Author's Note: Hello everyone. I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I got so many lovely comments, and even though that last chapter was so hard to write, it was amazing to get so much appreciation for it. I genuinely love what I do, so to get fantastic reviews like that, it really lights up my life. Thank you, everyone. It's greatly appreciated. Also, Happy Mother's Day everyone! To all the mums reading this, you are greatly appreciated and you are all beautiful and special.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Hunger Games. It belongs to the brilliant Suzanne Collins.

I bury my face into it, my tears soothing me into sleep.

Chapter 28

The mutt towered over me, pressing my face closer to the rough grass. Its pitch black eyes glared menacingly, I could see my terrified reflection in its jet black depths. It snarled, showing off its pointed yellow fangs. A drop of spit fell from its mouth and landed on my cheek, slimy and wet. I wanted to wipe it off but now was not the time. I was staring death in the face. I had to do something. I tried to twist myself into a position where I could wriggle out from underneath it, but this just seemed to anger it more. It growled threateningly. Panicking, I stayed completely still, feeling my heart race under my jacket. Fear and adrenaline raced through my veins, both instilling a sense of fear and excitement at the same time. The cogs were whirring desperately in my mind, yet I could not find a way to escape this alive. It was now certain that I would die. I closed my eyes and waited for it to come. I thought of my mother and Prim, of Peeta and wished that the whole thing was different. I wished that I could live but I didn't see any chance of that happening. Then my eyes flew open to stare daringly into the face of the monster. What was I doing? Why was I giving up so easily? I started to struggle again, the need to fight flowing through me. The mutt roared in anger, its ebony eyes flaring in hate. I became still once more as panic took over me. This was it now. The monster was done playing. I was going to die. It lowered its head, opening its stinking mouth wide, as it began to swallow me whole…

"NO!" I screech, wrenching myself upright. Sweat poured off my forehead, my clothes sticking to my body. I take a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself, dragging my hand through my matted hair. I shivered as the heat began to leave my body. I get out of bed and walk over to the window. The moonlight shone through the window, leaving grey trails across the walls and carpets. I look up at the stars, leaning my heated skin against the cool glass. A shiver ran down my spine as I recalled my nightmare. I tried to push the thoughts out of my mind. I grabbed a random cardigan from my wardrobe, wrapping it around my body protectively. Quietly, I sneaked downstairs, trying not to wake my mother and Prim. It's a miracle that I didn't wake them up with my screaming. I walk into the kitchen, shivering a little. It's warmer than my house in the Seam, but the coolness of tiles chill my body. I sit at the table in silence, debating whether or not to make a cup of tea. I feel like it will help calm my shattered nerves. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in such a long time; I don't even know what it feels like anymore. I bury my face in my hands, thinking about last night. I was in such a mess. My emotions were running wild; I must have scared everyone shitless! I really need to gain some self-control. I hope that I can get to the lake on Monday. I really need to spend a day relaxing; hopefully it will also allow me to sort through my feelings. I sigh quietly. I watch the sun rise from the window. A new day.

"Katniss?" Prim wanders into the room in her pink pajamas. Her long blonde hair is down, making her look even younger. Like me, her hair is often tied up because she is beginning to help mother more with patients. I don't know how she does it. I can't stand being around ill, frightened and panicked people. My mother and Prim do what they can, but they can't help everyone. Since the cameras have been here, they have to help people in secret, since most of what they use to treat people is illegally obtained from the woods. Prim sits down at the table, her clear blue eyes staring at me in concern. "How long have you been sitting here?"

"Not long." I lie. I glance at the clock on the wall a little anxiously. Prim watches my every move, her eyes narrowing slightly. I can tell she doesn't believe me.

"Are you okay Katniss?" She asks gently. "And before you tell me you're 'fine', I want a real answer." I bite my lip, a war raging internally inside me. Prim rolls her eyes. "I'm twelve years old Katniss. I'm sure I can handle whatever you're going to tell me." I sigh in defeat.

"Its hell Prim. There's no other way to describe it. One minute I feel so happy and content, the next I'm terrified. I just…I don't know how to cope." I whisper, burying my face into my hands. I feel Prim's tiny hand on my arm. It feels warm and comforting.

"I wish I could make it better for you Katniss. But you have to stay strong. It will get better. There's a silver lining to every cloud."

"But you don't understand what it's like Prim!" I burst out. "I have nightmares, every night. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in weeks! I feel like I'm going crazy, without being confused about everything!" Prim tilts her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She probes. "What are you confused about?"

"My emotions." I reply. "I don't know how I feel about anything, especially with what happened last night." Prim smiles sadly.

"I know you'll work it out." She tells me. She looks like she's about to say more, but my mother walks into the room, effectively ending the conversation.

"Good morning girls." She says. I try to smile but my mother looks at me with stern eyes. I can see she meant what she said last night. I sigh internally. I feel like my mother only acts for her own interests. She never talks to me, asks me what I want. She differentiates between two states; one where she is uncaring and lets me do whatever I like, the other when she is stern and strict, trying to plan my life out the way she sees fit. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her back and stick my tongue out like a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum. My eyes flit over to the clock on the wall. It's 8 AM. That means the camera crew will be here soon. Today will be hectic, as usual. There's a loud knock, and the crew burst in. Cressie trails behind them, looking exhausted. She sends a secret smile in my direction. I catch her eye from across the room in reply. The usual morning routine occurs: the crew burst in, drink endless cups of coffee, constantly complaining about the early morning starts. Once I heard one of them mutter,

"Honestly, it's so unsophisticated, waking up at this crazy hour like a person from the Districts!" When I'd that comment, I saw red. It took everything in me to not grab the man by his stupid green locks and strangle him. The miners work relentlessly, just so the rest of Panem has enough power. They earn pitiful wages, yet they do not complain. If only those stupid Capitolites knew how hard life is in the Districts.

I look up when someone new enters the kitchen.

"Cinna!" I exclaim, rushing over to him. I haven't seen him since Monday; I was beginning to wonder if he'd left the District.

"Hello Girl On Fire." He replies softly, his gold eyeliner shimmering in the early morning light.

"Where have you been?" I ask him, noting the large sketchbook tucked under his arm. Cinna's arm comes around my shoulder in a welcoming hug.

"I've been very busy." He replies cryptically. "Come see what I've been working on." He chuckles a little at his last sentence. I stare at him suspiciously. He laughs at my expression and with a calming hand on my back, guides me upstairs. We go into my room and sit on the sofa. Cinna clutches his sketchbook tightly to his body.

"So tell me," I tease in a light-hearted tone. "What's this big secret that you've been working on?" He smiles a little.

"Well…" He replies. "I've been working on your dress for the festival tomorrow." I frown at him in confusion.

"Why would I need a dress?" I ask him. "The Harvest Festival is only celebrated with family and close friends." The corners of his mouth turn up a little.

"I've been asked to make you a dress, so I've made you a dress." He tells me. Why is he being so cryptic, withholding information from me? I think about what this dress could possibly be. Then my eyes widen in horror. I think of the dresses that have been made for me before. All fabulous masterpieces of course, but surely far too extravagant just for my mother and Prim to see?

"Cinna?" I ask, my voice coming out as a high-pitched squeak. "There's no flames or anything like that, is there?" He smirks.

"Not this time Katniss!" He laughs. His whole body shakes with amusement. In doing so, the sketch book falls from his lap to the floor, giving me a glimpse of something black…and is that a wing? I reach forward to touch the book but Cinna grabs it and brings it back to him before I see anything else. I stare at him curiously. Before I can question him further, he brings a strip of material out of his pocket. He brings it towards me and I back away warily.

"I've been told that you can't see your dress, they want the reaction on camera. However, you have to try it on so that I can see if any adjustments will need to be made. I doubt it, but you never know." He comes towards me again, and this time I let him tie the soft material over my eyes. Everything goes dark and I panic for a second. I hate the dark. It makes me think of the mines, of my father. I shake my head to dispel the dark thoughts gathering inside my mind. I take a deep breath, willing my heart rate to slow. I hear rustling behind me, then a zip and then the dress is being guided over my body. It feels heavy from layers but the dress is made from light material. A soft, silky lining glides over my figure, tickling my olive skin. I feel the back tighten around me as the zip is pulled up my back. Then, there is silence. I shift awkwardly. I feel like I am being stared at and that is a very uncomfortable feeling. Cinna whispers,

"Perfect." I feel him walk around me, straightening this, gathering that. I stand there, my hands clenched by my side. Then the dress is removed from me and I stand there in my underwear, still in the dark. Then the blindfold is removed and I feel like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. The light is dazzling after spending so long in the dark. I squint in an attempt to get my eyes to adjust to the blinding light. I raise an eyebrow at Cinna.

"Was that really necessary?" I ask.

"Yes." He replies with firm conviction. "You'll love it."

"I always do." I tell him honestly then redress in the clothes he hands me. I guess the ones I was wearing just weren't appropriate. Not that I would know. I have no eye for fashion. Clothes are a practical thing for me, something to cover and protect my body. It's strange to think that I can afford such luxurious clothes now, something I only could have dreamed of just a few months ago. I've changed so much since then. I cannot believe that it has only been three months since I volunteered for Prim, yet so much has changed. Once I am suitably dressed, we both return downstairs. Peeta is in the kitchen drinking a mug of tea. He moves from person to person, chatting amicably with everyone, making them laugh and feel at ease. That's one of the magical things about Peeta. When he talks to you, he makes you feel like the most important person in the world. He's such a good person. He doesn't deserve any of the crap that has happened to him. Why has someone as nice as Peeta been through so much shit? And how, knowing everything that has happened to him, is he still such a caring and generous person. I really don't deserve him. He turns and sees me standing quietly in the doorway watching him. He smiles a little, and then turns away. The pain stabs me in the heart like a thousand knives have been plunged in all at once. Why didn't he come and talk to me? Then I realize, he's doing what I asked him to. He's giving me space. Right now, there is nothing I want less than space. However, I know that it would be so selfish of me to walk over to him and monopolize his company without having decided anything. I resist the urge to walk over to him and go and stand by Prim. She is bent over her books at the table. My eyes skim the page. She's reading about how coal is formed. I snort a little. Of course she is studying coal. Nearly everything we learn at school is to do with coal. She ought to lend the textbook to Cressie, I think sarcastically. I'm sure Cressie would be excited to learn about coal, since she doesn't seem to learn anything except science and fashion. Sighing, I sit next to Prim, twiddling my dark hair between my fingers. Lato comes in, exuberant as ever. He explains the schedule for the day, which is basically just filming last little bits to finish off the reality show of our lives.

"I've been watching the episodes," He tells everyone, his eyes alight with excitement. "And they're fantastic! So realistic, so relatable! Everyone in the Capitol is going to love this and this show will probably have the best ratings by a mile!" The crew seem to wake up from their lethargic disinterest to awake and exhilarated. They murmur excitedly about the show. Lato lets them talk, then after a few seconds raises a hand to get silence.

"I know you're all excited," He tells everyone. "I am too. We are so lucky to be in the presence of such wonderful people. Mr Mellark and Miss Everdeen have taken everything in their stride, and I am very excited to begin the last day of filming. So, let's get to work!" The crew stand up and gather their things, bursting out of the house in a hurry. Cressie takes me and Peeta outside, where the cameras are all set up ready to go. She gives us basic instructions on what to do, then with a shy smile, backs away behind the equipment. I stare up at Peeta, waiting for him to begin. There is a short silence, then Lato's voice booms from a speaker somewhere.

"Three…Two…One…Action!"

Author's Note: So there you go! Next chapter promises the Harvest Festival and the return of Haymitch and Gale. There may also be some romance between our Star-Crossed Lovers! What do you guys think Katniss's dress will look like? Leave me a review and let me know! Just a warning, the next chapter will probably be very long, so it might take a while to post but I promise to do it as soon as possible. Who knows, if I'm struck with a creative storm then it might be posted in the next few days. Anyway, please leave me reviews, I'm always open to criticism and praise and I love hearing what you all think about this fanfic! See ya soon!

Love,

Mjenney21 xxx