Hunger Games

II

Me, my sister, and Sage were standing in the town square, and the girl beside me was biting her hand. "First the girls." Effie Trinket's abnormally annoying voice said. She mixed up the paper's with one hand holding on to that hideous wig of her's. "Primrose Everdeen." She chirped happily. My face drained from colour. My hands clenched into fists, I stayed rooted to the spot. "Primrose? Come on sweetheart, up you get." She said in her hideous Capitol accent, as the audience made a path for me. I started walking up slowly. "Prim!" My sister yells. "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" Katniss screamed from be222hind me. "No!" I screamed back, wrapping my skinny arms around her."No Katniss! No! You can't go!" I screamed. "Prim let go." Katniss said sternly when that absolute RAT of a person, Gale pulled me back. Katniss started walking up to the stage. "Well usually we ask for volunteers," Effie muttered. "But what's your name?" Effie said in her normal chirpy voice. "Katniss Everdeen." My sister said sort of shakily but still strong. "Oh, you're her sister!"Effie said. Instead of the audience clapping, (like usual) one man started to press three fingers from his left hand to his lip and raised it in the air. Everyone else did so too. It's an old sign from District 12, this often being a way of showing respect. Effie looked stunned.

"Anyways, now the boys." Effie said, her hand planted on her wig that was shifting to the side. She didn't even bother mixing the names, she just pulled the one she first touched. "Peeta Mellark." She said, as a boy with blond hair and round blue eyes walked up. He was steady. "Any volunteers?" Effie said. Everyone was silent. Even his older brothers. I looked at the boy. I recognized him. 'Oh he is the baker's son!' I thought, remembering his icing cookies. My sister was staring at him. 'What was she thinking?' The two shook hands, his blue eyes locked on her green ones.

District 12's only living victor, Haymitch, suddenly got out of his seat. He placed his hand on Katniss and said "I like this one." We could tell Haymitch was very drunk. Probably reeking of liquor. He picked up his hand and staggered a bit then fell off the stage.

We went into the justice building to see my sister. As we walked in, she was sitting on a red fabric loveseat with tears brimming in her eyes as she desperately attempted to hide them. "Hey Katniss," I said. "Hey Prim." Katniss said. "You have to win, Katniss." I whispered to her. Then I hugged her until I had to let go. She had to get on the train now which would lead to the Capitol. "Goodbye." I whispered. I started walking out of the Justice Building and down the road. I didn't even bother telling mum where I was going, I had to get to Gale. I needed to talk to him.

I got to Gale's house and knocked on the door. His mum, Hazel, answered the door. "Oh hello Prim." She said, "I need to talk to Gale." I said not even bothering to ask if I could come in. I ducked under her arm and called out for Gale. "He is out in the woods right now." Hazel said in a whisper. "Do you know when he will be back?" I asked. "I'm not sure." Hazel told me. I told her thank you and walked out of the house.

I was going to the woods. I have been in the woods, but only in secret to see my best friend Rue. I got to the electric fence and my hair touched it. Worried my hair was fried I checked it. Nothing. I bent down and got a ZeAsTy LeAf. I carefully touched the leaf to the fence. I guess it is not turned on. I found a little hole and rolled under it. I was in the woods. I walked around a little but then I saw Gale. He was crying. I had never seen Gale cry before. He saw me staring at him and he immediately wiped his eyes. "Prim what are you doing here?" He seemed as if he had been crying for a while. "I came to talk to you." I said sitting on the rock across from him. "What do you want, Prim? You can tell me anything." He said making sure his voice didn't break. "I want to learn to hunt in case Katniss dies in the Games." I said strongly. Gale was shocked. "Don't talk like that." He murmured with his head down. I saw a tear splash on the ground. "Get yourself together!" I snapped at him. I realised what escaped my mouth and covered my mouth immediately. Gale only laughed. "Nice advice." Gale said, standing up and wiping his face with his sleeve. "You never answered my question. Will you teach me how to hunt?" I said sternly. "I'vE nEvEr SeEn ThIs SiDe Of YoU UwU. And yes, I'll teach you how to hunt." He said quietly. "Thank you." I said. I turned on my heel and walked off, leaving Gale behind me.

I took another ZeAsTy LeAf to see if the gate was on. Nothing. I rolled under the gate and sat in the meadow. I miss my best friend Rue from District 11. She had to go back to 11 for the reaping. "I dOn'T tHiNk ShE wIlL gEt PiCkEd, BuT i'M wOrRiEd." I said out loud.

After a little while of sitting in my thoughts, I got up, dusted my skirt off, and started walking home trying not to think about Rue getting picked or Katniss and Rue having to fight. Then, a horrible thought came to mind. 'wHaT iF rUe GeTs PuLlEd AnD dIeS?' I thought. She is my only friend other than my cat,goat, and sister.

I got home and switched on the television. I never watch television unless it is something all of Panem has to watch. I'm going to try to find where my sister is. I found a video of her, Peeta, Effie, and Haymitch entering a train. 'They must be riding through the districts to get to the Capitol.' I thought.

I found a new program where it showed footage of all of the reapings. I had missed a lot of it so it was on the boy for District 10. After the two District 10 people shook hands, it switched to 11. They started with the boy for some odd reason. A boy named Tresh was pulled, nobody volunteered. After they called for Thresh, they switched to the girls. The reaper stuck her hand in, mixed the names and pulled out the paper. She flattened the paper out and called the name. It was Rue. She walked up to the podium, not even bothering to hide her scared expression. The cameras shifted to Rue's little sisters and mother, all of them with tears in their eyes. I turned the television off, feeling the tears form in my eyes as well.

***

Today was the day. It has been a day and a half since our reaping. I knew today I would get to see Katniss on television. Today was the day where all the stylists make all the tributes look pretty so people can start betting. District 12 usually gets the worst outfits. The getup you usually see is both tributes in coal miner's outfits. But, there also is another one. Completely naked, head to toe, smothered in black dust. I have a good feeling about this one though, something I think has never been done before. Something extraordinary.

About an hour and a half later I picked up the remote and turned on the television. I sat on the couch, my head resting on my Mother's shoulder. They start with District 1 and end with District 12. I let my thoughts take over until I hear Cesar Flickerman's voice say District 10. A few seconds later Rue and Thresh roll out in their carriage. 'Wow, Rue looks great!' I thought. Then, my sister came out. She looked amazing. My mother let out a gasp when her and Peeta came out. They had black outfits on and they were on fire. The head pieces, everything. They looked amazing. Peeta looked at Katniss and said something the camera's could not pick up. But Katniss nodded her head and they held hands and raised their clasped hands in the air, while the other tributes looked as if the other was not even on the chariot. "Wow, I love that, I love that!" Said Cesar Flickerman. "They are proud to be District 12. I love that." Once the chariots all reached Snow's mansion, the television showed all of the tributes, Katniss and Peeta getting the most time on camera. Snow said a few things that I didn't quite catch and it cut off.4