The sun is shining through a crack in the beams under my mothes bed. I can hear her in the kitchen making breakfast, and the creaky floorboards of Prim getting dressed upstairs. My clothes are still slightly wet fom the storm last night, but my back is sore from spending the night on the floor. "That was where you were all night? There was plenty of room in the bed." My mother says when I cawl out. I ignore her, as usual, and head upstairs to get dressd. Prim is brushing her long blonde hair when I enter the room, and the first thing I do is kiss her. "Morning Prim. Did you sleep okay the rest of the night?" I ask "Yes, I was still a little wet when I woke up, but I slept fine. You?" "Same." I reply. I rip the covers off of the bed and hang them to dry outside, then I get dressed, grab the last piece of bread for my sister and I to share, and its off to school.

Prim looks very pale when I drop her off at her classroom, and it worries me. I shake it off as I walk to mine, and take my seat just as the bell rings. Today we are discussing by-coal products for the morning lesson. Except for math and reading, coal is pretty much all we talk about. I wonder if its the same in the other districts too, if they learn about what their district represents all day. Its probably more interesting than what we teach. Our teacher reminds us about the field trip to the mines next monday, and explains what to look for while there. My stomach drops when she mentions this. Why would I want to go into a deep, dark hole in the ground where my father was blown to bits? I can feel myself panicing just thinking about it. Maybe I can get out of it, I think. Surely my mother won't want me down there either. We do this every year, and before it was just uncomfortable and clostrophobic, but I've been dreading this field trip ever since he died. I force myself to calm down and to not have mental breakdown in the middle of class, but the rest of the day is spend dwelling on it.

When I walk into Prim's class to pick her up, her teacher approaches me. "Hi, is there a problem?" I ask rather worried. My teachers used to do this with my parents when they would pick me up from school whenever I did something bad. It usually meant I wasn't paying attenntion or was late to class, or I was getting picked on. That was the main one. "Yes. Your sister has been showing symtoms of the common flu today. I suggest you keep her home tomorrow and in bed over the weekend. If she is still feeling ill after the weekend, she will have to miss the field trip on Monday. I don't want her to get anyone else sick." She explains to me. I look over at Prim and see her head on her desk and her eyes on me. I walk over to her and feel her forehead, "You're burning up. C'mon, lets go home." I pick her up, careful to carry her on my right side, and head for home.

Prim's eyes are glazed over from fever when I lay her in my bed. Our mother is making medicine for her downstairs. She threw up on me on the walk home, and there is a bucket beside the bed for that reason. The blankets are dry outside, so I run and get them because she is shivering with just a sheet. I tuck her in nice and snug just as our mother comes up with the medicine. She shoves a spoon in her mouth, and gives her some sleep syrup. Then she sits at the end of the bed, waiting for my sister to fall asleep. "No, I want Katniss." she says tiredly. Our mother kisses her goodnight and heads back donstairs. "Will you sing?" she asks me. I haven't sung since our father died. I'm about to decline, but Prim's face makes me rethink. I decide on her favorite lullaby she liked to hear as a baby, and begin.

Deep in the medow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise

Here its safe, here its warm

Here the daisies gaurd you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you

By the first verse she is asleep. I kiss her forehead, and change out of my school clothes into hunting clothes, and kiss her once more before I leave. I start to walk out but my mother catches me. "What did I tell you?" "I'm leaving, I'll be be back soon." I say, overly sweet. "Don't talk to me that way. I'm only trying to keep you safe." she says at my back as I head for the medow.