Prim:

I awoke in the morning with a jolt. I remembered dreaming about the Games. Gale and I had somehow gotten separated in the arena, and I wasn't able to find him. I was lost, with nothing around me except emptiness. My life, which used to be filled with hope, was now a deep dark hole that I could not climb out of. That's when I had woken up to find Gale not in his bed, but over by one of the windows.

As I got out of bed and crept over by him, I could tell that he didn't notice me. He just stared blankly into his open hands that were rested on his lap; I had never seen Gale look so sadly in all my life. I started towards him, but then halted in my tracks when he said something very faintly that I almost didn't catch.

"Katniss…"

My eyes welled with tears. Ever since I was little Gale and Katniss had been fast friends. I knew just by the way he looked at her, that he cared for her dearly. When Katniss was in one of her foul moods, Gale was the only one that could bring her out of it. His presence alone could make her smile. I wished more than anything at that moment that we could be back home again. Gale deserved his life with my sister, and I wanted nothing more than to see the two of them happy together.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud knocking on our door. Gale instinctively sprang out of bed and ran to the door. His hair was disheveled and his eyes had circles under them. He probably didn't sleep a wink last night.

"Gale, Prim, this is Effie. I just wanted to inform you that you will need to be dressed and headed down for your last breakfast on the train in fifteen minutes. Your stylists are waiting for you in compartment 214A with your arena outfits. I will see you at the dinning room."

I stared blankly at Gale, who had rested his head on his arm that was leaning on the door out to the other compartments. He turned around silently and looked back at me.

"Looks like our time has come to an end on the train Prim. I guess we should get a move on."

Over the next few minutes Gale and I mechanically packed up our few belongings and headed to compartment 214A to meet with our stylists. When we arrived we were quickly dressed in a layering of clothing. Shorts and a tank-top were then covered by a t-shirt and cargo pants, and then covered by a sweatshirt and hiking boots. Just by the layering of clothes I dreadfully thought that we were going to be facing an arena full of cold. Just thinking about it made me shiver. I had hated winter times back at home. Not just because of the frigid temperatures, but because winter was the time when all of the herbs and flowers I loved so much died with the frost.

Either way, Gale and I would soon find out what the arena held for us. We finished with out stylists and then headed down to the dining area where we would be served the last breakfast, probably for the rest of our lives.

Even though I knew I should be feasting down on everything that I could get my hands on, because who knows what little food there is going to be in the arena, I just couldn't get my stomach around much. I had always hated the butterfly feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach when you are nervous; it always made me feel just slightly sick. The feeling that I had right now was probably ten times that. I just wanted to curl up and never move. Gale started to encourage me to eat more, but his heart was just not in it. I could tell he felt the same exact way I did.

Just at that moment Haymitch, our mentor strolled into the cabin. I could tell just by the stench that wafted into the room that he had been drinking, and I mean drinking hard. This would have bothered me more, but then I could also understand why he did it. If I had to mentor kids year after year who went and died gruesomely in an arena, I would probably have started up drinking too.

After deciding what foot to put in front of the other, Haymitch made his way slowly over to our table, and slopped down in one of the chairs across from us.

"Ssoorryy…m' late. S'mbody messed with me doorknob in my room. Would't open da bugger. Anywho… I just wanted to give ye some last fewww pointrrs before ye go into da arenas."

Gale and I stared at each other, probably thinking the same thing. How is he even coherent if his speech is that bad?

"Whut you needs to know about dat arena, is you murst do 'nything possible to stey alive. 'N I mean anything! I'fn you have to kill somebody and den croll up in der carcus to stey warm, den I suggest doin it!"

I could feel the blood drain from my face, and my stomach twist into a knot. I looked over at Gale who had the angriest look on his face, and in slow motion I saw him stand up and punch Haymitch right in the nose. Haymitch, having no coordination left at all, flipped over his chair and started yelling at the top of his lungs.

"God fucking hell! Why you dern broke me nose, ya basterd!"

Gale was steaming with anger, his hands balled up in tight fists at his sides.

"Get him the fuck out of here this instant! We do not want him near us!"

The two avox's standing near the door quickly bowed and drug Haymitch, who was now unconscious, out of the room by his hands.

"Prim, I'm so sorry about that. He should never have said something as horrible as that. I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Gale its fine, I'm okay.

On the inside I knew that it was not. The image of what Haymitch suggested kept springing up in my mind. I felt a little green, and just hoped it would pass. At that moment Effie rushed into the room, looking rather frazzled.

"What just happened here! You know that your actions could greatly hinder your chances in the Games. What's done is done, and it is to late now to reconcile any damage that you have placed on yourselves. It is almost time for you two to enter the platform that will take you up to the arena. Come with me now please."

Gale and I stood up, him taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. It was finally time for us to enter the Games. We walked in silence behind Effie, who kept looking back every so often giving a little shake of her head in disappointment. I hoped that it wasn't disappointment that Gale clocked Haymitch in the face, but disappointment of two more kids dying because the Capitol says it must happen.

The walk to the door which led to the platforms seemed like it took a nanosecond, even though it was probably a mile from our own living compartment. Effie stopped in front of the door, and then turned around to look at Gale and me.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you two like that back there. I want the best chances for you two, and believe me when I say that. You're mentor is a walking drunk, and if he said something to offend you, just remember to do what you think is right, whatever that may be."

Gale and I gave a nod, and then walked through the door, while Effie gave us a last word of good luck.

It was completely dark in the room, except for the beaming platforms that would soon take us up and onto the arena. Two guards from the capitol led us to them and made us stand completely still. My heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest. One of the guards came and stood between the two platforms that held Gale and I.

"Keep your hands by your sides, unless you want them to be chopped off."

I quickly wrapped my hands around myself, fearing the statement that the guard just proclaimed, as a clear thick glass came down around us. I looked at Gale for some reassurance, but was startled to see his face looking past me farther into the room. Anger, shock, and sadness were all etched into his face. I turned my head to look what he was staring at, and then cried out in horror. There just a few feet down, which were earlier, covered in darkness, another platform. Inside of it made me feel totally numb, and I could barely hear the screams coming from Gale.

"No no no nooooo! You cannot do this! Please no God no!"

All I could do was continue to stare, as I looked into the tear strewn face of my sister staring back at the two of us. Katniss was in the Games as well.