ii. fighting
(catching fire)
In a way, life is better after the games.
District 12 always has enough food to eat. The Everdeens and the Mellarks get to live in the luxurious Victor's Village with Haymitch and it's nice. Sometimes, Peeta and Katniss will run into each other and they'll exchange a few words and it's a little awkward and much too polite, but they're friends now. Katniss can't help but be nice to him. And other times, Mr. Mellark and Mrs. Everdeen will run into each other and they can't look each other in the eye.
Gale kisses Katniss one day in the woods and asks her to be his girlfriend. She says yes. The entire district saw it coming. Even Peeta saw it coming. That doesn't make it hurt any less.
But the games really had an impact on Prim. All the vivacity of a thirteen-year-old girl had been sucked right out of her. She isn't the precious little girl who glowed anymore. She's the empty little girl whose soul had been brutally extinguished. Prim now spends her days sitting inside the house, staring out the window with a hollow expression and dark circles under her eyes, because the nightmares are endless and she fears sleep. Buttercup likes to settle at Prim's feet and constantly nudge her to get her to pet him, but she only ignores him now. Nothing excites her now. Katniss has to feed the ugly cat out of pity.
It seemed like the games were just over but now they have to prepare for the Victory Tour. Peeta and Prim learn that it's never going to be over, not really. There will always be more cameras and more fake smiles and more stupid acts to put on for the stupid Capitol.
Peeta sees Katniss and Gale walking around laughing and holding hands and every kiss stabs Peeta in the heart. He's gone and won the Hunger Games, even confessed his love on live television broadcasted to the entire nation, but he still doesn't get the girl in the end. On the most difficult days, he walks over to the Everdeen's house and sits down next to Prim by the window.
Usually, he doesn't say anything and the two victors sit in silence. Once, he asks her a question:
"Was it worth it?"
She responds without hesitation, without taking her eyes off the window pane.
"No."
In a way, life is better after the games.
In another way, life is much worse.
-::-
On the Victory Tour, they dress Prim and Peeta up and cake so much make-up on her face to hide the dark circles, but it's still not the same. Can the people tell she's only a shell of the precious little girl she used to be?
Effie and Haymitch keep a constant stream of advice and instructions. Smile, hold your head up, look happy, rehearse the speech, keep the speech polite and vague and nice, smile and be nice, don't anger the Capitol, be thankful for winning the games, don't criticize the Hunger Games, smile, don't criticize, don't cause trouble, let them love you, just smile, come on Primrose, dear, remember to smile! But nothing makes Prim smile anymore. When she sees the family of the other tributes, she can only think that Rue died and Kenton died and Cato and Clove and Glimmer and Thresh all died while Prim and Peeta survived and it's not fair, the Hunger Games are vile, twisted, and malicious, and Prim hates the Capitol, she hates President Snow, she hates him so much.
She smiled for them once. She will never smile for them again.
Effie is concerned Prim's depressed state and lack of cooperation will get them all in trouble. Haymitch is certain they are already in trouble. Prim still sits awake all night and wakes up screaming whenever she does drift asleep. Peeta always goes to see if she's okay. She never is. As Peeta holds her, he wonders what would've happened if Katniss had been allowed to volunteer for Prim instead; poor Prim wouldn't be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and maybe Katniss wouldn't be in love with Gale right now.
-::-
(After they leave District 11, a man whistles the four-note tune and everyone holds up three fingers. A Peacekeeper shoots the first man in the head. In response, everyone begins whistling the four-note tune until the sound is ubiquitous, coming from all directions, like a flock of relentless mockingjays. They surround the Peacekeepers, holding power in numbers, and they fight. District 11 becomes the first district to rebel and they start a revolution.)
-::-
Prim is outraged when she discovers it's customary for Capitol citizens to drink the clear liquid in order to vomit and make room for more food. She hears Peeta approach her from behind, so she picks up one of the glasses to tell him about this horrible thing.
"Can you believe it? They actually voluntarily vomit because they have too much food to eat, while we've been starving ourselves every winter down at the Seam. I just want to—"
But when she turns around, it's not Peeta after all. It's Plutarch Havensbee, the new Head Gamemaker. He looks at her with a knowing grin.
"Careful now. You don't want to say anything bad about the Capitol."
"So what if I do?"
Plutarch raises his eyebrows in surprise or maybe amusement. And something inside Prim just snaps. It's as if she drank the clear liquid and now the words rise like vomit, rolling past the tip of her tongue uncontrollably:
"I hate the Capitol. I hate President Snow. I hate him so much."
There are some lines you cross in life where you can never go back, some things you say in life that you can never take back. Hating the president is one of them.
This is the point of no return.
She expects Plutarch to tattle and call the guards. She expects Effie to come running at her, in full hysterics, reprimanding her intolerable behavior. She expects them to take her away and lock her up. She doesn't expect Plutarch to chuckle and pull out his pocket watch. The light reflects off the glass surface of the watch and reveals an outline of a bird. Prim doesn't understand. Her words were pure treachery and this man is simply showing her the time.
"It begins at midnight."
"…what?"
He puts his watch away and gives her one last secretive smile.
"Primrose Everdeen, I don't think you realize how important you are."
-::-
(District 8 becomes the second district to rebel.)
-::-
They return home to District 12 from the tour and everything is back to normal, for while. Well, everything except for the fact that Katniss and Gale are avoiding each other. Not that it's any of Peeta's business, but he still rejoices a little on the inside. He feels slightly awful about it, but only slightly.
One day, he catches up to her when she goes for a walk and asks her if something had happened while he and Prim were away.
"Gale asked me to marry him."
"Oh."
"And I said no."
"Oh."
"It's just, I'm only seventeen! Isn't this moving a little too fast? Yes, we've known each other for years and he's my best friend, but we've only been dating for a few months. I don't even know if I love him yet. How can he be so sure that he loves me? That he wants to spend the rest of his life with me?"
"That's not so difficult. I mean, it's you."
"What?"
"Gale is so lucky to have you. Can you really blame him for wanting to hold onto you before he loses you to someone else?"
The second those words left his mouth, he wishes he could retract them. Katniss stops in her tracks and turns to face him. Her eyes are soft and she looks at him with this subdued expression like she's only just remembered that Peeta is kind of in love with her too.
They are interrupted by a loud sound in the square. Something is evidently going on, because a huge crowd has gathered. Loud sound repeats in a steady rhythm and echoes across the square, like a…like a…
…whip.
They push through to the front of the crowd.
The color drains from Peeta's face.
One more whip of the lash.
Katniss screams.
There, in the middle of the square, a Peacekeeper is violently whipping two bent-over bodies—Gale and Prim.
They get Gale and Prim up to Mrs. Everdeen and she treats their bleeding backs with snow and medicine. Gale, who had moved to cover Prim and take her lashes several times before the Peacekeepers tied him down, had significantly more wounds than Prim. When he sees Katniss, he reaches for her, then groans in the pain from extending his arm. Katniss quickly goes to him and holds his hand in both of hers.
"I'm sorry, Katniss. Prim convinced me to let her come into the forest to hunt. I figured if she could survive the Hunger Games, she could handle the woods. I needed the help carrying the game back. I didn't think…There are new Peacekeepers here now. They saw us with the turkey we hunted. I'm so sorry. I should never have taken Prim with me. It's all my fault."
"Oh Gale. But why didn't you just ask me to hunt with you?"
"I thought you were mad at me."
Now Katniss is crying. She leans down and kisses Gale on the forehead.
"I'm not mad at you. I…I love you."
Peeta watches the exchange from the other side of the room. The way Katniss is looking at Gale, like he is hers and she is his and anything else is unthinkable, Peeta just knows he has lost all hope.
-::-
The next morning, Haymitch and Peeta run into the Everdeens' house and turn on the television. Katniss and her mother quickly come to see what the commotion is about. Gale and Prim are still lying on their cots in the living room.
They quickly understand what Haymitch is trying to show them. Playing on the screen is footage of yesterday's whipping, with the camera zooming right in on Primrose and the blood staining through her blue dress. Mrs. Everdeen, who had been spared witnessing the actual whipping, gasps and breaks down crying, oh my poor baby girl, what have they done to you? Peeta quickly turns the screen off again.
"But why would they broadcast this?"
Haymitch strokes his chin, covered in the stubble he hasn't shaved since last week. He has a half-empty bottle of whisky in one hand from which he takes a long swig before answering.
"To teach all of Panem a lesson. Ever since the last Hunger Games, there has been talk of rebellion. Snow is showing us that he won't think twice about punishing a victor, even someone young and innocent like Prim. He's using fear to solidify his regime."
Gale laughs one short, dry laugh. Haymitch, mid-drink, sets his bottle down and turns to face him.
"What's so funny, boy?"
"Well, don't you see? Snow has it all wrong. Showing us the video of a Peacekeeper whipping Prim won't scare us into submission. No, it's only going to feed the flame. Everyone loves Prim. So when all the rebels out there see this video of Prim being whipped until she's unconscious, it'll rile their blood and they will all rise up to avenge Prim. If Snow is trying to prevent a rebellion, he has just made the biggest mistake of his life."
Prim, who had been silent, spoke up for the first time.
"No. Snow is only doing this to punish me."
She finally tells everyone about her encounter with Plutarch at the feast in the Capitol. She tells them the dangerous, dangerous words she spoke aloud: I hate the Capitol. I hate President Snow. I hate him so much. She tells them that she thinks Plutarch must have reported her words and that's why Snow sent the new Peacekeepers to District 12, and that's why Prim got whipped in public, and that's why the footage was broadcasted nationwide.
Katniss falls to her knees beside her little sister.
"Prim, why would you ever say something like that?"
"Because it's the truth."
Prim's face remains grim and set. Look at what the games have done. It broke Katniss's little sister and turned her into a soldier.
Haymitch now paces the room, cursing under his breath. He downs the rest of the bottle and kneels down next to Katniss, so he is face to face with Prim.
"Oh Prim, you don't understand. You've already got Snow anxious after your performance in the games and now you've gone and personally denounced him. But this is only the start of his punishment for you. Snow definitely has more planned for you, and I don't look forward to finding out what they are."
-::-
(Gale is right in one aspect though. The video did incite the rebels and District 4, District 6, and District 7 all had uprisings following the broadcast. The Capitol begins sending bombers. It is more and more difficult to hide the rebellions from the rest of the districts.)
-::-
Two weeks later, Katniss meets Bonnie and Twill in the forest. She learns about the mockingjay, about District 13, and about the widespread uprisings. For the first time, she learns that everything her sister and Peeta did might not have been for naught. For the first time, she learns that matters are bigger than she ever imagined.
She tells Gale and Prim, and he tells them about the whispers of rebellion down in the mines and he and Prim end up staying up all night, lying in their adjacent cots, talking about hypothetical plans for a District 12 uprising and how they can take down the Capitol.
She tells Haymitch, and he only nods absentmindedly and she realizes he's known about the rebellions all along.
She tells Peeta, and he suggests they all run away to District 13 too. She smiles wistfully because she had initially thought the same.
"Does that make us horrible people? That we'd rather run away than rebel?"
"No. Some people are born fighters and some people are born survivors. It doesn't make us any less significant."
-::-
The winter passes relatively peacefully.
Prim and Gale's backs heal, but each whip of the lash leaves a deep, red scar. Prim's soft, ivory skin now looks like a sloppy cross-weaving of misery and injustice. Peeta couldn't bear watching Prim waste another month staring blankly out the window again, so he gathers all his art supplies and teaches her how to paint. They spend the winter covering every wall in both their houses with illustrations. She can't really explain it, but when she's painting with Peeta, she feels happy and herself again, for the first time since the Hunger Games. And she knows it's stupid, so very stupid, and he's seventeen and she's only thirteen and he probably still sees her as a child, but Prim thinks she's in love with Peeta Mellark.
Katniss agrees to marry Gale and the long-awaited engagement becomes the talk of the district. They set the wedding for summer after next. But Gale is busy all the time. When he is not working down in the mines, he is meeting with fellow young revolutionaries in back rooms of houses, organizing an insurrection. Katniss spends lonely nights wondering if she is marrying Gale because she actually loves him or because that is what everyone else expects her to do. If it's the latter, than it's stupid, so very stupid. She doesn't have to be in love with Gale. She could be in love with Peeta Mellark.
-::-
(District 3 becomes the sixth district to rebel. Panem is now officially torn in half. District 12 still remains on the half that is loyal to the Capitol, although just barely.)
(Just in time for the 75th Hunger Games.)
-::-
Months after Haymitch's prediction, he is proven correct. Snow did indeed have more planned for Prim, the absolute worst trick up his sleeve.
He announces the Quarter Quell: the tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of victors.
Primrose Everdeen will be forced to go back to the arena.
After President Snow's announcement, the screen turns black, yet no one speaks a word. Everyone falls deadly silent. So quiet you could hear a pin drop. Or, more precisely, a nation of hearts break.
-::-
(Somewhere, a group of rebels and victors gathers together in secret correspondence and starts planning.)
-::-
The night before the Reaping, Peeta hears a knock on his bedroom door and finds Katniss standing with a meek smile. She doesn't barge in, doesn't grab a fistful of his shirt, doesn't threaten him to protect her sister like last time. Instead she slowly walks closer and wraps her arms around him. He immediately returns the embrace and holds her tight.
"Good luck, Peeta."
Maybe it's because it's the eve of the Reaping, maybe it's because Peeta figures he might never have another chance, maybe it's because he hasn't lost all hope after all. Maybe it's because he doesn't want to die without kissing Katniss Everdeen at least once.
Somehow, his lips find hers and he is kissing her and his brain stops functioning and his heart beats right out of his chest because he is kissing Katniss Everdeen. He knows he shouldn't, he knows that she loves Gale, but for a moment, none of that matters. He simply kisses her urgently and holds onto her before he can lose her to someone else.
-::-
Prim's fate was determined the minute President Snow announced the Quarter Quell. She is the only female victor from District 12.
But there are two male victors from District 12. For once in his life, the odds are in Peeta's favor. Because when Effie draws out the strip of paper, she calls out Haymitch Abernathy's name.
And, as you know, volunteering is not allowed.
-::-
With Haymitch returning to the games as one of the tributes, that leaves Peeta to assume the role of mentor by default. The entire train ride, Effie is beside herself trying to recoup and create a new plan of action. She scribbles notes and rearranges the schedule and crosses things out in vicious strokes, all while mumbling under her breath, it just had to be Haymitch, why couldn't it be the boy, they all already like the boy, who is going to sponsor an ugly, old drunkard?
Between Effie's mad ramblings and scheduling and rewatching old Hunger Games footage to analyze the competition, Peeta barely has a minute to himself. But the first second Peeta is alone, Haymitch grabs him by the arm and drags him into Peeta's room, slamming the door shut behind them.
"Okay, listen up, Peeta. You're the mentor now. Don't worry about Prim, I'll be in the arena with her and I'll take care of her. But you have to do all the rest."
Peeta wonders why Haymitch is being so serious. Peeta understands what the mentor's responsibilities are: help discuss strategy, make the tributes look good, persuade sponsors to help during the games. But judging for the forlorn expression on Haymitch's face, Peeta is beginning to think that there is way more to it than he previously thought.
"Peeta, I'm afraid there are things I haven't told you."
And Haymitch explains everything. How the rumors they've heard about the uprisings and District 13 are true. How they are planning to break the tributes out of the game before the end of the Quell by destroying the shield around the arena. How this will inevitably lead to war. How this will be dangerous and people will die but they must fight. Simply surviving is no longer an option.
"Most importantly, you must not tell a word about this to Prim."
"Why not?"
"Because when we ultimately destroy the arena, the Capitol will try to capture the tributes before we can save them. And the first person they'll go for is Prim. If she is taken, they will try to torture information out of her. The less she knows, the safer she is. We can't afford to lose her. She's the face of the rebllion. She's out last hope."
-::-
Being back in the Capitol, back in the dressing rooms, and back onto the chariots for the Opening Ceremonies brings back all the memories, just as Prim was so close to recovering from them. She is literally about to relive the very nightmares that have haunted her for the past year. She wants to say she feels numb. She has lived through the games before. The games have already taken her heart and her compassion and murdered her soul back in the arena along with the twenty-two other tributes. But she made it out alive, and that's more than you can say about the others. She wants to say she feels numb, but if she's honest, she'll say she feels even more terrified than last time.
She sees Haymitch and Peeta whispering quietly between themselves, with their heads bent toward each other. They think Prim doesn't notice, but she does. The two of them are keeping secrets from her. Finally, the morning of their first day of training, Prim confronts them about it over breakfast. Effie, for once, doesn't know what to say. Haymitch gets up from the table, mutters something about meeting them downstairs, and leaves. Peeta sighs and gives Prim a feeble smile. He takes her hand and leads her to the couch to explain.
"I guess it's my turn to give you advice now. You know what you're going to do this time, Prim? You've won the games once before."
"And I learn from my mistakes. You can't be an ally to everyone. You only get hurt in the end. So this time, I won't be an ally to anyone."
Peeta's eyes widen when he hears Prim's words. He quickly shakes his head.
"No, no, Prim, that's the opposite of what you're going to do. You're going to go out there and be allies with everyone."
She blinks a few times, her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.
"Everyone? But how…?"
"You said it yourself, President Snow created the rules for the Quarter Quell to try to punish you. You managed to beat the game last year and turned half the nation against the Capitol at the same time. Snow doesn't want you to get away with it. Are you just going to let him win?"
"Well, no."
"This isn't an ordinary Hunger Games. All the other tributes are previous victors, like us. They all know how awful the Capitol really is. They all hate President Snow too. You have more in common than you'd think. Come on, Prim. I know somewhere inside, you're still the same girl who stole everyone's hearts last summer. You managed to become allies with the Careers, remember?! If anyone can bring them all together, it's you."
Effie makes a curt shriek when she sees the time. She hurriedly ushers Prim towards the elevator. After Effie jabs the ground floor button, just before the elevator doors shut, Prim frantically calls out to Peeta again:
"I still don't understand."
"Don't worry, you will. Just trust me."
And how could she not?
-::-
During training, Prim is thoroughly intimidated. These tributes are so much stronger, faster, wiser than last year. Prim observes, knowing every spear thrown and every arrow aimed was once enough to win the games. Haymitch has twenty-five years worth of alcohol to work off, but Prim is amazed to see him lift tremendous weights and heave them halfway across the room.
At lunch, Haymitch introduces Prim to some of the other tributes who are friends with him. She meets Finnick and Annie from District 4, Johanna and Blight from District 7, and Chaff and Seeder from District 11. Prim is slightly overwhelmed at first with all the new faces, but they all seem extremely friendly. Chaff and Finnick even pick her up and jokingly parade her around the table, carrying her on their shoulders, speaking in rubbish, posh Capitol accents. She doesn't think she has laughed this hard in a long time. She doesn't think she has seen Haymitch laugh this hard ever.
Being allies with everyone might be easier than she thought.
-::-
Peeta is in way over his head. While the tributes are training, he visits with Plutarch and the other mentors from the districts that are part of the rebellion. Everyone else is so much older, more experienced, and more knowledgeable, making Peeta feel largely inadequate. One thing is for sure—Peeta had grotesquely underestimated Haymitch and now he is incapable of filling his shoes.
They are finalizing plans for how to rescue the tributes. It's impossible to set a precise date and time for the rescue to occur. They must take into account the events of the game, President Snow and the rebellion, as well as the logistics of maneuvering a hovercraft over the arena. Furthermore, how can they communicate with the tributes after the games have begun?
"We can send them bread."
The conversation abruptly comes to a halt and everyone turns to look at Peeta.
"Each district has a distinct type of bread. So whichever district's bread we send can be code for which day we are going to rescue them. Oh, and the number of rolls of bread can be code for which hour in the day. No one else will be suspicious because they'll think it's just generous sponsors sending bread."
Everyone is still staring at him. Oh god, what if they all think his idea is stupid?
Then Mags mumbles something incoherent, but it seems like she's agreeing with Peeta. Soon, several of the others are nodding along until everyone unanimously decides to use Peeta's idea.
The Bread Boy saves the day.
Planning a top-secret rescue mission might be easier than he thought.
-::-
Slowly but surely, Prim squeezes her way into everyone's hearts again. She forgets how to be cold and remembers how to love.
Finnick shows Prim how to tie intricate sailor knots and calls her pretty flower. Johanna is tough and apathetic but she is also the only one who doesn't treat Prim like she is still a little kid. Wiress and Beetee from District 3 are awkward, twitchy, and soft-spoken, but Prim discovers they actually have lots to say if only she listens. The morphlings from District 6 don't comprehend what is happening most of the time and like to hang out by the camouflage station to play with the paints. Prim sometimes joins them and lets them cover her arms in swirls and flowers. Seeder and Chaff share happy stories about Rue that makes Prim smile. Cecelia from District 8 kisses Prim on the forehead, exactly like how Prim's mother does.
The Careers from Districts 1 and 2 don't trust Prim—or really anyone from the other districts, but especially Prim—because of how she betrayed the Careers during the last Hunger Games. Except Gloss, who lets Prim sit beside him while he practices throwing daggers and tells her about his childhood spent training for the games, how his parents rigged the reaping for him, and his famed life after being crowned victor. He kind of reminds Prim of Cato, and it kind of breaks her heart.
But Prim's favorite is Annie Cresta. Beautiful Annie, who went mad after winning the games five years ago. She talks in a gently, sing-song voice and when she gets scared, she squeezes her eyes shut and covers her ears with her hands. She comes to training everyday with the other tributes, but she never trains, never touches a single weapon. Instead, she just sits to the side and watches. When Prim walks by, Annie always smiles and waves. The afternoon on their final day of training, Annie beckons Prim over and pats the spot on the floor beside her. Annie weaves a thousand intricate braids into Prim's long blonde hair while humming an old nursery song from back home.
Be allies with everyone, Peeta said. Well, she's done just that. Now that she thinks about it, though, it was almost too easy. Like she didn't even have to really try. Everyone already seemed anxious to be allies with her.
"Annie? Why are you so nice to me?"
"I like you."
Maybe that's true for Annie and Finnick and Cecelia, but Prim doesn't think Johanna or Blight or Woof actually like her. Yet they are all nice to her.
"Why is everyone so nice to me?"
"You're the youngest. You're Primrose Everdeen. We have to protect you."
-::-
The secret meetings get larger and larger. More mentors and tributes arrive, stating they want to join the alliance. First, it was only Districts 4, 7, 11, and 12. Then, Districts 3 and 8 join. Next comes District 6; the mentor explains that the morphlings probably won't be much help, yet they insisted on being allies with Prim. By the end, even the tributes from districts that hadn't rebelled against the Capitol are joining the Quarter Quell Effort. District 9, District 10, and finally District 5. Every district except for 1 and 2, the Careers, are now working together as a team.
Peeta thinks it's partly because it's a noble clause and mostly because word got out that they were planning a rescue mission and all the tributes simply want to be saved. Regardless the reason, it's still unbelievable that they accomplished such a union.
Technically, if all the tributes form an alliance and refuse to fight one another, there will be no Hunger Games. That would be the ultimate rebellion against President Snow. But in order to pull off such a plan, it will require a lot of courage to put down your weapon and a lot of trust in others to not kill you while you're vulnerable. Surely someone has thought of this idea before, yet not once in the 74 year history of the Hunger Games has such an alliance been achieved. That has to mean something, right?
-::-
For the interview, Cinna designs for Prim a short, simple black and red halter-top dress. He pulls all her hair into a high bun and applies an ample amount of eyeliner, making Prim look older and more sophisticated.
"We are no longer going for the precious look. Primrose Everdeen, you are not a little girl anymore. And it's time we showed the new you."
Prim walks up to the mirror and inspects her reflection. Yes, the hair and makeup is flawless as usual and yes, the dress is beautiful, but it all seems so understated and so unlike Cinna. That's when Prim turns to the side and catches sight of the back of the dress. Or the lack thereof.
The halter dress connects behind her neck in a thin metal band and then scoops down very low, exposing her entire back. Her entire scar-covered back.
Oh, Cinna is a genius.
-::-
And when Caesar compliments Prim's dress and she stands up and gives a nice, slow twirl, the audience is a whole new kind of speechless.
-::-
All the tributes return to the stage at the end of the interviews. Haymitch wraps one arm around Prim's shoulders and gives her a smile. That gives her an idea. She wraps one arm around Haymitch's waist and her other arm around Chaff, who is standing on the other side of her. Chaff, understanding what Prim is trying to do, quickly puts his arm around Seeder. And down the line it goes, district by district. The Careers are reluctant at first, but Gloss throws his arms around Cashmere and Enobaria, so the others finally oblige as well, although not so much to show unity but to not be the odd ones out.
There they stand on stage, unprecedented, all the tributes arm in arm. No longer twenty-four competitors, but one team.
-::-
(A million rebels watching the broadcast shout in triumph, holding their fists up in the air.)
(One president watching the broadcast clenches his fists, so hard his knuckles turn white.)
-::-
Ascending the plate to the arena at the start of the Quell, Prim feels confident. She's made so many friends and so many allies. Plus, she has Haymitch. Just find me and run to me, he told her that morning. Find me first before you do anything else. Worry about the Careers and the other allies later. Do you hear me, Prim? Just run to me.
She takes a deep breath. She can do this. Just like last time, right?
Wrong.
Because last time, Peacekeepers didn't come in and kill Cinna in front of her.
Because last time, she was on land.
This time, before she can even get over the shock of Cinna's death, she finds herself surrounded by a large body of water and the only thing she can think of is the fact that she doesn't know how to swim.
The games begin. Immediately, bodies dive into the water in a series of splashes. Prim squints against the sun and tries to see which swimmer is Haymitch. Finnick is the fastest swimmer and the first to reach the Cornucopia in the middle of the water. He barely has time to grab a trident from the pile when the Careers arrive. Despite joining arms with the rest of the tributes on stage, the Careers were still intent on defeating the rest of them, so a universal alliance is definitely out of question. For a few scary seconds, Finnick fights all four Careers by himself in a very uneven battle. Then, Chaff, Seeder, Blight, and Haymitch swim to shore and rush to aid Finnick.
Prim feels desperately hopeless standing on her platform. She notices that she is the only one left and everyone else is swimming. Even Wiress is sloppily paddling through the water. Prim wants to scream for Haymitch to come rescue her, but he is preoccupied dodging Brutus's dagger. Maybe she can convince the Careers to change their minds and join the alliance. At least she has to try. She needs to get to the Cornucopia. She is losing valuable time. So, with one shaky breath, she plunges into the water.
The water is warm. Prim kicks ferociously and makes big strokes with her arms, but her actions only seem to pull her down, down, down. There is water filling her lungs and she thinks this just might be the stupidest, most pathetic, most ineffective way to lose the Hunger Games: drowning less than five minutes into the game.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wraps around Prim's flailing body and pulls up her to the surface. Prim takes a huge intake of air and sees that her savior is Annie. Together, the two of swim to shore all the while Annie whispers soothingly, it's okay, I got you, Primrose, it's okay, it's okay now. Exhausted from her failed attempt at swimming, Prim rests her head against the crook of Annie's neck and tries to regain her breath.
Prim and Annie are the last to arrive on at the Cornucopia. After she drags her body up onto the sand, Prim is shocked to find Cashmere and Gloss backed up against the side of the Cornucopia, surrounded by Finnick, Haymitch, Chaff, Woof, Johanna, and Blight. Another group of tributes, including Wiress, Beetee, Wiress, and Cecelia, are a ways away scavenging the Cornucopia. The female morphling is crying over the dead body of the male morphling. Around them, five other bodies lay dead as a result of the bloodbath Prim had evidently missed altogether: both tributes from District 9, the District 10 female, Enobaria, and Seeder. Brutus was nowhere to be found. (Haymitch later explains that Brutus retreated into the jungle after Johanna violently killed Enobaria with an axe.)Brutus
Although the Careers are stronger than the rest, there is vast power in numbers and this time, the Careers are greatly outnumbered.
Finnick, Haymitch, and the others are just about to kill off the two Careers when Prim stops them:
"No, wait! Don't kill them! Please, don't kill them."
Prim squeezes her way into the circle and stands between the allied tributes and the Careers, spreading her arms out as if to shield Cashmere and Gloss.
Johanna shakes her head pitifully at Prim.
"Careers can't be trusted. Look, they've already killed!"
"So let's not have any more killings then. Please, just put your weapons down. No one else is going to die. I won't allow it!"."
Prim's voice rises steadily in volume until she is yelling at the end. Everyone is slightly taken back. One by one, they put down their swords and axes. Cashmere and Gloss both sigh in relief. However, Finnick grabs a pile of rope.
"Okay, fine. We won't kill them, but wewe'll tie them up. We still can't trust them."
Finnick ties the two Careers' wrists together while the others disperse around the island trying to get a bearing of the orientation of the arena. Just when they all think it's over, Cashmere takes her hand out of Finnick's grasp before he can tie the rope around her and she punches him hard. Finnick stumbles back a bit, enough for Cashmere to retrieve her bow and arrows and run away into the jungle following Brutus.
Later, when Annie is treating Finnick's bleeding lip and Gloss is securely tied to a tree, Johanna shakes her head disapprovingly at Prim.
"I told you Careers can't be trusted."
-::-
Six dead.
Three Careers (two free, one prisoner.)
Fifteen allied tributes.
It becomes a game of numbers and probability and waiting. May the odds be ever in your favor.
-::-
They set up camp near the edge of the jungle in the south, since Brutus and Cashmere disappeared into the north. That night, they take turns keeping watch and sleeping. Prim insists on getting one of the shifts to be fair, so she and Finnick stay up for the first shift while the others fall asleep. They talk for a while about little things. Finnick shares stories about his life in the Capitol after winning the games. He gets a bit carried away about his prostitution stint and how he knows all the horrible, rich Capitol citizens' secrets before he remembers that Prim here is only thirteen years old, so he promptly stops himself. Then, Annie, who is lying next to Finnick, rolls over in her sleep. He smiles down at her and gently moves a stray strand of hair out of her face.
He tells Prim the story of how he and Annie fell in love and how Annie became the way she was. And then he goes on to tell the story of all the other sleeping tributes. Wiress went slightly insane after witnessing gruesome deaths in her Hunger Games, much like Annie, and her insanity only worsened over the years. Johanna isn't scared of anything because President Snow killed everyone she loved and now she has absolutely nothing left to lose. The morphlings only got addicted to morphing and Haymitch and Chaff only became alcoholics because they needed an escape from the trauma of the games. Victors don't get married, because your spouse becomes one more thing Snow can hold over you. And victors never have children because what if their children get reaped for the games?
As she listens to Finnick and all his secrets, she looks victors sleeping on the sand. She could bet you anything they are all having bad dreams. What's really scary is that Prim could be one of them in the future. How many more years of nightmares before she ends up mad? How many more people need to die before she becomes fearless?
"What about you, pretty flower? What's your secret?"
"I don't have any secrets."
"Oh, really? Because I think you love that Peeta Mellark."
Prim freezes and she feels her cheeks heat up. Finnick laughs and nudges her with his shoulder.
"Admit it, I'm right. You have a big crush on him."
"Shut up. He loves my sister, remember?"
"He's dating your sister?"
"No, Katniss is engaged to Gale."
"Wow, you guys are worse the television shows the people in the Capitol watch."
-::-
Peeta feels like the world has turned upside down. It's just, Peeta has always been the king of unrequited love and now he's suddenly on the other side of the equation. And it's not any better, being on the other side.
-::-
Sometime later, Haymitch, Chaff, and Beetee wake up for their shift to keep watch and Prim settles down to sleep.
In the middle of the night a loud clash of thunder wakes Prim up just in time for her to see a single bright flash of lightning in the northern part of the arena. However, before she falls back to sleep, she notices Haymitch, Chaff, and Beetee whispering amongst themselves with their heads bent towards each other. It's a position Prim has become really familiar with. It's the position of people who are keeping secrets from her.
The next morning, they decide to split up into small groups to explore the arena, to which Prim vehemently objects. Don't they know anything? Splitting up is never a good idea. What if they something happens? What if they must move camp and can't find each other again? What if they run into the Careers? That's exactly what Brutus and Cashmere want—divide and conquer.
Despite Prim's objections, the tributes split up anyway. And no, Prim, you can't go because it's too dangerous, you have to say here. Chaff, Woof, Cecelia, Blight, and the man from District 5 form the largest group, heading north after the Careers. Finnick leads the man from District 10 and the woman from District 5 to the west. Johanna reluctantly agrees to take "Nuts and Volts" to the east. Which leaves Prim, Haymitch, Annie, and the female morphling to stay at the camp in the south. Oh, and Gloss, tied to the tree. Don't forget about Gloss.
Prim crosses her arms and frowns as she watches the three groups set off into the jungle. They had agreed to meet back at camp by nightfall. Prim just wishes upon all the stars that everyone will still be alive come nightfall.
For a few hours, the wait is terribly boring. Prim has a short conversation with the female morphling and finds out her name is Sapphire. Sapphire soon gets distracted and wanders around the jungle picking flowers and leaves. Annie sits and stares off into space, humming songs gently to herself. Prim goes to Haymitch and asks what he and the others were talking about last night. He says it's nothing. Of course. Then Haymitch takes a nap, so Prim hangs out with Gloss instead.
He tells Prim that he watched her in the games last year and that he truly admires Cato because he did the one thing Gloss could never do. Cato had mercy. Gloss tells her that during his year, it was down to the final two, him and this little girl who had managed to stay alive by hiding from the other tributes. And he killed her, grabbed that helpless, innocent little girl and slit her throat. And all for what? Fame and fortune amongst the Capitol's deranged citizens? To this day, he still feels guilty and can't get the image of the little girl's big, dead brown eyes out of his mind.
And she realizes that Peeta was right. It doesn't matter if one is an underdog from District 12 or a shining Career from District 1, the truth holds for all victors: they hate the Hunger Games.
"Hey Gloss, do you think you could talk to Cashmere and Brutus and try to convince them to join our alliance? Because if all the remaining tributes formed an alliance and promised not to kill each other, the Gamemakers have no choice, right? They have to end the games eventually, we all get to live, and it makes President Snow look like a fool."
"Oh, Prim. I think it's really honorable what you're trying to do. But I'm afraid it's never going to work."
"Why not?"
"Even if you manage to get Cashmere and Brutus to join the alliance—No, even if you manage to capture them and hold them hostage like me, it's still never going to work. You're forgetting the power the Gamemakers have over the arena. And they'll never let there be eighteen victors."
Right after Gloss said those words, as if on cue, there is a loud piercing shriek from the west, followed by the dreadful sound of a cannon, indicating a tribute death. Annie stops humming, pulls her knees up to a fetal position, squeezes her eyes shut and covers her ears with her hands. Sapphire drops her flowers and rushes over to them.
Mere seconds later, they see a colossal tidal wave sweeping over the Cornucopia, rushing straight for them. Prim shouts to wake Haymitch up and he jumps up in alert. Sapphire frantically tugs at Annie to get up, but Annie won't move, only clamps her hands tighter over her ears. There isn't time, so Haymitch picks Annie up and carries her into the jungle, away from the incoming wave. Sapphire grabs Prim's hand and they run after Haymitch, but wait, no, what about Gloss?! Haymitch yells over his shoulder that there's no time to go back for him, but Prim runs back anyways.
She takes the knife Haymitch had dropped on the ground and hurriedly cuts the ropes around Gloss's body. When she saws most of the way through the twine, Gloss pulls with his arms and breaks the ropes the rest of the way. Prim takes him by the hand and sprints back towards the jungle away from the wave. But Gloss doesn't move and pulls on Prim's arm to force her to stop.
"Gloss, what are you doing? Come on, we have to run!"
He stands still, one hand tightly holding Prim and the other hand behind his back. He looks at Prim with a conflicted expression. Behind them, the wave approaches, ten feet tall. Finally, Gloss sighs.
"I'm so sorry."
She is about to ask him what he's sorry for when he pulls his other hand from behind his back and reveals Haymitch's knife that Prim had just used to free him. The situation suddenly dawns on Prim. This whole time, Gloss has been waiting for her to free him so he can run off to rejoin the Careers. So he can kill her. She was a fool to fall straight into his plan. In her mind, she made him out to be another misunderstood Career who wanted redemption and who had a soft spot for young girls that remind him of the one he failed to save. She made him out to be another Cato.
But it's like he said himself: this is the difference between Gloss and Cato. Gloss does not have mercy.
-::-
(Peeta and the mentors. Katniss and District 12. President Snow. The rebel army. Starving children. Capitol citizens. All of Panem sits on the edge of its seat, eyes glued to the screen, as Gloss raises the dagger. Prim instinctively closes her eyes.)
(And then the wave crashes over them.)
-::-
For the second time in this Hunger Games, Prim finds herself submerged in water. This time, however, she manages to propel her body to the surface long enough to see a nearby tree branch and grab onto it for dear life. She sees Gloss a few feet to the right of her struggling to stay afloat against the current. Slowly, the water stills as the wave dies against the jungle floor. And then, the water rushes back towards the middle of the arena as the wave retracts. The current reverses and Prim holds onto the branch while her body is pulled the opposite direction. The force is so strong that she lose her grip on the branch with one of her hands. The water drags Gloss away and he wildly moves his arms about until he grabs Prim free hand. Now Prim is the only thing tethering him down, lest he be pulled into the deep waters and drown.
"Prim! Please!"
She looks back at him and knows what she must do.
"You were going to stab me. You were going to run away."
"I won't! I won't hurt you! I promise."
"No, Gloss, you will. Because you think the alliance will never work."
So, Prim lets go of his hand.
The wave sweeps Gloss away and he is pulled under. After a few more seconds, the water level finally goes down and Prim collapses on the jungle ground, coughing up water. Haymitch, Annie, and Sapphire run over to her. The three of them are soaked up to their waists. Haymitch glances around the empty jungle.
"Where is Gloss?"
The sound of a cannon answers his question. Haymitch, Annie, and Sapphire all turn to look at Prim with incredulous expressions. She only nods grimly.
"Careers can't be trusted."
-::-
They return to camp to let the sun dry off their soaking suits. After the tidal wave, there's another lightning storm in the north, then a rainstorm. Two more cannons. It's like a continuous onslaught from the Gamemakers. Obviously just forming an alliance is not enough, they are going to have to work hard to stay alive.
When the rain stops, there's a short period of peace in the arena. That is, until three bodies run out from the east and collapse on the beach. Behind them, a ghastly mist exudes from the jungle.
"Look! It's Johanna, Beetee, and Wiress!"
Prim and the others run across the beach towards the three. Upon closer inspection, the three are covered in red and appear to be convulsing on the sand. Johanna tries to stand, but her legs gives out and she falls again. She tries to explain what happened in between gasps of pain.
"Blood! It—rain—rain is blood! And the f-f-fog is—aah!—the fog is poisonous."
Beetee seems to be in the worst state, practically unconscious. At least Wiress is still talking, albeit mumbling something nonsensical tick tock, tick tock.
Haymitch inspects their horrible condition.
"The fog is damaging their nerves. They need treatment fast." He looks up towards the sky. "Hey Peeta, think you can send down some medicine?"
In the meantime, it doesn't help that Johanna, Beetee, and Wiress are covered in half-dried blood. With Annie and Sapphire's help, Prim drags them towards the pool of water in the center of the arena and starts washing the blood off. Surprisingly, the water helps soothe the sting of the fog. So Prim gathers big seashells and starts scooping up the water and pouring it over Beetee and Wiress. Johanna dips her whole body into the water.
While they recover, Haymitch explains their encounter with the wave and what happened to Gloss. Wiress keeps repeating tick tock, tick tock louder and louder. Johanna gets so annoyed, she walks over and shoves Wiress down onto the beach. Annie and Sapphire laugh, so Johanna goes over and pushes them down too. Haymitch has to stifle his chuckles. Beetee just sighs and gives Prim a tired look, see what I have to deal with? He clears his throat to get the rambunctious bunch's attention and to silence the laughter.
"Before we encountered the rain and the fog, we did make some observations. The arena is a perfect circle and there is a force field surrounding it. The jungle doesn't go very far before you reach the force field. We almost walked right into it if Wiress hadn't pointed it out."
Wiress starts her incessant tick tock, tick tock again. Johanna groans loudly, but Prim shushes her.
"Wait, I think Wiress is trying to tell us something."
The arena is a perfect circle. The tidal wave, the lightning storm, the blood rain, the poisonous fog, all happening consecutively around the jungle going clockwise.
Clockwise.
Oh, it all makes sense now. Tick tock, tick tock. Plutarch showing her the pocket watch with the bird on it. She understands now. The bird was a mockingjay, like the one on the crackers the refugees from District 8 had that Katniss told them about. Mockingjay, as in the rebellion against the Capitol, as in Plutarch had been on Prim's side all along. She thinks back to the first strike of lightning in the middle of the first night. It begins at midnight.
Prim quickly explains her revelation to the others. Wiress nods excitedly and hugs Prim. They figured it out. They actually figured it out. Looks like they might be able to defeat the Gamemakers after all. Haymitch and Beetee begin whispering and assuming that secretive stance again. They walk to the Cornucopia to converse in private and also rummage through the remaining supplies. The five girls stand in a circle on the beach. Wiress is still muttering tick tock, tick tock, Annie is humming again, and Sapphire is drawing flowers in the sand. Johanna rolls her eyes at Prim.
"Looks like it's just you, me, and the mad trio."
Prim decides she might as well go collect some drinking water. Last night, the tributes had received a metal spigot to get water from the trees. Sapphire follows Prim to the edge of the jungle. She inserts the metal tip into the tree and collects sap water in a large seashell. Sapphire does some kind of waltz beside Prim, collecting flowers and leaves from the jungle plants.
Then, the sound of a cannon rings out. Prim immediately turns back to the beach. Sapphire drops her flowers in shock, but she's still facing the jungle.
Back on the beach, Wiress falls forward, landing on the sand with a thud. A single arrow is sticking up from her back. Cashmere is standing with her bow raised near the 1 o' clock section of the jungle.
The next few events happen in rapid succession: Johanna dives for her axe, Cashmere reloads her bow with another arrow, Annie screams for Haymitch and Beetee, Cashmere shoots the arrow straight at Johanna, it misses, Johanna charges at her, Cashmere retreats into the trees, Johanna chases after her, Sapphire shoves Prim aside, Prim falls to the ground, water spills everywhere, and Sapphire gives a piercing shriek as an orange creature tries to claw her face off. Prim remembers too late that it's 3 o' clock now.
Haymitch sprints toward them and helps pry the monkey muttation off Sapphire. He kills the monkey and Prim hurries to help Sapphire. She's bleeding everywhere and Prim starts sobbing, oh god, Sapphire, no you're going to be okay, we just need to apply pressure and, oh god, you're going to stop bleeding, you're going to be okay, right? Haymitch sadly shakes his head at Prim.
"I don't think she's going to make it."
Prim cries harder. It's not fair. She can't lose both Wiress and Sapphire just like that. No one else was supposed to die. They just figured out the arena. How did this happen?
Sapphire gives Prim a weak smile and paints a flower on Prim's arm using her blood. Another cannon sounds and Prim cries NO! but Sapphire is still breathing. Rather, the cannon must mean…They look back across the beach, where Johanna emerges from the trees, triumphant.
With her last few breaths, Sapphire whispers her final words to Prim, which are the most rational words she's spoken in years.
"I believe in you."
A second cannon resounds across the arena.
Haymitch carries her back to the beach and sets her down next to Wiress's body. He and Prim join Beetee, Annie, and Johanna in a moment of silent grievance. A hovercraft soon appears to pick up the dead bodies. Prim hopes Sapphire doesn't get remembered as the female morphling from District 6 for she is so much more than that; she is Sapphire, the courageous woman who saved Prim's life.
-::-
When 4 o' clock comes around, Prim is determined not to lose anyone else to these stupid Hunger Games that she now hates more than ever. The five of them sit idly on the beach. Peeta had managed to get the medicine after all and send it down in a silver parachute. They open the box and find three small tubs of ointment. No one says a word when Prim hands one tub to Johanna, one to Beetee, and puts the third tub back in the box.
Suddenly, they hear someone cry out in the distance. Annie sits up straight at the sound.
"Finnick?"
Finnick cries out again and before any of them can stop her, Annie runs into the jungle. Haymitch chases after her.
"Annie stop! It's not Finnick! It's a trick!"
Prim, Johanna, and Beetee also follow after. Johanna, who is the fastest among the three, makes it through to the trees, but it is as if an invisible wall formed because Prim and Beetee cannot enter the jungle, no matter how hard they try. What's worse, they discover that the invisible wall is also sound proof. They watch as Annie gets dragged back, with Haymitch holding her on the right and Johanna holding her on the right. They also run right into the invisible wall. Prim sees their mouths move, but hears nothing. She feels so helpless and turns to Beetee.
"What's going on? What did Haymitch mean the scream wasn't actually Finnick? It sounded just like him."
"Jabberjays. They are muttations that can be trained to mimic any sound. My guess is the Gamemakers programmed the jays to copy the screams of the tributes' loved ones. So for Annie, that's Finnick."
Poor Annie. She's obviously going crazy with the torment of hearing Finnick scream in pain. Johanna seems to be trying to explain the concept of jabberjays to her, but Annie isn't listening. Annie wiggles out of Johanna and Haymitch's grasp and makes another run for it, but Johanna catches her around the waist and holds her back. Haymitch pounds at the invisible wall. He is trying to tell Prim something but she can't understand.
"What? I can't hear!"
Haymitch moves his lips slower and clearly mouths two words. Find Finnick.
So Prim and Beetee run off across the expanse of the center beach and into the jungle at 9 o' clock. They call out for Finnick and, thank god, they find him with the man from District 10. Beetee hurriedly explains the situation with the jabberjays and together, the four rush back across the beach. It is then that Prim realizes Finnick's group is down to two and the woman from District 5 is also gone.
They reach the 4 o' clock jungle and Finnick presses his palms against the invisible wall. At the sight of him, Annie finally calms down and stops struggling against Johanna. She presses her palms against Finnick's and smiles through her tears. Johanna sighs and walks over to Haymitch, who has changed since Prim last saw him. He is now on his knees with his eyes shut tight and his fists clenched. Johanna rests her hand on Haymitch's shoulder and says something to him, probably that Prim is back with Finnick. Haymitch opens his eyes and gives Prim a small nod.
It is a long hour of jabberjay torment, but it passes at last. The invisible wall disappears and Annie falls right into Finnick's arms. Haymitch stands and shakes his head, as if to get the sound out of his head. Johanna walks right out, completely unaffected, as if she hadn't heard anything at all.
Then Prim recalls that Johanna doesn't have any loved ones left alive, so she actually didn't hear anything at all. Johanna doesn't have a jabberjay. This is the one area where the Gamemakers can't hurt her.
Prim turns to look at Haymitch again. He is walking down the beach, rubbing his face with his hands, probably wishing for some alcohol right now. And she wonders…
Whose screams did Haymitch hear?
-::-
Soon after, the last group returns to camp. With a heavy heart, Prim notices that Blight and Woof are not with them.
Thirteen dead.
One Career.
Ten allied tributes.
Everyone notices the dwindling numbers, but no one dares say anything about it.
The ground has dried since the 10 o' clock tidal wave, so Cecelia and the man from District 10 go into southern jungle to collect firewood. And there, they learn the hard way what the Gamemakers had planned for 6 o' clock. Not two minutes after they enter the forest, there is a loud scream, a feral growl that could not be anything human, a cannon, and Cecelia comes running out of the jungle alone. Shell-shocked, she explains what happened. The man from District 10 had been ripped apart by a terrible beast.
Fourteen dead.
Suddenly, an arm tightens around Prim's waist from behind and she feels a cool metal blade press against her throat. For a split second, she thought it was Brutus, but then he talks and she realizes it's the man from District 5.
"When are they coming? You said they would come, when are they coming?!"
Haymitch jumps up with a panicked expression on his face.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The man takes a few steps back from Haymitch and Prim gets dragged back with him. She takes in a shaky breath. Who is this "they" and why are they coming? Now Johanna, Beetee, and the others all gather behind Haymitch. The District 5 man continues talking, but there is fear in his voice.
"How long are we supposed to wait? The more time passes, the more people die. Who knows what else is in this cursed jungle. At this rate, we'll all be dead in two days. You said if we all form an alliance and protect the girl, we can all make it out of this alive, but you lie! You're waiting for rest of us to die off so you can win!"
"Shut up or you'll get all of us killed! Now are you part of the alliance or not?"
Prim can feel the man from District 5 shake his head. He presses the blade so hard, it draws blood from Prim's throat. He slowly inches backwards towards the trees.
"No one follow me or the girl di—"
The man stops, midsentence. He drops the blade and loosens his hold on Prim. Haymitch quickly grabs Prim and pulls her to safety. She turns around to see that Finnick had come around from behind and stabbed the man's back with his trident. Prim covers her mouth with her hand and buries her face into Haymitch's chest. He wraps his arms around her soothingly.
Finnick yanks the trident back out and the man from District 5 collapses onto the sand. Fifteen dead. Finnick turns to the rest of the tributes.
"Anyone else want out?"
-::-
Now they have no choice. Now they must rescue the tributes as soon as possible. Stupid man blabbed the secret plan for the whole nation to hear. Plutarch gets off the phone and faces the others.
"We can get the hovercraft by midnight tonight. Send the bread."
Then, Plutarch turns and points directly at Peeta.
"And you, you are getting on the next jet back to District 12. District 13 will meet you there with a hovercraft."
"Why?"
"You need to alert the people and start evacuating. The second they break down the force field and we rescue the tributes, District 12 is the first place Snow will bomb. This isn't a rebellion anymore. This is war."
-::-
It is almost time for the 10 o' clock tidal wave again. This time, they all take precautions and climb up trees so that when the wave hits, the water only rushes below them. As the water drains away and they climb down from the trees, a silver parachute comes down with twenty-four rolls of bread from District 3. And with seemingly irrelevant haste, Beetee announces his grand plan before the bread is even distributed. He wants to use wire and create a path from the 12 o' clock lightning to the body of water in the middle of the arena. The entire arena ground will still be wet from the wave and thus electrically conductive, so they can use that to shock Brutus, the last remaining Career. But they have to move now because the lightning hits in one hour.
Everyone else nods eagerly and stuffs the bread into their mouths while running towards the north 12 o' clock region of the jungle. Prim struggles to keep up. She wonders why the hurry and jeez, why couldn't Beetee mention this plan beforehand?
In the dark, it is difficult to distinguish the trees. There is a brief argument over which tree is the tree. Finally, Beetee starts wrapping the wire around the trunk of the agreed upon tree. Clouds begin to loom overhead, hinting at the upcoming storm. They are running out of time. Chaff and Cecelia rush to help Beetee. Haymitch picks up the long roll of coiled wire.
"We need to get this down to the water. Who is the fastest?"
It's obvious who the fastest is. It's the one who, just now, made it to the tree before everyone else. Annie Cresta. But Finnick adamantly objects:
"No! Annie is not going!"
Ever since the jabberjay episode, Finnick hasn't left Annie's side. But things are urgent. There are running out of time. Annie turns to face Finnick.
"Finnick, it's okay. I want to go."
Johanna steps up as well.
"Calm down, Odair. I'll go with Annie. I'm the second fastest here, anyway."
Finnick stares at Annie with the most crestfallen expression. It hurts Prim to just look at him. The first clap of thunder roars above them and a soft drizzle pours down. They are running out of time. Annie gives him one more encouraging nod.
"It's okay. I'll be okay."
He sighs and agrees reluctantly. He gives Annie one last kiss before she and Johanna take the wire and sprint downhill toward the water.
-::-
There's a loud noise outside her house and when Katniss walks outside, she sees a small jet from the Capitol has landed in the middle of the Victor's Village. The glass roof raises and out steps Peeta. He takes one look at her bewildered expression and rushes right by her.
"Sorry Katniss, no time to explain. Get your mom and my family and tell them to meet down at the square."
"Why? What's going on?"
"There's no time! We need to evacuate the entire district. Here comes the hovercraft."
A large hovercraft now descends right over the square. People are gathering around, staring at the ship. Peacekeepers are trying to keep the people back while trying to figure out what the hell a hovercraft was doing here. Peeta storms past them and walks right into the center of the square and addresses all the people:
"Everyone please stay calm and listen carefully. President Snow is sending bombers here and you all need to get out now. Get on this hovercraft immediately. It will take you to District 13. More details and explanations will be given in the hovercraft. Please, gather your family and get on the hovercraft."
One of the Peacekeepers approach Peeta, telling him he's not authorized to land hovercrafts from nonexistent districts here. Peeta punches the Peacekeeper in the face. Many people cheer.
From the crowd, Gale rushes forward.
"Why would Snow try to bomb us? We haven't even rebelled!"
"They are going to blow up the Hunger Games arena tonight and there is a rebel force going in to rescue the tributes. We're rescuing Prim when President Snow wants her dead. That's reason enough to blast this entire district into rubble. Trust me on this, why else would I be here right now? So please, there isn't time! Hurry!"
At first, the people remain skeptical, but gradually, they start to pile onto the hovercraft. Special personnel from District 13 exit the hovercraft and help direct the rest of the evacuation. Peeta turns and is about to go back to his jet when Katniss stops him.
"Wait, you're going to rescue Prim?"
"We're going to try. Look, I really have to go now. Twenty minutes to midnight. I'll tell you everything when I meet you in District 13 okay?"
Peeta walks ten more steps before he stops, turns back around, and extends his hand out to Katniss.
"Unless…unless you want to come with me? There's room for one more in the jet."
Before she can reply, Gale calls out to her. She turns around and sees him standing in the line to board the hovercraft next to his family and her mother. He gestures for her to hurry over.
Katniss looks back at Peeta, then at Gale.
They are running out of time.
She takes Peeta's hand and together, they run back to the jet.
-::-
Beetee finishes off the wiring of the tree just as the rain doubles in intensity. Thunder rolls in crescendo. Prim looks up at the sky. This is really going to work.
She spoke too soon. Because just then, there's a sharp twang! and the end of the wire that Annie and Johanna are leading down springs back to the tree. Someone had cut the wire down the middle. There are only nine tributes left alive. Six of them are standing by the tree. Two of them are running that very wire down to the water. Therefore, by process of elimination, the person who cut the wire has to be Brutus.
Haymitch, Finnick, Beetee, Chaff and Cecelia form a defensive circle around Prim, facing outwards with weapons raised. It makes Prim think back to how nice everyone has been to her and what the man from District 5 had said. You said if we all form an alliance and protect the girl…Protect the girl. She doesn't understand. Why does everyone want to protect her? Just because she's the precious little girl who said she hated the president?
Brutus attacks the weakest link. He charges at Beetee and roughly throws him aside, crashing into Finnick. They both roll down a hill. Brutus next reaches for Prim, but Cecelia jumps out in front of her. Brutus grabs Cecelia by the throat, picking her off the ground, and snaps her neck. Prim screams. Next, Chaff swings his sword at Brutus, but Brutus ducks out of the way. Finally, Haymitch gets the job done and stabs Brutus with his knife. At last, the final Career falls.
The rain pours even harder and the thunder claps even louder. The lightning will strike any second now. They are running out of time. Haymitch rushes to the cut wire in panic.
"The wire isn't reaching the water. It won't have any effect!"
Prim is confused.
"I thought this plan was to kill electrocute Brutus. Well, he's already dead—"
That's when Prim finally understood. The plan was never to kill Brutus. They only said that to not alert the Gamemakers. No, they want to use the electricity from the lightning to do something else, something bigger, but what? Haymitch grabs the end of the cut wire, looks around frantically, then looks at the metal knife in his hand. He quickly wraps the wire around the handle of the knife. Prim has a bad feeling in her gut.
"Haymitch, what are you doing?!"
But he ignores her. When she tries to go up to him, Chaff stops her and directs her to stand away from the tree so she doesn't get shocked. But what about Haymitch? Wouldn't he get shocked?
One more important thing about the storm. It's so deafening that they can't hear the sound of the cannon. Or the lack of a cannon.
Brutus, whom they presumed to be dead, is actually not quite dead yet. He stumbles to his feet, presses one hand against his bloody wound and grabs his dagger with his other hand. Chaff pushes Prim behind him and they back away from the not-fallen Career. Prim notices with horror that Chaff had dropped his sword and is no longer armed. As they back away, however, they pass Cecelia's corpse and her knife lying on the ground. Prim subtly bends down and retrieves the knife. She intended to pass the knife to Chaff, but that plan immediately falls through when Brutus lunges forward and stabs Chaff in the stomach. Prim leaps back in fright and hides the knife behind her back.
Now, it's just Prim and Brutus. Chaff and Cecelia are dead. Beetee and Finnick are still down the hill, perhaps knocked unconscious. Annie and Johanna might already be at the water by now. And Haymitch is holding his knife tied to the wire up in the air, like he's going to stab an invisible person in front of him. What is Haymitch even doing? But it doesn't matter. The point is, all her defenses gone. Brutus gives her a devil smile and advances towards her. She finds herself backed to a tree. And they are running out of time.
There is no escape. No one is going to protect her now. There is no one left to jump in front of harm's way for her. And she thinks, this would be a terrible way to die, much worse than if she had drowned the first day. Chaff and Cecelia and Sapphire all died to save her, everyone vowed to protect her, and Prim is just going to let all that go to waste and be killed by a man who is already half-dead himself?
No.
Once, Primrose Everdeen helped blow up the Careers' camp. Once, Primrose Everdeen let go of Gloss's hand and watched him drown.
Once, Primrose Everdeen had the courage to pull the knife from behind her back and stab it right in the center of Brutus's chest.
This time, he dies for real. Just as Brutus's limp body falls to the ground, the clock finally strikes midnight. They have run out of time. Like clockwork, lightning comes down and hits the tree. The electricity travels down the trunk, through the wire, and into the knife, which Haymitch drives forward with all his strength.
The next few events happen in quick succession: the electricity from the lightning pierces through the force field, the voltage spreads across the entire dome over the arena, Haymitch yells as his whole body is electrocuted, everything explodes, the force throws Prim into the air and she lands on a downward sloping hill.
She nearly faints. When she opens her eyes, she sees Finnick and Beetee and realizes she had rolled down the same hill they had. There is a bright light overhead and a loud humming noise. Finnick helps her to her feet and she tries to run back to Haymitch, but Finnick won't let her go.
"We have to go now, pretty flower. Come."
The rest happens in a blur. Finnick and Beetee lead her up some steps and then suddenly Plutarch is there. Prim keeps struggling and calling out for Haymitch, but more and more people show up and they lay her down on a bed. The room is so bright, why is it so bright? She just wants to know what happened to Haymitch, why won't anyone tell her?
And then, two figures burst through the doors and run to her bed. Prim recognizes their face faces with glee. It's Peeta and Katniss. They'll definitely tell her what happened.
Katniss holds Prim's hand and kisses her fingers. Meanwhile, Peeta goes around to the other side of the bed and takes Prim's other hand. He speaks to her in a calm voice.
"You're safe now, Prim. You're in a hovercraft going to District 13. The games are over. You did so well, you were so strong."
"Peeta, where's Haymitch?"
Peeta freezes and he gives Katniss is disheartened look. Neither says anything for a long while. Finally, Katniss gives Prim's hand a squeeze.
"Prim…Haymitch is dead."
thank you to everyone who read this story since i posted it a while ago. i got such a good response that i decided to continue the no volunteering AU for the rest of the trilogy. the mockingjay chapter will be posted next week hopefully!