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That's Very Funny," Says Peeta. Suddenly He Lashes Out At The Glass In Haymitch's Hand. It Shatters On The Floor, Sending The Bloodred Liquid Running Toward The Back Of The Train. "only Not To Us.

-Suzanne Collins

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That's Very Funny," Says

Suzanne Collins

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That's Very Funny," Says Peeta. Suddenly He Lashes Out At The Glass In Haymitch's Hand. It Shatters On The Floor, Sending The Bloodred Liquid Running Toward The Back Of The Train. "only Not To Us.

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

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.

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.

Whose Is It, Do You Think?" I Say Finally. "no Telling," Says Finnick. "why Don't We Let Peeta Claim It, Since He Died Today?

This Perplexing, Good Natured Boy Who Can Spin Out Lies So Convincingly To Be Hopelessly In Love With Me ... And I Admit It There Are Moments When He Makes Me Believe It Myself.

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.

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

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.

Technically, I Am Unarmed. But No One Should Ever Underestimate The Harm That Fingernails Can Do. Especially If The Target Is Unprepared.

I Can Win But You Cant Lose, This Makes Us All Even In Our Ways.

Ally." Peeta Says The Words Slowly, Tasting It. "friend. Lover. Victor. Enemy. Fiancee. Target. Mutt. Neighbor. Hunter. Tribute. Ally. I'll Add It To The List Of Words I Use To Try To Figure You Out. The Problem Is, I Can't Tell What's Real Anymore, And What's Made Up.

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

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.

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.

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

The More Likable He Is, The More Deadly He Is.” -katniss Everdeen

Hunger Games Book

Capitol In Hunger Games

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.

I Lean Over And Put My Good Ear To His Lips, Which Tickle Me As He Whispers. "remember, We're Madly In Love, So It's All Right To Kiss Me Any Time You Like It.

But Just The Fact That He Was Sparkling Leads Me To Doubt Everything That Happened.

We Hand The Meat Over To Greasy Sae In The Kitchen. She Likes District 13 Well Enough, Even Though She Thinks The Cooks Are Somewhat Lacking In Imagination. But A Woman Who Came Up With A Palatable Wild Dog And Rhubarb Stew Is Bound To Feel As If Her Hands Are Tied Here.

I Just Don't Want Them To Change Me, If I'm Going To Die I Still Want To Be Me.

The Eleventh Plague Hits Disturbingly Close To Home An Excellent, Taut Debut Novel.

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

I Think About Going To The Lake, But I'm So Weak That I Barely Make It To My Meeting Place With Gale. I Sit On The Rock Where Cressida Filmed Us, But It's Too Wide Without His Body Beside Me. Several Times I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten, Thinking That When I Open Them, He Will Have Materialized Without A Sound As He So Often Did. I Have To Remind Myself That Gale's In 2 With A Fancy Job, Probably Kissing Another Pair Of Lips.

I Volunteer!" I Gasp. "i Volunteer As Tribute!

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.

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.

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

But There Was Only One Kiss That Made Me Feel Something Stir Deep Inside. Only One That Made Me Want More. But My Head Wound Started Bleeding And He Made Me Lie Down.

I'm More Than Just A Piece In Their Games.

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.

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?

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.

I Want To Do Something, Right Here, Right Now, To Shame Them, To Make Them Accountable, To Show The Capitol That Whatever They Do Or Force Us To Do There Is A Part Of Every Tribute They Can't Own. That Rue Was More Than A Piece In Their Games. And So Am I.

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

My Mother Says Healers Are Born, Not Made.

It's The First Gift That's Always The Hardest To Pay Back.

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?

I Poke Around In The Pile, About To Settle On Some Cod Chowder, When Peeta Holds Out A Can To Me. “here.” I Take It, Not Knowing What To Expect. The Label Reads Lamb Stew.

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

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.

The Evil Thing Is Inside, Not Out.

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.

I Squeeze My Eyes Shut And Try To Reach For Him Across The Hundreds And Hundreds Of Miles, To Send My Thoughts Into His Mind, To Let Him Know He Is Not Alone. But He Is. And I Can't Help Him.

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.

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

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

What Is The Worst Pain? To Me, It's Always The Pain That Is Present.

My Name Is Katniss Everdeen. My Home Is District Twelve. Peeta Was Taken Prisoner. He Is Thought To Be Dead. Most Likely Is Dead. It Would Probably Be Best If He Were Dead... - Katniss Everdeens

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

I Don't Like Self-righteous People," I Say. "what's To Like?" Says Haymitch, Who Begins Sucking The Dregs Out Of The Empty Bottles.

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

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.

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

You're Not Afraid I'll Kill You Tonight?" "like I Couldn't Take You.

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

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.

She Must Have Really Loved Him To Leave Her Home For The Seam. I Try To Remember That When All I Can See Is The Woman Who Sat By, Blank And Unreachable, While Her Children Turned To Skin And Bones. I Try To Forgive Her For My Father's Sake. But To Be Honest, I'm Not The Forgiving Type.

Stay With Me. Always.

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.

I Miss Home Badly Sometimes. But Then I Remember There's Nothing Left To Miss Anymore. I Feel Safer Here.

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

The Problem Is, I Can’t Tell What’s Real Anymore, And What’s Made Up.

"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."

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.

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

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

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

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

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

I Pull The Sleeping Bag Up To His Chin And Kiss His Forehead, Not For The Audience, But For Me. Because I'm So Grateful That He's Here, Not Dead By The Stream As I'd Thought. So Glad I Don't Have To Face Cato Alone.

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

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.

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

As The Alcohol Overcomes My Mind, I Hear The Glass Bottle Shatter On The Floor. This Seems Appropriate Since I Have Obviously Lost My Grip On Everything.

Peeta And I Had Adjoining Cells In The Capitol. We're Very Familiar With Each Other's Screams.

Just Give Him The Medicine!" I Scream At Her. "give It To Him! Who Are You, Anyway, To Decide How Much Pain He Can Stand!

And Here I Am, Strapped Into A Tree, A Stone's Throw From The Biggest Idiot In The Games.

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.

Poison. The Perfect Weapon For A Snake.

Somehow It Always Comes Back To Coal At School.

Remember That Even In War There Is A Time For Restraint. A Time To Hold Back Your Sword.

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

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

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.

Oh, The Fun We Two Have Together.

Why? Do You Find This" - He Strikes A Ridiculously Provocative Pose - "distracting?

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.

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.

‎i'm Not Going Anywhere. I'm Going To Stay Right Here And Cause All Kinds Of Trouble.

Underground. Which I Hate. Like Mines And Tunnels And 13. Underground, Where I Dread Dying, Which Is Stupid Because Even If I Die Aboveground, The Next Thing They'll Do Is Bury Me Underground Anyway.

Right Before The Explosions Begin, I Find A Star.

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

Because...because...she Came Here With Me.

Hunger For Love

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!

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.

Winning The Games Will Make You Famous, Losing Will Mean Death.

I'm Not A Very Fancy Person. I've Been A Writer A Long Time, And Right Now 'the Hunger Games' Is Getting A Lot Of Focus. It'll Pass. The Focus Will Be On Something Else. It'll Shift. It Always Does. And That Seems Just Fine.

I Cover My Face With My Arms Because This Isn't Happening. It Isn't Possible. For Someone To Make Peeta Forget He Loves Me . . . No One Can Do That.

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.

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.

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.

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

I Swing My Arms To Loosen Myself Up. Place My Fists On My Hips. Then Drop Them To My Sides. Saliva's Filling My Mouth At A Ridiculous Rate And I Feel Vomit At The Back Of My Throat. I Swallow Hard And Open My Lips So I Can Get The Stupid Line Out And Go Hide In The Woods And-that's When I Start Crying.

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

Remembers Everything

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

Yes, And I’m Sure The Arena Will Be Full Of Bags Of Flour For Me To Chuck At People.

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.

Sorry Excuses For Hunters And Friends. Both Of Us.

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

Mockingjay Book

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.

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.

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.

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

She's Prim's Size In Diameter.

What About Gale?" "he's Not A Bad Kisser Either," I Say Shortly. "and It Was Okay With Both Of Us? You Kissing The Other?" He Asks. "no. It Wasn't Okay With Either Of You. But I Wasn't Asking Your Permission," I Tell Him. Peeta Laughs Again, Coldly, Dismissively. "well, You're A Piece Of Work, Aren't You?

He Never Lets Go Of Annie's Hand. Not When They Walk, Not When They Eat. I Doubt He Ever Plans To.

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

Highly Unlikely But Not Impossible.

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

Only.. I Want To Do Die As Myself

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.

Something Inside Me Shuts Down And I'm Too Numb To Feel Anything. It's Like Watching Complete Strangers In Another Hunger Games. But I Do Notice They Omit The Part Where I Covered Her In Flowers. Right. Because Even That Smacks Of Rebellion.

That's Very Funny," Says Peeta. Suddenly He Lashes Out At The Glass In Haymitch's Hand. It Shatters On The Floor, Sending The Bloodred Liquid Running Toward The Back Of The Train. "only Not To Us.

You Call That A Kiss?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

Something Flickers Across His Bloodshot Eyes. Pain.

And Then, When He’s Been Underwater So Long I Feel Certain He’s Drowned, His Head Pops Up Right Next To Me And I Start. “don’t Do That,” I Say. “what? Come Up Or Stay Under?” He Says. “either. Neither. Whatever

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

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.

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.

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

Something Inside Me Twists As I Remember Another Voice. Rue. In The Arena. When I Gave Her The Leg Of Groosling. “oh, I've Never Had A Whole Leg To Myself Before.” The Disbelief Of The Chronically Hungry.

Oh, That I Do Know...katniss Will Pick Whoever She Thinks She Can't Survive Without.

Mockingjay Book

Sometimes, When I Clean A Kill, I Feed Buttercup The Entrails. He Has Stopped Hissing At Me. Entrails. No Hissing. This Is The Closest We Will Ever Come To Love.

Aim Higher In Case You Fall Short.

As We Ride The Elevator Gale Finally Says “you're Still Angry.” “and You're Still Not Sorry,” I Reply. "i Will Stand By What I Said. Do You Want Me To Lie About It?” He Asks. “no, I Want You To Rethink It And Come Up With The Right Opinion,” I Tell Him.

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 . . .

They'll Either Want To Kill You, Kiss You, Or Be You.

Make Sure They Remember You.

Haymitch Abernathy

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.

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

Temporary Insanity

You're Hideous, You Know That, Right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Winning Means Fame And Fortune. Losing Means Certain Death. The Hunger Games Have Begun.

When I Break Into The Clearing, She's On The Ground, Hopelessly Entangled In A Net. She Just Has The Time To Reach Her Hand Through The Mesh And Say My Name Before The Spear Enters Her Body.

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.

I Also Want To Tell Him How Much I Already Miss Him. But That Wouldn't Be Fair On My Part.

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

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

There's Plenty Of Blame To Go Around.

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.

If You Won't Talk About Yourself, At Least Compliment The Audience. Just Keep Turning It Back Around, All Right. Gush.

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

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. How Little Chance We Would Stand Of Surviving Another Rebellion. Whatever Words They Use, The Real Message Is Clear. “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

"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."

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

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

Dawn Comes Before Sleep Does.

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

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

‎what Is To Prevent, Say, An Uprising?

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

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.

That Was The One Thing I Had Going For Me. Taking Care Of Your Family.

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.

It Starts At Midnight.

I’m Stopped By The Sight Of Finnick Kissing Peeta.

Hope Is The Only Thing Stronger Than Fear.

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.

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.

Let The Hunger Games Begin!

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.

The Woods Always Look Different At Night...as If The Daytime Trees And Flowers And Stones Had Gone To Bed And Sent Slightly More Ominous Versions Of Themselves To Take Their Places.

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.

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

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

Her Name's Prim. She's Just Twelve. And I Love Her More Than Anything.

Just Remember, Stealing's Punishable By Death

"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.

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