Catching Fire: Prim [Completed]

Chapter 3: One Future

Roses and blood. Where did the scents come from? Roses are a bit odd, and blood?

The door to the study opens, and at first I'm afraid it's Snow all over again. But it's just Mother.

"Don't worry Mother, it was fine. He just came to wish me luck!" I tell her as I feign a smile, in hopes of keeping her calm.

I look out the window to see some cars pull up. It's the reporters. Mother and I exit the study, and hurry to the door.

The reporters are allowed a few questions each. Peeta, who has just come over, answers them with ease. I don't know if it's my quiet personality or the fact that Snow just gave death threats, but I'm not so eloquent during the question session. It ends soon though, and I'm left again to my thoughts.

Who am I going to tell this to? Katniss. It has to be Katniss. No. Not Katniss. I really don't want to break the news to her, she needs to act super in love with Peeta. So not Peeta either. Cinna? Not Cinna, he's already...kinda in trouble. Mother? She'll be worried sick to her stomach. That only leaves Haymitch. He's my mentor after all, and I hope he's still up for mentoring me in...this stuff I got into.

I go back into the house to find that Mom has prepared a bath for me. I relax, wishing the tub could expand into a lake.

After the games, Katniss had told me there was something she wanted to share with me. She had taken me into the woods, to a lake. She said that was her special place with Dad. I knew that meant a lot to Katniss so the fact she shared it with me meant a lot.

She taught me how to swim that day. Even if i'm not that good, it felt amazingly calm and relaxing. Just like I feel in this bath right now.

The door opens and I sigh, I don't have any privacy, even during a bath. My prep team comes in, fresh with enthusiasm as always.

"Prim! You've grown!"

"Did you do anything to your hair? Your nails?"

"I...didn't cut anything, didn't dye anything, nothing at all."

"Good, then let's get started!"

The prep team starts getting to work with me, fixing my hair and nails. As they do so, they continue to talk incessantly.

"These games were so exciting, everyone loved it!"

"The Victory Tour- everyone is waiting for it. They are excited!"

"After the tour, the Quarter Quell is coming up!"

"Prim! Isn't it exciting?! You get to be a mentor for the next Quarter Quell!"

Oh right. the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell is a special type of games, held ever 25 years. They always have some type of twist, making them more miserable and gruesome. Haymitch won the last quarter quell, the 50th. He never talks about it, to me nor Peeta.

Mom comes in and shyly says hi. She then informs the prep team that Cinna sent her in, and had asked her to show the prep team how she did my hair during the games. The prep team get's all excited- like little children. Their eyes are full of curiosity and merriment as Mom does my hair. After that's done, the prep team adds finishing touches to my hands and hair. That's all the prep team was ordered to do, hands and hair, since the rest of my body will be covered in an outfit.

I walk downstairs to find Cinna, which comforts me. Cinna and I've been talking on the phone a lot recently. It's funny we have a phone because although we have one, no one else does, and so it has no use. I never used it until Cinna started calling me. To start working on my talent. Every victor has one, it's a required thing. Peeta's is painting, and I still had to figure out my own. Mother had me try baking, flower arranging, and the flute. I loved all three, and was actually pretty good at them. We just went with the flute in the end. Healing is really my thing but we didn't think anyone would find it a cool talent to watch nor listen to.

Cinna hands me my outfit, telling me to go change. Warm and thick black pants, a comfy white shirt, a soft sweater with the colors green blue and grey. Laced leather boots that don't hug my feet too tight, I love it. It's a perfect outfit for the weather. I change, then Cinna hands me cards to read during the filming.

Effie arrives with a bright orange wig- too bright in my opinion- and reminds everyone that we're on a schedule, and we should be punctual. The filming crew comes in and starts to record, which makes me nervous. This is the inciting incident of the Victory Tour, it all kicks off here. The tour determines who will live, and who will not.

I start to say meaningless things straight off the cards, hoping everyone will be convinced. Katniss is home too, and people are interviewing her. She seems extremely nervous and I'm a bit worried for her. She's never been a talkative person, nor someone to reveal her feelings.

Cinna starts to put a coat on me, and so I raise my arms so he can put it on comfortably. The coat is furry, furry, and...furry. It's all fur, inside out. He hands me some leather gloves, a bright red scarf, then a pair of earmuffs.

"You'll bring earmuffs back into style~," Cinna comments. As Cinna leaves my side, Katniss comes in and hands me something. It's the Mockingjay Pin.

"For luck," she tells me.

"We're on air soon!" Effie exclaims as she literally shoves Katniss and I out the door. I am greeted with slippery, icy and snowy floor. The snow reminds me of...well, Snow. Then his words pop up in my head. Convince me. I have to do well. I just have to.

Peeta comes out of his home and I run towards him. He gives me a hug, and I see Katniss walking behind me from the corner of my eye. She gives a kinda awkward hug to Peeta, then I just pull everyone into a group hug. All I'm thinking is I'm dead. I can't do this. I don't know what to do.

About a half hour later, we're all at the train station, giving our good byes. Mom's there, Gale's there, Rory's there. Rory gives me a hug, but I just kinda stand there stiffly. I can't even meet Rory's eye. His life depends on my every decision, on my every move. And I'm so scared of what will happen to him, he's my best friend and I don't want to lose him.

We board onto the train, and soon we're heading off to the Capitol. There's the meal with the original crew- Cinna, Portia, Peeta, Haymitch, Effie and I, with the addition of Katniss. After the meal comes the washing, the changing, then...me sitting on a cushy sofa as I wait for everyone to go to bed. I need to talk to Haymitch.

I get to Haymitch's room and the first thing I know is...he's drunk. Like that's gonna be a lot of help. I go in anyways, and Haymitch just mutters gibberish under his breath.

"Haymitch, I need your help," I start, unsure if he's in the state to give me advice. Haymitch just continues his incoherent monologue, but I continue anyways. He's getting more sober, at least I think so. "Haymitch, please. Just for this trip, I need your help," I plead.

"It doesn't end here sweetheart, it never does," he mumbles as he reaches for another bottle of...whatever stuff he drinks. I snatch the bottle out of his hands, no way he's getting drunker.

"What do you mean 'it never ends'?"

"These games, they never end. You're going to be mentors- you, Peeta, and Katniss. No more life in District 12. You're trapped. You're trapped in the games forever,"

"B-but I still get to stay home, right? And go to school a-and see me friends an-"

"None of that, if you want to live," he starts, jabbing a finger into my chest. "You have one future, and it's not in District 12."

~A/N~ Don't worry, it'll get better. I promise.

-Monica