Hey there!

Thanks for clicking & hopefully reading.

Well, not to delay you any longer! Here is the next chapter and I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Suzanne Collins.

The goodbyes are short.

They only give us three minutes, though with some persuasion, they allow Donnie and I five minutes alone.

I cradle her like she's just a baby, and she doesn't move. She only whispers softly, 'come back home' over and over again; a mantra she believes if she says enough times, it'll come true. I wish things were that easy. I wish I could come back home to Donnie and grow old with her. But I can't. I promise Haymitch, and now I have a different set of priorities that don't have protecting Donnie at the top of the list.

"I love you, Donnie." I whisper, smiling though it's forced through my tears. "I love you so much. We all do. Remember that, okay Donnie?"
Donnie nods, chin trembling. "I love you too, Annie."

"You'll be so amazing when you grow up, my little Belladonna. You'll be a genius that changes Panem for the better." I choke out, barely able to contain the tears any longer. They come running down my face like a waterfall, and I am unable to stop them. Unable to keep my sister safe. Unable to protect her. I feel helpless, hopeless, and weak. I can't shield her anymore. What will my little sister become when she sees all the cruelty in this world?

Donnie stares at me with her pale blue eyes that are identical to my late father's; sad and swimming with tears. Her dark blonde hair is still neat and prim in the tight bun, and her dress is perfectly ironed and straight. I can't help but to marvel at how much my baby sister has grown over the past year. How she has grown from the little five year old girl who did not understand why I was leaving to this beautiful, intelligent young woman who understands everything.

"Oh, Annie." She smiles a watery smile. "I can't change Panem for the better if you already beat me to it."

I'm temporarily confused, because I don't understand what she means, and I want to ask her to explain - but the Peacekeepers come in and tell us that it's been long past five minutes. Their faces are hard and unreadable, and I wonder if they understand what it's like for the two of us. What it's like to say goodbye for the last time. They don't; that's why they're so heartless. That's why they pry the last person I call family away from me.

Donnie throws her skinny arms around me and buries her face in my white Reaping dress, her tears making small puddles in the worn fabric. The Peacekeepers try to pry her off, but she has a viselike grip on me, and I'm not ready to let her go. I cling onto her and she clings onto me.

But they yank Donnie off of me, and they pull off a part of my heart when they do. Donnie's hand is outstretched as they pull her away, and I hold on to it. The last part of her that I can hold on to, the last time I can touch her again.

"Anxol!" She cries out desperately, frantic. "Annie!"

Her eyes are wild and red, her body thrashing around as she tries giving me one last thing. One last thing to hold on to.

The Peacekeepers roughly break our grasp and pull Donnie away, slamming the door shut behind them.

I hold on to what Donnie has given me, what she had slipped into my palm as I held onto her hand.

It takes me a few minutes to realize what it is; my tears are blurring my vision and I can barely think straight, let alone try and distinguish what was in front of me.

When the tears clear slightly, I can make out what the object it - and I burst out in tears again. I crumple to the ground, clutching onto it tightly.

It was my parents. And then it was Enkol's. I thought I had sold it when Enkol had died, sold it for money to support Donnie and I when nobody else would. Donnie must've had it all this time, a hidden memento of the family she could not remember.

The pocket watch is pushing into my palm, its intricate design surprisingly painful and sharp. A tarnished bronze colored, the detailed designing weaving in and out throughout the watch. Its chain was old and rusted, looking like it was going to fall apart at any second.

Though aged and decaying, the small pocket watch still ticks softly, like the steady heartbeat of my parents and twin. Like a daunting countdown that counts the time left we have before my whole family is killed.

Thanks for reading!

AH, I know, I know, I know. Supremely short chapter. I'M SORRY!

This really shouldn't even be counted as a chapter. Like, seriously. I am really, really, really sorry. The next chapter will most definitely be longer. I'll make it up for you guys somewhere down the road. I promise!

Any comments? Questions? Feedback? Leave it as a review! Any suggestions? Ideas? Opinions? Also feel free to leave it as a review!

Thanks for reading once again, and the next chapter will be posted up tomorrow!