The room in the Justice Building I am taken to must be worth more than our entire house, but I can't really appreciate its beauty. I am about to say goodbye forever to everyone I love.

Mum and Katniss are first and they immediately hurry towards me, embracing me from either side.

"I'm so sorry,"Katniss chokes into my hair."The fence was on, we had to find a way over. We should have been quicker. I should have been there. Should have volunteered. I'm so, so sorry, Prim!"

I feel tears streaming over my cheeks as I clutch onto both of them."No, Katniss, I'm glad you're not going! Take care of Lady and Buttercup for me, okay? Don't drown him. Please promise you'll take care of him?"

Katniss pulls away and stares at me intently."Don't talk like you're not coming back! You can do this, Prim. Don't give up! You know all about plants, you can feed yourself. And you can climb. Just get out of everyone's way and you'll be fine, Prim!"

"You know everything about anatomy,"mum chimes in, hugging me so hard I can barely breathe."You know where to hit someone. Prim, it'll be self-defence. I know we live to heal, but if someone tries to hurt you, it's okay to hurt them."

Katniss nods, agreeing with Mum for the first time in ages."You can come back to us, Prim. And you will. You just have to try. Promise you'll come home to me?"

I can't make a promise I can't keep to Katniss, so I just evade it by saying something she can misinterpret as my agreeing."Rory taught me about snares a bit. I think I can get myself some food alright."

And then the Peacekeepers show up to take them away and we shout "I love you" to one another over and over and before they close the door I see my mother putting her arm around Katniss and she doesn't shake it off. Maybe my death will do some good, then.

.

Mr Mellark is the next person to come to see me.

I know he must have just said goodbye to Peeta, so without thinking about it, I stand up and embrace him.

He smiles a sad smile and hands me a white paper package that I open to find cookies.

I thank him and bite into one."It's delicious, Mr Mellark."

He just gives a jerk of his head in reply and we sit in silence for a few minutes before I speak again."Trade Katniss some cheese buns, will you? She never lets herself have anything nice, but she loves those."

He seems at a loss of words and before he can recuperate, a Peacekeeper tells us time is up.

"Peeta'll keep an eye on you,"he says scruffily and the door closes.

I have no idea what to do with that, so I blink at the door in confusion.

.

Livia and Estelle come into the room next.

It's an odd sight, the scrawny, bedraggled Seam girl and the well-fed, clean merchant girl, the only thing they have in common being my friendship. But status is forgotten as we embrace and cry together and they make me promise to try, try, try as hard as I can to come home and I make them promise to look out for eachother.

.

My next two visitors are very unexpected – the mayor's wife and daughter.

I know the girl is Katniss's friend, her only one besides Gale, probably, but I don't understand why they would come to see me. I don't think I have ever spoken a word to either of them.

But Mrs Undersee lunges forward, grabbing my hands into hers, a desperate look on her face."Primrose, oh, Prim! I'm so sorry this happened to you!"

She sees my confusion at the familiar tone, yet doesn't let go of my hands."Your mother and I used to be friends. Back before... before my sister was reaped. It tore us apart. We couldn't look at eachother without seeing her..."

Her voice breaks and Madge steps forward, removing a beautiful pin from her dress and holding it out to us."We want you to have this. To wear into the arena."

Her mother composes herself somewhat, taking the pin from her and fastening it to my blouse with shaking hands."Maysilee made it into the last five. She wasn't strong, but she was smart and fast. And you can be, too, Primrose. You're smart, a healer, such a sweet girl. You can make it, but you'll need sponsors. I know Haymitch Abernathy seems like a miserable old drunk, but you need to get through to him so he will get you sponsors and you can come back home."

She hugs me and even though I don't know her, something about this whole situation makes me hug her back tightly."Tell him I know he couldn't bring Maysilee home, I know there was no way, but he can bring you home."

The Peacekeepers interrupt us then and Madge gently pulls her mother away from me, her eyes brimming with tears."Good luck, Prim."

They are almost out of the door when Mrs Undersee turns around again."Tell Haymitch Mackenzie Donner thanks him. Tell him I'm glad that Maysilee had a friend with her when she died. That he didn't leave her alone."

.

The next person to enter the room is Rory and before the door even closes behind him, we're already wrapped into a tight embrace. He pulls me over to the couch and we sit down, his face completely serious.

"Okay, Primmie, you gotta win this thing,"he says, just like everyone else."I know you can."

But somehow, I can believe him more. He knows me better than anyone else, I know him like the back of my hand and I know he can't lie to safe his life. Yet he seems certain I can do this.

So I nod."I know all berries and herbs in our book. I can heal my own injuries, assuming they're not too bad."

"You can heal everything with the right tools,"he tells me."With sponsors, you can get those tools. You're amazing, Prim. Pretty and smart and nice, they'll fall over eachother to sponsor you!"

I can't help but blush a bit. Rory and I are just friends, but I'm pretty sure if it weren't for me going to the Games now, we'd probably be something more in a year or two. So him telling me I'm pretty, even if it's in a situation like this, is kind of reassuring. To know I'm not the only one who sees something.

But the moment passes as we continue to talk strategy. It's pretty simple, really. Hide out, keep low, eat berries and try to snare some things, find a knife incase I'm attacked, maybe make some allies and play the public for sponsors by being, well, "everybody's darling", as Rory puts it.

We talk and plan until the Peacekeeper comes to take him away.

I guess it's because we're both so young but he doesn't drag Rory away but instead allows him to embrace me once more.

"See you soon, Primmie,"he says."You'll do great."

And he kisses my cheek and then I'm alone. And I might not see him or anyone else I love ever again.

But a tiny part of me thinks that maybe, just maybe, they all might be right and I shouldn't give up just yet...