And Suddenly, It's As If There's No One In The World But These Two, Crashing Through Space To Reach Each Other. They Collide, Enfold, Lose Their Balance, And Slam Against A Wall, Where They Stay. Clinging Into One Being. Indivisible.

-Suzanne Collins

Please Wait....
Translating....

And Suddenly, It's As

Suzanne Collins

Topic

Wall

Two

Space

More From Suzanne Collins

Aim Higher In Case You Fall Short.

Inspirational

Fall

Catching On

If Your Parent Is Deployed And You Are That Young, You Spend The Whole Time Wondering Where They Are And Waiting For Them To Come Home. As Time Passes And The Absence Is Longer And Longer, You Become More And More Concerned - But You Don't Really Have The Words To Express Your Concern. There's Only This Continued Absence.

Home

Waiting

Parent

There's No Point In Comforting Words, In Telling Her She'll Be All Right. She's No Fool. Her Hand Reaches Out And I Clutch It Like A Lifeline. As If It's Me Who's Dying Instead Of Rue.

Hands

Comforting

Dying

Sorry Excuses For Hunters And Friends. Both Of Us.

Sorry

Hunters

Excuse

Plutarch Rushes To Reassure Me. "oh, No, Katniss. Not Your Wedding. Finnick And Annie's. All You Need To Do Is Show Up And Pretend To Be Happy For Them." "that's One Of The Few Things I Won't Have To Pretend, Plutarch," I Tell Him.

Katniss

Needs

Annie

Living Out Here, I Have Found That Many Creatures Would Prefer Not To Fight. But If Your First Instinct Is To Reach For Your Sword, You Will Never Discover That.

Fighting

Firsts

Instinct

I’m In Pain. That’s The Only Way I Get Your Attention

Pain

Attention

Way

I Shift On To My Side And Find Myself Looking Directly Into Gale's Eyes. For An Instant The World Recedes And There Is Just His Flushed Face, His Pulse Visible At His Temple, His Lips Slightly Parted As He Tries To Catch His Breath.

Eye

Trying

Pulse

But In School I Remember Hearing That For The Second Quarter Quell, The Capitol Demanded That Twice The Number Of Tributes Be Provided For The Arena. The Teachers Didn't Go Into Much More Detail, Which Is Surprising, Because That Was The Year District 12's Very Own Haymitch Abernathy Won The Crown.

Teacher

School

Years

She Reaches In, Digs Her Hand Deep Into The Ball, And Pulls Out A Slip Of Paper. The Crowd Draws In A Collective Breath, And Then You Can Hear A Pin Drop, And I'm Feeling Nauseous And So Desperately Hoping That It's Not Me, That It's Not Me, That It's Not Me. Effie Trinket Crosses Back To The Podium, Smoothes The Slip Of Paper, And Reads Out The Name In A Clear Voice. And It's Not Me. It's Primrose Everdeen.

Hands

Names

Voice

But Once I Saw Fulvia Cardew Crumple Up A Sheet Of Paper With Just A Couple Of Words Written On It And You Would’ve Thought She’d Murdered Someone From The Looks She Got.

Couple

Looks

Paper

Jackson Has Devised A Game Called "real Or Not Real" To Help Peeta. He Mentions Something He Thinks Happened, And They Tell Him If It's True Or Imagined, Usually Followed By A Brief Explanation.

Real

Thinking

Games

I Curl Up, Make Myself Smaller, Try To Disappear Entirely. Wrapped In Silence, I Slide My Bracelet That Reads 'mentally Disoriented' Around And Around My Wrist.

Silence

Trying

Curls

They Don't Own Me. If I'm Gonna Die, I Wanna Still Be Me.

Stills

Dies

Ifs

My Mother Just Wanted Me To Forget It. So, Of Course, Every Word Was Immediately, Irrevocably Branded Into My Brain.

Mother

Brain

Forget

Make Sure They Remember You.

Remember You

Remembers You

Haymitch Abernathy

Deep In The Meadow , Under The Willow , A Bed Of Grass , A Soft Green Pillow

Bed

Green

Grass

As Long As You Can Find Yourself, You’ll Never Starve.

Katniss

Long

Finding Yourself

So Instead Of Acknowledging Applause, I Stand There Unmoving While They Take Part In The Boldest Form Of Dissent They Can Manage. Silence. Which Says We Do Not Agree. We Do Not Condone. All Of This Is Wrong.

Silence

Form

Applause

For Some Reason Gale And Peeta Do Not Coexist Well In My Thoughts.

Gale

Reason

Coexist

Because I Have Learned The Hard Way How Deadly These Beauties Can Be.

Way

I Have Learned

Hard

We Had To Save You Because You're The Mockingjay, Katniss," Says Plutarch. "while You Live, The Revolution Lives.

Katniss

Revolution

Mockingjay

I'll Tell Them That On Bad Mornings, It Feels Impossible To Take Pleasure In Anything Because I'm Afraid It Could Be Taken Away.

Morning

Fear

Taken

The Morphlings From District 6 Are In The Camouflage Station, Painting Each Other's Faces With Bright Pink Swirls.

Camouflage

Faces

Painting

A Hysterical Young Woman With Flowing Brown Hair Is Also Called From 4, But She's Quickly Replaced By A Volunteer, An Eighty-year-old Woman Who Needs A Cane To Walk To The Stage.

Hair

Years

Volunteer

But In My Head I Can Hear Haymitch's Smug, If Slightly Exasperated, Words: "yes, That's What I'm Looking For, Sweetheart.

Sweetheart

I Can

Ifs

Greeting To The Final Contestants Of The Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The Earlier Revision Has Been Revoked. Closer Examination Of The Rule Book Has Disclosed That Only One Winner May Be Allowed," He Says. "good Luck And May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor.

Book

Good Luck

Odds

The Main Thing I Feel Is A Sense Of Relief. That I Can Give Up This Game. That The Question Of Whether I Can Succeed In This Venture Has Been Answered, Even If That Answer Is A Resounding No. That If Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures, I Am Free To Act As Desperately As I Want.

Giving Up

Desperate Measures

Games

In The End, The Only Person I Truly Want To Comfort Me Is Haymitch, Because He Loves Peeta, Too.

Comfort

Want

Ends

In Stark Contrast To Two Nights Ago, When I Felt Peeta Was A Million Miles Away, I'm Struck By His Immediacy Now. As We Settle In, He Pulls My Head Down To Use His Arm As A Pillow; The Other Rests Protectively Over Me Even When He Goes To Sleep. No One Has Held Me Like This In Such A Long Time. Since My Father Died And I Stopped Trusting My Mother, No One Else's Arms Have Made Me Feel This Safe.

Mother

Father

Sleep

I’m In A Shallow Hole, Not Filled With The Humming Orange Bubbles Of My Hallucination But With Old, Dead Leaves.

Orange

Hallucinations

Shallow

Exactly How Am I Supposed To Work In A Thank-you In There? Somehow It Just Won't Seem Sincere If I'm Trying To Slit His Throat.

Katniss

Trying

Sincere

Remember, Girl On Fire,” He Says, “i'm Still Betting On You.

Girl

Fire

Remember

You’re Not Leaving Me Here Alone,” I Say. Because If He Dies, I’ll Never Go Home, Not Really. I’ll Spend The Rest Of My Life In This Arena, Trying To Think My Way Out.

Home

Thinking

Leaving

I Mourn My Old Life Here. We Barely Scraped By, But I Knew Where I Fit In, I Knew What My Place Was In The Tightly Interwoven Fabric That Was Our Life. I Wish I Could Go Back To It Because, In Retrospect, It Seems So Secure Compared To Now, When I Am So Rich And Famous And So Hated By The Authorities In The Capitol.

Wish

Fabric

Retrospect

Scores Only Matter If They’re Very Good, No One Pays Much Attention To The Bad Or Mediocre Ones.

Attention

Pay

Matter

If I Feel Ragged, My Prep Team Seems In Worse Condition, Knocking Back Coffee And Sharing Brightly Colored Little Pills. As Far As I Can Tell, They Never Get Up Before Noon Unless There's Some Sort Of National Emergency, Like My Leg Hair.

Team

Coffee

Hair

He Wants As Many Victors As Possible For The Cameras To Follow In The Capitol. Thinks It Makes For Better Television." "are You And Beetee Going?" I Ask. "as Many Young And Attractive Victors As Possible," Haymitch Corrects Himself. "so, No. We'll Be Here.

Thinking

Cameras

Television

They Can Pump Whatever They Want Into My Arm But It Takes More Than That To Keep A Person Going Once She's Lost The Will To Live.

Want

Arms

Pumps

I Guess There Isn’t A Rule Book For What Might Be Unacceptable To Do To Another Human Being.

Book

Might

Humans

So People Really Do Tear Out Their Hair And Beat The Ground With Their Fists

Hair

People

Tears

I'm Sick Of People Lying To Me For My Own Good. Because Really It's Mostly For Their Own Good.

Lying

People

Sick

I Carefully Lay Out The Provisions. One Thin Black Sleeping Bag That Reflects Body Heat. A Pack Of Crackers. A Pack Of Dried Beef Strips. A Bottle Of Iodine. A Box Of Wooden Matches. A Small Coil Of Wire. A Pair Of Sunglasses. And A Half-gallon Plastic Bottle With A Cap For Carrying Water That's Bone Dry. No Water. How Hard Would It Have Been For Them To Fill Up The Bottle?

Sleep

Iodine

Water

Panem Et Circenses" Translates Into 'bread And Circuses.' The Writer Was Saying That In Return For Full Bellies And Entertainment, His People Had Given Up Their Political Responsibilities And Therefore Their Power.

Responsibility

People

Political

Sometimes When I'm Alone, I Take The Pearl From Where It Lives In My Pocket And Try To Remember The Boy With The Bread, The Strong Arms That Warded Off Nightmares On The Train, The Kisses In The Arena.

Love

Strong

Kissing

Because I Can Count On My Fingers The Number Of Sunsets I Have Left, And I Don't Want To Miss Any Of Them.

Sunset

Numbers

Missing

Hey, Look At This!" He Holds Up A Glistening, Perfect Pearl About The Size Of A Pea. "you Know, If You Put Enough Pressure On Coal It Turns To Pearls," He Says Earnestly To Finnick. "no, It Doesn't," Says Finnick Dismissively. But I Crack Up, Remembering That's How A Clueless Effie Trinket Presented Us To The People Of The Capitol Last Year, Before Anyone Knew Us. As Coal Pressured Into Pearls By Our Weighty Existence. Beauty That Arose Out Of Pain.

Pain

Clueless

Years

But Between The Images, We Are Privy To The Real-life Action Being Played Out On The Set. Peeta's Attempt To Continue Speaking. The Camera Knocked Down To Record The White Tiled Floor. The Scuffle Of Boots. The Impact Of The Blow That's Inseparable From Peeta's Cry Of Pain. And His Blood As It Splatters The Tiles.

Pain

Real

Blow

I Don't Want To Lose The Boy With The Bread.

Inspirational

Boys

Hunger For Love

But What Was It Haymitch Said When I Asked If He Had Told Peeta The Situation? That He Had To Pretend To Be Desperately In Love? “don’t Have To. He’s Already There.

Said

Situation

Ifs

Okay, Maybe I Don't Go Around Loving Everybody I Meet, Maybe My Smiles Are Hard To Come By, But I Do Care For Some People.

Katniss

People

Free Spirit

This Is The First Kiss That We're Both Fully Aware Of. Neither Of Us Hobbled By Sickness Or Pain Or Simply Unconscious. Our Lips Neither Burning With Fever Or Icy Cold. This Is The First Kiss Where I Actually Feel Stirring Inside My Chest. Warm And Curious. This Is The First Kiss That Makes Me Want Another.

Pain

Kissing

Burning

To Be Honest, I'm Not Much Of A Drinker. It Makes Me Sick, And I Hate That.

Hate

Sick

Honest

Yeah, We Wouldn't Want To Lose Our Little Mockingjay When She's Finally Begun To Sing.

Want

Littles

Yeah

Most Of The Peacekeepers Turn A Blind Eye To The Few Of Us Who Hunt Because They're As Hungry As We Are For Fresh Meat As Anyone. In Fact, They're Among Our Best Customers.

Eye

Meat

Facts

Well, I Don't Have Much Competition Here." "you Don't Have Much Competition Anywhere.

Competition

Wells

It’s The First Time I’ve Ever Kissed A Boy, Which Should Make Some Sort Of Impression I Guess, But All I Can Register Is How Unnaturally Hot His Lips Are From The Fever.

Boys

Hot

Fever

If I'm Going To Die, I Want To Still Be Me

Want

Stills

Dies

You Want A Piece Of Advice?" Said Ripred. "don't Bother. I Know What You'll Say. The Whole Thing's Stupid," Said Gregor. "quite The Contrary. I Was Going To Say That Life Is Short. There Are Only A Few Good Things In It, Really. Don't Pretend That One Isn't Happening." Said Ripred.

Stupid

Life Is Short

Advice

I Turn And Put My Lips Close To Peeta's And Drop My Eyelids In Imitation... "he Offered Me Sugar And Wanted To Know All My Secrets," I Say In My Best Seductive Voice.

Voice

Seductive

Secret

Katniss Everdeen, The Girl Who Was On Fire, You Have Provided A Spark That, Left Unattended, May Grow To An Inferno That Destroys Panem," He Says.

Girl

Fire

Catching On

That's When I Hear The Scream. So Full Of Fear And Pain It Ices My Blood. And So Familiar. I Drop The Spile, Forget Where I Am Or What Lies Ahead, Only Know I Must Reach Her, Protect Her. I Run Wildly In The Direction Of The Voice, Heedless Of Danger, Ripping Through Vines And Branches, Through Anything That Keeps Me From Reaching Her. From Reaching My Little Sister.

Running

Pain

Lying

Thinking Like Your Prey. . . That's Where You Find Their Vulnerabilities.

Thinking

Prey

Vulnerability

The Hatred I Feel For Him, For The Phantom Girl, For Everything, Is So Real And Immediate It Chokes Me. Gale Is Mine. I Am His. Anything Else Is Unthinkable. Why Did It Take Him Being Whipped Within An Inch Of His Life To See It?

Girl

Real

Hatred

Katniss?" Peeta Says. I Meet His Eyes, Knowing My Face Must Be Some Shade Of Green. He Mouths The Words. "how About That Kiss?

Eye

Kissing

Katniss

Well You Are A Piece Of Work Aren't You?

Kissing Him

Pieces

Wells

"what's Going On Down There, Katniss? Have They All Joined Hands? Taken A Vow Of Nonviolence? Tossed The Weapons In The Sea In Defiance Of The Capitol?" Finnick Asks. "no," I Say. "no," Finnick Repeats. "because Whatever Happened In The Past Is In The Past. And No One In This Arena Was A Victor By Chance." He Eyes Peeta For A Moment. "except Maybe Peeta."

Taken

Eye

Past

But I Feel As If I Did Know Rue, And She'll Always Be With Me. Everything Beautiful Brings Her To Mind. I See Her In The Yellow Flowers That Grow In The Meadow By My House. I See Her In The Mockingjays That Sing In The Trees. But Most Of All, I See Her In My Sister, Prim.

Beautiful

Flower

Yellow

I'm Running On Hate. When The Energy From That Ebbs I'll Be Worthless.

Running

Hate

Energy

I Have Been Keeping Track Of The Boy With The Bread.

Boys

Track

Bread

But Because Two Can Play At This Game, I Stand On Tiptoe And Kiss His Cheek. Right On His Bruise.

Kissing

Two

Games

I Must Have Loved You A Lot.

Mockingjay

Peeta

My Little Sister, Prim, Curled Up On Her Side, Cocooned In My Mother’s Body, Their Cheeks Pressed Together. In Sleep, My Mother Looks Younger, Still Worn But Not So Beaten-down. Prim’s Face Is As Fresh As A Raindrop, As Lovely As The Primrose For Which She Was Named. My Mother Was Very Beautiful Once, Too. Or So They Tell Me.

Beautiful

Mother

Sleep

Kind People Have A Way Of Working Their Way Inside Me And Rooting There.

People

Way

Kind

It Starts At Midnight.

Midnight

I Flee What I Can't Fight. What Can Only Do Me Harm.

Fighting

Harm

I Can

Finally, The Intercom Crackles And Hatmitch's Acerbic Laugh Fills The Studio. He Contains Himself Just Long Enough To Say, 'and That, My Friends, Is How A Revolution Dies.

Long

Laughing

Revolution

My Voice, At First Rough And Breaking On The High Notes, Warms Up Into Something Splendid. A Voice That Would Make The Mockingjays Fall Silent And Then Tumble Over Themselves To Join In.

Fall

Voice

Firsts

At Least, You Two Have Decent Manners," Says Effie As We're Finishing The Main Course. "the Pair Last Year Ate Everything With Their Hands Like A Couple Of Savages. It Completely Upset My Digestion." ... My Mother Taught Prim And Me To Eat Properly, So Yes, I Can Handle A Fork And Knife. But I Hate Effie Trinket's Comment So Much I Make A Point Of Eating The Rest Of My Meal With My Fingers. Then I Wipe My Hands On The Tablecloth. This Makes Her Purse Her Lips Tightly Together.

Mother

Couple

Hate

Turn And Turn And Turn Again You See The What, But Not The When Remedy And Wrong Entwine And So They Form A Single Vine

Vines

Form

Turns

It's A Long Shot, It's Suicide Maybe, But I Do The Only Thing I Can Think Of. I Lean In And Kiss Peeta Full On The Mouth. His Whole Body Starts Shuddering, But I Keep My Lips Pressed To His Until I Have To Come Up For Air. My Hands Slide Up His Wrists To Clasp His. "don't Let Him Take You From Me." Peeta's Panting Hard As He Fights The Nightmares Raging His Head. "no. I Don't Want To. . ." I Clench His Hands To The Point Of Pain. "stay With Me." His Pupils Contract To Pinpoints, Dilate Again Rapidly, And Then Return To Something Resembling Normalcy. "always," He Murmurs.

Suicide

Pain

Kissing

A Faint Light Burned In The Pit Revealing A Furry Creature Hunched Over A Stone Slab, Fiddling With Something. At First Gregor Raised A Warning Hand. He Thought It Was A Rat. Then The Creature Lifted His Head And Gregor Recognized What Was Left Of His Dad.

Dad

Light

Hands

"i'm So Sorry," I Whisper. I Lean Forward And Kiss Him. His Eyelashes Flutter And He Looks At Me Through A Haze Of Opiates. "hey, Catnip." "hey, Gale," I Say. "thought You'd Be Gone By Now," He Says. My Choices Are Simple. I Can Die Like A Quarry In The Woods Or I Can Die Here Beside Gale. "i'm Not Going Anywhere. I'm Going To Stay Right Here And Cause All Kinds Of Trouble." "me, Too," Gale Says. He Just Manages A Smile Before The Drugs Pull Him Back Under.

Sorry

Kissing

Simple

You Here To Finish Me Off, Sweetheart?

Katniss

Romance

Hunger

The Evil Thing Is Inside, Not Out.

Evil

Evil Things

It'd Be Better If He Were Easier To Hate.

Hate

Easier

Ifs

You And Me Haymitch.very Cozy.picnics, Birthdays, Long Winter Nights Sitting Around The Fire Retelling Old Hunger Games Tale. -peeta Mellark

Winter

Night

Fire

Never," Said Gregor. "i'll Never Get Rid Of You, No Matter How Hard I Try." It Was No Longer An Effort To Say The Words. "i Love You." "i Love You, Too," Said Luxa. After That There Was Nothing Left To Say.

Love You

Effort

Trying

Tuck In Your Tail, Little Duck.

Ducks

Tails

Littles

Upon This Crown My Pledge I Give, To My Last Breath,i Hold This Choice, I Will Your Unjust Deaths Avenge, All Here Who Died Without A Voice.

Voice

Giving

Choices

So I Only Say, "so What Should We Do With Our Last Few Days?" "i Just Want To Spend Every Possible Minute Of The Rest Of My Life With You," Peeta Replies.

Catching Fire

Want

Lasts

I'm Not Allowed To Bet, But If I Could, My Money Would Be On You.

Games

Would Be

If I Could

What Do I Mean When I Say I Love Gale? I Don't Know. I Did Kiss Him Last Night, In A Moment When My Emotions Were Running So High. But I'm Sure He Doesn't Remember It. Does He? I Hope Not. If He Does, Everything Will Just Get More Complicated And I Really Can't Think About Kissing When I've Got A Rebellion To Incite.

Running

Mean

Kissing

Don't Let Him Take You From Me.

Katniss And Peeta

Katniss Peeta

Mockingjay

The Only Thing Worse Than Fighting A Giant Scorpion Was Fighting A Giant Scorpion Who Was Trying To Protect Her Young.

Mother

Fighting

Trying

Do I Really Want Him Dead? What I Want... What I Want Is To Have Him Back.

Want

Want Him

You Don't Destroy What You Want To Acquire In The Future.

Want

What You Want

Acquire

I've Spent So Much Time Making Sure I Don't Underestimate My Opponents That I've Forgotten It's Just As Dangerous To Overestimate Them As Well.

Opponents

Underestimate

Forgotten

What I Need Is The Dandelion In The Spring. The Bright Yellow That Means Rebirth Instead Of Destruction. The Promise That Life Can Go On, No Matter How Bad Our Losses. That It Can Be Good Again.

Love

Spring

Inspiration

I Do Plan On Saying One Or Two Things To Him When We're Allowed An Hour For Goodbyes. To Let Him Know How Essential He's Been To Me All These Years. How Better My Life Has Been For Knowing Him." -katniss Everdeen

Goodbye

Years

Two

And While I Was Talking, The Idea Of Actually Losing Peeta Hit Me Again And I Realized How Much I Don't Want Him To Die. And It's Not About The Sponsors. And It's Not About What Will Happen When We Get Home. And It's Not Just That I Don't Want To Be Alone. It's Him. I Do Not Want To Lose The Boy With The Bread.

Home

Boys

Talking

Flight Is Essential, But I Can't Let My Fear Show.

Essentials

Flight

Hunger

I Thought He Wanted It, Anyway," I Say. "not Like This," Haymitch Says. "he Wanted It To Be Real.

Real

Being Real

Wanted

Somehow It Always Comes Back To Coal At School.

School

Coal

Gale And I Were Thrown Together By A Mutual Need To Survive. Peeta And I Know The Other's Survival Means Our Own Death. How Do You Side Step That?

Mean

Katniss

Survival

All The Writing Elements Are The Same. You Need To Tell A Good Story... You've Got Good Characters... People Think There's Some Dramatic Difference Between Writing 'little Bear' And The 'hunger Games,' And As A Writer, For Me, There Isn't.

The Air's Warm With Hopeful Hints Of Spring In It. Spring Would Be A Good Time For An Uprising, I Think. Everyone Feels Less Vulnerable Once Winter Passes.

Spring

Winter

Thinking

And There I Am, Blushing And Confused, Made Beautiful By Cinna’s Hands, Desirable By Peeta’s Confession, Tragic By Circumstance, And By All Accounts, Unforgettable.

Beautiful

Confused

Hands

Did You Love Annie Right Away, Finnick?" I Ask. "no." A Long Time Passes Before He Adds, "she Crept Up On Me.

Long

Add

Annie

Sometimes When Things Are Particularly Bad, My Brain Will Give Me A Happy Dream. [...] When I Fully Awaken, I'm Momentarily Comforted. I Try To Hold On To The Peaceful Feeling Of The Dream, But It Quickly Slips Away, Leaving Me Sadder Than Ever.

Dream

Giving

Leaving

If It's True, Why Do They Leave Us To Live Like This? With The Hunger And The Killings And The Games?" And Suddenly I Hate This Imaginary Underground City Of District 13 And Those Who Sit By, Watching Us Die. They're No Better Than The Capitol.

Hate

Games

Cities

I Can Almost Hear Haymitch Groaning As I Team Up With This Wispy Child. But I Want Her. Because She's A Survivor, And I Trust Her, And Why Not Admit It? She Reminds Me Of Prim.

Children

Team

Survivor

Tick, Tock,” Whispers Wiress. I Guide Her In Front Of Me And Get Her To Lie Down, Stroking Her Arm To Soothe Her. She Drifts Off, Stirring Restlessly, Occasionally Sighing Out Her Phrase. “tick, Tock.” “tick, Tock,” I Agree Softly. “it’s Time For Bed. Tick, Tock. Go To Sleep.

Lying

Sleep

Bed

Just The Sound Of His Voice Twists My Stomach Into A Knot Of Unpleasant Emotions Like Guilt, Sadness And Fear. And Longing. I Might As Well Admit There’s Some Of That Too.

Sadness

Voice

Guilt

So, In A Way, My Name Being Drawn In The Reaping Was A Real Piece Of Luck," Says Peeta.

Real

Names

Katniss

You Don’t Forget The Face Of The Person Who Was Your Last Hope.

Games

Katniss

Heartbreaking

Instead Of Satisfying Me, The Kisses Have The Opposite Effect, Of Make My Need Greater. I Thought I Was Something Of An Expert On Hunger, But This Is An Entirely New Kind.

Kissing

Opposites

Needs

I Raise My Left Arm And Twist My Neck Down To Rip Off The Pill On My Sleeve. Instead My Teeth Sink Into Flesh. I Yank My Head Back In Confusion To Find Myself Looking Into Peeta’s Eyes, Only Now They Hold My Gaze. Blood Runs From The Teeth Marks On The Hand He Clamped Over My Nightlock. “let Me Go!” I Snarl At Him, Trying To Wrest My Arm From His Grasp. “i Can’t,” He Says.

Running

Rip

Eye

The Sun Persists In Rising, So I Make Myself Stand

Rising

Sun

Persist

His Dad Said Even The Cavemen Had Geniuses Among Them. Somebody Had Thought Up The Wheel.

Dad

Cavemen

Genius

We're Supposed To Be Making Up This Stuff, Playing At Being In Love, Not Actually Being In Love.

Being In Love

Stuff

Supposed To Be

My Mockingjay Pin Now Lives With Cinna's Outfit, But There's The Gold Locket And The Silver Parachute With The Spile And Peeta's Pearl. I Knot The Pearl Into The Corner Of The Parachute, Bury It Deep In The Recesses Of The Bag, As If It's Peeta's Life And No One Can Take It Away As Long As I Guard It.

Long

Gold

Bags

It's Just Me And The Bane. And I'm Fighting Him Because He Killed All Of Those Innocent Mice And People, And I Have To Stop Him. Not Because Sandwich Says So But Because I Say So.

Fighting

People

Sandwiches

So I Learned To Hold My Tongue And To Turn My Features Into An Indifferent Mask So That No One Could Ever Read My Thoughts.

Tongue

Mask

District 12

It’s The Final Word In Camouflage. Forget Chucking Weights Around. Peeta Should Have Gone Into His Private Session With The Gamemakers And Painted Himself Into A Tree. Or A Boulder. Or A Muddy Bank Full Of Weeds.

Weed

Should Have

Tree

Then I Know Prim Is Right, That Snow Cannot Afford To Waste Peeta's Life, Especially Now, While The Mockingjay Causes So Much Havoc. He's Killed Cinna Already. Destroyed My Home. My Family, Gale, And Even Haymitch Are Out Of His Reach. Peeta's All He Has Left. "so, What Do You Think They'll Do To Him?" I Ask. Prim Sound About A Thousand Years Old When She Speaks."whatever It Takes To Break You.

Home

Thinking

Years

Want A Sugar Cube?- Finnick Odair,

Want

Sugar

Cubes

If You'd Been Taken By The Capital And Hijacked And Then Tried To Kill Peeta, Is This The Way He Would Be Treating You?

Taken

Would Be

Way

When You're In The Arena...you Just Remember Who The Enemy Is" - Haymitch

Catching Fire

Enemy

Arena

Hope Is The Only Thing Stronger Than Fear.

President Snow

Games

Katniss

A Spark Could Be Enough To Set Them Ablaze.

Sparks

Enough

Something Small And Quiet, Like A Match Being Struck, Lights Up The Gloom Inside Of Me.

Depression

Light

Quiet

Since My Father Died And I Stopped Trusting My Mother, No One Else's Arms Have Made Me Feel This Safe.

Mother

Father

Safe

Maybe The Other Tributes Are Out There Beating One Another Senseless. Which Would Be Fine. - Katniss -

Katniss

Would Be

Fine

I Vote Yes....for Prim.

Vote

And Once We Reach The City, My Stylist Will Dictate My Look For The Opening Ceremonies Tonight Anyway. I Just Hope I Get One Who Doesn't Think Nudity Is The Last Word In Fashion.

Fashion

Thinking

Opening Ceremony

Then Octavia Drops To Her Knees, Rubs The Hem Of A Skirt Against Her Cheek, And Burst Into Tears. "it's Been So Long," She Gasps, "since I've Seen Anything Pretty.

Long

Tears

Hem

I Clench His Hands To The Point Of Pain. "stay With Me." His Pupils Contract To Pinpoints, Dialate Again Rapidly, And Then Return To Something Resembling Normalcy. "always," He Murmurs.

Pain

Hands

Normalcy

The Berries. I Realize The Answer To Who I Am Lies In That Handful Of Poisonous Fruit. If I Held Them Out To Save Peeta Because I Knew I Would Be Shunned If I Came Back Without Him, Then I Am Despicable. If I Held Them Out Because I Loved Him, I Am Still Self-centered, Although Forgivable. But If I Held Them Out To Defy The Capitol, I Am Someone Of Worth. The Trouble Is, I Don't Know Exactly What Was Going On Inside Me At That Moment.

Lying

Self

Who I Am

If I Win And You Die, I Dont Have A Home To Go Back To. You Are My Life.

Home

Winning

Dies

Really? What Did You Cost Me Again? I Ask. A Lot Of Trouble. Don't Worry. You'll Get It All Back,he Says.

Worry

Cost

Trouble

I'm Filled With Awe, As I Always Am, As I Watch Her Transform From A Woman Who Calls Me To Kill A Spider To A Woman Immune To Fear.

Watches

Spiders

Call Me

Oh, The Fun We Two Have Together.

Fun

Two

Together

Not If We Blow It Up," Gale Says Brusquely. His Intent, His Full Intent, Becomes Clear. Gale Has No Interest In Preserving The Lives Of Those In The Nut. No Interest In Caging The Pray For Later Use. This Is One Of His Death Traps.

Blow

Nuts

Use

They Erase My Face With A Layer Of Pale Makeup And Draw My Features Back Out.

Makeup

Layers

Faces

Slowly, With Many Lost Days, I Come Back To Life.

Lost

If You Hit Bottom, There's A Whole Lot Of People Here To Help You Up

People

Helping

Bottom

"clove!" Cato's Voice Is Much Nearer Now. I Can Tell By The Pain In It That He Sees Her On The Ground. "you Better Run Now, Fire Girl," Says Thresh. I Don't Need To Be Told Twice. I Flip Over And My Feet Dig Into The Hard-packed Earth As I Run Away From Thresh And Clove And The Sound Of Cato's Voice. Only When I Reach The Woods Do I Turn Back For An Instant. Thresh And Both Large Backpacks Are Vanishing Over The Edge Of The Plain Into The Area I've Never Seen. Cato Kneels Beside Clove, Spear In Hand, Begging Her To Stay With Him. In A Moment, He Will Realize It's Futile; She Can't Be Saved.

Girl

Running

Pain

I Look Coolly In To The Blue Eyes Of The Person Who Is Now My Greatest Opponent, The Person Who Would Keep Me Alive At His Own Expense. And I Promise Myself I Will Defeat His Plan.

Eye

Blue

Promise

Peeta Bakes. I Hunt. Haymitch Drinks Until The Liquor Runs Out.

Running

Drink

Liquor

So What I'd Really Like Is To Try And Conceal Him Somewhere Safe, Then Go Hunt, And Come Back And Collect Him. But I Have A Feeling His Ego Isn't Going To Go For That Suggestion.

Ego

Feelings

Trying

Do You Really Know What's Going On And If You Don't... Find Out

Knows

Ifs

I Have Two Older Sisters And One Older Brother And Hold Them Largely Responsible For The Trouble I Got Into Growing Up. I Believe As The Youngest Child, That Is My Right.

Brother

Children

Growing Up

While I Was Waiting...i Ate Your Lunch.

Lunch

Waiting

Mockingjay

I Look Down From The Branch I'm Perched On. The Careers Look Murderous. Now I Smile.'how Have Things Been With You?' I Ask Sweetly.

Careers

Looks

Branches

At Some Point, You Have To Stop Running And Turn Around And Face Whoever Wants You Dead.the Hard Thing Is Finding The Courage To Do It.

Running

Catching On

Games

Are You, Are You Coming To The Tree? Wear A Necklace Of Rope, Side By Side With Me. Strange Things Did Happen Here. No Stranger Would Let It Be If We Met Up At Midnight In The Hanging Tree.

Tree

Midnight

Rope

What Have The Nibblers Ever Done For You?" The Breeze Ruffled Her Hair, Pushing It Back From Her Face, Giving Him A Clear Shot Of Her Eyes. They Were Asking For An Answer. Needing To Know If She Could Count On Him. "they Saved Your Life," He Said. And For Just A Moment, Luxa's Face Softened And She Smiled.

Eye

Hair

Giving

You Haven't Hurt People—you've Given Them An Opportunity. They Just Have To Be Brave Enough To Take It.

Hurt

Opportunity

People

I’ve Stopped Talking Because There’s Really Nothing Left To Say And There’s This Piercing Sort Of Pain Where My Heart Is. Maybe I’m Even Having A Heart Attack, But It Doesn’t Seem Worth Mentioning.

Pain

Heart

Talking

The Pounding Music, The Cheers, The Admiration Work Their Way Into My Blood, And I Can’t Suppress My Excitement. Cinna Has Given Me A Great Advantage. No One Will Forget Me. Not My Look, Not My Name. Katniss. The Girl Who Was On Fire.

Girl

Cheer

Fire

Doors Are For Those Who Lack Enemies.

Doors

Enemy

Gregor The Overlander

No, It Happened. And Right When Your Song Ended, I Knew - Just Like Your Mother - I Was A Goner,' Peeta Says.

Mother

Song

Katniss

He Frosted Under Heavy Guard.

Heavy

Its Not In My Nature To Go Down Without A Fight Even When Things Seem Insurmountable

Fighting

Seems

Insurmountable

Allow Me To Translate, Twitchtip Said, Not Even Bothering To Move. "she Said If You Don't Stop Your Incessant Babble, That Big Rat Sitting In The Boat Next To You Will Rip Your Head Off.

Rip

Moving

Sitting

Never Having Been In Love, This Is Going To Be A Real Trick. I Think Of My Parents. The Way My Father Never Failed To Bring Her Gifts From The Woods. The Way My Mother's Face Would Light Up At The Sound Of His Boots At The Door. The Way She Almost Stopped Living When He Died.

Mother

Father

Real

I Can Hear Him Weeping But I Don't Care. They Probably Won't Even Bother To Question Her, She's So Far Gone. Gone Right Off The Deep End Years Ago In Her Games. There's A Good Chance I'm Headed In The Same Direction. Maybe I'm Already Going Crazy And No One Has The Heart To Tell Me. I Feel Crazy Enough.

Crazy

Heart

Years

Tomorrow's A Hunting Day," I Say. "i Won't Be Much Of A Help With That," Peeta Says. "i've Never Hunted Before." "i'll Kill And You Cook," I Say. "and You Can Always Gather." "i Wish There Was Some Sort Of Bread Bush Out There," Says Peeta.

Hunting

Wish

Bread

I Always Channel My Emotions Into My Work. That Way, I Don't Hurt Anyone But Myself.

Hurt

Catching On

Catching Fire

But I Have To Confess, I'm Glad You Two Had At Least A Few Months Of Happiness Together." I'm Not Glad," Says Peeta. "i Wish We Had Waited Until The Whole Thing Was Done Officially." This Takes Even Caesar Aback. "surely Even A Brief Time Is Better Than No Time?" Maybe I'd Think That, Too, Caesar," Says Peeta Bitterly, "if It Weren't For The Baby.

Baby

Thinking

Two

And It’s All My Fault, Gale. Because Of What I Did In The Arena. If I Had Just Killed Myself With Those Berries, None Of This Would’ve Happened. Peeta Could Have Come Home And Lived, And Everyone Else Would Have Been Safe, Too.” “safe To Do What?” He Says In A Gentler Tone. “starve? Work Like Slaves? Send Their Kids To The Reaping? You Haven’t Hurt People – You’ve Given Them An Opportunity. They Just Have To Be Brave Enough To Take It.

Hurt

Home

Kids

But Mockingjays Were Never A Weapon," Said Madge. "they’re Just Songbirds. Right?" "yeah, I Guess So,” I Said, But It’s Not True. A Mockingbird Is Just A Songbird. A Mockingjay Is A Creature The Capitol Never Intended To Exist. They Hadn’t Counted On The Highly Controlled Jabberjay Having The Brains To Adapt To The Wild, To Thrive In A New Form. They Hadn’t Anticipated Its Will To Live.

Brain

Songbirds

Weapons

It's To The Capitol's Advantage To Have Us Divided Among Ourselves. Another Tool To Cause Misery In Our District. A Way To Plant Hatred Between The Starving Workers [of The Seam] And Those Who Can Generally Count On Supper And Thereby Ensure We Will Never Trust One Another.

Hatred

Causes

Tools

Eyes On The Forest, Not On The Trees.

Eye

Tree

Forests

In Really Bad Times, The Hungriest Would Gather At His Door At Nightfall, Vying For The Chance To Earn A Few Coins To Feed Their Families By Selling Their Bodies. Had I Been Older When My Father Died, I Might Have Been Among Them. Instead I Learned To Hunt.

Father

Doors

Coins

Once I'm On My Feet I Realize Escape Might Not Be So Easy.

Feet

Might

Realizing

I'm Very Hard To Catch," Says Rue. "and If They Can't Catch Me, They Can't Kill Me. So Don't Count Me Out.

Rue

Kill Me

Catch Me

I Notice Her Blouse Has Pulled Out Of Her Skirt In The Back Again And Force Myself To Stay Calm. "tuck Your Tail In, Little Duck," I Say, Smoothing The Blouse Back In Place. Prim Giggles And Give Me A Small "quack." "quack Yourself," I Say With A Light Laugh. The Kind Only Prim Can Draw Out Of Me.

Light

Ducks

Giving

Unfortunately, I Can't Seal The Sponsor Deals For You. Only Haymitch Can Do That," Says Effie Grimly. "but Don't Worry, I'll Get Him To The Table At Gunpoint If Necessary." Although Lacking In Many Departments, Effie Trinket Has A Certain Determination I Have To Admire.

Determination

Worry

Tables

This Is What Birds See. Only They're Free And Safe. The Very Opposite Of Me.

Opposites

Bird

Safe

No One Knows What To Do With You, Girlie.

Knows

Oh, Well. At Least My Blood Is Flowing.

Blood

Oh Well

Wells

So That's Who Finnick Loves, I Think. Not His String Of Fancy Lovers In The Capitol. But A Poor, Mad Girl Back Home.

Girl

Home

Thinking

Fire Is Catching! And If We Burn, You Burn With Us!

Fire

President Snow

Games

Peeta?" I Creep Along The Bank. "well, Don't Step On Me.

Steps

Creeps

Wells

Yes. I Killed Him. And Buried Her In Flowers," I Say. "and I Sang Her To Sleep.

Flower

Sleep

Buried

If You Are Not Trying To Hold On To Time, You Are Not So Afraid Of Losing It.

Trying

Losing

Gregor The Overlander

Because When He Sings...even The Birds Stop To Listen.

Music

Bird

Peeta

He Hates Me More," Says Peeta. "i Don't Think People In General Are His Sort Of Thing.

Hate

Thinking

People

The Rules Of The Hunger Games Are Simple. In Punishment For The Uprising, Each Of The Twelve Districts Must Provide One Girl And One Boy, Called Tributes, To Participate. The Twenty-four Tributes Will Be Imprisoned In A Vast Outdoor Arena That Could Hold Anything From A Burning Desert To A Frozen Wasteland. Over A Period Of Several Weeks, The Competitors Must Fight To The Death. The Last Tribute Standing Wins.

Girl

Fighting

Winning

The Sensation Inside Me Grows Warmer And Spreads Out From My Chest Down Through My Body Out Along My Arms And Legs To The Tips Of My Being. Instead Of Satisfying Me The Kisses Have The Opposite Effect Of Making My Need Greater.

Kissing

Opposites

Legs

I Don't Know What It Is With Finnick And Bread, But He Seems Obsessed With Handling It.

Bread

Obsessed

Finnick

Time And Tragedy Have Forced Her To Grow Too Quickly, At Least For My Taste, Into A Young Woman Who Stitches Bleeding Wounds And Knows Our Mother Can Hear Only So Much.

Mother

Tragedy

Stitches

How Much Better My Life Has Been For Knowing Him. For Loving Him, Even If It's Only In The Limited Way That I Can Manage. But I Never Get The Chance.

Knowing

Way

Chance

I Know What Blood Poisoning Is, Katniss," Says Peeta. "even If My Mother Isn't A Healer." I'm Jolted Back In Time, To Another Wound, Another Set Of Bandages. "you Said That Same Thing To Me In The First Hunger Games. Real Or Not Real?" "real," He Says. "and You Risked Your Life Getting The Medicine That Saved Me?" "real." I Shrug. "you Were The Reason I Was Alive To Do It.

Mother

Real

Medicine

I Can See The First Apple Teetering When I Let The Third Arrow Go, Catching The Torn Flap And Ripping It From The Bag. For A Moment, Everything Seems Frozen In Time. Then The Apples Spill To The Ground And I'm Blown Backward Into The Air.

Air

Apples

Arrows

Well, Don't Expect Us To Be Too Impressed. We Just Saw Finnick Odair In His Underwear.

Funny

Witty

President Snow

Everything Is Happening Too Fast For Me To Process It.

Process

Happenings

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

Trending Author