The Hunger Games- Prim's Story

Chapter 3

I feel a tugging on my arm as two Peacekeepers start dragging me into the Justice Building. I try to stand up but they are going too fast for me. I eventually just give up. If they want to drag me, they can drag me.

They lead me to the nicest room I've ever seen in my life. It has dark, rich blue wallpaper and thick carpet. There are two couches, both made from velvet. I run my fingers along the couch's side while I wait to say goodbye. How will I handle it? We all know I won't make it back home. My mother and sister know it, everyone at the Reaping knows it, the Capitol citizens know it, even I know it. But I won't cry. At least that is what I am telling myself. I can't cry, I have to be tough. The last thing I need is to look weaker.

The dark wooden door opens and Katniss pushes through my mother to get to me. I sit up and run to hug her. I put my arms around her neck as if I were a toddler again, and she leads me to the couch. I climb onto her lap and lay my head on her shoulder. I'm not going to cry. I can't. "Why did you do that Prim?" She asks, "I could've gone up, I could've volunteered for you, you wouldn't have to go in!"

Her voice cracks and she cries. I've only seen her cry a few times in my twelve years of living. The first few weeks after our father died, she cried. But always when she was alone, she made sure I never saw her broken. She cried again after she collected the medal when our father died. The last time she cried, that I know of, was almost a year ago. She was stuck out in the woods while the fence was electrified. She had been stuck for two hours and was worried that she wouldn't be able to make it home that night. So she jumped over the fence and her right leg got burned on the fence. Luckily she was close to home, but when she finally let our mother help her, the pain was so intense, she couldn't handle it.

But now it's a different kind of crying. A giving up cry. She knows that she can't help me now and it's breaking her heart. I hug her and she cries quietly. She pulls me off her lap and crouches down until she is my height, her hands on my shoulders. "I'll be fine, I'll be fine," I say to her, more to convince myself than convince her.

"Remember that time I took you hunting, remember what I taught you. Take advantage of whatever you can. Try, Prim. Try for me." She says, hugging me tightly. I nod and she kisses my forehead. I can't take much more of this. I'm going to start crying.

"Go see Peeta," I say in a wavering voice. She nods quietly and hugs me again. Then she leaves. I run to my mother, standing, watching near the door. She strokes my hair and hugs me back, but she's a million miles away.

"Mom, mom!" I cry, desperate to say goodbye to her, and not whatever silent being is standing in front of me. "Mom, wake up! Please. I'm going to die. Say goodbye to your daughter." She pulls me closer but there's nothing there. Her eyes are far away and she can't come back to me. Not even to say goodbye. To see me in person for the last time.

I pat her hand and lead her to the door. She doesn't register me as I lead her to the hall. A Peacekeeper eyes me as if he dares me to try and leave. But I won't. I go back into the room and sit on the velvet couch, my eyes opened wide, so as not to cry. try to focus on anything else. The carved design on the door. The way the wool of the rug has moved. The fancy designs on the wallpaper. The shine of the gold on my pin. If I strain my ears, I can just about make out what Katniss is saying in the room next to me. She's telling him to be careful, to not make any dumb mistakes, asking why he would do that. He's promising to protect me. How's she going to take this? She has to lose one or both of us. 

We ride in a car to the train station. I've never been in a car before, we always go on foot. It's a smooth ride, except for the bumps, where I have to grip the side of the car so I don't crash into Effie. She's talking about how lucky we are to be experiencing all of this luxury. Maybe I'm missing something because I don't feel lucky. And one look from Peeta tells me he doesn't feel lucky either.