The Dangers of Love

chapter 3

Katniss stood by a window tapping her fingers, thinking back about everything Peeta had put her threw, when she first met him she thought he was a gentile men but god was she wrong. The door behind her opened and made her jump.

"You have three minutes" a man to her, she spun around prim walked up to her sister with tears in her eyes, their mother hung back and watched the two girls Katniss hugged Prim tightly

"It's ok. Shhh" Katniss said kneeling down so they were eye to eye "Prim, it's ok. Shhh. Prim we don't have much time, Prim listen. Your gonna be ok. Don't take any extra food from them. It isn't worth putting your name in more times, ok? Listen Prim, Gale will bring you game, you can sell cheese from your goat."

"Just try to win. Maybe you can" Prim cried

"Of course. Maybe I can, I am smart, you know"

"You can hunt"

"Exactly" they stared at each other still in shock from what happened, Prim looked down,

"To protect you" she said handing Katniss the Mockingjay pin

"Thank you" she kissed her sister on the head and hugged her one last time, she pulled away and looked up at her mother who hadn't said a word the entire time, she stood up and walked over to her, Prim watched them expecting a fight "you can't tune out again." Katniss told her mother

"I won't"

"No, you can't, not like when dad died. I won't be there anymore. You're all she has. No matter what you feel, you have to be there for her. Do you understand?" her mother nodded, tears glistened in her eyes "don't cry" Katniss pulled her into a tight embrace the first time since everything that went down last year "don't cry. Don't, don't."

The door opens again "it's time" the peacekeeper said, Prim grabbed her sister again

"Prim, it's ok. It's ok, prim" Katniss said as her sister screamed and yelled "I promise Prim!" the door slammed shut. After a minute of silence she walked over to it and opened it peering out of the crack, she closed it again and step back as Gale came pounding in, they hugged "I'm fine" she told him

"Yeah, I know" he said choking back tears

"I am" she reassured him, he pulled back and stared into her eyes

"Listen to me. You're stronger than they are."

"No I'm not" she said weakly

"You are, look at everything you've been through with your dad and that baker" he spat the last word

"That's not going to help me in the arena"

"Get to a bow, that will help"

"They may not have..."

"They will if you show them how good you are." Gale interrupted "they just want a good show. That's all they want. If they don't have a bow than you make one, ok? You know how to hunt"

"Animals" she told him

"It's no different, Katniss"

"There are 24 of us, Gale. Only one comes out."

"Yeah. And its gonna be you" he stared deep into her eyes, the peacekeeper came in and told them there time was up

"Take care of them, Gale. Whatever you do, don't let them starve."

"Let's go" the peacekeeper grabbed Gales are and pulled him to the door

"I'll see you soon, ok?" with that he was yanked out the door, with everything he was unable to say, the one thing that he regretted most not saying "I love you Katniss" he breathed turning to walk back to his house.