The Hunger Games - Peeta P.O.V

Chapter 3.0

As I am hurried into a room in the justice building, my eyes are marveled at the beauty. I've never seen anything quite like it. The value of all the stuff in this room is probably the same as the whole of district twelve. Well, that's probably a slight exaggeration, but you get what I mean. 

I take a seat on the luxurious plush sofa in the middle of the room, whilst staring at the grandfather clock in the corner, tick, tick, ticking away. Each tick is a second closer to my death.

All I can think about is Katniss, how is she fairing? Is she thinking me? Probably not. But I'm thinking of her....What about Prim? How is she coping? She's about to say goodbye to her big sister, the one who keeps her alive. But not for too long, because I'll do everything and anything to make sure she returns home alive.

The door bursts open and in comes a hysterical Phil, Jake, my Father and Mother. This is the first time I've ever seen my father cry, and the first time my mother has shown any emotion towards me besides hatred. She may not be as upset as you would expect a mother who is about to lose her child to these horrific games should be, but she is still upset nonetheless, which means she does care about me. A little is better than not at all i guess. Seeing them in this state breaks my heart into two. My father opens his arms and I walk into them. Phil, Jake and Mother join the hug, and for the first time since the reaping I feel reality dawning on me; tears start trickling down my cheeks. I love my family to pieces, but I know what I must do, which, unfortunatly, comes with the slight twist of never seeing them again.

After what seems like hours, but is in fact mere seconds, my father pulls away from the hug, takes my face in his hands and stares into my now red and puffy eyes, his in a similar state, although he has so many emotions mixed into them. Sadness, pain, heartbreak; I can read them like a book.

"Peeta, now listen to me. You're strong. You know what it feels like to go without food, which is an advantage over the richer districts. Learn some survival skills. They could be the difference between life and death. But most importantly, make sure you come back." Tears threaten to take over his voice, so I stop him.

"I'll try, I promise." I say. But I know deep down, no matter how hard I try, even if i was trying to win, I wouldn't have a hope in the world of returning home alive.

We don't have much time left, so I go round saying my last goodbyes to everyone. Jake throws himself at me, choking on his own tears.

"I... It sho...sho...should have be...been me. I'm s...so so s...s...sorry, Peeta. I...I should... I sho...should ha....have take..taken your place. I... I'm s...sorry I...I could...couldn't pro...pro...protect you." He manages to pull himself together for his last sentence, something he has never said to me before, which brings tears to my eyes,

"I love you, little brother." He pulls me in for one last hug, then let's go as I still have to say goodbye to Phil and mother. I say goodbye to mother first as I know it will be quick. I give her a hug, and she whispers something in my ear that I can only just make out.

"District twelve might finally have a winner this year." I pull away, slightly confused, but thankful for what I think to be kindness, and she backs away, signifying that that was the end of our goodbye. Now i only have Phil left. I'm about to give him a big hug, but its too late. The peacekeepers come marching in to drag them out, as our time for goodbyes was over. Just before the large oak doors close, I hear Phil scream, "I love you so much, little bro. See you soon!"

The doors slam and they're gone. Silence echo's around the room. That was the last time I will see them. Phil's words set me off; now I'm crying a river. At first I tried to resist the tears, as there will be cameras at the train station, and having red puffy eyes from crying will make me seem weak. I couldn't care less right now. My family mean too much to me.

I'm not really expecting anyone else to come, yet I'm not surprised when Joe, my best friend, comes to say his farewells. Its not that I didnt want him to say goodbye, its just that I didn't think he would want to visit, not since he had to do this before. It brings back bad memories to him.

Three years ago, his sister was reaped. His twin sister. They shared a special bond to which no one could compare. She was his world, and he was hers. She survived for eleven days in the arena; turns out she was a pretty skilled hunter and knew all the survival tricks in the book. On the eleventh day, when it was down to the final four, the girl she had teamed up with from the beginning murdered her in her sleep. She was too young to die, only thirteen years old. Well that's what happens in the games. Innocent lives are lost too soon.

I can tell he doesn't want to be here. He has never been the same since she died. Now he's going to lose his best friend as well.

We don't have long, as my family were here for so long. Neither of us has much to say. Joe bursts into tears, and I know he doesn't want to stay long as it brings back too many bad memories. I give him a quick hug and tell him I will try to win. He can't go thinking that I won't go down without a fight. And fight I will, to keep Katniss alive, that is. Only I know that, and I'm planning to keep it that way.

He has so much pain in his eyes. This can't be easy for him. His sister and now me. As far as the hunger games are concerned, the odds haven't exactly been in his favour.

I can tell he wishes it was him right now, so he could die and be reunited with his sister again. His brother, the same age as Jake, would never let that happen, like Phil with me.

He slips something in my pocket, gives me one last look with those heartbroken eyes and leaves.

The peacekeepers come and escort Katniss and I to the train station. There are cameras everywhere, yet I make no attempt to hide my eyes that state so obviously that I have been crying.

I couldn't care less what anybody makes of it. Thinking about it, maybe acting all weak and everything could be my strategy. It worked for a victor a few years back, Johanna Mason from district seven. She acted all weak; the other tributes just considered her a weak target and left her till the end. When there was only a handful of tributes left, she dropped the weakling act and came out fighting. Who knows, it might work again. But how would I use that to aid me in getting Katniss out alive? I look over at her with her expression as hard as stone, but I know she is only trying to mask all that pain hidden behind. It takes true strength to do that.

Just before we board the train, I breathe in my last breaths from home.

Goodbye district twelve.

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A/N

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