The train ride to the Capitol was—interesting. To say the least. After I took Prim to our room to clean up a bit, we headed down to dinner. Haymitch, and Effie were already sitting there with a green-looking Rory and a giggling Posy. Prim looked at me questioningly. I just shrugged my shoulders.

I walked over to Rory and put my hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" I demanded. Rory shook his head still looking green.

"Rory ate the goosey stuff." Posy said giggling.

"Goosey stuff?" I asked.

"Goose liver." Effie sniffed, looking offended. I rolled my eyes. "Right." I motioned for Prim to sit down next to me. I looked at Haymitch expectantly. He grinned at me, drunkenly.

"So sweetheart, I guess the odds weren't in your favor after all." He told me.

I glared at him. He just kept smiling—or smirking at me. I wasn't sure which it was.

"Alright." he said clapping his hands together. "First's things first. How old are you three?" He asked gesturing towards Prim, Rory, and Posy.

"Prim and Rory are both 13. Posy just turned 4." I told him.

He nodded. "Good. So Prim, Rory what are you good at?"

They both looked at each other before Prim spoke up. "I can heal things." she said timidly.

"Anything else?" Haymitch asked rudely. She shook her head.

"Right then. And you boy?" he growled.

"Katniss taught me how to hunt. I'm fairly good with a knife." He said a little shakily.

Haymitch nodded. "That's better than nothing." He stood up, walked around the table and kneeled down in front of Posy. "How about you little one?" he asked more kindly than I thought Haymitch was capable of. She giggled at him. "I can sing and dance!" she said proudly.

"Oh really?" he asked. "Let's see then."

She got up smiling and started dancing and twirling around the table, singing some old nursery rhyme. When she was done, Haymitch started clapping. "Very good. Well, the Capitol is going to love you." he told her. She smiled widely at him.

He gave his attention back to all three of them. "Can you three go look around while me and Effie talk to Katniss for a while?" Rory and Prim nodded, each taking one of Posy's hands and leading her outside. As soon as they were gone, Haymitch got down to business.

"Can your sister do anything else besides heal?"

I shook my head. "Every time I take her out in the woods with me, she gets teary and says we can save whatever animal I've shot."

He sighed. "The boy might be alright with a knife, but the little one isn't going to make it."

"I know." I tell him, because I do know. Sweet, little, innocent Posy will be lucky if she makes it through the first night.

"Maybe if we can get the Capitol to like her though, it might earn you or Rory more sponsors." He tells me.

"You are going to try to protect them, aren't you?" he asks me.

"Yes, of course. They are like my family. They are my family." I tell him.

In the silence that follows you can hear Effie sniffling. We both turn to look at her.

"It's just not fair!" she exclaims. "She is only four years old!" Then she gasps and holds her hand over her mouth like she's uttered a dirty curse word. She throws down her napkin and runs from the room.

We watch her go, then Haymitch says to me. "You got lucky once, sweetheart. I don't know if you can do it again."

I nod because I know he's right. "Well, even if I don't make it, I can try to take out as many as possible so Prim and Rory can make it back."

He nods, but doesn't draw attention to the fact that I don't mention Posy. We both know she won't make it. I know, Haymitch knows, Effie, Gale, Prim, Hazelle and Rory know.


Later that night, we all sit down to watch the recap of the reapings. It's heart-breaking.

District 1 girl: Chiffon and her twin sister Duchess. Both 15

District 1 boy: Gazar, 18 and his brother Jersey. He was only 8.

District 2 girl: Acacia 12, and her older brother Mason who was 24.

District 2 boy: Brick 14 and his sister Deity, 17.

District 3 girl: Harmony 15, and her brother Octave, 16.

District 3 boy: Watt 18 and his 44 year old father Volt.

District 4 came as a shock to me, because both of the family members chosen were Victors. The girl chosen was Brooke, 17 and her older brother Finnick Odair. The boy was Gill 15 and his grandmother Mags.

I didn't pay much attention to District 5.

I only caught District 6's girl. Her name was May. She was only 13 and her family member chosen was her 4 month old sister Tally. I wanted to cry.

District's 8, 9 and 10 weren't very memorable.

District 11's boy and his sister were part of the very, very small upper class. The girl chosen knocked the breathe out of me. She was 12 years old her name was Laurel and she was Rue's little sister. Laurel's 6 year old sister Iris was also chosen.

I was so overcome with emotion that I missed the recap of our own reaping. Rue's family not only lost her, but they might also lose Laurel and Iris too. I vowed that I would do whatever necessary to make sure I kept them alive as long as possible. I couldn't comprehend how the Capitol could bring the 4 month old Tally from District 6 into the games. I was so upset I didn't notice that Posy was tugging on sleeve until she said "Kasnit?" She could never pronounce my name correctly.

"Yes Posy?" I asked pulling her into my lap. "You okay?" she asked me concerned.

"Of course I am Posy. Now, I think it's your bedtime isn't it?" I told her. She shook her head adamantly. "Five more minutes! Please Kasnit!" She pleaded.

"Sorry Posy. You have a big day tomorrow!" I told her.

"Really?"

"Yes. Tomorrow we have to ride around in chariots, looking pretty for the Capitol." I told her.

She smiled big. "Dress-up?" she asked.

I tickled her stomach. "Only if you go to bed."

She jumped off my lap. "Kay, Kasnit! Rory, we play dress-up tomorrow!" She told her brother as she ran from the room. He shook his head at his little sister. He then came to sit next to me. Prim was sitting on my other side, still staring at the blank TV.

"Hey, little duck. What's wrong?" I asked her. She looked up at me terror in her large blue eyes.

I wrapped my arm around her and Rory and pulled them to me. "You guys need to listen to me. If I die-"

"No Katniss-"

"Prim, let me finish. If I die, I want you two to stay together, no matter what!" I demanded of them.

Rory looked up at me. "Posy's going to die isn't she?" he asked me.

I looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry Rory."

He leaned into me. "I knew as soon as she was called, that she wasn't coming home." He had tears in his eyes now. "Katniss, you need to come home. For Gale." he told me. The three of us sat there for a moment until Haymitch opened his mouth. "As touching as this is, you all need to get to bed."

I glared at him as the two younger ones walked towards their rooms.

I turned to him and said. "You're a real asshole, you know that Haymitch?"

He just grinned at me and said. "Well, that's why you love me, sweetheart."

I chucked an ugly ornate vase at him and stormed out. Fucking drunk asshole!


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