When I Died

Chapter 2

We start to descend and slow down. I look out the window for the first look at my 'new home'.

It is a beautiful modern mansion with pristine green gardens and a pool, tennis court and even a building for what I think was a day spa.

It didn't matter to me though. It could have been a castle for all I care but I was still trapped there, away from my family whom I had the impression, Coin would tell I'm dead. When really I was in paradise, living it up.

Tears fill my eyes but I quickly wipe them away. I can't let her see me cry.

'You will find a small amount of food in the cupboards already and the water tank has a small amount of water in it. That shall last you for a few days until someone can bring you more.'

I nod, still staring out the window at the beautiful house. I notice a landing pad and a runway farther down the garden. We head towards the helicopter pad.

As we land silently, the president stares at me. I try to avoid her gaze. It's as sharp as a hawks.

Suddenly, I have a sudden burst of courage.

'Why are you doing this?' I ask.

'I have a plan.'

'What sort.'

She stares at me intensely and this time, I stare back.

'A plan for Katniss, a plan for the Capitol. This is a length I have to take to make sure that plan works.'

She wears an expression which could only mean the conversation is over. My courage fades.

We jump out of the helicopter and I look around. The place is even more amazing from the ground. The neat green gardens I had seen from the helicopter were filled with red and white roses and as we walk towards the house I notice the pool I had seen, was a beautiful sky blue with a dolphin mosaic on the bottom. I notice another, smaller, pool which I think is a spa.

As we get closer to the house, I can see it more clearly. It's a modern style house, reminding me of the Capitols buildings. It is 3 stories, with what looks like a open air living room on the top floor.

'Kitchen and dining room on the ground floor, bedrooms & en suits on the second and entertainment space on the 3rd floor. There's a basement but all it has in it is a few old books if I remember correctly.'

'You mean a library?'

'If you want to call it that...'

A feeling of excitement grows in me. There was a library and a bookshop in town but Katniss would never let me go into either of them.

My heart twangs at the thought of Katniss.

'I will be leaving shortly or else I may be missed, Someone will bring you food and your possessions in a few days, any requests?'

I start to shake my head then stop, thinking of one that I didn't know whether they'd let me have. I may as well try.

'Well, I'm not sure whether you'll let me have it but... Is there any chance I could have my cat, Buttercup? Please?'

She looks at me, thinking.

'I suppose, it may give you a little company. Alright. Anything else?'

I stop to think. If I took my mothers photo frame, she'd most likely notice, and they would most likely not let me have it, but I really needed at least a photo of my family.

'Can I have a picture of my family, Katniss and Mum and me?'

'Of course, I'll bring you one of each.'

'Thank you.'

She hands me a thin notebook.

'Anything you need to know about the mansion is in here, you have access to all the channels in the Capitol and if you go into the SC menu, all the main security cameras in the districts, in order of district number.'

All the security cams? What type of person wants to spy on people? Then I realize that it most likely meant that I could see my family, no matter where they were.

Tears fill my eyes and this time I can't help but cry. Coin looks over me with a face of steel.

'Oh, don't cry. I hate crying.'

I try to stop but it's hard. I manage to pull myself together and I wipe away my tears.

Coin looks me up and down.

'You are definitely 12 aren't you? You barely look 10.'

'Yes, how else would my name have been in the hunger games?'

'Mmm...'

We walk inside the house. I gasp. It is my dream house. The room we just stepped into is an open air kitchen and dining room. the kitchen has marble bench tops, an island, and a stainless steel dishwasher and fridge. A dishwasher! I had only ever seen one in district 13's hospital kitchen. A stove/oven sits next to the fridge and a vase of flowers gives the room the scent of roses. Katniss would hate it. She hated the scent of roses. I think it reminded her of president snow.

Coin shows me how to work the oven and dishwasher and then leads me to an elevator. She presses the number 2. The elevator moves as soon as the doors close. We're there in 2 seconds.

Upstairs is even more amazing. There are 5 bedrooms, a master bed in 2 and singles in the 3 others. Each one has a small TV.

"This one's yours." Coin says, showing me into a girlie pink bedroom with a king single bed with a pink and purple stripy doona. "There's an electric blanket, as it sometimes gets very cold here.Walk in wardrobe it there and en-suit in there. All the makeup you could want is in the cupboard in there and you will find a bunch of clothes in your size in the wardrobe.''

Suddenly, a thought occurs to me.

'Did you know I was coming here?'

Coin looks at me thoughtfully.

'Yes and no. It was a backup plan in case things didn't go to plan.'

Obviously, things didn't go to plan.

She walks back to the elevator and I follow. This time she presses the number 3. Again, the elevator moves into action as soon as the doors close.

The top level is even more amazing. It's open air as I thought, with automatic sliding windows. There is a pool table in one corner next to a ping-pong table and a chess table. There's a cupboard full of board games and another full of DVDs, video games, documentary's, and a few books. In another corner is an art stand and a cupboard underneath opens to reveal twenty blank canvases and 5 different types of paints. I look around, puzzled. There isn't a TV.

Coin must notice me looking because she passes me a remote. On the top is a button with two arrows pointing away from each other. I press it. As soon as I do a part of the wall retracts to reveal a enormous TV. My jaw drops. It is huge. 4 times bigger than the tv in our house in the victors village. It practically takes up the whole wall.

2 brown, felt, couches sit, facing the tv, as well as a love-seat and two armchairs. A contemporary coffee table sits in front of them. I push another button. A small cupboard slides open, revealing a video game console and a 3D DVD player.

Coin hands me a booklet from the coffee table.

"Here's all you need to know about anything. I need to leave or I will be missed."

I follow her back down to the helicopter. She turns to me.

"Primrose. I don't care what you do to fill your time, I don't care what you do to the mansion, just don't try to get back. I will bring you plenty of food and the water tank has plenty of water. Just, whatever you do, don't come back."

Tears fill my eyes but I blink them away. I don't want her to see me crying again.

She gets in the helicopter.

"Remember, in one week someone will bring you food and water and your possessions."

I nod. The helicopter? lifts up and in two seconds, has disappeared into the distance.

I'm on my own. Without warning, I burst into tears.