Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games
I got my inspiration for this one-shot when I read about how Katniss got impressions of Finnick's life as he died. So, I decided to make a one-shot in Prim's Point Of View and flashbacks through her eyes when she died.
Little Duck
'' Here,'' I say, handing the child my coat, despite being freezing cold myself. " Take this.''
A little girl, she is. No older than ten. I smile as her shaking quickly resides as the warm fur of my coat warms her body. She smiles up at me, though her eyes are red and puffy from crying.
The gates of the mansion trap us. Left and right, children are blown to bits and the cries and screams of horror fill my ears. The moans of the injured swirl around me. The little girl clutches onto my medic uniform, and I play with her red curls, twisting and gently tugging on them. A child, a girl with dirty blonde curls who looks about nine, screams as a shiny, silver parachute blows a boy who looks like her brother to pieces. Seconds later, it explodes again and flings her into a wall, cracking her skull as her lifeless body falls to the ground. I swallow back my scream, because I still feel the fingers of the little girl clutching onto me. I have to stay strong for her. This little girl who's name I don't know. I have to stay strong for her.
" Prim!'' The strangled cry makes me whip my head around, searching for its owner. No. It can't be her. " Prim!''
I'm sure of it. I'm sure that this cry. This heart-wrenching scream, belongs to my sister, Katniss. I gently pry the little girls hands off of me and run towards the front of the gate. There she is, sprinting towards me, her fingers stretching out for me. I'm overwhelmed by a feeling of glee and happiness. I am about to open my mouth to call out for her. I have just enough time to stretch my fingers through the metal gate before a silver parachute lands in front of me and blows me backward into a wall.
" Katniss,'' I whisper, tugging on my sisters skirt. " Where do babies come from.''
Her face pales momentarily before she looks around, searching for a quick escape. Her eyes land on my mother and a sly grin spreads across her face. " I don't know, Prim. Ask mom.''
My mother's fingers fumble with the thimble as she sews up a green sweater. She shakily puts down the needle and thread and turns towards me. But not before pursing her lips at a smirking Katniss. " Primrose, dear.'' She grips the edge of the table, her knuckles turning a sickening shade of white. " Do you know what a stork is?''
I nod my head eagerly. I was so young back then. Only the meager age of six and so willing, swallowing the lies adults told me every time one flew out of their mouths. " They're big birds with really long beaks.''
" Yes, well,'' my mother throws Katniss another look before continuing. " When mothers and fathers want to have a baby, they call the stork.'' She throws a glance at the clock, hoping to hear my father's boots come through the door. " And they ask the stork for one. But the stork, you see, randomly chooses a boy or a girl, so the parents don't know what they're going to get.'' She takes a shaky breath and rapidly ends with,'' And then he delivers it and the mommy and daddy are happy.'' She gives me a tight smile and then immediately goes back to her sewing. I look up at my sister, Katniss.
" Is that true, Katniss?''
" Yes, Prim,'' she says, pulling me along to the couch. " That's true.''
And I believe her, because at that age, everything that comes out of her mouth belongs in a history book.
" No!'' My mothers screams and clutches the phone, screaming and wildly shaking. " No! Please, God!''
My mothers falls to the floor on her hands and knees, crying out and yelling at the skies, asking it " Why him!''
I cower into the corner, holding the ends to my dress and looking at my mother as she punches the kitchen floor and chocking on her tears. My sister comes around the corner and starts screaming and yelling, gripping my mother's arms and digging her nails into them. She tells her how she shouldn't act like this in front of me and if she thought dad would want this.
" He's dead!'' My mother yells in Katniss's face. " How could we know what he would want!''
" Don't talk like that in front of Prim!'' My sister shushes my mother but she slaps her hands away, eying me with wild, crazed eyes.
" At seven you think she knows what's going on?'' She cackles madly and pushes my sister aside, slamming her into the table. I let a whimper escape my mouth as she stalks toward me, pointing a long, bony finger. " She's a child!''
She raises out her fingers and yanks my arms. I scream as she twists it in her rough, cold hands. " Mommy!'' Her face shows a flash of something. Recognition.
But how could I know. I was a child back then.
" Do you know what happened, Primmy?'' Primmy. A nickname that my father had given me when I was four. I remember him jokingly saying how if he had a choice, he would've have named me that. She yanks my arm and I let out a yelp of pain. " Do you!''
I shake my head as tears fly out of my eyes. " N-no, mommy.''
She eyes me and pulls me close to her. She breathes into my face and I cough and sputters as the vile smell of vomit fills my nostrils. She yanks my head back and looks at me with those wild blue eyes. " He's dead!'' She spits in my face. " Your father is dead!''
For a moment, everything goes still for a moment. I stand there and watch as my sister rushes to my mother and pulls me out of her grip. She pushes me behind her and I trip and fall, looking on as Katniss wrestles with my mother, pushing her into the living room and yelling her lungs out.
Dead? Daddy's dead.
I can't comprehend what happened. I knew what it meant. Dead. Not alive to see the next day or come back home to his family. But it couldn't have been daddy. It couldn't have...
He's dead. He's not coming back.
I look into space, still absorbing the information. Then it happens.
It's like someone has stabbed me in every single part of my body. First, there's one tear...
Then it's a full blown swimming pool.
I cry and sob, listening as my mother and Katniss scream each others heads off in the next room. I pull my legs up to my chest and put my head in them, knowing that tomorrow, there won't be the sound of boots trudging into the house, or the warm singing voice of my father, or the way my father always smelled after working, or his hearty laugh and glowing smile...
Because daddy is dead...
" Primrose Everdeen!''
I stand there, my throat gone dry and my skin cold as ice. I clench my hands into two tight fist, then proceed to drag my legs across the hard packed pavement. I look down at my feet, hoping the Earth will open up and swallow me hole. I am almost at the steps of the stage when I hear my name escape someone's lips.
" Prim!'' I turn my head and see her. Katniss in her beautiful blue dress with her perfect face, comes dashing threw the crowd. " Prim!''
No.
" I volunteer!'' She yells, breaking through a pair of peacekeepers. She comes running towards me and pushes me behind her.
NO!
I latch onto her dress and cry into it. " No, Katniss.''
" Prim,'' she says, taking my arms and pushing me off of her. " Let go.''
I feel my heart shatter as she breaks off my hold. I can feel my lips moving but no words come out. I feel strong arms lift me off the ground and I began to violently pound and kick at whoever is taking me away from my sister. Who is taking me away from Katniss.
Gale hands me to my mother and together, we watch as Katniss walks up to the stage.
...And to her death.
" When we see each other again,
we'll be free.''
" Promise you'll try. Really,
really try.''
" Whatever it takes
to break you.''
I look up at the sky, feeling the life leech out of my body. I see the sky, grey and sad. I smile a little, knowing that no matter what it looks like, it will still be beautiful.
Always able to see the beauty in even the most unsightly things...
I look down at my body and see the angry red marks and the blood pouring out of my stomach. The metal rod from the gate has buried itself in me. I take a shaky breath- Like my mother when my father died- And let out a last laugh.
I love you, Katniss. Promise you'll make everyone free, will try to go on without me, and won't let my death break you.
I look up the sky one more time before closing my eyes.
I love you, Katniss and everyone else...
I take one more breath and let out another laugh.
Yours truly...
I let a tear slide down my cheek before finally resting.
Little Duck.
