"Katniss Everdeen." No! I watched as she slowly stepped up to the podium. Before I knew it, I was rushing from the back, tearing and tripping over my skirt.
"I volunteer" I heard myself say, "I'll take her spot." Katniss' face was white, and she stared at me, eyes wide. I walked up to the podium and watched as Gale dragged her away. Effie's hair was off centre as she turned to me, a sparkle in her eye.
"And look, ladies and gentlemen, we have a volunteer. A beautiful little girl. What's your name?" Her voice was high and fake, clearly delighting in the situation.
"Prim. Primrose Everdeen." I spoke, my voice a whisper, I added, "Like the flower."
"A little flower for the Capitol. Well, what do we think folks? The Hunger Games just got exciting!" She grinned, her skin stretched tightly across her face. I could see all my friends, staring, eyes wide. The town was silent. Slowly, a keening wail began. I found Mother, curled up, crying. I could do nothing but close my eyes and turn away.
In the Justice House, everything seemed white. Grandeur was everywhere, but the whole place felt dead. I was lead into a room, filed with plush leather couches and a chandelier. I knew this was when people were meant to come in and say goodbye. I sat on a couch, and waited. Before long, Mother and Katniss walked in. Mother had streaks of tears running down her face. I hugged her, and she sobbed.
"My poor Prim, poor baby Prim." She cried on my shoulder. I could feel her tears burning my skin. Katniss pulled Mother away, and sat down beside me. She whispered into my ear, and I nodded listening. She continued to speak softly, saying things I didn't understand but feared terribly. She pulled back.
"I love you Prim. Good luck. I promise we'll wait for you." Tears glistened her eyes. Katniss who never cried before. Two men appeared and asked me to come with them. I love you too, I tried to say, but the words caught in my throat.
I was walked to the train station, where Hamish staggered around drunkenly. He walked up to me, and I could smell liquor on is breath. He looked at me, before mockingly saying, "Poor little flower. Crushed by the Capitol before she's even there." I felt anger rise in me. Katniss used to taunt me with sayings like his.
I pulled myself up, before whispering, "Every flower has a thorn." He stumbled back and spun on his heel.
I was later greeted by Effie, a smile on her face. She led me to a carriage. "Everything is yours, Prim. Whatever is in here is now yours. She left, and I explored the carriage. There was a shower, something I had seen before but never used. I walked towards it and turned the taps, each with a different colour. I tried yellow for Buttercup and turned the blue tap for Katniss' dress. I got under the water, fully dressed, and felt all the dirt wash away. I stood in the shower, before Effie's voice floated into the carriage, Dinner in ten minutes Peeta and Prim. I remembered Peeta. He was the boy that left dandelions outside our doorstep every day, for a week in summer. I knew he was looking for Katniss, but she was always out. I knew that she couldn't see the flowers; it was too soon for beauty to come into her life. She herself almost died with Father, and it was too soon, too soon I told myself, for her to see the beauty. So I waited for Peeta to sneak from under the wire fence and lay dandelions on the porch. So every day without fail, I would sweep them under the welcome mat. I thought about this as I peeled off the wet clothes and got changed. Searching through the draws, there were hundreds of dresses in the most luxurious fabrics, and I felt lost in them. I had never seen such colours! I found a lilac dress, with flowing sleeves, and a long, rustling skirt, that came out from a tight bodice. Wearing it, I felt as if I was a princess placed for sacrifice, the clothes too beautiful to ever be functional. Sighing, I left to find the dining room.
The dining room was a large room, filled with high backed chairs and a long, wooden table. Food was piled high, and my stomach rumbled. I hadn't eaten all day, and although I was used to the hunger pangs, they still caught me off guard. I took a seat opposite Peeta. He seemed fairly nondescript and I knew if he hadn't come to our house in the summer, I would never have noticed him. He was sitting, his eyes downcast. I stared straight ahead, like Katniss did, whenever she was frightened. Effie came in; she had changed her clothes too. She ladled a broth into a bowl and motioned for us to do the same. I did so, and tasted the broth. It was full of rich, heavy flavours, and I couldn't decide whether I was grateful for the sustenance or disgusted by the heaviness in which it settled in my stomach. I did, however, continue to put food on my plate, not knowing whether or not I would be eating more. After something she called roast pheasant, I felt so sick, I couldn't stand it. I left the room silently and went into my own carriage. It was there, on the floor, in my magnificent dress, I cried for the first time.