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Prim stepped into a new world—the Capitol train—and thought, for a brief moment, that maybe death wouldn't be so bad. She'd never seen so many beautiful things, so many beautiful foods. It was almost like the Capitol was apologizing for what she had to go through.

The nice-looking blond boy whom Katniss said would take care of her, rubbed his red eyes, but it didn't stop the tears. "It's okay." Prim laid a hand on his arm. "I cried, too."

He gave a humorless laugh, but squeezed her hand anyway.

Effie led Prim to her own room—a room on a train! A lovely bed rested against one wall with blankets thicker than Prim's whole body. "The shower is in there,"—Effie pointed at a sleek sliding door—"and then these are filled with clothes." Her hand came to rest on a six-drawer dresser. "Wear whatever you like, do whatever you like, but be in the dining car in an hour." She paused before leaving, as if she wanted to say something else, then pursed her lips and walked out.

Prim almost asked Effie to stay. No. I'll be strong. Katniss said she'd have volunteered for Prim, if she could. Prim could be strong like her sister…at least until they reached the Capitol.

But with the door closed behind her, no one could see how weak or strong Prim tried to be. She stood in the middle of the room, not moving, until the train started going. It inched forward at first, but then gained speed and didn't stop until Prim was sure they were flying. Her room didn't have a window, but suddenly she wanted to wave good-bye to District 12. It would be the last time she saw it.

In a panic, she bolted out of her room back the way she'd come until she reached a tube-shaped window in one of the entry cars. She pressed her face and hands against the glass, but District 12 was gone. Now…there was only countryside.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, refusing to say good-bye again.

"I've never been outside of District twelve."

Prim whirled around to look up into the face of the blond boy, Peeta. "Me neither."

Then, without a word, they each returned to their rooms. Prim had a bath that morning before the reaping, so she didn't explore the "shower"—she had a mental image of what it did, but didn't want to learn just yet. Instead, she opened the dresser drawers.

Clothes—beautiful, beautiful clothes just like what Mom had in her special trunk. Only Mom's clothes would always be the prettiest. Prim pulled on a fresh white blouse, high-waisted green pants, and slippers. The slippers were probably for bed-time, but she'd never worn slippers before.

Supper came and went and Prim ate far more than she'd ever eaten in a single sitting. Food she'd never hear of nor tasted, but it was divine. Both she and Peeta, with full bellies, stumbled after Effie into a different room where a screen replayed the reapings. Prim didn't want to watch, but forced herself to. One of these people would kill her. It wouldn't be Peeta—Katniss trusted him, so Prim would too.

Why did Katniss trust him?

Names flew across the screen: Cato, Clove, Marvel, Glimmer, on and on and on. They all looked old—like Peeta. Prim gripped the loose material of her pants into tiny bunches in her fists. Would she be the youngest? The smallest? The weakest? The most frightened? Some of the tributes even looked happy to be reaped. But when it showed District 11, Prim noticed a girl her age with brown skin and curly dark hair.

Her name was Rue.

That girl, Prim was certain, would be a new friend…

…that is, if friends could be made in a competition of murder.

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To be continued...

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How would you live if you knew the day you'd die? Parvin Blackwater believes she has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside. In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the government's crooked justice system. But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall - her people's death sentence. What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her clock is running out.