My heart leaps in my throat as the five-name syllable is called out and projected into the speakers. Resonating for the rest of District 12 to hear. Anyone but her. Primrose. My beautiful delicate twelve-year old daughter.
I hear some of the men and women next to me sigh in relief, another year can pass without their child having to compete in the slaughter. While some murmur unhappily as they do when any twelve-year old gets selected. As for me, I do neither but hold onto the little hope I have left. I feel Hazelle Hawthorne give my hand a reassuring and comforting squeeze, but before I can turn to face her—
“I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!”
I scan the crowd of teenagers and my eyes quickly find my other daughter, Katniss. She pushes past the two blocking Peacekeepers and holds Prim in a tight embrace. Maybe all is not lost after all. She tells Prim ‘to get away from here’ which only resorts into her shrieking hysterically, begging Katniss to stop her from taking her place.
Gale suddenly appears and lifts Prim up. She begins to thrash and scream about in his arms, reaching out for her sister.
A flock of Peacekeepers surround Katniss as she begins to makes her way towards the stage. Districts 12’s very first volunteer, is what I hear Effie say before Gale hands me a sobbing Prim.
I give him a small smile before I hold her protectively. Her silent tears of sadness and relief leaking into the material of my dress.