Summary: What if Katniss and Peeta had actually died in the 74th Hunger Games? What would have happened? What would their deaths have brought on? And how does a certain little blonde haired girl feel about all of it? Starts in Prim's P.O.V right before Cato's continue story from the same P.O.V. Please R&R. Constructive criticism is welcomed.
A Fading Primrose
Prim's P.O.V
I grip onto the edge of the dingy old couch I'm sitting on that rests in the middle of our living room. My mother, the Hawthorns, and I are completely silent as we watch the actions on the screen in front of us. Since the beginning of the games, Gale's family had been coming to our house to watch Katniss in action, making sure she was still alive like the two of us were. They didn't come too often. Only when Mrs. Hawthorn wasn't working and my mother didn't have any patients to help. The two of us went to the Hawthorns a few times as well, but the children were a lot more rowdy when we were there.
Gale was almost never home anymore since he started working in the coal mines. Even if he was home more often, I doubt he'd stick around with the games on, especially now since Katniss is raising her final arrow. We all stood completely still with anticipation as Katniss prepared to shoot the poor, mangled boy from District 1 who was being tortured by the horrible mutant animals. I could tell Katniss was terrified, but that poor boy needed to be put out of his misery.
It seemed like time slowed in the short second it took for my sister to release her arrow into Cato's head, finally relieving him of his torture. The final canon sounded and my mother left from the couch, sobbing uncontrollably from either the horrible death of the District 1 boy, or from the happiness of Katniss and Peeta's survival. I couldn't tell which.
Then, it hit me. Something didn't seem right. The canon blasted, signaling Cato's death, but there was no big voice announcing the winners or a helicopter coming to pick them up and release them from this arena of doom.
I could tell Katniss and Peeta were confused too as they started wandering away from the mangled body of what used to be Cato. My mother stopped sobbing when she noticed the dead air of the arena. "What's going on?" she whispered to me. I simply shook my head, not knowing what to tell her.
Gale's little brother, Joey, began to fidget and whine. "Why isn't the big flying machine coming to get them?" he asked impatiently. His mother hushed him and locked her eyes to the television screen again. All of a sudden, the booming voice of Claudius Templesmith rang throughout the arena, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Greeting to the final contestants of the seventy-forth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck and may the odd ever be in your favor." Everything was once again silent.
No. No!
This can't be happening! Just days ago, the Game Makers said that there could be two victors from the same District! Why would they revoke that now? Unless… that was their sick plan all along.
By now, everyone in the room was silent. I could bet the whole District was silent. I think my mother had gone into complete shock. I would have gotten up to see if she was alright, but my eyes were locked on Katniss on the television screen. She looked just as shocked as the rest of us, but I could tell she understood.
"If you think about it, it's not surprising," Peeta says, breaking the silence. He slowly stands up, knife in hand and walks towards Katniss. On instinct, Katniss raises her arrow to his heart.
"Is she really going to do it?" I start to think, but she drops her weapon realizing Peeta has no intent to harm her. He limps back towards her as best as he could and tells her to do it. To take his life so she can live and be the victor.
For a moment, I hope she will do it. That Katniss will take down the last person and this will all be over and I can have my sister back, but I know her too well. Katniss is stubborn and serious. She spent so long trying to save Peeta's life that she wouldn't just take it away. Then again, these games have changed her. They've changed her in ways I couldn't even begin to understand.
What will she do?
Katniss and Peeta spend the next few minutes arguing who is going to do for who until Peeta rips off the bandages on his legs that are the only things stopping him from loosing anymore blood. Katniss desperately tries to re-wrap the bandages, but Peeta's mind is set. He is really going to die for my sister.
"Listen," Peeta says, pulling my sobbing mess of a sister to her feet. "We both know they have to have a victor. It can only be one of us. Please take it for me."
A thousand thoughts run through my head as I watch my sister and this broken, dying boy. "What will happen after this? Is Katniss really going to be coming home? What will she be like? Will our lives ever be whole again?... Was it ever?
All my thoughts are suddenly stopped as I see Katniss reach into the pouch on her belt and takes out a handful of dark purple berries. "Those berries," I think, "Those are the super poisonous berries Dad use to warn us about."
She pours a few into Peeta's hand as well and tells him "on the count of three."
No! No! She can't do this! This can't be happening! That's my sister… she's there… for me…
"One."
She can't die! She can't just give up! Doesn't she know how much she's needed; how much I need her?
"Two."
That should be me there. My name was the one called the day of the reaping, If anyone should be there I should! …. No. Actually, no one should be there. None of this should have ever happened. It's all the fault of this stupid country and this stupid government. It's their fault all these people died! It's their fault my sister went to this arena! It's their fault she…
"Three."
And with that, I was gone. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was the pale dead face of my sister.