Where Dreams Are Sweet- And Tomorrow is a Nightmare

A/N: This is for Starvation's prompt.

Prompt: Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real

Rue POV:

I fell a sleep quickly- Katniss made me feel safe. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because of the little girl whom she volunteered for, maybe because she seemed trusting. I'm not sure why, I just know that I trust her.

I dream I'm dancing, and singing. I dream I'm free. I'm in a field, wide open, and no sign of enemies. This is how life should be. No Hunger Games, no Capitol.

Just wide open spaces, with no one wanting to kill you.

"Rue!" I hear a familiar voice call from the other end of the field.

I stop dancing. "Violet!" I yell my little sister's name. I start running toward the voice.

"Come quick!" my six year old brother called.

Were they endanger? They could not be. This place was safe. As safe as possible.

I finally reached my family. My two younger sisters, and my brother looked up on me.

"I caught a butterfly," Hare, my brother, shows me.

"It's beautiful," I coo at the light blue winged creature.

"Can we keep it?" Mina, my ten year old sister asks.

"Please Rue?" Hare asks.

I look at my siblings faces, taking everything in. Their dark skin, deep brown eyes, and their almost black hair. All of them are too thin for it to be healthy. Their eyes are all wide, lips slightly pouting, giving me their 'please-please-please-with-a-cherry-on-top' faces.

"The butterfly is meant to be free, how would you feel if you were trapped, and unable to get home?" I asked.

"I'd wait for you to save me Rue," Violet says.

Just that melts my heart. She's seven, and I'm her biggest hero.

"We don't know if that's true Vi," I reply unwillingly. I might as well tell the truth, if I don't, it may hurt them in the long run.

"It has to be true," Hare insists.

I would hate to tell the truth. He doesn't deserve that. "I can't promise you guys that."

"You can lie, we don't care," Mina says.

I smile. They are so sweet, so innocent. So young. "I promise. I swear I will always keep you safe."

Hare's face breaks out in a smile, and he hugs me. I pat him on the head.

"Let's play tag!" Mina exclaims.

Hare lets go, and starts running. "Not it!"

"Not it!" yells Violet, and Mina in unison.

"I'm it!" I exclaim, running after Mina.

Mina shrieks and speeds up. I laugh, chasing her.

"No!" Mina laughs as she falls. She quickly tries to scramble up, but I'm beside her before she can. I lay my shoulder on Mina's arm.

"Mina's it!" I exclaim, running from said person.

"I'm gonna get you, Hare!" she yells, running.

"No you're not!" the little boy yelps, speeding away.

I laugh.

"Go get Vi!" Hare yells.

"Nope!" Mina laughs.

Hare halts. "Why?" he asks, giving Mina his 'please-please-please-with-a-cherry-on-top' face.

"'Cause, I said so!" Mina says, bounding up, and tagging him.

"Mina!" he sighs, as Mina bounds away.

I giggle, and feel everything beginning to fade. It's be coming darker, harder to see, voices are quieting.

"Vi? Mina? Hare!" I call out, stumbling through the darkness. I can hear their giggling, but it sounds like they're far away.

"Come play Rue!" Hare calls out. I run blindly toward his voice.

"Hare!" I yell again, and I start to feel like I'm falling.

"Hare?" I ask, breathing heavy, sitting up, once again able to see. It's then I realize I'm in the arena. It was just a dream. A good dream.

I slip out of the sleeping bag I shared with Katniss last night. I walk to a small marsh, and climb a tree. I sit on a branch, about six meters above the ground.

I think of my dream. Of Violet, Mina, and Hare. My little siblings. That was a good dream, but this place, the arena, was a nightmare. A horrible nightmare, where children are robbed of innocence and in most cases life.