A/N: To Guest: Thank you! I hope I can continue the level of writing that the first chapter is at. Your review helped me finish this chapter; it really drove me on knowing that someone was actually reading my stuff. Thank you!
Chapter 2-Friend in need
"Now the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honour of representing District 12 in the 74th annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first." Effie takes off her gloves and dips her hand into the reaping bowl. She moves her hand around a bit, and then swiftly plucks a slip of sealed paper from the ceremonial bowl.
"Primrose Everdeen!" I feel the ice spreading through my heart. "No," I whisper. It can't be Prim. Anybody but Prim. Effie looks around excitedly. "Where are you dear?" The girls near Prim step back, and I see her tuck in the back of her shirt, mimicking Katniss' earlier actions. I start to shake as she moves out of the crowd and into the gap separating boys from girls. "Well? Come on up!" Effie smiles. Prim hesitates. Oh god. "Well, come on up!" Effie repeats, smiling and stretching out her hand as Prim slowly starts to walk up to the stage. I feel my eyes well up with tears, as my knees grow weak in panic, and I start to crumble to the floor.
"Prim! PRIM!" Katniss screams, the anguish breaking her voice. Four Peacemakers surround Prim, and two of them grab Katniss as she tries to grab for Prim, attempting to pull her from out of harm's way. "No! NO!" Katniss roughly shoves the guards off of her and yells out, "I volunteer!" Prim starts to scream. "I volunteer as tribute!"
Prim falls and grabs Katniss fiercely, as cries out, "No! No! NO!"
Katniss starts to cry, but holds Prim and tells her, "You need to get out of here!"
"NO! NO!"
"Go find mom!
"NO!"
"PRIM. Go find mom!"
"NO! No!" Prim howls, and I fall to the floor at the pain in my daughters' voices. I start to black out, but cling passionately to my consciousness, trying to hold on, for Prim, for Katniss.
"I'm so sorry," Katniss whimpers, and Gale picks up Prim and carries her away from Prim. He catches my eye in the crowd, and nods, looking so strong, yet I can see the tears in his eyes.
Katniss approaches the stage and I grab hold of Gale, sobbing.
I feel warm, supportive arms wrap around me as I shake, and a small hand worms its way into mine. "She WILL get out Mrs Everdeen. I know she will." Gale reassures me, yet I can hear the quiver in his voice. No amount of reassurance could stop my body from quaking. I lift Prim into my arms, crushing her to my chest, desperately trying to prove to myself that at least one of my babies are here, and out of harm's way. "I wish this wasn't happening Gale."
"I know Mrs Everdeen. Me too…"
I feel a tear drop from his cheek and land on my shoulder, soaking straight through my thin coat. "Please don't cry. Like you said before, we shouldn't worry. God knows Katniss is strong enough," I whisper though we both know I am fooling nobody in the town square. Prim burrows closer to me, as impossible as it seems, and she clings to me harder. Poor Prim. There is no way she is sleeping tonight, especially after her nightmare last night. "It's going to be fine little duck. Everything is going to be just fine." But I feel the boiling inferno of blood rush to my cheeks as the dead voice of my own sister chants in my head, "Liar, liar." Nothing is going to be fine. Everything is going wrong.
MY life wasn't supposed to be like this. I was promised I'd be safe. We'd be safe. He told us that he'd keep us safe, as compensation for what had happened. And look where that got me. I was slowly losing everything that was keeping me sane, everything that preventing me from falling into the dark, welcoming bliss of insanity. At least that would stop the nightmares. And hopefully the voices. My dead husband yelling at me once more for failing our children. My little duck, scared and alone, waiting for Katniss to come home so that she'd have someone who she wanted to talk to. My soon-to-be-dead daughter, blaming me for her imminent death, and not to mention taunting me for my temporary lapse, for my provisional depression. And all that was left here, the only person who could keep me grounded here until my daughter returned, was Gale, her friend in need.
A/N: I managed to finish this chapter quite quickly compared to the trouble I'm having with the rest. So don't expect an update as fast as this for a while. I know I made Mrs Everdeen extremely OC, but it'll fit in with the story, promise.