When Katniss's offer of volunteering to take her sisters place in the 74th annual Hunger Games is refused, Prim is thrown head first into the world of the Capitol, and their gruesome plans. It will take every ounce of courage, strength, will power, and strategy to bring Prim home alive, and not in a wooden box. How will she deal with the Capitol pressure, and looming threat of death over her head? After all, she is only a little duck in an ocean full of sharks.*I don't own the Hunger Games/characters.*
A/N: First off, thank-you for clicking on my story! I do not take offense to constructive criticism, and your reviews will be greatly appreciated! Please keep in mind this is my first story, ever. Enjoy!
"Sh, sh. Prim its ok," Katniss is trying to calm me, but despite her efforts, I can't stop screaming.
My hands are sweating, my hearts beating a mile a minute, and my vision is blurred by the hot tears streaming down my face. The blankets that were on my bed now lie in a tangled heap on the floor. Katniss is clutching me to her body, and I'm glad. I feel like if she were to let go, I would shatter like glass, and fall into a million pieces.
"It was me," I say, referring to the nightmare in which I was reaped for the 74th annual Hunger Games.
"No, no, its not you," she says in an attempt to comfort me, "It's your first year Prim, your names only in there once. They're not going to pick you."
She is smoothing my hair, trying to calm the quakes that are racking my body uncontrollably. I try to let her soothing voice bring me back to reality, but I remain trapped in the world of my dream.
"Katniss?" I ask, barely a whisper. "Will you sing?" A strange look crosses her face before she begins, and I close my eyes while shrinking into her chest.
"Deep in the meadow,
under the willow.
A bed of grass,
a soft, sweet pillow."
The soft melody of her voice fills our little log cabin, and I join into the familiar lullaby.
A small, rare smile creeps onto Katniss's face. "I think you know it well enough. I have to go, but I'll be right back." She gives my head one final pat, kisses my cheek, and goes out the door.
I try to go back to sleep, but visions of me being reaped plague my mind, and fear paralyzes me to the bed. The scene flashes before my eyes; me being reaped. The silence of the crowd. Walking up the stone steps towards the waiting arms of Effie Trinket…. I shake my head, trying to get ride of the thoughts, as I start to cry again. I wish Katniss was here.
"Prim? Are you awake?" My mothers' soft whispers creep into my ears.
"Yes mother." I stand up, and walk to my mothers' bed, a blank look covers her clear blue eyes. Ever since dad died, she has been blocked off. It is like she is not fully there, and all she does is stare into space. It's like me and Katniss don't even exist to her, Katniss hates her for that. However, I refuse to give up on my mother, I know Katniss has.
"You better go check on your goat, and get something to eat." She says her voice almost robotic. Her blue eyes flash back to mine, "and let buttercup out too."
"Ya, sure". My stomach is in knots, and my head is filled with the fear of being sentenced to death. And the Careers… This is one of the few times I wish my mother was fully there, so she could comfort me.
I go up to the front door, not bothering to put on shoes, and am met by my cat, Buttercup. As soon as he sees me, his ears perk up, and he starts purring. Sure, buttercup isn't the prettiest cat in the barn, his patches of fur missing and all, but he is the sweetest little boy to me. Although Katniss has said on multiple occasions that she wants to boil him alive. Buttercup doesn't seem to like her.
I open the door, and breathe in. The soft sun warms my cheeks, and the smell of coal invades my nose. The rocky ground pinches my bare feet, and the soft breeze blows at my knees. Reaching the pen where my goat is kept, I scratch behind her ears, receiving a satisfied blahhh. I am grateful for the temporary distraction, and let the sun shine on my face while I look towards the meadow. Before the reaping, I want to go and see if I can find any dandelions, they always seem to bring me good luck. And I could use as much as I can today. I close my eyes, and imagining that the soft breeze is blowing all my worries away; it's starting to work when I am startled from my peaceful vision.
"No, no, I don't want to go, don't make me go", my head snaps to the culprit of the sound, and I find a boy in my grade, crouched on the ground sobbing.
That's when I loose it. My hands start to shake uncontrollably as my own fear rushes back to me. Quickly, I grasp the pail of goat milk, and run as fast as I can towards the house. Along the way, milk sloshes out of the bucket, and I am disappointed to realize that half of it is gone. After slamming the door, and putting the bucket on the table as fast as I can, I break down. Just then, I hear the door open. I can't let Katniss see me like this, I know she is already scared out of her wits, if she saw me crying, she'd loose it. My worn sandals already on my feet, I run out the door. Halfway down the street, I vaguely see my mothers face, not Katniss's, but it doesn't even matter. I'm already at the meadow.
The meadow is a small patch of land, with nothing more than semi-green grass and some weeds in the spring. Aside from crossing the fence to go into the forest, this is about as close to the edge of District 12 as you can get. I know that somewhere on the other side of the tall metal fence crowned with barbed-wire Katniss is hunting with Gale. Although she never tells me when she is going to the woods, so that if Peacekeepers found out I would be clueless, it isn't hard to find out. It's usually when she is sad, scared or mad. She doesn't like other people knowing her emotions, and I remember her telling me one time that she feels like the forest is the only place she can truly be free.
"You don't mind if I join you, do you?" Says the gruff voice that can only belong to Rory. He is Katniss's hunting partner, Gale's, younger brother. Over the years our families have become close, and Rory my best friend.
I look up from the thin blades of grass I'm twisting beneath my fingers, "Of course".
Although I never told anyone, I have a crush on Rory. I think Katniss has guessed it, but she never says anything. When I see his face, I regret ever looking up. As soon as I see his smoky gray eyes, and perfectly tousled hair, I blush. As red as a tomato. "Umm…" I try to explain, but the air is thick with an awkward feeling.
"So today is the big day..." He says, trying to break the silence.
"Yup…" I say thankfully, now we can have a conversation, as suppose to just staring at each other.
He plops down beside me, and we just sit. It's not awkward like before though, and the silence adds peacefulness to this terrifying day.
"So, how many slips do you have?" I ask. I know that Gale wouldn't let him take any more slips than he had to, but Rory had mentioned once or twice that he was going to, behind Gale's back.
"Six", he says barely a whisper. My heart drops. With six tickets, he will have the same as some 17 year olds, and he's only 12. Six tickets, six chances to be forced into the Hunger Games. Six chances to die.
I clear my throat. "But lots of other people have way more; it's just six in thousands."
"Ya, I know. Don't worry Prim, I wont get reaped. Promise." His stormy grey eyes mirror my blue ones.
"I know you wont", it seems like I am trying to convince myself more than him.
With that he sighs and lies back down. "You know, if you are going to come to the meadow, you should at least put on some day clothes."
I look down at my pajamas, I guess I should of. "It was a rough morning. I had a nightmare, and then I couldn't stop crying, and Katniss wasn't there…" Suddenly, it all comes pouring out.
"Sh Prim. It's okay now, it was just a dream. Hey, look a cat", he says, pointing to a white fluffy cloud. I know he is just trying to distract me, but I decide to play along, and I settle back into the scratchy grass.
"And there is you!" I say pointing to a very deformed cloud.
He chuckles, "gee, thanks Prim." We both start to laugh hysterically.
Abruptly I hear a noise in the direction of the woods. Apparently Rory hears it too, because his head snaps towards it. I can just make out the silhouette of Katniss, and another tall boy who can only be Gale.
"Shoot." Rory darts up and dusts the grass off of his pants.
"What?" I ask confused, "is something wrong?"
"I was supposed to watch Posy, but she was just sleeping so I got bored and went for a walk. If Gale finds out I let her home alone, he will kill me." There is a sense of urgency in his voice.
"Oh well, ok. Do you want me to walk you to your house?"
"No time for that, I have to be home before he sees me," his eyes keep darting to the forest. "Man they are walking fast, bye Prim, see you at the reaping." With one last quick look towards the nearing figures, he kisses my cheek, and then runs towards the direction of his house.
He just kissed me... well not really, but still, on the cheek. My hand tentatively flies towards my cheek, and smiling the whole way, I skip home.
R&R!