We were doing about streams of consciousness and stuff like that in English so sorry for the weird structure of this, but I was trying to replicate that a little bit. I don't own! This belongs to the mighty Mrs Collins. Mighty makes her sounds weird actually. How about the 'brilliant' Mrs Collins?
"Come on, Primrose! You know this is important to me. I can't do this by myself." You have me, Mother.
"I'm coming," I say, annoyed.
"Good. Grab your coat, let's go!" And we set off in the light evening heat down from the Victor's Village to the Seam, where the Hawthornes are waiting for us. It was my mother's stupid idea that we should be together for 'unity' and 'strength' in the face of hard times- Katniss' last hours. I only agreed for her sake. If it is Katniss' last hours then I'd rather mourn in private.
After greeting Hazelle and the little ones, I excuse myself and go to find Rory. I knock on the door to the small back room he shares with his siblings.
"Come in," he says.
We talk for a bit, but then he makes one a comment about how he wouldn't leave me on my own, and suddenly I'm flashed back to the first games, the first time when Katniss went to the Capitol.
"You can't clock out and leave Prim on her own…promise me you'll fight through it!" Katniss cries to our mother. Mother promises she won't and we have one final embrace before we're ushered out the door.
This only brings back the horror and choking pain of my sister leaving, again, and tears stream silently down my face.
"Prim?" His voice is gentle. "What's wrong?" He doesn't press me for an answer, he just holds me wordlessly while I cry.
"I'm sorry," I croak.
"Don't be," he says, and leans his forehead on mine. "What's wrong?"
"It doesn't matter," I say. "I'm just so glad you're here," I whisper, and our lips have just touched for the briefest second when we're interrupted by a shout from next door. We spring apart at Gale's pained call and race into the room to take our place on the threadbare couch. I'm careful to keep my distance from Rory and he does the same. But that doesn't mean I can't look at him, right? And I notice he keeps doing the same...it's wonderful. I love it. I love him. Even in this horrible situation.
"What's happened to her?" I gasp, as I see Katniss for the first time since Peeta gave her the pearl. I feel burning shame, for while I've been enjoying stolen glances with my boyfriend, my sister has been horribly injured.
"Johanna cut her," Gale explains. "They were unravelling the wire- it was part of Beetee's plan to kill District 2- when she turned on Katniss."
"Where's Mother gone?" I ask. She's suspiciously absent.
"Your mam went to get some air," Hazelle says. "She took it badly, girl. You might want to go fetch her."
I nod, and stand to go and get my mother, but she appears in the doorway. I give her a sad smile and she nods at me, coming to sit back down at her place.
"Katniss!" Peeta is shouting for her from the television set. Katniss! Stay put! Stop moving. Then maybe someone will come and help you. Peeta might find you. No! Sit down!
Stop it!
What is she doing? She's standing up again and now she is aiming her arrow at the sky, but there's no point in shooting at the air, is there? Just sit down, and then you can get help. Please?
"Katniss," Gale whispers, "don't,"
Don't what?
Wait.
The force field.
The arrow.
"No!" Gale springs forward, trying to reach her over thousands of miles, but his cry falls on deaf ears. He sits back down next to me, dejected.
Bang.
A spurt of white light. A thousand coloured raindrops falling on the city. What? Oh. Fireworks. Katniss. Peeta. Katniss. Peeta? Lying dead. Dead? Katniss? Is this real? Did that really happen?
Did she actually just do that?
Did Katniss Everdeen- my sister- really blow out the Hunger Games arena?
Was the sadistic weapon used by the Capitol to control us really just broken by an arrow shot by a poor girl from District 12?
One look at my mother's horrified face tells me this is real. And happening. Now.
Black.
The power has cut out.
Everything.
Darkness.
I can't see a thing, but I know Gale has gone. I can feel the emptiness beside me. It's only then that I realise the whole room has gone into a deadly silence, because I can hear my mother's heart beating next to mine.
Was that a gunshot?
A scream. Like in the arena, only it's real.
Too real.
And too close.
I think I hear Gale shout for everyone to move, but he's drowned out by a piercing wail that fills the air.
I know that sound.
I heard it on the day my father died, and although I was only little, I remember it. The same terror that filled me then rockets through my body now and I only know that something is happening.
Something bad.
Then there's a whistling sound and a massive explosion. It throws me off balance, and I reach for Rory to grab on to, but he's already there, his gentle arms steadying me. Gale's herding us toward the Meadow, and beyond, the woods. I've been in the woods a few times, mostly with Katniss. She tried to teach me to shoot once, but I can' do it. I can't take an innocent animals life. What right do I have? I know that it is how she kept us alive, but still.
He's got a group of miners, including Thom and Bristel who bought him to us that awful day he was whipped, to tear down the fence- now a harmless metal barrier with the power out - and the small crowd flies toward the safety of the trees. It's ironic really, that only an hour ago, venturing into the woods would have been a source of fear for most of 12's residents, but now they're fleeing into its depths as if their lives depend on it.
Which they do.
From what I can see, hardly any of us have made it to safety. Another wave of bombs bring another wave of cries of pain and misery, and I see a blonde child lying in a charred heap on the road.
I know him.
At least, from what I can still see of his burnt face I think I recognise him. Its Lissa's little brother, Jonah. I can only hope she and the rest of the town people served a better fate.
By now the last survivors have been rounded up, and I watch as the dying crawl helplessly towards us. I rip my coat off to protect a child crying with pain, but new waves of bombs are dropped, just reaching the very edge of the Seam.
It is here, at the edge of the tree line, I witness my only home, my whole world, be devoured by flames.
That's the end of Catching Fire, now on to Mockingjay! Yay :) read and review please.