Prim's Games

Chapter 9-PRIM

The boom of the cannon shakes us awake. "I wonder who that was and how they died." says Rue.

"I guess we'll find out who it is tonight. Anyway, it's good in a way, because it'll keep the Gamemakers from deciding the Games are too slow hopefully. It's sad though that someone has to die to give the rest of us temporary protection. " I say.

"Yeah. It's not fair. Anyway, I'll get us some breakfast. Can you get some berries or something to go with it?" Rue asks.

"Sure." I say and when we come back we eat the berries and suck out an egg each. Not Capitol food, but it tastes amazing to me.

"Are you ready to do it?" asks Rue. She looks so excited and eager.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Today we're gonna take out the Career Tributes' food. I don't have a plan yet, but maybe we can hunt while coming up with one." We go out and she says she's spied on them a few times. They camp at the lake with their food stash about thirty yards from it. During the day, they leave the boy from 3 to guard it. He has a spear, nothing else, so with luck on our side we could take him out. We agree that something's not right about it but we don't know what.

"How would you get rid of the food Rue?" I ask.

"I don't know. Burn it. Dump it in the lake. Eat it!" she jokes. And we try to come up with a strategy while getting berries and roots. I learn more about Rue, the oldest of six, who gives her food rations to the younger ones, who forages in a district of harsher Peacekeepers than ours, who loves music more than anything else. "Do you have a lot of time for music?" I ask her.

"Well we sing at home. And at work. I love the mockingjays, they're sort of my friends back at home." By lunch we have a plan, and we're ready to try it by early afternoon. I help Rue collect and place wood for three campfires. I insist Rue takes most of the food, so if I'm killed she's well stocked. At the last minute, she teaches me a four note signal that I can whistle to the mockingjays, and they'll repeat it. If I hear it, it'll mean she's okay but she can't come back right away.

"If everything goes okay I'll see you for dinner. Be careful Rue." I say. We hug, switch the knife and rock again and she says "You too Prim." I go downhill off the stream to the tracker jacker nest. I stop to replenish my water and add iodine. I'm close to the Career camp now, and I walk, knife in hand in case someone attacks me. I'm so scared. Katniss would be better at this, she wouldn't be a scared bundle of nerves like I am.

I find the tree Rue told me she'd spied from. She's so clever. The tree is large, and I'd get a clear view of the lake, without being spotted. I climb it and watch the camp. There are four tributes. The boy from 1, both from 2 and the boy from 3. The Cornucopia sits where it was, but there's nothing on the inside. Most of the supplies are in a pyramid that's a confusingly large distance from the camp. Others are sprinkled around it, mimicking the original Cornucopia layout. It's probably booby trapped.

I shift around, trying to think of what it might be, and a twig cracks. It's a very slight noise, but enough to draw the attention of the Careers. They start coming near me, all of them armed. I scramble up a little higher, but it won't offer much protection. I'm scared. I ruined everything, and now Rue and I will be gone and it's all my fault.

"Listen. Whoever you are, come out, and it's an easy death. Don't and it'll be all the worse for you." the boy from 1 says. I only have one knife and can't take them all. I can however cause some collateral damage. I throw the knife and it hits the girl from 2 in the chest. She falls over, a cannon fires, and the Careers start to climb. I can't believe I actually killed her. I'm a monster. I deserve to die. I don't know what I was thinking, but if by some miracle if I make it out alive, I'll never be able to forgive myself.

They make it, and take me down. I try to struggle, but it's worthless. "Any last words Primrose?" the boy from one says, his knife at my throat.

"I'm sorry Mom. I'm sorry Katniss. I couldn't do it," I direct my next words to the Careers "And I'm so sorry about her." I gesture to the girl I killed.

"Okay. Now you can join that other boy from your district. Don't look so shocked. Of course he was the kill this morning." he says. I can't believe Archer is dead. Kind of predictable if he went with the Careers but still. His knife begins to cut, and the boy from 3 shouts "Wait! I have a better idea." he whispers something to the others, who nod.

"Change of plans." he says. He grabs me like I weigh no more than a sack of flour and throws me at a spot on the ground. Before I can register what's going on, there's an explosion, an instant of pain and then nothing.