Prologue- Slowly Breaking

Prim couldn't handle it anymore.

Out of all days, why did it have to be the day before her birthday? Surely, she had to be 12 during the games. That would be cheating- she would be older, more experienced than the handful of unlucky 12 year olds in the arena.

But no. They proceeded with the chariot rides, the trainings, the interviews... everything.

And here she was- still alive. And the only victor left in district twelve.

Prim curled herself into a ball on a small mat in her room. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rocked back and forth. Dirty sheets and dresses lay all over the floor. Her room was in disarray. But did she care? No, not really.

First, it was her father. She didn't remember it as well as Katniss did, since she was younger, but she missed him. She missed the way he would hug her. She missed the way he would tell her funny jokes. She missed his smell. She missed... him.

The death of her father drove her mother mad. She would sit there. Curled up, unresponsive. For hours a day. It was like a snapped pencil- Broken. Useless.

Then Katniss became like a second mother to her. Caring for her. Making meals. Cheering her up. Almost as if taking her father's place- unfilled for quite a few years.

Last year, on reaping day, when Prim walked up to the stage, she knew she wouldn't be the one leaving that day.

It would be Katniss.

She fought as best she could. She couldn't lose Katniss. Her mother needed Katniss. But when Gale took hold of her, she knew it was over. Tears pooled in her eyes as she slumped over Gale's shoulder.

It took a lot for her to even show up to say goodbye to her. She did, though, and she was a mess. She very well knew that the hug she gave her could very much be the last one she ever did.

She watched every day, in the town square. She had faith. Hope. She thought Katniss would be okay.

She made it through day one... then day two... and day three, day four, day five. All the way to day eighteen.

Prim has hope. She was in the final three.

When the announcement was made, district twelve was overjoyed. They could have two victors- two over one. Cato was the only district two tribute left.

But Cato was more skilled. Better. Stronger. When he shoved Peeta off the cornucopia, Prim knew it was over.

Prim hid her face in her mother's shirt and cried as she listened to the cries of Katniss being mauled apart by mutts. Her mother stroked her hair and said, "It's okay, Prim, she would have wanted to go that way, protecting you."

She was broken. Depressed. Useless. She had no purpose to live- but she was all her mother had left. So that's why she fought.

When the quarter quell was announced, Prim breathed a sigh of relief. Only 12 year olds could be chosen.

But when the reaping date was announced to be a few days early than what it usually was, her heart sank. It was the day before she turned 13.

But surely, they couldn't choose her. They wouldn't choose her. She would be 13 when the games took place- an unfair advantage?

But they did. And she continued in the games. She had the lowest odds- besides Corbin, the district three male who couldn't walk- and she knew she would let her mother down. She had to do it for her mother.

She had no mentor from district twelve. She had to listen in with the district three tributes- who didn't like her very much, mind you- and didn't really get anything out of it.

But when she got a weapon and a backpack, she had hope in herself.

She spent most of the games hidden in a cave masked behind a waterfall and vines. She slept on a bed of moss and leaves, and lived off herbs and berries.

When she heard the leaves rustling, she pulled out the bow and arrow she had- just like Katniss had taught her. She lost interest quickly, but she remembered the basics.

Someone walked in and immediately, Prim fired. As the body slumped to the ground, she realized who it was- Ashton Wavers.

Her own district partner.

She stared in shock as blood pooled under the body. Tears streamed down her red cheeks. She covered the body in vines and flowers as a symbol of how sorry she felt.

She pulled the arrow out of his stomach, and covered it in flowers, and sighed. She held up three fingers and kissed it, like Katniss did. She knew it wouldn't do anything, though. They would hate her.

The rest of the day and the next few days were eventless, at least for Prim. She listened to cannon. After cannon. After cannon.

And on day fourteen of the games, she was convinced that she would be the next cannon to rupture the other tributes' eardrums.

The careers had gone hunting. Despite their age, they were ruthless. All the district one, two and four kids were in it, as well as the female from seven. Seven was in the process of becoming the newest career district. Prim was scared. She could hear their footsteps outside of her cave.

Water rumbled down in front of the cave. "Let's split up," said a faint voice from outside the cave. Footsteps trudged through the mud as they split up.

Luckily, the careers made the seven girl go on her own. The others split up by district. The seven girl peeked through trees, in bushes, everywhere, as Prim tried to be as quiet as possible.

She lost her balance, and slipped on a watery patch in the cave, and fell with a thump.

The footsteps and rustling stopped. The waterfall drowned out the snooping of the girl. Prim raised her bow and aimed as the seven girl walked through the vines.

Release.

The arrow only pierced a bit of skin. Not enough even for blood. The girl was shivering from the water. Her face was fearful as Prim lowered her bow.

"Please don't hurt me," she murmured.

Quite soon after that, an alliance was made between Aurora, the seven girl, and Prim.

Prim didn't run into much trouble after that. She was peacefully sleeping when the ground started rumbling. She shot up and Aurora trembled. "It's an earthquake! We're in the finals!" She cried.

The two ran for the middle and climbed on top of the cornucopia. They sat and waited. As another tribute ran for the cornucopia, Aurora's face paled.

"It's Mason," she whispered. Mason had the highest odds of winning, and Prim knew he was a threat. She and Aurora had to work together to defeat him.

Prim raised her bow and aimed. She missed his chest, but got his shoulder. His eyes filled with pure rage as he clutched his shoulder.

Water began flooding under the cornucopia as Mason climbed up. Aurora trembled as she pulled her axe, and sliced through the air before coming to Mason. Mason shrieked as he tumbled into the roaring waters below.

Aurora sighed and smiled weakly. "Thank you. For everything. Please tell my sister I said I love her, okay?"

Prim shook her head. "What're you taking about?" She asked.

"You. You're going to be the victor," she said. "You deserve it. Go, help your family, the tributes. I'll remember you." she whispered, before tumbling into the roaring waters below.

Prim was numb. Aurora had sacrificed herself for Prim. She sobbed as she was pulled up into the hovercraft.

Now, she was expected to mentor tributes- some probably older than her. She couldn't do it- she couldn't watch her tributes die.

And there she lay, rocking back and forth in a ball, trying to protect herself from the bloody prison that would come to her soon.

Hello all! It's Anna here, and this is the first chapter of my story. I will be doing things a lot differently that just normal reapings, so it won't get repetitive. I hope you enjoyed this!

This will only be a partial SYOT. All the information will be up on my profile, including which spots are open, submissions, forms, etc. This will be a competitive submissions, and I will accept up to 3 forms for each tribute, and select one. I will try my best to make sure everyone has a character in the story.

If you would like to make an escort or stylist, forms for that will be on my page as well.

I will only accept tributes through PMs, for the sake of privacy. Once all three slots for a tribute is closed, I will select one and post it. Once I have two tributes from a district, I will do the reapings.

Depending on how quick I get tributes, the next chapter will either be another prologue or a reaping. Get in those tributes! See you next chapter. :)