Katniss Everdeen's Daughter

Chapter 8; The Reaping Day

Prim's POV
A couple days later and the whole town is told to meet in the square for some kind of required meeting.
We're not stupid,
We know it's the reaping.
It takes a lot of convincing but I get my family to go before me,
I needed a moment to myself.
I look in the mirror, I am wearing a dark blue dress with an open back, and when my mom and dad leave I decide to throw my curly hair into a braid.
If they're going to take me from my friends and family, I'm not going quietly.
I hear a floorboard creak. Startled I turn around.
Finn is standing there with an unreadable expression, I look at the ground.
I haven't talked to him since the party.
I don't have much to say.
Now I'm gonna have to say goodbye.
I smile up at him sadly.
"Hey Finn,"
I whisper, voice cracking.
He looks at me,
He has tears rolling down his face,
I rush over to him,
"Hey it's gonna be okay,"
I whisper,
He shakes his head,
"No it's not, not if we're not together." He says angrily.
I sigh,
He wraps his arms around my waist and holds me tightly.
"Maybe we're wrong, we don't know for a fact that it is a reaping."
I whisper into his hair,
He laughs but it's not out of humor.
I'm lying, of course we know it's a reaping.
"C'mon Prim, it's a reaping, we all know it."
He whispers.
I sigh and nod.
"A girl can hope can't she,"
I whisper, I look over to the clock behind him.
2:40, the "meeting" starts at 3:00.
It's almost time.
"Listen to me Finn, I might have to do something,"
I start, I'm already crying as I say thing I look up to see him silently sobbing,
"No- there has to be another way,"
He says trying to talk through his broken cries.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart, there is no other way,"
I whisper,
He shakes his head,
"I need you to promise me something, "
I say, trying to keep myself together,
"Anything,"
He mutters in a dark voice,
"Promise me, that no matter what, you'll take care of them, and that you will not volunteer. They can't take loosing both of us,"
He shakes his head angrily,
I nod and he looks at me like his world is falling apart,
"You know it's true, and Finn, let's face it, your the golden boy, the one who everyone loves, they would be so lost without you,"
I whisper with a small smile.
"And they wouldn't without you?"
He asks angrily, I feel his grip on me tighten,
"No, they wouldn't, Finn, your eighteen, they have one chance to get to you, if they don't pick you, don't make it easy for them. After today, your free."
The thought of him being ineligible after this year made me so happy.
I can't live without him.
He stands there silently for a second,
"I'll be lost,"
He mutters,
I know if I don't go now I never will, I pull him closer to me and kiss him,
The only thing I can think of the whole time is that this will probably be our last kiss.
My heart is breaking.
I end the kiss and then walk away leaving him standing in the middle of my room.

Finn's POV
I stand there, trying to get a grip on what's real or not.
What I know for sure is that I can't loose her, she is my everything, I would be so lost without her here.
I wipe my face and then kick her end table in anger.
A snow globe on top of it falls to the floor and shatters.
I fall against the wall and can do nothing but sit there and look at the broken glass.
I look at my watch,
It's 2:50 I have to start moving, I'm gonna be late.
I stand up and walk to the door,
I can't help but think that this might be the last time I stand in this room, before everything is over.
"I love you Prim,"
I whisper, knowing there is no way that she can hear me.
I should have taken her somewhere when I had the chance.
Now there was nothing left for me to do but watch, while my world falls apart.
I walk down the stairs and put the door slamming it, but making sure it was locked like Mrs. M asked me to.
I walk towards the square looking at the terrified people walking in the same direction as me.
I can't help but look at the little kids and think that this might be their last day with their moms and dads,
But it's not, the capital is targeting specific people, and that definitely didn't comfort me.
When I get to the square there are tables set up with Peace keepers taking blood samples from each child. I get in a random line and look to see Prim standing at the front of one, she looks distraught but not necessarily scared.
The last thing I see before she walks to her age group seating is her long dark brown braid.