The Game to End all Games [COMPLETED]

Chapter 3

The day of the Reaping:

I sleep late and the sun is high in the sky by the time I am bathed. Mother has laid out my outfit for me on my bed. It is the same one that I wore 3 years ago. I pull the blouse over my head and fit the skirt around my waist. I no longer need safety pins to hold it in place. I look at myself in the full length mirror, searching for the young girl who last wore this outfit. But the one staring back at me has seen too much and knows the pain that only comes when you're teetering at the edge of a black abyss. But you don't fall. I tuck the back of the shirt in but don't quack. I'll show the whole country that I'm strong on my own if I need to.

Katniss leaves early for her meeting with Effie before the Reaping. Mother accompanies me to the square but I have to leave her as I am directed to the roped off area in the middle designated for the 15 year olds. Katniss sits smartly on a seat between Peeta and Effie. She is holding Peeta's hand. I hop from foot to foot, my anxiety rising. The mayor's words go over my head and I hardly notice Effie bounding from her seat. She is dressed in a short, velvety green dress and perched on top of her head is what appears to be a bright orange plant. The sight of her frivolous outfit puts a smile on my face, even under the circumstances.
"Happy Hunger Games!" she squeals excitedly. "And may the odds be ever in your favour," She bounds across to the bowl containing my name, the words: "Ladies first," following her. I close my eyes as she plunges her hand in amongst the thousands of slips of paper. I open them as she pulls one out and unfolds it. She pauses and draws breath. All of the excitement visibility drips off her face and she calls out the victim's name.
"Primrose Everdeen," she whispers into the microphone.