A Flower Among Flames
Chapter 1: The Reaping
I lay awake in my bed. Today is the day. Today is the day where I see whether my life ends or not. Today will be the day, where a loved one, a friend, a family member, might be ripped from my life. I rolled around in my single sheet bed looking for some comfort before Katniss comes and tells me to wake up. If it were up to me, I would freeze time in this moment. I want this moment, eternal. Okay Prim, get your act together. You can do this. Stay strong. "Oh Prim! Wake up, you've slept in nearly half an hour! Today is the reaping! But your clothes on and get out of bed!" Yelled Katniss as she barged into my room.
"Okay, I'm going, calm down" I say as I wipe the sleep out of my eyes. Katniss exits the room, leaving me a bit of privacy. As I pulled on my dress, a tear formed in the corner of my eye. This was my first reaping. The chance of my slip of paper were very slim. I know I'm being ridiculous, but the thought of abandoning my family for certain doom crushes me. I finish getting ready and head down stairs. Katniss puts my small breakfast on the table. My mom has already begun eating.
"Good morning Primrose!" Crooned my mom as I entered the room.
"You too, Mom" I mutter through my obviously fake smile. I sit down and eat the little amount of scrambled eggs that are on my plate. I have to eat fast because the reaping begins in about half an hour. "So…Uhm…Katniss, wh-what if I get chosen? What happens then?" I stuttered.
"Hush Prim, don't think like that. This is your first year, you know how low the chances are of you getting reaped are, right?" Spat Katniss, who is now cleaning up the kitchen in a flustered manor. Her face gets very red. I see right through her tough act. She really is just as scared as I am. She can tell I know something is wrong so she hurried us all out the door, "C'mon lets go". We left our house, not knowing if we would come back to it ever again.
At the town stage, where the annual reapings are held, we are greeted by Effie Trinket. Effie is a, hmmm, colorful young woman to say the least. And I say that about her personality and her look.
"Ladies, gentlemen, if you could please assemble in an orderly fashion!" She spoke into the microphone as the peacekeepers got everything ready on stage. All of district twelve assembled. The air was stale. The whole attitude of today just felt…dead. No one spoke. And I mean, no one spoke.The microphone screeched as Effie began speaking into it again, "Let's begin, let's begin! Okay ladies first! Our female tribute for the 75th hunger games will be…." My heart pounded. Worse than when Louis Johnston asked me out in 3rd grade. And that is saying something, "PRIMEROSE EVERDEEN!". I looked around to see where the tribute- to-be was standing to get a closer glimpse. Everyone was staring at me. For some reason, my mind just registered the fact that Effie had just called my name. I collapsed to my knees, sobbing. The whole crowd gave me a few moments of silence as I recollected myself and eventually stood back up. Words began to form on Katniss's mouth when I turned to look at her.
"No! NO! I volunteer! I volunteer for tribute!" Yelled Katniss. She repeated this over and over, as if the whole world were deaf.
"No. I am fighting. I will be tribute." I said loud enough for the crowd to hear. "Please Katniss, it is for the best." I whispered into her ear as I began my walk up onto the stage. Effie greeted me by shaking my hand. I stood to the back of the stage as Effie began to call out male tribute.
"Male tribute is…" Effie did this demonic pause, every. Single. Year. "Peeta Mellark!" She sang in her irritating high pitch, goodie two shoes voice. I don't really know Peeta all that well. I think my sister kind of has a thing for him, though. I made eye contact with her, she was devastated. A family member and a friend, gone. Gone with the wind. Gone to the capitol. Seeing this emotion strike Katniss made a newfound hatred for the capitol burn through my chest. Tears rolled down the dirty cheeks of my face, slicing through the layers of dirt. These were not sad tears. I am not in fact sad at all right now. I am angry. I am enraged. I may be little, I may be weak, but I am not going down without a fight.
The Reaping ceremony is now over. I sped off the stage, guarded by two peacekeepers, to see my Mom and Katniss. We cried, and cried, before a single word was spoken.
"Mom, do not worry for me. I didn't let Katniss volunteer because if I die you will still have a warrior. I love you. If I don't come back, I want you to know that I love you and I fought my hardest" I muttered into her ear as we hugged in the warmest hug I had ever received. Now I turned to my sister.
"Oh Katniss. I'm going to be fighting for you out there. You will be giving me the strength. I love you, I will always love you. I'm not going down without a fight. I will train my hardest, all for you Katniss. I love you" I said louder than I should've. I was immediately taken into her arms. We hugged for what seemed forever. Forever was ruined by the bloody peacekeepers who tore us apart. Effie came up to me, with Peeta right behind her.
"Come Prim, were are off to the train station!" Exclaimed Effie. I wanted to slap her. Why is she so happy? Does she think it's a happy thing for a twelve year old girl to be torn from her family? News flash. It's horrible.
Leaving district twelve I thought, you haven't seen the last of me district twelve. I will fight. I will win. I will return.