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.

-Suzanne Collins

Please Wait....
Translating....

She Reaches In, Digs

Suzanne Collins

Topic

Hands

Names

Voice

More From Suzanne Collins

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

Boys

Newborn

Annie

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

Reality

Katniss

Snapping

Katniss, I Don't Think President Snow Will Kill Peeta. If He Does, He Won't Have Any Way To Hurt You." "so, What Do You Think They'll Do To Him?" I Ask. "whatever It Takes To Break You.

Hurt

Thinking

President Snow

And Don't You Let Your Guard Down For A Second Because You Think Anything's Inevitable.

Thinking

Inevitable

"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

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

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

Your Only Defense Can Be You Were So Madly In Love You Weren't Responsible For Your Actions.

Love You

Defense

Action

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

Attention

Pay

Matter

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

For There To Be Betrayal, There Would Have To Have Been Trust First.

Relationship

Trust

Betrayal

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

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

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

Catching On

Should Have

Catching Fire

"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

No Matter What I Do, I'm Hurting Someone." - Katniss Everdeen

Hurt

Katniss

Matter

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

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

Humorous

Kissing

Thinking

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

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

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

Bed

Green

Grass

And She's My Fiancee. So If You Want To Get To Him, Expect To Go Through Both Of Us.

Want

Fiancee

Ifs

By The End Of The Session, I Am No One At All. Haymitch Started Drinking Somewhere Around Witty, And A Nasty Edge Has Crept Into His Voice. "i Give Up, Sweetheart. Just Answer The Questions And Try Not To Let The Audience See How Openly You Despise Them.

Witty

Giving Up

Drinking

Oh, Well. At Least My Blood Is Flowing.

Blood

Oh Well

Wells

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.

Wall

Two

Space

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

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

Humorous

Crowds

Favors

The Ones I Loved Fly As Birds In The Open Sky Above Me. Soaring, Weaving, Calling To Me To Join Them. I Want So Badly To Follow Them, But The Seawater Saturates My Wings, Making It Impossible To Lift Them. The Ones I Hated Have Taken To The Water, Horrible Scaled Things That Tear My Salty Flesh With Needle Teeth. Biting Again And Again. Dragging Me Beneath The Surface.

Taken

Sky

Wings

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

Book

Might

Humans

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

Pride

Cinna

Want A Sugar Cube?" He Asks In His Old Seductive Voice.

Voice

Seductive

Want

Hope Is The Only Thing Stronger Than Fear.

President Snow

Games

Katniss

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

I Take A Few Breaths To Calm Myself, Step Back, And Lift Buttercup By The Scruff Of The Neck. "i Should've Drowned You When I Had The Chance." His Ears Flatten And He Raises A Paw. I Hiss Before He Gets A Chance, Which Seems To Annoy Him A Little, Since He Considers Hissing His Own Personal Sound Of Contempt.

Sound

Ears

Littles

Peeta Smiles And Douses Haymitch's Knife In White Liquor From A Bottle On The Floor. He Wipes The Blade Clean On His Shirt Tail And Slices The Bread. Peeta Keeps All Of Us In Fresh Baked Goods. I Hunt. He Bakes. Haymitch Drinks. We Have Our Own Ways To Stay Busy, To Keep Thought Of Our Time As Contestants In The Hunger Games At Bay.

Knives

Games

White

As Coal Pressured Into Pearls By Our Weighty Existence. Beauty That Arose Out Of Pain.

Pain

Coal

Pearls

How Could I Leave Prim, Who Is The Only Person In The World I’m Certain I Love?

World

Certain

Persons

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

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

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

Maybe . . . Because For The First Time . . . There Was A Chance I Could Keep Him,” I Say. “so Now That You've Got Me, What Are You Going To Do With Me?” “put You Somewhere You Can't Get Hurt.” And When He Kisses Me, People In The Room Actually Sigh.

Hurt

Kissing

People

The Heat Of The Bread Burned Into My Skin, But I Clutched It Tighter, Clinging To Life.

Skins

Bread

Heat

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

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

Cat

Attention

Cubes

Just Because People Starve In A Book, Doesn't Mean That We Will Starve In The Future.

Book

Mean

People

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

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

Catching On

Catching Fire

Lifetime

Tuck In Your Tail, Little Duck.

Ducks

Tails

Littles

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

But Some Secrets Are Too Delicious Not To Share.

Secret

Delicious

Oh, The Fun We Two Have Together.

Fun

Two

Together

I'm So Tired, Katniss.

Tired

Katniss

Mockingjay

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

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

A Spark Could Be Enough To Set Them Ablaze.

Sparks

Enough

No Wonder I Won The Games. No Decent Person Ever Does.

Catching On

Games

Catching Fire

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

Deep In The Meadow, Hidden Far Away A Cloak Of Leaves, A Moonbeam Ray Forget Your Woes And Let Your Troubles Lay

Rays

Woe

Forget

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

There Were Two Avoxes With Me In Prison. Darius And Lavinia, But The Guards Mostly Called Them The Redheads. They'd Been Our Servants In The Training Center, So They Arrested Them, Too. I Watched Them Being Tortured To Death. She Was Lucky. They Used Too Much Voltage And Her Heart Stopped Right Off. It Took Days To Finish Him Off. Beating, Cutting Off Parts. They Kept Asking Him Questions, But He Couldn't Speak, He Just Made These Horrible Animals Sounds. They Didn't Want Information, You Know? They Wanted Me To See It.

Heart

Cutting

Animal

Taking The Kids From Our Districts, Forcing Them To Kill One Another While We Watch – This Is The Capitol’s Way Of Reminding Us How Totally We Are At Their Mercy.

Kids

Watches

Way

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

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

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

Opposites

Bird

Safe

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

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

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

Stupid

Knocked Up

Goats

I'm Going To Be The Mockingjay.

Mockingjay

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

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

Positioned On My Dresser, That White-as-snow Rose Is A Personal Message To Me. It Speaks Of Unfinished Business. It Whispers, I Can Find You. I Can Reach You. Perhaps I Am Watching You Now.

Unfinished Business

President Snow

White

You Could Do A Lot Worse.

Look How We Take Your Children And Sacrifice Them And There’s Nothing You Can Do. If You Lift A Finger, We Will Destroy Every Last One Of You. Just As We Did In District Thirteen.

Children

Sacrifice

Katniss

My Death Could, In Fact, Save Him. If It Can't, No Matter. It's Enough To Die Of Spite. To Punish Haymitch, Who, Of All The People In This Rotting World, Has Turned Peeta And Me Into Pieces In His Games. I Trusted Him. I Put What Was Precious In Haymitch's Hands. And He Has Betrayed Me.

Hands

Games

People

Then It’s Just Venia, Whose Skin Is So Pale Her Tattoos Appear To Be Leaping Off It. Almost Rigid With Determination, She Does My Hair And Nails And Makeup, Fingers Flying Swiftly To Compensate For Her Absent Teammates. The Whole Time, She Avoids My Gaze. It’s Only When Cinna Shows Up To Approve Me And Dismiss Her That She Takes My Hands, Looks Me Straight In The Eye, And Says, “we Would All Like You To Know What A…privilege It Has Been To Make You Look Your Best.” Then She Hastens From The Room.

Tattoo

Determination

Eye

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

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

Katniss

May

Sparks

It's More Complicated Than That. I Know Them. They're Not Evil Or Cruel. They're Not Even Smart. Hurting Them, It's Like Hurting Children.

Hurt

Children

Smart

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

I Drink In His Wholeness, The Soudness Of His Body And Mind. It Runs Through Me Like The Morphling They Give Me In The Hospital, Dulling The Pain Of The Last Weeks.

Running

Pain

Giving

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

Beauty

Eye

Catching On

But Gale Is Not One To Keep Secrets From Me. "katniss, There Is No District Twelve."

Katniss

Catching Fire

Secret

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

Let The Hunger Games Begin!

Games

Hunger

To This Day, I Can Never Shake The Connection Between This Boy, Peeta Mellark, And The Bread That Gave Me Hope, And The Dandelion That Reminded Me That I Was Not Doomed.

Boys

Connections

Bread

Maybe I'd Think That, Too, Caesar," Says Petta Bitterly, "if It Weren't For The Baby." There. He's Done It Again.

Baby

Thinking

Done

There's Plenty Of Blame To Go Around.

Blame

Plenty

You're Hideous, You Know That, Right?

Catching Fire

Hideous

Knows

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

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

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

No One Really Needs Me,” He Says, And There's No Self-pity In His Voice...“i Do,” I Say. “i Need You.” He Looks Upset, Takes A Deep Breath As If To Begin A Long Argument, And That's No Good, No Good At All, Because He'll Start Going On About Prim And My Mother And Everything And I'll Just Get Confused. So Before He Can Talk, I Stop His Lips With A Kiss.

Mother

Confused

Kissing

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

Way

I Have Learned

Hard

The Question Is, What Are You Going To Do?" It Turns Out The Question That's Been Eating Away At Me Has Only Ever Had One Possible Answer. But It Took Peeta's Ploy For Me To Recognize It. What Am I Going To Do? I Take A Deep Breath. My Arms Rise Slightly - As If Recalling The Black-and-white Wings Cinna Gave Me - Then Come To Rest At My Sides. "i'm Going To Be The Mockingjay.

Black And White

Wings

Answers

Shame Isn't A Strong Enough Word For What I Feel. "you Could Live A Hundred Lifetimes And Not Deserve Him, You Know," Haymitch Says.

Strong

Catching Fire

Shame

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

Music

Bird

Peeta

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

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

Our World

Hair

Rainbow

Four People Wheel Out A Huge Wedding Cake From A Side Room. Most Of The Guests Back Up, Making Way For This Rarity, This Dazzling Creation With Blue-green, White-tipped Icing Waves Swimming With Fish And Sailboats, Seals And Sea Flowers. But I Push My Way Through The Crowd To Confirm What I Knew At First Sight. As Surely As The Embroidery Stitches In Annie's Gown Were Done By Cinna's Hand, The Frosted Flowers On The Cake Were Done By Peeta's.

Flower

Swimming

Hands

Do It. Before They Send Those Mutts Back Or Something. I Don't Want To Die Like Cato," He Says. “then You Shoot Me," I Say Furiously, Shoving The Weapons Back At Him. "you Shoot Me And Go Home And Live With It!" And As I Say It, I Know Death Right Here, Right Now Would Be The Easier Of The Two.

Home

Two

Mutts

"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

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

Confusing

Looks

Ability

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

Today I Might Lose Both Of Them. I Try To Imagine A World Where Both Gale's And Peeta's Voices Have Ceased. Hands Stilled. Eyes Unblinking. I'm Standing Over Their Bodies, Having A Last Look, Leaving The Room Where They Lie. But When I Open The Door To Step Out Into The World, There's Only A Tremendous Void. A Pale Grey Nothingness That Is All My Future Holds.

Lying

Eye

Doors

Remember, Heads High. Smiles. They're Going To Love You!

Love You

Remember

Cinna

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

When I Ask Plutarch About His Absence, He Just Shakes His Head And Says, "he Couldnt Face It." "haymitch? Not Able To Face Something? Wanted A Day Off, More Likely," I Say. "i Think His Actual Words Were 'i Couldn't Face It Without A Bottle,'" Says Plutarch.

Thinking

Days Off

Bottles

Well, I Knew That Goat Would Be A Little Gold Mine," I Say. Yes, Of Course I Was Referring To That, Not The Lasting Joy You Gave Your Sister You Love So Much You Took Her Place In The Reaping," Says Peeta Drily.

Joy

Gold

Would Be

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

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

People

Helping

Bottom

I Don't Know How To Make People Like Me. Cinna, How Do You Make People Like You?

People

Like You

Like Me

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

The Damage, The Fatigue, The Imperfections. That's How They Recognize Me; Why I Belong To Them.

Imperfection

Damage

Fatigue

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

Hate

Thinking

People

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

Want

Today

Walks

I Drag Myself Out Of Nightmares Each Morning And Find There's No Relief In Waking.

Morning

I Hate You

Katniss

"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

Ll I Can Think About, Every Day, Every Waking Minute Since They Drew Prim's Name At The Reaping, Is How Afraid I Am.

Thinking

Names

Waking

Let Them Go, I Tell Myself. Say Good-bye And Forget Them. I Do My Best, Thinking Of Them One By One, Releasing Them Like Birds From The Protective Cages Inside Me, Locking The Doors Against Their Return.

Thinking

Doors

Bye

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

"although Who Knows? Maybe This Will Be It, Katniss." "what?" I Ask. "the Time It Sticks. Maybe We Are Witnessing The Evolution Of The Human Race. Think About That." And Then He Asks Me If I'd Like To Perform On A New Singing Program He's Launching In A Few Weeks. Something Upbeat Would Be Good. He'll Send The Crew To My House.

Thinking

Katniss

Race

Most Rats Read. Our Frustration Is, We Cannot Hold A Pen To Write.

Writing

Frustration

Rats

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

Swimmer

Learners

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

And Then, If You Make It To Bedtime, You Feel The Joy Of Cheating Death Out Of One More Day," She Said. "do You See?

Cheating

Joy

Bedtime

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

Home

Winning

Dies

It's There. The White Rose Among The Dried Flowers In The Vase. Shriveled And Fragile, But Holding On To That Unnatural Perfection Cultivated In Snows Greenhouse. I Grab The Vase, Stumble Down To The Kitchen, And Throw Its Contents Into The Embers. As The Flowers Flare Up, A Burst Of Blue Flame Envelops The Rose And Devours It. Fire Beats Roses Again.

Flower

Fire

Blue

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

Katniss, The Girl Who Was On Fire!

Girl

President Snow

Games

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

Thinking

Lasts

I Don’t Know What The Explosion Did, But It Damaged Something Deep And Irreparable. Never Mind. If I Get Home, I’ll Be So Stinking Rich, I’ll Be Able To Pay Someone To Do My Hearing.

Home

Mind

Pay

As We Trudge Back Through The Woods, We Reach A Boulder, And Both Gale And I Turn Our Heads In The Same Direction, Like A Pair Of Dogs Catching A Scent On The Wind. Cressida Notices And Asks What Lies That Way. We Admit, Without Acknowledging Each Other, It's Our Old Hunting Rendez-vous Place. She Wants To See It, Even After We Tell Her It's Nothing Really. Nothing But A Place Where I Was Happy, I Think.

Dog

Lying

Thinking

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 Search His Eyes For The Slightest Sign Of Anything, Fear, Remorse, Anger. But There's Only The Same Look Of Amusement That Ended Our Last Conversation. It's As If He's Speaking The Words Again. "oh, My Dear Miss Everdeen. I Thought We Had Agreed Not To Lie To Each Other." He's Right. We Did. The Point Of My Arrow Shifts Upward. I Release The String. And President Coin Collapses Over The Side Of The Balcony And Plunges To The Ground. Dead.

Lying

Eye

Arrows

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

We Could Do It, You Know.

Gale Hawthorne

Knows

Really, The Combination Of The Scabs And The Ointment Looks Hideous. I Can't Help Enjoying His Distress. "poor Finnick. Is This The First Time In Your Life You Haven't Looked Pretty?" I Say. "it Must Be. The Sensation's Completely New. How Have You Managed It All These Years?" He Asks. "just Avoid Mirrors. You'll Forget About It," I Say. "not If I Keep Looking At You," He Says.

Mirrors

Years

Catching Fire

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

I Realize, For The First Time, How Very Lonely I've Been In The Arena. How Comforting The Presence Of Another Human Being Can Be.

Lonely

Comforting

Firsts

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

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

Thinking

Together

Done

My Guess Is That Fearful Events Are The Hardest To Root Out. They're The Ones We Naturally Remember The Best, After All.

Wisdom

Memories

Roots

District 12: Where You Can Starve To Death In Safety.

Safety

Hunger Games Book

District 12

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

Mother

Fighting

Trying

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

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

Frankly, Our Ancestors Don't Seem Much To Brag About. I Mean, Look At The State They Left Us In, With The Wars, The Broken Planet. Clearly, They Didn't Care About What Would Happen To The People Who Came After Them.

War

Mean

People

I Knew You'd Kiss Me." "how?" I Say. Because I Didn't Know Myself. "because I Am In Pain," He Say's. "that's The Only Way I Get Your Attention.

Pain

Kissing

Attention

Happy Hunger Games! And May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor.

Movie

Odds

President Snow

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

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

Girl

Writing

Boys

This Is No Place For A Girl On Fire.

Girl

Fire

Catching On

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

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

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

Katniss

Would Be

Fine

Hey, Effie, Watch This!" Says Peeta. He Tosses His Fork Over His Shoulder And Literally Licks His Plate Clean Whit His Tongue Making Loud, Satisfied Sounds. Then He Blows A Kiss Out To Her In General And Calls, "we Miss You, Effie!

Kissing

Blow

Missing

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

Gale

Reason

Coexist

The Idea Of Being Strong For Someone Else Having Never Entered Their Heads, I Find Myself In The Position Of Having To Console Them. Since I'm The Person Going In To Be Slaughtered, This Is Somewhat Annoying.

Positive

Death

Strong

Star-crossed Lovers Desperate To Get Home Together. Two Hearts Beating As One. Romance.

Stars

Home

Heart

Even Though I Don't Ask, Plutarch Gives Me Cheerful Updates On The Phone Like "good News, Katniss! I Think We've Almost Got Him Convinced You're Not A Mutt!" Or "today He Was Allowed To Feed Himself Pudding!

Thinking

Phones

Katniss

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

Depression

Light

Quiet

Remember, We're Madly In Love, So It's All Right To Kiss Me Anytime You Feel Like It.

Humor

Kissing

Hunger For Love

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

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

Pain

Attention

Way

So Haymitch, What Do You Think Of The Games Have One Hundred Percent More Competitors Than Usual?” Asks Caesar. Haymitch Shrugs. “i Don’t See That It Makes That Much Difference. They’ll Still Be One Hundred Percent As Stupid As Usual, So I Figure My Odds Will Be Roughly The Same.

Stupid

Thinking

Odds

You're Not Going To Die. I Forbid It. All Right?" "all Right," He Whispers.

Dies

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

Right Before The Explosions Begin, I Find A Star.

Stars

Explosions

Okay, Listen To Me, You're Stronger Than They Are. You Are. They Just Want A Good Show, That's All They Want. You Know How To Hunt. Show Them How Good You Are.

Stronger

Want

Hunger

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

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

I Wish I Could Freeze This Moment, Right Here, Right Now And Live In It Forever.

Catching On

Forever

Catching Fire

Behind A Rack Of Framed Photos Of Snow, We Encounter A Wounded Peacekeeper Propped Up Against A Strip Of Brick Wall. He Asks Us For Help. Gale Knees Him In The Side Of The Head And Takes His Gun.

Wall

Gun

Snow

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

Sorry Excuses For Hunters And Friends. Both Of Us.

Sorry

Hunters

Excuse

So We Both Strip Off Our Boots And Socks And, While There’s Some Improvement, I Could Swear He’s Making An Effort To Snap Every Branch We Encounter

Effort

Encounters

Boots

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

I Have Zero Interest In These Capitol People. They Are Only Distractions From The Food.

Zero

People

Distraction

Making Knots. Making Knots. No Word. Making Knots. Tick-tock. This Is A Clock. Do Not Think Of Gale. Do Not Think Of Peeta. Making Knots.

Thinking

Gale

Tick

We Each Get Fifteen Minutes Before The Gamemakers To Amaze Them With Our Skills, But I Don't Know What Any Of Us Might Have To Show Them. There's A Lot Of Kidding About It At Lunch. What We Might Do. Sing, Dance, Strip, Tell Jokes. Mags, Who I Can Understand A Little Better Now, Decides She's Just Going To Take A Nap.

Skills

Lunch

Naps

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

I Wish Peeta Were Here To Hold Me, Until I Remember I'm Not Supposed To Wish That Anymore. I Have Chosen Gale And The Rebellion, And A Future With Peeta Is The Capitol's Design, Not Mine.

Design

Wish

Gale

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 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

Mostly We Just Add To The Piles Of Rainbow Glass That's Been Blown Off The Exteriors Of The Cany-colored Buildings.

Glasses

Rainbow

Add

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

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

There's Always Hand-to-hand Combat. All You Need Is To Come Up With A Knife, And You'll At Least Stand A Chance. If I Get Jumped, I'm Dead!" I Can Hear My Voice Rising In Anger. "but You Won't! You'll Be Living Up In Some Tree Eating Raw Squirrels And Picking Off People With Arrows.

Squirrels

Hands

Knives

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

Home

Pay

Able

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

Fire

President Snow

Games

The Sun Persists In Rising, So I Make Myself Stand

Rising

Sun

Persist

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

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

I Noticed Just About Every Girl, But None Of Them Made A Lasting Impression But You.

Girl

Lasting Impressions

Made

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

Boys

Track

Bread

I Don't Think It's Going To Work Out. Winning...won't Help In Any Case. Because...she Came Here With Me. - Peeta Mellark

Winning

Thinking

Work Out

He Hasn't Accepted His Death. He Is Already Fighting Hard To Stay Alive. Which Also Means That Kind Peeta Mellark, The Boy Who Gave Me Bread, Is Fighting Hard To Kill Me.

Mean

Fighting

Boys

One Night, I Was Lying In Bed, And I Was Channel Surfing Between Reality Tv Programs And Actual War Coverage. On One Channel, There's A Group Of Young People Competing For I Don't Even Know; And On The Next, There's A Group Of Young People Fighting In An Actual War. I Was Really Tired, And The Lines Between These Stories Started To Blur In A Very Unsettling Way. That's The Moment When Katniss's Story Came To Me.

War

Lying

Tired

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

Night

Bird

Singing

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

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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