"aaaaaaahh!" I gasped coming out of my dream state. I got up saw the cup on the table, the reaping! It's today! Where's Katniss? The woods. Getting dinner, with Gale. I wished she was with me then. I picked up Buttercup, his soft fur caressing my face calmed me. "Are you scared boy?" I asked him quietly my mother turned over in the bed. She started mumbling about Father. He was blown up in a mine accident. Not an uncommon occurrence in District 12. That's where we live. District 12 in Panem. The president says Panem rose after the destruction of North America. I'm not sure I believe that. It's just not real, a place without the games, a place without hunger it just never existed I know it didn't.

It was 9 o'clock, Katniss had probably been in the woods for an hour. I milked my goat, Lady. I remember when Katniss got her for me, but that's a different story. Even Lady a simple goat could tell there was something was wrong. She nuzzled me with her muzzle. "It's ok girl." I hugged her tight.

I figured I might as well help with dinner as well. I went to the meadow. I love the meadow it's my favorite place in all of Panem. My best memory is from when I was 5. My whole family was picnicking in the meadow. My father was singing, my mother was dancing, and Katniss was smiling. I do miss her smile, rarely see it anymore. Years of feeding a family of 3 have hardened her made her, made her stop trusting the world, but I know she loves me. I gathered clovers and dandelions. I also used a rock to get some bark off an oak tree. I went home my mother needed to be readied for the reaping.

When my Father was blown to pieces in the mining accident she kind of lost her will to live. Katniss doesn't want any help from her. She has been returning to me slowly, but she still needs help just to eat, and look presentable. Katniss doesn't say it, but I known she works hard to feed us because she doesn't want us to end up in a community home. Endless years of Hunger have made me strong as well, but I let Katniss protect me it gives her a peace of mind.

"Prim, dear I was worried about you. Where's Katniss?"

"The woods. It's Reaping Day mother. Time to get ready." Her pale blue eyes seemed to have darkened. I know how she feels about the Reaping. Katniss feels the same way. It's the only thing in the world we know, that neither of them can protect me from.

"Oh, fetch me my red dress and the blue on please." I hoped she would let Katniss where one of them. Her dresses from when she lived in town mean the world to her. It would make quite an impression on Katniss. I fetched the dresses for her. I also grabbed a red one that Katniss wore when she was 12. It was big on me, but it was all we had for me. Katniss, nearly a woman now could wear my mothers dress.

"Here mommy, I don't now if this dress will fit me or not." I want her to help me with my dress I could fix it by myself, but my mother likes to assist me, after all I'm her baby.

"Do you want me to pin it for you?"

"Yes, Mommy, please help me." She pins the dress for me, then looks confused and just collapses into bed.

"Mother. Please sit up so I can do your hair." She sits up. I heat the plates. "Thank you." I plate her hair and brush through it. "Don't move." I ask as I'm plating her bangs. She turns her head and I singe a line in her forehead. She jerks back. "Mother! Are you all right?" She doesn't answer. She lets out a small cry. A tear streaks down my face. I run to the cabinet. I grab a few leaves used for cooling. I smashed them, put them in my mouth, chewed till they were a paste. I press them to her forehead. She lets out a sigh of relief.

"What would I do without you, Primrose?"

"I don't know. Let's never find out." The door swung open.

"I'm back." She walks into the room sees my mother lying on the bed, the green mush on her forehead, the tears in my eyes. Her mouth drops open, she realizes this, closes her mouth and her face becomes hard. She turns retreats to the bathroom. She says not to disturb her because she's taking a bath.

" I'm sorry mother. I should have been more careful."

"It's ok, honey. It feels all better now you better go get ready."

"Yes I suppose your right." I comb through my thin blonde hair. I go to the bathroom. Katniss is on the floor, head on knees, I know better than to think she's crying. "Katniss, you need to get ready now."

"Prim, I told you to leave me alone." She's trying to sound angry, but I see straight through her.

"It's 1 o'clock the Reaping is in an hour. Mother wants to do your hair and she is letting you wear a dress of hers." She gives me look like she doesn't believe, but she knows it true. She nodes her head. " Will you tie this ribbon in my hair?" She does and I go off to snuggle Buttercup.

When she emerges from the bathroom she is beautiful. "You look amazing."

"And nothing like myself." I giggle. Katniss is good at making me happy. "Tuck in your tail little duck.

"Quack." I answers back with a giggle.

"Quack yourself. It's time to go to the square." I giggle in a broken sort of way. She has reminded me that today is the day of the reaping. In less than a few hours 2 of us will be on there way to the capitol, on the train of death.

When we get to the square our mother finds a spot in the crowd. I turn to Katniss, "Good luck, I love you what ever happens."

"What ever happens," she agrees. We hug and I go off to the section for 12 year olds. I spot Gale upfront with the 18 year olds. I'm scared for him and for Katniss. I know there's a chance I'll be chosen, but the chances are so slim. I only have one slip in there, just one.

On the stage are 3 chairs 2 of them are full of the mayor and Effie Trinket, district 12's escort from the capitol. She has pink hair and is a plump woman wearing too much lipstick. The third chair meant for Haymitch Abernathy, the only living Victor in District 12. He has a drinking problem and is probably passed out in a field somewhere or something.

The clock stuck 2 and Mayor Donner stepped up to the microphone. He read the list of past victors, they included Haymitch and a man named Jasle Monory. He won the 11th Hunger Games. He began to read the history of Panem. I tuned that out and started to think of too many outcomes of this reaping then of the games, by the time he was done, I was trembling.

That's when Haymitch decided to show up. He went up on stage and tried to give Effie a big, drunken, bear hug. I could now tell that her hair was actually a wig, it had been knocked off center by Haymitch.

Effie Trinket went up to the microphone, "Happy Hunger Games!" She sang in her strange capitol accent. "Now to choose the tributes, ladies first," She waddled over to the reaping ball, in her high heels. She leaned over the ball with one hand on her wig. She reached in, the names swirled around, she locked her manicured hand on a slip pulled it out, and trotted back over to the podium. "The female tribute from district 12 will be Primrose Everdeen." My heart jumped up to my throat, I wanted to run, knew I couldn't. I stood, found my mother's face, her face was already streaked with tears. I began to walk jerkily to the stage. The back of my blouse had come untucked again. What did it matter? As I reached the steps Katniss came up behind me.

"I volunteer. I volunteer as a tribute."

"I won't let you I. . . I want to go." I didn't want to say that but I had to Katniss wasn't giving her life for me.

"I'm sorry, if Primrose wants to go, she may." I marched up the steps, I watched my sister drop to her knees and sob. I could barely handle that sight, tears sprung into my eyes, but I blinked them away. Just then Haymitch got up staggered over to me, and pulled me into his arms. He then pointed to the camera,

"You did this!" He points to Katniss, who has composed herself, but still is in tears, "You did all of this." He waves his arms around. "You. . ." He staggers forward and plummets off the stage. Effie quickly speaks into the microphone again, "Now for our boy tribute." She hurries over to the other reaping ball and grabs the first slip that get in between her fingers. She is at the podium, "Gale Hawthorne" Not Gale! My mind is screaming, my heart is snapping my ribs it's beating so fast. "Lets have it for The Tributes of District 12!" There is silence in the square. Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, presses the 3 middle fingers of his right hand to his lips and holds it out to us. Katniss does the same, then every person in the square does the same. Our silence says we aren't pleased, that we do not agree. The gesture, I haven't seen since my Father's fueneral. It means goodbye, it means, respect. I need to not cry, but one tear does escape my eyes. I'm sure every camera is on my face, so I paste a smile on my lips, and keep my head high.

Then Gale and I are escorted into the Justice Building, where we will say our good byes.