The 90th Hunger Games

Katniss's POV:

There was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as I braided her long blonde hair. She looked at me in the mirror and gave me an encouraging smile.

"It'll be okay, mum."

But I knew she was feeling the same fear that I was. Today was reaping day. the day that all the mothers in Distict 12 dreaded. Prim reminded me so much of my sister on that day so many years ago. Peeta walked in and smiled at her.

"Tuck your tail in little duck," he laughed.

Then the tears came. Hard and fast in heavy sobs. Peeta wrapped his arms around me.

"Its only one slip of paper. One in millions," he said.

But that made me think of Gale's son Jeremy, who had about 10 slips and that made me cry even harder.

"Um, i'll go put my shoes on," said Prim awkwardly and left the room silently.

"Its just that, we both know what its like. In the arena." I said.

FLASHBACK

"Katniss! Katniss!"

"Rue! Rue, I'm coming!"

I break into the clearing, and she's on the ground, hoplessly entangled in a net. She reached her hand through the mesh and whispered my name one last time before the spear entered her body.

END FLASHBACK

Peeta's POV:

I hated seeing her like this. It took ages for the nightmares to stop. But when Prim was born, they started again, and haven't stopped since.

I took Prim's hand and led her out the door. Most people were already making their way to the square, where the reaping would begin in a half hours time. I could feel her slight tremble. This is her first reaping, and will no doubt frighten her as she watches them in the Games. She'll be thinking, That could've been me.

I remember 14 years ago, that was me. I gave her one last squeeze and told her I loved her and watched Katniss do the same. Then the Peacekeepers took her over to the roped area. She gave a half fearful, half reassuring smile. I looked over at Katniss. Tears were leaking out of her eyes again.

About 5 minutes later Effie went up to the microphone. This year, her hair was an alarming shade of blue. She was wearing a bright blue suit that almost matched the one she wore 14 years earlier.

A wave of emotion nearly knocked me flat off my feet. I could remember the fear, the anger, the unfairness of it all. And I could remember the tiny feeling of happiness, that finally Katniss might notice me. I looked over at Katniss and saw Katniss and Gale greeting each other. Gale gave me a polite nod before turninhg his attention to Effie, who was reading out the list of past victors.

"Daniel Leanard, Haymitch Abernathy, Peeta Mellark and Katniss Mellark."

After she finished going on about a whole bunch of nothing, her hand plunged deep into the girls reaping ball.

Then she called the one name I had been dreading, the one that I had convinced myself would NOT be called.

"Primrose Rue Mellark."

AN: DUN DUN DUN!