When I wake up in the morning, my Mom isn't by my side, but Buttercup, is asleep soundly. I gently rub him on his back before I get ready. I brush my teeth and comb out all the tangles in my hair. I watch my Mom make breakfast in the kitchen, some tessera oatmeal with milk from Lady, my goat. I head upstairs to get ready for the reaping. I notice a pair of soft blue colored ribbons on the table and that I suppose is my reaping day gift from Katniss. She is away right now, hunting in the woods with Gale.

"Prim, you can wear the reaping clothes that Katniss wore for her first reaping." Mom shouts from the kitchen. I wonder what Katniss must have felt like before her first reaping and how joyful she must have felt when she didn't get chosen.

"Okay" I answer

I take the garments out from the closet and lay them before me on the bed. It was a dim blue skirt and a ruffled blouse. I try it on and immediately realize that it's too big for me. My mom walks in and stares at me with a sigh of obviousness.

"I knew it'd be too big for you, too loose." She says, "I'll just tie it up with pins then."

She works her way up all around me and before Katniss arrives, the dress fits me perfectly.

Mom decides to wear a beautiful dress from her apothecary days and wrap her long hair in a bun. Katniss wears a pretty blue dress with matching shoes and her hair is braided into a single braid, short strands of her hair that lie perfectly on her beautiful face.

We eat breakfast, rough tessera grain bread, and drink some milk, though no one really eats much. This day doesn't count as a happy day. Every year on the same day, one family has to involuntarily send a boy or girl from their family, without the hope of them returning alive.

At one o'clock, we head for the Square. As we quietly join in, we are led to a roped-off area. We, the 12-year olds are supposed to stand in the back and the older ones, like Katniss, closer to the front. I spot my mom silently staring at me through the crowd, her eyes showing how fearful she is, almost supplicating for us not to get chosen. Out of all the odds of being chosen, I have only one entry with my name, but Katniss has twenty. She put her name in the reaping 20 times to get extra food for us. I cross my fingers, hoping that neither one of us gets chosen.

It gets more and more crowded as more people join in, making it difficult to spot Katniss and Mom. When it is precisely two o'clock, the Mayor arrives and begins her speech, but there are so many people ahead of me that I can't even see the stage, so I just listen. The mayor begins to narrate the history of Panem and I pay feeble attention. I think about all the possible scenarios that could occur today. What if Katniss gets chosen? What would happen? Will Mom and I starve? What if I get chosen? Will I be able to play the game? I would surely die. The game has always been tough for the younger ones to survive.

I swiftly gain back my attention when I hear Effie trinket say, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

"Ladies first," she pauses, as she rummages her hand in the large glass ball. I feel the sweat trickle down my back. I really hope that it's neither me nor Katniss. She takes out a piece of paper, the only thing that decides the fate of all the eligible girls, and reads, "Primrose Everdeen."

I feel uneasiness creep inside me and begin to shiver. The possibilities of me getting chosen were so rare! And yet it's me. My mouth begins to dry out and I could feel nothing but blind fear. I clench my fists as I look at all the curious murmuring faces around me. It's hard to believe that out of all the people, it's me who will have to fight in the Hunger Games from District 12. I slowly begin to make my way out of the crowd. Sweat trickles down my spine and terror mounted with every step I take towards the stage. My throat hurts from trying to hold back my tears. I cannot cry now. I cannot seem weak.

"Well come on up darling," Effie says. Although she's so far away from me, I could feel her talking to me right through my ears.

"Wait, Prim! Prim!" I hear Katniss yell.

I see her hurrying towards me but the guards immediately stop her. "Wait! Let me go," she yells. She tries hard to free herself but the guards hold a tight grip on her.

"I volunteer!" she shouts. "I volunteer as a tribute."

And that's when the guards suddenly free her. She looks bewildered.

There is simply so much confusion. I feel numb, unable to comprehend what just happened. Why is she volunteering? Why is she willing to go instead of me? And that's when I realize that according to the protocol, once a tribute's name has been pulled from the ball, another eligible same-gender person can step forward to take his/her place.

"Lovely!" says Effie. She says something which I don't understand. I feel my stomach clenching. My mind goes blank for a moment and I don't know what to do. Katniss gradually moves towards the stage and I finally come to my senses.

"No Katniss! No! You can't go!" I scream hysterically as I wrap my arms around her waist.

"Prim let go," she says harshly as she moves forward.

"No! Katniss. Come back!" I yell her name several times, stopping her from volunteering but she holds a firm stance making it harder for me to stop her.

I feel someone pulling me away from her, someone very strong for me to resist. I turn and see Gale. He lifts me up off the ground and I protest to put me down.

'Let me down!" I shriek. "Katniss! No!"

He carries me to my Mom and I hug her so tight, finally letting my tears pour down. I could see Mom's lower lip tremble as she fights hard to stop her tears.

I watch Katniss standing firmly on the stage. I am amazed at how tough she looks, so strong that for once it's hard to believe she's my sister. I want to ask Katniss, 'why did you volunteer? Why do you always shield me and make sacrifices for us?' She has always looked after me, always put me first and now she has volunteered so that I stay safe? At home with Mom? I want to shout and scream and yell and call her back but all I can do is stay silent. Is this what making a sacrifice for your loved ones looks like? Is this what selflessness is? I feel the tears descend down my cheeks and I quickly wipe them. I wish I could hug her one last time and let her know how strong she is, just make her promise me that she'll come back home safe. But, all I can do right now is stand here and wish for her to win...