What if Katniss never volunteered for Prim, and Prim went into the games…what would happen?
Katniss's P.O.V.
Today is the reaping day! Good thing Prim is only 11 last time I checked. I see Gale to my right and a forest to my left, and as I walk to the forest to retrieve my bow and arrow, Gale stops me. "Are you okay Catnip?" he asked concerned, "I'm fine!" I lied. I know that Prim is 12, but I can't face the fact that she can get reaped this year and go into the games, I don't know what I would do when if she never comes back
I storm away from Gale and grab my bow and arrows from the tree and log where I stashed them as I make my way to the dense part of the forest. I silence my footsteps walking toward a random flock of birds that I found and can barely hear Gale follow me with a rock in his hand and throws it to the birds who immediately fly into the air. I notch and arrow at the birds, who are flying away frightened, find a target as I take a calm breath, and shoot.
I hear a crow's call full of agony as it falls to the ground with an arrow in its eye. I go to retrieve it when I hear the music playing in the town center where the people are starting to gather. "Shoot Gale! Were late!" I sprint to the edge of the forest and put my weapons away with Gale following not far behind, making lots of noise. We hop through the fence and I toss Gale the bird, "you need it more than I do," I said as I sprinted away on the cracked mix or dirt and pavement path to my ugly, small, filthy house.
Prim rushes up to me with tears in her eyes and I can see why, Mother is on the sofa frozen still, because she knows Prim, her baby, (not me) has a 1% chance of getting reaped today. I walk up to mother and pull her off the dirty, decaying sofa, "what are you doing! You can at least try to be a mother for Prim!" I yell ferociously into her face, "get UP!" I drag her into her room and throw an outfit at her as I storm out and pull Prim into her room and help her get dressed.
She picks out a blue blouse with a white skirt and twin plaits in her hair. "tuck in your tail you little duck," I say lovingly as I tuck in the back of her skirt. I settle on a plain light blue T' with jeans, and my hair in a single braid down one side.
When I come back to our living room I see mom at the door wearing the ratchet outfit I laid out for her. I take Prims hand as we walk out of the house and into the square where we get our fingers pricked and go to stand in out roped off sections. I gave Prim a kiss on the forehead and tell her I love her and everything will be okay.
Our escort Effie Trinket walks up to the stage and says the same speech about the rebellion and shows us the video of the last hunger games. She is wearing a big , curly ,bright green wig and a dress made of silver plastic bubbles which I thought looked uncomfortable. She comes and stands at the front and says into the microphone, "Welcome, Welcome everybody to the 74th annual Hunger Games, and as always… ladies first." I'm so nervous right now I can't breathe and I'm scared fo- "Primrose Everdeen." Oh, no, oh no, oh no! I see Prim start to walk up to the stage and I start trembling and making weird animal noises that don't come out as "I volunteer as tribute" but come out as "I gramblaooh azta tronboonia" I have tears in my eyes and I see Gale looking at me stunned and hurt as a peacekeeper injects a liquid into my neck, and the world goes black.
Prims P.O.V.
I can't believe what just happened, Katniss was going to volunteer for me like she said she would at my 12th birthday, but she just choked and couldn't. I can feel my legs go numb and I tuck in my 'tail' and make my way up to the stairs.
"Well then! That was scary, and now for the male tributes." Effie says disappointedly as she walks over to the boy's bowl and picks out a name. "Peeta Mellark," she sees a boy in a faint red shirt, blue jeans, and blonde hair start walking very slowly towards the stage. "Come on now! Up-it-y-up" Peeta makes his way over to me and takes my hand with great sympathy in his eyes that I think that I might just cry. We put our hands up and I stand up there looking out over my friends who don't even care that I'll be gone, and I see my mother, who has left her space in line and is walking inside the Justice Building along with peacekeepers carrying Katniss with her.
Effie takes us inside and to our separate rooms where Gale bursts in and gives me a big hug, "I'm so sorry Prim, this will be terrifying to you and I don't know what I'll do. Be safe out there and find a bow, or knives, or any weapon that suites you and just please…stay alive, for Katniss," I feel the tears well up in my eyes as I hug Gale and feel him be sweeping away from me when the peacekeepers come in and take him.
Mommy walks in with Katniss who immediately runs to me and squeezes the life out of me while she hands me something behind my back, the Mockingjay pin, she got it from the Hob this morning. Mom comes and kisses my cheeks and tells me to be brave and then walk out the doors leaving only Katniss and me in here. "listen Prim, I'm going to try and pull a couple strings here to make me mentor you along Haymitch and make sure you know what you're doing out there you little duck." She hugs me in a warms loving hug and apologizes for not volunteering but I quickly shush her and she Is forced to leave the room.
Alex walks in after that, my best friend Alex, he runs up to me and hugs me saying that he is rooting for me to come out on top, and be a superstar. He kisses me on the cheek and looks me in the eyes with love one more time before the Peacekeepers walk in and take him out.
I know that's everybody so I put the pin on my shirt and walk out of the room and to my right of the fancy hall where I see Katniss talking to Effie and Haymitch who both nod and shake hands. Katniss sees me and motions for me to join Peeta and Effie onto the train. When I get on, I notice a big pile of food on a nearby china table filled with just about anything I've ever wanted! "is this all for us?" I ask Effie with starving puppy eyes and nods her head and pats mine then walking away mumbling to herself about cute sweet children dying in the games. That's not something I want to hear.
Katniss and Haymitch walk over to me and suddenly, all I see in Katniss's face before mine and saying the best thing possible in this case. "Prim, Haymitch and Effie have talked to the President of Panem and he agreed that I could co-mentor you guys until the games are over.
I'm full of hunger so I make my way to get a plate of steak with spicy lemon sauce and a plate full of fruits and veggies. I finally get to the desert where I take a big slice of chocolate cake and marshmallow ducks covered in chocolate. Peeta watches me eat and gets himself a plate of food and sits down across from me when Haymitch comes in and orders a vodka and sits himself down next to u along with Katniss on the other side of Peeta so she can look at me.
"Ok children, time for strategies, how do you want to make people love you in the capitol." Haymitch says as he takes a swig of his drink "Peeta, I personally think you will be the handsome heartthrob who just doesn't know it yet, and Prim, oh young Prim I think you should play Johanna, act small and weak and turn to be a killer!" Haymitch looks pleased with himself as I correct him. "I'm sorry, but I will try my best not to kill, and you don't have to worry about me pretending to me weak because I AM WEAK! I don't know how to use any weapon." I say sadly "I'm just another blank tribute who dies so the games can go on." Katniss looks like she might cry when I said that and that makes me want to regret saying it.
"Primrose Everdeen, I will make you so good with a bow and knives that those careers won't know what hit them.