Prim and Punishment Chapter 6, a hunger games fanfic

"Prim and Punishment"

Chapter Six

By Brian Grove

Brian at rescueddoggies dot com

Disclaimer – As I'm British and male, it may come as no surprise that I don't own Hunger Games.

An experienced beta would be welcome.

Previous chapter:- Her first kill... almost.

Prim and Punishment - Prim and Punishment - Prim and Punishment - Prim and Punishment

I decided not to head directly to the center, so I boarded the train, or Metro, as they called it, in the other direction. I saw from the map that if I changed trains after five stations, I could take another train that went in almost a circle around the Capitol and head into the center from another direction.

In the station where I had to change trains, I got lost and ended up on a train going in the opposite direction around the circle to that which I had planned, but I decided that it didn't really matter.

As I was changing trains for the second time, to head into the Capitol, my stomach gave a loud rumble and I remembered – I had food!

I decided to go up and out into the open and find somewhere to site and eat. The exit of the station took me to a large square. It was the most natural place I'd seen so far in the Capitol with beautiful cut grasses, with various paths criss-crossing the square, the paths lined with large flowers. It was a little too formal for my taste, but it didn't feel as cold and artificial as the rest of the Capitol I'd seen so far.

Other people liked it too. The whole square was scattered with wooden benches. Some were occupied with people. There were a few young couples, doing what young couples do whether they are in the Capitol or in the Districts. There was some older people sitting and eating. And there were several women, watching as heir little children ran and played. It all seemed so innocent, so harmless, a world away from what the Capitol did to us, except for one thing. In the centre of the square was a huge screen. It was showing the Hunger Games. To avoid it I walked to the other side, but the screen was double-sided.

On each side of the screen were huge loudspeakers, but they were silent now. Under the screens were a series of small booths. One was offering headphones by the hour or half hour, or Capitolites could go into one of the other booths and watch relays of their favourite moments.

Not so innocent then, I thought. As all the benches faced the screens, I sat on the grass, facing away from the screen and took out one of the tins of food and a metal container of drink. Opening the drink I found that it was refreshingly cool. Orange juice. I gulped down more than I should have in one go, then turn to the food. This one didn't need a tin opener. It had a ring on the top where it was written "PULL HERE – WARNING VERY HOT WHEN OPENED". What was that supposed to mean? Were you supposed to cook the food in the tin before you opened it? But they must know that I can't do that.

I pulled the ring. Within a minute the tin itself began to get warn, then too hot to hold. I quickly put it down on the ground. The food was bubbling away, then it stopped bubbling. Very gingerly, I used the cloth the knife, fork and spoon had been wrapped in to pick up the tin. The smell was instantly recognisable. My favourite. Capitol Lamb Stew. I took a spoonful and quickly blew on it to cool it down a little before putting it into my mouth. Tinned or not, it was as good as ever.

The square was filling up with people as it began to get dark. Before I had finished, the loudspeakers at the side of the screens blared to life with the Panem Anthem. I didn't want to see, but I couldn't help myself. Prim's face showed up on the screen, with the number 12 in the bottom right-hand corner. In the arena, that's all we see, but here, outside the arena, I knew this would be followed by the video of her death.

I tried to look away, but it was like something was forcing me to watch. Prim, walking innocently through the forest and straight out into the clearing where the careers had made their camp. The rest of the careers were obviously out hunting as these two had been resting.

Resting or not, they were upon her in seconds. She struggled but a hard punch from the girl sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Where's your sister?" the boy asked.

"I... I don't know," Prim lied. "I was looking for her. I got lost."

"Don't worry," he said. "You're found now."

The girl then asked the boy, "Last cut loses?"

"Okay," he agreed. "You go first. Winner gets to kill her sister."

"What's 'Last cut loses'?" Prim asked nervously.

The girl smiled, her otherwise pretty face hard and cold. "We take it in turns to cut you," she explained. "But we have to try not to kill you. If you die after a cut, before the other one has their turn, that person loses. Now, where shall I start? I know. Your ankles. Stop you running away."

Before Prim could react, the girl had slashed into Prim's right Achilles tendon. I finally managed to look away, but Prim's scream echoed around the square followed by a cheer from the crowd in the square.

Another scream was followed by another cheer. Then another. And another. It went on and on. I was fighting a battle to keep my Lamb stew down. I lost. I looked around. Now Prim was bleeding from every part of her body and her screams had become a low whimper.

A boy near me grinned at me, having noticed I'd been sick. "Gruesome isn't? The best one for years. Don't you just love the careers?"

I couldn't answer him.

Not far away a little girl was yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, lift me up higher. I can't see."

He lifted her onto his shoulders. "Better sweety?" he asked.

"Much better, Daddy."

"Can you see them killing the District brat okay?"

"Yes, Daddy."

As Prim's canon sounded, I came on screen, running into the clearing. Then the screen showed a photo of the girl from District Two before continuing the video. As the two careers turned on me I saw Esmerelda throw a knife hard and accurately into the girl from Two's back. She collapsed at once. Fewer cheers from the crowd here this time. Esmerelda threw another knife at the boy, but he moved just in time. Then the screen showed a photo of Esmerelda before continuing the video. The District Two boy grabbed his sword, he ran after Esmerelda as she ran away. He didn't take long to catch her and put his sword in her back. More cheers as her canon sounded. At least her death was quick, I thought.

I crept away and bent down to my bag. Looking at the buildings surrounding the square, I noticed they were mostly red brick, so I took out my dark red leggings and pulled them on before slipping off my skirt. The ease of changing was another benefit to wearing a skirt which I bet Cinna hadn't thought of. Or maybe he had. It wouldn't surprise me if he had. I slipped on the matching socks and put my shoes and skirt in the bag. Then I pulled the long-sleeved top over my head and began to climb one of the trees surrounding the square. Once up high, I pulled the head-covering over my head, leaving only my eyes visible.

I checked below. Nobody had seen me. Everyone's eyes were on the screen. The presenters were talking about the day's action. "So you were saying, Katniss set her sister up so they she could escape the arena alive?"

"That's what we've heard."

"But I thought she was supposed to love her sister."

"Well, we know what a great actress she is. She fooled everyone with that fake romance, didn't she? Then she tried to put the blame on the President for her philandering."

"Very true. And I hear she's not the only one to sacrifice their sibling so far in these games."

"That's right. A brother from Seven was so angry at being chosen by his younger sister that he killed her himself so that he could get out of the arena. But what can you expect from District barbarians?"

"Very true again. But there's more to hear about Katniss isn't there?"

"Yes. Her escape was obviously well planned. After being rescued safely from the arena, she overpowered and killed the doctor as well as the brother of the girl who'd just saved her life."

"She murdered him as well?"

"That's right. Then she forced the pilot to land and she ran away. But even that's not the end of the story."

"There's more?"

"Yes. Having escaped from the helicopter, she attacked an innocent Capitol family. We're going live for an interview with them now."

The two sisters I'd seen earlier were there, with a couple who were obviously their parents either side of them.

"Good evening from Sector Seventy-Five. Now one of the girls from this innocent family had a brush with death today, face to face with the dangerous escapist, Katniss. Sangora, why don't you tell us about it in your own words."

"Well. It was our fourteenth birthday," she began. "My sister and I are twins and we were having a party in the garden. My sister had gone to the bathroom. She'd been gone a long time, so I went to see if she was all right. She shouted to me that she couldn't come out. Before I had a chance to ask why, the girl Katniss, came out of the bushes. She looked a bit crazy and she was holding her bow. As she got ready to fire an arrow at me, I knew there was no time to escape, so I ran at her."

"Let us get this right. You ran at her even though you were unarmed?"

"Well, I knew she'd shoot me in the back if I tried to get away."

"So what happened?"

"She seemed to panic and the arrow missed and landed in the door. You can still see it there."

The camera swung across to the door I'd put the arrow into and zoomed in for a moment.

"So what did she do then, Sangora?"

"I think she was scared as she didn't have another arrow ready to fire, because she turned and ran away, climbing the back wall and escaping before I had a chance to try to stop her."

"And what did you do then?"

"First I went inside to check my sister was all right, then I went to tell our parents."

The interviewer turned to her sister. I noticed that Sangora had never even mentioned her sister's name once.

"You must be very glad your sister came to help you," the interview asked her.

"Yes, I am," she agreed, not sounding glad at all and looking perfectly miserable.

Deciding she wasn't the best subject to interview, he turned back to Sangora. "Now, Sangora, this is very important. What was Katniss wearing?"

"She was still wearing the clothes she'd had in the arena," Sangora answered.

The screen was filled with a photograph of me in the arena outfit for about fifteen seconds. I had trouble not laughing. Sangora's story was so funny. If she'd met me like she'd described she'd be dead. I don't miss like that and I don't panic. And I could take her down even without a bow. But now she'd have the whole Capitol looking for me dressed in the arena outfit. It could scarcely be better.

Now the camera was on the girls' father. "You must be very proud of Sangora."

"Yes, we always knew she was special, but to take on a dangerous criminal like Katniss Everdene and to live to tell the tale. And on her fourteenth birthday as well? Proud doesn't begin to cover how we feel."

"Thank you. It shows how superior Good honest Capitol citizens are to the barbarians from places like District Twelve. Now I hand you back to the studio."

I had not wasted all of that time just watching the screen. I'd also scanned around for targets. My first wasn't a person at all. Near the screen were a few people selling hot food. Flames were heating up whatever it was and underneath the burner was a tube leading to a large metal container. I guessed it contained gas. I'd have like to have pierced the gas container, but I knew my arrow wouldn't do that, so I took aim at the control immediately above the container. To my disappointment by first arrow missed and I heard a clang as it struck the metal container. My second arrow didn't miss. I knew gas must be pouring out everywhere. My next arrow was for the Dad who'd lifted his little girl to see Prim die. It struck him in the back and he collapsed at once, the girl falling to the ground. By the time I heard her screaming "Daddy! Daddy!" my fourth arrow had found a target in a different part of the crowd.

By this time the gas had found the open flame and though it wasn't an explosion, the whole stall was alight. The flames were spreading quickly and the nearest food stallholders and the nearest members of the crowd tried to run away in a panic.

I tried briefly to find the boy who'd seen me be sick and said it was the best one for years. I couldn't see him.

I let loose four more arrows, one each into different areas of the crowd. The advantage of arrows is that they are silent. I was down from the tree and running out of the square before anyone cried out, "Murder! It must be her!"

Most of the crowd were still looking at the screen or the fire, which had now reached the screen.

One woman coming into the square saw me running. I silenced her with an arrow. I wanted no witnesses. They were looking for me exactly how I had been in the arena and that was a crucial advantage. I was three blocks away from the square now and heard sirens of peacekeepers.

I ran into a young couple, kissing on a street corner. I ran on, then stopped. They might not connect me to the attack in the square, but I was dressed oddly, even for the Capitol, and someone might.

I turned back. They were kissing again. A arrow in the head ended the young man's life, then another into the chest of the woman as she turned and screamed.

I ducked down another street. Nobody here. I stripped off my head-covering and top, pulled my skirt over the leggings and shoved my camouflage clothes in the bag. I ran in a different direction for a few blocks before stripping off my camouflage socks and putting on my "Capitol" colored shoes.

Changing direction again I walked casually away and went into the nearest Metro. Minutes later I was far away.

I was getting hungry again as I'd lost most of the lamb stew. I didn't want to have to use another of the tins. I didn't have many. I wondered where I could steal food.

There was a wonderful smell coming from a shop with a brightly lit window. They had chickens being roasted as they turned about a metal wheel. An odd way to cook chicken, I thought, wondering if I could steal one when the man cooking them had to go out the back again, as I'd already seen him do once.

When a woman entered the shop. "Two with garlic please," she said.

Then she took out a card. It was identical to the card I'd used for the Metro. She put it against the counter and a bell made a "tinging" sound. The man handed her a bag with two chickens.

When she'd left, I entered the shop. It was a hot-house and the night was warm, so, seeing some chickens labelled Chilli, I tried my best imitation of Effie, and asked for one of those.

"Yoghurt dip?" he asked.

I nodded. I placed my card in the place on the counter where I'd seem the woman do it. "Work!" I thought, hoping that mine wasn't only a card for the Metro. It wasn't. When I heard the "ting", I hid my relief and took my chicken.

I knew I wasn't far from the outskirts, so I walked, until the constant rows of houses were interspersed with grassy fields leading down to a river. Judging by the benches and picnic tables, this area was used for recreation in the daytime, but now it was deserted.

Ignoring the tables and benches, I walked down to the riverside and took of my shoes. I dipped by feet in the cool water as I pulled off a chicken leg. Making sure it wasn't too hot, I bit into it. As the juices ran down my chin, the chicken in my mouth blew my head off.

Prim and Punishment - Prim and Punishment - Prim and Punishment - Prim and Punishment

Author's notes...

I was re-reading chapters four and five and made a few slight changes and corrections to them.

Please review.

Brian

THE STORY SO FAR

Chapter 1

President Snow forces Katniss to be a prostitute. Prim tries to kill Snow. Katmiss marries Peeta. In the Quarter Quell a sibling has to join each tribute. Prim is reaped again.

Chapter 2

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Peeta finds out the truth. Prim decides it's her turn to protect Katniss. Flames and bruises.

Chapter 3

Into the games and Prim tells her story.

Chapter 4

Prim is killed and Katniss is rescued. Letters.

Chapter 5

Her first kill... almost.

Chapter 6

Katniss attacks a square full of people.