Chapter Seven
I woke up to a pounding head. Opening my eyes, I lifted my head, but found that that was all that I could do. The rest of my body was strapped down on a white table. Needles went into my arms, and there was an oxygen tube in my nose. Turning my head, I saw monitors and people. One of the people looked up.
"She's awake." One of them said, another nodded and went over to an IV.
"You won't feel a thing." She said, pouring a liquid into the bag. No! I didn't want to go back to sleep! But it was out of my control, no matter how hard I struggled. Everything faded again.
This time when I woke up, I kept my eyes closed. As people walked by, I heard snatches of conversation that had drifted by.
"I need some coffee-"
"Did you hear-"
"I went to bed and-"
"-know! It's really-"
"-and he said-"
"-clinically insane-"
"-her sister was shot-"
"-compete in the Games?"
I froze. The last ones… clinically insane…her sister was shot…compete in the Games... They were talking about me! I was clinically insane? No, I wasn't. I was just seeing things…just seeing Katniss. And she was dead, so wouldn't I be seeing her for a little while? I heard footsteps stop right next to me.
"I've talked to President Snow." President Snow?
"And?"
"I asked if we should take…" a pause "…Primrose Everdeen out of the Games."
"And?"
"He said no. He said it would make him look weak. Make the Capitol look weak."
"So, what are we going to do?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"You heard me."
"But… but, it's like putting a rat into a room full of cats! She'll never survive!"
"We don't know for sure if she's insane. But even if she was sane, she wouldn't survive. She's District 12, remember?"
"Oh. But-"
"No buts. Even if we could take her out of the Games, President Snow would kill us."
"Hmm."
The footsteps started again, and faded away. I opened my eyes and looked around again. The IV was gone, but I didn't care about that. I strained against the straps that were holding me down, but it was no use. My hands were under me, I could only wait to be set free. I tried again. And again. And again. I was so busy trying to get free that I didn't realize that someone was behind me until he walked around to face me. Haymitch.
"What were you thinking?" he was somber.
"Huh?" I asked.
"What. Were. You. Thinking?" he said again, pronouncing each word slowly.
"When?"
"When you were throwing a fit in the Training Center!" he exploded. "How could you be so stupid? Do you realize now that you have missed your interview with Cesser? Do you realize that you've knocked down your sponsor numbers from ten to one? Do you realize that you have been knocked out for three days? That the Games start tomorrow, and you haven't done a thing!" he shouted, enraged. One day? One day until the Hunger Games?
"What time is it?" I asked, interrupting his ramblings.
"Nine-thirty."
"What?" Nine? No! that gave me less than…
"What time do the games start?" I asked.
"You go into the platforms at 5:58. They're lowered at 5:59. Then the minute waiting, and they officially start at 6:00." I had less than nine hours! Only eight hours and fifty-eight minutes, if you want to get technical.
"Can I get out of here?"
"I need the key. They're coming. Then we go to the Training Center, and train till midnight. Then you sleep, get up at five, get ready, and play the Games."
"Will we be alone in the Center?"
"Yeah. Here they are."
After I was unlocked, Haymitch and I went to the Training center. Once there, I turned to him.
"What should I do?" Tears flooded my eyes. I was going to die tomorrow. Sure, I would be with Katniss, but I didn't want to die. I had spent so much time mourning, I hadn't practiced at all. I had barley eaten, I was weak, and, worst of all, I had lost my token. I don't know where it went or anything. I had nothing to remind me of home. Haymitch's face softened.
"What are you good at?" he asked, scanning the room. I shrugged, afraid that if I spoke I would burst out into tears. He sighed, exasperated.
"Let's start with the bow and arrow. It's the easiest to carry, the lightest, and you can kill from a distance. But first, listen. When you get to the Games, do not grab anything. Find a source of water. Sleep in high places, all these bulky people won't be able to reach you. And do not start a fire. Got it? No grabbing, fires, heavy objects. Find water, and high places. Trees are the best. Rocks will do, but squeeze into crevasses. If you're in the desert, dig a hole, cover your mouth, bury yourself, and sleep. If you're in snow, do the same thing. Though, I doubt there will be snow."
We reached the bow and arrow station. I picked up the bow, and searched for the arrows. When I found one, I got ready to fire. Closing one eye, I focused in on the target. Then everything went downhill.
"Okay, now you're too tight. Relax a little." Haymitch said. I relaxed, keeping my aim, and started to let go of the arrow go. Then the target morphed again. But it was too late. The arrow was loose, and, once again, heading for Katniss.
"No!" I screamed, realizing that it was happening all over again. "No!" Haymitch looked startled, took a step back. I jumped over the rail, heading for Katniss. The arrow had pierced her stomach. She looked up at me, mouthing the word 'Why?' over and over again. Then she died. Again. I collapsed, sobbing. When would I stop seeing Katniss die? When? Haymitch came over, warily.
"What's going on?" he asked, clearly freaked. I looked up at him through tears.
"It was Katniss. She…she died. Again." I said. He looked at me.
"What?"
"It's Katniss." I said again, "She keeps dying."
"Oh." He looked at me funny. "You mean whenever you shoot at something?"
"Yes."
I thought about it. No wonder everyone thought I was insane. I was insane.
"What should we do?" he asked himself. "We need to train… but she'll go insane…I need a drink…." He muttered. "Okay, listen up. Here's what we'll do. When you get into the arena, just hide. After only you and two or three contestants are left, they'll lure you together. Then you wait until only one is left, and then attack. Okay?" he paused. "Let's go to the camouflage center, then the edible plants center."
We spent the rest of the night (until midnight) training. We spent more time at the camouflage center, because I already knew a lot of edible plants. At midnight I went to bed, and slept until five. Then, I got dressed for the games, in a dark green jumpsuit.
"Remember what I told you." Haymitch said, as a goodbye and slipped out the door. Cinna came in then, and took me over to the glass tube. Right before I went in, he told me something that made my blood run cold.
"I didn't get to know you. You wouldn't let me. But I still think you're a good kid. So, listen up. The mines are a good way to die. I don't usually say this, but for you, if you don't want to die of another's hands, commit suicide. You look like the type to do that." He said. I was shocked, Cinna? Talking like this? From the one time I had seen him, he had looked decent. But, now that I looked into his eyes, I saw evil. Pure evil. Cold, pure evil. Freezing, cold, pure evil. Nothingness, freezing, cold, pure evil. Evil Evil. Evil. Ahhhh! Too much evil! I got lost in it. Then he reached out and shoved me backwards onto the tube. The Games were starting.
