day of school, how his father had wanted to marry her mother, how her mother ran away with the man whose singing made the birds listen, how Katniss inherited that mesmerizing voice, how Peeta admired Katniss from afar, how he gave her the bread that rainy night, and how the first and only words Katniss Everdeen has ever spoken to him was protect my sister.
Peeta laughs a little at his pathetic, unrequited love. But Prim thinks it is wonderfully romantic and when Peeta leans down to kiss her on the forehead, she thinks she loves him.
A parachute comes down after Peeta finishes his story. Prim retrieves it and finds a bottle of sleep syrup.
"What is it, Prim?"
She hesitates and looks back at Peeta, the boy she thinks she loves, the boy who loves her older sister, the boy who would die protecting her. And she thinks it's about time someone started protecting him.
"It's fever medicine."
-::-
(Mrs. Everdeen has to look away from the screen. Hearing Peeta's story just about broke her. It's just that Peeta looks so much like his father and Prim looks so much like Mrs. Everdeen herself and seeing the two of them together is like seeing the echo of a life she could've had but threw away, a long time ago.)
-::-
Peeta wakes up to the midday sun.
It wasn't fever medicine.
And Prim is gone.
-::-
The first rays of sun are just spreading across the sky. Prim crouches down in her hiding spot among the shrubs surrounding the Cornucopia and waits. The second the Gamemakers drop off the Feast, she's going to run across and grab it. She'll run as fast as she can and pray that'll be enough.
The hovercraft appears and drops four bags in front of the Cornucopia, each with the District numbers 2, 5, 11, and 12. Just as Prim is about to run for it, the girl from District 5, the girl with red hair and sharp features like a fox, sprints from inside the Cornucopia, grabs her bag, and dashes into the forest before the hovercraft is even gone. So that's the other tribute still left alive. Maybe Foxface's strategy is to hide out and let the others forget about her.
Now it's Prim's turn as she launches herself across the clearing to the Cornucopia. But twenty yards away from the bags, Prim gets tackled and falls harshly onto the grass. The attacker pins her to the ground, holds a dagger up to her face, and there's no mistake. It's Clove.
"You tried to kill us. I fucking saved your life and that's how you repay me? How dare you betray us like that?! You may be Cato's precious little pet, but guess what? I'm not Cato. Cato isn't here. And I have no problem with killing innocent little girls."
Even as Clove's knife digs into the skin on Prim's forehead and she can feel blood running down her face, Prim feels a pang in her chest for Clove. Yeah, it's a little twisted to sympathize with the person trying to murder you, but Prim can't help it. She stares into Clove's dark, desolate eyes and sees nothing but a callused exterior that masks the true misery of this broken girl from District 2. Training all her life to be a Career, to play the Hunger Games. To die.
Clove has no problem with killing innocent little girls because she used to be one.
"Sorry to hear about your little friend, Prim. But don't worry. You can join her soon. I wonder if you'll scream as loud as she did—"
Just as Clove lifts her dagger to finish Prim once and for all, an arm sweeps in out of nowhere and pulls Clove right off Prim. Prim sits up and sees that it's Thresh, throwing up against the side of the Cornucopia. Clove's body dangles helplessly from Thresh's death grip around her neck. He is so large and she is so tiny, she looks like a rag doll in his strong hands. He hollers into her face, asking did you kill Rue? DID YOU KILL RUE? All the while Clove is desperately calling for Cato, her Cato, Cato who doesn't come.
Prim scrambles to her feet, snatches the District 12 bag, and runs away as fast as she can. But not fast enough to escape the loud crack as Clove's head gets smashed in and the cannon fires.
With Clove and Rue both dead, that leaves Prim and Peeta as the only pair left.
-::-
The medicine inside the bag does wonders and Peeta is back on his feet again. But then, the stuff inside the bags do wonders for all the tributes and everyone is revitalized and back in action. Another cannon goes off, and when it's Thresh's face that appears overhead, both Prim and Peeta feel sick to their stomachs. It's down to the final four now. And if Cato is desperate and vicious enough to defeat Thresh…
Peeta and Prim leave the shelter of their cave and start their trek back towards the Cornucopia.
"We can't hide out for too long. The Gamemakers want to see action. We don't want them to throw fireballs at us again."
Well, there are no fireballs this time. No, turns out, the Gamemakers have a much better idea.
-::-
They hear Cato before they hear the wolves. And at first, Peeta holds up his sword in defense, thinking Cato has come to kill them. But Cato comes leaping out of the woods and runs right past Peeta and his drawn sword. Cato quickly grabs Prim by the hand and pulls her along after him.
"Run! Just run!"
Peeta peers in the direction Cato came from, wondering what could possibly be so menacing that even sends Cato running for the hills. Then the girl from District 5 comes scrambling through the forest. And that's when Peeta sees them. The mutant wolves, a whole pack of them, chasing after the skinny fox-faced girl.
Prim is calling for him, so Peeta turns around and runs after her and Cato. He reaches the open clearing in the middle of the arena when the girl from District 5 cries out. Peeta winces, but keeps going, not daring to turn around, because he knows it's already too late. The cannon fires not too long after.
Cato and Prim have already climbed on top of the Cornucopia. Peeta has just pulled himself up when the muttations catch up and one of them bites into Peeta's leg. There's a lot of tugging, kicking, screaming, fighting, but in the end, Peeta manages to pull himself onto the roof of the Cornucopia away from the bloodthirsty mutant wolves below.
But that doesn't mean it's any safer up here. Peeta is immediately back on his feet, putting his weight on his good leg, and pointing his sword at Cato. Cato, who obviously knew what was coming, grabs Prim around the neck and holds her over the edge of the Cornucopia. He glares threateningly at Peeta.
"You take one step closer and she dies."
-::-
(All of District 12, and all of Panem for that matter, simultaneously suck in a breath. No one dares to breathe again as they sit on the edge of their seats, waiting to see the fate of the girl who glowed. Katniss grips Gale's hand so hard, her knuckles turn white and he loses feeling of his fingers but still they hold on.)
(Please Prim, hold on.)
-::-
Prim is gasping for breath, legs kicking in midair, arms wrapped around Cato's, struggling to pull herself back up. Underneath her dangling body, the muttations howl hungrily.
Peeta and Cato stare at each other, unmoving. This is it. In the end, it comes down to these two, two teenage boys with their own shares of despair and shattered dreams, forced to be enemies because the odds were not in their favor. After a long moment, Peeta takes the biggest gamble of his life. He takes a step closer.
And Prim doesn't die.
"You can't do it, can you? You can't kill her."
Peeta takes another step. Then another. Cato tries to keep his composure, but his arms are shaking, his heart is breaking, and he slowly sets Prim back on the ledge. She collapses on the metal roof, clutching her neck and taking in raspy breaths.
Cato just shakes his head, gives one deflated laugh, and falls to his knees in front of Peeta, holding his arms out in full surrender.
"It's all pointless, isn't it? I've killed so many people already. I could very easily kill you, right now. All I know is to kill. But in the end, it doesn't matter. Because I can kill every other tribute ten times over but I still won't win unless I kill Primrose. And I could never do that. Every time I look at Primrose, I see my own little sister with that same smile and those eyes. How could I kill her? How could I watch her die, again? So, just kill me. I could never win these games."
What Cato does next shocks Peeta, Prim, the Gamemakers, President Snow, and all of Panem.
He reaches forward, grabs the sword out of Peeta's hands, and stabs it right into his own stomach. He commits suicide.
Cato falls backwards, his blood rapidly pooling around him. Prim hurries to his side and doubles over, sobbing into Cato's chest. He just died for her. This boy she's only known for a few weeks just gave his life for her. And others will look back at Cato and think he's just another hotheaded Career who killed without mercy, but he is so much more than that. He the greatest older brother Prim never had.
"It's all over now, Primrose. I couldn't save my sister, but I sure as hell am going to save you."
Prim holds Cato in her arms until he finally dies. The last cannon of the 74th Hunger Games. Then she kisses his forehead and steps back with Peeta. Two hovercrafts now appear, one to take Cato away, and one to welcome the new victors from District 12.
They don't celebrate their win, they don't laugh, they don't even smile. They just walk aboard the hovercraft, sit down, and remain deadly silent. So quiet you could hear a pin drop. Or, more precisely, two hearts break.
-::-
The train ride home is brutal. Every night, Prim wakes up screaming from nightmares of Cato and Rue and Kenton, dying before her very eyes. Every night, she creeps into Peeta's room and he lets her climb into his bed and he soothingly rubs her back like Katniss used to do.
When they arrive home, it's a teary reunion as Prim and Peeta finally stumble into the security of family. Across the crowd, Katniss catches Peeta's eye. She smiles and nods, a silent thank you.
But the nightmares still haunt Prim and she still wakes up screaming. No twelve-year-old girl should ever have to go through that amount of trauma and the aftermath is disastrous. Sometimes, Prim is delirious and believes she is still in the games. Sometimes, Prim thinks a big part of her died back in the arena along with all the other tributes.
She asks Haymitch if the nightmares ever go away. He says they don't. Not ever.
-::-
(And out there, the rebellious underbelly of Panem is stirring. Oppressed for all these decades, the agitation among the districts have been constantly building up and it required one precious little girl who glowed for everything to boil over. The revolution has begun. And once it starts, it doesn't stop. Not ever.)