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.

-Suzanne Collins

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And There I Am,

Suzanne Collins

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.

Topic

Beautiful

Confused

Hands

More From Suzanne Collins

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

Steps

Creeps

Wells

Go To Sleep," He Says Softly. His Hand Brushes The Lose Strands Of My Hair Off My Forehead. Unlike The Staged Kisses And Caresses So Far, This Gesture Seems Natural And Comforting. I Don't Want Him To Stop And He Doesn't. He's Still Stroking My Hair When I Fall Asleep.

Fall

Sleep

Kissing

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

Want

What You Want

Acquire

I Know. I Was Hoping," I Say. "exactly. Because You're Desperate," Says Haymitch. I Don't Argue Because, Of Course, He's Right.

Arguing

Desperate

Courses

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

I Look At Peeta And He Gives Me A Sad Smile. I Hear Haymitch's Voice. "you Could Do A Lot Worse." At This Moment, It's Impossible To Imagine How I Could Do Any Better. The Gift...it Is Perfect. So When I Rise Up On My Tiptoe To Kiss Him, It Doesn't Seem Forced At All.

Kissing

Voice

Giving

They Hadn’t Counted On The Highly Controlled Jabberjay Having The Brains To Adapt To The Wild, To Pass On Its Genetic Code, To Thrive In A New Form. They Hadn’t Anticipated Its Will To Live.

Brain

Form

Thrive

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

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

Hate

Easier

Ifs

Trapped For Days, Years, Centuries Maybe. Dead, But Not Allowed To Die. Alive, But As Good As Dead. So Alone That Anyone, Anything No Matter How Loathsome Would Be Welcome.

Years

Would Be

Alive

It's Impossible To Be The Mockingjay. Impossible To Complete Even This One Sentence. Because Now I Know That Everything I Say Will Be Directly Taken Out On Peeta. Result In His Torture. But Not His Death, No Nothing So Merciful As That. Snow Will Ensure That His Life Is Much Worse Than Death.

Taken

Snow

Impossible

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

Smiling Is Mostly About Smiling More.

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

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

It Means Thanks, It Means Admiration, It Means Good-bye To Someone You Love.

Mean

Games

Bye

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

Book

Might

Humans

Orange? Like Effie's Hair?" I Say. "a Bit More Muted," He Says. "more Like Sunset.

Sunset

Hair

Orange

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

Lost

We Follow Instructions To My Destination, A Chamber For My Preparation.

Preparation

Instruction

Destination

The Bird, The Pin, The Song, The Berries, The Watch, The Cracker, The Dress That Burst Into Flames. I Am The Mockingjay. The One That Survived Despite The Capitol's Plans. The Symbol Of The Rebellion.

Song

Catching On

Flames

Katniss Everdeen, You Have Caused A Spark, Wich Left Unattended, May Cause A Spark That Could Cause A Whole Rebelion

Katniss

May

Sparks

Why Am I Hopping Around Like Some Trained Dog Trying To Please People I Hate?

Dog

Hate

People

I Look Down At Our Linked Fingers As I Loosen My Grasp, But He Regains His Grip On Me. “no, Don’t Let Go Of Me,” He Says.

Letting Go

Looks

Fingers

My Name Is Katniss Everdeen. Why Am I Not Dead? I Should Be Dead.

Names

Katniss

Should

But There's Food If You Know How To Find It. My Father Knew And He Taught Me Some Before He Was Blown To Bits In A Mine Explosion. There Was Nothing Even To Bury. I Was Eleven Then. Five Years Later, I Still Wake Up Screaming For Him To Run.

Running

Father

Years

Telling A Story In A Futuristic World Gives You This Freedom To Explore Things That Bother You In Contemporary Times.

Giving

Stories

World

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

Flower

Sleep

Buried

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

Essentials

Flight

Hunger

Just Don't Die For Me, You Won't Be Doing Me Any Favour !

Doing Me

Favour

Hunger

Once I'm On My Feet I Realize Escape Might Not Be So Simple, Panic Begins To Set In. I Can't Stay Here. Flight Is Essential But I Can't Let My Fear Show. Winning Means Fame And Fortune, Losing Mean Certain Death, The Hunger Games Have Begun . . .

Mean

Winning

Simple

Desperate, Yet No Longer Alone After That Day, Because We'd Found Each Other.

Desperate

Found

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

Dad

Cavemen

Genius

Several Sets Of Arms Would Embrace Me. But In The End, The Only Person I Truly Want To Comfort Me Is Haymitch, Because He Loves Peeta, Too. I Reach Out For Him And Say Something Like His Name And He's There, Holding Me And Patting My Back. "it's Okay. It'll Be Okay, Sweetheart." He Sits Me On A Length Of Broken Marble Pillar And Keeps An Arm Around Me While I Sob.

Names

Broken

Comfort

I Try To Forgive Her For My Father's Sake. But To Be Honest, I'm Not The Forgiving Type.

Father

Forgiving

Trying

Even If Times Got Bad, He Would Never Again Deny Himself The Possibility That The Future Might Be Happy Even If The Present Was Painful. He Would Allow Himself Dreams.

Dream

Might

Painful

It's Ideal Really. They Will Come Up With A Plan. No One Will Like It. Everyone Will Feel They Have Been Treated Unfairly, But Will Be Happy That Their Neighbors Feel The Same. And That Is The Nature Of Compromise. Now Let's Go Eat An Awful Lot.

Awful

Compromise

Neighbor

I Wish They Were All Dead And We Were, Too. It Would Be Best." Well, There's No Good Response To That. I Can Hardly Dispute It Since I Was Walking Around With A Syringe To Kill Peeta When I Found Them. Do I Really Want Him Dead? What I Want...what I Want Is To Have Him Back.

Wish

Would Be

Want

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

People

Helping

Bottom

All Those Months Of Taking It For Granted That Peeta Thought I Was Wonderful Are Over. Finally, He Can See Me For Who I Really Am. Violent. Distrustful. Manipulative. Deadly. And I Hate Him For It.

Hate

Months

Wonderful

Want A Sugar Cube?- Finnick Odair,

Want

Sugar

Cubes

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

Competition

Wells

Doors Are For Those Who Lack Enemies.

Doors

Enemy

Gregor The Overlander

So, Here’s What You Do. You Win, You Go Home. She Can’t Turn You Down Then, Eh?” Says Caesar Encouragingly. “i Don’t Think It’s Going To Work Out. Winning…won’t Help In My Case,” Says Peeta. “why Ever Not?” Says Caesar, Mystified. Peeta Blushes Beet Red And Stammers Out. “because…because…she Came Here With Me.

Home

Winning

Thinking

"katniss?" He Drops My Hand And I Take A Step, As If To Catch My Balance. "it Was All For The Games," Peeta Says. "how You Acted." "not All Of It," I Say, Tightly Holding Onto My Flowers. "then How Much? No, Forget That. I Guess The Real Question Is What's Going To Be Left When We Get Home?" He Says. "i Don't Know. The Closer We Get To District Twelve, The More Confused I Get," I Say. He Waits, For Further Explanation, But None's Forthcoming. "well, Let Me Know When You Work It Out," He Says, And The Pain In His Voice Is Palpable.

Pain

Confused

Real

Buttercup, Miserable Even With Prim’s Constant Attention, Huddles In The Cube And Exhales Cat Breath In My Face.

Cat

Attention

Cubes

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

Mother

Brain

Forget

So, What Do You Think They'll Do To Him?" I Ask. Prim Sounds About A Thousand Years Old When She Speaks. "whatever It Takes To Break You.

Thinking

Years

Sound

What Do You Think?" I Whisper To Peeta. "about The Fire?" "i'll Rip Off Your Cape If You'll Rip Off Mine," He Says Through Gritted Teeth.

Rip

Thinking

Fire

Closing My Eyes Doesn't Help. Fire Burns Brighter In The Darkness.

Life

Eye

Fire

Don't Let Him Take You From Me.

Katniss And Peeta

Katniss Peeta

Mockingjay

When I Wake, I Have A Brief, Delicious Feeling Of Happiness That Is Somehow Connected With Peeta. Happiness, Of Course, Is A Complete Absurdity At This Point, Since At The Rate Things Are Going, I'll Be Dead In A Day. And That's The Best-case Scenario, If I'm Able To Eliminate The Rest Of The Field, Including Myself, And Get Peeta Crowned As The Winner Of The Quarter Quell. Still, The Sensation's So Unexpected And Sweet I Cling To It, If Only For A Few Moments. Before The Gritty Sand, The Hot Sun, And My Itching Skin Demand A Return To Reality.

Sweet

Reality

Feelings

It's Lovely. If Only You Could Frost Someone To Death.

Lovely

Frost

Ifs

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

Thinking

Prey

Vulnerability

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

Im Still Betting On You. - Cinna.

Stills

Betting

Cinna

I Reach For Prim In The Twilight, Clamp My Hand On Her Leg And Pull Myself Over To Her. Her Voice Remains Steady As She Croons To Buttercup. "it's All Right, Baby, It's All Right. We'll Be Ok Down There." My Mother Wraps Her Arms Around Us. I Allow Myself To Feel Young For A Moment And Rest My Head On Her Shoulder.

Mother

Baby

Twilight

The Way She Kissed You In The Quarter Quell…well She Never Kissed Me Like That…i Should Have Volunteered To Take Your Place In The First Games. Protected Her Then…i Guess It’s Katniss’ Problem. Who To Choose…katniss Will Pick Whoever She Thinks She Can’t Survive Without.

Thinking

Should Have

Games

You Asked Why The Rate Hate Overlanders So Deeply. It Is Because They Know One Will Be The Warrior Of The Prophecy," Said Vikus. "oh, I See," Said Gregor. "so, When's He Coming?" Vikus Fixed His Eyes On Gregor. "i Believe He Is Already Here.

Hate

Believe

Eye

Someone Ought To Get Haymitch A Drink.

Drink

Ought

Haymitch

You Could Do A Lot Worse.

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

I Walk Around The Room Eating Goose Liver And Puffy Bread Until There's A Knock On The Door. Effie's Calling Me To Dinner. Good. I'm Starving.

Doors

Calling

Dinner

It Sends Out A Very Clear Message: "mess With Us And We'll Do Something Worse Than Kill You. We'll Kill Your Children.

Children

Messages

Clear

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

Inspirational

Boys

Hunger For Love

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

And Then It Happens. Up And Down The Row, The Victors Begin To Join Hands. Some Right Away, Like The Morphlings, Or Wiress And Beetee. Others Unsure But Caught Up In The Demands Of Those Around Them, Like Brutus And Enobaria. By The Time The Anthem Plays Its Final Strains, All Twenty-four Of Us Stand In One Unbroken Line In What Must Be The First Public Show Of Unity Among The Districts Since The Dark Days. You Can See The Realization Of This As The Screens Begin To Pop Into Blackness. It's Too Late, Though. In The Confusion They Didn't Cut Us Off In Time. Everyone Has Seen.

Cutting

Dark

Hands

He’s Dozed Off Again, But I Kiss Him Awake, Which Seems To Startle Him. Then He Smiles As If He’d Be Happy To Lie There Gazing At Me Forever.

Smile

Lying

Kissing

They Can't Hurt Me. I'm Not Like The Rest Of You. There's No One Left I Love.

Hurt

Hurt Me

Left

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

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

Isn't It Strange That I Know You'd Risk Your Life To Save Mine, But I Don't Even Know What Your Favorite Color Is?

Color

Risk

Strange

Your Favorite Colour . . . It's Green?" "that's Right." Then I Think Of Something To Add. "and Yours Is Orange." "orange?" He Seems Unconvinced. "not Bright Orange. But Soft. Like The Sunset," I Say. "at Least, That's What You Told Me Once." "oh." He Closes His Eyes Briefly, Maybe Trying To Conjure Up That Sunset, Then Nods His Head. "thank You." But More Words Tumble Out. "you're A Painter. You're A Baker. You Like To Sleep With The Windows Open. You Never Take Sugar In Your Tea. And You Always Double-knot Your Shoelaces.

Sunset

Sleep

Eye

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

Bread

Obsessed

Finnick

What Will Break Me Into A Million Pieces So That I Am Beyond Repair, Beyond Usefulness?

Pieces

Break

Millions

I Noticed The Plants Growing Around Me. Tall With Leaves Like Arrowheads. Blossoms With Three White Petals. I Knelt Down In The Water, My Fingers Digging Into The Soft Mud, And I Pulled Up Handfuls Of The Roots. Small, Bluish Tubers That Don’t Look Like Much But Boiled Or Baked Are As Good As Any Potato. “katniss,” I Said Aloud. It’s The Plant I Was Named For. And I Heard My Father’s Voice Joking, “as Long As You Can Find Yourself, You’ll Never Starve.

Father

Plants Growing

Voice

In District 12, Looking Old Is Something Of An Achievement Since So Many People Die Early. You See An Elderly Person, You Want To Congratulate Them On Their Longevity, Ask The Secret Of Survival. A Plump Person Is Envied Because They Aren't Scraping By Like The Majority Of Us. But Here Is Different. Wrinkles Aren't Desirable. A Round Belly Isn't A Sign Of Success.

Wrinkles

Elderly

People

What About You?" "not A Clue. I Keep Wishing I Could Bake A Cake Or Something.

Cake

Wish

Clue

No One Will Forget Me. Not My Look, Not My Name. Katniss. The Girl Who Was On Fire.

Girl

Fire

Names

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

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

Way

I Have Learned

Hard

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

Want

Stills

Dies

I Pound On The Glass, Screaming My Head Off. Everyone Ignores Me Except For Some Capitol Attendant Who Appears Behind Me And Offers Me A Beverage.

Glasses

Beverages

Pounds

You'd Have Thought We Planned It," Says Peeta, Giving Me Just The Hint Of A Smile. "didn't You?" Asks Portia. Her Fingers Press Her Eyelids Closed As If She's Warding Off A Very Bright Light. "no," I Say Looking At Peeta With A New Sense Of Apreciation. "neither Of Us Even Knew What We Were Going To Do Before We Went In." "and Haymitch?" Says Peeta. "we Decided We Don't Want Any Other Allies In The Arena." "good. Then I Won't Be Responsible For You Killing Off Any Of My Friends With Your Stupidity," He Says.

Light

Giving

Stupidity

My Lips Are Just Forming His Name When His Fingers Lock Around My Throat.

Names

Locks

Lips

And We Must Fight Back! President Snow Says He's Sending Us A Message? Well, I Have One For Him. You Can Torture Us And Bomb Us And Burn Our Districts To The Ground, But Do You See That? Fire Is Catching! And If We Burn, You Burn With Us!

Fighting

Fire

President Snow

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

Actually, Katniss Isn’t Complaining Because She Has No Intention Of Staying With The “star Squad,” But She Recognizes The Necessity Of Getting To The Capitol Before Carrying Out Any Plan.

Stars

Squad

Katniss

If I Get Home, I'll Be So Stinking Rich, I'll Be Able To Pay Someone To Do My Hearing.

Home

Pay

Able

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

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

You Call That A Kiss?

Kissing

Hunger

Haymitch

But The Words Are Easy And Soothing, Promising Tomorrow Will Be More Hopeful Than This Awful Piece O Time We Call Today.

Hopeful

Pieces

Awful

This Was The Door To Both Sustenance And Sanity. And We Were Each Other's Key.

Keys

Doors

Gale

I Don’t Want Anyone With Me Today. Not Even Him. Some Walks You Have To Take Alone.

Want

Today

Walks

Let The Seventy-forth Hunger Games Begin, Cato, I Think. Let Them Begin For Real.

Real

Thinking

Games

The Realization That I’d Have Nothing To Take Home Had Finally Sunk In. My Knees Buckled And I Slid Down The Tree Trunk To Its Roots. It Was Too Much. I Was Too Sick And Weak And Tired, Oh, So Tired. Let Them Call The Peacekeepers And Take Us To The Community Home, I Thought. Or Better Yet, Let Me Die Right Here In The Rain.

Rain

Tired

Home

Haymitch Said You'd Take A Lot Of Convincing.

Said

Convincing

Haymitch

Eyes On The Forest, Not On The Trees.

Eye

Tree

Forests

Just One More Thing. I Kill Snow.

Snow

Just One

I See Now That The Circumstances Of Ones Birth Are Irrelevent. It Is What You Do With The Gift Of Life That Determines Who You Are

Anime

Pokemon

Birth

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

Remembering From Last Year How Haymitch's Gifts Are Often Timed To Send A Message, I Make A Note To Myself. Be Friends With Finnick. You'll Get Food.

Years

Lasts

Messages

If You Appeal To The Crowd, Either By Being Humorous Or Brutal Or Eccentric, You Gain Favor.

Humorous

Crowds

Favors

It Starts At Midnight.

Midnight

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

Mother

Song

Katniss

Maybe I'll Be Like That Man In "the Hanging Tree'. Still Waiting For An Answer.

Men

Tree

Waiting

Want A Sugar Cube?" He Asks In His Old Seductive Voice. That's How We Met, With Finnick Offering Me Sugar. Surrounded By Horses And Chariots, Costumed And Painted For The Crowds, Before We Were Allies. Before I Had Any Idea What Made Him Tick. The Memory Actually Coaxes A Smile Out Of Me. "here, It Improves The Taste," He Says In His Real Voice, Plunking Three Cubes Into My Cup.

Horse

Memories

Real

Fine. Somebody Else Can Arrange To Get The Stupid Goat Knocked Up.

Stupid

Knocked Up

Goats

I Begin To Fully Understand The Lengths To Which People Have Gone To Protect Me. What I Mean To The Rebels. My On Going Struggle Against The Capitol, Which Has So Often Felt Like A Solitary Journey, Has Not Been Undertaken Alone. I Have Had Thousands Upon Thousands Of People From The Districts At My Side. I Was Their Mockingjay Long Before I Accepted The Role.

Struggle

Mean

Journey

I Realize Only One Person Will Be Damaged Beyond Repair If Peeta Dies. Me.

Katniss

Catching On

Catching Fire

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

Catching Fire

Enemy

Arena

I Guess After Tonight Boots Won't Think The Whole World Is Her Friend," Thought Gregor. She Had To Find Out Sometime, But It Still Made Him Sad.

Thinking

Tonight

Boots

Knowing It And Seeing It Are Two Different Things.

Two

Knowing

Different

They'll Be Granted Immunity!" I Feel Myself Rising From My Chair, My Voice Full Of Resonant. "you Will Personally Pledge This In Front Of The Entire Population Of District Thirteen And The Remainder Of Twelve. Soon. Today. It Will Be Recorded For Future Generations. You Will Hold Yourself And Your Government Responsible For Their Safety, Or You'll Find Yourself Another Mockingjay!

Government

Voice

Safety

Let Me Go!” I Snarl At Him, Trying To Wrest My Arm From His Grasp. “i Can’t,” He Says.

Trying

Arms

Let Me Go

Something Flickers Across His Bloodshot Eyes. Pain.

Pain

Eye

Bloodshot Eyes

Even In War There Should Be Lines You Didn't Cross.

War

Lines

Crosses

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

It's As If I'm Finnick, Watching Images Of My Life Flash By. The Mast Of A Boat, A Silver Parachute, Mags Laughing, A Pink Sky, Beetee's Trident, Annie In Her Wedding Dress, Waves Breaking Over Rocks. Then Its Over.

Rocks

Sky

Waves Breaking

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

"katniss," Gale Says Softly. I Recognize That Voice. It's The Same One He Uses To Approach Wounded Animals Before He Delivers A Deathblow. I Instinctively Raise My Hand To Block His Words But He Catches It And Holds On Tightly. "don't," I Whisper. But Gale Is Not One To Keep Secrets From Me. "katniss, There Is No District Twelve."

Block

Animal

Hands

She Genuinely Likes People. All People, Not Just A Select Few She's Spent Years Making Up Her Mind About.

Years

People

Mind

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

Oh, He's On Top Of It. It Was Volunteer Only, But He Pretended Not To Notice Me Waving My Hand In The Air," Says Haymitch. "see? He's Already Demonstrated Good Judgment.

Air

Hands

Volunteer

It Crosses My Mind That Cinna's Calm And Normal Demeanor Masks A Complete Madman.

Mind

Normal

Calm

How Much Energy They Put Into Harming Each Other. How Little Into Saving.

Energy

Saving

Littles

But Just Before They Cut Back To The Main Newscaster, I See The Unmistakable Flash Of That Same Mockingjay's Wing. The Reporter Has Simply Been Incorporated Into The Old Footage. She's Not In District 13 At All. Which Begs The Question, What Is?

Cutting

Wings

Flash

Listen Up. You're In Trouble. Word Is The Capitol's Furious About You Showing Them Up In The Arena. The One Thing They Can't Stand Is Being Laughed At And They're The Joke Of Panem

Arena

Hunger

Trouble

I Trusted Him. I Put What Was Precious In Haymitch's Hands. & He Has Betrayed Me

Hands

Betrayed

Trusted

Hope Is The Only Thing Stronger Than Fear.

President Snow

Games

Katniss

Is That Why You Hate Me?" I Ask. "partly," She Admits. "jealousy Is Certainly Involved. I Also Think You're A Little Hard To Swallow. With Your Tacky Romantic Drama And Your Defender-of-the-helpless Act. Only It Isn't An Act, Which Makes You More Unbearable. Please Feel Free To Take This Personally.

Hate

Drama

Thinking

So It's You And A Syringe Against The Capitol? See, This Is Why No One Lets You Make The Plans.

Catching On

Catching Fire

Plans

Beetee Is Still Messing Round The Tree, Doing I Don't Know What. At One Point He Snaps Off A Sliver Of Bark, Joins Us, And Throws It Against The Force Field. It Bounces Back And Lands On The Ground, Glowing. In A Few Moments It Returns To Its Original Color. "well, That Explains A Lot," Says Beetee. I Look At Peeta And Can't Help Biting My Lip To Keep From Laughing Since It Explains Absolutely Nothing To Anyone But Beetee.

Color

Land

Force Fields

Now He's [cinna] Arranging Things Around My Living Room: Clothing, Fabrics, And Sketchbooks With Designs He's Drawn. I Pick One Up And Examine One Of The Dresses I Supposedly Created. You Know, I Think I Show A Lot Of Promise," I Say. Get Dressed, You Worthless Thing.

Thinking

Design

Promise

Don't Want That, Do They?” She Throws Back Her Head And Shouts, “whole Country In Rebellion? Wouldn't Want Anything Like That!

Country

Want

Rebellion

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

What Does This Mean? It Means I Get To Spend The Morning Having The Hair Ripped Off My Body While Peeta Sleeps In.

Morning

Mean

Sleep

Keep Calm And Have A Sugar Cube

Sugar

Cubes

Calm

"i'm Not Their Slave," The Man Mutters. "i Am," I Say. "that's Why I Killed Cato ... And He Killed Thresh ... And He Killed Clove ... And She Tried To Kill Me. It Just Goes Around And Around, And Who Wins? Not Us. Not The Districts. Always The Capitol. But I'm Tired Of Being A Piece In Their Games."

Tired

Winning

Men

I'm Unaware That My Feet Are Moving To The Table Until I'm Inches From The Holograph. My Hand Reaches In And Cups A Rapidly Blinking Green Light. Someone Joins Me, His Body Tense. Finnick, Of Course. Because Only A Victor Would See What I See So Immediately. The Arena. Laced With Pods Controlled By Gamemakers. Finnick's Fingers Caress A Steady Red Glow Over A Doorway. "ladies And Gentlemen..." His Voice Is Quiet, But Mine Rings Through The Room. "let The Seventy-sixth Hunger Games Begin!

Moving

Voice

Feet

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

"if I Could Grow Wings, I Could Fly. Only People Can't Grow Wings," He Say's. "real Or Not Real?" "real," I Say. "but People Don't Need Wings To Survive." "mockingjays Do."

Real

Wings

People

You’ve Got About As Much Charm As A Dead Slug.

Slugs

Hunger

Charm

But I Don't Know What To Him About The Aftermath Of Killing A Person. About How They Never Leave You.

Aftermath

Killing

Persons

Look, If You Wanted To Be Babied You Should Have Asked Peeta.

Catching On

Should Have

Catching Fire

Stupid People Are Dangerous.

Stupid

Stupid People

People

That What?" "that I Knew I Misjudged You. That You Love Him. I'm Not Saying In What Way. Maybe You Don't Know Yourself. But Anyone Paying Attention Could See How Much You Care About Him," He Says Gently.

Bereavement

Attention

Care

And, My God, The Actors. The Cast, Led By The Extraordinary Jennifer Lawrence, Is Absolutely Wonderful Across The Board. It’s Such A Pleasure To See How They’ve Embodied The Characters And Brought Them To Life.

Character

Boards

Actors

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

Right Before The Explosions Begin, I Find A Star.

Stars

Explosions

Not Exactly. You See, Portia And I Think That The Coal Miner Thing's Very Overdone. No One Will Remember You In That. And We Both See It Has Our Job To Make District 12 Tributes Unforgettable,' Says Cinna. I'll Be Naked For Sure, I Think. 'so Rather Than Focus On The Coal Mining Itself, We're Going To Focus On The Coal,' Says Cinna. Naked And Covered In Black Dust, I Think. 'and What Do We Do With Coal? We Burn It,' Says Cinna. 'you're Not Afraid Of Fire, Are You, Katniss?' He Sees My Expression And Grins.

Jobs

Thinking

Fire

How Do You Bear It?” Finnick Looks At Me In Disbelief. “i Don’t, Katniss! Obviously, I Don’t. I Drag Myself Out Of Nightmares Each Morning And Find There’s No Relief In Waking.” “the More You Can Distract Yourself The Better, ” He Says. “first Thing Tomorrow, We’ll Get You Your Own Rope. Until Then Take Mine.

Morning

Katniss

Relief

Because Something Is Significantly Wrong With A Creature That Sacrifices Its Children's Lives To Settle Its Differences. You Can Spin It Any Way You Like... But In The End, Who Does It Benefit? No One. The Truth Is, It Benefits No One To Live In A World Where These Things Happen

Children

Sacrifice

Differences

Gale Is Mine. I Am His. Anything Else Is Unthinkable.

Catching Fire

Gale

Unthinkable

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

Hope, It Is The Only Thing Stronger Than Fear. A Little Hope Is Effective, A Lot Of Hope Is Dangerous.

President Snow

Stronger

Littles

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

Instead, I Watch Myself Get Shot On Television.

Watches

Television

Shots

I Really Can't Think About Kissing When I've Got A Rebellion To Incite.

Humorous

Kissing

Thinking

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

My Mouth Has Gone Dry As Sawdust. I Desperately Find Cinna In The Crowd And Lock Eyes With Him. I Imagine The Words Coming From His Lips. 'what's Impressed You Most Since You Arrived Here?' I Rack My Brain For Something That Made Me Happy Here. Be Honest, I Think. Be Honest.

Eye

Thinking

Brain

It Means We're On Your Side." That's What Bonnie Said. I Have People On My Side? What Side? Am I Unwittingly The Face Of The Hoped-for Rebellion? Has The Mockingjay On My Pin Become A Symbol Of Resistance? If So, My Side's Not Doing Too Well.

Mean

Your Side

People

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

Hate

Sick

Honest

If Under Fell, If Over Leaped, If Death Was Life And Death Life Reaped, Something Rises From The Gloom, To Make The Underland A Tomb Hear It Scratching Down Below, Rat Of Long Forgotten Snow, Evil Cloaked In Coat Of White, Will The Warrior Drain Your Light? What Could Turn The Warrior Week? What Do Burning Gnawers Seek? Just A Barely Speaking Pup That Holds The Land Of Under Up Die The Baby, Die His Heart Die His Most Essential Part Die The Peace That Rules The Hour, Gnawers Have Their Key To Power

Baby

Heart

Warrior

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

Yeah, About That,” Says Peeta, Entwining His Fingers In Mine. “don’t Try Something Like That Again.” “or What?” I Ask. “or . . . Or . . .” He Can’t Think Of Anything Good. “just Give Me A Minute.

Thinking

Giving

Trying

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

Real

Names

Katniss

I Don't Want To Cry. Everyone Will Make Note Of My Tears And I'll Be Marked As An Easy Target. A Weakling. I Will Give No One That Satisfaction.

Giving

Tears

Target

Haymich Finally Drops The Good-natured Act. "you Know Who Else, Katniss. You Know Who Stepped Up First." Of Course I Do. Gale.

Katniss

Firsts

Gale

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

Fine. I'll Train. But I'm Going To The Stinking Capitol If I Have To Kill A Crew And Fly There Myself." Says Johanna. "probably Best Not To Bring That Up In Training," I Say. "but It's Nice To Know I'll Have A Ride.

Nice

Training

Crew

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

Depression

Light

Quiet

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

Kissing Him

Pieces

Wells

Finnick!" Something Between A Shriek And A Cry Of Joy. A Lovely If Somewhat Bedraggled Young Woman--dark Tangled Hair, Sea Green Eyes--runs Toward Us In Nothing But A Sheet. "finnick!" 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. A Pang Of Jealousy Hits Me. Not For Either Finnick Or Annie But For Their Certainty. No One Seeing Them Could Doubt Their Love.

Running

Wall

Eye

Peeta, You Were Supposed To Wake Me After A Couple Of Hours," I Say. "for What? Nothing's Going On Here," He Says. "besides, I Like Watching You Sleep. You Don't Scowl. Improves Your Looks A Lot." This, Of Course, Brings On A Scowl That Makes Him Grin.

Couple

Sleep

Looks

Peeta Rinses The Pearl Off In The Water And Hands It To Me. “for You.” I Hold It Out On My Palm And Examine Its Iridescent Surface In The Sunlight. Yes, I Will Keep It. For The Few Remaining Hours Of My Life I Will Keep It Close. This Last Gift From Peeta. The Only One I Can Really Accept. Perhaps It Will Give Me Strength In The Final Moments.

Hands

Giving

Water

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

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.

Hands

Realizing

Moments

You Know, You're Kind Of Squeamish For Such A Lethal Person

Kind

Persons

Knows

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

Comfort

Want

Ends

Just The Perfect Touch Of Rebellion," Says Haymitch "very Nice." Rebellion?

Nice

Perfect

Rebellion

Anyway, Even If She's Sugarcoating My Good Points, I Appreciate It. Frankly, I Could Use A Little Sugarcoating.

Appreciate

Use

Littles

It Must Be Very Fragile, If A Handful Of Berries Can Bring It Down.

Catching On

Catching Fire

Berries

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

Mutually Counting On Each Other, Watching Each Other's Backs, Forcing Each Other To Be Brave.

Brave

Be Brave

Counting

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

Sometimes Things Happen To People And They're Not Equipped To Deal With Them.

Catching On

People

Catching Fire

Still, I Hate Them. But, Of Course, I Hate Almost Everybody Now. Myself More Than Anyone.

Hate

President Snow

Mockingjay Book

Katniss, There Is No District Twelve.

Katniss

Twelve

Gale Hawthorne

I Can Feel Peeta Press His Forehead Into My Temple And He Asks, 'so Now That You've Got Me, What Are You Going To Do With Me?' I Turn Into Him. 'put You Somewhere You Can't Get Hurt.

Love

Hurt

Romance

Having An Eye For Beauty Isn't The Same Thing As A Weakness...except Possibly When It Comes To You.

Beauty

Eye

Catching On

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

Each Time I Wake,i Think, At Last, This Is Over, But It Isn't.

Thinking

Lasts

The Pain Over My Heart Returns, And From It I Imagine Tiny Fissures Spreading Out Into My Body. Through My Torso, Down My Arms And Legs, Over My Face, Leaving It Crisscrossed With Cracks. One Good Jolt...and I Could Shatter Into Strange Razor-sharp Shards.

Broken Heart

Pain

Leaving

My Words Hang In The Air. I Look To The Screen, Hoping To See Them Recording Some Wave Of Reconciliation Going Through The Crowd. Instead I Watch Myself Get Shot On Television.

Air

Watches

Looks

What Happens When We Get Back? I Don't Know. I Guess We Try And Forget. I Don't Want To Forget.

Trying

Want

Forget

There Was No Discussion Between Them; It Was As If The Bugs Had Worked Out This Whole Scenario Long Ago. Temp Put On A Burst Of Speed For The End Of The Bridge, And Tick Turned To Face Down The Army Of Rats Alone.

Army

Long Ago

Bridges

I'm Trying To Think Of A Witty Comeback, When Boggs Says Brusquely, “well, Don't Expect Us To Be Too Impressed. We Just Saw Finnick Odair In His Underwear.” I Decide To Go Ahead And Like Boggs.

Witty

Thinking

Trying

Just Last Year I Wanted To Kill Him, But Now It Is My Duty To Save Him.

Years

Lasts

Duty

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.

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