Chapter 3
The next morning as I wake from my nightmare I turn to curl up next to katniss, half expecting her to be there next to me, then I wonder why I'm still having nightmares, and why am I still afraid because the worst has already happened.
Last night after the recap of the reaping I remember mom has to practically pull me to the dinner table, because all I could think of was 1. How many children are going to die 2. the huge competition for katniss and most hauntingly 3. How katniss will kill all of these people, including peeta mellark and rue When mom served the stew, strawberries, and bread we sat there silently for what felt like ages before mom finally said "prim you really should eat katniss would want you to enjoy this meal" to which I replied
"she'd want you to eat to." And then we fell back into silence until we crawled in bed.
I have to get up and go about business as though it is an ordinary day, I milk lady, I eat breakfast, and then I head off to school. I think the worst part about this is when I'm at school with my friends, and every time I talk to somebody all I get is the most pitiful glance I've ever seen and everybody in school has said "I'm sorry" about 10 000 times and this irritates me because why are they sorry it's not like they voted for her to go. No they aren't the ones who need to be sorry, but I take their pity because I know that those who are to blame would never apologize.
When I get home I go straight to the TV because I know today they will be showing the opening ceremonies live. I glance at the clock and know it's about to start, and sure enough some guy comes on to talk about things that nobody cares about, then assures us "all our tributes look stunning", but all I can think is
"Ya well how stunning do you think they'll look when they're dead!" and then mom walks in and says
"oh I hope I didn't miss anything"
"no they're just starting " I assure her.
District one looks stunning, as usual in tunics with glittering jewels on them, they make luxury items for the capitol.
Then district two rolls out, and the outfits are not what I'm thinking of looking at this boy the size of district 12 and this girl that makes me afraid to even look at her to long,
and district three, who specializes in electronics are wearing ridiculous outfits with TV antennas on their heads, it looks like they're aliens! And I can't help laugh.
Then the fishing district rolls out and they look quite attractive in something I can only describe as an outfit made of sea foam the girl has a dress of the rich colour with foam all down her body and the boy is the same only in a suit. I'm still focusing on how beautiful the district four tributes are that I miss five entirely,
but no one could miss six, they are almost completely naked, except for shoes and a hat as well as some paint, I guess their stylist was to busy worrying about how they would die to make them outfits
Then district 7,lumber and paper comes out dressed as guess what? Trees like they have been for the last 20 years, I swear they really need a new stylist,
then district eight who has huge factories and make clothes and peacekeeper uniforms, so they are dressed in what I suppose could be called a peacekeeper uniform but it's so tight and short and ripped in inappropriate places that it takes time to realize that is what it's supposed to be! And now I begin to worry because we are getting so close to seeing katniss, and I really hope she has a tasteful outfit it could really help with sponsors. By the time I shake myself district 10 is just coming out they're principal industry is livestock so they are completely covered in chicken feathers, and so again I must laugh at what's considered fashion in the capitol.
Then district eleven is coming out and I can barely see little rue behind that giant boy from her district, and then my stomach is so knotted because katniss is next….
She looks stunning and beautiful, in something so simple just a fitted black unitard an heavy boots with a cape and headpiece that are ON FIRE, that's right katniss and peeta are actually on fire and the crowd loves it, they are cheering and shouting they're names they absolutely love them, but the best part is katniss and peeta are holding hands, which I love because they are showing that they are a team, that they will not kill each other, they are just touching on rebellion, and I love it!
And in that second a million emotions are brought to surface longing, hope, anger, fear, grief, disgust. And a million ideas course through my brain, she could win, she is beautiful, theses tributes are huge, I don't want her to suffer, but most of all I'm thinking that this is all my fault. She is there because she volunteered for me; she could be dead in a week because of me.
"Well doesn't she look beautiful" exclaims my mother, she is being strong like katniss told her to but I can tell she is on the edge of tears, KNOCK, KNOCK these two quick raps on our door set my mind thinking about gale and how he is taking all of this, but when I open the door it's not gale who stands before me but rather a boy from school named physalis, and this is strange because he is a merchant's child and I don't think I've ever spoken to him, his parents own the sweets shop.
"Hi prim" he says, but I am still to shocked to respond so I just stand there and stare until mom comes to the door
"oh hi" she begins "who is this, prim?" she asks me, but I am still to stunned to speak
"um my name is physalis" he says
"i-i- uh he's in my class" I manage to stutter out "ya and I just came over to say that I'm really sorry about your sister and my mom wanted you to have this" he says holding out a simple white box
"oh well thank you, and thank your mom to, would you like to come in" mother asks
"um no, thanks I should be getting home, bye prim" he says and with that he's gone.
We open up the box to reveal… a sponsorship? They have given us money to help katniss in the games and this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, and I know a regular thank you will not be good enough because this money could be the difference between my sister's life and death. At the bottom of the box there is a small bag with my name written on it in careful hand writing, when I open it I find candy, more candy than I've ever had in my life time is in this little bag
"I think he likes you" calls mother from the other side of the room
"ya right, mom he's just being nice, besides he said this stuff was from his parents" I reply
"well maybe so but his eyes light up whenever you speak and he acts like no one else exists" she says to my doubt
"you got all of that from 5 minuets of conversation" I reply
"it only takes a second to know something like that" she answers and to this I have no reply could she be right I'm just coming to the conclusion that my mother must be delusional when I hear more knocking, and this time it is gale
"hey kiddo, where's your mom" he says faking a smile, but I can tell he's been crying "right here" says my mother's voice from behind me. "Oh hi Mrs. E, I uh just came back from the woods and I brought you the herbs you said you were low on, and there's some meat in there to, I had a pretty good hall today" and I bet he did because whenever gale's upset he does one of two things either he goes to the woods with katniss and yells to get his anger out or he puts everything he's got into his hunting, and I think it's pretty safe to say he wasn't venting to katniss.
"Oh thank you so much gale, why don't you come in and have some tea." Asks mom
"sure, sounds good" he says so mom pours some tea and they make small talk, though they never mention katniss, then I go get the bottle of goat's milk I set aside for him and he tries to deny the offer, but I'm very persuasive. Then mom makes supper from the leftover bakery bread, strawberries and stew, seeing as how we didn't really eat it last night.
After supper I brush my teeth, pick out my clothes for tomorrow, and for the first time since the night before the reaping crawl into my own bed and allow all of my troubles to melt away as I drift into oblivion.
I dream that I am in a meadow just outside the fence of district twelve and I'm all alone, but then I see katniss in the distance and I run to her, faster than I've ever ran in my life but it's as though I'm on a treadmill and no matter how fast I go I can't quite reach her, so I simply collapse to the ground and weep. Until a figure steps out and puts his arms around me and sits with me until I calm down and when I look up, the eyes I'm staring into do not belong to my father as I had thought but rather to physalis.
Well that's the end of the third chapter, I was thinking I don't see why prim can't have a little romance to even if she is just twelve I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with this new character but he will be a fairly large part of the book and the name is not random a physalis is a type of plant typically indigenous to the same places as wild roses so I figured it was a good choice, also I'm sorry to leave you with such a cliff hanger especially since I probably won't be able to write for a few days. Please R&R (okay, that was stupid, you've ov already read...but please review!)