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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.

-Suzanne Collins

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The Ones I Loved

Suzanne Collins

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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.

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

Katniss....he's Still Trying To Keep You Alive.

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.

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

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

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Capitol In Hunger Games

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

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

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.

For The Last Year His Grandma Had Been Slipping In And Out Of Reality. One Minute She Was As Clear As A Bell And The Next She Was Calling Him Simon. Who Was Simon? He Had No Idea.

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

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.

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

No One Really Needs Me," He Says, And There Is No Self-pity In His Voice. It's True His Family Doesn't Need Him. They Will Mourn Him, As Will A Handful Of Friends. But They Will Get On. Even Haymitch, With The Help Of A Lot Of White Liquor, Will Get On. I Realize Only One Person Will Be Damaged Beyond Repair If Peeta Dies. Me. "i Do," I Say. "i Need You.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

But After Several Hours, I Go Anyway, Walking In Silent Sock Feet, So As Not To Awaken The Ghosts.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Tuck In Your Tail, Little Duck.

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

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

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

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

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.

Doors Are For Those Who Lack Enemies.

Gregor The Overlander

What? My Head Doctor Says I'm Not Supposed To Censor My Thoughts. It's Part Of My Therapy.

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.

You're Punishing Him Over And Over For Things That Are Out Of His Control. Now, I'm Not Saying You Shouldn't Have A Fully Loaded Weapon Next To You Round The Clock. But I Think It's Time You Flipped This Little Scenario In Your Head. If You'd Been Taken By The Capitol, And Hijacked, And Then Tried To Kill Peeta, Is This The Way He Would Be Treating You?" Demands Haymitch. I Fall Silent. It Isn't. It Isn't How He Would Be Treating Me At All. He Would Be Trying To Get Me Back At Any Cost. Not Shutting Me Out, Abandoning Me, Greeting Me With Hostility At Every Turn.

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.

You Can Swim, Too." He Says. "where Did You Learn That In District Twelve?" "we Have A Very Big Bathtub.

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

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

You're A Painter. You're A Baker. You Like To Sleep With The Windows Open. You Never Take Sugar In Your Tea. And You Always Double-knot Your Shoelaces.

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.

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.

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

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

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

I Vote Yes....for Prim.

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

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.

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.

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

We Star-crossed Lovers Of District 12, Who Suffered So Much And Enjoyed So Little The Rewards Of Our Victory, Do Not Seek Our Fans' Favor, Grace Them With Our Smiles, Or Catch Their Kisses. We Are Unforgiving. And I Love It. Getting To Be Myself At Last.

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 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.

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

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

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

"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."

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

Tonight. After The Reaping, Everyone Is Supposed To Celebrate. And A A Lot Of People Do, Out Of Relief That Their Children Have Been Spared For Another Year. But At Least Two Families Will Pull Their Shutters, Lock Their Doors, And Try To Figure Out How They Will Survive The Painful Weeks To Come.

What Was That You Were Saying Just Before The Food Arrived? Something About Me... No Competition... Best Thing That Ever Happened To You.

I Start To Crack At Four Hundred To One.

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

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

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

At The Moment, The Choice Would Be Simple. I Can Survive Just Fine Without Either Of Them.

The Evil Thing Is Inside, Not Out.

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

I Don’t Stand A Chance If He Doesn't Get Better. You’ll Never Be Able To Let Him Go. You’ll Always Feel Wrong About Being With Me.” “the Way I Always Felt Wrong Kissing Him Because Of You,” I Say. Gale Holds My Gaze. “if I Thought That Was True, I Could Almost Live With The Rest Of It.

You're Punishing Him Over And Over For Things That Are Out Of His Control.

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.

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.

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.

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

I'm Not Good At Talking About Myself.

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

I Am Not Pretty. I Am Not Beautiful. I Am As Radiant As The Sun.

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.

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.

Better Not To Give In To It.

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.

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.

I'm Not Flailing Now, As My Muscles Are Rigid With The Tension Of Holding Myself Together.

Oh, Well. At Least My Blood Is Flowing.

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

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

One Slip. One Slip In Thousands. The Odds Had Been Entirely In Her Favor. But It Hadn't Mattered.

It Is A Perfect Weapon

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Here's Some Advice. Stay Alive.

Hunger Games Book

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

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

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

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

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

The Numbness Of His Loss Had Passed, And The Pain Would Hit Me Out Of Nowhere, Doubling Me Over, Racking My Body With Sobs. Where Are You? I Would Cry Out In My Mind. Where Have You Gone? Of Course, There Was Never Any Answer.

Katniss, There Is No District Twelve.

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.

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

Of Course You Are. The Tributes Were Necessary To The Games, Too. Until They Weren't," I Say. "and Then We Were Very Disposable - Right, Plutarch?

Want A Sugar Cube?- Finnick Odair,

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

Lasting Impressions

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

Opening Ceremony

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.

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?

When I Was Young I Was Trained In Stage Fighting And Rapier And Dagger, For Several Years.

I Think....you Still Have No Idea. The Effect You Can Have.

A Spark Could Be Enough To Set Them Ablaze.

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

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

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

Maybe I'll Be Like The Man In The Hanging Tree Still Waiting For An Answer.' Gale Who I Have Never Seen Cry Has Tears In His Eyes. To Keep Them From Spilling Over. I Reach Forward And Press My Lips Against His. We Taste Of Heat, Ashes And Misery.

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.

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

Mockingjay Book

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.

I'll Tell Them How I Survive It. I'll Tell Them That On Bad Mornings, It Feels Impossible To Take Pleasure In Anything Because I'm Afraid It Could Be Taken Away. That's When I Make A List In My Head Of Every Act Of Goodness I've Seen Someone Do. It's Like A Game. Repetitive. Even A Little Tedious After More Than Twenty Years. But There Are Much Worse Games To Play.

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.

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

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

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

It’s Not Wondering What I Breathe In, But Who, That Threatens To Choke Me.

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

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.

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.

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.

I Stand There, Feeling Broken And Small, Thousands Of Eyes Trained On Me.

I Killed You. And You. And You.

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

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

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

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

That's Right. Who Am I Thinking Of? Oh, I Know. It's Cinna Who Likes You. But That's Mainly Because You Didn't Try To Run When He Set You On Fire," Says Peeta. "on The Other Hand, Haymitch... Well, If I Were You, I'd Avoid Haymitch Completely. He Hates You.

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

Sorry Excuses For Hunters And Friends. Both Of Us.

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.

He Felt Around Desperately For A Weapon. What Did He Have? Diapers? Cookies? Oh, Why Hadn't They Given Him A Sword? He Was The Stupid Warrior, Wasn't He? His Fingers Dug In The Leather Bag And Closed Around The Root Beer Can. Root Beer! He Yanked Out The Can Shaking It With All His Might. "attack! Attack!" He Yelled.

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.

The Star-crossed Lovers

Star Crossed Lovers

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

Not Daring To Flee Since My General Location Has Just Been Broadcast To Any Killer Who Cares. I Mean, I Know It's Cold Out Here And Not Everybody Has A Sleeping Bag.

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

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

We Could Do It, You Know.

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.

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

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

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.

You Can Tell By The Way The Girls Whisper About Him When He Walks By In School That They Want Him. It Makes Me Jealous But Not For The Reason People Would Think. Good Hunting Partners Are Hard To Find.

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.

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

Only.. I Want To Do Die As Myself

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)

"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."

The Most Exciting Thing Either Of Us Does Is Nap.

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.

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

Remembers Everything

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.

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

I Knew It. In This Way, Peeta's Not Hard To Predict. While I Was Wallowing Around On The Floor Of That Cellar, Thinking Only Of Myself, He Was Here, Thinking Of Me. Shame Isn't A Strong Enough Word For What I Feel.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

Beauty That Arose Out Of Pain.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Im Still Betting On You. - Cinna.

Yes, They Have To Have A Victor. Without A Victor, The Whole Thing Would Blow Up In The Gamemakers' Faces. They'd Have Failed The Capitol. Might Possibly Even Be Executed, Slowly And Painfully, While The Cameras Broadcast It To Every Screen In The Country.

Deep In The Meadow, Hidden Far Away, A Cloak Of Leaves, A Moonbeam Ray, Forget Your Woes And Let Your Troubles Lay, And When Again It's Morning, They'll Wash Away. Here It's Safe, Here It's Warm, Here The Daisies Guard You From Every Harm, Here Your Dreams Are Sweet And Tomorrow Brings Them True, Here Is The Place Where I Love You.

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

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

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

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

They're Already Taking My Future! They Can't Have The Things That Mattered To Me In The Past!

Capitol In Hunger Games

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

Impulsively, I Lean Forward And Kiss Him, Stopping His Word. This Is Probably Overdue Anyway Since He’s Right, We Are Supposed To Be Madly In Love.

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

Hunger Games Book

That Should Have Been My Strategy! By The Time I’ve Worked Through The Emotions Of Surprise, Admiration, Anger, Jealousy, And Frustration, I’m Watching That Reddish Mane Of Hair Disappear Into The Trees Well Out Of Shooting Range.

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

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