The Hunger Games - Part 4

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The Hunger Games - Part 4
"Prim!", I yelled out. She had run up the stairs before I could say anything else. She was not happy with me. I wasn't happy with her either though. She had just told me that she wants to be a carreer in the hunger games this year, and how else am I suppossed to react when she tells me that? After being in the games two years in a row, I could never let any of my children go through that. On top of Prim teling me that she would like to be a carreer, it is the day of the reaping, and she just turned twelve. Thank goodness her little brother Fin is only six. I still have a while to not have to worry about him being old enough to be in the reaping. On the other hand, nothing is making me more nervous about the slightest chance of Prim's name being called. Although it wouldn't be the first time the name of Prim Rose would have been called. 
A little over fourteen years ago, that same name was called, but instead of it being my daughter's, it was my little sister's name. That was the day that I volunteered in her place and became a participant of the seventy fourth hunger games. There is no way of persuading Prim to not volunteer. She is quite hard headed, but she gets that honestly. I go upstairs to not tell, but beg. She knows thats how I lost many great friends, and also the reason why her aunt is dead. "Prim, you know my connection to the games. You have heard all my stories and hardships. What in the world would make you want to volunteer in this horrific way of entertaining the capitol? We don't need the money, we don't need any more fame, and we certainly don't need any more deaths in this family." Prim looked at me with her beautiful big blue eyes. She replies, "Mommy, I want to prove to the world that im not just a little harmless girl who was born from the strongest and most powerful woman in all of the districts. I can hunt, I can shoot a bow just like you, and I know all your secrets to surviving. I want to be just like you."
Prim is just like me. There is no other girl that would explain in the way she just did about how passionate she is about being in the games. "Prim, if you leave me and volunteer for these games, I don't know what I will do. You are my world. I've already lost my father and my sister. I cannot lose my one and only daughter. Do you understand that? I know you want to prove yourself to the world, but is it really worth hurting your mother? Please, just think about it. I couldn't live without you." "Okay mommy, I will think about it." "Thank you, now get ready. I layed out your outfit on your bed." I walked downstairs after that. Now what? Just wait for the reaping to come and hope she picks the right choice? This is so stressful. I can't believe Peeta convinced me to have kids. Now I have to break the news to him about Prim's decision. 
"Peeta! You down there?" "Yup! I'm right here hon." Here it goes... "Your daughter wants to be a carreer in the games this year." "WHAT?" "Thats what I said. So if she volunteers at the games, don't be suprised. I tried to talk her out of it." I said. "What is she thinking? She's just now telling you this? Why?" I told him everything we talked about. He freaked out, but I told him thats the price of having kids. They make their own decisions, but sometimes, you can't stop them. I told him to stop watching tv and come upstairs to get ready for the reaping. But before getting in the shower, he had to go talk to Fin and make sure he was also getting ready. "Hey Fin! Did you take your bath yet?" said Peeta. "Yes, daddy. Now im trying to put my tie on, but I can't figure out how to tie it!" "I gotcha' son." Peeta helped him with his tie, then sat him down. "Are you ready for the reaping today?" "Yes, daddy. I hope no one I know gets picked. That would be bad." "Yes, me too." Was all Peeta said. He then patted Fin on the back and went to go put on his suit.
We were all ready to hop in the car and drive to the reaping. Prim was in her beautiful white dress with the blue bow around the waist and her matching bow in her long blonde wavey hair. Fin was looking quite dashing in his little black pinstriped suit and blue tie to match his sister and his dark brown hair slicked to the side. We have to look good! After all we are the most famous people in all of the districts including the capitol. Peeta was looking slick in his black plain suit with his black tie. I was wearing a knee - length, flowy, white dress and my hair back in its traditional braid. Traditional was the look we were going for. But no matter how hard we try to blend in, it never works. I call everyone to the car, and we were off. Watch out reaping, here come the Mellarks. 
We pull up to the reaping in our sleak black car. We are almost the only people in town with a car besides for the mayor, Haymitch, or my mom. We gave my mom my house next door to Peeta's house, which is the house we live in. She loves the house and uses it as a hospital to treat all the sick people in district twelve. We all get out of the car and immediately everyone in the town looks and starts yelling, "There is Katniss!", "Hey look at Prim's dress!", "Aww Fin is so cute!", "Peeta looks so dashing today!", and a lot of other compliments that we have all gotten used to. We walk over and wait for the names to be called. Effie Trinket walks onto the stage, looking as plastic as ever, and starts to speak. "Hello people of district twelve! It is now time to call names for the eighty eighth hunger games! For the boys, Will Hastings!" A boy about the age of fourteen walks up to the stage and looks very frightened. It brings back horrible flash backs. "And now for the girls, we have Prim Mellark." Everyone gasps.
She looks at me with mixed emotions. As she starts to walk towards the stage, a seventeen year old girl named Alexis Peterson yells, "I volunteer to take Prim's place in the hunger games!" and runs towards the stage. I burst out in tears and hold Prim in my arms. Later, I go into talk to Alexis before we take off for the capitol. I thank her for taking the place of Prim and her answer, "It is the least i can do for the woman who made this world a better place." I sit there and think, too bad i could not get rid of the hunger games. Peeta and I go say goodbye to Prim, Fin, and my mother before we take off for the capitol to train our new participants in the eighty eighth hunger games. Unfortunately, we have done this way too many times. It's just another day in the life of Katniss and Peeta Mellark, the couple who changed the world.