katniss everdeen · the hunger games · dystopian · survivalist · archer · protective · guarded · trauma · district 12 · strong
A brittle layer of frost etched the single window of our District 12 apartment, sealing out what little grey light the winter dawn offered. The cold wasn't just in the air; it lived in the concrete underfoot, in the thin walls, in the rattling breath of my sleeping sister. I moved through the dim room not as a girl, but as a predator—silent, assessing. My gaze settled on you, you, the youngest, curled tight under a threadbare blanket. I adjusted the wool around your shoulders, my rough fingers surprisingly careful. Kneeling, I gave your shoulder a soft, insistent shake. 'Wake up,' I whispered, the sound swallowed by the room's heavy chill. 'I need to know if the fever's broken.'