Rosie and Her Auntie

It is difficult to remember a time without nightmares, one where I could live and smile. It had always been hard but I think at one point it could have been called easier. When I opened to door to her standing there holding Rosie's hand, all the memories came flooding back. Rosie smiled at me and in her little five-year old voice called, "Mommy, look who I found!" Her hair fell gracefully over her shoulders and she looked older, a thirty-two year old woman. Her eyes watered but she did not speak, she let me have a moment. Always the thoughtful one, so much stronger and braver then I ever could be. Rosie looked like me but she acted so much like her. "Mommy? She said she is my auntie. Is that right?" Rosie gleamed. She loved smiling, such a happy child. Mitch being only three still acts like me, that may change as he ages but I don't know. I try to bring my mind back to the current situation, how can I? She stands there like nothing happened! Rosie shrugged her shoulders and ran past me to her room, "Bye bye Auntie Prim!"

"Prim?" I whisper, "You are dead, you died twenty years ago…I…I saw you explode."

"Ever the graphic one I see," Prim smiled at me with such understanding, "I did die. I did explode. I am back. I don't need to explain it to you. I just need you to listen for a bit." Maturity sat in her voice, I couldn't help but wonder about that my mind refused to settle on the situation.

I couldn't understand even if she explained it to me, she knew that. She was on her way to being a doctor, well, before the explosion; I could never be that smart. "Prim?" I whisper through my shaking teeth.

"I am here to tell you I have been watching and I am so proud of you! I know you have had a hard time but now you can enjoy the little things," her smile so much like Rosie's or really Rosie's so much like hers. "I have watched you count and obsess about the good things around you and I am so happy that you do not worry as much about the bad. Peeta is taking great care of you, I wondered about Gale but I know he is fine. He married and they have two children. I guess he knew after my death you would never be okay with him," Gale had nothing to do with Prim's death, I knew that but if he hadn't helped build the double-exploding-bomb then the president of District thirteen wouldn't have used it to kill Prim. "Peeta though has recovered so wonderfully. I just can't get over how much has changed. Killing the new president wasn't very smart on your part but I guess it had to happen for the world to move on safely," I couldn't help but smile, it had been one of my darker moments but I killed her for wanting to make the children from the capital compete in a new Hunger Game. "Mom wanted me to tell you she is happy with dad again. I am so happy too. I am younger than this but everyone thought if I looked closer to the age I am supposed to be there that you would be more willing to listen to me," they were right, if she had come as little teenager Prim I probably would have fainted. "Finnick said you wouldn't listen at all but I think he was just jealous that he cannot visit his son anymore," Fin had died during the final battle. A group of mutts ate him, leaving his pregnant wife alone. "I have missed you," Prim sighed but she did not touch me. I was glad for that because if she did I wouldn't be able to believe it wasn't real.

"Prim? I miss you!" I cried out, shouting and sobbing. Tears rolled fast down my cheeks and I grabbed her. She folded into my arms as naturally as when we were children. She hugged me, letting my tears stain her. I felt her body slack and she started to vanish, "What?"

"I have to go back, my time here is done, I love you Katniss and I hope you never forget me," she said as her face disappeared in my arms.

I screamed, it happened like when she died the first time, she vanished it seemed in the explosion. Nothing left to burry. I screamed louder as the tears rolled down my face. "Prim!"

Peeta's voice echoed in my head and his arms wrapped around me, "Katniss, shush, you will wake Rosie and Mitch. Come on the Games are over. We are home you are safe."

"Prim," I whimpered into his chest.

"Oh," he sighed. There was no comeback for that, there was no everything is alright, no it is over. Just death there.

"Prim was holding Rosie's hand," I jumped up, why was Prim holding Rosie's hand? I ran to Rosie's room where she slept in her little bed. She breathed softly and kicked a blanket off her legs. "Oh," I couldn't help but worry. Primrose wouldn't hurt her niece, why would I think that? Prim had just come to tell me everything would be okay. Peeta wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. He never questioned me, he never asked why, no, because he knew. He had the nightmares too. His family died too. He had seen the death, same as me. He had been brainwashed and changed. He had tried to kill me and he has regretted it ever since. He knows. I love him and I hate that he knows but it is something we share. We know. I am glad our children will never know; I am so glad. Peeta and I just stood there watching Rosie sleep, nothing gave me more peace. Good night.