Burning Ash

Part 1 - The Quell



Ch. 1



    The country of Panem has been at ease for quite some time now. The war that took out the Hunger Games and rebelled against the Capitol was nearly twenty-five years ago. My life has been pretty normal. I live in a wonderful home in the Victor’s Village of District Twelve. My parents, Katniss and Peeta, were the victors of the last ever Games. My mother even led the revolution. My father needed to have his leg amputated and get a prosthetic replacement. It doesn’t get in his way too much anymore. He still has brief episodes of identity confusion as a result of being brainwashed by the Capitol. My brother, Kaien, knows about my family’s past too. Things are a lot easier knowing what they really went through.



    I am Primrose Rue Mellark. Most people call me Prue. My name is a mix of Primrose Everdeen and a girl named Rue. Primrose Everdeen was my mother’s younger sister. She would be my aunt if she didn’t die in the war. Rue was a friend of my mother’s in the 74th Hunger Games. I look mostly like my mother. With my father’s eyes. Possession of long black hair, olive skin, and blue eyes is mine. My brother resembles our father more. He has blond hair, white skin, and gray eyes. His eyes are my mother’s. Unless we stand together with our parents it’s hard to tell we are related. Today I turn sixteen! I have everything I’ve ever wanted. Not spoiled though. The valve of life has been instilled in my head. It is definitely not something I would take for granted.



    I stroll down the stairs to greet my family at the breakfast table. The feast consisted of all my favorite morning dishes. Scrambled eggs rested in a pot with bacon divinely assorted to it’s right. Silver-dollar pancakes stacked up high could be a skyscraper. Apple juice floated in a clear pitcher. Our breakfast table is round with four chairs in each quadrant. The seats go my mother, Kaien, my father, and me. “Finally,” Kaien says as he dives into the food.



    The only time we wait for everyone to come down before we eat is holidays and birthdays. “This all looks great,” I say.



    “It is for you.” My father winks at me. He scoops a chunk of egg and splats it onto his plate. Following was my mother with a pancake. I take a bit of everything.



    One of my parent’s friends, their mentor, and our neighbor Haymitch comes in. It was shocking to see him awake this early in the day. He wasn’t completely drunk yet either. “Did you hear about the Quell?”



    My parents paused in their spots. A Quarter Quell only happened when the Games were around. To make them more fun they add a special twist. In the first Quell it was twenty-five years after the start of the Games. The first Quell had the people in the district chose who competed. In the second, twice as many tributes were sent. This was Haymitch’s year. The third Quarter Quell my parents had to compete a second time. It called for past victors to compete again. This sparked the revolution. Has Haymitch had a drink? A Quell is not possible. “That can’t happen,” I say. “Can it?”



    “I got a call from Effie this morning,” Haymitch answered. Effie Trinket is the person who is in charge of all things business related. Whenever my parents have any appearances or press to do she’s there. Always with a new exotic hair color.



    My dad wanted to know more. “What did she say?” He grew stiff at the table. The days in the arena still haunt both my mother and father. Which is why my dad has his leg and episodes of brainwashing. And the reason why my mother wakes up in the middle of the night screaming.



    Haymitch scratched his stubble trying to remember. My mom still sat in silence with just a blank stare running though her. “She told me that a while ago the Capitol decided to only bring back the Games every Quell with a twist. And since it’s the fourth Quell there will be a different twist for each district. Announcement’s at noon. Mandatory watch.”



    “Thank you. For telling us ahead.” My mom managed to speak. Previous victors have to mentor the new tributes. Both my mother and father will have to mentor two people that are about to be sent to fight for their lives. At this moment it is ten-thirty in the morning. I have an hour and a half until my name goes into the reaping. Being a victor’s child, the gun is pointed at me. “Do you want any food? Help yourself.”



    I joke, “You better hurry. Before Kaien devours it all.”



    “Nah, I’m on my way out.” He leaves.



    A ding comes from the oven. My father rose to retrieve the object. He opens the oven door and pulls out a cake. In the cabinet he takes out different kinds of frosting and frosting tools. I walk towards him with a childish grin on his face. “Is that for me?” I held out the ‘me’ for four counts. A good thing about having your father be a baker is fresh desserts when you come home. When I was little he’d wait until I got home from school to frost them. He would let me pick out the flavors. Even though my choices were more based on color. He even would get the sprinkles that come in cute little shapes. He always guided my hands with the frosting tube to keep it from going all over the room. There were whole weekends we would spend together baking.



    As I got older he spent more time baking alone. I would be out with friends, or not want to. Times I would try to assist him I got a cold shoulder. “Yes,” he mimicked my tone. “so you have to wait until later to see it.”



    I hated it when he pushed me away. To boomerang the hate I always pretended I didn’t care. “Fine, I have to call Jiarr anyway.” I escaped to my room to gain a speck of privacy. Jiarr is my boyfriend. We’ve been together for five months. He has curly brown hair, green eyes, and olive skin like mine. I pick up my phone and dialed his number. “Hey, Jiarr. It’s Prue.”



    Most families in the Seam couldn’t afford a telephones. Those that were fortunate enough to have one did not have caller identification. For him to know who was calling I had to clarify. “And how is the prettiest, most wonderful birthday girl on the planet?” That is why I like him so much. He always praised me and found ways to make me feel extraordinary.



    “She’s good. She’s waiting for her boyfriend to come over,” I spoke.



    “I was on my way. Until the announcement of a message from the Capitol was called. My mother wants me to wait here until it’s over.” There is still one hour before the president announces people will have to hand over their children once again for his own pleasures. “Do you know what it’s about?”



    I could tell him the truth. It’s not my place to though. “No, I wonder what it is?”



    “Weird, being a victor’s kid I’d expect you to know something,” he says. It’s like he knows I’m lying.



    “My parents might,” I covered. “but they don’t tell me these sort of things.” I wish I could warn him, prepare him.



    He continues, “It must be something important. I mean they’ve been leaving us alone for a while now.”



    “I have to start getting birthday ready. Come over as soon as you can,” I requested. We agree, then hang up. By the time I return downstairs there are five minutes until worlds are turned upside down. My family sat closely together in the couch. My mother, Kaien, myself, and my father. Being a victor’s child, no matter what the Quell calls, I’m going in. Hopefully they’ll spare Kaien. He’s only fourteen and may never last. Such a good kid with a great future.



    President Clent appeared on the screen. The national anthem began to play. My father gripped my hand tightly. I’m not sure if that was to comfort me or him. Trying to reach for my brother’s hand I find they both are occupied. My mother held both of his hands close to her. All of us stare into the screen. Me? Kaien? Both of us? Standing next to President Clent was a boy holding wood box. Opening the lid the president pulls out an envelope marked with a one hundred on it. After the anthem ended the president began to speak. “Good afternoon. One hundred years ago we started the Hunger Games!” How could he be so happy saying that?



    Both of my parents shuttered away. Probably thinking about their days in the arena.



    President Clent is a hefty man. The remains of his hair are too thin to identify a color. He rips the bandage off and announces the big news. Many of the oldest town’s people and some younger will have caught on by now. The box being the big giveaway. “To make sure the Dark Days are never forgotten the Games will be returned every Quell with a twist.” Haymitch was right. I could hear the gasps escape through the town. “For the first quarter quell to remind the districts that children died because they initiated violence they had to chose who went into the Games. In the second Quell, because two rebels died for every Capitol citizen, twice as many tributes were sent. In the third and previous Quell to show even the toughest of the tough can’t avoid the power of the Capitol, the tributes were chosen from the existing pool of victors.” I’m surprised he brought that up. Considering that was the reason for the revolution. Opening the envelope he paused.



    The moon could crash down on my house right now and we still wouldn’t move.



    “For the fourth Quarter Quell to remind each district that they each possess their own characteristics to master their jobs, each district will have their own twist.” He unfolded the paper wider to announce each separate twist. We are the last district and will have to hold onto every word. “As a start, Capitol children will be included this year.” That was not expected. My parents looked like they understood it. “District One’s reaping will go from the ages ten to twenty. District Two the girl chosen will pick the boy. District Three’s potential-tribute names will be entered five times for each person. District Four’s tribute will be from the oldest children in the families. District Five’s wealthiest children will be reaped. District Six’s smartest children will be reaped. District Seven will have their most athletic children included. District Eight’s school teachers will decide who will be reaped. District Nine’s reaping will go from the ages fourteen to eighteen. District Ten’s poorest families will be placed in. In District Eleven only those who must apply for tessarae will be placed in the reaping.”



    Here it comes. The moment of truth. I grasp my father’s hand tighter and he holds it like my mother held Kaien’s. One, two, three . . .



    “Finally, for District Twelve, the children of past victors will be chosen.” No. hat made it certain I will go. There are three victors with two children. A girl and a boy. I will have to fight my brother to the death.



Ch. 2



    Effie Trinket appears on the screan. “The reaping will be heald this Thursday at noon. May the odds be ever in your favor.” The odds are in everyone’s favor except mine. Silence stayed for some time as we all contemplated on what has happened. My parents have to send their children into the Games. Something they both have feared. Something that should never have been alowed to happen. My brother and I have to face death. The rules were bent when both my parents won. There’s no way it’ll happen again.



    Kaien looks at me. He says, “I’m sorry.”



I can’t kill him. There are going to be twenty five other people in their. Odds are I won’t have to. And I can’t let anyone else. Kaien is still a child. He’s a good spirit to be around. He makes hilarious jokes. Even though most are at my expense. He’s a much better person. I know what I have to do.



Another buzzer goes off. It takes a second before we all return to reality. My father gets up and my mother follows. Haymitch comes through our front door. He takes the spot inbetween Kaien and I. He pats both of us on the heads. “I wish I could say I didn’t see that coming. Sorry, kids.”



Both of us still overwhelmed with shock stay still like statues. My parents return. They gesture Haymitch to come into the other room with them. “Prue, why don’t you start getting ready for your party?”



I spend my day in a room filled with sorrowful faces. A day that was meant to celebrate life became over shadowed by death. These faces will never look at me the same way again. Most of my party guests know I won’ return. My father talked with Haymitch while keeping an eye on the kids. Johanna Mason and Annie Odair spent the night consoling my heartbroken mother. If my plan goes accordingly I can have one of her kids come home. Others try to instill what little hope have in my head. No matter which way I get out I lose.



If I lose the Games I die. That takes myself out of pain and a fearful life like my parents have. My parents, I leave them with a hole in their hearts. Their healthy, full of life daughter taken by the system they faught so hard to over-rule. Kaien will lose his big sister. Even thought we disagree on most things, we are still family and we love each other.



If I win the Games I will forever more live with the quilt of being the cause of my brother’s death. Even if they don’t show it I can never be thought of in the same way again. My parent’s would never dare say it to my face, but I will be the person to destroy our family. I guess it could be the same way if Kaien wins. What if both of us die? There’s no way my parent’s could recover from that. Their relationship could be ruined and turn into Annie or Haymitch. Or worse they could decide to join us. Who could blame them if they want to?



Kaien stayed quiet to the side all night. As I am praised no one blinks an eye towards him. I owe him many words. Tonight I have to give hidden goodbyes to my friends. They all wish me good luck. Some must hold back tears. Most aren’t that good.



Everyone gathers around the table to cut he birthday cake my father bautifully decorated. Each year the cakes are more extravagent. A new layer for a new year and my top -insert age here- things. This year has sixteen layers and sixteen tiny designs. My mother returns with puffy red eyes. Annie and Johanna stay by her side. What used to be happy cheerful song became a solumn one as those around me realize this will be the last time I hear those words. You would assume since I am the daugher of two victors this would be easy. I presumed this day would never come and didn’t bother training. Regret. I have tons of it.



After the party I sit outisde on the swing with Jiarr. He stayed by my side the entire night, but hasn’t said a word. I begin, “You’ve been quiet all night. What are you thinking?” Unlike my parents we are not good at figuring out what each other’s thinkng. He didn’t answer. “You told me you would come here before the party. Why weren’t you?”



“I didn’t know how to look at you. Not after the... you know,” he says.



A good boyfriend would ask me how I feel about it. Not make me feel wore. “Like this is any easier fo me. I have to fight my brother. The only way for me to come home is for him to die. Do you even care?”



He became defensive. “I care about you. I don’t like the idea of someone wanting to kill you. Worse it’s twenty five other people.” This wasn’t time for an arguement.



“There’s nothing else I can do,” I say.



He takes my chin and turns so I am looking into his eyes. “You can fight.” I will never admit it but he did have a point. There’s no way I can help Kaien live if I throw in the towel now. In doing so I will give those around me hope. False hope. I doubt it would look too good. Being the child of a victor and not knowing how to fight. The only way for me to die with dignity to spend every moment fighting.



“Do the best you can to come home to me,” he comforts. “If you can’t prom me one thing. Don’t be one of the losers that die at the Cornucopia.” Jiarr manages to pull out of me the one thing that’s been gone since noon time. My smile.



I wrap my arms around his neck. His lips crash into mine. “I love you,” he whispers in my ear. That was the first time he’s said that to me. I only had one other guy say that to me. And it was a lie.  Above us was a tree house I built with my father and Kaien when I was little. We make our way up there.



First we make out and slowly it becomes more. As his hands caress my body I lose all sense and decide to hit home.



Maxius Teardon was my first boyfriend. I was naieve, being only fourteen. I loved the idea of love and wanted to find it fast. Many guys admired me from a distance. He was the first one to ask me. After only datng three weeks he told me he loved me. I got lost in his deep blue eyes and did things I never should have done. Once we were done he said, “Thanks for the ride” and didn’t talk to me for days.



At school I went up to him to talk about it. He was a jerk and refused to hear me out, so I broke up with him. He was spiteful and told everyone I used him. Girls were disgusted with me, other guys tried hooking  with me. The girls pittied Maxius and all the guys thought of him as a king. No matter how hard I tried, no one believed me. Not even my parents.



I was too terrified to tell them. I was afraid they’d be too ashamed of me. One thing I never expected was for Maxius’ parents to enter our bakery at the time both my mother and father were there. All of them sat down to discuss what they’ve heard. My parents knew nothing and still defended me. Home was different. My father was furious while my mother had a disapproving face on the entire time. I put everything out the table and they were indeed very disappinted in me. My father got so heated he had to leave. His heart was in the right place though. I found out soon after a goups of boys went in and talked about me. He’s lucky he didn‘t get arrested for chasing them so far away. My mother stayed to hear me out. She learned the full story and talked to my dad later. Eventually it died down, but no one looks at me the same. Jiarr is different. We’ve been together for a quite some time now and he knows me.



The day of  reaping I was up nice and early. Mostly having to do with the fact I didn’t sleep. The rest of my family looked the same. My mother came into my room to help mget ready. She walked in with a long blue dress in her hands. “Here, wear this.”



I take it into my own hands, rubbing my fingers along the fabric. “Where did you get this? It’s beautiful.”



I step into my closet to change. She answers, “My mother. I wore it the day of my first reaping. I won so, hopefully it’ll be good luck.” I can tell she’s putting on a brave face. I reappear and so does her smile. “You look beautiful. Sit down, let me do your hair.”



She grabs the brush and smooths out all of my knots. “I never got to ask,” she continues. “did you have fun at yur party?”



“Yes. I’m glad I gote chance to see eveyone before.” That actually means to say goodbye. “Especially Jiarr.”



“How is he? Has he been treating you right?” Ever since Maxius I grew a very open relationship with my parents.



I say, “He’s great. He told me he loved me last night.”



She asks, “Is that a bad thing?”



“I just want to be sure he said it for the right reason.” She split my hair to two sides and began braiding them.



“What do you mean?”



“I don’t want him to say it because I’m about to stare death in the face,” I share.



Before my mother has a chance to answer my dad sticks his head in the door. “Katniss? Are we almost finished here?”



“Yes, Peeta. We’ll be right down. Just about there.” She tied a royal blue ribbon around the end of my braid.



I stand up and turn around in the mirror looking at myself length. My father chuckles. “I never noticed how much you look like your mother.” She glances at me. “Come on.”



She says, “We’ll talk later.” My mother makes a quick stop to grab something and we head out the door. At the reaping Kaien and I are seated in a roped off area with our parentst next to us. Their jobs will be to mentor and sponsor us in the Games. The only good thing that can come of this arrangment is that if I need something they’ll get it, no hesitations. Haymitch will also be coming as backup in case this gets too hard for my parents. If he’s our sponsor we’re looking at a complety different story.



Once again Kaien mouths the words ‘I’m sorry’ to me. I think he’s trying to tell me something more. Maybe he’s sorry that he has a life to live and wants to win? Or he’s sorry this had to happen all together? Maybe he had a plan to get me out alive, but already knows I plan on doing the same for him? My thinking is cut when the national anthem ends and the mayor has to make a speech. He talks about Panem. How we are a country that rose up from the remains of a land own as North America. Then, he moves onto the Dark Days. When the Districts joined to take down the Capitol. He talks about the start of the Games. Slowly he moves onto the revolution. How uprisings started in the districts and soon took down the old Capitol for good. Actually it was until a few days ago. Everyone turns towards my parents. They led the revolution. It was mostly my mother, but my dad helped start it.



The attention is handed over to Effie Trinket. She restates how for this Quarter Quell the tribute will be reaped from the existing pool of victor children. She begins, “May the odds be ever in your favor! Ladies first!” Her hand fiddles inside the bowl, trying to fish out the one piece of paper. “And your female tribute is,” she pauses. “Primrose Mellark!” I walk over to the podium. I shake hands with Effie, then the mayor. I must stand up on stag while Effie asks for volunteers, even though there is no one to volunteer.



“Now for the male tribute!” She snatches up that piece with no problems. “Kaien Mellark!” He repeats the same actions I made. After we were quickly rushed to the train station. Know we are enroute to the Capitol. Or as I like to call it, hell.