"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.

-Suzanne Collins

Please Wait....
Translating....

"katniss?" He Drops My

Suzanne Collins

Topic

Pain

Confused

Real

More From Suzanne Collins

What Say You, Luxa?" Said Vikus. "what Can I Say, Vikus? Can I Return To Our People And Tell Them I Withdrew From The Quest When Our Survival Hangs In The Balance?" Said Luxa Bitterly. "of Course You Cannot, Luxa. This Is Why He Times It So," Said Henry. "you Could Choose To - " Started Vikus. "i Could Choose! I Could Choose!" Retorted Luxa. " Do Not Offer Me A Choice When You Know None Exits!" She And Henry Turned Their Backs On Vikus.

People

Choices

Survival

They Don't Know That I'm Already Asking For The Moon.

Moon

Asking

Knows

Maybe Everyone Is Just Trying To Protect Me By Lying To Me. I Don't Care. I'm Sick Of People Lying To Me For My Own Good.

Lying

People

Sick

She's Not Here," I Tell Him. Buttercup Hisses Again. "she's Not Here. You Can Hiss All You Like. You Won't Find Prim." At Her Name, He Perks Up. Raises His Flattened Ears. Begins To Meow Hopefully. "get Out!" He Dodges The Pillow I Throw At Him. "go Away! There's Nothing Left For You Here!" I Start To Shake, Furious With Him. "she's Not Coming Back! She's Never Ever Coming Back Here Again!" I Grab Another Pillow And Get To My Feet To Improve My Aim. Out Of Nowhere, The Tears Begin To Pour Down My Cheeks. "she's Dead, You Stupid Cat. She's Dead.

Stupid

Cat

Loss

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

Slugs

Hunger

Charm

It's Strange To Be So Physically Close To Someone Who's So Distant

Strange

Hunger

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

Director Gary Ross Has Created An Adaptation That Is Faithful In Both Narrative And Theme, But He's Also Brought A Rich And Powerful Vision Of Panem, Its Brutality And Excesses, To The Film As Well. His World Building's Fantastic, Whether It Be The Seam Or The Capitol.

Powerful

Faithful

Vision

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

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

I'd Begun To Think That He'd Given Up On Me In The Weeks That Had Passed. Or That He No Longer Cared About Me. Hated Me Even. And The Idea Of Losing Him Forever, My Best Friend, The Only Person I'd Ever Trusted With My Secrets, Was So Painful I Couldn't Stand It.

Thinking

Ideas

Forever

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

Nice

Perfect

Rebellion

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

Maybe It's That We Are All So Starved For Something Good To Happen That We Want To Be A Part Of It.

Want

Happens

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

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

The Anguish I Always Feel When She's In Pain Wells Up In My Chest And Threatens To Register On My Face.

Sister

Pain

Faces

Charred Bits Of Black Silk Swirl Into The Air, And Pearls Clatter To The Stage… I’m In A Dress Of The Exact Design Of My Wedding Dress, Only It’s The Color Of Coal And Made Of Tiny Feathers. Wonderingly, I Lift My Long, Flowing Sleeves Into The Air, And That’s When I See Myself On The Television Screen. Clothed In Black Except For The White Patches On My Sleeves. Or Should I Say My Wings. Because Cinna Had Turned Me Into A Mockingjay.

Air

Color

Wings

I Don't Have A Talent, Unless You Count Hunting Illegally, Which They Don't. Or Maybe Singing, Which I Wouldn't Do For The Capitol In A Million Years. My Mother Tried To Interest Me In A Variety Of Suitable Alternatives From A List Effie Trinket Sent Her. Cooking, Flower Arranging, Playing The Flute. None Of Them Took, Although Prim Had A Knack For All Three. Finally Cinna Stepped In And Offered To Help Me Develop My Passion For Designing Clothes, Which Really Required Development Since It Was Non-existent.

Mother

Flower

Passion

Katniss, Got That Spile?" Finnick Asks, Snapping Me Back To Reality.

Reality

Katniss

Snapping

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

If My Holding Out Those Berries Was An Act Of Temporary Insanity, Then Those People Will Embrace Insanity Too.

Temporary Insanity

People

Berries

And Some Small Gnarled Place Inside Me Hated Her For Her Weakness, For Her Neglect, For The Months She Had Put Us Through. I Had Taken A Step Back From My Mother, Put Up A Wall To Protect Myself From Needing Her, And Nothing Was Ever The Same Between Us Again.

Mother

Wall

Taken

‎what Is To Prevent, Say, An Uprising?

Uprising

Because It Doesn't Matter Anymore, And Because I'm So Desperately Lonely I Can't Stand It.

Lonely

Matter

I Can

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

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

Years

People

Mind

Girl Talk. That Thing I've Always Been So Bad At.

Girl

Girl Talk

Then Something Unexpected Happens. At Least, I Don't Expect It Because I Don't Think Of District 12 As A Place That Cares About Me. But A Shift Has Occurred Since I Stepped Up To Take Prim's Place, And Now It Seems I Have Become Someone Precious. At First One, Then Another, Then Almost Every Member Of The Crowd Touches The Three Middle Fingers Of Their Left Hand To Their Lips And Holds It Out To Me. It Is An Old And Rarely Used Gesture Of Our District, Occasionally Seen At Funerals. It Means Thanks, It Means Admiration, It Means Good-bye To Someone You Love.

Mean

Thinking

Hands

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

She’s Really Gone, Then. The Little Girl With The Back Of Her Shirt Sticking Out Like A Duck Tail, The One Who Needed Help Reaching The Dishes, And Who Begged To See The Frosted Cakes In The Bakery Window. 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.

Girl

Mother

Cake

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

Sunset

Hair

Orange

Hope Is The Only Thing Stronger Than Fear.

President Snow

Games

Katniss

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

I Will Never Give Up If You Never Give In.

Giving Up

I Will Never Give Up

Never Give In

And Then There Was Tick. Brave Little Tick, Who Had Flown Into The Faces Of An Army Of Rats To Save His Baby Sister. Tick - Who Never Spoke Much. Tick - Who Shared Her Food. Tick - Who Was After All Just A Roach. Just A Roach Who Had Given All The Time She Had Left So That Boots Could Have More. Gregor Pressed Boots's Fingers Against His Lips And Felt Scalding Tears Begin To Slide Down His Cheeks. He Hadn't Cried, Not The Whole Time He'd Been Down Here, And There Had Been Plenty Of Bad Stuff. But Somehow Tick's Sacrifice Had Crushed Whatever Thin Shell Remained Between Him And Sorrow.

Baby

Army

Sacrifice

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

I'm Almost There, Almost To The Barricade, When I Thinks She Hears Me. Because For Just A Moment, She Catches Sight Of Me, Her Lips Form My Name. And That's When The Rest Of The Parachutes Go Off.

Thinking

Sight

Names

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

They More Than Do Their Work, They Take Pride In It. Like Cinna.

Pride

Cinna

Just Remember, Stealing's Punishable By Death

Remember

Stealing

Who Says I Can't Handle It? I Can Handle It," Said Gregor Obviously Not Handling It.

Said

Handle

I Can

Everything Is Happening Too Fast For Me To Process It.

Process

Happenings

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

I've Asked You Fifty Questions And Still Have No Sense Of Your Life, Your Family, What You Care About. They Want To Know About You, Katniss." "but I Don't Want Them To! They're Already Taking My Future! They Can't Have The Things That Mattered To Time In The Past!" I Say.

Past

Katniss

Care

All The Times These Arms Were My Only Refuge From The World. Perhaps Not Fully Appreciated Then, But So Sweet In My Memory, And Now Gone Forever.

Sweet

Memories

Forever

In Our World, I Rank Music Somewhere Between Hair Ribbons And Rainbows In Terms Of Usefulness.

Our World

Hair

Rainbow

The Raw Hunk Of Meat That Used To Be My Enemy Makes A Sound, And I Know Where The Mouth Is. And I Think The Word He's Trying To Say Is 'please'. Pity, Not Vengeance Sends My Arrow Flying Into His Skull.

Thinking

Skulls

Arrows

"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

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

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

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

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

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

Camouflage

Faces

Painting

What Must It Be Like, I Wonder, To Live In A World Where Food Appears At The Press Of A Button?

Katniss

Buttons

World

In Other Words, I Step Out Of Line And We're All Dead.

Lines

Steps

I Know He Was Desperate. That Makes People Do All Kinds Of Crazy Things.

Crazy

People

Kind

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

I Wonder How She'll Make Up Her Mind." "oh, That I Do Know." I Can Just Catch Gale's Last Words Through The Layer Of Fur. "katniss Will Pick Whoever She Thinks She Can't Survive Without.

Thinking

Katniss

Mind

How Did Rue End Up On That Stage With Nothing But The Wind Offering To Take Her Place?

Offering

Wind

Rue

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

Hurt

Catching On

Catching Fire

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

I Can't Argue That Finnick Isn't One Of The Most Stunning, Sensuous People On The Planet. But I Can Honestly Say He's Never Been Attractive To Me. Maybe He's Too Pretty, Or Maybe He's Too Easy To Get, Or Maybe It's Really That He'd Just Be Too Easy To Lose.

People

Arguing

Easy

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

War

Lines

Crosses

I Roll My Eyes. "so When Did I Become So Special? When They Carted Me Off To The Capitol?" "no, About Six Months Before That. Right After New Year's. We Were In The Hob, Eating Some Slop Of Greasy Sae's. And Darius Was Teasing You About Trading A Rabbit For One Of His Kisses. And I Realized...i Minded.

New Year

Eye

Kissing

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

Catching On

Should Have

Catching Fire

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

Want

Littles

Yeah

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

An Ability To Look Into The Confusing Mess Of Life And See Things For What They Are.

Confusing

Looks

Ability

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

Hate

Sick

Honest

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

Finnick:" Good To See You, Peeta." Peeta:" You Be Nice To Her, Finnick. Or I Might Try And Take Her Away From You." It Could Be A Joke, If The Tone Wasn't So Cold. Everything It Conveys Is Wrong. The Open Distrust Of Finnick, The Implication That Peeta Has His Eye On Annie, That Annie Could Desert Finnick, That I Do Not Even Exist. Finnick:"oh Peeta," Says Finnick Lightly. "don't Make Me Sorry I Restarted Your Heart.

Sorry

Nice

Heart

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

Lucky Thing Were Allies, Right? -finnick Odair

Allies

Lucky

Finnick

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

Hate

Easier

Ifs

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

I Go To The Saltwater And Wash Off The Blood, Trying To Decide Which I Hate More, Pain Or Itching. Fed Up, I Stomp Back Onto The Beach, Turn My Face Upward And Snap, "hey, Haymitch, If You're Not Too Drunk, We Could Use A Little Something For Our Skin." It's Almost Funny How Quickly The Parachute Appears Above Me. I Reach Up And The Tube Lands Squarely In My Open Hand. "about Time" I Say, But I Can't Keep The Scowl On My Face. Haymitch. What I Wouldn't Give For Five Minutes Of Conversation With Him.

Beach

Pain

Hate

If He Wants Me Broken, Then I Will Have To Be Whole.

Broken

Want

Whole

Peeta" I Said "stay With Me" I Heard Him Say One Word Before The Drigs Pulled Me Under, I Realised Later That What He Said Was 'always

Said

Stay With Me

Heard

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

Katniss

Would Be

Fine

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

Hate

Thinking

People

So That Day, In Music Assembly, The Teacher Asked Who Knew The Valley Song. Your Hand Shot Right Up In The Air. She Stood You Up On A Stool And Had You Sing It For Us. And I Swear, Every Bird Outside The Windows Fell Silent...and Right When Your Song Ended, I Knew - Just Like Your Mother - I Was A Goner.

Mother

Song

Teacher

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

There's A Meeting In Command. Disregard Your Current Schedule,' He Says. 'done,' I Say. 'did You Follow It At All Today?' He Asks In Exasperation. 'who Knows? I'm Mentally Disoriented.' I Hold Up My Wrist To Show My Medical Bracelet And Realize It's Gone. 'see? I Can't Even Remember They Took My Bracelet.' (katniss And Boggs)

Katniss

Gone

Done

Oh, Peeta, Don't Make Me Sorry I Restarted Your Heart.

Sorry

Heart

Mockingjay Book

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

Katniss

Catching On

Catching Fire

I Take His Hand, Holding On Tightly, Preparing For The Cameras, And Dreading The Moment When I Will Finally Have To Let Go.

Letting Go

Games

Katniss

Every Day When I Wake I Tell Myself That It Will Be My Last. If You Are Not Trying To Hold On To Time, You Are Not So Afraid Of Losing It... And Then, If You Make It To Bedtime, You Feel The Joy Of Cheating Death Out Of One More Day.

Cheating

Joy

Trying

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

Mother

Brain

Forget

She's Really Gone, Then. The Little Girl With The Back Of Her Shirt Sticking Out Like A Duck Tail.

Girl

Ducks

Tails

There's Plenty Of Blame To Go Around.

Blame

Plenty

I Can Hear President Snow's Voice In My Head. 'on The Seventy-fifth Anniversary, As A Reminder To The Rebels That Even The Strongest Among Them Cannot Overcome The Power Of The Capital, The Male And Female Tributes Will Be Reaped From Their Existing Pool Of Victors.

President Snow

Voice

Overcoming

What Do You Think?" He Asks. "i Hate Them," I Say. I Can Almost Smell The Blood, The Dirt, The Unnatural Breath Of The Mutt. "all I Do Is Go Around Trying To Forget The Arena And You've Brought It Back To Life. How Do You Remember These Things So Exactly?" "i See Them Every Night," He Says.

Hate

Night

Thinking

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

Lying

People

Sick

Only.. I Want To Do Die As Myself

Want

Roof

Dies

In That One Slight Motion, I See The End Of Hope, Beginning Of Destruction Of Everything I Hold Dear In The World. I Can't Guess What Form My Punishment Will Take, How Wide The Net Will Be Cast, But When It Is Finished There Most Likely Be Nothing Left. So You Would Think That At This Moment, I Would Be In Utter Despair.

Thinking

Punishment

Despair

I Feel Like I Owe Him Something, And I Hate Owing People. Maybe If I Had Thanked Him At Some Point, I'd Be Feeling Less Conflicted Now. I Thought About It A Couple Of Times, But The Opportunity Never Seemed To Present Itself. And Now It Never Will. Because We're Going To Be Thrown Into An Arena To Fight To The Death. 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.

Couple

Hate

Fighting

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

Warmblood Now A Bloodborne Death, Will Rob Your Body Of It's Breath Mark Your Skin And Seal Your Fate The Underland Becomes A Plate

Fate

Skins

Body

You've Got To Go Through It To Get To The End Of It.

Catching Fire

Hunger

Ends

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

A Furious Peeta Hammers Haymitch With The Atrocity He Could Become Party To, But I Can Feel Haymitch Watching Me. This Is The Moment, Then. When We Find Out Exactly Just How Alike We Are, And How Much He Truly Understands Me. "i'm With The Mockingjay," He Says.

Party

Atrocities

Hammers

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

You Here To Finish Me Off, Sweetheart?

Katniss

Romance

Hunger

Whenever I Write A Story, I Hope It Appeals To Both Boys And Girls.

Girl

Writing

Boys

Entrails. No Hissing. This Is The Closest We Will Ever Come To Love.

Katniss

Hunger Games Book

Hissing

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

If You Die And I Live There's No Life For Me Back In District 12. You're My Whole Life. I Would Never Be Happy Again.

Catching On

Catching Fire

District 12

Whatever The Opposite Of Fine Is, That's What I Am.

Opposites

Fine

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

Then I Get It, What It Means. At Least, For Me. District 12 Only Has Three Existing Victors To Choose From. Two Male. One Female... I Am Going Back Into The Arena.

Mean

Two

Arena

I Guess This Is A Bad Time To Mention I Hung A Dummy And Painted Seneca Crane's Name On It.

President Snow

Names

Bad Times

Finally, Peeta Turns To Pollux. "well, Then You Just Became Our Most Valuable Asset." Castor Laughs And Pollux Manages A Smile. We're Halfway Down The First Tunnel When I Realize What Was So Remarkable About That Exchange. Peeta Sounded Like His Old Self, The One Who Could Always Think Of The Right Thing To Say When Nobody Else Could... I Glance Back At Him As He Trudges Along Under His Guards, Gale And Jackson, His Eyes Fixed On The Ground, His Shoulders Hunched Forward. So Dispirited. But For A Moment, He Was Really Here.

Eye

Thinking

Tunnels

You Love Me. Real Or Not Real?" I Tell Him, "real.

Love

Real

President Snow

It's Lovely. If Only You Could Frost Someone To Death." "don't Be So Superior. You Can Never Tell What You Will Find In The Arena. Say It's A Gigantic Cake-

Cake

Lovely

Frost

Stay With Me. Always.

Stay With Me

Mockingjay

Peeta

Something Flickers Across His Bloodshot Eyes. Pain.

Pain

Eye

Bloodshot Eyes

Birds Are Settling Down For The Night, Singing Lullabies To Their Young.

Night

Bird

Singing

Well, I Can't Leave Mags Behind," Says Finnick. "she's One Of The Few People Who Actually Likes Me.

People

Likes

Mags

Knowing It And Seeing It Are Two Different Things.

Two

Knowing

Different

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

Way

I Have Learned

Hard

"i Don't Know How To Say It Exactly. Only... I Want To Die As Myself. Does That Make Any Sense?" He Asks. I Shake My Head. How Could He Die As Anyone But Himself. "i Don't Want Them To Change Me In There. Turn Me Into Some Kind Of Monster That I'm Not."

Monsters

Doe

Want

I Had To Do That. At Least Once.

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

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's No District 12 To Escape From Now, No Peacekeepers To Trick, No Hungry Mouths To Feed. The Capitol Took Away All Of That, And I'm On The Verge Of Losing Gale As Well. The Glue Of Mutual Needs That Bonded Us So Tightly Together For All Those Years Is Melting Away.

Years

Melting Away

Together

So At Least Half The Victors Have Instructed Their Mentors To Request You As An Ally. I Know It Can't Be Your Sunny Personality.” “they Saw Her Shoot,” Says Peeta With A Smile. “actually, I Saw Her Shoot, For Real, For The First Time. I'm About To Put In A Formal Request Myself.” “you're That Good?” Haymitch Asks Me.

Real

Personality

Mentor

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

Catching Fire

Gale

Unthinkable

I Wish She Was Dead,' He Says. 'i Wish They Were All Dead And We Were, Too. It Would Be Best.

Wish

Would Be

Finnick

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

Competition

Wells

My Sleep Wasn't Peaceful, Though. I Have The Sense Of Emerging From A World Of Dark, Haunted Places Where I Traveled Alone.

Sleep

Dark

Peaceful

To The Everlasting Credit Of The People Of District 12, Not One Person Claps. Not Even The Ones Holding Betting Slips, The Ones Who Are Usually Beyond Caring. Possibly Because They Know Me From The Hob, Or Knew My Father, Or Have Encountered Prim, Who No One Could Help Loving. 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.

Father

Caring

People

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

Keys

Doors

Gale

Want A Sugar Cube? [...] They're Supposed To Be For The Horses, But Who Cares? They've Got Years To Eat Sugar, Whereas You And I . . . Well, If We See Something Sweet We Better Grab It Quick. [...] You're Absolutely Terrifying Me In That Get-up. What Happened To The Pretty Little-girl Dresses?

Girl

Sweet

Horse

Beauty That Arose Out Of Pain.

Pain

Pressured

I Remember The First Time I Saw You. Your Hair Was In Two Braids Instead Of One. And I Remember When You... You Sang In The Music Assembly And The Teacher Said... "who Knows The Valley Song?" And Your Hand Shot Straight Up. After That, I... I Watched You Going Home Every Day...

Song

Teacher

Home

Haymitch In My Head Full-time. Horrifying

Haymitch

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

Hate

President Snow

Mockingjay Book

Either You Came In Here A Swimmer Or You'd Better Be A Really Fast Learner

Swimmer

Learners

Delly Lost Her Temper At Peeta Over How He Treated You. She Got Very Squeaky. It Was Like Someone Stabbing A Mouse With A Fork Repeatedly.

Lost

Forks

Stabbing

Vikus Looked At Luxa And Opened His Arms. She Stood, Still Frozen, Staring At Him As If He Were A Complete Stranger. "luxa, It's Your Grandpa," Said Gregor. It Seemed Like The Best And Most Important Thing To Say At The Moment. "it's Your Grandpa." Luxa Blinked. A Tiny Tear Formed At The Corner Of Her Eye. A Battle Took Place On Her Face As She Tried To Stop The Feelings Rising Up Inside Her. The Feelings Won, And To Gregor's Great Relief, She Ran Into Vikus's Arms.

Eye

Rising Up

Grandpa

I Have Not Wept Since The Death Of My Parents," Said Luxa Quietly. "but I Am Thought To Be Unnatural In This Respect.

Parent

Said

Unnatural

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

Dad

Cavemen

Genius

Got It," I Say. "did You Tell Peeta This?" "don't Have To," Says Haymitch. "he's Already There.

Peeta

Haymitch

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

Humorous

Crowds

Favors

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

Johanna Glances Over At Finnick, To Be Sure, Then Turns To Me. “how’d You Lose Mags?” “in The Fog. Finnick Had Peeta. I Had Mags For A While. Then I Couldn’t Lift Her. Finnick Said He Couldn’t Take Them Both. She Kissed Him And Walked Right Into The Poison,” I Say. “she Was Finnick’s Mentor, You Know,” Johanna Says Accusingly. “no, I Didn’t,” I Say. “she Was Half His Family,” She Says A Few Moments Later, But There’s Less Venom Behind It.

Fog

Mentor

Poison

One Time, My Mother Told Me That I Always Eat Like I'll Never See Food Again. And I Said, "i Won't Unless I Bring It Home." That Shut Her Up.

Mother

Home

Said

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

Makeup

Layers

Faces

I Merely Feel Emptyness. A Hollow Of Dead Brush Where Flowers Use To Bloom.

Flower

Use

Brushes

I Swear If You Cry, I'll Kill You Here And Now.' Cinna Just Smiles. 'had A Damp Morning?' 'you Could Wring Me Out.' I Reply

Morning

Just Smile

Cry

Frankly, I Could Use A Little Sugarcoating.

Use

Littles

I Just...i Just Miss Him. And I Hate Being So Alone.

Relationship

Missing You

Hate

So I Thought If I Stopped Being So, You Know, Wounded, We Could Take A Shot At Just Being Friends. - Peeta Mellark

Just Being

Shots

Catching

Sick And Disoriented, I'm Able To Form Only One Thought: Peeta Mellark Just Saved My Life.

Sick

Able

Hunger

Rue, Who When You Ask Her What She Loves Most In The World, Replies, Of All Things, “music.

World

Rue

All Things

You Know, I Think This Is The First Time We've Ever Done Anything Normal Together.

Thinking

Together

Done

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

You Have A... Remarkable Memory." "i Remember Everything About You. You're The One Who Wasn't Paying Attention.

Love

Memories

Remembers Everything

My Mother Says Healers Are Born, Not Made.

Mother

Born

Made

Oh, The Fun We Two Have Together.

Fun

Two

Together

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

Fighting

Seems

Insurmountable

I Think We Put Our Children At An Enormous Disadvantage By Not Educating Them In War, By Not Letting Them Understand About It At An Early Age.

Children

War

Thinking

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

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

Doing Me

Favour

Hunger

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

Thinking

Lasts

You Know, You Could Live A Thousand Lifetimes And Not Deserve Him.

Catching On

Catching Fire

Lifetime

Yes, Everyone In The Districts Will Be Watching Me To See How I Handle This Death Sentence, This Final Act Of President Snow’s Dominance. They Will Be Looking For Some Sign That Their Battles Have Not Been In Vain. If I Can Make It Clear That I’m Still Defying The Capitol Right Up To The End, The Capitol Will Have Killed Me…but Not My Spirit. What Better Way To Give Hope To The Rebels?

President Snow

Giving

Battle

Finnick?" I Say, "maybe Some Pants?" He Looks Down At His Legs As If Noticing His Outfit For The First Time. Then He Whips Off His Hospital Gown Leaving Him In Just His Underwear. "why? Do You Find This" -- He Strikes A Ridiculously Provocative Pose -- "distracting?" I Laugh. Boggs Looks Embarrassed And Finnick Looks More Like The Guy I Met At The Quarter Quell

Laughing

Guy

Leaving

Because Something Is Significantly Wrong With A Creature That Sacrifices Its Children’s Lives To Settle Its Differences.

Children

Sacrifice

Differences

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

Right Before The Explosions Begin, I Find A Star.

Stars

Explosions

Lay Down Your Head, And Close Your Sleepy Eyes, And When Again They Open, The Sun Will Rise.

Eye

Sun

Sleepy

I Wrap My Arms Around His Neck, Feel His Arms Hesitate Before They Embrace Me. Not As Steady As They Once Were, But Still Warm And Strong. A Thousand Moments Surge Through Me. All The Times These Arms Were My Only Refuge From The World. Perhaps Not Fully Appreciated Then, But So Sweet In My Memory, And Now Gone For Ever.

Sweet

Strong

Memories

But The Only Thing That Distracts Me From My Current Situation Is Fantasizing About Killing President Snow.

President Snow

Killing

Currents

Great. Now I Have To Go Back And Tell Haymitch I Want An Eighty-year-old And Nuts And Volts For My Allies. He'll Love That.

Years

Nuts

Allies

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

Kind

Persons

Knows

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

Live Your Life, Take Chances, Be Crazy. Dont Wait 'cause Right Now Is The Oldest You've Ever Been & The Youngest You'll Be Ever Again

Crazy

Waiting

Live Your Life

Peeta Looks Me Right In The Eye And Gives My Hand What I Think Is Meant To Be A Reassuring Squeeze. Maybe It's Just A Nervous Spasm.

Eye

Thinking

Hands

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

They Recognize Me. Of Course They Recognize Me. My Face Is Uncovered And I'm Standing Here Outside Of District 12 Pointing An Arrow At Them. Who Else Would I Be?

Arrows

Faces

District 12

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

The Sun Persists In Rising, So I Make Myself Stand

Rising

Sun

Persist

I Know We Promised Haymitch, We'd Do Exactly What They Said, But I Don't Think He Considered This Angle.' 'where Is Haymitch, Anyway? Isn't He Supposed To Protect Us From This Sort Of Thing?' Says Peeta. 'with All That Alcohol In Him, It's Probably Not Advisable To Have Him Around An Open Flame,' I Say.

Thinking

Flames

Alcohol

Don't Let Him Take You From Me.

Katniss And Peeta

Katniss Peeta

Mockingjay

If I'm Going To Cry, Now Is The Time. By Morning, I'll Be Able To Wash All The Damage Done By The Tears From My Face. But No Tears Come. I'm Too Tired Or Too Numb To Cry. The Only Thing I Feel Is A Desire To Be Somewhere Else. So I Let The Train Rock Me Into Oblivion.

Morning

Tired

Rocks

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

Here Began Countless Days Of Hunting And Snaring, Fishing And Gathering, Roaming Together Through The Woods, Unloading Our Thoughts While We Filled Our Game Bags. This Was The Doorway To Both Sustenance And Sanity. And We Were Each Other's Key.

Hunting

Keys

Fishing

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

Lovely

Frost

Ifs

I Mean I Know It's Cold Out Here And Not Everybody Has A Sleeping Bag. But When You Grit Your Teeth And Stick It Out Until Dawn!

Mean

Sleep

Dawn

My Spirit. This Is A New Thought. I'm Not Sure Exactly What It Means, But It Suggests I'm A Fighter. In A Sort Of Brave Way. It's Not As If I'm Never Friendly. 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.

Smile

Mean

Katniss

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

Katniss

Revolution

Mockingjay

If He Goes And Dies On Me Now, I Know I'll Go Completely Insane.

Insane

Dies

Ifs

Highly Unlikely But Not Impossible.

Impossible

Unlikely

And Random Bits Of Happiness, Like Finnick And Annie's Newborn Boy.

Boys

Newborn

Annie

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

You'll Never Be Able To Let Him Go. You'll Always Feel Wrong About Being With Me.

Kissing Him

Able

Let Him Go

We Have To Joke About It Because The Alternative Is To Be Scared

Alternatives

Scared

Jokes

Ladies And Gentlemen....." His Voice Is Quiet, But Mine Rings Through The Room. "let The Seventy-sixth Hunger Games Begin!

Games

Voice

Gentleman

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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